Convince us to stay off property....

[ICF]

I get that some people like to stay off site so they can stretch out and have more bedrooms, but you do realize that just because you stay onsite doesn't mean you have to take a bus. We stay onsite, I won't stay off site and we refuse to take a bus.

Clearly --- but many of the "on-site" people typically talk about the benefits of the bus, something I think is well over-blown.

 

[Chelley00]

If we are going for a longer trip (this time 14 nights) or have all 4 of the kids with us, we stay offsite, usually in a rental home. This trip we are staying at Bonnet Creek, mainly so my mom can have access to the shuttle if she wants to go to the parks to meet my brother's family early (they love the morning, we sooo do not)

I've been perfectly happy staying offsite, and honestly, I almost prefer it.

1. More space, everyone has their own room (usually) After 17 hours in a van and days and days of togetherness, sometimes the solitude of one's own space is a beautiful thing.

2. More bathrooms. No mad scramble to leave in the morning, and an extra bathroom came in very handy when we had Norovirus.

3. With a rental house, private pool and hot tub. No fighting for space, no looking for pool chairs. I can hang out in the hot tub after the kids are in bed.

4. Full size washer and dryer. Lessens the packing, especially on long trips, and I can start a load when we leave in the morning and throw them in the dryer when we get back.

5. Full kitchen. We usually eat breakfast in the villa, lunch in the parks and then sometimes dinner in/sometimes dinner in the park depending on our park plans.

6. Savings. Even with gas to the parks, parking fees, we still come out spending way less then being onsite.


Some people really "over blow" the whole offsite is a hassle. We left Epcot the same time as friends staying at AKL. By the time they waited for a bus, loaded and got back to AKL, we were pulling into our driveway. The shortcut back wasn't busy and we didn't deal with traffic once we got off Disney property.....the same traffic the buses were in.

And you can do an offsite Disney trip and spend just as much time doing "Disney things" as not. People who go back to their offsite villa to eat and relax are spending as much time out of a Disney park as the people who go back to their resort to eat a big table service dinner and play in the pool.

Magic is what you make it. We've stayed onsite twice and those trips haven't really been any more special or wonderful because we were onsite. If nothing, they may have been a little less "magical" because of noise from the rooms near us, business of the resort and a small room with only one bathroom. We like both, but it depends on who will be with me, for how long and what else we plan on doing.

 

[momof2gr8kids]

Me as well. I only find about $120 a night as well.

Ummm, can I throw another "me too" into the mix! LOL

 

[Teacher03]

We have stayed on property a lot...everything from Saratoga Springs Resort to Pop. Last year we tried staying at Bonnet Creek and LOVED it!!!!!!!!! It is the only place we stay at now.

Bonnet Creek is on Disney property so you are close to everything. You can also get a fireworks view room and watch the Epcot fireworks each night. And you just can't beat the price!! We always rent for a wonderful lady on VRBO. We get a 2 bedroom and normally pay around $65 a night.

I love having a kitchen (we deal with food allergies too) and the washer and dryer comes in handy as well. What I love the most is having more room. I love my kids but it is nice to have some quiet time at night after they go to bed.

ITA.....we stayed at Bonnet Creek for the first time in June and fell in love with it. I doubt that we ever stay anywhere else. It is so close to everything. They offer a bus, but we just drove and couldn't believe how easy it was. The resort is absolutely beautiful We actually extended our days from 7 to 9 just to enjoy the property. We got a great price through Vacation Strategy.

 

[BoogasMom]

We only stay onsite when we are going for a few days. If we are going to be there for a week or more, off-site is the way to go for us.

Once I stopped drinking the kool-aid and tried offsite, I became a believer!

We do Windsor Hills. LOVE having tons of room to spread out, love having washer and dryer, love having full kitchen, and love the resort pool.

As for rental car and driving....the rental minivan cost $225/week, parking is $14/day and $50 for gas. We get to the parks much quicker than the buses, no overtired kids crying on the bus, no stroller wheel stuck in the back of my leg cause the bus is so crowded, and no waiting for the bus at the end of the night.

We don't love disney food (or their prices) so we are happy to have a car and go to Subway, Panera, Olive Garden, etc. We always use coupons and save $$.

