Offsite hotel that sleeps 5 for 8days/7nights for under $1000 including parking/ transportation

[pittsburghmom]

is this possible? We are looking to go from Jan 23-30. I priced a room at Caribbean Beach for $1347.75 at rack rate. With a probable 20% r/o discount it would be around $1100. If I pay the room with discounted Disney gift cards it would bring the total down to $968 for 7 nights.

We love Disney transport and the magical express, but if we could get the cost much lower than this for offsite (including mini-van/car rental, parking fees, resort fees, gas & tolls) I would take a harder look at staying offsite, but I haven't been able to find any deals that would make it worthwhile.


We spend all most all of our time at the parks and use the room to crash at the end of the day. We will only be doing Disney, no other parks or attractions.

What am I missing for saving some $$$ by staying off site? Thanks =)

 

[cheerky]

Getravelop.com has condos available for $349/week. Someone in your party must be military, state, federal or local government employee. Otherwise, I suggest skyauction. Just be sure to read the fine print. You should definitely be able to come in under $1000 (although I don't what kind of deals are out there on rental vans).

 

[ibob52]

Offsite hotel that sleeps 5 for 8days/7nights for under $1000 including parking/ transportation ...

is this possible? No

You have already crunched the numbers very well

and you clearly enjoy staying onsite with WDW transportation.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

You can often get 2 bedroom, 2 bath villas on Skyauction at lovely timeshare resorts for around $500 a week (sometimes even less). We've never paid more than $250 a week for a mini van. Gas is variable....maybe $75, estimating really high? $120 for parking for a week. That puts you at $945.

You are looking at totally different scenarios here, though. The freedom of a vehicle at your disposal versus being trapped on Disney property and at the mercy of the bus system. Everyone squished into one tiny room to sleep and one bathroom for 5 people versus a 1200 square foot villa with separate sleeping areas, multiple bathrooms, in-suite laundry, a full kitchen, multiple TV's, and way more resort amenities (often multiple pools, scheduled activities, an assortment of sport courts, mini golf, several gyms, etc.). The ability to be able to comfortably cook and eat a quick breakfast in the villa each morning (a money and sanity saver) versus having to hit the food court for breakfast x 5 or grab a bowl of cold cereal as everyone perches on the side of a bed.

You may be able to get the prices to equal out, but the experiences will be quite different.

 

[Upatnoon]

is this possible? We are looking to go from Jan 23-30. I priced a room at Caribbean Beach for $1347.75 at rack rate. With a probable 20% r/o discount it would be around $1100. If I pay the room with discounted Disney gift cards it would bring the total down to $968 for 7 nights.

We love Disney transport and the magical express, but if we could get the cost much lower than this for offsite (including mini-van/car rental, parking fees, resort fees, gas & tolls) I would take a harder look at staying offsite, but I haven't been able to find any deals that would make it worthwhile.


We spend all most all of our time at the parks and use the room to crash at the end of the day. We will only be doing Disney, no other parks or attractions.

What am I missing for saving some $$$ by staying off site? Thanks =)

The big off-site savings comes when you need space for a large family or you're tired of spending all your time drudging through the parks and want to spend some time relaxing in a large suite.
Earlier this year I paid $700 for a week at Sheraton Vistana. We had 2 bedrooms, a full kitchen, washer and dryer and a resort with multiple pools and activities. It was also close to less-expensive non-disney restaurants and supermarkets. We ate breakfast and a few other meals in our villa. It's a different experience than the theme-park walk-til-you-drop routine. On this trip, it rained quite a bit on a couple of days, so we just spent the afternoon in the resort. We had about 1300 square feet, so we had plenty of space to spread out and be comfortable. Can you do that in a tiny hotel room? Not really.

For short trips we will go the hotel route, but once you've been spoiled by having space you don't want to go back.

 

[Bete]

You give up early and late magic hours staying off site. Also, you will not be able to make your fastpass + reservation until the 30 day mark; you get 60 days when you stay on site.

