Tell me about the magic...

[howlongtillsummer?]

Next year we will be staying at Old Key West for our first time on Disney property. (Apart from DLP which doesn't count )

My question is - what is that extra something which makes staying on property more magical? We have always had a villa before but have heard it said many times, that once you stay onsite you will not want to stay anywhere else.

Do you think so? Why? Why not?

 

[eeyorefanuk]

Good question, cannot wait to hear the replies.

Like you, we normally do disneyland paris each year

This will be our first time on site, and also our first trip to 20 years

Three of our party have never been

 

[eeyorefanuk]

Next year we will be staying at Old Key West for our first time on Disney property. (Apart from DLP which doesn't count )

My question is - what is that extra something which makes staying on property more magical? We have always had a villa before but have heard it said many times, that once you stay onsite you will not want to stay anywhere else.

Do you think so? Why? Why not?

What were your reasons for staying at old key west rather than saratoga??

 

[wayneg]

I don't get any extra 'Magic' onsite.
Stayed at All Stars Movies 10 years ago, will never stay in Value again.
AKL & OKW both very nice resorts but I have no idea what this 'Magic' is, they are hotels with staff, check in stay a few nights and check out just same as offsite.
Next year will be down to price again, if Disney offer 42% off & free DDP then its onsite if not its offsite, makes no difference to me.

 

[Lauren101]

you will love OKW - it is really nice.

Onsite - it is the theming - the hidden mickeys, the DDP is an advantage -especially if it is free, the transport available if you don't want to drive, you are immersed in the experience (which doesn't suit everyone), the key to the world card, so you can put everything on there, you can get packages etc sent to your resort so you don't have to carry stuff round...

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

I have to agree with "egg"
Sure, the public areas are nicely themed at the resorts, but the actual rooms are very small, pokey, efficiency hotel type rooms, with a bed, tv and a toilet, nothing Disney magical about them and overpriced for what they are.

Also, the Disney resorts cater more to people who are going to spend their whole time within the Disny World boundaries, it could be anywhere in the world for many, who only see Florida on the way there and back from the Airport on the Disney bus. the idea is for the tourist to spend the majority of their holiday and spending money onsite at relativley (to the rest of Florida) expensive restaraunts and shops.

Its a bit like an American coming to London for two weeks and thinking that he has visited "England"

Get a villa, with its own pool, a car and explore the whole area, from St Augustine, to Tampa, including Cape Canaveral, Universal Studios, Sea world, Bush gardens, and of course, Disney.
Even off site hotels have larger rooms.

you will have more room, a better choice of eateries at more sensible prices, the freedom to explore the whole of the area.

WDW is a wonderful theme park, but its not really "magical" (to us at any rate) apart from in their own advertising.
Magical is wonder of the Grand Canyon, the rivers, the monuments, the mountains and plains, the parks and cities of the USA.

Don't get me wrong, I love Disney, enjoy the parks, we do, but they are artificial and so is the world that Disney has built. If you stay on site and only go to Disney properties, there is a whole state you are missing out on.

 

[UKDEB]

As you'll see from my signature, we've done all sorts of combinations of onsite and off, although last November was the first time we've stayed entirely onsite. If you've read my trip reports, though, you'll know we didn't confine ourselves to onsite activities. There are advantages to both and I'd struggle to say I prefer one over the other. Mixing it up is still the best option for us.

To attempt to answer your question, though, I guess the "magic" boils down to that inclusive feeling you get staying onsite. It's categorically different to being offsite - not necessarily better, but you unquestionably feel more a part of it all. For us, the pleasure of being able to stroll between the BoardWalk and Epcot, or between Saratoga Springs and Downtown Disney, is a unique element of staying onsite. Although we've also done that whilst staying offsite, it's an entirely more relaxed affair when you're staying at the resort. Incidentally, I sense that immersion just as much when staying onsite at Universal.

Unquestionably, I can go along with the "magic" analogy, but I don't agree that once you've stayed onsite you'll never want to stay offsite again.

 

[Lizzybear]

I've stayed offsite and on but to be honest the only reason we visit Orlando is WDW so cost and travel wise onsite works better for us. The atmosphere is a nice bonus but wouldn't be a deal breaker. I have visited offsite attractions including non theme park ones but Florida just doesn't interest us much, there are other states we'd rather visit or revisit

 

[Mills1878]

Love browsing through topics like this, disney virgin at the minute and didnt think it was possible to be so excited lol.

 

[team harris]

We stayed at OKW this August and loved it!.
We are Disney Nuts and spend every waking minute where possible in a theme park.
Stayed at Pop too, a couple years back which we enjoyed, but somehow, OKW seems more relaxed. We only book 1 room for the 4 of us, so at OKW it was nice to have the balcony.
We love the "hidden Mickeys" in the decor. We love the free buses to the parks - hand on heart can honestly say we never waited at all for a bus in the morning (that's real Disney magic for you!) and no more than 10 mins to return to OKW.
Yes I agree to some extent that they are just hotels with staff, but Disney staff have that little bit extra, maybe with the current climate on both sides of the Atlantic, they are worried for their jobs, I don't know, but they do seem to go that bit further to please you. Then you get the extra hours - some Disney onsiters stay away from the parks on these days, but we usually take advantage and never had any problems with overcrowding etc.
Having said that the cost is what's important for us, so I wouldn't not go to WDW if it meant staying offsite, it's just that given the choice, we prefer it!

 

[howlongtillsummer?]

What were your reasons for staying at old key west rather than saratoga

We choose OKW primarily for the two beds in the studio. I also liked the look of the resort but I could have chosen either!! They were both a great deal!

 

[howlongtillsummer?]

Get a villa, with its own pool, a car and explore the whole area, from St Augustine, to Tampa, including Cape Canaveral, Universal Studios, Sea world, Bush gardens, and of course, Disney.
Even off site hotels have larger rooms.

QUOTE]

We have had three trips to villas and once in an offsite room. I hope the Old Key West rooms should be ok for size.

It was the price that sold us on staying on property - the discount and free dining plan made it very tempting. So we thought we would try it out ...

I will have a car for exploring though, I like driving over there