Condos vs. onsite at WDW or Universal?

[Monykalyn]

If you are going for 2 weeks a couple options open up:
Look into doing split stays if you don't mind moving spaces. When we go for that long I will do 3-5 days onsite at Disney, and rest offsite at at our condo. Sometimes we would throw an overnight at Universal to get the EP until we bought passes that had it built in. We do like onsite for convenience of being able to split up -and my kids loved being able to walk to Epcot from Beach club on their own, or taking the golf cart to pools at the Fort. But we also enjoy our own space and beds and extra bathrooms, and kitchen and resort amenities at our timeshare resort that isn't people soup in the pools. Thanksgiving 2017 we stayed at Marriott Cypress Harbour for the week and either hit park early or late and never saw the crowds everyone else c/o about. Our offsite resort main pool had lots of activities and no fighting for comfortable loungers around pool, kids could order smoothies at pool bar etc. So relaxing to have coffee in the am on our private lanai, and wind down with wine in the evening on the lanai or around the pool. We definitely didn't miss the Disney "bubble" that week!

Here is the other thing-cheaper, more spacious offsite accommodations may allow you to pay for one of the upcharge events - Disney after hours or Early morning magic-so the early booking of FP for the hot rides would be a mute point anyway. If you go for two weeks and plan to get longer park tickets then look into one person getting an AP to Disney for onsite merch and food discounts and free park parking. Universal has several levels of annual passes that in some cases make it more sense to get a pass.

We've been often so generally I prefer offsite when traveling with whole family or longer trips.

 

[wilbret]

I like these threads, because it shows diversity of thought on these boards. You've got on site people, people that rent homes, people with RVs, people that brave $40 hotels...
Thank jeebus not everyone is the same, or the crowds would be terrible!

We have friends and family in Orlando, and visit several times a year. I also go there for work another couple times per year. Our style is different. We could stay with family every time, and my wife would be happy. However, that's not my cup of tea. We do a mix of things when on actual vacation there. We have never relied solely on WDW transporation, we always have a car. I can't fathom not having a car, there are places to go... even if it's just to a cheesy souvenir shop, to Target, etc.

1. If we are going to Disney parks, we stay on property. We are DVC members and use up our points. When not on points, I look for the absolute best deal available, but I only focus on being there to cover days we are in parks. I do believe there is something magical about being there, it's impossible to explain. Theming, poolside entertainment, transportation, etc... Buses at some resorts can definitely be slow, but it's no secret, and you can research this ahead of time, there is a lot of transit information. The buses can get crowded, but it's still very convenient.

2. If we are going to Universal, we stay onsite. You really just need one night there to get the benefit of 2 days of express passes.
3. If we are going to SeaWorld, we stay at Holiday Inn Express, which includes free shuttle and quick queue.
4. If we are going to Legoland, we actually don't stay near the park... we stay near Disney Springs.

I looked closely at houses and condos for our last trip, which was a mix of parks, birthday parties, family visits, etc... but ultimately we chose a suites hotel with a nice pool, free breakfast, etc, that was in the middle of everywhere we needed go. Some people hate it, but it is nice to have other kids in the pool area to help entertain your kids.

 

[sherilaine]

I looked closely at houses and condos for our last trip, which was a mix of parks, birthday parties, family visits, etc... but ultimately we chose a suites hotel with a nice pool, free breakfast, etc, that was in the middle of everywhere we needed go. Some people hate it, but it is nice to have other kids in the pool area to help entertain your kids.

I can see this for people with younger kids - it's great if you can relax while they play with new friends - I remember those days. Now though it's hard to get my kids to even want to use pools so a quiet pool at an offsite condo is more our speed these days.

We are also looking to alternate between Disney and Universal during the week we will have Universal tickets, so that really takes away from the idea of splitting up our stay. With the number of hotels that have EMH and 60 day FP+ reservations as high as they are, I really can't justify cramming myself into a hotel room to cram myself into a bus and have to cost more - listening to all of this feedback though so helps one make a decision. Like others have said, there is no right or wrong decision as it really depends on the family.