Another off-site vs on-site question

[jnkrim]

This will be our first trip in over 5 years! We were going to stay offsite in Sept, but the free dining this fall makes staying onsite about breakeven in Oct. What is giving me pause is easywdw has the crowd level in Oct at a 4, while Sept has a 1 or 2. We have never gone in any other month than Jan or Sept, so we are used to low crowds.

Pros and cons:

Sept offsite: celebrate our 20th anniversary, low crowds

Oct onsite: celebrate our 5 year old's birthday while there, the convenience of Disney transportation, extra magic hours, more time to get adrs we want as we are just beginning this process

Thoughts?

 

[DizDaD7]

For me kids would come before us , so right off the bat I would say your son's 5 the b-day...

FD Is great too...Weather is just about perfect in October & a 4 as opposed to a 1-2 is really nothing at all...trust me ..

Also I've done both & though yes Offsite you get a lot more house and room , but you don't get fully submerged into the WHOLE Disney Experience.IMHO.

From the ME, to the transportation, EMH's, From just being at each resort with other happy families doing the same thing as you are...

It is your decision but if it were me I would do ON property. Have fun & good luck on your choice, Either way You'll have a blast.

 

[DizDaD7]

This will be our first trip in over 5 years! We were going to stay offsite in Sept, but the free dining this fall makes staying onsite about breakeven in Oct. What is giving me pause is easywdw has the crowd level in Oct at a 4, while Sept has a 1 or 2. We have never gone in any other month than Jan or Sept, so we are used to low crowds.

Pros and cons:

Sept offsite: celebrate our 20th anniversary, low crowds

Oct onsite: celebrate our 5 year old's birthday while there, the convenience of Disney transportation, extra magic hours, more time to get adrs we want as we are just beginning this process

Thoughts?

B.T.W. Welcome to the Disboards

 

[CastlesandDreams]

Definitely on-site.

A few months ago, we made a last minute trip to Disney World and there were NO rooms available so we stayed off-site. The hotel was just off Disney property. The traffic once we got off property was horrible- it took almost a half hour to go less than a mile. And you lose the magic once you leave.

 

[spiceycat]

Oct has something that Sept does not -

first - at EPcot - food/wine festavial

second at MK - Mickey's Not scarey halloween party

so not having to drive back after the food/wine is probably definitely worth it.

here is more information if you want it

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/events.htm

looks like halloween is not in sept too

 

[Doc Goofy]

October on-site without a doubt.

 

[auprincess]

something else to consider ~ the heat! It will still be warm in October, but it will be downright hot in September.

 

[michelleiada]

In my honest opinion there is no comparison in the two overall experiences. Staying on site is the way to go! It is an entirely different vacation. You are 100% in the Disney bubble when you stay on site.

 

[ReluctantDisaholic]

For us, no question - onsite all the way.

 

[wdisneyaholic]

We are here at Disney now. But we have been going off site to do some shopping at the outlets and the mall. You couldn't pay me enough money to stay off site. No matter where you try to go the traffic is outrageous. It takes forever to get anywhere!! It took us over 30 mins to go less than a mile on sandlake rd just to get to I4.

It is worth every penny to stay out of that traffic.

 

[jnkrim]

Thank you, that's what my gut is telling me We have stayed of site before and I remember how it seemed like a long time just to get to the park. And I really wanted to spend my son's birthday there - this will be his first WDW trip!

 

[Carrie in AZ]

You definitely want to stay on-site!!! You will be in the magic the whole time. You'll be at the park and then return to the resort with a wonderful theme that your son will LOVE and the magic will continue there as well!!

Soooo exciting for your little boy!!!! And you, too!

 

[sooner7]

We went middle of October around 5 years ago.. it was great! We've gone at Christmas, early summer, late summer, & spring break. If I could choose weather & crowd-wise I'd always pick October ---- there were some days we could swim & other days where it was a light jacket in the evening, so the weather seemed perfect.

 

[mickeynut1]

I agree with going in Oct and staying onsite, especially since it's your DS's birthday and it's his first trip to WDW . I wouldn't worry too much about crowds....Oct is a great time to go .

 

[shalom]

Thoughts?

You might get a different perspective on the Orlando board (however, if what you're really looking for is "stay onsite!", this is the place to be! ).

I'm fine with offsite, myself, but would pick October just because it's cooler. Although if you've gone in September and liked it, I'm not sure if that's really a factor.

If you're going during the F&W thingie, most of the crowds will be in Epcot World Showcase. The Unofficial Guide website does not count those crowds (or at least they didn't used to), because they're not on the rides; Easy WDW considers them, I think, but I'm not sure whether that number refers to the overall park average (in which case Epcot will be worse than a four), or if it refers to the worst park, in which case Epcot will hit 4 but the others probably won't.

If it's a "worst case four", and you avoid the crowded park for that day, I'm guessing it'll feel like more people than you're used to, but you're not going to feel crowded. Presumably if you avoid the crowded park it won't be scary crowded even if it's an average four, although there might be times or places when you get caught in a crowd when a show lets out or something. So how important is that emptyish park for you?

 

[jnkrim]

Thanks you, that's a good point about the F&W. We're not planning to spend too much time in Epcot as it would not be the kids' favorite, but I know we will spend 1 day there doing the passport thing.

We keep re-evaluating our plans, but essentially have decided unless we got an AP, it would not be worth it to stay off-site with the free dining.