convince me that offsite is ok...

[BethR]

I have always found it so interesting to hear how different people view different things and where people put their priorities.
Our family stayed off-site for the first time this past August. We were right across the road from Sea World in a BEAUTIFUL time share. If I could get a wonderful place at at good price, I would stay off-site again in a heart beat. BUT - we don't have very young children any longer - so we do not do mid-day breaks. AND DH does not mind driving. When we stayed on-site we tried both Disney transportation and driving ourselves and found driving ourselves MUCH more to our liking. But that is US. We did not find the traffic travelling to and from the parks a problem at all and we always stay until the parks close. Of course, we DID try to linger at the end of the night and often we were only one a few vehicles left in the parking lots when we left.
It would really bother me to pay $109 for the All-Stars - and we would have to have 2 rooms for the 6 of us. I would rather pay less for our room and use the extra money for nicer meals, etc. But you have to decide what is important to you!

 

[tiberius]

It's great to see that everyone can enjoy Disney in their own way! For me staying onsite makes offsite seem ordinary, even an ordinary WDW trip is great. Most of us are limited by some factor. If it is money, then get the most out of it with a quality offsite hotel and enjoy non-Disney options part of the time as well. For me, time is more limiting, so we go every three years or so for about a week and stay at a moderate onsite resort in the off season when crowds are lighter.

 

[Lisa P.]

We do both and prefer to get MUCH more for our money offsite for most of our time. Sometimes we end an offsite week (2BR villa) with a couple of nights onsite (deluxe hotel) for the theme/pools. And we don't care for the All Stars.

The traffic on 192 has been greatly alleviated with the completion of most of the construction there. All reports are that it's smooth going (even from Christmas week reports). Since you normally go from morning until night without a swim/rest break, you are excellent candidates for offsite. Get there early to park near the turnstiles. Park at the theme park where you plan to end your night. Inter-park transportation will all be running since there's no EE. If you are worried about a long line of cars leaving the parks at night, remember that you will avoid the long line for the bus, waiting standing up! And use the tips for lingering with coffee or dessert while the mobs exit. We've been during Easter week and had no traffic problem at all, using this approach.

Have a fun trip! And don't waste your energy worrying over this - just plan to have a good time!

 

[Hygiene99]

GO WITH THE ALLSTARS ...
WHY DRIVE U R ON VACATION ...
keep checking to see if something else like a better price comes a long we like the mouse savers site and we also have an annual pass we have saved enough $$ with it to pay for it
discount r good on rooms.....
of course we stay at the boardwalk area. there is nothing better in the world than bieng
able to walk back from 2 parks after the shows

Also consider this... RENTING DISNEY VACATION CLUB POINTS FROM A MEMBER
THERE IS dvc rent trade forum on this board check it out ....
Peter and save on the car rental..

 

[BonnieA]

I've been going to WDW since 1975 and have always stayed off site. I'm sure there are those who will tell me I'm missing something but I don't feel that way. I'm getting the exact experience I'm looking for. I've never limited myself to Disney related experiences while in the area. I always go to Universal, Seaworld, Old Town and sometimes even Busch Gardens. I rent a house with friends and family and there is plenty of room for everyone at reasonable prices. I've never had a problem with the drive but then maybe that's because I know the area well. Where you stay depends on what you want.

 

[Pig Pen]

I stayed on-site for the first time this past December at ASMO - $59 special rate.

It was okay. We used the bus the first day, then decided we would rather drive our own car to the park rather than wait 10-25 minutes for the bus.

We planned to take a mid day break and return to the room (one of the so-called perks of staying on-site) but we never did. The parks were slow, weather wonderful, so we didn't feel the need to leave. We also ended up eating dinner off-site every night because the parks closed so early. The ASMO only has a food court and if we were going to drive somewhere, we figured we may as well go off-site than try to get into another resort's restaurant.

Off-site: We always stayed in properties on 192 within 2 miles of the entrance of WDW, never had a reservation, never had any problems getting to and from the parks. Highest we ever paid was $50 in June 2000 at a Days Inn.

I would love to stay at the Contemporary sometime, but if on a budget, I would next visit stay off site.

