Convince me to stay offsite

[bbak3030]

We are currently booked at Port Orleans Riverside for a week in March. It's me and DH and our girls ages 4 and 8. My sister and her hubby are also coming and have two kids ages 2 and 5.
I would really like to get. 3 bedroom condo/villa/house or something with more space, a kitchen and maybe even washer/dryer.

Some things I'm concerned about:

The bus system, we would drive to all parks except MK, only because I've heard it's hard to drive to. Thoughts?

EMHs, think we will miss them!

These are my only concerns as I think we would appreciate the extra space and ability to cook a few meals.

Thoughts? Recommendations?

 

[anniemck]

We love to stay at the Royale Parc Suites... 5 minutes to entrance of property, a 2 bedroom Suite would fit all as they do sleep 10, or you could do two 1 bedroom suites. All have a kitchenette. They have a full breakfast in the mornings for free and a nice pool/hot tub and small playground for down time.

 

[musicluvr40]

We just did a ten day Disney vacation where we spent the first part at Port Orleans Riveside in a Royal Room and then moved to a house offsite to be with my sister and her family and my mom. I was very worried that we would not like being offsite, especially after leaving POR.

While at POR - and granted it was June - we took Disney transport to every park except BB. We stood on every bus - not a big deal. We did not use EMH but have in the past on other trips.

Once we moved to the house we obviously drove to all of the parks. We were able to get to the parks, parked, and into the front gates in less time than it took to wait for a bus and get in. Except for MK - that took 50 minutes from the driveway of the house - we stayed at Formosa Gardens - to being through the turnstiles. The exit process was very smooth as well at closing time.

I have to say that Disney marks their roads and properties better than anyplace I have seen. We had no problems finding our way to each park and DTD. We left the parks on most days to take a mid day break as well and then went back in the evenings.

The house we stayed in was a pool home, and we swam a lot. It was nice to have our own pool. We did do laundry - with it being so hot we were going through two outfits a day and lots of towels for showers. We ate breakfast almost every morning at the house as well.

We loved being at the house. My DD ages 14 and 10 each had their own bedroom and shared a bathroom. We all had our own space and were able to put my sister's kids to bed at night and then swim late or stay up and talk.

I know this is long - to conclude - we found that we loved being offsite. While we also loved POR the extra space of the house suited us more for this trip. Look over your options, see what works for your family and what suits you best. That is the awesome part of a vacation in Orlando - there are endless choices for places to stay and things to do!

 

[bankr63]

We are currently booked at Port Orleans Riverside for a week in March. It's me and DH and our girls ages 4 and 8. My sister and her hubby are also coming and have two kids ages 2 and 5.
I would really like to get. 3 bedroom condo/villa/house or something with more space, a kitchen and maybe even washer/dryer.

Some things I'm concerned about:

The bus system, we would drive to all parks except MK, only because I've heard it's hard to drive to. Thoughts?

EMHs, think we will miss them!

These are my only concerns as I think we would appreciate the extra space and ability to cook a few meals.

Thoughts? Recommendations?

RE: EMH, read Unofficial Guide to understand why attending any Disney park on EMH days is a bad idea, even if you have access to EMH (basically the time saved in the first hour is lost by being in the busiest park for the rest of the day). You'll have a better time at a non-EMH park.

Parking at MK is no more difficult than anywhere else. Getting to the park is more difficult because you have to get from the TTC to the gates. But if you just consider the monorail or the ferry to be your first Disney attraction of the day, then it's as easy as any other park; actually you just got on your first ride quicker!

There are a few good threads on here about "why stay offsite", and there are as many reasons as the people who post on them. In the end it is a matter of what you value and hold important on your vacation. Keeping an open mind will go a long way toward making an offsite stay very enjoyable!

 

[nugov2]

We stayed at a Disney themed WH house. We were so close to the parks. We drove to MK, parked at CR valet and walked in. So easy We loved the extra space of the house, the private pool and the fact that after a long day at the park we could sit out in the hot tub with a drink while the kids were zonked out. SOOOOO nice!!! We were still at the resorts everyday doing activities and having fun, but it was so nice to go back to a quiet and spacious house.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

We're leaving next week for a 10-day stay in a townhouse at Windsor Hills. Our boys are 14 and 18, and my sister will also be joining us. Our last trip was in 2006 when we stayed for 10-days at Pop. While booking this trip and deciding where to stay, I thought about the things I didn't like about staying at a resort: only 2 beds for four of us, only 1 bathroom, very small dressing area, minimal storage for suitcases, only 1 TV, navigating the crowded food court for breakfast every morning, the long walk to and from the parking lot (we had a rental car), staying up past midnight to do laundry in a hot, crowded laundry room, paying over $100 a night for that small room.

