First time staying off-site - what am I forgetting ?

[Zoebear]

Thanks everyone !

 

[can]

Zoebear,

You didn't mention where you were staying. We stayed off site at Windsor Hills Resort and felt our travel time was much shorter even though we needed to park and take transportation to the park entrances. We found "back door" directions on this forum and it cut our time down quite a bit. Yes, you do miss the Disney magic, but when coming back from a long day at the parks, it was nice to get away from the crowds for awhile, have some peace and quiet and be able to kick back and relax. Plus, we had rented a 3 br, 3 ba townhouse with a 12 x 12 ft pool in the back. It was nice to have the space, quiet, and comforts of home. Hope your off site is a positive experience for you. Good luck and have a great trip!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

When offsite, you may not get all the Disney channels and infomercials but you'll probably get a wider variety of cable channels at your resort instead.

Day Guests may not use resort delivery of purchases but you may still use free gate pickup for purchases. It works very well as long as you don't expect to leave the park for at least 2 hours. The pickup area is in Lost And Found near the gates for each park. Saves you having to carry souvies.

Also, remember that several things are good for the whole day, even with park hopping. So whether you pay for a parking pass, a stroller/wheelchair rental or a locker, the fee is good for the day - don't pay a second time if you park hop.

Since the parks all provide free ice water cups for the asking, bring packets of drink mix (like iced tea, lemonade, koolaid, crystal light, etc.) to pour in for money-saving drinks. If you bring juice boxes or water bottles, freeze them overnight at your condo and they'll make it to lunch time, still cold. Wrap in a paper towel to prevent condensation from getting in your carrier or backpack. Snack ziplocs of trail mix, granola bars and/or peanut butter crackers can help ward off the grouchy grumbles while waiting in ride queues or putting off a lunch break until the busiest mealtimes are over.

Consider leaving a little something to drink and maybe a snack or treat in a small cooler in the car - cold fruit, M&Ms, carrots. It's nice for the kids when park hopping or going back to your resort for a swim/nap or at the end of the day. An ice cold drink is especially welcome when you first get into a warm car, if you're vacationing in summertime. Don't forget the Disney music CDs too.

We love having a full sized coffee maker in our condo kitchen.

Buy or bring a fun souvenir travel mug for hot or iced REAL coffee drinks for your drive to the parks. It's so much easier to have a GOOD breakfast cheaply in a condo kitchen too.

Have a great trip!!!

Ahhh... we love those frozen water bottles too! Now that we're done with strollers, we bring a back pack with a padded laptop pocket inside. Makes great insulation for keeping bottles cold all day.

I esp. love having a real coffeemaker. I can sit back in my pj's while the kids are still sleeping.

We also pack some microwave popcorn from home. It doesn't take up a lot of space and it's a quick easy snack that we didn't pay $5 for.

 

[Zoebear]

Zoebear,

You didn't mention where you were staying. We stayed off site at Windsor Hills Resort and felt our travel time was much shorter even though we needed to park and take transportation to the park entrances. We found "back door" directions on this forum and it cut our time down quite a bit. Yes, you do miss the Disney magic, but when coming back from a long day at the parks, it was nice to get away from the crowds for awhile, have some peace and quiet and be able to kick back and relax. Plus, we had rented a 3 br, 3 ba townhouse with a 12 x 12 ft pool in the back. It was nice to have the space, quiet, and comforts of home. Hope your off site is a positive experience for you. Good luck and have a great trip!

Thanks for the kind reply. We are staying at Windsor Hills too, in a townhome with a splash pool. Can you help with a link to the 'backdoor ' directions ?? I have heard about one to AK but not sure if there are any others.
We are so psyched !!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Thanks for the kind reply. We are staying at Windsor Hills too, in a townhome with a splash pool. Can you help with a link to the 'backdoor ' directions ?? I have heard about one to AK but not sure if there are any others.
We are so psyched !!

If what you heard was taking Sherberth Rd. from 192 to AKL then this is the best shortcut to know. Just follow the signs from there as your are on Disney property then. Only about a 5 mins ride.

 

[Puget Peach]

If what you heard was taking Sherberth Rd. from 192 to AKL then this is the best shortcut to know. Just follow the signs from there as your are on Disney property then. Only about a 5 mins ride.

We stayed just South of 192 on Old Lake Wilson Road. The Sherbeth Road "backdoor" is great! I mapped the area on Google maps to make sure I understood it. The thing to remember is ... getting home you MUST stay in the single left lane as you pass AK, or your will end up at the AK parking! Getting out of the AK parking back onto Sherbeth is a bit tricky as well. Well worth the learning curve!