 

[kalamazoo]

I really must recommend off-site. You get so much more for your money. I have been to WDW during Easter week (though not Easter weekend) and we often took I-92 which was full of construction at the time (thank goodness that's finally done) and I am convinced that we were still able to get back to our hotel in Kissimmee faster than we were able to get back to our Ft. Wilderness cabins taking the bus or the boat (even from MK which is close to Ft. W). We were even staying on-site during off-season so there were smaller crowds but it still took a long time to get anywhere using Disney transportation. Also, we have since discoverd lots of other routes besides I-92 or I-4. If you don't want to rent a car then I guess on-site would be better, but with a car, I would pick off-site anytime.

I suspect that some who insist that on-site is better have been comparing apples to oranges(especially concerning value or moderates). That is, if they can swing the high cost of on-site, they go for it and they have probably not seen the luxury that you can get at an off-site place for the same price. If they can't swing on-site prices they stay in cheap off-sites and then try to compare. Trust me there are lots of dumpy hotels in the area too. I know this is not the case for everyone, and not looking for confrontation, just a theory.

 

[Tiger Fan]

We have stayed on-site and off-site and both have been great for us. Offsite we always have a huge condo with a full kitchen and we plan our trip with that in mind. On-site certainly has many benefits as well. We usually use our own van even when on-site, but our most recent trip in December we flew in and didn't get a car and were very pleased with the WDW transportation to and from the parks. We even stayed last June for 15 nights (7 were offsite, 4 at All Star Sports, and 4 at The Yacht Club - talk about trying it all!) I honestly feel that a trip is what you make it. If it's not possible to stay on-site, by all means go an enjoy yourself anyway. It sounds like you've gotten a good rate at the Hampton Inn and in most cases these are very nice hotels. Go enjoy, and quit second guessing yourself!! Have fun!

Lisa

 

[DisTwix]

Hey... I am following the pack - do both. There WILL be an E-ticket night while you are there, and you have to take advantage of that! I would stay off-site first and then move to an AS.

I have stayed onsite everytime, but the last time was the first time I had my own vehicle there. It was SO much better being able to drive where we wanted to go!!! No waiting for the bus - which can be a lengthy process - ESPECIALLY if stay at an AS. And, for going to places like the Boardwalk - where you have to make a minimum of 2 connections - to hop in your car and go is fantastic. Plus, you have the convenience of being able to hit a grocery store or whatever should you need too.

I will be staying off-site this time - since I got a room for $29 a night. I just couldn't justify the extra money to stay onsite. Although - it is easier for me, since I drive down, and don't have the expense of a rental.

Go to www.mousesavers.com to hit the best rental pricing... should you decide to go that way!

There ya have it...

 

[lvs_eeyore]

mrsmouse, Disney has now instituted a three hour parking policy if you are not a guest of that particular resort and they will tow cars after three hours. They issue you a parking pass that has a time on it when you enter a resort now and they write down your License plate number. I just wanted to let you know so you didnt have a problem in April if you were planning on doing this.

We have stayed both offsite and onsite and we definitely prefer onsite. We use our own car also as we drive up. I prefer driving to and from the parks because then we are in control of how long it takes. Driving from a park to an onsite resort is much less hassle than driving to an offsite hotel by far. That said we have had some pretty wonderful trips when we stayed offsite too just more stressful on my dh with all the driving. My MIL and FIL always stay offsite and they love it. Just really check out the hotel before you book, check the boards for reviews of the hotel. A lot of it is mind set too. If you go into it saying HEY this is gonna be okay chances are it will be. You also might consider checking the costs of some of the Downtown Disney hotels. You still get some of the perks like transportation and the ability to do E night should there be one and they are less pricey than the Disney owned resorts.

If you really want to stay onsite I would keep checking mousesavers and the Dis Boards Code area and see if a code is released. If there is currently a code you can use and it's just that there is no availability keep calling CRO and checking. You'd be surprised how many people cancel and how calling back can make a difference. It did for us for our Easter trip. I originally couldnt get the hotel we wanted for 4/1 so we had to shorten our trip to five days instead of six. I called today to ammend a request on our ressie and asked about 4/1 and it was OPEN!

 

[Sher]

Wow! I am overwhelmed by all the responses to my question. I knew I could count on this board to help me.

A little more information---we drive down from Illinois. We only have a week. We are accustomed to arriving at the parks as early as possible. (early entry day) We tend to park hop at least once during the day and sometimes go back to the hotel for a quick swim. We have always congratulated ourselves for being onsite at the end of the day when we see people schlepping out to their baked in the sun cars and fighting bumper to bumper lines out of the parks at closing time. We have never even looked at our car while we are onsite. In 4 trips, there have only been a couple times when we felt inconvenienced by the wait for the bus. We use that time to talk about our experiences that day and plan for the next.

