AWW... Man....Wanted to stay onsite but just can't afford it.Can we still have fun?

[disneyaddictwannabe]

Been so excited about planning our first trip to Disney World ever! Was all geared up, thanks to these Dis boards, that staying onsite was the only way to go. We had planned on staying at the Fort Wilderness cabins. They just seemed perfect for us. Lone and behold though we have had some recent financial woes. And we have had to dip into that trip money so now we are realizing the only way we can still go is if we stay offsite. It just seems so much cheaper with the free buffet breakfasts, kids eating free, and we can get a room that will fit all of us for less than half the price per night. BUT it just doesn't seem MAGICAL!!! Anyhow, I would rather this, than not be able to go. So I have looked into a few different ones. There has been good comments about the family suites at Holiday Inn. We were really impressed with the information on the website. Looked Awesome for the kids. I thought staying there would keep them busier since we probably will only be able to do one day at each park. The best price we saw on their site was $114USD a night. How do you go about getting a better deal than that. We are going end of Jan till beginning of Feb.2004 Is food in the restaurant exspensive? Is there lots to do for the kids? Is it clean and kept up? We are driving down so we will have own vehicle. Is the shuttle service worth using though? Lots of questions hope someone doesn't mind answering.

 

[BonnieA]

There are some people who will tell you that your vacation won't be magical if you don't stay onsite. And they are convinced that unless they are surrounded by disney 24/7 they won't have a good time. Hogwash. The magic comes from within. Magic comes with the memories, the fun and the immagination. And in a small resort room, tired children and lack of sleep make even the most themed surroundings wear thin.
I can't tell you much about the Holiday Inn Family Suites. But I can tell you that the magic in your vacation is you. And it just doesn't matter where you lay your head at night.

 

[crazyme5kids]

Yes you will still have fun! I haven't stayed on site at Disney yet and we still have had a great time.

 

[cleo]

Have you asked about the All Stars or Pop Century for your trip dates? I'd make a quick call and see if you can get either of them (even if it's two rooms) at a rate that works for your family. Pop Century might fit within your budget during January/February.

 

[zaxmom]

We have never stayed on site, and we keep going back so we must have a great time! We stayed at the Holiday Inn Family Suites a year and a half ago. We had a great time. It is very nice to have a free breakfast buffet every morning. The kids liked their bunk beds and we liked having our own room. I had a three year old son obsessed with trains, so it was the perfect choice for us. The pool was good. My children have been spoiled now and demand a water slide so we would probably not choose this resort again. They had a good arcade, the train ride was cute, but once was enough. It obviously does not compare to all the rides at Disney. If you are going to have your own car DON"T EVEN THINK ABOUT THE SHUTTLE! We rode it once and said never again. They cram you on their and make you wait until every possible person squeezes on. We each had kids on our lap and the aisle were full and they were still yelling move back let more on. If that bus was wrecked my kids would have suffocated. Don't even bother, it is such a nice, quick ride to the parks.

If you are looking for something a little cheaper, you might want to look at the Country Inn and Suites at Calypso Cay. They have kid suites there. They are no where near as big. They come with a king bed and a seperate alcove with 2 captain's beds and another tv. They have a free breakfast, but it is not as extensive as the HIFS. They also have putt-putt (which is better than HIFS) and a water slide. The pool is zero-depth, but it is smaller. You should be able to get this hotel from $50-$70 a night. Try www.valuetrips.com.

You will have a great time! We always do.

 

[ILUVDXL]

Don't worry about it. We've stayed on Disney property for years, but 2 years ago DH made a career change and went to work
for a major hotel corp. With his employee discount Disney can't come close to what we pay, but it's only a room. Even on property we were hardly ever in our room. You'll still have a great time. It's not about where you sleep but it is all about having all the magic in WDW.

 

[wdisneelvr]

I've stayed onsite and off many different times and we've had a blast no matter where we have stayed. You make your trip what you want it to be.

Now is the time to start your offsite hotel adventure. There are many websites to start with. Hotelkingdom.com has some great deals as well as Travelzoo.com

You'll find a vast array of hotel rooms, many of the hotels are now featuring suites. 1,2 or even 3 room villas as well.

