Do you loose the "MAGIC?"

[antkim]

I have ressies at both the ASMO and the HIFS for early December.I have stayed on property the last 2 visits and LOVED it!We thought about staying off property this year for space and budget reasons.The rates I have so far are 77.00 for ASMO(plus 10 for fridge) and 89.00 plus tax for HIFS.I was thinking that HIFS would be a much better deal but if I could get ASMO for less with upcoming discounts that sounds great too!
I have never stayed off property before so I am a little hesitant!I enjoy being at the hotel as much as being at the park!
This will be a very short trip so park time is limited!
Please-any advice will help!
Kim

[lovmy2girls]

Oh, don't stay off park ! You will be sorry you did. Even if you did not get the discount for the AS.

[Debbie]

Oh, don't stay off park ! You will be sorry you did.

Nonsense! Only you will be able to answer the question! ;) WE love HIFS, and my kids prefer it to both Beach Club and Dixie. Here are some questions for you: How many in your party? Are there children (great pool and activities for small fry at HIFS)? Do you have a car (HIFS is as fast or faster to get to parks if you have a car...and don't mind the tram ride! That's our FIRST ride! LOL). Will the free food be a plus for you? Will the idea of eating (and saving) offsite, or cooking small meals in your microwave be a benefit? Free mini-golf? Is it a benefit to have the 3 t.v.'s or the private parent room? Are you going for the "resort" or a place to stay?

On this board, 98% of the responses will tell you that you do lose the "magic". I still maintain that the magic is being at WDW with loved ones!

I know that whatever you decide, you will have a great time! Enjoy!

[tinkerbelle30]

Iagree!! Time IS money, and last time I checked commuting off-site takes T-I-M-E...Besides- you'll miss the magic!!! THE CODES WILL COME SOON THE CODES WILL COME SOON (just keep telling yourself that - all will be okay :cool: ):Pinkbounc

[antkim]

I'm thinking that I might be diappointed in off property because I'm spoiled with the on property!Part of being at Disney(to me) is BEING AT DISNEY!!!!!I love walking around the resorts and feeling a part of things-I just don't want to loose that feeling of ENDLESS BLISS!!!!
I know that HIFS is a wonderful resort-I just don't want to loose anything magical!

[mark & sandra]

Hello antkim- I've stayed at both also, and once you go HIFS, it's hard to go back to Disney. The hotel has a great pool and offers great nighttime fun. (kareoke, bingo and dancing ) They have a huge free buffet for all and kids eat free with a paying adult for lunch and dinner. Think of the $$ savings. The free drinks include milk and juices, unlike refillable free drinks at Disney resorts. I'm not trying to flame Disney, I've stayed on site since my stay at HIFS and plan to stay onsite again, it's just that there are off site resorts that are willing to work at getting us to spend our hard earned dollars at their places and not just expect it instead.

[eeyore0062]

HIFS is probably a great place, but let's face it... there is nothing like staying on property!

[shrpgrl]

We have done it both ways and I still prefer to stay at Disney, We usually split our stay to a week on property and a week off. When we stay off, we usually get a suite or a house for the room to kick back. When we are at Disney we tend to stay at BWV, OKW or in the cabins just because I like a kitchen, as well as the roominess.
Last year we stayed at the ASMo and found it worked well for the two of us on a budget. I loved the AKL and WL but I thought the rooms were a little small. I would go back to any of them in a heartbeat.
I guess you have to decide what works well for you.

[BrianD]

Originally posted by antkim
I'm thinking that I might be diappointed in off property because I'm spoiled with the on property!Part of being at Disney(to me) is BEING AT DISNEY!!!!!I love walking around the resorts and feeling a part of things-I just don't want to loose that feeling of ENDLESS BLISS!!!!
I know that HIFS is a wonderful resort-I just don't want to loose anything magical!

Well, it sounds to me like you will be dissapointed if you stay off site, so I say why do it?

[susy]

Are you a passholder? Even if you're not, some codes should come out soon for DEC and then you can better judge. I would just pick a place and stay put.

