Feel like I need to get off Disboards.

[momto3gr8boys]

Interesting...I checked it out, and it's not directly tied to the FP+ testing, but seems related.

I tried it myself, but I got an error.

It's connected to those with RO reservations. I am doing a split stay. I can't book on my package BC days, but can on my Poly RO days. Problem is we have two rooms for our family and I could only book one at a time, which makes coordinating more difficult.

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[Nancyg56]

Several people traveling in August are getting to test FastPass+ and those with a RO reservation number are able to schedule a time slot (and place a meal order, if they want) to eat at BOG for lunch.

Others have already pointed out that is is a testing phase and will not impact your trip.What I would like to point out is that everyone can choose their attitude and I think that if you are already feeling left out and disenfranchised, you may be setting the tone for your trip. If you speak to ten different people about their WDW vacations, you will hear that those ten people all planned ten different trips, all with different spending priorities. None of those strategies was wrong, just different. If you are looking at the DIS as a fun sponge that is sucking the joy out of your vacation planning, it may be a good idea to either change which boards you spend time on because you are comparing your trip to others, and that is never good. Kind of like comparing your kid to someone else's. Never ends well, IMO.

I sympathize with your plight as Disney does not make it easy for families of 6 and the chatter on the DisBoards for those who can't afford ressies every night can feel bad.

I would counter this by suggesting that if you are feeling badly about your vacation choices, it might be a good idea to start looking at all of the positive aspects of your vacation planning. We do stay onsite right now, but we miss out on all of the Orlando area restaurants and attractions. It is a choice we make for our own reasons, but there is a tradeoff and we willing have made it. There is no way my family could take a 2 week vacation if we stay onsite, but for now, that is the compromise we have chosen to make.

My DD and DSIl also chose to take a CS trip only a few years ago. They could not justify the cost of TS every day and determined that the trip would still be perfectly fine without an ADR every night. They had a blast. I think that it is possible to ick and choose threads here, and I choose to read threds that reinforce my vacation choices rather that fixate on those that make me feel as though I will miss out on the best parts of WDW.

I am not suggesting that your post did this, you also pointed out all of the positive aspects of offsite accommodations. I just think that we all need to own our vacation decisions and not worry about the "perks" others have been able to afford.

 

[Aliceacc]

Here are the Realities According to Alice: (Note: as a math teacher, it kills me to say this. But I've made up all my statistics. They're logical, but haven't been verified.)

1. The vast majority of people who visit WDW stay off site... compare the number of rooms in WDW with the number in the general area. Heck, compare it with 1/3 of the number in the Orlando area, figuring that a lot of people are at Universal and Sea World. Off Site still wins.

2. The vast majority of people who visit WDW have never heard of the Disboards.

3. A huge percentage of first time visitors will arrive with no idea of ADRs, Fastpasses or magicbands, Rope Drop, Single Rider Lines, or anything else. They'll show up at the Magic Kingdom at 11 am, having enjoyed their Mickey pancakes, and ask the CM when the shows start. (No joke-- someone asked me that one time at rope drop. I told her there were no real "shows" at the MK, spoke to her son for a minute, then steered her towards the mountains.)

4. A huge percentage of first time visitors, having not done their homework, will miss out on things like Soarin', Toy Story Mania and other headliners, unwilling to spend the "necessary" 90 minutes or 2 hours in line.

5. A huge percentage of first time visitors will be absolutely floored at the crowds. They imagine that WDW is just as it is in the commercials-- that the characters walk through the parks, stopping to hug each child they see. And that Main Street is virtually empty all day long, just waiting for that perfect photo op in front of the castle, with no bystanders in the picture. They'll be stunned when they have to wait 45 minutes for a counterservice meal at noon.

6. An unknown percentage of the onsite visitors this summer will be stunned to learn upon arrival that the fridges have been removed from the rooms. But that's OK, because they also will not have known enough to have ordered bottled water to keep in those fridges.

