60. Top 10 Off-Site Tips for Disney World

[00:00:00] I am so excited to announce to all of our M&Ms that we are hosting a giveaway. We're calling this the Spread the Magic giveaway. A $500 cash prize just in time for the holidays, plus additional prizes and ways to enter. Your first entries are as simple as following this podcast on Spotify and listening to this episode, which you're already doing, or any of our episodes on the Moms Behind the Magic in our vault.

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[00:00:47] This giveaway is running through December 14th, 2026, so head on over there. If you still have time, if you're hearing this in enough time, join our giveaway and we cannot wait to spread some magic.

[00:01:03] Coming up, Disney is so magical, whether or not you're inside the bubble or out. And what you need to know when you are staying off-site, questions you need to ask, the tips that are going to bring that magic to fully realize life for your family. And we are going to give you today the top 10 tips we value for our off-site M&Ms.

[00:01:23] Hey there, everyone. Welcome in to More Magic on a Thursday. I am your host, Allie. I am here with Becki, and we are so excited to cover something that is really important. And it's a conversation we don't have very often, but I know is very relevant to so many of you M&Ms. And some of you out there trying to make a decision, can I afford to go to Disney World? Do I want, maybe I can afford to go to Disney World, but I don't want to spend the money that I think it may require.

[00:01:49] And that has a lot of you looking off-site. And so we are going to talk about the top 10 off-site tips. But before we do, if you are listening to this episode and it is not yet December 14th, 2026, then you have an opportunity to join the Spread the Magic giveaway. We are offering a $500 cash prize just in time for the holidays, plus additional prizes and ways to enter.

[00:02:14] You can follow, listen, learn, and have fun, all while increasing your chance at winning some extra money to help you this holiday season. So go to momsbehindthemagic.com and click on the giveaway tab to enter. Again, this is running through December 14th, 2026. We are so excited to Spread the Magic with someone, and it goes a long way in helping us, in helping you, and it's a great way to help each other. Also, before we dig into our tips, I'm doing some home renovations. We obviously record at home.

[00:02:44] If it sounds like I'm at the dentist's office recording and there's a drill going in your teeth, that's actually just happening outside on my roof. So you may hear some construction. How are you doing today, Beck? I am through the roof excited, literally crawling out of my skin with excitement. And I haven't told you this, but I am so excited. And this doesn't have to be a big conversation, but guess what? What? Kenna gets to march in the Magic Kingdom Disney World Christmas Parade that's on Disney+.

[00:03:12] The one that they're going to record that we can all watch? Yes! Is she doing this with her school? She's doing it through UCF. So UCF is kind of partnered with Disney because they're the Orlando College. And their marching band and their color guard are a part of the opening part of that parade that airs on Christmas morning. And she just found out today that she gets to be in the parade. When are they going to record? I think they're recording November 10th. Isn't that wild? It's so soon. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. That is amazing. I can't wait to watch her.

[00:03:42] We'll definitely watch. Yes. Okay. You are an off-site loyalist a lot of times of the year. You live close. Your kids go to school close by. You have off-site accommodations of your own nearby. And so you know a lot about staying off-site and the perks and the benefits and also the things to avoid to make it worth it.

[00:04:01] Because a lot of the times we talk about how, hey, you may think you're saving money, but really crunch the numbers because you may not be saving what you think when you factor in all of the other elements that are going to have to go into planning when you're staying off-site. Convenience. The loss of convenience affects your time and your strategies. The shorter booking windows for dining, enchanting extras, lightning lanes, that all impacts things. And so it's really important that if you're going to stay off-site, you know the things you need to know to do it the very, very best you can.

[00:04:31] So we are coming in today with our personal top 10 tips. And I want you to start us off here because you actually just, as we're recording this, got back from an off-site stay. These are things you actually do often. And so you have some real personal backstory here. Yeah. I was growing up very much the person who would stay in the cheapest hotel possible. We were not the family who could afford to go to Disney on a regular basis. I went when I was five. I went again when I was 12. And then I turned into a Disney adult.

