Resort problem, need advice!

[scnrc00]

Okay we were booked 11/30-12/06 for the 4 of us at POP with free dining PIN but then at the last minute my DD14 that was booked with my parents (who cancelled on us 3 days ago) now has to go with us which means I am left with having to have 2 rooms because no other resorts had openings for the 5 of us with our dining PIN which brought our total up another 1160.00. My BIL has offered to get us a room at the Marriot with his points which would mean a free room for entire stay plus an extra day and then we would just pay for our tickets and food OOP.

Would we be missing out on anything by staying offsite? This is our 1st trip to WDW so I am having a hard time deciding what I should do. We have 3 girls ages 9, 13, & 14 and they claim is doesn't matter to them but then again they have never been to WDW either. I am sure we would save money by staying offsite but not positive. Marriot does furnish a great breakfast every morning so we could eat there. And they are only located about 4 miles from WDW so would be close by I guess.

Please give me your opinions?

Forgot to mention we are driving so we will have our own car.

 

[mevelandry]

I like Marriott's breakfast. It's nothing special but it does the job.

I do think most marriott hotels are better than WDW values...

Of course, staying at WDW is very practical for all the transportation... But if you can drive to WDW from your hotel...

Marriott sounds like a good option to me.

The only downside is losing the Extra Magic Hours.

 

[loughmann]

Staying at the hotels offers you a couple of things you wouldn't get at the other resorts. You have the benefit of extra and early magic hour at the hotels. You also get the busses to all of the parks and you don't have to pay for parking at the parks. If you're flying you can have ME pick you up so you don't have to rent a car. We love staying on property because of the benefits you get, but it boils down to whatever works for your family. We have done both.

 

[scnrc00]

We were actually only planning on using one day of the EMH which was a morning one so losing that benefit want be too big of a deal I guess.

How much is parking at the parks?

 

[Lillian Gracey]

We were actually only planning on using one day of the EMH which was a morning one so losing that benefit want be too big of a deal I guess.

How much is parking at the parks?

Parking I believe is $15 per day.

 

[archrd]

I would think paying for the hotel rooms and having free dining would be the best value. We have stayed off site before for free at a relatives house only 10 mins away from Animal Kingdom but by the time we paid for parking and gas etc. we save more by staying on site and using free dining...we are 3 adults. So much less stressful as well sitting back and letting Disney handle all the driving. You can find the dining prices online so once you factor in meals and snacks and parking you would be amazed at how fast it would all add up....plus being able to take a break part way through the day and not having to worry about you car is another bonus.

 

[BamaDisneyBoy]

EMH's are our favorite times to go to the parks. It is usually less crowded for obvious reasons. They are the main reason we stay onsite. However, the EMH's are not as long as they used to be.

 

[Babsy]

Staying on vs off site has some benefits as PP's have mentioned. However, the biggest difference is intangible - a feeling of being surrounded by Disney magic without seeing the 'real world'. Some people love it, others wonder why you would pay so much extra $$$ for a hotel that isn't nearly as good a deal as can be had offsite.

Some people love the EMH, especially during busy seasons. We like the transportation. Will you want to split up during your visit? If Mom and younger daughter, for example, want s to go to DHS while DH and DD13 and DD14 want to go to AK, it is easy with Disney transportation to do so. Also, if someone want s to go back to the resort early, while others want to stay on at a park, it is much easier when staying onsite as opposed to when staying off site.

There are benefits to staying off site. Many good meals that are very affordable can be had off site saving quite a few $$$. Also, there are other Orlando area attractions that are worth a look that you are much more likely to see if staying off site.

I LOVE WDW resorts, but with price increases and reduced discounts we are planning our first off site visit in almost a decade for next year.

What would I do if I were in your shoes? I am not sure, but I would be inclined to save the money and take advantage of s free stay at the Marriott.

Good luck with your decision and enjoy your trip either way!!

 

[BamaDisneyBoy]

It's also pretty easy to get back to the room in the middle of the day for a break with the WDW transportation.

 

[fterie4u]

We have been to Disney many years in a row and only once stayed off property, it was just not the same. Like a previous poster said, there is something to be said about staying in Disney. When we were offsite my brother and his family kept going to Downtown Disney when we were not in the parks. They wanted to be "in" Disney and didn't feel that way when at the offsite hotel. The hotel was great and more spacious but it just wasnt Disney. My husband and I agreed that we would much rather stay onside and be in the midst of it all then to be offsite.
Plus with free dining I would definitely stay onsite, it is worth it as once you are in the parks you will more than likely end up eating there, again having fun amongst all things Disney.

Good luck and enjoy your first visit, it's a special time!

 

[thr33boys]

Since there are no on-site hotels that can accommodate your party of 5 without losing your free dining, have you looked to see if you have a pin for a room only discount? Perhaps you'll have to pay for the meal plan if you want it, but you may be able to help offset the cost with either a pin or a room only promo. It never hurts to phone and ask if there is a pin associated with your name.

Good luck deciding. I think it's great that your kids are just happy to be going, I'm sure you'll have a wonderful trip regardless of where you stay.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Port Orleans Riverside Alligator Bayou section can accomodate the whole family ine one room. One of the daughters (probably the nine-year-old) can sleep i
on the Murphy bed, and while the room costs more than a value room, it's not $1,160 more.

 

[archrd]

Port Orleans Riverside Alligator Bayou section can accomodate the whole family ine one room. One of the daughters (probably the nine-year-old) can sleep i
on the Murphy bed, and while the room costs more than a value room, it's not $1,160 more.

Another advantage to doing this is if you have a free dining pin you will receive the Regular dining instead of quick service...that alone would be worth switching to Port Orleans. I rally think for your first stay you should stay on property if you can afford to.

 

[bethclayton]

another vote to check out the pricing for PO before you make a decision.

 

[jimandami]

My assumption was that none of the other resorts had availability for the OPs dates under the FD pin? As to the original question, I would personally stay onsite, especially for your first trip as long as you can afford the extra money.

 

[scnrc00]

Yes I originally wanted POR but no rooms available with my free dining PIN so I had to get 2 rooms at POP. I think we have just decided to stay at POP and spend the extra. It was tough to pull off the extra 1160.00 in less than 5 days but I think we have managed. And I do like the idea of actually being inside Disney and the extra benefit of having 2 rooms is 2 bathrooms and with teenage girls that will come in handy!

 

[JennyDrake]

another vote to check out the pricing for PO before you make a decision.

DITTO!

However, if it came down to free stay Vs. 2 rooms on property, I would go with free stay.

Staying on site IS very special and I love the WDW transportation, but given your circumstances, I would opt for free stay if POR is not an option.

 

[DCDisney]

I would keep calling and checking on different resorts each day since it would end up saving you over a thousand dollars. There are the Port Orleans Riverside rooms, Family Suites, Fort Wilderness Cabins, and lots of deluxe options. It's counter intuitive but sometimes a deluxe resort is less than 2 value rooms. The other issue is that if you do end up with having to do the 2 rooms you need to make sure they know they need to be connecting (door that opens between) because sometimes that is hard to get.

 

[scarlett24]

There is also another promotion going on during your time frame. It offers up to 30% off rooms and you can add on the dining plan and tickets. It may be less expensive to stay at POR or maybe even a deluxe with this promo than getting 2 rooms at Pop. Plug in your dates and checkout the prices. I posted the link below. You'll have a great vacation, but I would absolutely stay onsite.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/fall-room-discount/