Convince me to stay on-site!

[HenDuck]

Here's my situation:

We will probably be going to WDW in the summer (June?) in either 2009 or 2010. Cast will be me, DH, DS (will be 8 or 9), DM and DD (dad) and maybe DB. DD has some issues with walking. He will usually do just the daytime visits at DL and will rest at the hotel in the evening. We usually do a break mid-day when we go to DL.

We have gone to WDW before (before DS was born) and have always rented a vacation home. We have loved doing that.

But since this may be a once in a lifetime trip, we are considering staying on-site at least for part of the trip.

I will only stay on-site if we stay at a resort that is unlike a regular hotel (well-themed and/or lots of activites, etc.) These are the resorts that I would consider - any of the values (fun themes for DS), including the family suites, AKL (my 1st choice), WL (DH loves "lodges") or CR (because of the monorail). I probably would not stay at a mod because none of them appeal to me.

We will have a rental car, but I am thinking that having Disney transportation will allow us to break up and come and go as we each please.

I'm also thinking AKL will have to most to entertain DD if he decides to stay at the resort in the evenings.

We can do CS for all our meals, don't need a TS meal or can do that at our convenience.

Also, we are likely to make this a two-week long trip, but will definitely stay at a vacation home the second week, no matter what resort we stay at because I want to go to Universal and maybe Kennedy Space center, and of course, shop .

I'm willing to pay deluxe prices, but not concierge.

I WANT to stay on-site, but I don't know why. I think it may be because I spend WAY too much time on these boards, and I've become brainwashed.

Soooo, brainwash away. Convince me that we should spend a week on-site!

TIA!!!

 

[ktink]

We've only stayed onsite for our trips. And I LOVE it. The main thing that I like is that from the moment we get off of the plane we can rely solely on WDW transportation. We don't have to worry about driving anywhere we let them do it for us. It seems like when you're in WDW and your onsite it's truly a "world" within itself. A true escape from reality.

We will be staying at AKL for the first time this September and I will be happy to report on that when we return. I think once you stay onsite you would never want to stay offsite again.

 

[disneydance]

Think about EMH and no need to rent a car for the very first week. And you can even be on the ddp need more reasons just PM me

 

[tinawv]

For me it's all about receiving the magic 24/7. I could never go to WDW now and stay off property. As the other posters have stated, you don't need a car and guests who stay on property can get into the parks early or stay later on certain days. Also, staying on property makes it easier to go back to your room for mid-day rest periods. This can be a blessing for families with small children or elderly parents.

 

[PDJPrinceCharming]

Back when I was a kid, we used to always stay at Days Inn in Orlando but last year I stayed at ASM & after the experience, I will NEVER again stay off-site. The EMH, the constant magic, just being around Disney 24/7 is all worth it. Movies last year, Music this & looks like POP in 2008. Staying on property is definately worth it.

 

[jtlover]

I would recommend GF if your DD cant walk too far as it is so close and a lovely hotel. They have a live dixland band every afternoon which I am sure he will like and it is nice to sit in the main lobby to listen to Have fun planning

 

[Grumpy3]

We decided to try staying on-site in 2003; just once, and that was all it took to be hooked. The best part of staying on site for us is being immersed in Disney magic 24/7. Not to mention the EMH, and the boat rides from the WL to the MK! It's worth trying at least once and if you don't think it is worth the extra $ then you will know; but I bet you'll be back.

 

[Trekker]

We have stayed both on site and off (once) - and cannot believe how much different it feels.

Here is a thread I have revived several times over the years - I think it is a good way to understand how people feel about on site visits:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=331715

 

[mickeystoontown]

Our family of 4 (now ages 41, 41, 20 and 10) have been going to WDW every year (sometimes more than once a year) for 10 years now. We are headed back for our 12th trip in just 3 days.

Our first 10 trips, we stayed offsite. We were on a budget and in my mind, I just couldn't justify spending the extra money to stay onsite. We stayed at a hotel located just a 5 to 10 minute (depended on traffic) drive to WDW so we weren't far away.