[00:05:00] So here we are. I fell in love with Disney actually staying at off-site because I was a Disneyland girl. And we stayed right across the street, Harbor Boulevard. But when we came to Disney World, we took the plunge and did an all-star resort. And that really changed a lot of things for us. Honestly, I don't know that I would be sitting in the seat having this conversation with you had I not made that choice to stay at an all-star resort.

[00:05:23] Having always been the stay off-site, cook in the room, have a sandwich for your meal kind of family. But ultimately, why we still continue to stay off-site on probably more often than not is because we are traveling late, like deciding the day before when Disney resorts are all filled up. Or because we have a big party and we need to be able to have accommodations that you would have to be doing a pretty expensive on-site suite to stay at.

[00:05:51] So there are absolutely valid reasons to be staying outside of the bubble. And if you are an M&M that stays outside of the bubble, we absolutely see you. We know that the majority of people going to Disney World actually are staying off-site. But the elevated experience overall from staying on-site is definitely one of those things to always pull into the conversation because it might not cost you that much more. And the convenience cost that you give up in that space is always a part of that conversation. Yeah, completely true.

[00:06:21] And I've said a million reasons why I think staying on-site is the option that's going to be the best in most cases. I am going to just echo you and say it's not for every case. And so leaving our M&Ms sort of some quality tips that are going to enhance their experience off-site is really important to me as well. So tip number one, let's just dive in here. Tip number one, check whether your hotel is a select hotel. So a lot of the off-site resorts with Disney are called Good Neighbor Hotels.

[00:06:48] They follow a package opportunity and payment plan that looks very similar to on-site stays. So the same deposit will secure at the same final payment date. You cannot add things like a dining plan or memory maker to your package, but you can do a Good Neighbor Hotel with your tickets. That said, not all Good Neighbor Hotels are then also created equally.

[00:07:09] So there are select hotels, some of these off-site hotels that you can package with your tickets for the benefit of the payment plan, not to the benefit of the promotions that you can apply on-site. But for payment plans, it's great. Some of these hotels will get on-site perks like early entry. I think a lot of people don't realize that. It's one of those things you don't necessarily have to give up. You can get early entry at some of the select Good Neighbor Hotels.

[00:07:37] You can also, like eligible options like the Sigmia by Hilton or the Waldorf Restoria at Bonnet Creek, plus the Wyndham properties at Lake Buena Vista are going to be some of the ones where you see that perk. You can also look to the Swan, the Dolphin, and the Swan Reserve. Also Shades of Green, but I don't want to talk too much about Shades of Green because that is a very military-specific hotel. So I'm going to keep that on the shelf for another day. But with some of these other ones, you're also going to get that seven-day Lightning Lane window.

[00:08:05] So Swan and Dolphin are actually on Disney's Boardwalk, but they are considered off-site properties. They are owned by Marriott. You are getting early entry. You are getting seven-day Lightning Lane window. And you are getting basically a deluxe experience for a lot less. I'm very into this as an option. But kind of weighing the perks that you're still unlocking through your good neighbor hotel are very important because maybe you can't get the seven-day Lightning window, but you can get the early entry.

[00:08:32] So knowing what that looks like is really important and also verifying it because I can't with certainty today say these are definitely the hotels that are going to offer this because it is something that's ever-changing. It really is. And it's not as cut and dry as far as what benefits you're getting at what hotels. It's not like I'm staying at a Disney resort. I know that I have early entry. I know I have seven-day Lightning Lane. I know I have the deluxe after hours if you're at a deluxe resort, et cetera. This is check the list.

[00:08:59] Check the list to see if you qualify and which of them you qualify because not all of them qualify for every perk that you get inside of the bubble. And with the Swan and Dolphin, completely agree. I actually was there just this last week. It is a fantastic, fantastic option. I know Carla absolutely loves the Swan and Dolphin because Carla is the member on our podcast team that is okay with a little less in-your-face Disney, I would say. And for me, the Swan and Dolphin is the space that feels a little bit like a Marriott.

[00:09:28] It is a Marriott, right? And so I want to be immersed where Carla likes to be a little bit further out. And so know yourself, know your family, what you expect out of your hotel. Absolutely great options in all of these. Tip number two, know your Lightning Lane window and set an alarm. Disney Resort guests on-site can book their Lightning Lanes seven days before check-in, whereas off-site guests are at three days before check-in.

