Any of you On site people ever try staying off-site?

[skiwee1]

ITA
Double Tree Suites...Been there-- done that-- It was nice but I'm not going back!

I am 55 years old and travel several times a year. I often stay at 4 star hotels.
So the deluxe resorts do not have anything special for me.
All Star is like being in the heart of the Magic and that is where I want to be.
The buses are wonderful.

Bus rides are quite short from the ALL Stars according to PassPorter.com

All Star Buses-CBR buses-----PO buses--- Contemporary
MK 20 min---- 20 min-----------10 min---20 min(mono)
Epcot 10 min-- 15 min-----------10 min---15 min
MGM 10 min----12 min-----------15 min---20min
AK 10 min------20min-----------15 min---20 min
DTD 15 min----20 min-----------15 min---35 min

It only takes 10 minutes to get to Epcot,MGM and AK from All Stars.
MK is 20 min away. That's the same amount of time it takes on the monorail from the Contemporary.



I have visited WDW more than a dozen times with the 1st time in Oct. 1971. It was brand new. I've stayed at FW, Disney Inn, a few the of Hotels on hotel Blvd., CBR and the towers at the Contemporary. I got to see the MK from my balcony at the Contemporary and I'm happy I got to experience it once. I just prefer the All Star Resorts.
The theaming is pure Disney.
My last 4 visits have been at The All Stars and this fall when we take dd,dsil, and our grandson age 3 we are staying at the All Stars Music. I thought about AKL and even though we can well afford AKL I just wanted Alex to experience the Disney Magic at the All Stars on his first visit.
Where else can one find Donald Duck or Mickey Mouse at the pool?
Have a great time at Disney!
Linda

Minnie, do you keep this particular post saved in a file somewhere? You post this every time someone asks a question about resorts and whether it is worth to stay deluxe. I'm just wondering if you save it or memorized the same post and had to type it again and again and again. Personally I've got you beat and still perfer deluxes but we won't go there!

 

[johnvree]

Did it once, DH and I vowed we would never do it again. To us Disney is about more than just the parks, it's the whole property, and that includes the hotel. We don't go into the parks every day, we hang out at the hotel, do DTD, golf, Boardwalk, etc. You get the picture...

Plus, I think at the end of the day at a park when I saw all of the "on-site" people going to their buses, I'd feel really sad and wish I were going with them.

I totally agree. The resorts are a big part of the experience. We just got back from a Universal Orlando-only vacation last week (trip reports coming soon). We stayed in Tampa next to BGT for the first three days. We stayed in the Baymont Inn, which is right across the street from the park. In fact, you could see Shiekra from our window. The hotel was nice enough. But when we were done at the parks, the day was basically over. There were no on-site, themed restaurants to choose from. There was no themed pool - just a plain rectangle. You couldn't hop on a bus, monorail or boat and visit another resort. We just went back to the resort and sat in a very ordinary room watching tv.

By the way, I would highly recommend the Baymont if you are going to BGT. The staff was incredibly nice. The rooms were pretty clean and the housekeeping was good. The hotel grounds leave a bit to be desired. But overall, for $70 a night, we were happy with it.

 

[minnie61650]

Maybe I would feel that way too if I traveled a few times a year and stayed in nice resorts. But WDW is usually our only real vacation and travel each year. When I am there, I want to be pampered with a large room and lots of amenities. That's why we stay at a deluxe resort. If we went twice a year, we would definitely try the other resorts.

As far as on-site vs. off-site, that's a non-issue for us. On-site is the only way we would go to WDW. If we won an all-expense-paid trip to WDW in a hotel off property, I would probably turn it down. Staying on-site is very important to us.

The variety of choices is one of the things I love about Disney. They have so many resort choices. Deluxe, mods, values, DVC, and FW.You enjoy being pampered and relaxing at your resort so you choose a deluxe.
When I am at Disney I am not in my room much. I enjoy the pool in the afternoon and some evenings but I am usually at the parks, shopping, dining, exploring, and taking in the sights. The All Star Resort is my choice. Disney also offers 4 parks 2 water parks, campfines, petting zoos, pony rides, horseback riding, dinner shows,
all kinds of water sports, and golfing as well as Disney Quest, PI and DTD.
It truly has a lot of choices and lots to enjoy.
So much to do at Disney -- never enough time!
Linda

 

[minnie61650]

Minnie, do you keep this particular post saved in a file somewhere? You post this every time someone asks a question about resorts and whether it is worth to stay deluxe. I'm just wondering if you save it or memorized the same post and had to type it again and again and again. Personally I've got you beat and still perfer deluxes but we won't go there!

Actually I have one stored in pcf and I edit it to fit the OP post.
"I'm just an All Star kinda girl." What can I say?
Just call me All Star Goddess!
Thanks for noticing.
Linda

 

[skiwee1]

Actually I have one stored in pcf and I edit it to fit the OP post.
"I'm just an All Star kinda girl." What can I say?
Just call me All Star Goddess!
Thanks for noticing.
Linda

LOL! I was hoping it was stored and you weren't typing that every time! I would love to stay at All stars but like the deluxe amenities. It would be great to have All Stars deluxe resorts!