And then we started planning our 2006 WDW trip......

Our daughter was graduating high school and heading off to college so we figured this would be her last trip to WDW with us. She was also going to be going on a mission trip with our church youth group as a counselor so she would be flying in two days after we drove in. This meant we wanted her to use Magical Express service provided by Disney.

I had been reading about the dining plan and wanted to give it a try.

All of these factors meant we would have to give an onsite stay a try.

So we went ahead and booked our 10 day stay at the CBR with 7 day park hoppers and the dining plan. We also made arrangements for our daughter to use Magical Express.

I paid our $200.00 deposit and made payments on the vacation a little at a time until everything was paid for.

It was so nice to know that everything was paid for ahead of time. The only extra money we needed was for souveniers, gas (because we drove) and the money for a room during the drive to WDW.

We always had such a great time during our offsite WDW vacations and I didn't think any vacation could ever be any better. Boy, was I wrong.

From the minute we drove into the parking lot of the CBR, we were in love. Disney makes your vacation magical from the time you arrive until the time you leave.

Magical Express worked like a dream. We didn't have to drive to the Orlando airport and pick our daughter up. They brought her directly to us. She called us when her plane landed and, within about 45 minutes, she was stepping off the Magical Express bus and into our 'happy to see her arms'. We went back to the room to freshen up a bit and headed off to the Hoop Dee Doo Review. By the time we got back to our room (about 3 hours), her bags were sitting in the room waiting on her.

Since we have always driven to WDW, we would drive to the theme parks. We used the Disney transportation system and it was so nice to have someone else looking out for traffic and navigating their way through the Disney resort grounds.

When we stayed offsite, we usually ate counter service meals and just booked one or two table service meals. With the dining plan, we were able to eat a light breakfast from the food court, a counter service meal for lunch, snack at mid-day and then a table service meal for our dinner. I never ever realized just how tired I had become of the counter service meals we had eaten over and over again when we weren't on the dining plan. The dining plan was well worth the money we spent on it.

We loved staying onsite so much that we began planning our 2007 trip on our drive back home from our 2006 trip.

Staying onsite truly does seem to make your vacation more magical. We are headed back to the CBR in just 3 days and I can hardly stand the wait!

Have a safe and wonderful WDW trip no matter what you decide!

Lisa

 

[HenDuck]

I just wanted to say thanks for all your wonderful replies.

I really think that we will do at least one week on-site. We have a lot of time to plan (and save) for this trip, so I will be visiting these boards regularly for more expert advice.

Thanks again,
Henduck

 

[fla4fun]

I would consider renting a scooter from an off property company for DD. It can be tiring just getting around the resorts for someone who has walking issues. With a scooter, he could be more independent. The Disney transportation buses and monorails are all equipped to handle the scooter, so he could use it at the resort and in the parks.

I would consider one of the Epcot resorts. Based on your info, if it is only the five of you, I would stay at the Yacht Club. You would have access to the great Stormalong Bay pool complex, you would have a balcony on your room, and you have five different resorts to explore, to dine in, to shop in, and for your DD to amuse himself if he decides to take a break from the parks.

If DB decides to come, then you start having a little more trouble finding accommodation that will fit six people. There are deluxe rooms at Boardwalk and Wilderness Lodge that fit six people, but these are also concierge level rooms, which you have indicated you don't want. Your best bet if your party is six people is to check into renting points for a 2br DVC resort. You have two options in the Epcot resort area, Boardwalk Villas and Beach Club Villas. The rooms have a king bed in the master bedroom, a sleeper sofa in the living room, and then the second bedroom will either have two queen beds or a queen bed and a sofabed. They have a full kitchen and washer/dryer, as well as a whirlpool tub.

You could also stay in one of the All Star Family Suites or a Fort Wilderness cabin, but those are smaller than the DVC accommodations. But if everyone gets along well and doesn't mind the slightly cramped quarters, they are a good alternative. The family suite will give you two bathrooms, which can be very important when getting that many adults out the door each morning.