[00:09:51] So with a four-day head start, you are going to be cutting some of your options, at least on time availability, if not ride availability altogether. And so knowing what day that's going to be and making sure you're setting alarm to really be on at that 7 a.m. opening second, it's going to be very, very important because you're already missing four days. You don't want to miss out altogether. So the three-day window is still a nice head start.

[00:10:19] You're going to want to book your whole trip and you're going to want to make sure that your whole travel party is linked together ahead of that Lightning Lane time. Because you're four days behind and then you didn't properly link everyone and now you're going to lose more time because your app is malfunctioning. Completely agree. And in that case, if you're staying off-site, it's possible you didn't do a package. It's possible you did a different type of ticket. And so just knowing that that three-day window applies to the three days before the first day of your ticket being dated.

[00:10:48] However, if you did single-day tickets, if you did a different type of ticket, if you have an annual pass, unless you're staying on-site, you're booking three days before the day you're going to that park. So there's some nuances around it. And listening to our Lightning Lane episode is a great way to learn more. There is simply not a blanket response to how things work off-site. How things work off-site really depends on where you're staying and how you booked.

[00:11:12] And so knowing where do I fall into the Lightning Lane umbrella based on my ticket or based on my off-site package or based on my good neighbor resort, those things are going to be the answer, and then you need to write it down and set an alarm. Yes, completely agree. Number three. This is a big one I think a lot of people will overlook, and it is budget for parking. Standard theme park parking is up to $35 a day right now. If you're a Disney on-site guest, that is free of charge.

[00:11:39] You are not paying to park on-site at Disney when you are a Disney guest. When you are staying off-site in any capacity, you are paying $35 a day to park at the park. That on a five-day trip alone, $175. So that is going to add up. Check your hotel. Make sure there aren't parking fees related there because everything, like I said, there's not one big blanket answer. I had a parking-specific incident happen in this last week.

[00:12:04] I was driving in with a coworker to our convention at the Swan and Dolphin, and while pulling in, she pulled the ticket for her parking, and she's like, $40 a day. That is wild. She's like, I guess it's just because I'm at Disney. And I'm like, nope, that's because you're at the Swan. I guess the hotels on Disney property actually don't pay parking. So if you're staying at the boardwalk, you wouldn't have that cost added on. But the Marriott, Marriott is the reason for your $40 parking when you're staying at an off-site in that case.

[00:12:33] And if anybody is scratching their head right now, the Marriott is what she's talking about. If you don't know what a Marriott is. No, no, no, no. This is actually Marriott because the Marriott family is from Utah, and so we're going to call it Marriott. So you're saying I'm saying it wrong. You're saying it wrong. Yeah. Interesting. Okay, we'll take a poll. Put a poll up on that, Stacey. That's fair. That's fair. Number four. Tip number four. Ask about your hotel shuttle before relying on it.

[00:13:03] Do not fall into a shuttle trap. These are the right questions that you need to ask. How often does the shuttle run? Do I need to reserve my seat on it? When does the first bus for the day leave? Does it cost money? It costs money. Will there be shuttles after the park closes? For how long do they run beyond park closing?

[00:13:25] These are so important because you're going to find yourself waiting and stranded and frantically trying to Uber when you don't know the answer. I was just staying at off-site this last week, and if I wanted to take the shuttle into the Disney bubble as I was planning on getting there for the convention, it was only running at 9.15 in the morning, at 4.15 in the afternoon, and at 9 p.m. And that was the extent of the shuttle offerings. That just simply wasn't going to work. Not every off-site hotel is going to be that limited.

[00:13:55] Some are going to be around the clock. You just have to make sure you know for your circumstance what it looks like. It's very important, and many of them do not start running in time to rope drop. So kind of know that that strategy, you've already lost a little bit of lightning lane time. You may lose a little bit of rope dropping time. You have to really know. And if you're driving in or taking the shuttle, tip number five is for you because you do have to now at this point plan for Magic Kingdom's extra step.