I know there are dye hard WDW fans who will only stay onsite (look for a Kool-aid mustache), but we aren't one of them. And that is just fine with me. If everyone saw the beauty of staying offsite, the prices would rise and the supply would go down.

So thank you to all who stay on site! You make our family trip more affordable!

Agreed!!!!! We have stayed both on and off site and off site worked best for us. We also stayed at Windsor Hills. I loved having our own bedroom and bathroom and the kitchen allowed us to cook some of our meals to save some money. I loved having our own vehicle parked at the parks so we could leave without the hassle of the buses. I didn't miss the so-called Disney "magic" that people talk about at the resorts at all and neither did my kids. The next time we go, we will definitely be staying off site.

 

[Marionnette]

We are jones'ing for a trip to the World, and trying to make it all come together in late January 2013. We have been DVC members, but with the change in the economy, we are no longer

I am noticing that we could double our trip if we didn't stay onsite. But this is a completely foreign venture for us!!

We have our favorite onsite restaurants, and I was trying to price out eating at those places only, but then trying to save money by cooking at a rental or suite hotel. Obviously this would mean carrying in our lunches and snacks. This would mean no dining plan - which is another substantial savings - yet also foreign. (We have some pretty complicated food intolerances and allergies and LOVE Disney's amazing accommodations, so we aren't opposed to eating on property - just trying to stay longer by not staying on site and saving money somewhere.)

Then comes the question about the cost of parking.

This all still has to be cheaper than the all inclusive price we just got for the "Dine, Play, Stay" cardmember deal.

I am convinced, but now I have to convince my other half that it really is OK not to stay onsite?!!! HELP!!

Sorry that you had to sell your DVC because of the economy. I'm sure that there were a lot of things about staying DVC that convinced you to make the purchase initially.

Take the time to think about those pluses for a minute. Make a list of them and then ask yourself if you can do the same or better by staying off Disney property. Many of those pluses that Disney pushes when selling their timeshares are the same as what you would get by renting an offsite condo (full kitchen, washer/dryer, more than one bathroom, extra space to spread out).

There are also some pluses that you will not be able to duplicate by staying offsite: free parking (unless you have an AP), EMH, easy access to the parks (you can walk to Epcot from BCV and BWV, or to MK from BLT), Disney 24/7, no need for a car with free ground transportation to/from MCO and throughout the property. If you rent a condo for two weeks, no one is going to come every so often and do a full cleaning like DVC does.

It comes down to whether those things that you were used to getting at Disney are worth the price difference that you will pay. If you want to convince your husband to stay offsite, you will need to downplay those differences while emphasizing the cost savings.

TBH, I like staying onsite. It's my reason for taking a Disney vacation and not a trip to Orlando. So, the cost difference is not a factor to me. It would be difficult to convince me to go off property. If your husband has my mindset, you have a tough road ahead of you.

 

[North of Mouse]

We are jones'ing for a trip to the World, and trying to make it all come together in late January 2013. We have been DVC members, but with the change in the economy, we are no longer

I am noticing that we could double our trip if we didn't stay onsite. But this is a completely foreign venture for us!!

We have our favorite onsite restaurants, and I was trying to price out eating at those places only, but then trying to save money by cooking at a rental or suite hotel. Obviously this would mean carrying in our lunches and snacks. This would mean no dining plan - which is another substantial savings - yet also foreign. (We have some pretty complicated food intolerances and allergies and LOVE Disney's amazing accommodations, so we aren't opposed to eating on property - just trying to stay longer by not staying on site and saving money somewhere.)

Then comes the question about the cost of parking.

This all still has to be cheaper than the all inclusive price we just got for the "Dine, Play, Stay" cardmember deal.

I am convinced, but now I have to convince my other half that it really is OK not to stay onsite?!!! HELP!!

Only you can ultimately decide this as you know your finances, etc. But, having said that, it is definitely different, and not something I would enjoy.

Personally, we would not get the DDP if we couldn't afford it, eat light breakfast in room, eat some CS, and then meals offsite if we had to, just to be able to stay onsite. It means that much to us.

Everyone is different, but having to leave Disney every day would kill my experience, but you will have several people tell you it makes no difference to them. So, again ultimately, it has to be your choice, and what you can enjoy.