Having said that, we are in new territory here. It will be the week before Easter--we have heard nightmare stories about shoulder to shoulder people in the parks so our bus riding experience might change (then again the traffic jams at the end of the day will too) There is no early entry, but I'm wondering how much of a perk that really was since they never checked id. Maybe all the early risers in Orlando were there anyway. I feel like our Disney trips have always been a sure thing and I'm afraid to roll the dice by staying offsite. Is it crazy to pick this trip to experiment? (considering the Easter thing)

Thank you so much for your input. I feel better about both of my choices after hearing all of your experiences. I hope this thread has been helpful to others who are having the same debate. Keep it coming!

Sher

 

[cb864]

We just returned from 8 days at WDW, overall a great vacation. We stayed at the Star Resort for 4 nts, then at Old Key West onsite for 4 nts. Star is a timeshare resort located on HWY192 in Kissimee - pretty convenient to everything. Only 1/4 mile to a Publix, the farthest park is MK and we consistently drove it in less than 10 minutes. Overall, not a bad location.

Both were full 1 bedroom condos with W/D, full kitchen, etc. Bottom line: not even close !!! Star was very nice (I think it's a 4-star rated property), but it pales in comparison to OKW. Check-in experience, the views, staff attitudes, little touches in the rooms, access to all things Disney were noticed by all in our family.

I am by nature a devoted cheapskate, so the following statement is made after much soul searching: the Disney property cost more (of course), but the experience was more than worth it. Next (and all future) visits will be on-site only.

 

[Dallas_Lady]

I went with my family in 1997 and we stayed offsite. For us, it was either "Stay offsite or don't go." So to say "go ahead and spend the extra money was out of the question.

We still had a blast! Now, it was our first trip, so we really had nothing to compare it to. But we did not feel we had any less fun because we had to get in the car and go back to the hotel every night.

That said, since you have stayed onsite, you may notice the difference. But I honestly don't think it will be so bad that you won't enjoy your trip. It's Disneyworld, after all. On or off site, you are going to have fun!

And the fact that you may be able to get nicer, larger accomodations offsite than onsite is a great plus!

 

[commando-rando]

I prefer to use off-site accomodations but in a different way than most of the other people have stayed at. My family of 5 (3-kids) meet up with my in-laws in Orlando for our vacation. Seeing as how there are 7 people total, this would mean we would require 2 rooms. This also means that we are all cramped together in two 700 sq.ft. (or so) rooms during the breakfast and bedtime hours as a minimum. I do not consider that part a good time.

The best alternative for us is to rent a house off-site. We first did this March of 2000. It was a 1996 private 2100 sq.ft. 4-bedroom house about 8 miles from WDW entrance just south of there (Davenport border). The best part about this is:

1) 4-bedrooms (1 master with private bath and TV, 1 queen bed room with TV, and 2-double-bed rooms)
2) private screened in heated pool 12' X 20'
3) large kitchen stocked with all the cooking utensils and amenities needed for a normal house - microwave, toaster, dish washer, etc.)
4) separate living room with large TV and VCR
5) separate dining room
6) a yard to play in (a park was nearby for the kids)
7) space, space, and space

All of this for $120 / night. In my opinion it is well worth it. We usually spend a total of 4-days at WDW and have the rest of the time to either relax at "home", go to the beach (kids love to go to Daytona and collect sea shells), go to St. Petersburg to visit relatives, or enjoy the million other things to do in FLorida.

We will be going back in March this year for 11-days and have rented a different house. This one is about 6 miles from WDW entrance and is 2500 sq.ft. (again very new and modern) with everything already stated above with the added bonus of a outdoor hot-tub/jacuzzi for the late night "grown-up" fun when the kids are in bed. Even the 4th bedroom is seperate from the main house and is essentially a guest house for the in-laws. This one is only about $130/night.

There are 100's of similiar houses for rent in the Orlando area and can be found throough the internet (vrbo is a place to start). You can usually see several pictures (in and out) of the houses to see if it meets your own standards. There is enough to choose from to meet your own prices and sizes. Most of them (not all) are rented by individuals who use them for themselves as vacation homes. To pay the bills they simply rent them out when they do not use it. This usually means they are kept in very good shape by local contract management companies.

