Haven't been since 2013, still worth it to stay offsite?

[lauradis]

So like my title says I haven't been since summer 2013. I have heard the name magic band but have no idea what that's about. I'm just wondering if its still a good deal/worth it to stay offsite. I feel so lost and confused! My husband def wants to stay onsite..

Did you ask him why?

Mine only likes to stay on site so he doesn't have to drive anywhere.

 

[Monykalyn]

Looking at all the "onsite vs offsite" debates it seems(generally speaking on themes) onsite seems to work better for:
1> smaller groups (4 or less) &/or with younger children
2> DVC (who are likely to be frequent disney guests anyway)-and can work with larger groups
3>don't mind spending $ for rack rate and fullprice tickets to get the option of dining plan- "free" or otherwise-to get a true all-inclusive feel

Offsite-
1> want to do other things than Disney 24/7
2> larger groups/families
3> $ as at least part of the equation ($>500 rack rate for small GF room per night?? good gravy I can do a weekend in Las Vegas for that-hotel, food, booze and airtickets)

However onsite can be had for cheaper if willing to do some work (Orbitz+Disney discount+ebates cash back; with UT tickets-->or cheaptickets promo before price increase + ebates cash back)


I also think the parking fee/driving "inconvenience" is somewhat overblown. We will still have car no matter what. When we were looking at flying into MCO (now through Sanford as it is ~$900 dollars cheaper!) my husband looked at me like I had grown an extra head when I pointed out we wouldn't need a car for Disney part of trip

Last year-late June trip-had no problems getting any FP+ I wanted-not always at best of the best times but still there. Course system was still pretty glitchy last year and tiering started late spring (was on positive receiving end of one of those changes) and it seems more are aware of MDE/FP+ now.

Will be interesting to compare this year (onsite) vs last year (offsite). And for 2nd week we are offsite again anyway (yay to finally back to Universal)

A Disney trip is still FUN whether offsite or on anyway!

 

[kymom99]

Looking at all the "onsite vs offsite" debates it seems(generally speaking on themes) onsite seems to work better for:
1> smaller groups (4 or less) &/or with younger children
2> DVC (who are likely to be frequent disney guests anyway)-and can work with larger groups
3>don't mind spending $ for rack rate and fullprice tickets to get the option of dining plan- "free" or otherwise-to get a true all-inclusive feel

Offsite-
1> want to do other things than Disney 24/7
2> larger groups/families
3> $ as at least part of the equation ($>500 rack rate for small GF room per night?? good gravy I can do a weekend in Las Vegas for that-hotel, food, booze and airtickets)

However onsite can be had for cheaper if willing to do some work (Orbitz+Disney discount+ebates cash back; with UT tickets-->or cheaptickets promo before price increase + ebates cash back)


I also think the parking fee/driving "inconvenience" is somewhat overblown. We will still have car no matter what. When we were looking at flying into MCO (now through Sanford as it is ~$900 dollars cheaper!) my husband looked at me like I had grown an extra head when I pointed out we wouldn't need a car for Disney part of trip

Last year-late June trip-had no problems getting any FP+ I wanted-not always at best of the best times but still there. Course system was still pretty glitchy last year and tiering started late spring (was on positive receiving end of one of those changes) and it seems more are aware of MDE/FP+ now.

Will be interesting to compare this year (onsite) vs last year (offsite). And for 2nd week we are offsite again anyway (yay to finally back to Universal)

A Disney trip is still FUN whether offsite or on anyway!

Right, I will be interested to see how things go this summer for people onsite and off. That will help me make my final decision!

 

[5kidsmommy]

For us we choose to stay onsite because we bring our hotel with us. The deal in the campground can't be beat for a family of 7 and the campground is so close to MK which is where the kids like spending most of their time. I also feel like we have more of a vacation there, not just a Disney trip. We usually stay a week, don't do hoppers and spend about $5000 total which includes gas and camping too and from Ohio. I've looked at staying offsite and I can't make it cheap enough to work for us.

 

[LilMamiBella]

My husband wanted to stay onsite for the convience and the
"all-inclusiveness". He also really liked the dining plan. But he told me he'd like it if we kept it at $5000. I don't think there's anywhere to do that; even if we stayed at a value resort.

