full immersion

[Ed J]

Is a sham

The Disney bubble, also a sham.

Well unless you stay deluxe and skip DAK, cause as soon as the bus hits the road outside your resort the bubble bursts and you are no longer immersed and reality slaps you right in the face. I laugh out loud every time I see value or mod and immersion or bubble used by someone. It’s a farce.
If I never set foot on another Disney bus again I’d be happy, that said will I still use them? Sure, I just know at times they suck, there I said it they suck. Sometimes it only takes 15 or 20 minutes to get back to your resort, sometimes it’s an hour. I like to have a car, but some trips we don’t rent one. On those trips I’ll make sure I have enough cash for cabs, I’ll gladly dump $20+ a few times during a trip to save time, after all I want to spend my vacation time having fun not on a bus with tired cranky and sometimes smell people (and that’s my family.)

You want to stay in a true bubble? Go to Universal, they can offer it, or if you are a Disney only kinda guest, head out west, Disneyland can offer it. But be prepared to shell out some real coin if you want the real bubble from Walt as the only place that offers that true bubble is the Grand Californian hotel, the other OP hotels make you cross the street and whoops, there goes your full immersion. (speaking stateside here).

We do on site off site split trips, I’ve stayed value through deluxe with the family and for work, I enjoy them all as I look for different things from different vacations. I enjoy golf and fishing in Orlando and that might be the focus of the trip. Other times it’s all park time from when we arrive till we leave. The point of all this is don’t fall for the hype that some put out there, most of the bubble talk is just that talk, it really doesn’t exist in Florida.

 

[minnie mum]

One man's opinion/rant/…..... YMMV. Have a magical day.

 

[LadyJayne813]

I agree. When i stay offsite, i can be at the parks within 10 mins. I can also be at walmart, a pharmacy, or restaurant in 10 mins at all hours of the day and night.

On property, if its past midnight and you are hungry, your only choice is a vending machine bc the food court closes. Driving off property for something is a long, dark drive. If you need anything at all off property, its a long trip.

I didn't find a cramped motel 6 style room to be magical at all.

 

[mikehn]

Im surprised this hasnt gotten deleted

 

[bankr63]

Im surprised this hasnt gotten deleted

By who? His opinion is allowed, and frankly I agree. I might not be so curmudgeonly about stating it, but I think Ed's avatar says it all

Heck, I count about 18 trips in his signature block both on and off site, so he sure has put in the time to develop his opinion!

 

[DanInMN]

We stay on site sometimes and off site other times. I really don't like the Motel-6 style of the Values, but do enjoy the Moderates. I am too cheap for Disney Deluxe - we could afford them, but I just can't see spending that much. If we only have 2-3 people, are visiting at low season, and can get free dining or some equivalent discount, then we might stay at POR. Otherwise a nice off site resort offers so much more for a lot less cost. Bahama Bay, Bonnet Creek, and Reunion resorts can be great values if you shop around for price.

 

[Rommie]

If you want full immersion, you have to pay for it, and it isn't cheap. This dictates everything in this world, not just Disney immersion.

 

[kathy884]

I understand what you are saying. The only places where we have stayed onsite are (1) Fort Wildness campground in my dad's motorhome growing up, (2) Contemporary Hotel -- DH has had several seminars there, so his company was paying, and (3) POR when DH had a seminar and didn't sign up soon enough -- overflow people were put there.

Not needing to use buses seemed to be the key in it being more immersive (e.g. Fort Wilderness with the little boats to the MK was pretty cool back when I was 15. My brother and I could take these by ourselves without our parents, so that I think that made it kind of fun - some independence for non-driving responsible teens). And I absolutely loved it the time that we were given the tower balcony room at the Contemporary (watching the Electrical Water Parade from there and the monorail access was heavenly). Now the non tower rooms there that many people really like just didn't impress me (so remote), and I wasn't overly impressed with Port Orleans (didn't feel any closer than offsite to me, so I just don't get paying a premium for value or moderate onsite, unless you don't have our own car and/or don't want to rent a car). I didn't care for the food court offerings there too, so that didn't help. These more affordable options are more costly than an offsite condo resort which is my personal choice when it's my own travel dollar and I'm staying for seven nights. // I liked the Contemporary tower so much that I looked at prices for a short trip, and OMG (retail or with a Disney PIN) is not even close to what I budget for a little Orlando get-a-way.

Truth be told I'm a very value conscious traveler, and really not a four star person (even offsite -- expensive food and offsite charges for Wi-Fi and parking annoy me even with a great base rate and fabulous over the top hotel) .For a short stay with my own dollars, I usually pick something like the Hilton Garden Inn or Residence Inn by SeaWorld, as we always hit that park too.

It's quiet impressive to me how Disney manages to fill up those 40,000 or so hotel rooms. I'm blow away by that and their marketing.

