Are We Snobs?

[jimmytammy]

Not at all! We have stayed offsite twice, one time within the last month. And several times onsite. Staying onsite gives you the immersive experience. And once you have had that experience, being offsite just never feels the same. So thats not being snobbish, thats going with your gut feeling about how you hope your vacation will turn out.

 

[grannyminnie]

I'm an onsite convert also. We stayed many times off site until we discovered the joys of being "in the magic". I will NEVER stay offsite again...it's worth the extra $$$ to me!

 

[antmaril]

Friends of ours just asked us yesterday to come to Orlando with them in October. They have a condo time-share a few miles from WDW. We could stay there free for a week, just have to rent a car to get around, and to and from the airport. We think we are going to politely turn them down. We just really want to be on site when we go back, and be able to do the DDP, and just be in the middle of all the magic! If we did go with them, that would be our trip for the next several years. Are we being snobs? Does anyone else feel this way ?

I would feel exactly as you do. I want to be right there, not in a condo a few miles from WDW. You should just be honest with them. Tell them you want to be in the thick of things. You want to experience the DDP, and you can only do that by staying onsite. Since this is your only trip for the next several years, you should really enjoy it.

 

[DisneyLady56]

I would definitely stay on site. The convenience of the bus transportation to the parks is a huge benefit. I used to stay off site also. But it is well worth the extra dollars to stay on site. I do not like driving in the traffic...especially since I am not familiar with the area. It is so nice after a day in the park to catch the bus right outside the park entrance and be delivered curbside to my hotel. Also, if you need a break in the afternoon, you can go back to your hotel and swim (or nap) and return to the park in the evening for some more fun.

 

[PamNC]

you just know what you want. I can understand how you feel because you say it's your only trip for several years. However, it's free. I might consider going. You can't beat free. Why not do this. You obviously plan on going but staying on-site. Why not take the money you would save for accommodations and the DDP and put it into annual passes. Go ahead and go on this free trip and you'll have AP's and can go back sooner. All you have to pay for is rental car, that's pretty good. I think I would do it for the selfish reason of getting AP's - per my plan.

Then, you can go back within a year's time and get a discount on a Disney resort.

Just a thought.

PamNC

 

[ncbyrne]

I've stayed off site and on, and loved every single vacation. Location isn't that much of an issue to me...HOWEVER...twice we traveled with other families, and I would never do that again. No two families travel alike, and it was a week full of compromises and not the magical trips we are used to. Go at the same time as your friends, but stay onsite - make plans to meet up for dinner or whatever, but make this trip YOUR family vacation, not a combination of your and theirs. Everyone will have a much better time for it, IMHO.

 

[Cindy & Mickey]

Of course, by the time you add a car rental, air tickets, park passes, and meals, it's not a free trip. So make it one to fit your needs and wishes. It's not being snobby to say that you've been hoping to return back to WDW and stay at so-and-such resort, and you just have your heart set on it. And I agree with ncbyrne, two families traveling together can be too much of a compromise when it comes to WDW travel styles.

About 8 years or so ago, we met up with longtime friends for a day in Epcot. I didn't realize what a creature of habit I was. My DH and I always have a tough time narrowing down our TS choices, there are always more favorite restaurants than there are days in our vacation. Well, my friend and her DH were devoutly against TS of any type in Epcot! She wanted only CS, and swears that the TS restaurants all around WDW are complete rip offs and wastes of money. Since I didn't want to treat them to a TS lunch if they were just going to complain about it, we ended up skipping TS and making do with a burger in Epcot instead. And the remainder of the afternoon, while we wanted to wander around the countries, they wanted to que up again for the Future Showcase rides. Thank goodness it was only one day wasted on our vacation and not the entire time.

 

[goinback]

Thanks everybody! I know that the next time we go back will be it for a long time ( As my DH has strongly declared!) I really Don't want to spend the money to go and not have the most magical time possible. I'm glad to know I am not alone!

 

[mickeymousemom]

We have a timeshare thru BlueGreen and can easily stay offsite every year. We did exactly this when we first started going down as a family. We finally stayed onsite for the first time and now only use our condo for quick "secondary" trips to Orlando. We stay one week onsite for our annual full blown Disney family vacation, and use our condo just to hang around Orlando for another week(and that is only because we can't afford two weeks of full WDW vacation....yet).
I could even go farther and say that when we were just down in June we upgraded our timeshare pkg, added on more points, and now will be members of II so that we can exchange and stay at a DVC resort. Even at that, I don't want to give up POR. This has become home to us. We love everything about POR and would miss it terribly if we didn't stay there at least once a year. There just is no comparison to staying onsite. Condo or not, it just isn't the same.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Are We Snobs?

1) Yes.
2) There is nothing wrong with staying off-site.
3) In fact, sometimes it is better than on-site.
4) Especially if you are at an upscale timeshare (eg. Orange Lake CC, etc)
5) In fact, some timeshares offer more than DVC timeshares.
6) Good off-site timeshares offer
. . . chances to eat at non-Disney restaurants
. . . activities not found at Disney resorts, especially for those non-Disney days
. . . evening activities you don't get at WDW

NOTE: I do agree that there are benefits to staying on-site, but there is more to do in Orlando than Disney. In fact, if you take a critical look at Disney activities, there is a limited list of things to do outside the park, especially at the resorts.

 

[supersuperwendy]

Are We Snobs?

