The Perks of Staying with Mickey

The decision on whether to bunk with the Mouse is one of the first you'll have to make when planning an Orlando vacation. In these listings, you'll find information on the 33 hotels, resorts, villas, timeshares, and campsites that are owned by Disney or are "official" hotels -- those that are privately owned but have earned Disney's seal of approval. All 33 are in WDW or Lake Buena Vista.

In addition to their proximity to the theme parks, there are other advantages to staying at a Disney property or one of the "official" hotels. The following amenities are included at all Disney resorts; some are offered by the "official" hotels, but be sure to ask when booking:

• Guests get free transportation from Orlando International Airport via Disney transportation to their Disney resort using Magical Express (the program is currently slated to run through 2011). Not only does the shuttle service get Disney resort guests to their hotels, but it also delivers their baggage straight from the plane to their room, allowing them to bypass luggage claim! The innovative service saves both time and money, not to mention a few of your back muscles. As an added bonus, guests can check their luggage and print out boarding passes for their return trip before leaving their Disney resort, allowing them to skip the long lines at the airport. Currently only select airlines participate in the program.
• Unlimited free transportation on the Walt Disney World Transportation System's buses, monorails, ferries, or water taxis to and from the four WDW parks, from 2 hours prior to opening until 2 hours after closing. Free transportation is also provided to and from Downtown Disney and Pleasure Island, Downtown Disney Marketplace, Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, and the WDW resorts. Three of them -- the Polynesian, Grand Floridian, and Contemporary resorts -- are located on the Disney monorail system. The transportation services offered can save money you might otherwise spend on a rental car, parking, and shuttles. It also means you're guaranteed admission to all of the parks, even during peak times when parking lots sometimes fill to capacity.
• Kids younger than 17 stay free in their parent's room, and reduced-price children's menus are available in most restaurants.
• Character breakfasts and/or dinners at select restaurants.
• The Extra Magic Hour. Disney's Extra Magic Hour lets resort guests into the parks either an hour before other guests, or allows them to stay and play up to 3 hours after everyone else has to head home. Many of the more popular rides and attractions are operational (pick up the latest schedule for a complete listing), as are some shops and restaurants.
• TVs equipped with the Disney Channel, nightly bedtime stories (Channel 22, 7-10pm, audio only), and WDW information stations.
• A Lobby Concierge (replacing the old Guest Services desk), where you can buy tickets to all Disney parks and attractions -- without standing in long lines at the parks -- and get information on dining, recreation, and everything Disney.
• Playing privileges, preferred tee times, and, in some cases, free transportation to one of the Disney golf courses.
• WDW has some of the best swimming pools in Orlando and most are zero-entry or zero-grade pools, meaning there's a gradual slope into the water on at least one side rather than only a step down. These include pools at the Grand Floridian, Animal Kingdom, and Polynesian resorts and others.
• On-premises car rental is available at the Magic Kingdom Auto Plaza through Alamo (tel. 407/824-3470). There are also car-rental desks at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, as well as select Hotel Plaza Boulevard properties.
• Extensive recreational options (not including the parks), including fishing, tennis, boating, surfing, parasailing, horseback riding, golf, and more. Though many activities cost extra, they're all right at your fingertips and several offer experiences you won't find elsewhere.
• Disney's refillable mug program lets you buy -- for around $12 -- a bottomless souvenir mug for soda, coffee, tea, and/or cocoa at its resorts. The offer is for the length of your stay, but it isn't transferable to the theme parks. You can use it only at the property at which it is bought, with two exceptions: Mugs are transferable between the Beach Club and Yacht Club resorts or among the three All-Star resorts. A similar program is available at Disney's two water parks, but again, they're not transferable beyond the park where they were purchased and aren't valid beyond the day they are purchased.
• Resort guests can charge most purchases (including meals) made anywhere inside WDW to their room. In most cases, purchases made inside the theme parks can be delivered to your resort at no extra charge.

But there are also disadvantages to staying with the Mouse:

• The complimentary Walt Disney World Transportation System can be excruciatingly time-consuming. There are times when you have to take a ferry to catch a bus to get on the monorail to reach your hotel. The system makes a circuit but may not necessarily take the most direct path for you. It can take up to an hour or more to get to a place that's right across the lagoon from you.
• That free Magical Express shuttle system to and from the airport isn't perfect. Luggage delivery may take up to several hours, leaving you with only the clothes on your back (and whatever you packed in your carry-on) until it arrives. And departure shuttles (from your resort to the Orlando International Airport) are scheduled several hours in advance of your flight (thanks in part to the numerous resort stops it makes before getting on its way), ensuring that you'll wait at the airport far longer than you would have to otherwise.

Also note that though the Magical Express service is provided by Disney, the airlines, unfortunately, still have a say in the matter. Changes to baggage policies (which vary by airline) have now spilled over to Disney's Magical Express. Though guests can still check their bags via the resort airline service, those with more than the allotted number of "free" bags will either have to call ahead (to the airline check-in service) to pay the additional fee (by credit card only) or check the additional pieces at the airport. At press time, those flying with United or Alaska Airlines remained unaffected, those flying with AirTran, Continental, JetBlue, Delta, Northwest, and US Airways must make arrangements for any additional baggage beyond the first "free" checked piece per ticketed passenger, and those flying with American must make arrangements for all pieces of luggage in advance.

• Resort rates are around 20% to 30% higher than comparable hotels and motels away from the parks.
• Without a car or another means to get off the property, you'll either be resigned to paying Disney's higher prices or paying for shuttles to get to Orlando's other offerings.
• If you don't spend a little time away from the Disney parks, the all-Mickey, all-the-time atmosphere can get a little overwhelming, and you'll miss out on the real Florida and all the other great parks, restaurants, shops, and activities Orlando has to offer.