[00:14:23] And what that means is that any sort of drive-in, ride share, or most hotel shuttles, they're actually not going to be taking you to Magic Kingdom. They are going to be taking you to Disney's Ticket and Transportation Center, which is situated across of the Seven Seas Lagoon from Magic Kingdom Park, not at the park gate. The only transportation with access to Magic Kingdom by the gate side on that side of the lagoon are going to be Disney shuttle buses and minivan lift vans.

[00:14:52] Otherwise, you are at the TTC, and you are either going to have to take a ferry or the monorail over to Magic Kingdom, which is at least adding, I would say, 20 to 30 minutes. Yeah. So if you drive in, you park at Magic Kingdom's parking lot, you're getting out of your car, getting on a shuttle to take you to the TTC to then get on a ferry or the monorail. Still a fantastic experience getting yourself there, but it's going to take you longer to get there for sure.

[00:15:20] If you have a lightning lane, a dining reservation, a bippity-boppity-boutique reservation, you have to be aware of the time that it's going to take to get there so that you aren't late. Because you're going to need to probably budget an hour in addition to what you might be thinking once you factor in actually catching a shuttle, actually getting to the TTC, actually catching your transportation, then taking it to Magic Kingdom, then getting into the park. So there are a lot of extra steps, and that is our fifth tip of staying off-site. Just know about it. If you know about it, it's not going to be a problem.

[00:15:49] Number six, arrive early and make up for no early entry, meaning on-site guests are already inside the park 30 minutes before it opens. When you arrive as an off-site guest, there are already thousands of people inside the parks because they were staying on site, and it's one of their perks. And most of them take Disney up on that park. So you want to aim to be through security when the general crowd is let in.

[00:16:11] That first stretch is your best shot at shorter standby lines, which means extra, extra strategies to make sure you're arriving to the park at the appropriate time to be let in with that general public. Completely agree. Get there early. Stay through the day is my tip on that, which goes into our next one. Which is? Go ahead. Number seven. Be realistic about your midday breaks. If you are staying outside of the Disney bubble, especially on a Magic Kingdom day, but any day, honestly, getting yourself back to your resort, whether you're taking a shuttle, going back to your car and driving,

[00:16:41] you're going to hit Orlando traffic, and you're likely going to be gone at least two hours, not counting the midday break that you're taking a nap or taking a swim. Planning about an hour in transportation time to leave the bubble and get back into the bubble is truly what the midday break is going to look like when you're staying off-site. I recently had a guest that booked with me that was staying at the boardwalk, and she said it took 45 minutes to an hour to get back to her hotel from Magic Kingdom the two times that they did it.

[00:17:10] And that's in the bubble taking Disney transportation. So sometimes even more. Yeah, people take for granted how big Disney World is. When I was with my friends, they were like, oh, this is Epcot, so are we going to be able to see Magic Kingdom fireworks? I'm like, no, that's like miles away. We're not talking things that are right next to each other. Yeah, things are far apart. Yeah. Tip number eight. Grab your dining reservations day by day. On-site guests can book their dining 60 days before check-in for the whole stay up to 10 nights. That's a lot of leeway.

[00:17:40] That's a lot ahead of the game for those really, really hard-to-get, beak-and-barrel, cake-bake shop, what's really hard these days. Some things that used to be really hard I feel like are easing up. But for sure. Boppity-boppity boutique, things like that are going to fill. So with off-site guests, they are actually booking day by day from 60 days out. And that's if you're in a package in most cases or if you're just at other off-site accommodations. So you're going to want to keep checking for cancellations. Cancellations are very common as the date gets closer.

[00:18:08] People start to look at their itineraries. They think that they're too packed. And things are dropped all the time. So if you're looking day by day and you're not able to snag a bippity-boppity boutique or you're not able to snag that coveted reservation you wanted for Tapolino's breakfast, really, really prepare and look for cancellations because it can still happen. It absolutely can. With the caveat on that being at the peak season, the week between Christmas and New Year's, the spring break, those are harder to get.