 

[LilMamiBella]

Would it make any sense to get one annual pass?

 

[ZephyrHawk]

Well, personally, I've never thought it was a good deal to stay offsite.

 

[kymom99]

A lot of people on here talk about getting one annual pass for the discounts and benefits. You would have to crunch some numbers.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

Would it make any sense to get one annual pass?

One AP will save you the cost of parking ($17 day) and allow you to purchase a TiW card for $100 which will save you 20% on the cost of most TS meals and some CS meals. You have to figure out how much you'd normally spend on meals (and parking on your theme park days) and then decide if the added costs of the AP and TiW are worth it for you.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Well, personally, I've never thought it was a good deal to stay offsite.

Why not? (not arguing, just wondering what you are basing your opinion on)

Comparing my May and October trips (page one of this thread), I save $1600+ on one vacation and $2000+ on the second. That feels like a "good deal" to me.

 

[Darcy03231]

Well, personally, I've never thought it was a good deal to stay offsite.

Not trying to be snarky, but why not?

We've stayed both on-site and off-site and our experience has been that it was definitely less expensive to stay off-site.

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

Would it make any sense to get one annual pass?

In your situation an annual pass wouldn't save you any money as parking is included for onsite guests. You might save a bit with some restaurants (about 10%) and some meals. You won't save on the meals if you use the dining plan though.

 

[kathy884]

It really I think comes down to more what you want your vacation to be like than just pure budget. You can always lower the number of days of your vacation -- go down to value onsite, etc. Bring some food/snacks/a cooler with you, even if you are in a hotel. // I will also say that the more people you have, the more attractive budget wise that an offsite house or condo is. // My personal favorite, not the cheapest, but a great value for the money is renting an offsite timeshare condo resort from an owner. I like these more than houses, as they have more of a resort feel, and I like that. There is nothing wrong with a house, though, especially if you have a huge group and all want to stay together. One of the posters above got a great value for a good timeshare condo on sky auction (love the Sheraton Vistana Resort). I, though, figure high season I could pay around $1000 for a week for a two bedroom/two bath that accommodates eight with an owner rental, and that's what I typically budget. // With this too, we eat breakfasts in and take some sandwiches to Disney parks. // I guess another factor in the onsite / offsite discussion is how many days of Disney parks are you planning. // We really like SeaWorld and Universal and on our last two vacations -- did one day at Disney the one time and just did one party at Disney the other. Going to other parks and doing other things just sounded more attractive to us, even though we like the Disney parks. // We also like to throw in a beach day sometimes or a day trip to Kennedy Space Center. // Obviously too, the less time you are spending at Disney parks, the less it makes sense to pay a premium to stay onsite.

I've personally just not been overly impressed with the Disney moderate properties or value and prefer to get an offsite condo instead. It' plain and simple that the cost is less than a moderate (quite a bit less with a bigger party if you need more than one hotel room and can all fit in one condo). But really more to me it's just that I like it more and that it appeals to me more. I'm just happier offsite vs. value or moderate onsite. I like the space for visiting with family; I like the nice balcony area that you have to go up to deluxe or onsite condo for at Disney; I like a kitchen; laundry is a nice bonus; amenities are on par -- usually a little better than a Disney moderate. When I've crunched the numbers too, onsite Condos renting DVC points have always been at least triple the cost of readily available offsite condo deals on the three or four different vacations when I crunched the numbers.

It's probably just me, but sometimes on Disney property, I've felt trapped into paying their high food prices for sub par food and wanted to escape, but didn't want to take the time to drive offsite just for a meal.

I like Disney deluxe, being on the monorail etc. But I don't see it as a good value, so never would pay that much if it's my own money. I've done several four night stays at the Contemporary when DH has a conference there, but his company paid for three of the nights, and we just forked money for one night and that was at a discounted convention rate. I've actually considered Disney deluxe a few times, but in the end I just didn't want to spend that much and did offsite instead.

It looks like about 40% of park guests do stay onsite, a staggering number, so obviously plenty of people like to do it that way. There are lots of choices.

