Will I regret staying offsite?

[erbeaman]

Help me make a decision please! I am planning a trip for after Christmas (potential dates: Dec. 28- Jan. 6) with my family of 5, my SIL and my two nephews. The five kids will range in age from 5-11. I keep going back and forth between renting DVC and getting an offsite pool house. We have stayed onsite and offsite, and have really enjoyed both, we actually prefer offsite with the kids. What is your experience with staying offsite during super busy times? We are really trying to stay on a budget. We will probably be driving and will have annual passes for some of our party (if that makes a difference). I really want this to be an amazing trip for my SIL and nephews because they will probably never go back.

 

[magik]

Just keep in mind that on those days leading up to New Years, you'll really need to get to the parks early, before the parking lots close. Staying on property, you wouldn't need to be there *quite* as early (although still early). And extra magic morning hours can really help get stuff done during those crowded days.

 

[goofy's_gurl]

If you are doing a budget, see which is cheaper. Sometimes you can get a condo for dirt cheap.

 

[DawnM]

We always stay off-site and we still enjoy it. What we really enjoy is the savings though!

 

[LMC]

A few things to consider: Most people that stay in the off site pool homes report that the pools with heaters never get warm enough to use this time of year. You will have added cost for parking fees at the parks (I'm not sure what those are as we always camp at FW). You will need to get to the parks early as they sometimes close due to capacity that time of year.
We have been a couple of times after Christmas through New Years and enjoy it but we always stay at FW.

 

[englishteacha]

We always stay off site and we don't feel like we're missing anything. We travel in summer, usually, when it's busy but not totally packed, and with decent planning we get to do everything we want to do, plus have time to enjoy some nice meals (both on and offsite) and relax at the condo and swim in the pool.

 

[chicagoshannon]

We used to go at Christmas all the time and stayed off site. We always had a really good time! For the first cople of days of your trip you'll want to make sure to get to the parks near opening time but later in your trip it shouldn't matter.

Since at least one person in your grop will have an AP you won't have to worry about parking fees.

 

[justjoannj]

I just don't think you can beat the convenience of staing onsite.

 

[Catira]

We have stayed onsite and offsite during Christmas holidays. You NEED to be at rope drop if possible to do the rides you want before the park gets too crowded and to be sure the park doesn't get closed due to capacity. You have some APs so you won't be paying for parking. Two years ago we stayed at Bonnet Creek and the kiddos used the heated pool on 12/25 This is the one day we stay away from the park due to the crowds. Instead we go over to downtown disney and get lunch and watch a movie. Then back to resort and enjoy the facilities.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I would opt for staying onsite. During extra magic hours you get the ability to ride/ do things that you may not get to do during regular hours since you are going during a busy time. PLUS extra magic hours are ONLY available to guest staying onsite. You will have to show a resort key for everyone in your party in order to get on a ride or attraction.
This past Sunday we did the extra magic hours at the MK and gosh if felt as though the park was just open for us. After showing our resort room key we walked on to all the rides and attractions it was that dead there.

Staying off site will save money but you will spend more time waiting to ride or see attractions while fighting crowds since you will not be able to take advantage of the extra magic hours. Not to mention that traffic will be heavy so commuting to and from the parks will take a lot of patience

It is so nice to have the ease and convience of being onsite. Plus if you need a mid afternoon break from the parks you will be a short bus or boat ride from your room.

 

[arthur06]

We never really enjoyed getting an actual home while at Disney. It always felt like we were borrowing a strangers house.

We love to stay onsite and enjoy all the benefits that it offers. However, we are more in love with going to Disney. So if staying offsite allows the budget to be more doable, then stay offsite. We have always preferred going first, then where we stay was what our budget would allow.

Have a great time either way.

Also, if you are going this year and wanting to rent DVC, you might have a little trouble with the first few days of your reservation. DVC Owners could book those days in January.

 

[Brer Shay]

We do both on and offsite trips. In general, when the kids are with us, we stay offsite. The kids absolutely adore having a their own pool right outside the door and it lets DH and I supervise them without having to being in the sun and enjoy relaxing ourselves. Plus the offsite location allows you all to be together, but still have places to go when you want to have a few minutes of quiet. Last, the bigger space will help with everyone getting the sleep they need.

As others mentioned, your first few days you'll want to make sure you arrive early, but it should settle by the last days of your trip.

ENJOY!

 

[bumbershoot]

It is so nice to have the ease and convience of being onsite. Plus if you need a mid afternoon break from the parks you will be a short bus or boat ride from your room.

You have the *chance* of getting a *short* ride back.

You also have the chance of it taking 2 hours to get from DHS to OKW, like my husband and aunt experienced in December 2010. (they still don't trust Disney transportation after that)



What are the benefits of being onsite to you? In two *long* trips I think we've hit EMH exactly once, and honestly it didn't feel that fun to me. (on the other hand, at disneyland we attend Magic Mornings whenever possible, because MM is absolutely positively a benefit, without the controversy/other opinions that swirl around EMH) We have rented a car each time, and while we have never had a problem or delay with driving to and from the parks, our Disney transportation experiences have been less than fabulous. We have *never* used their package delivery service. etc. For *us*, onsite vs offsite isn't really a huge deal (though we bought DVC without even going to WDW because we knew we would want to go again and again AND we thought being onsite would be more beneficial than it has been).

