to stay at a disney resort or not????

[jhryb]

thank you all for the tips and help. the condo we would stay at is nice " 5 star* we get it that cheap because we have family that works for timeshare so we get there discount.

i LOVE anything and everything disney. i would love to stay at a disney hotel it would be a value resort for sure because we could not afford anything more. i just wanted to know because i did the math and if we got lucky and got the disney diinning plan free we would spend 800 more to stay in a disney hotel and and before i made the jump to spend 800 more i wanted to make sure it was worth it.

the split thing is a great idea too

If you are going to be spending a large part of your vacation unpacking and the re-packing just to accommodate a split stay then I would probably go for your 5* off-site timeshare. There is nothing more magical than having a large family enjoying their time at WDW. If you are not staying on-site it is no biggie - at least you are sticking to your budget and you are able to relax without the stress of moving from one resort to another.

 

[Lyndarella]

You said you spend entire days at the parks, so maybe you don't need Disney all around you when you are home in the dark.....

Having so many people in a hotel room is more stressful than in a condo. Also, the Disney Dining Plan is not always a $ saver. (Look at costs and do the math to see if it works for your family.) Feeding a large group with a real kitchen is one way to cut costs if you don't mind doing it.

 

[lemonears6]

Thanks everyone.

 

[Ofinn]

It's totally worth it if you can afford it. If it stresses you out or your uncomfortable with the money your spending don't do it.

 

[HereForMinnie]

No. But I also would be a little reluctant to stay in a place that was only 32.00 a night as well.

I think staying onsite is a must. If I wanted to save a little money I would do that before I arrived at Disney. Just putting an extra $200 aside every month really adds up.

With that said, if you really don't want to wait and save and you can't afford (or don't want to pay for) a deluxe room and your only option is a value, then yes, staying offsite makes more sense for your family.

 

[Mynamewastaken]

I would never stay off site. Part of loving Disney so much is the hotel experience. It is too magical not to stay onsite

 

[abouley]

We have stayed both off-site and on-site. If I can stay on-site in a deluxe resort that is on the monorail line and/or walking distance to the park (we have done Beach Club and Wilderness Lodge) then I love staying on-site. Also, when we stayed at the Wilderness Lodge we had the dining plan and it was fabulous! We ate at restaurants we never would have paying out of pocket and it really enhanced our stay. Definitely the most magical trip ever!

However, when we stayed on-site in a moderate without a car, I hated it. I got tired of eating on-site all the time. Hated doing the transportation all the time with the kids (I had to stand for a very long bus ride holding my sleeping 19 month old one night and was miserable). I much preferred having a car even if it meant driving to our condo. Not to mention, I got tired of eating at Disney and when we stayed in the condo we could do a quick breakfast at the condo and then sometimes would grab lunch or dinner drive through or pizza or something like that on our way back to the condo. If I ever stayed at a value or moderate again, I'd also pay to stay close to the food court/front as there is a lot of extra walking involved!

I have done a few nights at the value resorts and the condos are so much nicer! Ours had a lazy river and very nice pool area. I found we toured a bit differently as I didn't like to do mid day breaks so we usually either did 3/4 days or we might have done a bit later start if we knew we wanted to do a night time show. Staying at the wilderness lodge was great for mid day breaks (we did a lot of evenings at MK) but if I had to bus back, I wouldn't do it. As my kids gets older it might not be as bad but when they were little it was a pain.

I guess my opinion is that I wouldn't give up the condo for a value resort (though the new animation resort might be ok) but I would give it up for a deluxe or maybe a moderate if I had free dining!

Just my experience....

Alison

 

[HereForMinnie]

I guess my opinion is that I wouldn't give up the condo for a value resort (though the new animation resort might be ok) but I would give it up for a deluxe or maybe a moderate if I had free dining!
Alison

I still wouldn't stay offsite but if I had to it would be because the alternative is a value or mod. Comfort > everything else.

 

[d3boyz]

my hubby and i have taken our kids to disneyworld twice so far. we have never stayed at a disney hotel/resort. we have 4 kids, all are under 9 right now. I am thinking about our next trip and thinking we might go the first week of december 2014. is it worth it to spend the extra money staying at a disney hotel? we can get a condo for a week 10-15 min away from the parks for 230.00 and thats for 7 night. thats a little over 32.00 a night. if we stay at a disney value resort we would play 250-300 a night for a family of 6. thats allot more. we plan on being at the parks all day every day. is it worth it to spend that much more just to stay at a disney resort?

Have you thought of Disney Vacation Club? Staying at one of the resorts there could be a bonus for your family. I know our family wouldn't have it any other way ... we have lots of room, full kitchen and laundry, and Disney drives us all over on the property! THAT is a bonus for us.

Deb

 

[Noerdax]

Last trip we were staying off site for the first and last time.

Personally I find that paying the Extra $$$ is really worth it.

Since we fly in we use the Magical Express and we save on
-Car Rental
-Gas
-Parking
-Tolls

We don't have to wait and search for our suitcases. It take considerably less time on the first day to take the magical express with no worries than hunt down the suitcases, rent a car, Find the car, get out of the airport pay tolls, find the hotel, check in, be depressed at the drab room. Then Drive to Disney.

I found that by using a car it took considerably more time to get to the Hotel only 4 miles past the Disney gates, than it took to take the bus to a resort. I really don't like to drive tired and here I had no choices.


Personally the Disney immersion and the worry free is well worth the $$$

 

[jperrot1]

It's worth it. Deluxe Resorts make it very magical. Moderates are absolutely fantastic.

 

[Ofinn]

It's worth it. Deluxe Resorts make it very magical. Moderates are absolutely fantastic.

