does anyone stay off site anymore?

[Jenfrog79]

it seems like all i read is people staying in the disney resorts or timeshare/condos. we're staying at the comfort inn lake buena vista. the resorts just seem so expensive. its just going to be DH and I and we'll be spending all our time at the parks anyway. I just don't see the need to spend all the extra money on a resort i'll never be at.

 

[TinkerBellToo2]

it seems like all i read is people staying in the disney resorts or timeshare/condos. we're staying at the comfort inn lake buena vista. the resorts just seem so expensive. its just going to be DH and I and we'll be spending all our time at the parks anyway. I just don't see the need to spend all the extra money on a resort i'll never be at.

We have in the past stayed off property and we have even stayed at the Comfort Inn in Lake Buena Vista. But let me tell you nothing beats staying at a vacation villa for almost the same price. For the last 2 years we have stayed on Rt 27 just off 192 at Legacy Park. for $600 dollars a week we have a 4 bedroom 3 bath home with internet service and the best thing is we have our own pool. Just can't beat it after a long day at the parks to come back to the villa and relax by the pool with lots of spirits and food. Try it you might like it....... By the way there are only 2 of us also but boy all that room.

 

[Miss Stitch]

We always stay off-site. Like you, we only crash in our room to sleep at the end of the day, as long as it's clean and comfortable we don't mind, although the right location is important. We don't drive, but if we did I'd love to stay in a villa and have all that space, but there would no housekeeping to clean up after me, change my bed etc.

We always have a great time staying off-site, and our main reason is that we like to visit other attractions in Orlando, Universal etc. and being cocooned in Disney is not ideal for non-drivers like us. It is also cheaper to stay off-site although I spend all that I save on souveniers and stuff.

Every body has different ideas of what a good vacation is and if we all wanted to stay at a Disney resort, there wouldn't be any rooms left for anyone.

Im sure that you will enjoy your trip just as much off-site as on-site, maybe more if you spend a little time checking out the other things Orlando has to offer.

 

[sympatico]

This debate was just on here a few days ago. Go to this thread:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1704859

Off site for us in a vacation home.

 

[Gillian]

We haven't stayed in an offsite hotel in a long, long time. We have stayed at Cypress Pointe Grande villas (time share but we just rented from a company) and windsor palms twice (rented from management company).

With just 2 people I'd probably do a hotel with a king bed, or a condo if it had a jacuzzi tub (so worth it!). The disney onsite value hotels are fine for 2 people, and our room at POP century was $65 last time, cheap enough to make onsite worth it.

I don't know when you're going or how much the comfort inn costs. How does it compare in cost to a value resort? Don't forget to add in the cost of parking daily. With an AAA discount or some other code (watch the resorts board for discounts) it might be close.

 

[utahkennedys]

We are leaving tomorrow and staying first at Old Key West, then Marriott Cypress Harbour. I think we'll try to stay on site exclusively in the future, here is why:

1. Rental cars for the week are $500-600 with discounts...somehow I managed to get one on Priceline for $160. Still, I can't roll the dice in the future needing a car at those crazy costs!

2. Magical Express - it is SO nice not touching our luggage once we leave our home airport, not waiting in the rental car line, not having to put in 2 carseats, move my own luggage, etc.

3. Extra Magic Hours - enough said!

4. Disney Dining Plan - this is our first time trying it, so we'll see how it works out.

Anyhow, I am not sure the off site savings add up for our family anymore...which is why we own DVC.

 

[Jenfrog79]

i'm not sure how much the comfort inn was for us because we booked through a travel agent with both airfare and hotel. we got both airfare and hotel for 2 people the last week in april for 1150(oh yes and including transfers to hotel/airport). Through the travel agent i saw even if we went with a value resort it was still a couple hundred dollars more. i'd rather spend that on souvenirs

 

[FayeW]

We are leaving tomorrow and staying first at Old Key West, then Marriott Cypress Harbour. I think we'll try to stay on site exclusively in the future, here is why:

1. Rental cars for the week are $500-600 with discounts...somehow I managed to get one on Priceline for $160. Still, I can't roll the dice in the future needing a car at those crazy costs!

What on earth are you renting, to get quotes that high?

I got a deal for my friend at Alamo for less than $100. for a week, and I am always under $200 for 10 days.

 

[Brian Noble]

I'm wondering the same thing. I just looked on Orbitz, and a midsize for next week, saturday-to-saturday from Dollar is $275, all-in. That's before finding any discount codes, etc.

