Talk to me about staying off site...pros and cons

[Alaskadisnerd]

alright...I know staying in the magic disney bubble is amazing and trust me I want to. We are already booked at port orleans and it's about 2000 for 7 days. I get a discount at a Disney springs hotel and it's 700 for the 7 days. Huge difference! We use uber so that's a added cost for transportation but it's minimal. Talk to me...who has stayed offsite?? Are there fast passes available 30 days out?

 

[kimieko]

I like the convience of staying on property. I think the biggest thing about staying offsite was we never went back at night. If we left mid day for a break, it seemed like too much work to go back to a park. I also felt, like....second class citizens. Lol. I just didn't feel the same. We rented a house in Davenport so we were further than you will be, and there was no uber then either, so we had to drive and park. The pro is without question the cost difference.

 

[FelisLachesis]

You already seen to know the big pros and cons of staying off-site. It is much cheaper, as you realize, but you lose a lot of Disney magic.

Most fastpasses are still there at 30 days, though the "good" times are gone for the popular rides. FoP will be a huge longshot to get at 30 days. FEA and TSMM will also be more difficult.

 

[alliecat523]

For that cost differene, it's worth it. We've stayed a Disney Springs and Bonnet Creek (hotel, not condo) and have enjoyed both. Yes, you lose a bit of that constant magic but that isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes it's nice to get away from a swarm of tired and cranky parkgoers. ;-)

I would definitely use Uber or Lyft for a DS hotel as I'm not a fan of those busses. I'd also say that we were less inclined to take a break mid day if we stayed off site. Seemed more of a hassle.

As for FP, we always book late and are never right at our window. We've never had an issue getting what we wanted. You may need to be a bit more flexible with your schedule if you're a big planner (I'm not so this isn't an issue for us).

Enjoy!

 

[Main Street Matilda]

We've almost always stayed on property because the "Disney Bubble" was important to us (and now we are DVC owners). We also had small children when we first started going and so the convenience of the bus or monorail system seemed essential. (In retrospect, the transportation was convenient but hardly necessary for us to enjoy our trip.)

That being said, on our first trip, we split our stay to make the trip more affordable. That is always an option to consider if you want to take advantage of the perks of staying on-site for some of your trip. We liked the off-property resort enough that we took advantage of a discount and stayed there on a subsequent trip.

Most of my friends and family do not stay on-site. They own time shares or have points at other hotels and they prefer staying off-site. Most of the off-property hotels are resorts unto themselves and they like the flexibility of the dining options. In other words, they enjoy their Disney trips every bit as much as we do with their costs being more controllable.

 

[nursejackie]

We visit in December and stay on site to take advantage of the early morning EMH at all the parks, and they are in abundance in late December (9th-26th this year). We used to stay off site but can't bring ourselves to now we experienced on site. Having said that, if our circumstances change and we could only afford to stay off site, we would, it's not a deal breaker.

 

[maxiesmom]

Don't forget to add in Uber to the resort. No magical express to the Disney Springs resorts. Besides what you listed I would also miss being able to go to Extra Magic Hours. And the ability to book all of my ADRs 6 months out, instead of a day at a time.

If you are a family that likes to take breaks during the day, even using Uber to go back and forth will add up.

I've stayed off site more than once, and it is better than not going. To me, that is about it. I'd much rather be on site.

 

[scottandtisha]

Although Uber will add up, it will not total $1300. But you should consider the total cost of transportation in your decision model. I'll also say this ... we have stayed on-site in Value resorts and at the Beach Club. The room sizes are tiny compared to some of the off-site resorts. Bonnet Creek resort, which is on-site, is running <$1000 / week for a 2 bedroom condo, which is well worth the savings for us!

 

[Shanti]

alright...I know staying in the magic disney bubble is amazing and trust me I want to. We are already booked at port orleans and it's about 2000 for 7 days. I get a discount at a Disney springs hotel and it's 700 for the 7 days. Huge difference! We use uber so that's a added cost for transportation but it's minimal. Talk to me...who has stayed offsite?? Are there fast passes available 30 days out?

We've always stayed onsite, but I have booked trips less than 30 days out and still got good FPs. Even people who get FPs at 60 days out are often unable to get FPs for Flight of Passage. I wouldn't let FPs be my deciding reason here.