[00:18:35] So you need to be more flexible in the time you're willing to accept than on the downtime summer, for example. Much, much easier to get those cancellations. You'll probably still be able to find one. You just need to give yourself some grace and wiggle room when you're looking for those. Yeah, absolutely. Number nine, use Disney's Resorts and Disney Springs to extend your magic. Dine at a resort restaurant or resort hop along the monorail. Well, two things we talk about all the time.

[00:18:59] Some of my favorite restaurants are within the Disney resorts and it's not really going to cost you so much extra because you're not needing a park ticket to go in and experience some Disney characters or Disney bubble magic in that way. Watch the fireworks from a resort. Go to Disney Springs for some great non-ticketed things like shopping, bowling, Christmas tree strolls. You can watch artists, musicians, dancers, singers, things like that all along. Disney Springs walkways are full of joy and magic. So you can head that way and the garages there to park are free. It is.

[00:19:29] Disney Springs is absolutely one of my go-to spaces when I need a touch of Disney magic and I don't have a reservation or I'm blocked out on my annual pass. So take up those extra spaces of magic. I also will say, as I was mentioning before on those high peak seasons, Disney will often limit who can get on site to resorts even through the busing or monorail system to only those people staying on resort. So just be aware that you need to pay attention to what's happening based on the time of year that you're going.

[00:19:58] 100%. Knowing what's going on is going to save you when you're staying off site. Yes. And our last tip for off-site guests, spend your savings on purpose, meaning do the math. Use that extra space and kitchen. A grocery delivery will save you a lot of money and preparedness will go a long way. Put savings towards lightning lanes or special dining experiences that are going to enhance the magic. So remember this year in 2026, in the summer, those checking in on check-in day got free water park admission.

[00:20:29] So look at a way for 2027. We hope that's going to be coming back. But ways to extend, like maybe do a water park day in a way that you're saving some money. Add in ways to get magic with the money that you're investing. Yeah. It all adds up. Parking, lightning lanes, travel time. Because a value resort may come closer than you think when you factor all of those things in. And I think my number one thing I want to leave everybody staying off site with is knowledge is power.

[00:20:56] Knowing the obstacles and hurdles you may face to get to the magic or to experience magic will alleviate the stress that some of that can cause. And then, of course, doing the comparison. Know if it's right for your family to save the amount of money that you may or may not be saving by going with off site and tackling these obstacles. Is that the right formula to make Disney happen for you? Know the right questions to ask.

[00:21:21] And eventually, you will be able to have the magic that your family is desiring and searching for. Yeah, absolutely. And reminder that travel agents can help you with off site as well and help you plan out. Is off site the right fit? Is your budget actually going to be able to get you in the Disney bubble? There is no right answer for two families. Everybody's answer is based on your individual situation. So please reach out to a travel agent.

[00:21:45] We on the podcast are all travel agents and happy to help you with your planning and we can help you make the math make sense for what is the perfect combination for your family. Absolutely. It's about savings most of the time when you're staying off site. For any M&Ms listening today, our magic word will be savings. We know that a lot of times want to make Disney happen and it's just not in right there where you can grasp it. And staying off site sometimes brings that into new world of possibility for your family. And we love that.

[00:22:15] We support that. And we want you to make that happen. But we want you to be equipped with the right questions to ask to gain the knowledge needed to make it as wonderful as you anticipate. So that is our lightning lane round of the top 10 tips for staying off site. We're not going to leave this conversation here. We can carry this conversation straight into our Facebook community and on other social media platforms. So if you have an upcoming stay off site questions, concerns, anything you want to know to gain that knowledge you need, bring it there. We're happy to keep this conversation going. Perfect. All right.

[00:22:43] That's going to do it for us here for another episode of the moms behind the magic with more magic on a Thursday. And until next time we're sending you fun, love and joy. And we'll see you real soon. Remember how also got what? I don't know. I don't understand what you're saying. You say that one. Make sure you get your magic word. I said savings. Did you say savings? Yes. Oh, okay. That was the lightning laneiest episode of all time. Yes, it is.

[00:23:13] Coming up. Disney is full of magic. And sometimes. Sorry. You're just loud. I'll hold still. Okay. Coming up. What did I say? About 20 seconds. The closure of your mom behind the homicide, Yes, it's solid. Can I get some light? Also, I want to start theалог line.