Sure, we could go mod or deluxe and get a larger room, but I can't justify paying that much for a hotel room. The townhouse we're renting has 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, washer/dryer, private pool, 4 TVs and a full kitchen. The cost of needing a rental car doesn't really factor in for us. Our oldest DS has Asperger's and has a hard time on crowded buses. We would rent a car whether we were at a Disney resort or not.

All of these factors plus the fact that the 10-day rental only cost $1400 sold me on staying offsite. I'll be reporting back on the trip when we get home.

 

[lillygator]

We used to always stay onsite....until I met Bonnet Creek, which is really onsite on WDW property. We drive to the parks so transportation is not an issue, but the abilty for the kids to have their own room is HUGE! Plus a washer and dryer and full kitchen is nice too. At 100-120 a night for a 2 bedroom, I don't miss much about staying onsite.

 

[wfjny]

So, we are DVC with AP, and we live about 8 hours away. What this means is that we go to Disney about 3-4 times a year.

We love Bay Lake Towers, so we do stay there on points for our "big" trip each year. We have stayed in a home, at Hilton, Hampton Inn, and Homewood Suites.

We often stay off-site due to price (Hilton Diamond member). The AP means that we also get our parking included, which at $15 a day can add up fast.

Pros (depending on location):
Price (normally cheaper)
More room (if you stay at a house or a suite)
Amenities (refrigerator, washer/dryer)
Ability to cook/prepare food
Avoid Disney Transportation

Cons:
Need a car
Parking not included
Rush Hour type Traffic
No Extra Magic Hours (but others have commented that is not necessarily bad)
Possibly further to travel
Unable to make reservations in the 180+10 range

So, in short, we have, and will continue to do both in and out of park stays.

 

[DCTooTall]

Others already address most of the details on your specific questions, but I'll just second them (and give you another option if you want it).


1. EMH, Sometimes you can have a better overall day at a park by avoiding the EMH park. Even people who don't take advantage of EMH due to their desire to sleep often see the EMH designation as Disney's "We recommend you visit this park today". The end result is you end up with a large percentage of the onsite guests heading to the one EMH Park.

That means you will often have a less crowded day at the non-EMH parks.

2. The Advantage of taking the Disney Bus to MK is that you are dropped off at the front of the parks. If you drive to the MK, You then need to take the Ferry or Monorail around from the TTC to the park gates.

Honestly, I LOVE the "magic" you get from seeing the MK from across the Seven Seas Lagoon, and getting to see it get closer while onboard the ferry (or monorail). This is the way the Park was designed to be approached and was operated until the late 90's when Disney built the bus loops in response to their massive onsite hotel buildout.

If you like staying to the end of the day, You can sometimes also be back at your room if you drove, even with the lagoon crossing, before you'd even have had a chance to board the bus at the MK because of the backups from everyone trying to board the same buses at the same time.





As for my other suggestion.... If you want the extra space, but are afraid of being offsite, Another option you may want to look into is renting DVC points from an owner. The DVC boards here would be a good place to look. You will find that you can get a stay in a multi-bedroom DVC suite MUCH cheaper than the rack rate Disney would charge for that same room if you booked thru them. The only difference between renting the DVC points from an owner, and booking the room via Disney's site, Is the daily housekeeping. You would still get access to Disney Transportation and EMH.

It will however still likely be more expensive than you could find offsite, but it might be a compromise that could fit your desires and concerns.

 

[MarcJ55]

Many factors impact your decision to stay onsite or not. I think it really comes down to budget. We have always stayed off site. I've done a handful of trips, and each time I create a spreadsheet to account for the cost of car rentals, gas, parking groceries, etc. I always come to the same conclusion: You can save many if you stay off site.

Your analysis will be different than mine because of different factors. Do you like to drink? Do you have kids? Do you mind the drive? How much time do you have? Are you going to other parts of Orlando? All of these contribute to the decision?

Here is an article that covers off the age old Disney World accommodation question, to stay on site or not. Worth a quick read.

For me and my style of travel, it was a no brainer:
- We wanted to have a car rental, so there was no extra cost.
- We needed to save as much money as possible
- We have kids, so needed a place with kitchen.
- We had plenty of time, so didn't mind the extra 20 minute drive, park etc.
- We don't mind buying our own groceries and making our meals on vacation.

 

[momof2n2]

I haven't read responses. We've been renting homes, condos & townhouses since 2001. I do not like hotels. For our family the accommodations on vacation need to be as comfortable as home, or better. Hotels don't offer us that. People say they are only for sleeping, but I don't always want/need the same amount of sleep as my young kids do, KWIM? I also want a king-sized bed.

I also like grabbing a fast breakfast at home. Not waiting to be seated and order; nor doing fast food day after day.

We love using our own transportation.

I'm a Huge fan of rentals. Huge.

We also love private pools and game rooms.