We vacation with a dog and we stay at the Residence Inn in Lake Buena Vista and we love the place. It's pretty close to Disney. We get a fabulous breakfast that lasts us all day at the parks. We make sure we eat a hearty breakfast. Three nights a week they offer an all you can eat quick service meal; there's only two hours available like 5:30pm to 7:30 pm for this perk. We take advantage of this evening meal. You get all the wine and beer and other beverages you want to drink, too. They provide a shuttle to Disney that lets you off at Epcot and then you have to make your way from there to the other parks.

You can get a room with 2 queens in the same bedroom and a sofa bed in a living room that will be okay for 5. On your dates the cost would be $134/night without tax. You get a full kitchen. You would only have one bathroom. You have a TV in the bedroom and in the living room.

If you use the breakfast, evening meal 3X a week and the transportation to the parks it would be okay for you. You would have to get from the airport to the hotel each way.

You get a what I call a mini apartment for your stay; it's not just a room.

 

[pittsburghmom]

Thank you all for the feedback...I really do appreciate it! I understand that non of the Disney resorts can compare dollar to dollar for square footage, amenities, and so forth vs. what can be found offsite. I was just curious about cost alone. Will have to make a decision once actual winter discounts are released....

 

[moesy4]

We priced out both as well and I think we could do either for about the same cost, as the others said it comes down to experience. If we are able to go next year like I hope, we will be going with our 6 year old, 2 or 3 year old, and 1 or 2 year old. As much as staying on resort sounds fun and is something I would really like to experience, the idea of staying in a small hotel room does not sound like fun. Should we decide to spend more and get a place with a separate bedroom like at all star or aoa, one person would still be stuck in the room with nothing to do from early night on as our kids are not "sleep in the stroller" types and getting to bed decently on time would be a necessity. Unless we could afford a deluxe and had a balcony, which we cannot, it makes way more sense to get our own house with at least a hot tub and a game room or something. I hope when the kids are older we can return and truly get the immersed experience, but I think we will really enjoy down time as well on this trip. Again, assuming we can take it.

 

[pittsburghmom]

You give up early and late magic hours staying off site. Also, you will not be able to make your fastpass + reservation until the 30 day mark; you get 60 days when you stay on site.

We vacation with a dog and we stay at the Residence Inn in Lake Buena Vista and we love the place. It's pretty close to Disney. We get a fabulous breakfast that lasts us all day at the parks. We make sure we eat a hearty breakfast. Three nights a week they offer an all you can eat quick service meal; there's only two hours available like 5:30pm to 7:30 pm for this perk. We take advantage of this evening meal. You get all the wine and beer and other beverages you want to drink, too. They provide a shuttle to Disney that lets you off at Epcot and then you have to make your way from there to the other parks.

You can get a room with 2 queens in the same bedroom and a sofa bed in a living room that will be okay for 5. On your dates the cost would be $134/night without tax. You get a full kitchen. You would only have one bathroom. You have a TV in the bedroom and in the living room.

If you use the breakfast, evening meal 3X a week and the transportation to the parks it would be okay for you. You would have to get from the airport to the hotel each way.

You get a what I call a mini apartment for your stay; it's not just a room.

Thank you for sharing. I really like that you get breakfast and the evening meal. That sounds great! I don't know....I guess when we are looking to spend over $1700 in park tickets (8 day base tickets x 5 people) we are really going to focus on spending as much time as possible in the parks. I know everyone has different vacation styles, but when I am paying almost double the cost to visit the parks vs. what I am paying to rent a room, my time and focus is going to be on the parks!! Maybe offsite is going to be a better option for when we are doing a non-Disney Orlando vacation. $134x7 nights+tax~$1050 + $136 parking at the parks + $250 rental van + tolls & gas= $1486 which is a difference of $500 vs. staying on-site.

 

[Bete]

I think you can get to and from the airport to the hotel for less than a $250 van rental. Use a shuttle or other car service. Maybe, do a one day car rental; so, you can buy some groceries for the full kitchen you get at this resort. You can get groceries delivered, too. There's a small fee, but still way cheaper than buying anything in the parks. The hotel has a mini grocery store, but they charge hefty prices there for the convenience.

