When you plan a Disneyland or Walt Disney World Resort trip with your family, you’ll be faced with many options for where to stay. Most families know about the on-property Disney hotels, but there are also so many options for off-property hotels.
To make things more confusing, some of these hotels have been designated Disney Good Neighbor Hotels, or are located on Disney property. Here’s our guide to understanding Disney Good Neighbor Resorts and other off-property hotels as well as some great options to consider.
Disclosure: We’ve stayed at some of these hotels at no cost and some at our own cost. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. A purchase/click through one of these links may result in a commission paid to us at no additional cost to you.
Our affiliate Get Away Today offers some great deals on Walt Disney World and Disneyland vacations, including hotels, park tickets, etc. We have booked our last two Disneyland stays with them and have always been very happy with their service.
Note: Before booking a hotel on this list, check directly with the hotel to confirm the Good Neighbor Designation and find out what the current benefits are.
Understanding Disney Good Neighbor Hotels and Other Off-Property Hotels
What are the Disney Good Neighbor Hotels?
When you are booking your off-property Disney hotel for your Walt Disney World vacation, you may see the designation “Disney Good Neighbor Hotel”. This designation is offered at both the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and the Disneyland Resort in California.
Good Neighbor Hotels aren’t official Disney hotels, and they aren’t located directly on the Disney property. However, they can be a great option for families with some offering suites, complimentary breakfast, shuttle services, and more.
If you are considering a Disney Good Neighbor Hotel, know that they’ve been vetted by Disney for high standards. They will need to provide information on-site about Walt Disney World or Disneyland, will have a guest services desk that helps you with your Disney vacation and sells Disney World tickets for the theme parks, and will offer transportation to the parks (or are within walking distance, in the case of Disneyland).
Keep in mind, however, that you may have to pay extra for this transportation – they just have to provide a shuttle service, not a complimentary shuttle service.
These non-Disney hotels are also separate from theme parks and are off-site hotels, so you’ll either need to take the shuttle or rent a car. Good Neighbor Hotels do typically offer transportation to the parks, but there may be a fee, and you will have to follow their schedule. They are local hotels but aren’t necessarily that close to the parks.
Why Stay at a Disney Good Neighbor Resort?
There are lots of great reasons to stay at a Disney Good Neighbor Resort (both Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotels and Walt Disney World Good Neighbor Hotels), however. You’ll know that these hotels have been vetted, so they will definitely be high-quality family-friendly resorts, where most of the guests are also planning to visit the theme parks. These typically aren’t business hotels and you may even be able to get a family suite.
In addition, many of these resorts offer kitchens/kitchenettes and larger rooms, and may have suites that give families more room to spread out. Some of them may also have free breakfasts, so you can save money. If you have a kitchen, you can even prepare some meals in your room.
Recently, I had the opportunity to stay at the Embassy Suites Orlando-International Drive South/Convention Center, and had just a nice, comfortable stay. This Disney World Good Neighbor Resort is conveniently located right on International Drive and offers suites with a living room and separate bedroom, as well as affordable prices.
These suites at the Embassy Suites give families more room and privacy. There’s a table in the room, as well as a microwave and mini-fridge. The resort has free breakfast, as well as an evening reception with drinks and snacks. This property offers both an indoor and outdoor pool and a hot tub.
I also had the chance to tour the Homewood Suites by Hilton Orlando Theme Parks, another Walt Disney World Good Neighbor Hotel. This suite hotel offers free breakfast daily, a manager reception on several evenings per week, and kitchens in the rooms. Guests can get grocery delivery, to make it easier to prepare meals. It’s also close to Univeral Studios.
The Disney Swan and Dolphin Hotels
The Swan and Dolphin Resorts (along with the Swan Reserve) can be a great option for families. These two sister resorts are often confusing for guests because they are located right on Disney property, but aren’t Disney on-property resorts.
Located by the Boardwalk area at Walt Disney World, the Swan, and Dolphin utilize Disney transportation to and from the parks.
Guests staying at the Swan and Dolphin can’t use MagicBands to get into their rooms or charge things to their hotel accounts. The resorts are gorgeous, with great amenities, and the guest rooms are very comfortable. They are also within very close proximity to the Disney Boardwalk, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT.
If you do decide to stay at these hotels, it’s important to know that these resorts are more convention/adult-oriented. While they are definitely kid-friendly, they don’t have the fun themes that the on-property Disney resorts have. Despite that, they can definitely be a great option and a good combination of on and off-property benefits.
Guests at these resorts can take advantage of early entry one of the best current Disney perks. With Early Theme Park Entry, guests at on-site resorts, as well as select off-property resorts, can visit 30 minutes prior to park opening.
The Disney Springs Area Resorts
There are also seven Disney Springs area resorts, that are located by Disney Springs and offer benefits to guests. These seven resorts are the following (check prices and compare here):
- B Resort and Spa
- Best Western Lake Buena Vista
- Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando
- DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando
- Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace
- Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista
- Holiday Inn Orlando
- Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista
Additional Hotels at Walt Disney World
There are other hotels at Walt Disney World that you may consider. These hotels are within the gates of Walt Disney World but aren’t owned or operated by Disney.
Included in this group are the Signia by Hilton Bonnet Creek Resort, the Waldorf Astoria, the Four Seasons Resort Orlando, the JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek, and the Wyndham Grand Hotel Bonnet Creek.
We stayed at the Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek for one stay and really enjoyed it. The property offers a lazy river and pool area, as well as multiple restaurants. A shuttle takes you to Walt Disney World theme parks as well as Disney Springs.
Early Resort Entry
In addition to the Walt Disney World resort hotels, some (but not all) Good Neighbor Hotels offer Early Resort Entry to their guests. With Early Resort Entry, you can enter the park 30 minutes in advance of the official opening time. You can find the full list of participating hotels here.
Have you stayed at a Disney Good Neighbor Hotel or another off-property hotel affiliated with Disney?