 

[aubriee]

We used to always stay onsite....until I met Bonnet Creek, which is really onsite on WDW property. We drive to the parks so transportation is not an issue, but the abilty for the kids to have their own room is HUGE! Plus a washer and dryer and full kitchen is nice too. At 100-120 a night for a 2 bedroom, I don't miss much about staying onsite.

I agree! However, we were actually offered a one bedroom for $60.00 per night or a two bedroom for just $70.00 per night for ten nights at Bonnet Creek in Dec (Aaron Washburn through myresortnetwork.com). Now that's the cheapest I've ever seen a two bedroom. We stayed in a one bedroom at Bonnet Creek this past May and paid $89.50 per night. For my upcoming solo trip in Sept I am paying $74.00 per night for a one bedroom. As a solo traveler I don't need that much space, but why would I pay more for a tiny WDW value room. I don't care for WDW transportation, so would be renting a car regardless and with my AP, can park at the parks for free anyway. I have no interest in the DDPs, because I can eat much better for less money out of pocket and if I want can do even nicer meals offsite a few nights. Being bascially onsite (within the WDW gates) Bonnet Creek is closer to the parks than alot of the Disney owned resorts. Even as a solo traveler, why would I pay more to stay at even a value resort, when I can get a one bedroom villa with a fully equipped kitchen, jacuzzi tub, two TVs, washer/dryer, and alot more space for a cheaper price? As an AP holder I go to WDW several times a year. If I can get a condo at Bonnet Creek for less than a value resort and alot less than a moderate (which is what I normally stay at if I stay onsite), I can go to WDW more frequently.

I just checked prices on the WDW site. For the exact same ten nights (Dec 6th-16th) I am paying $600.00 for a one bedroom ($700.00 if I wanted a two bedroom) at Bonnet Creek, WDW wants $2176.86 for a standard room at POFQ or CBR. That's three times as much for alot less space for a resort that is not near as nice in the same general area. CBR is literally right next door to BC (the next turn in, just feet apart). You can see the villages at CBR from some of the higher rooms at BC and can also see DTD if you are on the other side of the resort.

 

[aubriee]

Many factors impact your decision to stay onsite or not. I think it really comes down to budget.

I don't think it's always even about budget. Depending on the type of trip I was taking, what is going on at WDW during the time I was down there, and who was going with me I've stayed at all levels of resorts (three of the values, all four moderates many times, AKL (3x), WL, BW, and YC). Even for my solo trips I had pretty much settled on the moderates as my resorts of choice, as they provided what I wanted. Then I discovered Bonnet Creek and can't see me ever staying onsite again. I had always sworn I would never stay offsite and would stay home first. I had to eat my words. Bonnet Creek is nicer than most WDW Deluxe resorts, has alot more amenities with more pools, more hot tubs, a nicer kids water play area, two lazy rivers, mini golf course, nice game room, planned activities, and is just as close as most WDW owned resorts. Those points have nothing to do with being cheaper than a Value or Moderate resort. It is just a nicer place to stay. Then you can add in the great price difference if you want. Again as I said in my previous post, why would I even consider paying $2176.86 (or even around $1632.00, which is probably what an AP discount would be at 25% off), for a Moderate resort when I could stay in a one bedroom villa in a Deluxe resort for almost three times less?

 

[goNDmay9]

We are no longer commando park goers and spend a lot of time enjoying our resort. So we are pretty picky about where we stay.

Another vote for Bonnet Creek! On non park days you can get a great price on a cabana. Not to mention they have a lazy river!!

If you consider it, definitely check out the We loooove Bonnet Creek thread. I can add a link in the morning (using the app right now).

I have always wondered how we would like renting house. I have heard tons of great things.

And for comparison purposes, we are "Disney Magic" people and typically stay onsite Deluxe or DVC and still love Bonnet Creek. Factor in the $ saved and you can't go wrong. I encourage everyone to try offsite at least once. Especially with the increase in onsite pricing. Oh yea. And did I mention lazy river??

 

[maxiesmom]

I've stayed both on and off site and I will admit, I have a definite preference for on site. But it depends on what you value more, extra space or the convenience of being on Disney property?

Being on Disney property it is so much easier to split up. If some people want to take a break and head back to the resort, they just hop on a bus and go. If you stay off site and split up whoever stays behind has to take a taxi back to the resort.

If your family uses EMHs, then you lose out on that perk too. Depending on when you are going in March, the parks could be busy, and that extra time very valuable. Schools start Spring Break in march. EMH mornings at the Magic Kingdom are glorious! For the first 90 minutes you can do whatever you want with very minimal waiting.

I also don't like having to drive while I am at WDW. I have done it, but there always seems to be accidents. Probably from a lot of visitors driving on roads they are unfamiliar with. I'd much rather let Disney do the driving.