As I stated before there is a shuttle provided by the hotel. The hotel will drop you off at Epcot and then you use Disney transportation to get to the other parks.

The breakfast can be done before the park opens; so, you don't lose any park time with that meal. In fact, you gain time because you don't have to eat at the parks. The breakfast is a good one and I would put a value of $10 each on it times 5 people for $50/day.

You get a full kitchen at the hotel to do meals anytime you want and not spend higher dollars on meals at restaurants. Again, this can be done at the end of the park day and you save park time again. Now, it does require an effort on your part to cook. Some feel it's not a vacation if they have to cook. Others feel it's a healthier way to go and worth it. Obviously, this would save money on meals.

Sometimes, this hotel will run sales as your dates get closer. I watch religiuosly and I have gotten this type of room for $100/ night. Also, if you have AAA you can get a better rate.

Getting two queen beds is more comfortable than two doubles at Disney. Having an apartment is really nice rather than a cramped room.

There are plenty of C level hotels in Kissimmee that you can get for $50 to $75/night. Do a search on Expedia or whatever and take a look if you want even cheaper.

I think it's fine to stay on site. You get extra magic hours and you get to make fastpass ressies 60 days out, not 30 days out which off site guests only get.

 

[andiraye]

To answer your question, I think it is totally possible with a little research, depending upon the type of accommodations you are seeking.

We are staying in a 2br villa at Wyndham bonnet creek for 7 nights for a it $144 per night but I've seen people get it for less. And there are hotels and condos further from the parks that are less expensive still.

Parking is $17 per day. And right now, rental cars are about $110 per week for a standard car (with about 2 weeks to go).

You have to do your research and watch prices carefully but you can beat onsite costs.

Edit: I don't mean to imply that it is difficult to beat onsite costs. However, you do need to do research because with a Disney resort you know what you are getting, at least. It can be a wild card with offsite resorts, though there are opportunities for nicer resorts for much less. And car rental prices fluctuate wildly. At 6 months out the cheapest minivan I could find was over $450 per week; many were in the $500's and up. Now, with two weeks to go, there are numerous rental companies in the low to mid $200s.

 

[maggiew]

Offsite hotel that sleeps 5 for 8days/7nights for under $1000 including parking/ transportation ...

is this possible? No

This isn't true.


We have a 7 night stay at Wyndham Bonnet Creek booked for this next week. It was $599 + $20 booking fee from Skyauction.

I have a rental car reserved for $150 out the door (all the taxes, fees, etc.)

Parking at the parks $17 per day x 4 for us (but you can add a few days if you will be going to the park more).

Total:
$599
$20
$150
$17
$17
$17
$17

= $837


And our condo is a 2 bedroom/2bath condo. Everyone gets their own bed so no fighting!

We used to do Disney onsite commando style. The four of us in a regular hotel room. Then a few years ago we went to Hawaii and stayed in a timeshare type resort (we used Marriott points, not timeshare). The girls never wanted to stay in a regular hotel room again. So we have been looking at other options.

Maggie

 

[Dismom820]

is this possible? We are looking to go from Jan 23-30. I priced a room at Caribbean Beach for $1347.75 at rack rate. With a probable 20% r/o discount it would be around $1100. If I pay the room with discounted Disney gift cards it would bring the total down to $968 for 7 nights.

We love Disney transport and the magical express, but if we could get the cost much lower than this for offsite (including mini-van/car rental, parking fees, resort fees, gas & tolls) I would take a harder look at staying offsite, but I haven't been able to find any deals that would make it worthwhile.


We spend all most all of our time at the parks and use the room to crash at the end of the day. We will only be doing Disney, no other parks or attractions.

