Why stay on site anymore?

[Kisby]

I'm very disappointed that Disney has dropped early entry and won't have e-nights in August when we will be there.

I'm starting to wonder what the advantages are of staying on Disney property? Obviously, proximity is an advantage, but am I paying an extra $100 per night just for that?

[AF Brenda]

Has Disney posted somewhere that there won't be E-nights in August? I know that E-nights usually don't come out until a month or so before, so there still might be a chance.

For us, it is location, location, location. It is invaluable to me to be able to hop on a bus and go back to the room for a mid-day break and swim at the resort. Also, I've stayed in many hotels, and I have yet to find one that matches Disney's service.

Depending on when you are going in August, you might be able to get a rate that won't put you at $100/night over off-site.

Good luck!

[ukcatfan]

Read my post on this thread http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=174845 about my experience earlier this month at an offsite hotel. What happened to me is why I will not stay offsite again.

[daannzzz]

I hardly ever did Early entry and never did E ride nights. For us the reason to stay on Property is the themed resorts and proximity. I love the Disney hotels. It is the Disney atmosphere and fun that draws us.

[chancellor]

E-nights seem to have come back with a vengeance. The official/unofficial word for May is no less than 8 e-nights (that's more than usual). I can't believe that there won't be any in August, which is still summer season and one of the busier times of the year.

There are still a million reasons to stay on site. Location (especially with small kids who need afternoon naps), theming of the hotels, charging everything in the parks to your room, free parking, free transportation, the list goes on and on. Plus, if you work the discount codes, it's not that much more than staying offsite.

[ducklite]

I'm another who hardly ever did early entry, and never did E-Nights. I prefer to take a WDW as a trip to a wonderful resort that happens to have theme parks as well. We don't spend every waking moment at a theme park. instead we spend time enjoying the other amenities offered, from the pools, to the sports and recreation, to just quiet time reading or relaxing.

We prefer to stay at the Epcot resorts, and tend to wander in and out a couple times a day. You simply can't do that when staying off-site.

It actually seems like the people who used EE are far outnumbered by those that didn't as I read through the posts on these boards. There's a thread about it on the DVC board, and the majority said they never or seldom used it.

It might be logical to reinstate EE one-two days a week at theMK (not weekend days) and one day at week at MGM, and be religious about checking for resort ID's on anyone they admit early. That would include no early PS if not staying on site.

If they want to offer an incentive to people to stay onsite, perhaps they need to offer advanced PS advantages to WDW resort guests. In other words, allow those booked at a WDW resort to call 90 days in advance for Cindy's. It wouldn't cost them anything, and it certainly wouldn't make an impact in PS's for the popular eateries, they're going to book up regardless of who gets the PS. It would just give an incentive to stay on property.

Anne

[Kisby]

Thanks for the comments. I guess I'm just frustrated about the ending of early entry for WDW guests. I was looking forward to it.

We have reservations for CSR for 6 days and plan to keep them.

[AF Brenda]

CSR is a great choice!! We absolutely loved it when we were there last week, and will definitely be returning. Also, I would keep a sharp eye out at mousesavers.com for discounts later on.

[Kisby]

Can I use mousesavers? I booked our trip through AAA.

[Kisby]

Oops. I messed up my signature, but have now corrected it.

[eller]

Since we fly and have 5 in our family, it is easier (and cheaper in the long run) to stay on site. If we are renting a car anyway, because we are doing something else, then it wouldn't matter as much.

Everytime we think about staying off site, we stop and say, "But that will increase our transportation budget." When AP rates are good, or they have good codes it works out for us to be less expensive to stay on site. We would really rather stay on site. We have a list of hotels that we have not stayed in and want to stay in. Right now our list is at 4 hotels. It's fun to try to stay at all the Disney hotels. After our next trip, we should be down to only two more to go! It just depends on the rates that come out for December.

The benefits to staying on site, at least to us, out way any savings to stay off site.

Lori

5/1997 Off site, 2/2000 Off site, 2/2001 Poly, 10/2000 POFQ, AKL & Magic, 1/2002 ASMo & AKL, 12/2002 CSR & CR

[AF Brenda]

Keep checking mousesavers, and if a discount comes up there for your dates, contact your travel agent, and get them to make the change. You can't make the change yourself, should the need arise, since a travel agent booked for you.