[crs7568]

I agree with the people who say that it can be just as much fun staying off site. My kids had an absolute blast at HIFS. There were a lot more kid activities and the size of the room will be impossible to match at Disney for a comparable price. It really is a great value. I still stay on site if the price is right but I never feel like I am missing the Disney magic when we stay off site. Whatever you decide, I am sure your family will have a great trip!
Enjoy!:)

[Eeyore2U]

Staying offsite = real world.

Staying Onsite =Disney Magic.

[PamNC]

Don't stay off site. Don't! We did one year because we were on a limited budget. We had just purchased our first house. And, yes, you do loose the magic. With all the wonderful codes out there...you can't go wrong. Go with All Stars. We regreted it when we stayed off-site and if the only way I could go now was to stay off-site, I just wouldn't go. but, like I said, with the discounts they offer now and the help of the DIS to figure it out, that won't happen.

By the way, what is HIFS? Sorry to sound stupid.

pamNC

[Debbie]

Hi Pam. No such thing as a stupid question! HIFS is Holiday Inn Family Suites, which is a mile from the main gates. It was built in '99 (our first stay) and is themed by trains. BUT you can: sleep 7, there's a microwave and a mini-fridge, bar sink etc. 3 tv's, 4?phones, Nintendo, a king bedroom (that locks!) for the parents etc. Oh, heck! here's the link! HIFS (http://www.hifamilysuites.com/index.html?)

Now, you'll notice that we've spit our stays, and last year, we got a fabulous deal at ASMu (and there were only 4 of us), so we were onsite. I love onsite, I love HIFS, AND I love to save $$$ -then I can go back again. As my DD says, "$10,000...that's a trip to Disney!" (Remember, we're from Canada, and our $$ is low :rolleyes: )

[antkim]

Thank-you!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After reading all your posts I have decided that if I can get the rate I got last year or close(66.00 w/tax) I will stay at All Star resort.In the long run if I stay at HIFS it will actually cost more-about 100.00 with tax.(again banking on getting great rate like last year)I know the rooms will be much smaller but we will only be there 3 or 4 nights.Also we will be bringing cereal,snacks,juice etc.with us so food shouldn't be much of an issue-Plus I don't find the food court that outrageous!And the food is GREAT!!!
Thanks again for all tour inputs!!!
Kim

[mat2672]

you already answered your question with your original post. You said you stayed on site and loved it. I dont care what anyone says. Once youve stayed onsite and have felt that "magic" as you obviously did, then theres no way you can get the same enjoyment offsite. Theres nothing wrong with staying offsite if you dont need the disney atmosphere or dont understand what people are talking about when they talk about the "magic". But you do see it so theres no reason to lose that.

[WDW2000]

I always debate this issue with my family. We have always stayed onsite, but it is very tempting to stay offsite when you realize many times you can get a 2 bedroom suite for the price of a standard room at one of the moderates. But, you have to ask yourself if the price difference is worth the hassle of not being onsite with easy access to transportation, and especially being able to take mid-day breaks. To me that is worth the extra money and the extra "magic". Having said all that, I have heard great things about the Holiday Inn, so if driving and taking hotel shuttles doesn't bother you then I'm sure you'll have a great time.

[WDW2002]

Originally posted by antkim
The rates I have so far are 77.00 for ASMO(plus 10 for fridge) and 89.00 plus tax for HIFS.
So you are paying $2 more a night (plus taxes) to stay off site??

[antkim]

I know that I have made the right decision to stay at ASMo!I REALLY love it there!I am -just like all of you- a TRUE DISNEY FAN!
I love everything about it -EVEN the planning!I auditioned years ago to dance there but had a terrible audition and wasn't selected.SNIFF SNIFF!!!I do however have about 6 friends that worked there-1 is still a pastry chef at the Contemporary-the others all danced-1 was Alice in Wonderland in MK for about 2 years!SO ANYTHING DISNEY has memories!
That being said-I was willing to try someplace new if it was financially beneficial-but this trip is quite short and I'm just not ready to make the BIG move!haha
Thanks again for all the advice and LET ME KNOW when the codes come out !My eyes are going crazy from being on the boards so much!
Kim

[ead79]

I personally feel like staying onsite is a huge part of what I enjoy at WDW. Some people really only use the resort to sleep/shower, so for them, it's probably not as important. Ultimately the choice is yours, but I personally love staying onsite.