 

[Rosebud123]

We used to always stay onsite....until I met Bonnet Creek, which is really onsite on WDW property. We drive to the parks so transportation is not an issue, but the abilty for the kids to have their own room is HUGE! Plus a washer and dryer and full kitchen is nice too. At 100-120 a night for a 2 bedroom, I don't miss much about staying onsite.

This! Once I stayed at WBC, I knew I'd never stay "on-site" again. I feel like a sucker for having spent all that money in the past.

 

[Sydnoahmom]

We are planning a trip next summer and I had thought we would be staying onsite as we always have in the past. We inherited a BlueGreen Timeshare and have to pay the yearly dues. I really can't justify the $300/night+ for Disney when I am already paying for a resort and there is a location in Orlando.

We have taken several vacations (2 of them week-long) with the timeshare and have always had a 2 bedroom condo. I don't think I could go back to staying in 1 room with 4 adults-(kids are 17 and 14.) We will have approx. 1200 sq feet with a full kitchen, 2 bathrooms, 2 bedrooms, living room, patio and washer/dryer.

While I won't cook any meals, we will eat breakfast in the condo each day. I had to sit at the laundry at Coronado Springs last trip and wait for machines. Last month on vacation, I would start a load in the morning before we left for the day, switch to dryer when we got home and then fold. It was magical to come home from vacation with all clean clothes!

Will I miss staying on site? Yes, but I think the pros for us out-weigh the cons. Unless you are planning on doing the dining plan, I would say give staying off-site a shot.

Either way-it is still Disney and will be great!

 

[JanaDee]

Sorry, I can't convince you. We are at WH now and while the property is great and I love the space/privacy, we won't be staying off site again. I do laundry, make beds and do dishes at home. I sure as heck don't want to do it on vacation. It has been a complete bust for me. But the rest of the family enjoys staying off site.

Not to mention, driving where 95% of the drivers on the road are clueless as to directions, it is a disaster.

 

[tndisneyfan]

We are currently booked at Port Orleans Riverside for a week in March. It's me and DH and our girls ages 4 and 8. My sister and her hubby are also coming and have two kids ages 2 and 5.
I would really like to get. 3 bedroom condo/villa/house or something with more space, a kitchen and maybe even washer/dryer.

Some things I'm concerned about:

The bus system, we would drive to all parks except MK, only because I've heard it's hard to drive to. Thoughts?

EMHs, think we will miss them!

These are my only concerns as I think we would appreciate the extra space and ability to cook a few meals.

Thoughts? Recommendations?

We've stayed at Wyndham Bonnet Creek twice, and we're staying again in October. We used to always stay onsite but now we prefer a little more room.

MK is not that bad to drive to. Even when we stay onsite we usually go ahead and drive to MK. Yes you do have to take the monorail or ferry but honestly it's not that big of a deal. I think MOST days I can get there quicker by driving than by bus, once you factor in waiting for the bus and the bus stops throughout the resort.

I was worried about missing EMH the first time I stayed offsite. But I found out it's not that big of a deal either. Just avoid the park that is having EMH and you should be fine.

The biggest con of staying offsite IMHO is having to pay to park. But we have APs so it's not an issue for us. The extra room and the $$$$ savings make up for a lot.

 

[BeerMe]

This! Once I stayed at WBC, I knew I'd never stay "on-site" again. I feel like a sucker for having spent all that money in the past.

Maybe not a sucker but I see your point.

We are making out 53rd trip since 1995 in Sept/Oct and staying for 4 weeks. We are staying at offsite condos. Our first 40 trips were at onsite resorts - quite a bit at SOG and FW but the last 5 years we are pretty much staying offsite.

WHY?

Offsite is quite a bit less expensive.
There's a ton more room.
Many more dining options.
More comfortable.
Generally more relaxed.
Pools are just as good for the most part.
Allows some off-Disney experiences too.

And probably a few other benefits. Let me address your concerns though - EMH - we avoid EMH parks for the most part as others have mentioned. The drive to the parks IMO is easy. In many ways easier than onsite bus travel especially at the end of the day/park closing.

We love offsite stays, although we still stay onsite. In the past 5 years we have made 14 trips - onsite included POFQ, SOG, POR, BC, FW, POP and 8 offsite including BC (Bonnet Creek). All trips were fabulous.

This next trip may be the last for a while - I think we may be getting Disneyed out.

I'd like to add that the first current era trip we've made back in 1995 was to SOG (Shades of Green) after it first opened. It really opened our eyes to the fun of Disney. Although not Disney owned - it is a Disney Resort and back then had all the benefits of Disney owned resorts. A little of that has changed some but not much. I think the thing we like best about Disney owned resorts is DME. That is great when we don't want to drive. We also almost always use DDP when staying onsite. DME is good for us since we always fly - only one trip was by car.

Just want to mention we are both in out late 60s and have not slowed down yet when at Disney, or elsewhere for that matter.