 

[rotlex]

In the numerous times my wife and I have been to DW over the years, we have only stayed off site once. I will never do it again! Why? Well, not that there was anything wrong with the place we stayed, but frankly, it just didn't "feel" like a Disney vacation!

What I mean by that is, part of the fun for us, is staying "on site". The magic starts as soon as you arrive, and continues even while you sleep. From the moment you step off the plane, to the moment you are checking out, it is 100% Disney. The transportation is another definite positive. We really enjoy NOT having to have a car, and being able to get pretty much anywhere via bus, monorail or boat, free of charge. (Well, OK, I suppose it's built in somewhere, but what the heck). Also, with the variety of resorts now available, from $80 a night up to the sky's the limit, I can see no reason not to stay there.

 

[pixdust]

I totally agree with everyone else. There is absolutely NOTHING like that moment when you first pull up to a Disney Resort. The first trip my DS and I took in 2005, we stayed a the WL. All I can say is OMG. When we pulled into the drive, the magic began. It was awesome, beautiful, fantastic, and any other wonderfully descriptive word you can imagine. I just can't picture myself ever staying off property. I can think of no where else that I can go with my son, where everything that we need is all right there. I don't have to drive, or worry about getting lost in place I am unfamiliar with. I have only known 1 person who has ever been unhappy with her stay at a Disney Resort, and I think she would find something wrong with any place she stayed. You get what you pay for in my opinion and it is worth every penny. And there is no price tag for the magic that you find.

 

[hogue123]

Once you stay onsite, you probably will never stay offsite again. Benefits by far outweigh any reason to stay offsite.

 

[HenDuck]

Thanks again. You're starting to convince me .

Really good idea to get a scooter. I think my dad has already said he is willing to use one.

And I will definitely have to look further into the DVC resorts. That might actually be our best bet. Then we can stay longer and cut costs with the kitchen.

I really want to stay on-site because I believe this might be the only 3-generational trip we take to WDW. OR it might be the only one where the grandparents can really keep up with their grandson.

Any other thoughts? I'd love to hear them.

Thanks again!

 

[Mortlives]

We stayed at AKL last time, and loved it. There's nothing like getting up in the morning and drinking your coffee while watching giraffes stroll majestically along the savanna. Using the night vision binoculars at night was really cool, too. The atmosphere is really stellar, and the pool and hot tubs are lovely. The fitness center has steam room and sauna facilities as well.

Don't forget that when you stay onsite, you can charge things to your room, have packages delivered to your resort, go to EMH, watch the resort TV channels, and get wake up calls from Disney characters.

 

[SnowWtch]

I actually canceled my trip for this weekend off-site because I was able to get POP for next weekend instead. If there's something special going on (in my case Star Wars Weekends) then on-property is the way to go. You can't beat the transportation and you can go anywhere and not have to worry about where you left your car and when the parks close. You can just get up and go. POP is one of my least favorite hotels but for the transportation I'll do it. It does feel like the rest of the world doesn't exist when you stay on-property instead of worrying about times and car parking.

 

[luna99]

I'm SUCH a hotel girl it's crazy and staying at a disney hotel is just as much fun as going to the parks for me.

Everyone pretty much gave you great reasons but for me the #1 reason I like staying on disney property is the ease and the magic. You don't have to think about traffic ONCE while you're in orlando... you feel like you're IN disneyworld the entire length of your trip... customer service is (usually) excellent, even at the value resorts... It's just a FEELING that you can't explain really.

this might sound weird.. but I just love riding the disney buses too! sometimes if we go to downtown disney and pleasure island and stay out late.. I love the feeling or riding the near empty buses in the dark back to our hotel room after a great day in the parks and night shopping and dining or dancing. aaah. nothing like it.

 

[SnoFun68]

Just curious....

To those who responded to the "magic never ending" on-site, do you believe this holds true at Fort Wilderness Campground Resort also?

 

[canron]

look at the news arouind i drve and 192,,if you value your family i wouldnt stay off disney grounds...go to wesh2 news or news channel 6 and see why,,i go 3 to 4 times a year wonnt stay off grounds,, ever again