[mousey]

I think the HIFS is like staying at a deluxe Disney resort. You just
get so much more for your money. Believe it or not my kids had
more fun at the HIFS than staying onsite. I agree with the person who said they like to save money so they can go more
often. We all like to sleep in comfort, and the HIFS sure lets you!

[twinz]

We have stayed on and off site...personally, it really doens't make a difference to me. I am there to see the parks not the hotel rooms, so we spend as little time in them as possible. I liked the convience of staying on site (being closer to everything), but I found while staying at the ASMovies that the buses were not as frequent as I thought they would be so we ended up driving everywhere--and the free parking made it even easier. Which didn't bother us in the least, as I didn't want to fight the crowds in the night, on the busses. We also stayed on International Drive, and had a great time. The advice that I can give is...if you don't mind driving places, and you don't fell like you are going to miss anything then stay off site...if you want to "feel the magic" then stay on site. Is Disney going to be the only thing that you do while in Orlando? Put that into consideration as well. There are pluese to both (well to me anyways), and with being Canadian (as another poster posted...our dollar pretty much SUCKS) sometimes staying off site is the only way we can do it. Above all, what ever you decide have a great time!!!

[B3LM]

We've stayed on-site and off-site, both within the last year. While I love staying on-site, you can definitely save some money by staying off-site. I only recommend off-site as a possibility if you have a vehicle to get around - I don't recommend relying on off-site transportation.

The one other thing that is nice about off-site is that you can also save some money by eating a few meals off-site. I've never stayed at HIFS. We were at Comfort Inn LBV, but we still had a great time!!!

Beth :sunny:

[iluvmick]

I too have to say,if at all possible,stay onsight.The magic is there 24\7.The conveniance and time saving and oportunity to return for a break in the afternoon are so important.:p We just joined DVC because we want to be surrounded by the magic the whole time were there!Enjoy whatever your decision!

[travelitis]

I've done both and am facing a similar dilemna. Did we lose some of the Disney magic staying offsite? No, we lost some Disney magic because we were interested in NASA and spending time completely away from the parks. Did that make our Disney vacation less magical and fun? Absolutely not! Escaping Disney's ambiance which has become much more commercial, was a very conscious decision. While I love Disney, I tire of the non-stop self-promotion that was not always so pervasive. I've stayed at CR, ASM, and the Dolphin and thoroughly enjoyed them thinking that off-site would be terrible. However, we found accomodations we love that offer so much more in creature comforts than anything at Disney including OKW, that now the only onsite places that tempt us are the 3 monorail resorts. We're still deciding what to do.

You've made the right choice for you on this trip, and I hope you have a wonderful time.

[montessori]

We stayed at the beautiful Gaylord Palms in June. As much as we liked the hotel, I always felt that we had to "get going", I just wanted to get on Disney property! http://www.wdwinfo.com/sites/family/round.gif

Many people enjoy staying off-site and usually the price is more reasonable. I'm thankful for all the tips I've learned on the Disboards... we've been able to take more DW vacations and some of them are very economical. Especially renting points from a DVC member. That has worked wonders for us! ;)

For us, we do LOSE (not loose) some of the magic by staying off-site. Yet, I can understand that many people don't feel that way and there is a great variety of quality resorts near WDW.


Happy vacation wherever you stay, the Disney magic isn't far away! :)

Mary Ann :sunny: :sunny:

[A1A1]

Sounds like the decision has already been made, but wanted to post here anyway.

I enjoy staying around the resort more lately than going to the parks. So, staying off site is not an option for me. I don't just want to stay in a hotel that looks like one in Anytown, USA. I want to stay at a WDW resort that reminds me that I'm in the happiest place on Earth, even if I don't go to the parks every day. I spend a lot of time at the resort, and like the Disney feeling. It makes me happy. I know some people just sleep in the hotel, so they don't really care where they stay as long as it is safe and clean, but not me, I have to stay Disney or not stay at all!