 

[minnie61650]

LOL! I was hoping it was stored and you weren't typing that every time! I would love to stay at All stars but like the deluxe amenities. It would be great to have All Stars deluxe resorts!

Count me in. I love the idea of an All Stars Deluxe resort!
Linda

 

[goofyfordisney]

What kind of deals can you get off-site? Is it really that much cheaper?
I would probably consider it if we could save a lot of money--otherwise, I would pick on-site--especially if we are going to do just WDW parks.

We stayed at Hard Rock when we did US/IOA and had front of the line passes and that was great! I would do that again in a heartbeat! I wouldn't have wanted to go back and forth to WDW from there though--it's just too far away.

 

[Sammie]

What kind of deals can you get off-site? Is it really that much cheaper?
I would probably consider it if we could save a lot of money--otherwise, I would pick on-site--especially if we are going to do just WDW parks.

We stayed at Hard Rock when we did US/IOA and had front of the line passes and that was great! I would do that again in a heartbeat! I wouldn't have wanted to go back and forth to WDW from there though--it's just too far away.

You can definitely get better deals on rooms for families of 5 or larger. At Disney it gets very expensive for a larger group. For the basic group of 4 or smaller it would be hard to beat the value resorts.

There are several suite resorts that offer specials to the DIS that include full buffet breakfast and 2 rooms, so that can be a real help to a larger family group.

Also you can find several places in the Orlando/Kissimmee area that rent 3 and 4 bedroom vacations homes for the cost of a moderate at Disney. Many have their own pools.

 

[MaryPA]

In the 90's we stayed offsite for $23 a night, for us that is a great price because I never seem to find "deals". It was just a motel and we saved a LOT of money! Having said that - we don't stay offsite anymore. Yes, the money saved was great but driving EVERYWHERE took it's toll. We now stay on property, still rent a car and do things outside the world on certain days and eat off property a couple of times. Love the All Stars {haven't been to POP yet} and the other resorts.

We were in Kissimmee - Maybe if you stay closer you won't feel like you are driving everywhere. Also after a long day at the parks - do you really feel like driving through an unfamiliar town with a lot of traffic?

Whatever you do stay - I hope it's wonderful!

 

[ktflisa]

Ha! We tried... Our very first stay we were at one of the Downtown Disney resorts - was perfect, no problems, loved it. Then we stayed on site in April of 98. So, November 99 - money was very tight as I had just changed to a full commission job which took some time to build up. We went cheap like at a true off site Best Western or something. $39 per night. OH NO! BIG mistake. The "buses" to the resort were scheduled trips, and not very often. Especially after you are used to Disney transpo. Plus the did not go to Pleasure Island. (Which at that time was alot of fun) The rooms were not that nice. And there was absolutely NO Disney magic. My boyfriend (DH now) saw how upset I was... though I really tried to be a trooper... and our first stop was at customer service in Magic Kingdom. Moved to All Star Movies the next morning and learned our lesson. Movies was $79 per night but oh SO worth it!!! We charged up the credit card and never regretted it for a minute.

I might try one of the downtown resorts again, but never off site.

 

[dgaston]

We have APs and go to WDW a few times each year. In April we used DVC points and stayed at Boardwalk until the weekend when we stayed at Cypress Pointe. When the kids were younger and we had less money we camped at Ft Wilderness. DH and I stayed at the old DTD Marriott when they had $20.0x rates in the fall. This Christmas we're staying for the second time in a pool house at Windsor Palms with DH's brother and his wife. We find we really appreciate having more space in condos or homes. No matter what the level of accomodations, we experience Disney magic. For me that's about making special memories with my family, and I don't have to have Mickey soaps to make that happen. Some of our best times have occurred in Disney restaurants. As far as transportation goes, I got tired of taking an hour to get back to get to the resort. We get rental cars, often from Priceline ($12 for a compact next week) and drive to most resorts, except MK. We use Sherberth Road near AK to get over to 192 and literally took 12 minutes from the turnstyles at MK to our driveway in Windsor Palms. I also appreciate the variety of hotels, camping at WDW and know many will have different opinions.

 

[DMRick]

We love staying on site, when we get the inexpensive AP rooms. But we are just as happy staying off site if we don't. We come down several times a year and price plays a big part. We've been on-site the past few years, except for twice. Off site we have stayed at Tropical Palms (a cabin for the price of a mod!), in Downtown Disney (a nice big room, with a view of the fireworks for $20 a night!), Holiday Inn (liked it the first time, hated in the second), as well as a few others. We are in Sheraton Safari this upcoming trip in October, and looking forward to it. On site, we have stayed in the campground, many times at all the values, several times at POP, and several times at POR. We always have a rental car, and we find sometimes we get into the parks faster than we did when staying on. We go off times, so traffic is seldom a problem..on or off. While we were very glad to be on-site when MK was open to 3 am, and we got to enjoy it, for us the magic is where ever we are..off or on. We always visit several resorts, eat around Disney and go to DTD, so we always feel a part of it all.