A big thing, though, I think with my choice is that I think driving around Orlando is easy. I like things in Orlando other than Disney, so for me a car is sort of a must have that gives me the freedom to do what I want when I want and I wouldn't be without one there. // Orlando overall, though, isn't for me a place I'd want to spend a whole week. I think I've jut been down there too many times (38 or so) and my husband doesn't like Orlando so only goes there when he has a seminar. Trips are usually just me and my son meeting up with extended family. For these reasons I really spend our main vacation dollars elsewhere, pick destinations with more appeal to everyone in the family. But Orlando certainly is a really good time, and these days I tend to do an annual budget mini trip. Works for me -- love it and am even on these boards and looking forward to a mini December stay after DS's finals and before the Christmas crowds. This time it's a relative getting the offsite condo with our bunking up with them (five nights for me, seven for DS).

 

[nono]

30+ trips, many on-site. I completely agree that busses aren't magical. Just not.

I think the magic of the bubble was possible before the 90s when with the opening of MGM, yes, busses came on the scene and we've never looked back.
Around that timeframe, Universal opened and greater Orlando hotels/motels kicked into high gear with better amenities of their properties. It really made off site just as nice as staying onsite (imho).

What I find is that some times I've needed a bubble. Meaning, at that point in my life I drove (or sat in traffic so much) in my life that I wanted to hand it all off to someone else during vacation, whether magical or not. Later, having heavily relied on public transportation after being a NYC resident, the "When's the next one?" feeling like being on a subway platform in the summer, wasn't my idea of good vacation bubble. I drove all. the. time at that point. Nowadays, a bubble for me is options, so I like to drive, and leverage the transportation features as I see fit, whether staying on or off-site.

So, I would say, take a look at yourself, and decide what your needs are at the moment and pick the right lodging for how you are at this point in your life.

 

[Ed J]

Im surprised this hasnt gotten deleted

Why? You might may or may not agree with me but I don't believe I broke any rules. And as was said above I have put my time in on a few trips to come up with my observations, the trips in my signature are only the family trips to Orlando. I have close to another dozen that were work related.

I have seen the "bubble people" speak of it only to read later they have never stayed offsite, kinda hard to form an objective opinion on something if you have only seen it from one side, wouldn't you agree?

 

[mikehn]

I was being sarcastic. Here are some smilies I forgot to add

 

[Ed J]

Oh, should have figured, I'm a big fan of sarcasm

 

[Pembo]

Another vote for the op.

We stayed at WH after years of on-site - I was very wary of staying away. We loved it!!! The only negative I found was it was harder to split up as a family. Our last trip staying at POR, dd & I could head out early and the boys could catch up with us later. Staying offsite meant we all had to leave at the same time BUT it was so much more relaxing. Three bedrooms, each with it's own tv, a full kitchen, a couch! I have never felt more relaxed after a Disney Vacation than our times at WH.

And the cost difference was significant!!!

I was definitely a bubble person until I got brave enough to pop the bubble and live dangerously .

 

[Brian Noble]

The Disney bubble, also a sham.

It's not a sham so much as it is in the eye of the beholder. For some people, it really matters to not have to drive under the "See You Real Soon" signs. Other people don't care.

Over the years, we've had many stays both onsite and off. Offisite, I've done Disney-centric trips at Windsor Hills 2x, Vistana, VV @ Parkway, and Bonnet Creek, with a second WBC stay coming up soon. Onsite, we've been to OKW 3x, VWL 2x, BCV, BWV, and BLT. I'm not sure the offsite vs. onsite distinction is as important as the overall feel of a place. In many respects, we like Bonnet *more* than OKW. The location is a bit more convenient, the main pools nicer and more accessible, and some of the rooms overlook Epcot. OKW is very relaxing, and we like it, but we like Bonnet too.

On the other hand, not much beats being at BCV, Epcot's back door, for Food & Wine. Likewise, seeing the MK from a bird's eye view every morning as you leave BLT is pretty cool.

 

[Amanda999]

I think it really depends on what you/your travel group values on the trip.

I've stayed all resort levels except villa, and offsite (Windsor Hills townhouse, private rental home, Nick hotel, and a standard hotel).

I did love the space v. cost offsite compared to onsite. It is much more peaceful offsite. I can get coffee (outside the room, or in my full kitchen) before 6am (important to me) without staying deluxe (Captain Cook's is/was 24/7). I love having a full size frig (we don't like going to restaurants alot - much prefer hitting Publix and stocking up).

But, when I travel alone with my kids I'm onsite: the lifeguarding onsite is so good I can relax at the pool (cannot get that offsite, except at Nick which ugh for other reasons) and my kids are big swimmers so that's huge; I can send my kids to the food court on their own to eat onsite; and onsite it is very easy to split up without renting 2 cars (which we do when offsite - we have 2 very different DSs so DH takes one and I take the other to parks/whatever). Also, if there is a problem with an onsite room, they will make it right. At Windsor Hills we had a smoke detector go off THREE mornings (including my birthday!) between 3am and 5am. Management not available until 8am. Stunk. (The detector was on a ceiling so high I couldn't reach even on a chair to just knock it down.) At Disney we'd be moved to a new room and/or been comped for the night I bet.