Don't worry about the "onsite magical feel" you will get plenty of that magic feeling when you enter the parks. Heck, I even get that way when first driving onto WDW property!

If you need any help, just ask

Happy trails!

 

[tinaluis]

I agree with everyone else--the "magic" comes from the memories you make at WDW. Theoretically, we could afford to stay onsite when we visit, but we choose to stay offsite because we can't justify spending so much $$ for a place to sleep and shower. When we visit Orlando we are at the parks non-stop with, maybe, a day for swimming at the hotel. I can't see paying $79-199 a night for a room when I can get one for $30 on Priceline that suits us just the same. Planning our vacations this way has allowed us to visit WDW 2x a year for the past four years. Enjoy planning your trip! Even though you won't be staying onsite you'll still be visiting the Happiest Place on Earth!!!

 

[Disney845]

I have to chime in with everyone else. Staying onsite is great for so many reasons, but it doesn't mean that staying offsite doesn't have its perks. Most offsite rooms can be had for considerably less money, and you will get more room, especially if you go with a two bedroom suite. Check into discount hotel sites such as Hotelkingdom.com or hoteldiscounts.com many time you can find awesome rates to some extremely luxury hotels. You will still have a wonderful time even if you don't stay onsite!!

 

[disneysteve]

Just had to add my opinion. We've stayed on and off many times and far prefer staying off, and not just due to cost. Offsite, we are able to get a suite, condo or house for less than a room onsite. We love having the extra space, sometimes more than one bathroom, a kitchen, full size fridge, etc. We can afford onsite without a problem but CHOOSE to stay offsite for the better accomodations.

I haven't been to HIFS but it does get good reviews. One suggestion I would have is to consider renting a condo or house. For the price of HIFS you may be able to at a place like Windsor Palms or Wyndham Palms or similar.

Steve

 

[MrsMud]

Disneyaddict:
Your first Disney trip will be magical no matter where you stay! HIFS is great, you don't say how many kids or what ages, but I'm sure they will love it. There is alot of stuff for them to do. Activities every night, also poolside activities during the day, weather permitting. The pool is great and there is a small puttputt area and a small play area for the little ones. The hotel is clean and well-kept. The theming in the kids rooms are magical! It is a breeze to drive to the parks, even closer than from the Allstars. I agree not to use the shuttles.
The food there is not expensive, but not cheap either. Aside from breakfast which we thought was great (especially for free), you may be better off planning your meals elsewhere. The dinner buffet is not that great. They do have Pizza Hut, A & W and Edy's Ice cream, we did not try any of them. Another tip: You can often find GCs for the Club Car (their dinner restaurant) on Restaurant.com. They sell $25 GC for $12.50. I just got one myself for our trip there in 10 days, I figure we will end up eating there at least one night.
You have a while before your trip, so I would keep checking for a better price. They do run specials periodically, especially for low season. Also it's possible they may begin accepting the Entertainment card again by then, and that would be the best deal of all (50% off rack rate). Good luck, and don't worry!

 

[bethbuchall]

Two years ago, my parents took us to Disney World, and we stayed at their time share (Marriott's Grande Vista). I was one of those people who thought it couldn't be a "real" Disney vacation if we stayed off-site. I was WRONG! We had a wonderful trip, and it was great to have so much space. That doesn't mean I'll never stay on-site again, but if the choice is staying off-site or not going, it's a no brainer. GO! Stay off-site and make the most of the magic by creating your own special memories.

 

[sln88]

Last year we went for the 1st time as a family(I had been before) and stayed off site.
We spent so little time at the condo, and so much time at the parks that it really did not matter where we stayed. It was just a place to sleep and clean up.
I can't afford a Disney hotel either- I can't even stay at a value resort because there are 5 of us.
We get so much more space and convenience staying off site. I am renting a 2 bedroom condo for $260 for a week through Skyauction. We all sleep better and are more rested for park days than if we all tried to sleep in one room. We have the convenience of a kitchen for breakfast and 2 bathrooms for getting ready.
I agree with other posters about trying Hotelkingdom, Priceline, and Travelzoo. You can do much better than $114 a night for a hotel room. I have seen Comfort Inn LBV for $29, Country Inn LBV for $44, Sheraton Safari for $49, 2 bedroom condos at the Vistana for $109. Sometimes you have to wait til closer to your travel date to see the really great deals, but you are going during a slower period, so they should come up.
I also agree that you should have a rental car when staying off site- maybe even when stying on site.

