Should You Try Resort Hopping at Disney World?
Do you know what Resort Hopping is?
This vacation style involves your staying at multiple Walt Disney World resorts during the same park visit.
Photo: Pexel.com
Walt Disney World fans have discovered the joys of Resort Hopping over the years…and the aggravations as well.
Should you try Resort Hopping? Let’s weigh the pros and cons.
How Resort Hopping Works
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Let’s presume you’re staying at Walt Disney World for a week.
During your vacation, you’ll likely visit all four theme parks, probably spending the most time at Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
While you’re in Orlando, you don’t want to leave the Disney Bubble.
Still, you understand that when you stay at one hotel the whole time, you’ll spend lots of time on the bus.
Until some genius invents a teleporter, it’s physically impossible to locate a hotel within a short distance of all four Disney theme parks.
At best, you’ll stay near two parks and ride the bus to the others, which is fine. I’ve done so without incident countless times.
However, I also know that there’s a better way, a strategy I take during extended stays. That’s Resort Hopping.
The idea here involves spending a few nights at a Disney hotel and then switching to another one.
Photo: Disney
For example, when you’re spending most of your time at Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you’ll love your monorail resort.
You can hop on the monorail and ride to Magic Kingdom or take the other tram to EPCOT. Unfortunately, you cannot ride it to Hollywood Studios, though.
For that trip, you must take the bus, which you won’t mind in the least. Sometimes, I feel like I pick at Disney’s bus system too much.
Frankly, Disney runs its buses better than any other company in the United States. They’re just…mercurial.
Photo: Disney
You can avoid them by checking out of your monorail resort and into Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort or Disney’s Riviera Resort, though.
Those two properties reside on the Disney Skyliner. So, you can take a gondola to Hollywood Studios!
You’re closer this way, and your transportation is more reliable.
The Pros of Resort Hopping
Photo: Disney
I’ve already touched on the best advantage.
When you Resort Hop, you spend less time stressing over logistics. You’re staying right beside the park you plan to visit.
You can plan your itinerary more efficiently because you’ve reduced the biggest unknown: transportation.
In some cases, that’s a bigger deal than others. For example, Disney’s Animal Kingdom resides far away from many Disney hotels.
By Resort Hopping at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge or one of the All-Stars properties, you’re much closer to the front gate.
2023 Flower & Garden Festival
So, the idea involves picking a hotel listed in that area of Walt Disney World.
On an EPCOT day, pick an EPCOT area hotel…and so forth. If you don’t know which is which, simply ask a MickeyTravels agent.
These experts can help you book, potentially save you money on your trip thanks to current discounts, and won’t charge you a penny for their services!
However, I should stress that logistics aren’t the sole benefit of Resort Hopping.
Photo: Disney
Every official Disney resort is majestic in nature and overflowing with stunning amenities.
When you Resort Hop, you can sample the wares at multiple hotels during your stay.
For whatever reason, I’ve found that I’m more likely to explore the grounds and amenities at a resort when I stay there.
Our server!
Similarly, I’m exponentially more likely to try a hotel restaurant when I’m holing up there during my trip.
I’ve discovered many of my favorite Walt Disney World restaurants this way. It’s one of the reasons I’m an evangelist about Resort Hopping!
You get to sample more hotel gift shops, restaurants, and unique offerings this way.
Photo: Disney
For example, have you ever visited Zawadi Marketplace? It’s one of the best shops at Walt Disney World, but few know about it!
You uncover these hidden gems when you Resort Hop!
The Cons of Resort Hopping
Photo: Disney clip art
I’ll spoil the ending by stating right now that I’d suggest you try Resort Hopping at least once.
Before you do, I should warn you about some potentially deal-breaking drawbacks, though.
For example, the day you switch hotels, you’ll lose access to your luggage most of the day!
You’re checking out of one resort and checking in at another. Checkout occurs several hours before check-in. So, you’ll ship your bags to the new place.
After that, you’ll be stuck without anything you don’t have in a park go-bag that day. If you lose a phone charge that day, you’re in trouble!
Also, when you drop off your bags at Bell Services, you should tip the cast member transporting your goods to a new location.
Photo: Washington Post
Then, when you ask for Bell Services to bring up your bags at the new resort, you must tip them as well.
That’s an added expense during your vacation, one you may prefer to avoid.
Next, you should consider that you’ll pack more than once during your trip.
When you’re switching resorts, you must grab all your belongings and throw them in your luggage.
That can be an ordeal, especially if you’re like me and spread out your stuff in your hotel room during your stay.
Plus, on that particular morning, you’ll either get a late start in heading to the park, or you’ll feel hurried as you prepare to leave.
During my most recent Resort Hopping attempt, we couldn’t wait for Bell Services to come to our door.
So, I dragged our bags across the hotel grounds for 20 minutes, and we wound up way late for our breakfast reservation. (I’m still sorry about that, friends who are probably reading this.)
You’re adding a different kind of overhead by Resort Hopping.
Final Thoughts
We don’t Resort Hop every trip, and I doubt you will as well.
However, when we do it, we rarely regret it, tardy breakfasts notwithstanding.
Seriously, try Resort Hopping once!
You’ve got nothing to lose, and you may fall in love with it, as my wife and I have.
Photo: MickeyBlog
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