I agree, but OP is trying to decide between a condo and a value. I would hands down pick the condo. I have a friend who has three kids and always stay in an offsite condo, and they have a great time. We always stay onsite, but we can afford a deluxe so I think that makes a difference.

 

[BABY_EINSTEIN'S_MOM]

I agree, but OP is trying to decide between a condo and a value. I would hands down pick the condo. I have a friend who has three kids and always stay in an offsite condo, and they have a great time. We always stay onsite, but we can afford a deluxe so I think that makes a difference.

Well this worries me a bit! We have always stayed in nice condos/townhouses right outside the gates at Windsor Hills, but we are choosing to stay onsite for the first time ever in March. We booked a value because we needed a family suite, and because I think my kids will love AOA! Hope I'm not making the wrong decision!

 

[j2thomason]

Well this worries me a bit! We have always stayed in nice condos/townhouses right outside the gates at Windsor Hills, but we are choosing to stay onsite for the first time ever in March. We booked a value because we needed a family suite, and because I think my kids will love AOA! Hope I'm not making the wrong decision!

I have stayed offsite, in value resorts, moderate resorts, and in deluxe resorts. Honestly, I prefer to stay in a value resort. We don't spend that much time in the room anyway. Pop Century is our favorite mainly because of the food court and the buses only run to that resort. We have stayed offsite twice and have thoroughly regretted it. I would rather delay my trip by a couple of months and save up the extra money needed to stay on site than to be outside of the immersive Disney bubble. But that's just my opinion.....you have to choose what is best for your family.

 

[old lady]

It is a great experience and it is so close.

 

[Networth]

As some that can drive down for the day their is a very big difference from being on-site vs off-site. The feeling of being in the bubble is very true. Just this past trip we were there 8 nights 9 days at the GF. On the drive home my fiancé (who had never stayed on site prior to this trip) had me stop at a store for her to use the bathroom. She came out saying "that bathroom was not Disney the real world is dirty and blah" lol It is hard to justify some of the prices especially at the places we stay on site but it feels like night and day vs staying downtown or on I-Drive compared to on the Seven Seas Lagoon.

My best advice stay on-site one time and you'll be hooked.

 

[lemonears6]

I'm really starting to think we need to stay onsite! At least give it a try one time. We could only afford value but I'm ok with that. I was thinking AOA resort.

 

[SDTeaGirl]

OK we went for the first time first week in December 2012- we stayed offsite at Super 8 for $30ish a night- this year (our 2nd trip ever) First week in December 2013- we stayed onsite at POP Century (12days we were there) the cost was average $140/night- we did the DDP and a lot of character dining, photopass+ also.

Not to be flamed but we had a HORRIBLE experience at our resort! We had mold in our room (a lot of it) Called on the phone and all they did was bleach the spot- still was there though! Housekeeping was HORRIBLE, they never took our garbage out for 4 days- beds were never made- top sheet blanket was bunched in a ball either thrown on bed or the floor- weird dirty towels on bed that we did not use (like they brought them into our room and left them on bed?) then they decided to take the bunched up blanket and we only ended up with two thin sheets for the rest of our stay!

So for me if we ever go back- I would stay at the $30/night and rent a car- and save the money- because we got better room service and also was treated better at the Super 8 then at POP Century!

But the plus side at staying at Resort- I really enjoyed just hopping on a bus and getting to the Parks- but that benefit- still does not out way the horrible experience we got and we were ignored!

DDP- you could take it or leave it- we did do a lot of character Dining- but the DDP- is a lot of food- if we do decide to go back- we will probably not want to do the DDP- we will probably just pre buy gift cards or put it on a credit card at the time of dining- we did not save money on the DDP- but it was nice and convenient just to touch our magic bands to their scanner and it be deducted off our meal plan- but again- we would of saved money on not doing the DDP.

It is up to you to decide what works best for your family- we decided to go "all out" and stay onsite, DDP, PP+- we had some great experience- but the resort stay was one of the worse experiences we have EVER encountered!
It just might of been a fluke - but when paying $110 more per night- it was really disappointing! We could of saved- $1210 just on that!

Also if staying the first week in December- it is pretty light crowds with most walk on rides, but some might be a 20-40 minute wait. Plus if staying onsite that week usually has POP WARNER- cheer and football kids age from 7-12? staying onsite- which could put a stress on some people- that really didn't bother us at all- other than they were cheering up and down the parks- which was just annoying- but not a big deal.

Sorry for long post. I do hope you enjoy what ever you decide- this was just our experience with staying onsite verses staying offsite and the same time of year.

 

[ekendall2]

Every time we go as a family we stay on site. Whenever i go with a school group, we usually stay offsite.

I will tell you that whenever i stay offsite, by the time we get inside the front gate, i am absolutely spent. The stress of getting everything ready in the car, finding the park, waiting to park, riding the tram in from the parking lot, and then getting in the park is just stress that i don't want. Not to mention that at the end of the day when you are tired, you have to then drive yourself back.

When you stay onsite, all of this is taken care of by the disney bus that drops you off at the FRONT OF THE PARK and then picks you up to take you back "home".

Everyone is different. For my family, staying onsite is a must. We usually do a value or a mod as well.

If you can afford it, do it, but don't stress it if you can't pay for it. You will still have a great time.

 

[midge3426]

We have been staying onsite for the past 19 years. This years trip, we are seriously considering staying at one of the hotels near downtown Disney. The reason that we are considering a change is because the service has seriously declined at the Disney Resorts. Housekeeping is okay, but not as good as it use to be and the bus service has gotten really slow. Disney has trimmed down their staff too, too much and the result has not been good. They charge too much money for the service that has been given the past few years. We have not made our decision yet, but an off site hotel is definitely in the running.