[Traveliz]

I am an old timer here as when I first starting going to Disney there was no early entry at all! And then it went to MK I believe it was two days a week. Anyway we are also ones who rarely used EE - when we traveled with younger children (nieces and nephews) we might one morning to hit Fantasyland and get the adults on Space Mtn early; but honestly we don't miss EE.

E nights have been around a few years but not forever. I enjoy them but the elimination of one or the other of these items doesn't keep me from staying on site.

I like moving in so to speak. Unpacking my bags and living at DisneyWorld for a week. I venture off property to do some shopping and maybe for one meal (at a chain we no longer have) but I definitely notice the increase in traffic and light and noise levels. Oh sure Disney traffic can be bad but they do a great job of traffic flow. There are no neon signs beckoning me for a 2.99 breakfast. I just like that it feels (for me anyway) calmer on site.

So anyway for me we will still be onsite and for now won't be writing any letters complaining about lack of perks.

Liz

[Dodie]

See signature, below.

Have NEVER done early entry and only did an e-ticket night once...

ALWAYS stay onsite.

Never considered that those were the only two reasons to do so. It's the proximity, the atmosphere, the transportation, being totally enveloped in the Disney experience 24/7.

[Humpbacks1962]

We always used ee mornings, never skipped a park even by a minute late. I know for a fact that when they surveyed guests they did not ask for *my* opinion about ee mornings!

This will be our first vacation onsite without ee mornings, and I am not sure about how I'll feel. I already feel unappreciated because they took so much away, even from AP perks. But since I do not like to rent a car and drive around (been there, done that) I prefer to ride Disney buses. Don't tell me a word about offsite transportation to and from those budget hotels, I despise it.

The mere thought of driving to MK, getting in a line to catch the tram, getting in another one to catch the monorail, getting in another one to get to the gate and be a part of those herds boarding the monorails and then boarding the trams at exit times is overwhelming to me.

However, this is the first time that we'll split our vacation and spend time staying at a Universal resort, so theirs are perks that I am willing to go the extra mile for.

Wanda

[Bob NC]

We never used EE much, and have only been to one E-night.

We like to stay onsite because of the ease of transportation, and the themed resorts.

If EE had been very popular, ie: most people at Disney Resorts attending.......Then there wouldn't have been an advantage because the EE attractions would have been full. I think it wasn't utilized as much as most people think.

[DisneyMim]

Traveliz took the words right out of my mouth!!

The decision to stay offsite or onsite is a very personal thing. Always has been. There are as many different reasons for both as there are people who love Disney. HOWEVER, I always get the feeling when I read these boards that people think EE has always been there. Actually it is a new thing. We never used it. Staying onsite has been the preference of many people since WDW began. I can remember when people booked the Poly 2 years in advance. And there was no EE back then. I realize that to many people the elimination of EE was a real disappointment, but to many of us it doesn't matter at all. We bought into DVC in 1991 and there was no EE at that time. Didn't stop us from wanting 50 more years of WDW vacations!!! LOL!!! I just wanted to get another opinion in here.

That being said, there are many many wonderful offsite hotels now around Disney. Each person has to make the decision based on what is right for them. For us, we can and do stay in Hyatts, etc. on our other vacations. When I'm in Disney I want Disney 24/7. Not everyone does and that is how it should be. After all that's why there has been so much hotel construction around the Orlando area.

[Boots]

My family stays solely on site for the transportation and to constantly be surrounded by the Disney magic.

[gatormouse]

Ditto Boots! We would sleep in a tent if it's on Disney property! The transportation and the magic are all we need to have a great time. Knowing I can lock up the car and not have to use it again until we leave is perk enough for us! ;)

[schwaa]

Why stay on site anymore?

Because it's Disneyworld!

[mikesmom]

We've been to Disney 6 times, never used EE, and up to 2 years ago never (yes, that's NEVER) stayed onsite. Three years ago we decided to "splurge" and stay onsite "just once". That did it! What an improvement in the quality of the vacation!

While we had liked several of the offsite hotels, quality and space could be spotty. Disney has always been consistent about quality. In addition, the ability to head back to the room for a rest and return changed things from an exhausting trip to a real vacation. Yeah, I know we could have gone back to the hotel and returned (we never stayed very far away) but the hassle of getting off property and fighting the traffic was just too much. Once we got back to the hotel we tended to stay there. You think WDW is crowded, wait until you try and fight your way thru Kissimmee traffic. "One mile from the Disney gate" can take 30 to 45 minutes of driving!

Plus being on property enabled the teens to keep going when DH and I needed a rest. The experience was SO much better we bought DVC within the month of that first onsite and have never looked back.