What am I missing for saving some $$$ by staying off site? Thanks =)

Last year, we thought we'd be smart and save some money and stay offsite. it was a quick drive to magic kingdom from where we stayed and we thought we would enjoy saving the few extra dollars. boy was we wrong! i will never again stay offsite! we missed Disney transportation too much! parking was $17 a day, and the parking lot is gigantic! those trams get slammed and are a nightmare at night! when we went to downtown Disney, they had just really started the construction, it was a mess of cars everywhere, parking there was ridiculous! my mother kept saying over and over, "if we were on Disney buses, we wouldn't have to deal with this!" took us over 30 minutes to find a parking spot! our hotel had a shuttle bus, but of course it was NEVER when we needed it, it only ran a few times a day to Disney and universal and not when we wanted to go! i honestly didn't realize how much we took Disney transportation for granted! to me, its worth paying a little more to not deal with the hassle of driving and parking.

 

[DisneyDazed]

It really all depends on the time of year and the experience you wish to have. On our last visit I was glad to get of the tram and couldnt imagine having to ride a bus to and from a hotel with all the crabapples that were rolling around disney. Whew. It was nice to just hop in the car and have peace. NOW....I will say this. we have annual passes so we get free parking but half the time the parking people didnt even bother to check they just waved us through. We had never seen anything like that before. We were there for a week and I would say twice they actually looked at the pass.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

It really all depends on the time of year and the experience you wish to have. On our last visit I was glad to get of the tram and couldnt imagine having to ride a bus to and from a hotel with all the crabapples that were rolling around disney. Whew. It was nice to just hop in the car and have peace.

That's us, too . We've never seen the "magic" in cramming into a standing room only bus loaded with sweaty, tired and (often) cranky guests at the end of an exhausting day at the parks.

 

[sk8jdgca]

I agree. I hate Disney buses. Yes there will be a lot of people at closing trying to get on trams but so will the line up for buses have tonnes of people. The trams run a lot more frequently than the buses. You will wait along time for the bus too. Once you get to your car, you are free to go exactly where you want ( and probably park closer to your room too

 

[HeatherC]

We also stay at Bonnet Creek...just stayed in a three bedroom this past April for 11 nights. We paid $120 a night including all taxes for a three bedroom villa that sleeps 10. no resort fees either and free parking at Bonnet Creek. We rented a minivan for that time for $185 including taxes. Even paying for Disney parking we came out WAY ahead of any Disney hotel.

It can DEFINITELY be done.

Also...Bonnet Creek is virtually onsite...just not Disney owned. Location cannot be beat.

You can rent there from places like myresortnetwork.com and vacationupgrades.com.

Good luck to you!

 

[DisneyDazed]

We also stay at Bonnet Creek...just stayed in a three bedroom this past April for 11 nights. We paid $120 a night including all taxes for a three bedroom villa that sleeps 10. no resort fees either and free parking at Bonnet Creek. We rented a minivan for that time for $185 including taxes. Even paying for Disney parking we came out WAY ahead of any Disney hotel.

It can DEFINITELY be done.

Also...Bonnet Creek is virtually onsite...just not Disney owned. Location cannot be beat.

You can rent there from places like myresortnetwork.com and vacationupgrades.com.

Good luck to you!

Heather can I ask where you got those rates? That is AWESOME!

 

[HeatherC]

I rent through an owner on myresortnetwork.com. Over the years have rented from three different people and never paid more than $125 a night. I also book as early as I can even though I know places like vacationupgrades offer lower rates within 60 days. It is pretty much trial and error, but that site has always been great for us.

Good Luck!

 

[englishteacha]

Well, when we did Disney in 2006 and 2010, we rented a condo offsite for around $60 a night through Homeaway in the Grand Palms development in Kissimmee. It was a bit farther from Disney than Windsor Hills, but it was still an easy drive into the parks. Car rentals go for around $200 a week. Parking is $17 a day. With the right offsite hotel/condo, you could definitely save money. We stayed onsite last year for the first time. It was nice to not have to do any driving, but waiting for buses was a pain. We stayed at Pop with lots of discounts so it came out cheaper than offsite and renting a car. FP+ at 60 days was a nice perk, too. I'd rather stay offsite and have the space, now we have a child, but DH really liked not driving and booking FP+ early.