OPINION: The Happiest Place on Earth - Part 1

I’ve made it no secret that I love Disney, specifically the parks. Unfortunately, the company has made it both very expensive and simply difficult to plan a trip there. Between rising prices, Genie+, virtual queues and advanced dining reservations (ADRs), the happiest place on earth has become the most stressful place on earth.

While I might not technically be an expert, I know a little bit more than the average person on how to get through the planning stage of a Disney trip, so I’d like to impart some of that knowledge onto you.

Disney-owned hotels come in three stages: value, moderate and deluxe. Value resorts are the most affordable, ranging from $133 to $305 per night for a standard room (generally four or less people). Moderate resorts range from $330 to $470 per night for a standard room. Deluxe resorts are at the top of the Disney resorts, with prices ranging anywhere from $474 to thousands a night.

Guests staying at a Disney resort qualify for a number of perks, such as extended hours. All Disney resort guests get early theme park entry, meaning 30 minutes of early entry to any of the four parks. Deluxe resort guests also get extended evening hours.

Extended evening hours vary between days and parks, so keep an eye on that if you qualify for the benefit. For example, Magic Kingdom is open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. today. However, with Extended Evening Hours, you can stay until midnight.

Staying at a Disney resort will also lend a number of other benefits, depending on the resort you stay at. The value resorts are generally cheesier with their theming. At Disney’s Art of Animation, you’ll find rooms based on “Cars” and “The Little Mermaid,” while the All-Star Movie resort boasts a building themed to “101 Dalmatians,” giant statues and all.

Some of the moderate and deluxe resorts will have themed experiences onsite. In fact, Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort is the only resort where guests can hang out with characters without a ticket to the parks. A couple of times a week, Chip and Dale host a campfire sing-a-long, which includes a s’mores kit for an extra fee.

For families that want to use the Disney Dining Plan, resort guests can get up to 20% off dining for kids ages 3 to 9.

Disney also has free transportation to the parks and other resorts. At Disney World, there are buses available at every resort and park throughout the day, though they will run more often around the opening and closing of the parks.

You can utilize the bus system to visit other resorts as well. While resort pools can only be used by guests at that specific resort, everything else offered at Disney resorts are available to any visitors. You can take the bus to the Grand Floridian to have dinner at 1900 Park Fare or travel to Animal Kingdom Lodge for a personal safari, despite not staying at either resort.

However, many people try to avoid the buses as their main form of transportation, in large part because of the lack of speed. Unless you’re lucky enough to be the last stop on the route, most bus rides will consist of numerous stops and seemingly out of the way trips to pick up more resort guests.

While Disney buses are available at every resort, some resorts have other options as well. Water taxis link a number of resorts and parks, though not all connect. The monorail connects Magic Kingdom to a couple of resorts, and there’s an express monorail that joins EPCOT to Magic Kingdom.

The newest form of free transportation in Disney is the skyliner, which is an aerial gondola system that connects Hollywood Studios and EPCOT to Art of Animation Resort, Caribbean Beach Resort, Pop Century Report and the Riviera.

There’s one final resort I haven’t mentioned yet, though it’s probably one of the coolest. Shades of Green is a Disney resort that only allows active military personnel or veterans and their families to stay. Shades of Green is the only Armed Forces Recreation Center Resort in the continental United States, acting with the goal of “serving those who serve.”

Shades of Green has all the same benefits as a normal Disney resort, comparable to a Deluxe resort. Free bus transportation is available to all the parks from the resort, as are the extra park hours. A standard room at Shades of Green costs between $174 and $224 a night, depending on military status (active vs veteran vs disabled).

While Disney resorts are generally the dream for people when on their Disney trip, they certainly aren’t the only options. Along with regular hotels and rental houses, Disney has partnered with dozens of area hotels called Good Neighbor Hotels. Some of these hotels even have special perks like extra park hours.

OK, I know, that’s a lot of Disney information at once. Whether fortunately or unfortunately for you, I have a lot more information to share. Tune in next week to learn more about planning your next Disney vacation.