Does Anyone "Prefer" Offsite?

[Sonny76]

I agree that offsite is much better. I always strive for a hotel that has good ratings and is away from the crowds. I have noticed the rooms are really much larger, many do have small kitchens, and you are away from someone elses kids running wild. It may be a convenience to be onsite for the location, but the bigger space and the peace are worth more to me when I want to rest.
My airfare, hotel, and rental car for two adults this year was $900 and I live in Central Illinois. (This is flying from my own city even-and not having to go to Chicago) Our trip is for 8 days and 7 nights. Last year's trip was about the same. I have stayed at places where the pools were overrun with kids screaming and yelling. When your kids are small, you may want to pay more and stay onsite where they can be around other kids, however, when you travel only with adults, the peace is well worth the few minutes drive to the parks. There are also many places to eat a big breakfast that are very reasonable compared to the park prices. We found one last year for $2.99 all you can eat and it was wonderful! We ate there every morning.

 

[WIcruizer]

Basically, I think onsite works for the following people:

1) Foreign travelers where it's just easier to go with a package, and they're not familiar with surrounding area.

2) Those that really hate driving and don't mind the Disney Transportation.

3) Disney addicts who will automatically follow along and buy whatever product or service Disney has available.

I mean, I can justify WL once in a great while for something really nice and special. But Polynesian or Contemporary at those prices??? Why? The mods are flat out a rip off, and the All Stars are like a Days Inn times 10 at double the price. I hate to put it this way, but I think a lot of people are suckers just because the Disney name is on something.

 

[disneysteve]

Originally posted by WIcruizer
Basically, I think onsite works for the following people:

1) Foreign travelers where it's just easier to go with a package, and they're not familiar with surrounding area.
2) Those that really hate driving and don't mind the Disney Transportation.
3) Disney addicts who will automatically follow along and buy whatever product or service Disney has available.

I hate to put it this way, but I think a lot of people are suckers just because the Disney name is on something.

I pretty much agree. I think I would add a 4th group to your list: Families with teenage children who want the kids to be able to come and go on their own. That is one thing Disney transport is great for. If you are staying offsite, the kids have no way to get back to the hotel/house.

Even though we are definite offsite devotees, I can forsee the day when my daughter is old enough to wander on her own, possibly with a friend, and we'll want to be onsite for that reason (though I know I'll complain about it every step of the way).

Steve

 

[WIcruizer]

I can forsee the day when my daughter is old enough to wander on her own, possibly with a friend, and we'll want to be onsite for that reason

Never thought of that...my plan was to never let her out of the house.

 

[summersfam4]

I also have the same plan WIcruizer. I have total plans to never let either one of my DD's out of the house, much less out of my sight lol

Kelly

 

[floridagirrl2]

Originally posted by Chilehead
He said that there was a 20/20 investigation a few years back and there was a large area between some of the rooms that 20/20 had located, and that they had been under investigation several times for this. He then said that his aunt had the same experience while taking a bath there. She removed the shower faucet bathplate screw and gouged a coathanger past the fixture (it's possible; I'm a plumber) and heard a man groan and say a profanity and heard rustling sounds behind the wall. True story, and I wouldn't lie about this. It was a nightmare. While I cant say for sure about his aunts experience, I have no reason to doubt it, as he was a good friend, and an honest person. We have stayed at Disney properties ever since and have been very satisfied with our experiences.


It's certainly possible that this is an urban legend, BUT it's quite possible it actually happens, too. A local restaurant manager installed a hidden camera in the ladies' room in his restaurant here in Gainesville, FL, and the police caught him with many hours of videotapes . It was in the newspaper. Apparently these days it's quite easy to both peep and videotape. Pretty scary.

 

[WIcruizer]

That post was too strange and too full of holes to reply to, but i can't resist. Do some hotel rooms have hidden cameras? Sure...with the hundreds of thousands of rooms in the world I'm sure a minute percentage has them. Same with tanning salons, health clubs, high school locker rooms and god knows where else.

But to have a guy sneaking around between walls? What space? Especially incheap hotels walls are as thin as paper..where is there room to sneak around? But the strangest part is about how uncomfortbale they were..knowing someone was watching. If that WAS true, why in the world would you stay there for the rest of the week? He makes it sound like "yeah some guy was sneaking in the walls and watching my wife through the shower head, it was terrible." My god, if I knew htat I would rip the showerhead off, punh through the wall and grab the guy. Certainly leave the hotel immediately at the very least.

So hidden cameras happen, but this sneaking in walls and shower heads sound like the prototype of an urban legend story. Part 2 will be they tried to cultivate his wife's kidneys.

 

[CheapMom]

If the guy was watching through the shower head why didn't he back away from the peephole when he saw the lady unscrewing the plumbing and coming at him with a coat hanger?

 

[floridagirrl2]

Originally posted by WIcruizer


So hidden cameras happen, but this sneaking in walls and shower heads sound like the prototype of an urban legend story. Part 2 will be they tried to cultivate his wife's kidneys. [/B]

Very funny! FYI, some hotels have housekeeping "tunnels" or closets between rows of rooms.

I looked this story up on 2 different "urban legend" websites and couldn't find anything definitive (like I need something to make me feel more paranoid!)

Found out last time I was in Orlando that many of the pizza advertising flyers that are put under hotel doors are fraudulent--if you order pizza, you may get a frozen pizza somebody heated up in their house OR someone may arrive with an empty pizza box and then rob you when you open your hotel room door.

 

[Emme]

OK, it's me Emmy (I started this thread ) I am bringing it back around to the offsite/onsite topic...

I just booked OFFSITE the Comfort Suites Maingate for (drumroll please) $50.60 a night for the week before Easter. We get a small suite, free breakfast for the 3 of us, a micro and a fridge, it got great reviews on travelocity, and it's like a mile to the WDW parks.

I had Coranodo booked for $116 a night (actually a good price for Easter week) but we are getting more for less and I just can't justify it...

So we will be offsite this trip and I am rather thrilled at the money I am saving and the extras I am getting. Granted we do Disney 2-3 times a year and are AP holders, and maybe if this was a once in a lifetime trip I'd feel differently, but this works fine with me

Emmy

 

[floridagirrl2]

Where did you find the great rates on Comfort Inn Suites? We will be staying there Feb 5-8 (the end of low season) and $54 was the best I could find--you found a slightly better deal during what (I think) is considered high season.

 

[Emme]

FloridaGirl I PM'd you

Emmy

 

[ushkina]

Hi,
Could you tell me where you booked Comfort Suites so cheaply? The bestI can find is 55$ (and these rates are only till the end of March).
Thanks!!
Olga

 

[floridagirrl2]

Thanks Emmy! I PM'd you back (but now I want to know how you found such a great price on the Disney resort, too!)

Bringing us back, once again, to the original thread--DH and I stay offsite for two reasons:We have Florida Residents passes and we would rather pay less $$ for an offsite hotel and be able to go twice as often, rather than pay more $$ for onsite and go half as often.

Also, DH is low-carbing and the Disney food courts at the value resorts (where we would most likely stay) don't really have decent breakfast food for his new lifestyle! If we stay offsite, we are close to numerous restaurants where he can have his usual omelet or scrambled eggs,sausage, and bacon

We've also found that we spend a fortune on food at Disney, and if we stay offsite we can economize on a few meals and then splurge on meals in the parks.