I also wouldn't worry about ADRs, which I have never made 180 days out, but I've still eaten at every restaurant I want to eat at (which includes BOG, CRT, and all the other popular ones).

EMH are very nice, but again, they don't make or break a trip as they only give you an extra hour or two here and there. Disney has noticeably cut back on EMHs over the years.

It comes down to, how much would you pay to stay in the Disney bubble? That's different for different people. It's also a comparison of different hotel types. I'm willing to pay the bucks to stay at a Disney deluxe, as it offers the Disney bubble & theming, the perks, & a very comfortable resort and room. I would be ambivalent about paying the Disney premium for a mod or value, as those resorts/rooms are less comfortable and convenient. We stayed at Pop Century during the one trip I didn't pay for, and I don't plan to ever do that again. I think I'd rather stay at a comfortable offsite hotel than a Disneyfied motel.

My vote is for you to save the $1,300 and stay offsite, rather than overpay for a Disney moderate.

 

[maxiesmom]

Although Uber will add up, it will not total $1300. But you should consider the total cost of transportation in your decision model. I'll also say this ... we have stayed on-site in Value resorts and at the Beach Club. The room sizes are tiny compared to some of the off-site resorts. Bonnet Creek resort, which is on-site, is running <$1000 / week for a 2 bedroom condo, which is well worth the savings for us!

No it won't be 1300. But between getting to the resort and adding in if they take breaks during the day, it can well be $350-$400. So if the gap between off and on site ends up being $900 to me that is a different thing than $1300.

Also, Bonnet Creek is not an on site resort by Disney's definition. You don't get any of the on site perks with Bonnet Creek, just to keep things clear.

 

[scottandtisha]

You are correct ... I definitely wasn't clear about the on-site part. At Bonnet Creek, although you are on Disney property, you definitely don't get the perks of EMH and 60 day booking window and magic bands. You do get a condo with separate bedrooms and bathrooms, a washer and dryer, a kitchen, dining table and some living space.

I also agree about Uber costing $300-400 for a 7 day trip. I totally didn't mean to sound snarky in my reply. I was just stating that they will need to account for those costs in their comparison.

 

[Sue M]

I agree with the others, be sure you add up your transportation costs coming & going to the parks, airport, and any resort fee. Most of the Disney Springs hotels have resort fees that aren't included in the total they give you on their web site, it's a happy surprise they spring on you at check in! Is there a charge for internet/wifi in rooms?

I've stayed off site in the Disney Springs Doubletree for one night, When we decided to come in a day early. It was very nice, huge 1 bdrm suite. I remember thinking it would be a great option for large families, much cheaper than any WDW value suite or 1 bedroom DVC. But we did miss not being in WDW. Disney Springs would be my second choice if I could not afford a WDW resort. At least it's still in WDW, and you feel like you are close to the Magic. And being able to walk to Disney Springs.

The one perk I'd really miss is parcel delivery! We just returned from DL and stayed at a good neighbour hotel. When I saw something I wanted to buy, I'd have to remember which shop I saw it in so I could go back before leaving the park to buy it. Don't want to lug around bags all day. I missed saying send it to my resort please!!

It would be a hard sell for me to pry me away from POR, one of our fav resorts. The resort is beautiful, beautiful river paths, boats to Disney Springs, love seeing the carriages go by at night. So much atmosphere you don't get in an offsite hotel. The pools are beautifully themed. Off site they're just pools. And we love watching Bob Jacksons evening show at POR.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

I love staying off site. I get a bigger room for less money. That's money I can use for other fun stuff. I have made many trips to Disney and never stayed onsite, and have never regretted it.

 

[pwrflpills]

It comes down to, how much would you pay to stay in the Disney bubble? That's different for different people. It's also a comparison of different hotel types. I'm willing to pay the bucks to stay at a Disney deluxe, as it offers the Disney bubble & theming, the perks, & a very comfortable resort and room. I would be ambivalent about paying the Disney premium for a mod or value, as those resorts/rooms are less comfortable and convenient. We stayed at Pop Century during the one trip I didn't pay for, and I don't plan to ever do that again. I think I'd rather stay at a comfortable offsite hotel than a Disneyfied motel.