 

[TDC Nala]

Sure I have stayed offsite, but I don't need the extra room and I love the Disney transportation. Having to drive from PI isn't my idea of fun.

Where else could you stay at a hotel that has a giant Buzz and Woody outside.

Vegas?

 

[It's A Happy Day]

This is our 1st trip ONsite so we are very excited but the main reason for us was 2 fold...we decided it would be a better trip for us all around considering we are traveling with a 3 & 4 year old and may need an afternoon nap - might not but wanted a closer, quicker option than going "outside" disney and the other is they offered the free dining during our trip so it made financial sense to stay onsite as offsite would have ended up costing more. We would stay offsite if just the 2 of us but with the kids we'll splurge a little to spoil em while we can!

 

[Hieatt]

We stayed onsite at the Contemporary and Dolphin our first 5 trips, and I swore I would never go to WDW and give up that kind of location, theming and convenience. Then, we stayed offsite this June at a Sunterra resort - the Grand Beach Resort. I was stunned that I hardly missed being close to the parks... the drive was so quick and easy that we were zipping all around, park hopping, etc. I love the boat rides to Epcot and MGM from the Dolphin, but I would swear we hardly lost any travel time at all driving from this offsite resort. And the unit we had at Grand Beach was HUGE and GORGEOUS... 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, full kitchen, awesome living area with DVD player, stereo, washer/dryer in unit, beautiful grounds and facilities, and REALLY CHEAP compared to the Deluxe resort hotel rooms.

We have 4 kids, and frankly it is going to be hard to justify spending the big $$$ for the Disney Deluxe resorts again soon. The Disney resorts are great - awesome theming, service, convenience, etc., but I think all too often these days the prices are just too high for what you get compared to off site.

I am a Starwood frequent guest, and I am saving up points for another stay at the Dolphin (great resort, even if it's not a "true" Disney resort), but it will be along time before we shell out $250 - $400/night for an onsite hotel room at Disney... when the discounts are there, the Deluxes are worth it, but at rack rate or anything close to it, forget it.

 

[DisneyJen0504]

Stayed off site the first time when my parents took us. After all these trips onsite-could never go back to offsite!

 

[Jen D]

We're trying it for the first time on our next trip. We are onsite people and never planned to stay offsite. But my sister's family is planning a trip for their 10th Anniversary and she invited our family and another couple to go. They are really hooked on getting a vacation home so we can all hang out together at night, have our own pool, own rooms, etc. I made two appeals in favor of onsite accomodations, one verbal, and one in writing, and no one was interested. So I'm going with the group. Actually our immediate family are going down two days early and staying in a value to get the "onsite" fix... maybe staying in a value will make me appreciate the space at the vacation house more!

I'm just keeping an open mind and looking it at something different from my usual trips.. we'll be getting a car for the first time, which will be different... I think it will feel a lot more like we're commuting to the magic, but what the heck, I'm just going to try to enjoy my family and the parks will be a little more secondary.

I can't think it is any accident though that I am for the first time planning two trips at the same time... I'm already looking ahead to the next trip after the February one. AKL, WL, POR... we'll see!

 

[erinz]

Last time we were at WDW (2003) we stayed 10 nights at the Embassy Suites Lake Buena Vista. We were very happy with it. We had a suite of two rooms and a huge breakfast every morning which was free. All for $140 a night.

True, the hotel did not have Disney "magic" but we didn't care. Our days were filled to the top with Disney magic. Being able to go home and go to bed in a seperate room while my DH and DD stayed up watching TV was heaven.

 

[AndyMcV]

Last time we were at WDW (2003) we stayed 10 nights at the Embassy Suites Lake Buena Vista....

We also stayed at the Embassy Suites Lake Buena Vista in 2000 and we were really happy with it too. The breakfast buffet was really great (and not just muffins and juice). The rooms were very nice and big and it is nice to be able to shut your bedroom door. If I was to stay offsite I'd definitely go there again. No question.

However we then stayed at the Contemporary the last few days of our trip in 2000 and got immersed in Disney magic!

 

[Big Al]

DT-I have stayed at about 20-25 different hotels both on and off WDW.As others have said,a big advantage when staying on property is NO TRAFFIC and driving!Big plus.HOWEVER,I love the following hotels:
1)Hyatt Grand Cypress (best pool in all Orlando)
2)Marriott World Center
3) J.W.Marriott & Ritz Carlton Grande Lakes,both fairly new (JW better for kids,great pool & has lazy river for kids!)
4)Marriott Vacation Club Grande Vista & Cypress Harbour (2 bdrms,sleeps 8)
5)Gaylord Palms (very big,but lots of amenities)

These are not cheap by any means,but often you get more for your money...I find most of these pics are about the same price or maybe $25 more than the DW moderate hotels except the Ritz,which can be $$$.If you have kids(young) try # 2,5 or JW Marriott..just adults I love the Hyatt..need 2 rooms,the Marriott Vacation Clubs are nice and around $150-175,but they are 800-1100 sq.ft....Good luck