[RussH]

Normally this is one of those threads that I would just pass on but now is a good time.
I stay on site normally at ASMu and EE was one of the reasons. Used it every day as a starting point then went to yesterdays EE around 11. Was there in September when no-body even cared about EE and then again in December without it and I have adjusted fine to the change.
The reason I stay on site is transportation. I like having a cocktail in the afternoons and I go to PI several times during a visit. For me its simple "have a drink dont drive" use the bus. I might be the only person in the entire world to use this reason for staying on site but to me it is proper and easy to justify.
RussH

[ducklite]

Originally posted by RussH
The reason I stay on site is transportation. I like having a cocktail in the afternoons and I go to PI several times during a visit. For me its simple "have a drink dont drive" use the bus. I might be the only person in the entire world to use this reason for staying on site but to me it is proper and easy to justify.
RussH

Russ- Believe me, we feel the same way as you do! We've done the "Epcot Crawl" more times than I want to remember, and it's great to be able to walk back to our room at the BC or BW, or get on a Disney bus and be deposited at our resort.

Leave the driving to them!

Anne

[SeaSpray]

We stay onsite for many reasons: transportation, proximity to the parks, the theming of the resorts, and because DH and I don't drink alcohol often while out because we will not drink and drive, but at WDW, we can BOTH have a drink together and not have to worry about it! :)

Whether there are EE's or E-nights or not, doesn't matter to us at all.

[Grumpygal]

For us it works best to stay on site because in a party of all adults there is more flexibility. If someone wants to go somewhere else or back to the room they can do that and not worry about stranding anyone else in the party without a car.;)

Also we've stayed both on and off site ands with one of the people in our party in a wheelchair, let me tell you, on site is so much easier. No more folding the chair up and stuffing it in the trunk and then pulling it out again, only to be repeated over and over all week long. :)

In the past EE was a big feature and we used it in September and there was barely anyone there using it at all. I've pretty much resigned myself to not having it at all when we go in May and truthfully its not bothering me at all. I'll make some early PS's for character breakfasts and get my early start that way. I know crowds could be a problem, but sometimes its kind of fun to get "lost" in that crowd and meet new people.

:D :D

[Grumpygal]

For us it works best to stay on site because in a party of all adults there is more flexibility. If someone wants to go somewhere else or back to the room they can do that and not worry about stranding anyone else in the party without a car.;)

Also we've stayed both on and off site ands with one of the people in our party in a wheelchair, let me tell you, on site is so much easier. No more folding the chair up and stuffing it in the trunk and then pulling it out again, only to be repeated over and over all week long. :)

In the past EE was a big feature and we used it in September and there was barely anyone there using it at all. I've pretty much resigned myself to not having it at all when we go in May and truthfully its not bothering me at all. I'll make some early PS's for character breakfasts and get my early start that way. I know crowds could be a problem, but sometimes its kind of fun to get "lost" in that crowd and meet new people.

:D :D See you in May.

[GeorgeG]

It may cost more, but staying onsite is part of the overall experience for us. In fact, we would probably stay onsite even if we had a free place to stay off-site.

[mrsltg]

I for one vote for staying onsite. Sounds corny, but it feels like "magic" to me!

Don't get me wrong, though. I don't do it for the "ease of transportation". I rent a car and drive myself EVERYWHERE. I've never had a problem getting parking (must be the time of year that we go) and haven't had to hop a single tram! I did find the bussing system to be far less than stellar. I wouldn't make a decision to stay onsite because of this!:earsgirl: :

[Bob NC]

I guess by 'ease of transportation', I also meant the 'closeness' of the parks to the resorts. We too, have a car whenever we are at WDW. After numerous trips without a car and numerous trips WITH a car, we have found that we save hours every day, (that's right, I said hours), by having our own transportation.

[mickey7861]

For my family Disney means staying on site. We stayed on site before EE and we'll stay now that it's gone again. We only used it once or twice over the years anyway. We've stayed onsite before e-nights and we'll stay now after it. The buses may be slow but we find it a nice convenience. We have a car with us but use it to go places outside of WDW. We just love the Disney feel from staying with Mickey.