I am in NO way affiliated with this form of rental business but pass this info on because I enjoyed it so much better than a hotel could ever meet my requirements.

For my money, sanity, and relaxation I can't think of a better way to vacation.

Cheers and Enjoy!!!

 

[BethR]

Hi Commando-rando! And WELCOME TO THE DIS!!!

After staying in a time-share with similar amenities that you mention in the houses that you have rented - all I can say is "I couldn't agree MORE!!!" How nice it was to come "home" to a place after a long day a the parks where it felt homey - and where 6 of us could spread out. We had 2 bedrooms - but the place slept 8. It was wonderful, and I would recommend it to anyone.
Never missed the Disney "Magic" at all! We were too busy enjoying the jacuzzi and big screen TV!

 

[Debbie-TN]

We have also stayed on and off site and enjoyed both. We usually stay in Kissimmee because it is so close to WDW. I love Kissimmee
because it is so "touristy" with all the bright lights and neon. It really makes you feel like you're on vacation, unless you live in LasVegas, I guess. A couple of years ago we stayed at the Hampton Inn West and I was so suprised at the quality. It was nicer than the All-Stars. The rooms were really beautiful and the breakfast buffet was wonderful. We don't have small children so we are always out late, so we are in the rooms very little so price is always our first consideration. The buses are nice sometimes when the crowds are light, but when we have been there in the summer, we have had to wait for many buses to fill up before we could get on one, and then usually had to stand up anyway. I commented that we could have been back to the hotel much sooner if we had driven. To avoid the rush of people to the parking lot, just stay behind about 30 minutes and shop or walk slowly and enjoy some of the things you rushed by on the way in(e.g.-Watching the fountains at Epcot, watching the castle change colors or enjoying all the shops on Main Street). When Fantasmic is over, stay seated while the rest of the crowd gets up and has to stand in the back shoulder to shoulder. At MK and EPCOT there are benches at the entrances that you can sit and people watch, or go to you car and relax with a cold drink that you have in a cooler waiting for you. Of course you could leave 30 minutes early and miss some of the people. We'll be staying at the Hyatt Orlando in March.

 

[iwant2go2disney]

On site - off site ???????? I can't help in convincing you because I am trying to convince myself.
I can tell you what I found using the Disney Travel I was booked a room at the ASMO for 119. per night + tax+50.00 for the refridgerater. I then checked the Entertainment Book they have a 50% off coupon for Cypress Point 4 star rating 2bd/2bath with jacuzzi full price is 129.95
so I figure about 65. with coupon . I guess that is the deal I am taking I know it will be a little further but the price difference is too good to pass up. I think?

 

[mom42860]

Hope this isn't a repost just posted a question and am having trouble woth login. Offsite is the way we are going too. Any advice on Super 8 Motel Suites? I think it is on 192, received a great rate but can't get any info on if this is a good place to stay? Are some places safer than others? Closer to places toeat?

 

[MAKmom]

First: Downtown Disney is not offsite. It is part of WDW the hotels are just not Disney owned. I've never stayed offsite but I hate to drive on vacation. BUT I know ather reason to stay onsight. I can trade pins with the CM's at my resort! LOL yes this is a big reason for me!

 

[LBYC-19]

I think it depends on WHERE you stay off-site..Downtown Disney has some fabulous deals through mousesavers, my cousin just booked one-$80 for a room at royal plaza in April. Last time we stayed at the Contemporary and we swore NEXT time we will be staying off-site and with a car rental..that's how bad the transportation was..yes, you've got the monorail, but we had to ride many busses--And they stopped at MANY other resorts first (that is, after you have waited a long time for them to come). We still remember the night of Downtown Disney-- it took us about an hour and a half to get there; one night we went over to Epcot/MGM, another hour, etc. We left for Blizzard Beach at the crack of dawn to get there when it opened, and low and behold, by the time we settled in with our towels, etc., it was ll a.m.! You'd think, what could be more convenient than a monorail hotel?

I probably sound hypocritical because we are staying at the Dolphin in April (with DC discount, at 50% off) but we are meeting other family members and friends, and we thought it would be convenient for all of the teens and their cousins, etc. On site versus off-site is a hard decision, though, but through research and all of the kind people on the DIS, you should be able to come up with a decision that will suit your family.
Good luck.