So.... where does that leave you? With a trip longer than it would have been had you chosen to stay on site. With the knowledge that will make this trip incredible for you and your family.

I agree that it would reallly, REALLY be nice to find much better variety in the on site options for families of more than 4. But every family that goes to WDW has to make the decisions on what will work best for them.

As a family of 5, our choice is to save like crazy, then stay in one of the Deluxes that sleep 5. We go for one week. For us, those are the choices we're happiest with.

So don't look back, and don't leave the Disboards. Knowlege is power, and you're gaining power over the crowds by reading the posts here.

 

[Aliceacc]

These first world problems have to cease.
.

Absolutely words of wisdom!!!!

 

[Simba77]

Wow two weeks!! That's awesome!!!

I know it - I haven't been since 2008! I'm going to take advantage of the opportunity. 14 nights @ POP w/ my GF + free dining

1. The vast majority of people who visit WDW stay off site... compare the number of rooms in WDW with the number in the general area. Heck, compare it with 1/3 of the number in the Orlando area, figuring that a lot of people are at Universal and Sea World. Off Site still wins.

You know, I never really thought about this that much, but I doubt it. I'm not even sure it's a majority, let alone a vast majority...

According to touringplans (http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/hotels/number-rooms):

Onsite Rooms 30405
Offsite Rooms 60685
(these numbers count the Disney Lake Beuna Vista "partner" hotels as offsite)


So if using your 1/3 number, we're at 30,000+ rooms for WDW, 20,000+ for offsite. But let's put the 1/3 aside for a moment.

I don't think that offsite guests outnumber onsite guests. And WDW hotels are probably booked closer to capacity than offsite hotels...

Let's return to the hypothetical numbers game, purely on completely unscientific estimations:

Disney resort @ 80% capacity = 24,000+ rooms booked
offsite rooms @ 60% capacity = 36,000+ rooms booked

Of the 36,000 offsite rooms, maybe half of those days are spent at WDW = 18,000 rooms per day are dedicated to WDW
Of ths 24,000 rooms @ WDW, probably 80% of those guests will be at a theme park that day, so that's 19,000+ onsite rooms per day dedicated to park-going guests.

So by my silly estimations, onsite wins 19,000 rooms to 18,000 rooms.

It would be interesting to see what the real numbers are. I'm highly tempted to say that onsite WDW guests outnumber offsite guests at the parks on average.

 

[HubbDave]

Another factor to consider is FL residents going for the day

Not a huge number but possibly significant

 

[Aliceacc]

Let's return to the hypothetical numbers game, purely on completely unscientific estimations:

Disney resort @ 80% capacity = 24,000+ rooms booked
offsite rooms @ 60% capacity = 36,000+ rooms booked Why would the offsites be at a different capacity than onsite? Is that typical? I have absolutely no idea.

Of the 36,000 offsite rooms, maybe half of those days are spent at WDW = 18,000 rooms per day are dedicated to WDWWhy half? I know that we're in the parks EVERY single day we're in Orlando. And, based on everything I've read, you can do Universal in 2 days, but need a bare minimum of 4 to cover WDW
Of ths 24,000 rooms @ WDW, probably 80% of those guests will be at a theme park that day, so that's 19,000+ onsite rooms per day dedicated to park-going guests.Again, why 80%? I think the whole "day at the resorts" thing is largely a Disboards phenemon... at least judging from all the angry parent "We've paid a LOT of money for this trip and you WILL enjoy it" rants.

So by my silly estimations, onsite wins 19,000 rooms to 18,000 rooms.

It would be interesting to see what the real numbers are. I'm highly tempted to say that onsite WDW guests outnumber offsite guests at the parks on average.

Again, I didn't do any research. (I'm on the Disboards, waiting for the kids to wake up so I can FINALLY get to the beach for a few hours!)

But, even if we use your numbers, it's somewhat close to even. So the OP isn't in the tiny minority that reading the Disboards would have him/her think.

