Considering Staying Offsite

[disneyfav4ever]

I always stay onsite, but we've found some good rates for decently rated hotels offsite that could save us up to $100 a night, (Ramada Inn, etc,) I know all the pros of staying onsite, but with the cost difference we're discussing staying offsite.

I do tend to spend all day in the parks and really am only in the room to sleep. I'm also telling myself that even if transportation seems like a hassle an Uber to and from property would only be about $10 each way, and the other $50-$80 we would save each day, basically would cover half of our food costs.

What would you do?

 

[mco65]

We have stayed offsite before but like you, prefer onsite... still, there has to be a cost point at which I would entertain offsite stays. $50 - $100 per day, depending on how many days were talking about certainly would push me towards offsite. $100 per day would feed my family at WDW but it would go a long ways towards it... Personally, I would try to leverage the savings for a 2nd trip to WDW..

 

[mickeymom22]

We have stayed both on-site and off-site. I totally get saving a $100 a night...but this is the trap I fall into. I totally like being in that Disney bubble and my youngest loves relying on Disney transportation!

Once when we stayed off-site, we wanted to get to MK before rope drop. Parking and riding the tram to the TTC and then taking the monorail in was a total bummer. The other people in the parking lot were total jerks about getting on the tram. People were really rude. I just hated it.

We are also more apt not to take a break mid-day when we are staying off-site which makes us a grumpy group!

So the only pro for me to stay off-site is the cost...I am not sure where my tipping point is right now though...

 

[mco65]

MK is the worst park to drive to because of the monorail from parking to main gate. ugh. But if your offsite and you uber, they can drop you off at the gate ??? vs the parking lot and taking the tram?

 

[hiroMYhero]

If ubering to MK, plan to be dropped off at Contemporary otherwise you’ll be dropped off at the TTC. It’s a very short walk from Contemp and the security checkpoint along the walkway is quick.

 

[ClapYourHands]

MK is the worst park to drive to because of the monorail from parking to main gate. ugh. But if your offsite and you uber, they can drop you off at the gate ??? vs the parking lot and taking the tram?

They can't drop you at the gate the way Disney transport does. They can drop you at the Contemporary, which might make for a shorter commute, but it's still going to be a bit less convenient when you arrive.

That said, you'll probably save time on the other end of your trip by just calling an Uber when you're ready vs waiting 20 minutes for a Disney bus.

 

[Klayfish]

As I've mentioned in other similar threads, it's a matter of how you feel about it. I'm hard core off site, I would never consider staying onsite, it would be a huge negative for me. While I sort of get "the bubble" concept, I don't buy into it at all. But that's just my opinion. How important is it to YOU to stay onsite? We always have a car with us, so it makes things easy.

 

[MrKnight]

It really depends, other than price, there are three main factors when choosing an off-site hotel:

1. Where is it located? (anything outside of the immediate LBV area bordering WDW is not worth it)
2. Is transportation to WDW parks provided and if so how frequently?
3. Quality of hotel (is it a reputable hotel brand? what type of on-site amenities? dining options? etc.)

If all of the criteria above are met then I would say it is worth considering, HOWEVER, if all the criteria above is not met then it is simply not worth it.

 

[robinb]

I have stayed onsite (I own 300 DVC points) and offsite and i like them both. I can't stomach paying what Disney wants for their resorts once my points are gone unless there is a great bargain like "free dining".

I think the biggest issue about staying offsite is transportation and parking. You need to choose to rent a car or use Uber/Lyft/Shuttles.
1. If you rent a car you need to pay to park at WDW and maybe even pay to park at your hotel. That will add $22-50 to your nightly rate, plus the cost of the car rental.
2. If you don't rent a car you still need to get from/to the airport so you need to add another $70-80 to get to your hotel and back to the airport.
3. Most hotel shuttles are crap. The only ones that are not crap are the ones on Hotel Blvd but those hotels are more expensive because one way or another you're paying for the shuttle.
4. Uber/Lyft is only about $10 each way but that adds another $20-$25 per day to your nightly rate.

In short, you really need to add the cost of transportation to see how the offsite hotel stacks up to staying onsite. PLUS, many hotels will charge a resort fee. Your $100 per night savings may be much less that you are expecting.

