PLACES TO STAY When considering where to stay during your visit to Walt Disney World , there are so many options both on and off property . Some prefer the immersive atmosphere of a Disney resort and taking advantage of the complimentary bus transportation to the parks . The nice thing about staying in the “ Disney bubble ” is that once you arrive at your resort , you do not need to worry about driving or parking between the parks and Disney Springs as transportation is provided in the form of buses or Skyliner ( at participating resorts ). With options to accommodate families of all sizes and varying budgets from Campgrounds to Deluxe Villas , staying on property at Disney resorts comes with benefits such as Early Theme Park Entry and Extended Evening Theme Park Hours ( for deluxe resort hotels and deluxe villas only ). If you have a large family or are planning to visit other area attractions and have your own transportation , you will find staying at a hotel or rental home off Disney property to be a much better value .
You might assume the deluxe resorts are out of reach for those on a budget ; however , there is a lesser known secret that may surprise you . The Disney Vacation Club ( DVC ) is Disney ’ s version of a timeshare program to which the deluxe resorts belong and owners will often “ rent ” their points when they are unable to use them giving non-DVC guests a substantial savings over rack rates . On our most recent visit , a family we spoke with shared that they were able to stay at the Polynesian for $ 300 per night by renting points from a DVC owner . A highly recommended broker if you ’ d prefer more security is David ’ s Vacation Club Rentals www . dvcrequest . com . There are several Facebook groups that also connect owners and renters , but I recommend researching each site and requesting references from an owner prior to entering into an agreement .
FOOD WDW allows you to bring your own food into the parks which can help cut food costs significantly so we have groceries delivered to our resort and bring our own sandwiches , snacks and waters in an insulated cooler backpack . To avoid sandwich sogginess , condiment packets are available for free at resort food courts and most quick service restaurants . When at EPCOT , you can make your sandwiches extra magical by bringing your ingredients in a Ziploc and purchasing a full baguette from Les Halles Boulangerie & Patisserie in the France pavilion for just $ 3.50 . Did you know you can request free ice water at any quick service restaurant whether you are purchasing food or not ? Seriously , not buying $ 4 drinks really adds up ! In order to save both on food costs and time , we always eat breakfast in our room . I typically pack an entire checked bag with snacks , paper products , plastic utensils and breakfast items such as oatmeal , Pop-Tarts , and breakfast bars september / october 2022
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