Have a great trip!

 

[englishteacha]

The only time I stayed on Disney property was 1990, I was 9 years old, and we were camping at Fort Wilderness. It was a great trip, but I've had just as wonderful trips staying offsite.

We have rented a condo at Grand Palms for 3 trips. It's about 15 minutes to get to the parks. We often get breakfast on the way in, or we have something easy at our condo. We eat counter service in the parks and I often pack a snack to take in with us. I have never cooked at the condo, but I love having a fridge for cold drinks, and the washer and dryer means we can pack very light. I toss in a load of laundry once or twice during the week. We once traveled with another couple, and we had tons of space to spread out. When it was just the two of us, it was great to be able to each have our own bathroom! Every trip, I run the numbers between offsite and onsite, and offsite wins every time. We usually have to travel during peak seasons, so $100+ a night for a value room or $50-60 a night offsite adds up quick. We get the cheapest rental car we can find, and even with the car and parking, we end up saving hundreds of dollars. We'd save more if we packed in our lunches and ate offsite more, but we like going to the parks, staying in the parks all day, and when we've taken a mid-day break it never took any longer than waiting for a bus to get back to a resort (we had a friend time it for us once! It took them an hour to get back to All Stars, from the time they left the front gate of the park till they were walking in their room.)

 

[Bonniec]

In January we stayed at Bonnet Creek for a week and I fell in love. I checked a few sources and eventually settled on a 4 bedroom presidential suite that we found through a reputable ebay dealer. Note: If you go through ebay, make sure they have 100% positive feedback. We got this for $185 a night and no one else could come close.

Staying in a 4 bedroom pres was amazing! It was bigger than our house, we had two jacuzzi tubs. We had more beds than people and the kids had fun changing beds. Note that Bonnet Creek does not have housekeeping. Well, they do and you can pay for it but it was like $200 a day, lol. But I didn't care. We got so much more for our money there. Full kitchen, washer dryer, 6 pools. They have shuttle to the parks and the taxis are also cheap (to Epcot anyway which is close).


Whenever we go somewhere and stay for a night or two, we do the Priceline/Hotwire thing and bid on 4-5 star resorts. To this day, Bonnet Creek has outshined them all.


Found the link, scroll to post 98 to see pics.
Bonnet Creek

 

[DawnM]

We always stay off site now. We have only stayed on-site once, when the older two were little and we only had 2 kids.

Now we get the SkyAUction.com resort certificates (I have paid anywhere from $149-$249 per 7 night stay). And then we get the YES tickets.

This is the only way DH will agree to go to Disney. Although thankfully his work has decided the last 2 years to have their training in Orlando. So, he goes to Disney for a week and then while he is in training, we continue our vacation!

Dawn

 

[DawnM]

I would be interested in the Bonnet Creek connection as well. We won't even be looking for it until NEXT Fall as we have our plans solidified for next month, but I would like to have it on hand if you are willing to PM me.

Dawn

 

[crusoe2]

I stated in my earlier post that I prefer onsite but will stay offsite if that's all the budget will allow. After reading thru some of the other responses, I realized that I never really explained why I prefer onsite. I agree with all the points about the good things you can get offsite - more space, more bathrooms, etc. But I have found that my crew (not morning people in the first place) are harder to get up and out the door when we stay in a condo. I find myself running room to room, trying to get them up and moving. I think it's just too comfy and there are too many distractions - their own tvs to watch or playing on the I'net and such (we tend to take more laptops and other gadgets when we stay in a condo).

I also have found that I do a lot of housework when we stay offsite. I don't mind throwing in a load of our clothes to wash - it's great to have that option. But I always seem to end up having to do load after load of towels and wash cloths so that we have enough clean ones at bath time. There never seem to be enough to last more than a couple days. Add in doing dishes, wiping down countertops, etc and it starts to not feel like much of a vacation for me. And since there isn't a foodcourt a short walk away, we end up making multiple trips to the grocery store. It's always hard to buy enough groceries for the week without overdoing it. Hence more than one trip.