 

[Simba77]

Again, I didn't do any research. (I'm on the Disboards, waiting for the kids to wake up so I can FINALLY get to the beach for a few hours!)

But, even if we use your numbers, it's somewhat close to even. So the OP isn't in the tiny minority that reading the Disboards would have him/her think.

I agree here. There are lots of offsite guests. And being offsite doesn't, in my mind, put someone at any appreciable disadvantage when trying to enjoy the parks.

I prefer onsite like there's no tomorrow, but that's due to personal preference and desire (I feel like onsite hotels are an extension of the parks). I don't think the few onsite "perks" are what keeps me onsite (although I do take full advantage of the transportation and night EMHs).

 

[momof2n2]

On-site has perks. Like EMH & +10 for reservations (ADRs). They pay dearly for them.

But, when I bought a house a few years back I avoided any Native American longhouses. Why? I don't like to fill up a room when I sleep. To me, that is a hotel. Any hotel @ any destination. Multi bedroom lodging at WDW is cost-prohibitive to me. I can "live in luxury" for a third of the cost, double my length of stay, and still vacation every year. (We don't only do FL.)

And I've never had a bad trip.

(We'd rent cars anyway. I don't like busses, either.)

Have a great time OP. YOU'RE GOING ON VACATION.

 

[JVig]

Well, if it makes you feel any better, I'm staying onsite in August and I don't get to do FP+ or get to FP a BOG lunch!

I don't care though - this is our first trip and I am SOOOOO EXCITED!!!

 

[Don Disney]

We have stayed on-site and off,and enjoyed both.We only stayed on-site for FD,and that made it worth it for us;without FD,we'll stay off-site in a heartbeat!!! Enjoy your"extended"vacation...I'm soooo jealous!!!!

 

[robinb]

We leave in August, so I've pretty much planned everything out by now. Every time I turn around, I'm feeling more and more screwed over for not staying on site. It's just too expensive for a family with 4 kids. Options are too limited. We're staying at a Villa for about $77/night for 2 weeks. Staying on site, we'd have to cut our trip down to 4 days. Now, if you're staying on site you can make a lunch reservation at BOG. Come on! I feel like I no longer have a shot at getting Fastpasses, or eating at BOG at all...

I can totally understand where you are coming from. Sometimes it's hard to read the DIS and feel that you are not "Keeping up with the Jones" when it comes to vacationing at WDW. I call it "resort creep". There is a trend (for want of a better word) here on the DIS that goes "If X is good, then Y is better!". If going to WDW and staying offsite is good, then staying onsite is better. If staying at a value resort is good, then staying in a moderate is better. If staying at a moderate is good, then staying at a deluxe is better. If staying at the Wilderness Lodge is good, staying at the Polynesian is better. Staying club level is best.

There are always people on the DIS when asked where they would stay always pick the more expensive option. They are re perfectly happy to spend your money for you and convince you that the only way to visit WDW is to stay at a monorail resort with the DxDP. Don't get me wrong! That's a lovely vacation and I understand that many people won't "compromise" and save for years for that very thing. More power to them! But it's difficult for the rest of us to not to get sucked into the prevalent DIS "Y is better! resort-creep" and feeling like our vacation won't be magical enough unless we stay onsite and/or upgrade to a more expensive resort. And don't even get me started on the coveted Be Our Guest ADR!

Being a DVC member, I totally get wanting to stay onsite. We would not have purchased DVC if we didn't see the value in it. But frankly, if we didn't own DVC I don't think we would not stay onsite again. It's just too expensive now for what you get. We stayed in a 4-bedroom home with a private pool over Christmas 2012 for $800 for the whole week. It was beautiful and just a 10 minute drive to the parks. On our next trip we are staying in a 2-bedroom condo at Windsor Hills for $422 for the whole week. We will only be staying for 5 nights, but it is $61 cheaper than those 5 days at All Star Movies using the AP rate. At Windsor Hills we get to spread out, we have a king-sized bed, a full kitchen, washer and dryer, a private balcony and a pool with a slide and a hot tub. At the All Stars we would have a cramped room, double beds, no kitchen (maybe even no fridge), no balcony, no free washer dryer, a lame pool, no hot tub ... but the Disney Magic 24/7 and EMH and a bus system that we rarely use. We have a car anyway and the parks are only a few minutes farther away than the All Stars.

