For All You Experienced WDWers, how hard is it to get offsite for a break in the PM?

[bradshaw9499]

I need some good experienced advice....

We are planning a trip in late Nov - early Dec. We have two children (5 & 2) and will probably be staying offsite at either Marriott's Horizons Resort or Marriott's Imperial Palm Resort. (Horizons is on/close to Westwood Drive, Imperial looks like it is right off 536)

My question is this: How hard is it go get offsite in the afternoon for a break? Our plan is to get to the parks in the early morning, head back to the hotel for lunch and a break in the afternoon for a few hours, and come back for more fun later in the afternoon. A friend of mine says that it isn't worth the headache and that we should just stay on-site, but the appeal of a huge suite with a full kitchen and washer/dryer is pulling me in that direction.

This is the biggest sticking point I have to work through before making our reservations. I haven't been to Disney since I was a young girl and my husband hasn't been since he was a teenager - so it's been a while!

THANKS!

 

[gw_lit]

When staying off-site, taking an afternoon break can consume a lot of time. Figure an hour from leaving the park to get back to the hotel, two hour break and an hour to get back from the hotel to the park... so 4 hours total. If you're at WDW off-peak (AK closes at 5:00, MK & MGM close at 7:00 and EPCOT future world closes at 9:30), it probably isn't worth it unless you go back to EPCOT after your break.

You could try to plan some sit down activities (shows, etc.) in the afternoon to get some down time in the parks without having to leave the property.

 

[dougsmom98]

We have only done offsite and we have taken breaks and haven't found them to be a problem at all. MK is the only park that takes longer to get out of, but it still has never stopped us. We haven't found traffic to be bad mid-day so that isn't a problem. From what I understanding, staying onsite and waiting for buses can take a while too. When we went in December and February, we found that we didn't need breaks even when the kids were really small. The weather is so comfortable, that we would get there at opening and spend all day there until 5 pm. We would go "home," have dinner, go for a swim and then go to bed early. If we were going to go to a night show, sometimes we would go home in the afternoon and rest but sometimes we didn't. I think I have heard that the parks close early in early December so you may not want to take a break.

 

[lizziepooh]

Walking all the way across the park to the entrance, waiting for a tram to the parking lot (boat or monorail for MK) can take a while and is more walking for kids. Then you have to reverse the process coming back. Because of the shortened park hours that time of year, I would probably stay thru lunch and leave mid to late afternoon and not come back. Our grandson took a nap in the stroller when he was little and that worked for us.

 

[bgirl29]

We have stayed off site and on-site and either way I say take a break. I do not think you will spend much more time traveling to your off site hotel versus an on site not on the monorail. We do not always do this at the MK though just because of the nedd to ride the ferry or monorail to the TTC if off site. Either way you will have to decide what is right for your family. Have a great trip.

 

[PortieOwner]

I don't think it is much harder to take a break if staying off site. For one thing parking lots at WDW are sometimes far from the hotel room. I swear it took 15 minutes each way just to get to the car when I stayed at WL. Also, if you are offsite getting food can be easier, or you may have your own kitchen. Being able to make your own sandwiches saves 15-30 minutes in walking to the resort food court and waiting in lines. Same thing in the morning. One of the more efficient trips I ever took involved staying near SeaWorld. But we were right off I-4 and it was a pretty quick trip into the World. Every morning we hit Bob Evans for a gigantic breakfast, then to WDW in time for rope drop, around 1PM we retreated to the hotel for lunch, pool time and a nap, then we were ready for a long late night back at WDW.

Portie

 

[trstno1]

I have stayed at some of those Marriott resorts, and if you get to the parks early, and get a close parking spot, it is a very short drive to the Marriott resorts - like 15-20 minutes. I believe they are all fairly close together. Check the locations - for the resorts I stayed at, the drive was not a big deal.

Even when I stayed with my brother in Kissimmee, the drive was only 20 minutes.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

We stayed offsite in Jan 2005 when DD was 16 months and DS was 7.

I couldn't imagaine packing everyone back in the car and driving back offsite to our hotel for a break. By the time we got out of the park, took the tram. drove to the hotel, got to the room and settled everyone down, it would be time to head back.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

With a 2YO and 5YO, whether or not you stay off-site, you will probably have a better trip if you plan for an afternoon break and swim everyday. I would assume that your 2YO will need to nap every day and that your 5YO will probably need to nap occassionally (even if that is unusual at home).

Where ever you stay, plan on doing the parks in the morning, heading back to the room, then coming back for evening events (fireworks, a character dinner, viewing the Christmas lights) occassionally. The mornings after a late night, start your day later (Epcot WS, water park). Yes, you will go on fewer rides, but you will probably have a better vacation.

We have split our stays when staying in an offsite timeshare: 4 nights onsite and 7 nights offsite. This was the perfect comination of cost/benefit. While onsite, we made a lot trips to the MK, then visited the other parks the rest of the trip.

Good luck with whatever you decide. -- Suzanne