Another aspect that I haven't cared for - I actually feel like I get more time to myself when we stay onsite. The onsite transportation gives all of us the option to seperate from the rest of the family now and again. When we stay offsite, we end up staying together the entire time. Yes, we get some space when we get back to the condo. But when we're taking rest breaks back in our onsite room (or settling in for the night) is when we've had some of our best family time - talking over what we've done that day or what we want to do the next. At the condo everyone hurries off to their own rooms as soon as we walk in the door. But I'm usually bored and/or doing housework and wishing I was at one of the resorts so I could go explore and let the mousekeepers deal with the housework.

I also have found that I don't buy as much when we stay offsite. That can be a good thing or a bad thing. But if you like to shop in the parks, it really is more of a hassle to deal with your purchases if you're not staying onsite.

YMMV, of course. Whether or not any of this would be an issue for you really depends on your preferences and priorities, how your family does things, and - this is a biggie - WHICH offsite accommodations you choose.

 

[hearts8701]

can you pm me the bonnet creek info too i can add more days with that price

 

[MrsPete]

Some people really "over blow" the whole offsite is a hassle. We left Epcot the same time as friends staying at AKL. By the time they waited for a bus, loaded and got back to AKL, we were pulling into our driveway. The shortcut back wasn't busy and we didn't deal with traffic once we got off Disney property.....the same traffic the buses were in.

Disagree for several reasons:

- They waited for the bus, you walked across a mega-sized parking lot searching for your car. Unless you were fortunate enough to park in the front row, that's about equal. Had you been discussing Magic Kingdom, they'd have boarded the bus long before you could've made it across on the ferry or the monorail.

- You knew a short cut -- most of us don't, so there goes that benefit. Getting turned around on unfamiliar roads is one of the things we like least about driving in Orlando. Yes, they're well-marked, but the traffic is often heavy enough that knowing you should be two lanes over doesn't help.

- Busses aren't always in the same traffic; as they approach the parks, they get into bus lanes that zip them up to the park's front doors, while cars are waiting in line to pay parking.

- Animal Kingdom is a long drive from Epcot; literally any other onsite resort would've been closer, so example this isn't representative of the whole place. Rather, I think you've proven that a car under good circumstances (driver knows the roads, light traffic) can beat a bus going to the farthest reaches of the resort.

- And, if you travel in summer, the busses have a big advantage in that the air conditioning is already "on" when you enter. In contrast, after trekking across the parking lot to your own car, you have to get into a scorching hot interior.

Nope, we love Disney's transportation and see it as one of the biggest reasons to stay on site.

 

[crusoe2]

Disagree for several reasons:

- They waited for the bus, you walked across a mega-sized parking lot searching for your car. Unless you were fortunate enough to park in the front row, that's about equal. Had you been discussing Magic Kingdom, they'd have boarded the bus long before you could've made it across on the ferry or the monorail.

- You knew a short cut -- most of us don't, so there goes that benefit. Getting turned around on unfamiliar roads is one of the things we like least about driving in Orlando. Yes, they're well-marked, but the traffic is often heavy enough that knowing you should be two lanes over doesn't help.

- Busses aren't always in the same traffic; as they approach the parks, they get into bus lanes that zip them up to the park's front doors, while cars are waiting in line to pay parking.

- Animal Kingdom is a long drive from Epcot; literally any other onsite resort would've been closer, so example this isn't representative of the whole place. Rather, I think you've proven that a car under good circumstances (driver knows the roads, light traffic) can beat a bus going to the farthest reaches of the resort.

- And, if you travel in summer, the busses have a big advantage in that the air conditioning is already "on" when you enter. In contrast, after trekking across the parking lot to your own car, you have to get into a scorching hot interior.

Nope, we love Disney's transportation and see it as one of the biggest reasons to stay on site.

Totally agree. Even after driving ourselves on several trips, we still get turned around sometimes. We also had the very unpleasant experience on our last trip of having the tram drop us off quite a ways from our car in the middle of a downpour - complete with lightning popping all over the place. Scary experience. And of course we were soaked by the time we got in the car.

 

[hsmamato2]

see,I like onsite....or Bonnet Creek,or Swan/dolphin. The reason being all those off site 'perks' sound exactly like....home! I don't want/need a kitchen and laundryroom on vacation,I want to ESCAPE the feeling of housework/daily boring stuff!
I want onsite so I can take Disney transport if I want to(sometimes) eat out b/c I have no kitchen to cook in and hang around the pool if I want to! nearby condos are to much like home,which I need a break from!

