2 week trip onsite or off or combo

[Temair]

I'm planning our trip for hopefully next year. We love Disney and can't wait to go back. But we also know there is other fun thing to do in Orlando that we should check out, Kennedy Space Center, Busch Gardens, Sea World. So our plans are to stay for 2 weeks to 16 days. Most of the time will be at Disney. Lets be real that is the real reason we are going to Orlando. Should we stay onsite and just day trip to the other places, stay offsite, or do part onsite and part offsite. I could see staying offsite saving some money, but staying onsite allows us to get the dining plan, and hopefully free dining again next year. If we stay onsite we will probably rent points and stay in a Studio at Beach Club. I'd love to have a 1 bedroom, but I'm not sure its worth the money. Staying offsite I can get a 2 bedroom for $120 a night. But then you have the hassle of packing up and moving. So whats your advice.

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

You can't rent points and get free dining. You have to book a package and pay the rack rate on the room in order to get it. Plus, free dining packages have been limited to 10 nights in the past. You would have to do a split stay in order to get free dining for your entire 16-day stay if you were to be on property the entire time.

If I were planning a trip of that length, I'd be looking at a vacation home rental. Anything more than 7 nights in the same room together and someone in my family is taking a trip off the balcony! We may be a close family but the 19yo princess needs her bathroom time, DS17 gets a little hard to live with and DH & I need our alone time.

The best of both worlds would be to split the stay between onsite & offsite accommodations. Perhaps a week at Disney and then a low-key, relaxing Orlando/Central FL vacation for the remaining time.

 

[wmharley]

yes, i'd recommend a house in the area or do a half and half... its a pain, but will be cheaper...

although, I'd probably just stay off site, THOUGH, you must consider parking fees to get in Disney too...

 

[NVDisMom]

We've been grappling with the same question. We want to do a trip between Thanksgiving and Christmas 2010 to Orlando for two weeks. Do WDW, Universal(got to see Hogwarts!), etc...But the majority of the time will be Disney. We are leaning towards a vacation rental nearby. That will give us a little more room to spread out, give us space to be individuals. My girls get along incredibly well when we do Disney trips, but I cannot imagine them managing two weeks in each others constant company packed in a hotel room with no room to escape and coming out in one piece. Add to that its cheaper and we could cook when we wanted to in a full kitchen...Again leaning that way.

Then again, staying onsite would be cool. Part of the whole WDW experience, so a split stay is still on the table, but I wanted to sprinkle the other attractions in between our days at Disney. Back to staying offsite. Cost will probably be the determining factor, truth be told.

 

[Darcy03231]

In August 2007 we did a 16 day trip and rented a vacation home. We all still agree its one of the best trips we've ever done. We had plenty of room to spread out, a private pool, full kitchen, washer/dryer and 3 bathrooms!

There is no way I would ever do a long trip like that and stay in a hotel.

 

[Temair]

so I've been doing some calculating and dreaming. The plan would have us buy 10 Day park hopper plus tickets.

Beach Club Free Dining 15 nights $6636
Offsite 2 bedroom 15 nights $5796
Free Dining AKL/WL 15 nights $5211
AS 15 nights $4866
Free Dining AS 15 nights $3066

With Free Dining is defiantly makes sense to stay onsite, but it seems like for the price it may be worth it to go ahead and stay onsite at either Animal Kingdom Lodge or the Wilderness Lodge. It's only about $500 more than if we were to stay at AS and pay for the dining.

 

[HeatherC]

I personally would prefer not to do a split stay somewhere. We've done this before and I hate having to re-pack and move our stuff. When I go on vacation I prefer to just move in and make myself at home for the duration!

For that amount of time, I definitely would want to stay somewhere bigger than a hotel room. I think I'd strangle someone if we all had to share a room that long.

Have fun planning your trip!

 

[Planogirl]

Do both. You have plenty of time and you can try some really nice condo resorts or vacation homes offsite and maybe a favorite onsite. Our best trip was split between Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Royal Pacific at Universal. Two amazing hotels! We've also enjoyed staying in offsite resorts.

To me it's somehow easier to do offsite things if you're already offsite. Probably just a state of mind.

 

[wmharley]

so I've been doing some calculating and dreaming. The plan would have us buy 10 Day park hopper plus tickets.

