Convince me I did the right thing!

[ilovdisney2]

We have never stayed on site before and was told by so many that if we tried it we would never stay off site again. We have reservations at the Old Key West for 6 nights in May. We usually stay in a private pool home 3 miles from disney and love the space but thought we would try on site for the "magic". Well now I am reading alot of negative posts about disney cancelling EE and now e-nights. People are saying No more perks for staying onsite and we are paying 300 dollars more a night. Please help me feel better about the decision I made so I can justify it to my husband. The home was 99.00 a night and a 2 bedroom at OKW is 389.00 a night. Big difference in price, is it REALLY worth it? Be honest and tell me WHY I should pay 1,800.00 more to stay on site..................................................

 

[ead79]

For me one of the biggest perks to staying on site is never leaving the Disney "magic." Plus, once you arrive, you can use Disney transportation to get everywhere (a nice perk for me since I'm tired of metro-Atlanta traffic! ). I have stayed on site several times (and have also stayed off-site, but never in a home or condo) and have never done an e-night and have only done early entry a few times. For me, those perks weren't a big part of my Disney resort experience. I now only stay on-site because I really like never leaving that Disney magic. I've never stayed at OKW, but for positive reviews of that resort, I would ask on the DVC board. Hope this helps!

 

[lynr]

My reservations with Dreams Unlimited are showing two eticket nights during my vacation May 15-22.
I love the magic of staying on site and I think you will find when you stay on site, people will have to convice you to stay off site ever again. I bet you will be hooked.

 

[ilovdisney2]

I was also planning on the 2 e-nights but now everyone is saying that disney has cancelled May e-nights.

 

[suevee]

I don't know about spending an extra $1800. If you can afford it and not regret it go for it. But once yo make up your mind to do it then enjoy and don't think about it anymore. I do know that in 1986 I stayed at the Fairway Villas and Treehouse Villas for $250 a nite and it was magical. We still talk about it. Sixteen years ago that was equivalent to what you are spending now. We have never regretted it even though we could not afford to go back till June 2000. Now we are lucky enough to use Shades of Green. I do love staying on site, but have never stayed off site so I can not compare. On the enites - April 19 was canceled BUT the park was schedualed to close at 7pm and is staying open till 9:30 instead. The boards still show enites in May. We will be there May 6 for enite.

 

[Cris]

I really think little things like that isn;t something to ruin your trip!! We have done E-nights...they are fun, but I am not upset if I don;t get to do it. And for EE, well I don;t get up that early lol. -Cris

 

[jaguar9748]

I will never stay off-site again when going to Disney. I stayed off-site in March at Universal and said I'd never do that again either! Orlando traffic is so awful these days that by the time you exit a park to get your car and then get in line to leave and then face the traffic to your hotel and then wait at a restaurant to eat...I could have ridden a Disney bus to my resort, finished dinner and be on the way to my next activity. On top of that, staying in the Disney "cocoon" is so special and the magic never stops until you leave! Yes, I do miss EE, but to be honest it's kinda nice to get an extra hour of sleep! I never did the e-nights, but there are so many other activities to do that no one can get bored. I've heard that Key West is a great, peaceful resort.

 

[melindaandrob]

It's funny, friends who go to Florida/WDW think we are nuts to stay onsite, costs more blah blah blah. WELL! We pulled out receipts and compared vacations, guess what, they spent more. LOL. We've converted them, we justify expense with time that would be used travelling from offsite hotel to parks, and the cost of a rental car. The bottomline for us though is the magic, the little extras that you don't realize. The mist coming off the river in the morning at POR, as you walk with your refillable mug to get coffee and the ducks follow you thinking your going to give them a treat. Having the phone ring in the morning and it's Mickey! I could go on, and on.....

 

[Jordan's MOM]

My DH says that what makes WDW the best of all vacations for him is that once we are at the resort, we never have to move our car. Other hotels do have service but it can not match the quality of WDW transporation system. We never leave the WDW resort area and for that week, be get to totaly bask in the magic.

jordan's mom

 

[Cinderella]

I think you will love OKW. We have stayed off-site only once and halfway thru our stay - we missed onsite so much that we went and joined DVC and spent the last four nights of our stay in a one bedroom unit at OKW. It was heaven.

 

[jennymouse]

I've never done an enight or ee.........stayed on site the first time last April. I'd been to WDW before, several times, but stayed with my aunt/uncle who used to live in Orlando. (My uncle is an engineer who worked for the company that built Epcot/MGM/Some of the resorts)

I found that I got 110% more out of the experience by staying onsite.....PLUS, I got more for my ticket/pass dollar too, because of the opportunity to hop back to my resort for that pool break then ACTUALLY GO BACK TO THE PARKS. Before, when we stayed off site, although we had every intention of returning when we left at 1 or 2 o'clock because we were tired, we never once did. The thought of driving all the way back in that traffic then parking, etc. was just too much. So, we spent almost $50 to go to a park for like four hours or so.