 

[hsmamato2]

I also have found that I do a lot of housework when we stay offsite. And since there isn't a foodcourt a short walk away, we end up making multiple trips to the grocery store. It's always hard to buy enough groceries for the week without overdoing it. Hence more than one trip.

Another aspect that I haven't cared for - I actually feel like I get more time to myself when we stay onsite. The onsite transportation gives all of us the option to seperate from the rest of the family now and again. When we stay offsite, we end up staying together the entire time. wishing I was at one of the resorts so I could go explore and let the mousekeepers deal with the housework.

I also have found that I don't buy as much when we stay offsite. That can be a good thing or a bad thing. But if you like to shop in the parks, it really is more of a hassle to deal with your purchases if you're not staying onsite.

.

I agree with this!!! my teens LOVE to hang around /travel by bus to wherever,whenever- it works great for us!

 

[crusoe2]

I agree with this!!! my teens LOVE to hang around /travel by bus to wherever,whenever- it works great for us!

Yep, I know what you mean. We have a DS who is 20yo. On our last onsite trip, he spent so much of the day off on his own that we had a running joke about making DS-sightings. But in the evenings we had a blast - all kicked back in our room and talking about our day. It was kind of the best of both worlds.

 

[Happiest mommy]

offsite all the way the space and money saved can't be beat we love renting a car and driving and have never been stuck in traffic, we put the girls to sleep and we have my own space to relax with DH

 

[eliza61]

Disagree for several reasons:

- They waited for the bus, you walked across a mega-sized parking lot searching for your car. Unless you were fortunate enough to park in the front row, that's about equal. Had you been discussing Magic Kingdom, they'd have boarded the bus long before you could've made it across on the ferry or the monorail. Totally untrue at the end of the night. I've waited for 3 boats just trying to get to wl.
- You knew a short cut -- most of us don't, so there goes that benefit. Getting turned around on unfamiliar roads is one of the things we like least about driving in Orlando. Yes, they're well-marked, but the traffic is often heavy enough that knowing you should be two lanes over doesn't help.

- Busses aren't always in the same traffic; as they approach the parks, they get into bus lanes that zip them up to the park's front doors, while cars are waiting in line to pay parking.

- Animal Kingdom is a long drive from Epcot; literally any other onsite resort would've been closer, so example this isn't representative of the whole place. Rather, I think you've proven that a car under good circumstances (driver knows the roads, light traffic) can beat a bus going to the farthest reaches of the resort.

- And, if you travel in summer, the busses have a big advantage in that the air conditioning is already "on" when you enter. In contrast, after trekking across the parking lot to your own car, you have to get into a scorching hot interior.

Nope, we love Disney's transportation and see it as one of the biggest reasons to stay on site.

Wow talk about a bit of dramatization. Trekk around a parking lot? It;s called simply writing down the row you parked in. It's a lot not the african safari. LOL Sorry I've never wandered aimlessly around a lot. In fact a HS they make a huge, huge deal of telling you where you parked when you get on the tram.

Sorry, there is no trekking involved and I go in August when it's nuclear outside.
I totally agree that my car is hot but then I don't have to do the "flight of the mad parents with strollers" at the end of the night, nor do I have to worry about either squeezing onto a pack bus or waiting for the next one. so I call it even

Disney transportation sucks IMO, we did it once and I won't go if I have to do it again. I hate spending hours on a bus and yes trying to get from OKW to BOMA in AK for a dinner reservation will take you 70 minutes. I also hate making multiple stops at the end of the night when I'm tired. I stay at BC and it's one of the worst for resort buses.

We love bonnet creek and the Waldorf, never taken me more than 20 mins to get from the MK parking lot to Waldork or bonnet creek in 15 years. No way, no how will you ever get from MK to Ak in 20 minutes unless disney starts a helicopter service.

Disney world is one big circle. Now as I said I mainly go in August, semptember and October and we've yet to get lost. Have we missed our exit? sure but the great fun about that is knowing if we keep driving a very clearly marked sign will get us back on track in oh 3 minutes or so.