So ... I guess I'm saying is: Don't feel bad and don't feel you need to keep up with the Jones. Your vacation will be perfectly magical offsite .

 

[lustergirl]

I can totally understand where you are coming from. Sometimes it's hard to read the DIS and feel that you are not "Keeping up with the Jones" when it comes to vacationing at WDW. I call it "resort creep". There is a trend (for want of a better word) here on the DIS that goes "If X is good, then Y is better!". If going to WDW and staying offsite is good, then staying onsite is better. If staying at a value resort is good, then staying in a moderate is better. If staying at a moderate is good, then staying at a deluxe is better. If staying at the Wilderness Lodge is good, staying at the Polynesian is better. Staying club level is best.

There are always people on the DIS when asked where they would stay always pick the more expensive option. They are re perfectly happy to spend your money for you and convince you that the only way to visit WDW is to stay at a monorail resort with the DxDP. Don't get me wrong! That's a lovely vacation and I understand that many people won't "compromise" and save for years for that very thing. More power to them! But it's difficult for the rest of us to not to get sucked into the prevalent DIS "Y is better! resort-creep" and feeling like our vacation won't be magical enough unless we stay onsite and/or upgrade to a more expensive resort. And don't even get me started on the coveted Be Our Guest ADR!

Being a DVC member, I totally get wanting to stay onsite. We would not have purchased DVC if we didn't see the value in it. But frankly, if we didn't own DVC I don't think we would not stay onsite again. It's just too expensive now for what you get. We stayed in a 4-bedroom home with a private pool over Christmas 2012 for $800 for the whole week. It was beautiful and just a 10 minute drive to the parks. On our next trip we are staying in a 2-bedroom condo at Windsor Hills for $422 for the whole week. We will only be staying for 5 nights, but it is $61 cheaper than those 5 days at All Star Movies using the AP rate. At Windsor Hills we get to spread out, we have a king-sized bed, a full kitchen, washer and dryer, a private balcony and a pool with a slide and a hot tub. At the All Stars we would have a cramped room, double beds, no kitchen (maybe even no fridge), no balcony, no free washer dryer, a lame pool, no hot tub ... but the Disney Magic 24/7 and EMH and a bus system that we rarely use. We have a car anyway and the parks are only a few minutes farther away than the All Stars.

So ... I guess I'm saying is: Don't feel bad and don't feel you need to keep up with the Jones. Your vacation will be perfectly magical offsite .

Great post Robin! And too think that I havent been to disney in 3 years and am jonesing real bad. Work and school have got in the way, darn things I have explored staying off site as well to save a little money. I have looked into the downtown disney hotels and getting an AP. I am no resort snob and wil gladly stay in a value resort (gasp for many on here to even consider staying at a value resort).

For now though I a intent on getting my post count up to 5,000 at least (haha!) And I would never leave the disboards, I get my disney fix here by reading everyone elses' enjoyment through their trip reports, etc.

 

[Happyjen27]

I can totally understand where you are coming from. Sometimes it's hard to read the DIS and feel that you are not "Keeping up with the Jones" when it comes to vacationing at WDW. I call it "resort creep". There is a trend (for want of a better word) here on the DIS that goes "If X is good, then Y is better!". If going to WDW and staying offsite is good, then staying onsite is better. If staying at a value resort is good, then staying in a moderate is better. If staying at a moderate is good, then staying at a deluxe is better. If staying at the Wilderness Lodge is good, staying at the Polynesian is better. Staying club level is best.

Resort creep!! It's brilliant. I love this concept, and I am 100% certain I am a victim of resort creep.