 

[Marionnette]

So I was trying to figure out pricing for a trip in July for 7 of us ages 16,13,8,5,4 and 2 adults. It would be for a week and we want to do at least 1-2 waterpark days. Here is what I found so far:

Caribbean beach w /waterpark and dp
3242.25 for one room
X 2 rooms
=
+200 gas
+500 souvenirs
=7184.50

Or pop century includes tickets/dining
2699.28
X2 rooms
=5398.56
+700 gas/souvenirs
=6098.56

Or offsite

1000 room for week
700 food? (1-2 restaurant meals)
200 gas
500 souvenirs/misc
2793 Tickets through undercover tourist
=5193 forgot to add parking fees
$150?
=5343

When I looked at Disney Y.E.S.
The premium ticket for us all would be $2750.98. I thought it was a better discount? Maybe I did something wrong? I chose the individual enrollment and signed up my 13yr and my dh for a class and added the rest of us for the ticket part.

My husband mentioned us doing a day at ioa/universal but I don't even know if it's worth going. Last time no one wanted to ride the huge roller coasters. If we do universal then I feel like I need to at least add another day or two to my plan.

You'll find positives and negatives for both onsite and offsite stays. The "worth" hinges on what YOU value in a vacation. Everyone is going to be different.

My feelings are that if I did own DVC or wasn't staying with a convention rate, I would have a really hard time spending the money on a Disney resort. Their rack rates are outrageous and the rates with a discount bring them into the "expensive for what you get" range.

As for Universal, I'd make plans to go. The new Harry Potter attractions are worth the price of admission alone.

 

[Marionnette]

My husband wanted to stay onsite for the convience and the
"all-inclusiveness". He also really liked the dining plan. But he told me he'd like it if we kept it at $5000. I don't think there's anywhere to do that; even if we stayed at a value resort.

$5K for a family of 7? Tickets alone will eat up half of that budget! Add 1-day 2-park Universal tickets for the family and you will really blow the roof off of the budget!

The DDP (regular, not QSDP), would cost $300+ per night for your family. And you would still have to pay for gratuities at the TS locations.

Then there's the onsite rooms, which you've already priced out.

I think that you're just going to have to show your husband the numbers. Staying onsite is not going to jive with the budget that he gave you.

 

[kymom99]

It really I think comes down to more what you want your vacation to be like than just pure budget. You can always lower the number of days of your vacation -- go down to value onsite, etc. Bring some food/snacks/a cooler with you, even if you are in a hotel. // I will also say that the more people you have, the more attractive budget wise that an offsite house or condo is. // My personal favorite, not the cheapest, but a great value for the money is renting an offsite timeshare condo resort from an owner. I like these more than houses, as they have more of a resort feel, and I like that. There is nothing wrong with a house, though, especially if you have a huge group and all want to stay together. One of the posters above got a great value for a good timeshare condo on sky auction (love the Sheraton Vistana Resort). I, though, figure high season I could pay around $1000 for a week for a two bedroom/two bath that accommodates eight with an owner rental, and that's what I typically budget. // With this too, we eat breakfasts in and take some sandwiches to Disney parks. // I guess another factor in the onsite / offsite discussion is how many days of Disney parks are you planning. // We really like SeaWorld and Universal and on our last two vacations -- did one day at Disney the one time and just did one party at Disney the other. Going to other parks and doing other things just sounded more attractive to us, even though we like the Disney parks. // We also like to throw in a beach day sometimes or a day trip to Kennedy Space Center. // Obviously too, the less time you are spending at Disney parks, the less it makes sense to pay a premium to stay onsite.

I've personally just not been overly impressed with the Disney moderate properties or value and prefer to get an offsite condo instead. It' plain and simple that the cost is less than a moderate (quite a bit less with a bigger party if you need more than one hotel room and can all fit in one condo). But really more to me it's just that I like it more and that it appeals to me more. I'm just happier offsite vs. value or moderate onsite. I like the space for visiting with family; I like the nice balcony area that you have to go up to deluxe or onsite condo for at Disney; I like a kitchen; laundry is a nice bonus; amenities are on par -- usually a little better than a Disney moderate. When I've crunched the numbers too, onsite Condos renting DVC points have always been at least triple the cost of readily available offsite condo deals on the three or four different vacations when I crunched the numbers.