1) Yes.
2) There is nothing wrong with staying off-site.
3) In fact, sometimes it is better than on-site.
4) Especially if you are at an upscale timeshare (eg. Orange Lake CC, etc)
5) In fact, some timeshares offer more than DVC timeshares.
6) Good off-site timeshares offer
. . . chances to eat at non-Disney restaurants
. . . activities not found at Disney resorts, especially for those non-Disney days
. . . evening activities you don't get at WDW

NOTE: I do agree that there are benefits to staying on-site, but there is more to do in Orlando than Disney. In fact, if you take a critical look at Disney activities, there is a limited list of things to do outside the park, especially at the resorts.

1) NO..you are not a snob...

choosing to do what makes you happiest doesn't make you a snob at all.

 

[3DisneyBuggs]

Why would that make you a snob? It could work reverse as well. A person who owns a nice timeshare may not want to stay onsite and give up 2 bedrooms, a whirlpool, full kitchen, 2 bathrooms and beautiful grounds.It's your vacation so you can decide where you want to stay, just ss your friends have decided where they want ot stay.

 

[sillyguys]

Here's another vote for not being a snob

 

[MickeyNicki]

I would not stay off site....one you stay on you cannot go back

We had this problem a few years back, our friends stayed on 192 and we stayed on site. They drove to our resort (we were able to get them a parking pass) and we did our thing. They understood that we wanted to be in the heart of it all and we understood that they could not afford to stay on site. It was no big deal because we were close friends.

We have also been on the flip side of this...in the early years (before I could afford to stay on site) my inlaws stayed on site and sometimes (a one or two night trip) they would pay for a room for us but if we were staying longer we stayed on 192 and met them at the parks.

 

[jhryb]

My husband and I LOVE staying at a Disney resort with our kids. We would not want to stay anywhere else. Perhaps someday we may decide to venture off and visit other Orlando attractions, but until then we will continue to make our way through each resort. My sister has visited Orlando twice with her family. Both times she has stayed with her in-laws at their condo. I know that her experiences cannot compare to those of my family. I think I might be a Disney Snob!

 

[mousiemom]

i am right there with ya on this. i would never not stay onsite at disney now. knowing what i know, the convience, and the perks there's no way. when people tell me they're going to disney world and i get so excited for them, and then i ask where they are staying and i'm thinking you need to stay on property. i've stayed both and there's no comparison!!
Hi, my name is mousiemom and i am a disney snob too!!!
mousiemom

 

[jarestel]

Rusty makes some good points. Not all vacations to the Orlando area need to be centered around Disney. (heresy, I know! what am I saying?) If you enjoy the company it might be an opportunity to experience some things off the beaten track that one would usually overlook when staying on-site.

Good luck!

 

[islandmum]

Are We Snobs?

1) Yes.
2) There is nothing wrong with staying off-site.
3) In fact, sometimes it is better than on-site.
4) Especially if you are at an upscale timeshare (eg. Orange Lake CC, etc)
5) In fact, some timeshares offer more than DVC timeshares.
6) Good off-site timeshares offer
. . . chances to eat at non-Disney restaurants
. . . activities not found at Disney resorts, especially for those non-Disney days
. . . evening activities you don't get at WDW

NOTE: I do agree that there are benefits to staying on-site, but there is more to do in Orlando than Disney. In fact, if you take a critical look at Disney activities, there is a limited list of things to do outside the park, especially at the resorts.

well it totally depends on what you want from your vacation - we are going to WDW ONLY for disney - we are then first in Miami to do the touristy bit there. ITs like any all-inclusive resort .... large amounts of people will book and stay there not leaving the site because thats what they want to do. And they can also explore Orlando if they want to.

as I say - we're going for a Disney fest so apart from some shopping malls we wont be going offsite as its a trip we wont be taking again for probably 5 years or so. Theres only 1 WDW after all

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

To be honest we don't find a huge difference between staying onsite and off.

We take a few trips down each year and on the shorter one week trips we'll stay onsite and spend most of our time at the parks. When we go down for our Anniversary trip in October and spend 2-3 weeks, we find we spend only about half our time at Disney so we stay offsite.

We always have a rental car so the Disney transportation isn't a big deal for us. The EMH are probaly our favourite resort perk.

We like staying onsite but really don't find we miss out on much when we don't as the trip is what we make of it. Sorry to those who disagree but we don't feel the trip is any less "magical" if we don't have Mickey on our soap wrappers.

 

[EeyoreFan5]

My MIL took the family to Disney on year as a Christmas gift, May 2003. My SIL/BIL and their 2 children stayed with MIL at an off site location. My family DH and 2 DD's stayed on site. This was the first trip for my DD's and wanted it to be magical for my girls. I didn't want to have to share space with them and listen to my niece & nephew fight constantly or disagree on where to eat that night.

It was bad enough to have 2 days of our 6 with them in the parks....1 was Animal Kingdom. They didn't arrive until 11 am and was ready to leave at 2pm. This was our first time there and didn't get to do a lot there at all. SIL said "This wasn't that fun....". The other day was okay because it was magic kingdom and it was a repeat of us and was able to repeat rides. However they are not parade people and my girls are. So they went pouting their way home while we enjoyed a parade.

In summary, do what you want for your vacation!! It's just that...YOUR vacation. You are not a snob for it at all. Enjoy yourself!