 

[disneysteve]

We are driving down so we will have own vehicle. Is the shuttle service worth using though? Lots of questions hope someone doesn't mind answering. [/B]

Sorry, I missed this part in my first response.

Definitely use your own car. Most shuttles run on a very limited schedule - perhaps once per hour. I much prefer being able to come and go as I please, not be on someone else's schedule, and not having to ride with everyone else. Plus if you decide to leave a park and go somewhere else on or off property, you can just hop in the car and go. Otherwise, you would have to shuttle back to your hotel, get your car, then go back. Not worth it IMO.

I also agree with sin88 that a car is preferable even when staying onsite. We would never be without one.

Steve

 

[topfueltn]

It comes down to comfort for us. On site is a magical experience. But staying in a 2 room villa with a full kitchen and washer/dryer for the same price as a Disney value room has it's own magic!

Have a great trip,

John

 

[Beejayjay]

Personally, I dont think I'd ever stay onsite !

I think Disney's rates for their rooms/hotels are exorbitant, and you get the freedom to choose from so many more places to eat, go, and do things in. Throw in the extra space you get for much less money, and this never seems a tough decision to me! We're having a 3 bed condo this next trip, and it's gonna cost about the same as a value room onsite.

And finally, well, at the risk of sounding like a heretic, I'd find the prospect of spending my whole vacation under the oh so happy happy Disney way just too cloying and OTT.

Dont get me wrong, I love Disneyworld (AK apart - hey, it's a big zoo with a few rides, woohoo...), but when it comes to keeping the preachiness and sugar coating in check, give me Universal everytime.

Save your money, go offsite, you'll still have a fantastic time and you might have enough green left to make another trip !

 

[butlers]

have a look at the villa on dis auctions, i can definately recommed a villa, much better than hotels, altho i would imagine you cannot beat a disny resort, i've never been able to afford to stay on site. villa is the next best thing, beleive me!!

 

[DisneyJules]

Maybe it's because I don't know any different but we have always stayed off site and the trip has always been magical. It's the parks that are magical, your hotel in my mind is only there to sleep at night. I think you'll have a lovely time

 

[kermittheturtle]

This is my families first trip too !!!! I can't wait. We originally wanted to stay onsite but found out it was just soo expensive . (we're a family of 5 + mother-in-law = 6) We opted for a vacation home. I still am hoping I made the right decision but regardless I know we will have a blast. I'm also looking forward to coming back to my 4 bedroom "home" after the parks close and take a dip in my pool and sit in the hottub. (all for less then a $100.00/night.) I know we will save some $$ by cooking some meals there too. I hope to make a quick breakfast and then head for the parks and eat a late character breakfast and that should get us through till evening. Good luck in wherever you decide to stay.

 

[disneysteve]

Originally posted by kermittheturtle
We originally wanted to stay onsite but found out it was just soo expensive . (we're a family of 5 + mother-in-law = 6) We opted for a vacation home. I still am hoping I made the right decision. I'm also looking forward to coming back to my 4 bedroom "home" after the parks close and take a dip in my pool and sit in the hottub. (all for less then a $100.00/night.) I know we will save some $$ by cooking some meals there too. I hope to make a quick breakfast and then head for the parks and eat a late character breakfast and that should get us through till evening.

You definitely won't be sorry. We have done the vacation home trip several times and there is absolutely no comparison to a hotel, onsite or offsite. All the space, being able to stretch out on a nice sofa, multiple bathrooms and tv's, etc. No hotel offers those kinds of amenities. And no brats screaming and splashing in the pool (unless they're your own - LOL).

Steve