My National Emerald Aisle reservation for the same week is $235 for 8 days.

 

[utahkennedys]

The prices have dropped in the last few days, which is also why I got a deal on priceline. In the past, we have always paid under $100 for a week, and this time we needed 2 cars and until a few days ago, they were $500-600. I know how to find deals, so this was very scary! I am also an advance planner so I wouldn't want to wait until the last minute and risk getting a car at a reasonable price. I have always been able to rent way ahead for great prices, except this trip, and I've searched since June. Just one more bonus for on-site -- less risk.

 

[kmccartney]

it seems like all i read is people staying in the disney resorts or timeshare/condos. we're staying at the comfort inn lake buena vista. the resorts just seem so expensive. its just going to be DH and I and we'll be spending all our time at the parks anyway. I just don't see the need to spend all the extra money on a resort i'll never be at.

We stay off property, and we always stay at the Lake Buena Vista Comfort Inn. We stay there for two reasons... We stay free because my husband is an Elite Choice Priveledges Member because he travels a lot for work, which means we always have enough points to stay free. The other reasons that we stay there is because it is clean and secure and close to Disney.

So, yes, we lose out on the staying on property thrill, but we save a lot of money staying off. And honestly, we spend almost no time in our hotel and all of our time in the parks.

One tip... If you download an Orlando Magic Card, there is an additional discount offered by the hotel.

 

[luke]

I've only ever stayed offsite at WDW, and only ever onsite at DLRP!!

For me i'd rather pay the kind of money that is paid for Value resorts on slightly better offsite hotels (last year we stayed at Radisson Resort Celebration, this year at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cyress)

 

[SnowWtch]

We're staying offsite March 7-10 b/c we're going to a convention at the convention center but we're also doing WDW and UO/IOA. It just made more sense to stay halfway between. We're going to stay at the Holiday Inn and Suites on Universal Blvd. My parents are there the same weekend for a different convention/show and they're staying down the street at the Country Inn and Suites b/c they're doing the same thing we are and it made more sense to stay halfway between. We all live only 2 hours away so we drive down as often as we can for a quick weekend.

 

[jodifla]

it seems like all i read is people staying in the disney resorts or timeshare/condos. we're staying at the comfort inn lake buena vista. the resorts just seem so expensive. its just going to be DH and I and we'll be spending all our time at the parks anyway. I just don't see the need to spend all the extra money on a resort i'll never be at.

If you are going to be just pounding the parks all day, it doesn't matter so much where you stay.

But if you go all the time, the parks become less important, and where you stay becomes more important.

And to me, there's always been much more magic when I've stayed onsite, starting as a little kid. I remember ALL the trips where we stayed onsite much more vividly than when we did a day trip from Tampa, or stayed at a motel on 192.

So now I'm a DVC member, and haven't stayed offsite since '96.

 

[cbear5]

We are staying onsite for 6 nights, and then we have rented a villa for 9 nights. DH wanted to stay onsite and I wanted the villa so we compromised!
However, I am looking for a nice hotel near MCO for the night before we fly home. Any Suggestions?

Carrie

 

[kty]

nice and convenient hotel at MCO would be the hyatt. kinda pricey, but you can find a good deal on hotwire.

 

[Reflection]

My family last stayed onsite at WDW in '05--a 1 bdrm at OKW. The past two years, and for this year, we're offsite again, although, for this year, I may opt for two nights onsite if an AP rate is available during our dates.

I prefer space to stretch out and you can get great deals on extremely nice offsite villas/condos. Our visits to Orlando always include Universal and IOA, and we always stay onsite there. The front-of-line-access is the kind of magic I like!

 

[Girlpower]

We're staying at Bahama Bay on Highway 27...stayed there last year, and loved it! We may consider onsite in a few years, but the kids are 3 & 5 so for now, offsite is the best for us.

 

[Brian Noble]

The Marriot MCO was perfectly acceptable.
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mcoap-orlando-airport-marriott/

 

[disneysteve]

it seems like all i read is people staying in the disney resorts or timeshare/condos.

I see no reason to stay in a regular hotel when we can get a timeshare or condo for the same price but with far greater amenities. For $40/night through SkyAuction, we can get a 2-bedroom, 2-bath timeshare unit with a full kitchen, living room/dining room, screened patio and washer/dryer. Why would we stay anywhere else?