I can't say I feel particularly sad about it, but you're right. I felt that the GW in the Contemporary is amazing until I just read about this one woman and the wonder she and her kids felt when they would see the monorail cutting through the hotel and then run out to their balcony and see the same monorail continue down the tracks. Now, I'm running numbers on any potential discounts tomorrow to see if I can swing the tower.

I would never put myself in a position where I was spending more than I could afford, but, I have to admit I've let this "resort creep" affect my choices thus far.

Alternatively I've been spending time on the Orlando Hotels boards, and I'm intrigued about staying offsite, so that may be in the cards next visit!! I can be influenced the other way, too.

 

[scrappinannie]

Don't be too bummed out, saylorpunch! Your trip over 2 weeks will be so awesome! You're one of the lucky ones getting to go on vacation for so long, so you definitely have something to be thankful for.

We, too, are staying offsite. My in laws have a timeshare through Bluegreen Resorts and we're staying for FREE for a week in a 2 bedroom condo. No free dining offer or percent off discounts are going to get us into even a value resort for free. Right now there is a lot of testing going on for new technologies hitting the parks, but you can still use fastpass and have BOG for lunch....we are! You will have a great time, regardless of the "perks" it seems resort guests are getting. Your perk is 2 full weeks at Disney with your wonderful family...those memories are worth so much more than fastpass and BOG ressies.

 

[mm1971]

We leave in August, so I've pretty much planned everything out by now. Every time I turn around, I'm feeling more and more screwed over for not staying on site. It's just too expensive for a family with 4 kids. Options are too limited. We're staying at a Villa for about $77/night for 2 weeks. Staying on site, we'd have to cut our trip down to 4 days. Now, if you're staying on site you can make a lunch reservation at BOG. Come on! I feel like I no longer have a shot at getting Fastpasses, or eating at BOG at all...

Very understandable. My family fits neatly into the 4 person demographic so a little easier for us, but we have several friends in your position. Eating at BOG is crazy on or off property. I tried to get a ressie at 180 days and am stuck eating dinner at 9PM. I am guessing that reservations will be easier once the newness wears off. At this point, no one really knows what FP has to offer. I am really hoping that they keep the old system along with the new. I really have no desire to plan my FP usage 6 months ahead of time.

I say stay offsite and have a great vacation with your family. I know it is frustrating to think of what you "can't" have. I suggest you think of the positives and what you can do with your loved ones. That's the approach I'm taking.

 

[saylorbunch]

Absolutely words of wisdom!!!!

Nothing like a good slap in the face!!! A good slap!! Lol!! So true!

 

[saylorbunch]

Thanks everyone! I've snapped out of it! I've been perfectly happy with our plans so far, and was proud of the money we're saving by staying off-site, but when I read that a certain group could now book lunch ressies at BOG, it threw me over the edge! We are very blessed to be able to take a 2 week vacation (though I'm going to miss my puppy terribly...), and I will definitely have a good time!!! I love being the one all excited about it, and watching my family give me the crazy eye!!! (Wait till they see our matching shirts. Ha!). We WILL eat at BOG, no matter how long we have to wait! I have no idea if/when we'll ever be back with our kids!! Thanks again all, and I am going to take the advice of one, and just stick to the threads that won't frustrate me!!

 

[hsmamainva]

We always stay off-site.

Not only is it expensive to stay on-site, sleeping with 6 people in one crowded room is not my hubby's idea of a vacation!

We have an awesome off-site 5 bedroom house for a week for $800. It has a large pool, just for us, right outside the back door. We can eat anytime we want ... we can get a drink anytime we want ... without having to walk to the food court to do so.

For the first time next year, the kids and I are staying for 2 nights on-site (the hubby will be in St. Augustine at his college reunion from Friday night until Sunday morning, so we're getting a jump on the vacation at AoA until he arrives) so we'll see if I feel any of this "missing magic".

(I think the only thing missing will be the money in my wallet )

 

[mamabear0222]

And just think...if you have young kids and stay in a hotel....I guess everyone is going to bed at 8pm!

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