[Piglet203]

I would never stay off site if I can help it. Staying on Disney property offers so much more than EE days and E-ride nights. I love to stay right in the heart of Disney!!! There is something special about staying with Disney that cannot be matched anywhere else. The treatment that everyone receives while staying on Disney property is great!!!! Don't forget the convenience of staying on the property. You can't beat the buses, food court, wonderful pools, shops, etc. I love staying on the property and am so glad Mickey76 and I will be staying at CSR from May 25 to June 5!!!!!! I can't wait. :)

[ContempoSMT]

dISney is disney is disney. Staying off site stinx compared to staying on site. I will not dare stay off site ever again cause it takes away all the magic

[Neeter]

Mainly, the only benefit of EE for our family was helping us decide what park NOT to do on which day. We always knew if MK was EE on that day; we went somewhere else, because of course MK was going to more crowded that day than the other parks.

Also, not everyone in our family are "morning people" so it always made for a much better time not having to force those folks out of bed so early every morning. EE didn't benefit our family enough for that! LOL!

[Tiffany]

Originally posted by Kisby
I'm very disappointed that Disney has dropped early entry and won't have e-nights in August when we will be there.

I'm starting to wonder what the advantages are of staying on Disney property? Obviously, proximity is an advantage, but am I paying an extra $100 per night just for that?

Well for us no more early entry does not matter. We never used early entry. We would go to one of the parks that did not have early entry that day and found that that was a very nice way to tour.

The advantage is the atmosphare. I cannot put into words the feeling we have when we are on property. As far as high prices there are many discounts avaiable and the All Stars can be had for less then $100. We would not pay rack rate for a deluxe and stay on property but the Swan and Dolphin also offer good discounts.

Hope you have a great trip.

[jamsmom]

We only liked EE for MGM. But, knowing how much we liked it, I feel sorry for those who always used EE. I also don't carfe for parks closing earlier.

However, I will always stay on site for several reasons. The theming in the hotels and the transportation just to name a couple. As a single parent, I feel much safer on site. Also, since I HATE driving, much less in a new place, the Disney transportation is a god-send for me.

[mjenni27]

To be fair, there are plenty of other hotels with good theming! Holiday Inn has the kidsuites. That is great for those of us with younger kids. And it comes with a continental breakfast. True the transportation is certainly more reliable on site. And true the Allstars are cheaper than the $100 more a night, but the moderates are comparable to most of the outside hotels in size, it would appear. And the deluxes are a small fortune! For my wife and I, the decision to stay onsite boiled down to one thing. There is only one first time going to disney! We wanted this to be a vacation our son would never forget. So, we made a decision to spend more so that he could have the "experience". The experience of waking up to a telephone call from Mickey. The experience of being able to come and go from the parks to his hotel throughout the day (so going back to the hotel does not mean that his day there is over which staying offsite may mean because it is just easier that way). The experience of feeling like he was sleeping at DisneyWorld because he is young enough to not realize that the hotel is a hotel. I am upset about the removal of EE. When my wife and I got married in '93, we looked forward to taking our children back, staying onsite and them getting to get into the parks "early" and them feeling special. In that way, I feel that Disney has cheated us all. For close to a decade they have marketed this as one of the great things about staying onsite and now they take it away because "nobody" uses it. Even better a reason to keep it. They give you all kinds of "perks" with your tickets that most people do not ever use (I don't golf, so what would I want a ticket with golfing included for). It would seem if they were wise they would have kept this because the customers percieve it as a perk, better to lose $1000/ yr paying people to show up early and not be needed than to lose $10,000/yr revenue from people who would have stayed onsite but didn't see any special reasons to justify the additional cost. I think the boneheads in management screwed up on this one. Just my two cents worth.

[DisneyVillans]

We're staying on sight for the third time this August. I never even considered staying off sight. We had decided to skip EE this trip because it is just too early for us. We're from the West Coast and really enjoy the later afternoon and evening time more.

Why do we stay on sight? Storm Along Bay! Where else can you stay at a water park? Concierge service. We really appreciate and utalize the perks. Also, we always do a plan where our meals are prepaid. My DH would choke if he had to cough up the price of meals. Just handing a card to the server is painless. It's paid for. Want lobster? Go for it. It is easier for me to budget and save to pay for the trip before we go. Just couldn't get the prepaid meal perk staying off sight. I know that some folks feel that the prepaid meals is not a bargin, but we are from a small town with limited restaurants. The chance to eat in nice service restaurants is a real treat for us! It is a big part of our vactation!