FWIW, I'm not a big fan of staying at offsite hotels. I much prefer houses, condos or timeshare villas. They usually cost less than hotels and you get a lot more room. I enjoy at least a 1 BR when staying offsite with a kitchen, living room and laundry even when it's just the two of us. We always go "home" for a mid-day break so that may not be important to you. I would still take a look at them since they are often less than $100 per night but the vast majority of them don't offer shuttles so you're on your own for transportation.

 

[starvenger]

Agreed about the timeshare/condos/vacation rentals. There are a lot of places in Kissimmee so you can usually find good value for your money. The thing I like about them is that it’s not just a room with a shower and beds. It’s a fully equipped place that feels like a home.

I’m basically at the point where I look for Airbnbs/timeshares et al first and hotels second when I’m looking for places to stay on vacation.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I just booked us offsite for the first time for next July 4th. For the same price as All Stars we are getting so much more at TownePlace Suites. Free parking and breakfast = win. We are driving down.

After spending 8 days in a hotel room last week we know the space will be nice. We also had transportation issues and want our own vehicle. The price cannot be beat for a holiday week, either.

I am trying to reduce our costs, so we can make a trip in October for the Halloween party. I am willing to sacrifice being in the bubble in order to do that. Money saved is important, IMO.

 

[Lmans77]

try it so you'll know. We've stayed offsite several times but only as one nights stays prior to going on cruises or onsite stays. But now that we're APs, I'm trying to do more trips so that means needing to stick to a budget more. In two weeks, we are going for 4 nights. I got the Comfort Suites Maingate East for $345 (that includes tax), free parking, free breakfast. We've stayed there before for one night so we know its great. Rental is $140. Can't beat it. We'll see how I feel about the offsite vs. onsite when we come back. I think it's going to be great. Conversely, the best passholder rate I could get was $568 for Pop or like $850 for Port Orleans Riverside. Money and space won out for us since we want to keep the rental car anyway.

 

[robinb]

I just booked us offsite for the first time for next July 4th. For the same price as All Stars we are getting so much more at TownePlace Suites. Free parking and breakfast = win. We are driving down.

After spending 8 days in a hotel room last week we know the space will be nice. We also had transportation issues and want our own vehicle. The price cannot be beat for a holiday week, either.

I am trying to reduce our costs, so we can make a trip in October for the Halloween party. I am willing to sacrifice being in the bubble in order to do that. Money saved is important, IMO.

I would keep on looking at Condos/Houses/Timeshares. You can get more room for less than the TownePlace Suites. Sure, you'll have to cook your own breakfast but I'd do that to save hundreds of dollars. I looked at 6/29-7/6 and came up with a 3BR Condo at Windsor Palms for $735 all-in. We are a family of 3 and we once rented a 4-bedroom house because it was such a great price.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I would keep on looking at Condos/Houses/Timeshares. You can get more room for less than the TownePlace Suites. Sure, you'll have to cook your own breakfast but I'd do that to save hundreds of dollars. I looked at 6/29-7/6 and came up with a 3BR Condo at Windsor Palms for $735 all-in. We are a family of 3 and we once rented a 4-bedroom house because it was such a great price.

But are they closer to Disney than TownePlace? I'm a Marriott member, so I also like the points

 

[robinb]

But are they closer to Disney than TownePlace? I'm a Marriott member, so I also like the points

It's close, but maybe not that close. I don't mind driving 15-20 minutes to get to my offsite rental to save money. MY DH travels and I understand the lure of the points!

 

[starvenger]

20 minutes is not bad in the grand scheme of things.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Now I'm looking at Bonnet Creek. Decisions decisions!

 

[omniscientmommy]

We stayed at Windsor Hills last visit in Sept. for 10 days and spent $780 total on the 3 bed/ 2 bath condo. That's a steal. Had we stayed onsite at CSR it would have cost us $1200ish or more. The money we saved meant we could rent a car and leave when we wanted. Also we did use the kitchen almost everyday. It meant less expensive park food. Also the Walmart down the street was great! To be fair we are AP holders and don't pay for parking. Since we made the investment in APs we plan on trying to go more. And really MK from Windsor Hills was like 10 min, 20 min in backed up traffic (not that crap in LA which is called a parking lot). My in laws paid for the Poly this upcoming Jan. but we're planning to stay 2 weeks at Christmas next year and we're looking at houses off-site.