It's probably just me, but sometimes on Disney property, I've felt trapped into paying their high food prices for sub par food and wanted to escape, but didn't want to take the time to drive offsite just for a meal.

I like Disney deluxe, being on the monorail etc. But I don't see it as a good value, so never would pay that much if it's my own money. I've done several four night stays at the Contemporary when DH has a conference there, but his company paid for three of the nights, and we just forked money for one night and that was at a discounted convention rate. I've actually considered Disney deluxe a few times, but in the end I just didn't want to spend that much and did offsite instead.

It looks like about 40% of park guests do stay onsite, a staggering number, so obviously plenty of people like to do it that way. There are lots of choices.

Very well put.

 

[Smbmoyers]

5k for a family of 7 seems like a tall order. Right now budget wise, staying at sog, using salute tickets and doing 2 days at universal all with a military discount were looking at close to 3500.

 

[Marionnette]

Would it make any sense to get one annual pass?

Maybe. You would really need to do the math.

From mousesavers .com: ( http://www.mousesavers.com/walt-dis...disney-world-resort-hotel-discounts-codes/#ap )

Annual Passholder Room-Only Discounts
Stay dates: 6/16/16 – 8/27/15

Get a substantial discount off regular "Rack" rates.. Pricing and savings will vary by resort type and date. Rates not available for all dates, room types and resorts. There is no minimum stay with this offer.

Sample discounts off rack rates:

• Up to 35% off most Deluxe and Deluxe Villa resort rooms, except:
  • Up to 25% off Animal Kingdom Lodge (Savanna View & Club Level), Contemporary, Beach Club, Beach Club Villas, Villas at Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Villas
  • Up to 10% off Deluxe Suites
• Up to 25% off most Moderate resort rooms (30% for 8/10/15 – 8/27/15), except:
  • Up to 10% off Coronado Suites
• Up to 20% off most Value resort rooms (25% for 8/10/15 – 8/27/15)

This is a room-only offer. If you would like to add a Dining Plan with these rates, there is a special annual passholders package.

Offer excludes Villas at Grand Floridian, Bay Lake Tower, Polynesian Bungalows & Villas, Port Orleans French Quarter, Little Mermaid (i.e. Standard) rooms at Art of Animation Resort, All Star Movies, campsites and 3-bedroom villas. As with all Disney promotional discounts, some resorts, room types and date combinations will not be available. It’s important to be flexible if you want to book a discounted package.

Book by 8/24/15.

​

By comparison, the current room-only discount for the general public is: (also taken from mousesavers .com)

• Up to 30% off most Deluxe and Deluxe Villa resort rooms, except:
  • Up to 20% off Animal Kingdom Lodge (Savanna View & Club Level), Contemporary, Beach Club, Beach Club Villas, Villas at Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Villas
  • Up to 10% off Deluxe Suites
• Up to 20% off most Moderate resort rooms (25% for 8/10/15 – 8/27/15), except:
  • Up to 10% off Coronado Suites
• Up to 15% off most Value resort rooms (20% for 8/10/15 – 8/27/15)

 

[Eighty8Keys]

It was in regal oaks. It was literally 13 minutes from the TTC.

The price has gone up a bit, but it's still an incredible deal: http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-re...yid_text_o_loth&utm_campaign=VRBOOwnerInquiry

I checked out your link yesterday and it really is an incredible deal. For the dates we are considering, it's $85 per night. We'd been budgeting for POFQ, two rooms, since my adult DS and I prefer our own rooms. For an 11-night stay, it would save us $1,600. And that includes paying for a rental car and parking. We stayed at Lighthouse Key for two weeks in January 2013 and loved it. We didn't miss staying onsite at all. But that was pre-FP+ and Magic Bands, so when we returned in December 2013 we were back onsite at POFQ. I wanted to take advantage of Disney transportation, but for $1,600 I can deal with driving. Since we arrive late in the day, we may stay at Pop Century for the first night so we can take Magical Express and be able to book FP+ at 60 days, rather than 30. Then the next day we'll head to a park for the day, pick up a rental car in the afternoon, and then settle into the townhouse for the rest of our stay.