What does it mean to YOU, though? If you have parking budgeted, or someone will have an AP that gives you parking, then that's not a problem. If you know the area and won't get too turned around in driving to and from, then that's not a problem. If you like to carry packages around with you (or, I think WDW does the "deliver to the front of the park" thing that DLR does, you can use that) then you don't need the delivery to your resort benefit. And if you can just avoid the parks with morning EMH, then that's not a benefit you need, or that will mess you up, either!

 

[ICF]

In our opinion, off-site is soooo much better.....

No cramped rooms filled with people -- much more space off site. Seperate bedrooms, dining rooms, living room.....

Kitchens you can fill with food / drinks / snacks so you're not eating every meal @ disney

No waiting in longs lines for crowded buses...just take you're own car and you can likely be back to your condo in 15 mins or less.

Assuming the pool is warm (we've never been that time of year), what would be better than your own private pool right out your back door?

 

[HunnyPots]

One of the things we liked best about staying in an off site rental, is that we got to the parks every day in much less time than we ever did with Disney transportation. And having enough room for everyone to spread out at the end of the day is priceless!

 

[North of Mouse]

Help me make a decision please! I am planning a trip for after Christmas (potential dates: Dec. 28- Jan. 6) with my family of 5, my SIL and my two nephews. The five kids will range in age from 5-11. I keep going back and forth between renting DVC and getting an offsite pool house. We have stayed onsite and offsite, and have really enjoyed both, we actually prefer offsite with the kids. What is your experience with staying offsite during super busy times? We are really trying to stay on a budget. We will probably be driving and will have annual passes for some of our party (if that makes a difference). I really want this to be an amazing trip for my SIL and nephews because they will probably never go back.

Seems like you answered your own question "we actually prefer offsite with the kids". If so , thats what you should do, not what others "think" you should do That said, we would never stay off site - love it too much and would take away a lot of what I feel when I'm there. You'll get half & half answers, but you have to do it your way

 

[Rienchen]

I think once I have children I'd stay offsite just so I could have my own bedroom ;-)

Also the convenience of being able to prepare my own meals

I guess I could have all of this in a 1 bedroom property at Disney but not sure I'm using EMH enough to warrant the extra cost for staying on property.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

I fully admit to being an on-site gal. Love it, don't have any intentions of staying off-site. So knowing that I typically lean towards on-site anyway, here are a couple of things that I thought of right off for your situation. First, you said it's your family of 5 plus another family of 3? Do you have a vehicle to transport 8 at once? If not, parking 2 vehicles takes $28 per day away from your off-site savings. Even if you do have a large van to transport all of you, I especially think it's better to stay on-site. I personally think that if you are traveling in a large group, it's much easier to stay on-site where everyone has ready access to transportation. If your family wants to get up early and be at rope-drop while the other family would rather sleep in and have a late breakfast and show up around noon, you can do that. If one child has a meltdown or gets sick or tired, one parent can take him/her back to the room for some down-time while the other parent stays in the park with the other kids. Just because you are vacationing with another family does not mean you want to be tied together 24 hours a day. Splitting up is so easy when you stay on-site -- there is free transportation to get you wherever you want to go.

Hope you have a wonderful trip, no matter what you choose!

 

[Bete]

like space vs. less space. I think with 2 families I would opt for a house off site. The kids will be able to enjoy each other better that way. You would even have your own yard and perhaps a barbecue. Maybe, eat a cheap lunch at the parks and have the rest of your meals away from Disney. If you like TS meals in the park get a TIW card ($75 with AP) that offers 20% off on your meals including appetizers and alcoholic drinks.

You have a long enough stay that you don't have to concern yourself with extra magic hours. Most Disney strategists say stay away from the park that offers EMHs when you stay off site.

We have done it both ways and the only way we stay on site now is if free dining is offered. I'm planning a 2013 early December trip and I don't even feel free dining will keep me on site and were almost two years away from that vacation.

 

[jujube]

We've done both and have enjoyed our trips just as much offsite as onsite.
The pluses for offsite are:

larger rooms- it's nice to spread out. People say that you aren't in the rooms that much but heck when you are, you appreciate the space.

w/d(I hate going home with dirty laundry. It grosses me out to pack it in our suitcases).

It often takes less time to get back to an offsite house than an onsite room, especially during a holiday. The routes the buses take for some reason is actually longer than when I drive back to the room.

Even though I don't cook on vacation, the kitchen is really nice for coffee and snacks.

People talk too about the lack of magic but a lot of offsite homes have more Disney decor than the WDW resort rooms.

We became DVC members in 2005,, so we don't stay offsite as much BUT if we decided to take a trip and a DVC villa was not available, I would not hesitate to stay offsite.