Beach Club Free Dining 15 nights $6636
Offsite 2 bedroom 15 nights $5796
Free Dining AKL/WL 15 nights $5211
AS 15 nights $4866
Free Dining AS 15 nights $3066

With Free Dining is defiantly makes sense to stay onsite, but it seems like for the price it may be worth it to go ahead and stay onsite at either Animal Kingdom Lodge or the Wilderness Lodge. It's only about $500 more than if we were to stay at AS and pay for the dining.

wait.. AllStar is $4866 and with the free dining plan its $3066? and AKL/WL is $5211 with dining?

Man, I'd do the AS with dining... $2K is $2K....

I personally would prefer not to do a split stay somewhere. We've done this before and I hate having to re-pack and move our stuff. When I go on vacation I prefer to just move in and make myself at home for the duration!

For that amount of time, I definitely would want to stay somewhere bigger than a hotel room. I think I'd strangle someone if we all had to share a room that long.

Have fun planning your trip!

Unless we visit family, we just leave our stuff in the bags. We'll hang some stuff and maybe put some of the kids stuff in a drawer, but if the savings are enough, that's easy to pack...

 

[hsmamato2]

Are you sure those numbers are right? You can't do free dining and rent DVC points-

 

[Temair]

Thats paying rack rate for a room and not renting points to get the free dining.

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

so I've been doing some calculating and dreaming. The plan would have us buy 10 Day park hopper plus tickets.

Beach Club Free Dining 15 nights $6636
Offsite 2 bedroom 15 nights $5796
Free Dining AKL/WL 15 nights $5211
AS 15 nights $4866
Free Dining AS 15 nights $3066

With Free Dining is defiantly makes sense to stay onsite, but it seems like for the price it may be worth it to go ahead and stay onsite at either Animal Kingdom Lodge or the Wilderness Lodge. It's only about $500 more than if we were to stay at AS and pay for the dining.

The problem with this plan is that free dining is a maximum of 10 nights. To stay longer you will have to book two consecutive stays and buy tickets with each of those stays. That increases your price somewhat.

I think that the price for your offsite location is pretty high. I'm sure that it's possible to find a less expensive suite or condo. I've seen whole vacation homes that rent for less.

 

[vitfamily]

Offsite 2 bedroom 15 nights $5796

That price seems high..
We rented a 4 bedroom home in Rolling Hills for 9 nights for less than $1,000. You may want to check other off site locations.

 

[May05 preemie mom]

I'd do a split stay. Your prices for offsite are very high. You should look at some other sites than the one you've checked. With the glut of hotel and off site places due to the economy you will find a better deal. There is no way I could stay in a hotel room for that long of a time so that's why I suggest splitting up.

I would actually do 7 nights on and then 7 nites off with 2 nites at the beach.

 

[Darcy03231]

so I've been doing some calculating and dreaming. The plan would have us buy 10 Day park hopper plus tickets.

Beach Club Free Dining 15 nights $6636
Offsite 2 bedroom 15 nights $5796
Free Dining AKL/WL 15 nights $5211
AS 15 nights $4866
Free Dining AS 15 nights $3066

With Free Dining is defiantly makes sense to stay onsite, but it seems like for the price it may be worth it to go ahead and stay onsite at either Animal Kingdom Lodge or the Wilderness Lodge. It's only about $500 more than if we were to stay at AS and pay for the dining.

Your price for an off-site condo seems really high. I rented a 5 bdrm/3 bath private pool home for two weeks for a total of $1400 including all taxes and fees. We were in Clermont and about 15 min from WDW's main gate.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

Your price for an off-site condo seems really high. I rented a 5 bdrm/3 bath private pool home for two weeks for a total of $1400 including all taxes and fees. We were in Clermont and about 15 min from WDW's main gate.

I agree that your calculation for the condo seems WAY high. We're staying in a 2 bedroom Windsor Hills condo in August, 2010 for $763 (including tax and cleaning fee) for 14 nights.

 

[DebMcDonald]

A couple of years ago we did two weeks and stayed off site and we saved a tone of money and our hotel even had a free breakfast every morning which saved money there, we did 7 days at disney and drove in daily, but it really was not a bother. I'd honestly stay off site again without a thought.