Originally posted by robinb
I have stayed onsite and offsite and I will stay onsite every time I can swing it. Yes, it's the "Disney Magic" for me. I really like being surrounded by The Mouse 24/7. I remember the first trip that really cemented it for me. I stayed at All Star Sports for 4 days, then we moved to the Hilton for 4 days (on my DH's business) and then back to the All Stars for another 3 days. I was soooo much happier when I returned to the tiny All Stars room. The Hilton was nicer: the hotel had internal hallways, the room was bigger, the hotel restaurant was better, the pool had a great hot tub, I could walk to Downtown Disney, yadda, yadda, yadda. And yet ... I only tolerated the Hilton and I loved the All Stars.
I can understand where some people like to save money. Others like to have "more bang for their buck". Me, I like to be surrounded by The Mouse. I feel a let down when I exit the purple gates into a traffic jam back to my off-site hotel. When I stay onsite I find it an extension of my Park experience and I'm still in that Disney frame of mind relaxing at my hotel or sleeping in my tiny All Stars room.