Staying onsite was awsome....even at the All Star Music which was where we stayed. It was just so easy to hop on that bus and go back and be dropped off at the entrance to a different park than we toured that morning. Hop back on the bus to go back "home"....dowsing off if I needed too.

And just being in the Disney magic 24 hours a day........onsite you're not just visiting Disney, you're emmersed in it........living in it. You can feel it in the air.

 

[Mai Ku Tiki]

both on-site and off , there is something truly magical about staying 'inside'. It is much more a 'getting away from it all' experience. I like comparing it to an island holiday: you can spend less $$ by staying in a great place 5 blocks from the beach, schlep through traffic each way daily to get to the ocean, and return to your room (with a view of downtown) exhausted and surrounded by the sounds and sites of modern living ORRRR...you can stay beachfront, watch the sun rise or set from your bed and step from your patio onto the sand. Same island...different vacation.

Only you and yours can decide what is right for you...We'd rather go less frequently than ever stay off-site again.

Once you decide, let the magic take over and just enjoy!
Oh, be careful! You may end up joining DVC like so many of us if you do stay at OKW!

 

[jennymouse]

One other thing I know is true............I may not have been a member here on the DIS the longest, just a year, but I can tell you this. I have never...not one time...heard anyone come back and say "I'll never stay onsite again! Off site is better!" But, stay around here long enough and you'll here over and over again, "I love staying onsite! I'll never stay off site again!"

 

[Richyams]

I am a DVC member who stays almost exclusively at OKW. The resort is great, you will love it.

On site vs off site, two or so years ago we got an offer from Marriot to see their timeshare. It was something like $99 for three nights and a free one hour timeshare presentation. As you may have heard, the Marriot presentation was fine, NO PRESSURE, just like the DVC tour. I mean NO PRESSURE at all.

If you do get one of those cards in the mail, or if anyone does, take it, its no hassle at all.

But, while the resort is seconds away from being on site, and I mean seconds, it was like a huge marathon trek to get to and from the hotel. It was almost depressing to be there at night knowing that you weren't on preoperty. The resturuant was was not very good with little choice. The room was OK, but nowhere near the size, nowhere near the decoration, it just wasn't in the same class as OKW. The set up was odd, while the bathroom was large, the shower was small and there were no towell racks or hangers in the bathroom, none, there was a rack in the vanity area, a small seperate room, but NOT ONE TOWELL RACK IN THE LARGE BATHROOM.

There were just so many small things, even though it was a one bedroom unit, you knew you were in a hotel. OKW truly is a HOME AWAY FROM HOME resort.

I don't think you should hesitate for a moment. While you are there, take the DVC tour, it is NO PRESSURE. But if you want OKW as a home resort, its sold out. It is still very available through resale and you will even save some money.

 

[ilovdisney2]

I knew that I could count on the board to make me feel better about my decision. I let my husband read all the posts and he said there was no decision to make, WE ARE STAYING ONSITE! Thanks for all your imput and responding so quickly! Only 3 weeks left and I can't wait! Will be sure to report when I get back! THANKS!!!!!!!!

 

[IndyWDWfan]

Originally posted by jaguar9748
I will never stay off-site again when going to Disney. I stayed off-site in March at Universal and said I'd never do that again either! Orlando traffic is so awful these days that by the time you exit a park to get your car and then get in line to leave and then face the traffic to your hotel and then wait at a restaurant to eat...I could have ridden a Disney bus to my resort, finished dinner and be on the way to my next activity. On top of that, staying in the Disney "cocoon" is so special and the magic never stops until you leave! Yes, I do miss EE, but to be honest it's kinda nice to get an extra hour of sleep! I never did the e-nights, but there are so many other activities to do that no one can get bored. I've heard that Key West is a great, peaceful resort.

jaguar9748, You said it!!!!!

 

[jabrown40]

I don't know if this will help, but I noticed on Mousesavers.com, the OKW has a one bedroom listed at 235.00. This is what I had with our family, there were four of us. Since there was a TV in the master bedroom, we just watched TV in there when the kids slept on the pull out couch in the living room. I have never used early entry in the 14 times we have been there. By the time I get to a park, it's usually at least 9am. E nights are a good idea if you don't have enough time to devote to the Magic Kingdom, but not necessary for a great time. I loved the OKW, however be aware if you are on the third floor, there were no elevators during the time I was there. Also, if you don't need a kitchen, you might want to look into two rooms at a moderate that are connecting. You may save more money that way. I always get a fridge for juice, soda, etc. and bring my mini coffeepot. With the money you save on the rooms, you could go ahead and grab breakfast out. When we had the kitchen, we never cooked anythng anyway. I stayed off of Disney property only once. It was definitely different.

 

[ilovdisney2]

Thanks for the info. on OKW but there are 5 of us and I think we would have to have the 2 bedroom. We had thought of POR in 2 rooms but my husband said he would rather have the kitchen and washer and dryer. Thanks for all the positive posts you all have got me sooooo excited to go!