My vote is for you to save the $1,300 and stay offsite, rather than overpay for a Disney moderate.

This statement makes the most sense to me. Since staying at Days Inns and the like growing up, I've stayed at POR, AKL, the DS Wyndham, and the Dolphin multiple times (SPG member). Yes, the atmosphere at POR was nice, but the room paled in comparison to the non-Disney standard rooms. I remember it feeling very tight and "skimpy", if that makes any sense, and I was just with my girlfriend. AKL was very nice, which is well known, but I'm not sure it was really worth the price, considering I could go explore and/or eat there if I really wanted to without a room. A memory that stands out from both POR and AKL was that it was not fun waiting for the buses, AKL in particular. Of course I don't know the particulars of your situation, but if I could stay at DS Wyndham and save $1,300, to me that's a no-brainer.

I'll add that I'm a fan of the Dolphin. You're on property and basically in the "bubble", you have Disney transportation, there's a Disney shop, the theming is larger than life, FP+, ADR, walk to EPCOT or DHS...pretty much everything except for mouse ears on my soap (do they do that? ), I can't open my door with a magic band and I forget if you can send stuff back to your room or not, but how essential are those kind of things anyway? We use points and stay for free, but the rates I've seen are very reasonable.

 

[cgattis]

'll add that I'm a fan of the Dolphin.

So am I. But checked rates for next fall break and they were nuts!! Gotta try back; that couldn't be right (I hope). But OP, just be aware they charge a resort fee, too (as well as parking, but that's evidently not applicable to you).

 

[Alaskadisnerd]

I started to look into the dolphin and fell in love! Then I looked at the prices and was shocked!

 

[sbd78]

We are a family of 5, which greatly limits our affordable onsite options. Our cheapest onsite option is CBR, which is still a standard hotel room, but with an extra pull down bed. Standard hotel rooms with 3 kids are not enjoyable for us. We are trying Windsor Hills for our next trip. We booked a 3 bed, 3 bath townhome for half the price of CBR which is pretty magical IMO! We drive, so magical express is not important and even with the parking fee, we still come out way ahead. Hoping I like it, I just can't justify paying onsite costs when you are spending the majority of your vacation in the parks away from your hotel.

 

[Shellyb84]

Personally, I would rather not go than stay offsite. I want to be in the bubble. We go for the resort as much as we go for the parks. I like being able to walk to the parks, or take the bus, the theming, the pools, the ease of charging to our room, package delivery, EMH, just everything about being in Disney, 24 hours a day. We stay mostly deluxe, but we also love Pop, CSR, and camping at FW. $1300 is a big savings, but if I wanted to save money I would go with a value. I don't think they feel any more "motel" than the moderates since none of them have interior hallways.

 

[ThistleMae]

Cost...Convenience...FP's....EMH. It was actually not bad driving to the parks but we park hop and that was a pain in the butt to figure out where we should leave the car for the end of the day. Way too complicated.

 

[Shanti]

This statement makes the most sense to me. Since staying at Days Inns and the like growing up, I've stayed at POR, AKL, the DS Wyndham, and the Dolphin multiple times (SPG member). Yes, the atmosphere at POR was nice, but the room paled in comparison to the non-Disney standard rooms. I remember it feeling very tight and "skimpy", if that makes any sense, and I was just with my girlfriend. AKL was very nice, which is well known, but I'm not sure it was really worth the price, considering I could go explore and/or eat there if I really wanted to without a room. A memory that stands out from both POR and AKL was that it was not fun waiting for the buses, AKL in particular. Of course I don't know the particulars of your situation, but if I could stay at DS Wyndham and save $1,300, to me that's a no-brainer.

I'll add that I'm a fan of the Dolphin. You're on property and basically in the "bubble", you have Disney transportation, there's a Disney shop, the theming is larger than life, FP+, ADR, walk to EPCOT or DHS...pretty much everything except for mouse ears on my soap (do they do that? ), I can't open my door with a magic band and I forget if you can send stuff back to your room or not, but how essential are those kind of things anyway? We use points and stay for free, but the rates I've seen are very reasonable.

I agree with most of your points, but want to let you know that Swan & Dolphin are now often priced similarly to the lower-end Disney deluxe resorts now. Very expensive for what is technically an offsite hotel, if you're paying cash for the room.