There's so many options for people planning a Disney vacation when it comes to planning where to stay. And depending on how many people are going, that sometimes dictates the accommodations.
But anytime someone asks me if they should stay inside or outside Disney parks, I always recommend inside and I always recommend a Disney-owned resort.
There are many reasons why I recommend this but one of the most important (to me)is the safety and security of staying at a Disney resort.
Recently, an article in the Orlando Sentinel reported that some vacation homes outside of the Disney parks have been targeted for crime. The thieves are stealing flat screen TV's, computers and cash. They aren't even waiting till night to burglarize these homes, they're doing it during the day - most likely because that's when vacationers are in the parks. Some property owners are installing alarm systems and security cameras but one said that even after that, they were burglarized.
This, and the convenience of not having to drive in any traffic to and from the parks, is why I always stay on-site.
Each Disney resort has a security gate at the entrance road to each resort. And the doors to the resort rooms are accessible by room key card. Although that serves as your room key and park pass, your room number is not on the card. Neither is your resort. Just your name. And if lost, you can go immediately to guest services at any park and they'll deactivate the lost card so no one else can use it.