[mjenni27]

Fair enough that you like the thrill of eating at a lot of different restaurants. And if you can afford the meal plan, I think it is a great way to go. I cannot afford it and the prices of the food onsite amazes me. We also come from a small town with few restaurant choices, but our prices are nowhere near the WDW prices!!!:eek: My DW and I plan on splitting entrees to get it closer to what we are used to spending ($6-10 per entree)

[ckb_nc]

I stayed offsite this January and onsite last May. Onsite really increased the Disney feeling. The hassle of leaving and returning tp the hotel or condo is real. We found that while off-site, we tended stay longer at the parks because we knew that returning was a probably to going to happen. Onsite is very convenient, regardless of EE or e-night. The magic of Disney, although costly, is special. Although our offsite accomdations were very nice, staying onsite was much more special.

[mjenni27]

What upsets me so much about the removal of EE is that they basically did false advertising!! I started planning our trip in the fall of 2001 and on page 67 of the fall/winter Orlando Visitors guide disney has an ad that states "you can use your Theme Park ticket to get in early on selected days". That is a lie. The high ups had already decided to give it the axe before this was gone to print so they basically lied to people!!! Not a good way to keep customers happy.

[mirlow]

I'm really disappointed that they don't have EE. We did use it in the summer months to get into the MK. I'm also disappointed that they don't even let you into Main Street early. I can't even imagine what it will be like this summer? I have young kids and we like to go early and come back to the resort for our naps. We will still stay onsite because of this. I know that there are quite a few of you that never used EE, but now just think about all of us who did use it, we will all be trying to get into the parks at the same time:eek: Then you have to add the security lines. Is it nap time yet:earseek: Truthfully I didn't notice much difference in January, but that wasn't the hot summer tourist season either :(

[Humpbacks1962]

My main motivation this year is Disney transportation and the fun of staying in a themed resort. In the past, it was transportation, fun of themed resorts AND ee mornings.

But if things continue to get detrimental for guests, I keep my mind open enough to explore other resorts and their perks. I am not so blind that will be willing to make it easy for Disney to treat guests in derrogatory ways ignoring their failures and stretching the excuses to make them fit into an idealistic frame.

Wanda

[waltdisneyworlddreamer]

I will always stay onsite. I have never used EE or E-night, but love the onsite resorts. Why stay there? Sure, it is a little more pricey, but you get great transportation (never even have to see your car until you leave) incredible theming, a world of dining choices and unbelievable MAGIC!!!!

[DisneyLisa]

We like the magical feeling of staying on-site. When we go it's like we're in a whole different world for 2 weeks...a dreamland with no outside worries. When we're at home the rest of the year we don't really talk or pay much attention to Disney stuff but when we are there, we love being immersed in it all. We love living, eating, breathing, drinking & driving Disney.

We've stayed off-site & on-site and even if finances didn't permit us to stay in a Deluxe or Moderate resort, we would still stay at the All Stars again before staying off-site. It's a personal preference. Even with EE a lot of people have preferred to stay off-site...it offers other benifits that are more important to some people and I can understand how that can be.

I think it's the whole "Disney Experience" that you get staying on-site & people will continue to book their resorts for that reason. I don't really think dropping EE will make a difference in the end (but I could be wrong).

Lisa,
101 more days to go

[Kajunswty]

Russ- Believe me, we feel the same way as you do! We've done the "Epcot Crawl" more times than I want to remember, and it's great to be able to walk back to our room at the BC or BW, or get on a Disney bus and be deposited at our resort.

Leave the driving to them! Anne

Well, Said!

Funny, we've always stayed off site and rented a car - unitl this upcoming trip. We decided to stay onsite but I insisted on renting a car. Until my hubby said, you know how much you like those Margarita's in Mexico. I'd like to check out the beers in the World Showcase. I never realized the poor thing wasn't drinking for all those trips cause he was driving and had never said anything! Anyway this time we will really, experience the Magic and maybe trying the Epcot crawl! :earsboy: :earsgirl: :earsgirl: :earsgirl:

[SandraC]

We decided to stay on site for the first time last year not as a *Disney Perk* but because we heard great reviews of CBR from friends. WOW! They were soooooo right, it was great! I am hooked now ~ staying on site is the way we will go from now on. We will be at CSR for 10 nights in April. We considered spliting the trip between CSR and Contemporary Resort, but the pool at CSR looks great and we are pool people! We will do a split trip the next time which will include Cont. Resort.

Although EE is gone (never used it, so don't really care that it's gone ~ I like the idea of Character Caravan better than EE anyway) we have several PS around 8am-8:30am, so we get in early anyway.

I would consider off site, but for now, on site is the way to go for us! Sandra