The ability to send the kids off to the evening marshmallow roast and movie under the stars onsite is also great - they like it, it's social, and if I want I get a break to read or get coffee because they are happily occupied by smiling CMs and playing with other kids at the nearby playground (at POR, e.g.).

I can also see onsite holding alot of value for 1st time visitors with strollers. i think the monorail resorts are worth it (ok, when the monorail is reliably running!) if within a family's budget if you have strollers and/or don't want to deal with buses for whatever reason.

So, yeah, if I didn't value the onsite perks above, then I'd be offsite (and sometimes we are).

Just my 2 cents, in case someone is reading this attempting to decide - I know I researched these boards alot before going offsite the first time.

 

[nugov2]

I agree. For us and our family size we are no longer an on site family. Our kids love the WDW theming and the deluxes don't really offer it and the price tag that comes with the size room we needs is not justified for what you get. Values and mods don't offer what we want and the theme at the values is tacky IMHO and even my kids didn't care for it when we brought them to AOA to check it out. We can get a beautiful home with 6bdrms all decked out in WDW. There are some really amazing houses available a stones throw away from the parks. We are not a public transportation family. I don't like it and find it a con. The monorail is OK, but even that for an entire trip is tiresome. So we would have a car regardless. I never get the bubble argument but I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder so I don't doubt that people feel that way, but I do think you have had to experience both to really know. I challenge guests to find a really beautiful home with castle beds for their dd and a really amazing toy story room for their ds with a private pool and a then a big resort pool before saying off site isn't magical or not part of the disney bubble. You also don't have to eat in a home just b/c you are renting one. We ate almost all of our meals on site, but then could come home, put the kids to bed and enjoy some quiet time by the pool with a drink while the kids were happily sleeping upstairs. Now that is magical

 

[North of Mouse]

Is a sham

The Disney bubble, also a sham.

Well unless you stay deluxe and skip DAK, cause as soon as the bus hits the road outside your resort the bubble bursts and you are no longer immersed and reality slaps you right in the face. I laugh out loud every time I see value or mod and immersion or bubble used by someone. It’s a farce.
If I never set foot on another Disney bus again I’d be happy, that said will I still use them? Sure, I just know at times they suck, there I said it they suck. Sometimes it only takes 15 or 20 minutes to get back to your resort, sometimes it’s an hour. I like to have a car, but some trips we don’t rent one. On those trips I’ll make sure I have enough cash for cabs, I’ll gladly dump $20+ a few times during a trip to save time, after all I want to spend my vacation time having fun not on a bus with tired cranky and sometimes smell people (and that’s my family.)

You want to stay in a true bubble? Go to Universal, they can offer it, or if you are a Disney only kinda guest, head out west, Disneyland can offer it. But be prepared to shell out some real coin if you want the real bubble from Walt as the only place that offers that true bubble is the Grand Californian hotel, the other OP hotels make you cross the street and whoops, there goes your full immersion. (speaking stateside here).

We do on site off site split trips, I’ve stayed value through deluxe with the family and for work, I enjoy them all as I look for different things from different vacations. I enjoy golf and fishing in Orlando and that might be the focus of the trip. Other times it’s all park time from when we arrive till we leave. The point of all this is don’t fall for the hype that some put out there, most of the bubble talk is just that talk, it really doesn’t exist in Florida.

Speak for yourself! To each their own!! Rant on - but yes, it does exist!

 

[tina.tina]

Is a sham

The Disney bubble, also a sham.

Well unless you stay deluxe and skip DAK, cause as soon as the bus hits the road outside your resort the bubble bursts and you are no longer immersed and reality slaps you right in the face. I laugh out loud every time I see value or mod and immersion or bubble used by someone. It’s a farce.

Let's call this what it is- an anti-bus rant. I do think it's pretty rude that you say you "laugh out loud" and call someone else's joyful experience "a farce."

 

[olwyngdh]

Let's call this what it is- an anti-bus rant. I do think it's pretty rude that you say you "laugh out loud" and call someone else's joyful experience "a farce."

And I have had a couple magical moments riding back to Pop on the bus from a park. Two of them stick out in my memory. One night, one person started singing along to the soundtrack they play on the bus, and soon everyone had joined in--we were all exhausted, but by the time we got back to the resort, everyone was singing and laughing and no one was cranky, even tired toddlers. The other time was when someone on the bus checked the news on his phone and found out Bin Laudin had been killed. He announced it to everyone, and I can't even begin to describe the emotions that we all felt. To share such a monumental moment with the people on that bus bonded us all.

And at the end of a long trip, the bus back to the resort is my daughters favorite ride...

 

[bryanb]

I was not a fan of the busses at first either, but I came to accept them. Funny how they show water taxis and monorails in the videos, but the busses are never part of the brochure. For me, the bubble isn't burst by a bus. You're still letting the Disney transportation system take care of you.

The bubble would be burst more by walking back to my car and getting into my car, even if it's to drive to an on-site resort. Having to take care of my own transportation whips me back into the "real world." To each their own.

By the way, I agree that the value resort theming is tacky, and I'm 100% sure that was intentional in order to sell lower priced hotel rooms without cannibalizing the more premium product.