 

[greenhornet]

And I have done this even when I stay on property. If I am going to be going to Epcot or Mickey Studio I park at the beach club if I am going to Magic Kingdom I park at the Polynesian and catch the Monorail so I only have to pay at the Animal Kingdom. You could park at the Lodge and take the bus but I have. I have been doing this for a long time. I just tell them I’m going there for breakfast lunch or dinner. I have never had a problem. Doing this for Epcot makes it really easy to get out after Illumations.

 

[JoanneNC]

And I have done this even when I stay on property. If I am going to be going to Epcot or Mickey Studio I park at the beach club if I am going to Magic Kingdom I park at the Polynesian and catch the Monorail so I only have to pay at the Animal Kingdom. You could park at the Lodge and take the bus but I have. I have been doing this for a long time. I just tell them I’m going there for breakfast lunch or dinner. I have never had a problem. Doing this for Epcot makes it really easy to get out after Illumations.

Technically this isn't allowed as they post a 3 hr max parking and "could" tow your vehicle. I am sure it doesn't happen very often but the $12 savings in parking wouldn't be worth an impound fee plus the hassle. So just wanted to point out that this loophole, if abused by many - prohibits guests of said hotel from finding parking and may lead to more headaches..

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

We stayed just South of 192 on Old Lake Wilson Road. The Sherbeth Road "backdoor" is great! I mapped the area on Google maps to make sure I understood it. The thing to remember is ... getting home you MUST stay in the single left lane as you pass AK, or your will end up at the AK parking! Getting out of the AK parking back onto Sherbeth is a bit tricky as well. Well worth the learning curve!

I agree. I studied the route on Mapquest before we left. Also to go home at night I follow the signs for AKL. They all lead right to the traffic light at Sherbeth Rd.

 

[Happiest mommy]

We LOVE staying offsite its great having a full kitchen, we always rent a car so many dinning choices the only tip I have is to bring baggies they work for so many things and freeze water bottles this saved us so much money enjoy your stay!

 

[mncherokee]

We stayed offsite in June during a 'busy' time and never had problems with parking. Our 'crowd' issues were once we were actually in the park.

 

[disneyannie]

Love all the great hints and tips regarding Windsor Hills. I'm in the process of planning a trip there for August 2010.

We usually stay on site in a moderate, but after being there last august during a tropical storm that lasted quite a few days, i feel i need more space.

Has anyone used the shuttle to the parks, whats the cost? how often? would you recommend it.

Thanks

Nettie

 

[crusoe2]

Love all the great hints and tips regarding Windsor Hills. I'm in the process of planning a trip there for August 2010.

We usually stay on site in a moderate, but after being there last august during a tropical storm that lasted quite a few days, i feel i need more space.

Has anyone used the shuttle to the parks, whats the cost? how often? would you recommend it.

Thanks



Nettie

We never used the shuttle so I don't know the specifics about its schedule or anything. There is another thread on the board started by someone thinking about staying offsite next trip and using the shuttles - several of us have responded there so you might want to check that out. Basically, tho, most folks don't recommend staying offsite without a car. Offsite shuttles generally do not run nearly as frequently as Disney buses and the pick-up/drop-off area is in the middle of the parking lots at the park. I sure wouldn't want to be out in the middle of an asphalt parking lot waiting for a bus in the August heat. I think there's some good advice over on the other thread regarding deals on rental cars and such. Definitely check it out.

That said, I still highly recommend the switch to a condo at WH. Most of our onsite stays have been at moderates and I can't tell you how much nicer it was to have all the space and amenities of a condo. One of my concerns was having to drive to and from the parks but we found we actually enjoyed that time and my DD loved riding the parking lot trams.

 

[mncherokee]

Love all the great hints and tips regarding Windsor Hills. I'm in the process of planning a trip there for August 2010.

We usually stay on site in a moderate, but after being there last august during a tropical storm that lasted quite a few days, i feel i need more space.

Has anyone used the shuttle to the parks, whats the cost? how often? would you recommend it.

Thanks

Nettie

Nice to see another 2010!!!

We thought about using the shuttle at Windsor Palms (which is the same service at Windsor Hills) and it was around $10 per person... (I posted exact rates from last June in another thread, if you want to search my postings) We had a car last time, but we are thinking of flying next time and would definitely rent a car.

 

[SanFranciscan]

What someone staying off site for the first time would probably miss the most is the enthusiasm of others who love Disney as much as he or she did. Yet it would mean possibly learning an appreciation for other attactions in Orlando loved by people who have a "Been there, done that" attitude toward Disney.

We stayed off site at place called Crestwood Suites in Orlando during our only trip to that area so we would like to stay on site next time because that would be the new experience for us.

 

[disneyannie]

Thanks for the replies about the shuttle. We will be having a car, but I was weighing up the options of using the shuttle occasionally. I will look at the other post, but from your comments, the car sounds more favourable.

Nettie