Giving up on staying on property....

[GusGus77]

Has anyone checked into this hotel. We are leaving a day early and are DVC members with no more points so we needed to find a room for one night. This hotel is next to DTD and it says its a WDW hotel with the benefits of EMH. it looked like it was about $95 a night.
http://t.buenavistapalace.com/

I don't see on the site where it says it has benefits of EMH?

 

[Kelnick]

Sorry I thought it was that one but it is this one.
http://www.downtowndisneyhotels.com/hotels/hilton

 

[Disneyfan1977]

Never said I thought Disney owed me anything and knew someone would chime in with something like that. I'm only venting and frustrated. Congrats on your family being able to afford it year after year...

 

[OurBigTrip]

Never said I thought Disney owed me anything and knew someone would chime in with something like that. I'm only venting and frustrated. Congrats on your family being able to afford it year after year...

If you're responding to me, my family isn't able to afford it year after year. We go every three years or so, and save up to do so. And we've been very fortunate that we go at a time of year when discounts are almost always available, which makes it easier.

But when I see people posting (and it isn't just you, so no need to take it personally...it's like this every time discounts are released) that they spend so much at Disney but don't get good discounts, it certainly appears that those posters believe they are owed something because they go to Disney a lot.

 

[TeresaWen]

Where did you find a condo that cheap?

It is a "get-a-way" deal from my friend's timeshare. There are always tons for the Orlando. I was lucky to find one that had a two bedroom for two weeks back to back.

This will be the "grand experiment" to see if we can stay off property. I'll be keeping a trip journal and will post results here!

 

[Bree]

Well I agree with what everyone is saying! I'm sick over these so called discounts. No benefit to my family who has spent a lot at Disney over the years.... But not like Disney cares.... They are laughing all the way to the bank.

One problem we are running into is that we are going to need to rent a car.... We don't use credit cards any longer so basically we are screwed. Trying to figure out how much taxis will cost us because we really want to rent a house and I'm sure there are no shuttles from these communities. Any suggestions anyone?

Avis accepts debit cards at most locations. I checked MCO and they do accept debit cards, but you may be subject to a credit check. I have rented with a debit card and never had a credit check, but YMMV.

 

[Aliceacc]

Just curious...

People who are getting these incredible deals on condos... could you post where they are? If we ever choose to go that route, it would help to know.

The ones I've priced have been far, far above anything I've seen on this thread.

 

[Sandysbuddy]

Just curious...

People who are getting these incredible deals on condos... could you post where they are? If we ever choose to go that route, it would help to know.

The ones I've priced have been far, far above anything I've seen on this thread.

We have a reservation for the 1st week of December at Windsor Hills. It is a 2 bedroom, 2 bath, with a full kitchen and washer and dryer. The rate for the week is $299. They do charge a cleaning fee so the final price with tax for 7 nights is $422. We have never stayed there but the reviews look great and it is not very far from DW. Apparently, there are a lot of ways to rent a condo there but we went through http://www.vacationcentralflorida.com/

 

[CarKey]

We are staying 9 nights in a two bedroom/two bathroom condo called Orange Lake Resort. It's owned by IHG so you can use their friends and family discount. The resort has 7 pools, including a whole water park. We are booked in June 2014 at $111 per night. Our total for the 9 nights, including fees and taxes is $1200. My two kids and I are going with another couple and their one child, so we will split the cost. 9 nights for $600 can't be beat! The husband works for IHG and stayed at this resort a couple of months ago and says it's so close to Animal Kingdom you can smell the poo. I hope he's kidding about that, but I did look at it on a google map and it is RIGHT THERE.

 

[TeresaWen]

Just curious...

People who are getting these incredible deals on condos... could you post where they are? If we ever choose to go that route, it would help to know.

The ones I've priced have been far, far above anything I've seen on this thread.

Mine is a get-a-way deal through II at one of the Marriott's about 9 miles from EPCOT. $407 for a week in a two bedroom and the resorts in Orlando are awesome and the rooms are huge. We managed to find two weeks back to back and have the reservations linked so we don't have to change rooms. Too good to pass up.

This will be the first time in about 15 years that we stay off property but I just can't pay full price for a room. I figure the only thing we will miss is being close and able to walk back to our hotel. We will use the resort transportation to get to the part and head to an EPCOT resort when we are done for the evening for a drink and a taxi back.

 

[Autumnslight]

We just booked our trip a couple of weeks ago for the end of September. We were originally looking at staying onsite and only doing 5 days because it's SO expensive. After a lot of research, we booked a 4 bedroom, 3.5 bathroom villa about 15 minutes away from MK, at $806 total for 9 nights, including taxes, cleaning, resort fees, and everything. We'll have a full kitchen, free Wi-Fi, full washer and dryer, access to the resort amenities, including a couple of pools with water slides and a lazy river, etc.

There are six of us going, 3 adults and 3 kids, and we needed five separate beds in at least 3 separate bedrooms, one of which had to be a king size to accommodate my 6' 5" husband. Staying onsite, there was just no way to do that without spending an absolute fortune. We'd have had to get either a huge villa at a deluxe resort, or two or three rooms or suites at a moderate or value resort. At a minimum, it would have cost us triple what we're paying, and we still wouldn't have had the full kitchen, laundry facilities, or anywhere near the amount of space.

In terms of transportation, we used Disney transportation when we went several years ago, and there's no way I'm doing that again, so we'd have wanted to rent a car anyway, even if we stayed onsite. We're renting a minivan for 9 days, for $345. Even adding in car rental, parking fees, gas, and tolls, we're still saving a ton over the cost of staying onsite.

Obviously we haven't actually taken our trip yet, but at this point, I'm very happy with the decision. I was a little bummed at not being right in the middle of the "magic", but now we can stay almost twice as long and be more comfortable while we're there, which should make up for it!

We're renting the villa form a private owner, and it's in Regal Palms. We found it through either www.homeaway.com or www.vacationrentals.com, I can't recall which. Many of the same properties are listed on both of those sites by the owners.

 

[Rustyroo]

I've wondered about taking the leap off site too. The last several years we've stayed at BC and loved it, but it's just so much more expensive. And with perks and discounts reportedly dwindling, it makes less and less sense to stay "in the middle of the magic". Some magic when they have no discounts and you pay rack rate, you get a discount and fight an overbooked, overpriced hotel (and not get what you want from the tiny pool of rooms they opened for the discount), and keep taking things away either way. Difficult to not get frustrated over this when we've enjoyed onsite before. Disney just seems to be slowly changing things for the worse for the consumer, and it's not what Walt envisioned I'm sure...

 

[tink1953]

where to get a good deal on an offsite resort...

If you have a realtor friend have them check into RCI.....they offer weeks you can buy a couple of times a year....its a great deal and no strings attached...we have been doing it for years...this year we bought four 7 night rooms...they are 3 bedrooms and sleep 10 with full kitchens and 2 baths....$209.00 for 7 nights...
so my sons and families are staying for $418 for 14 nights each.....

 

[maxiesmom]

Oh goodness, not another post about what Walt would or wouldn't like. Please! Walt was a businessman! He was fine with charging people to go to Disneyland!

I've stayed off site, but I prefer on site. But I go where my budget allows. And where my patience allows. If staying on site is the most important thing, I save up for it. And if the room set ups that Disney has to offer don't work, then we find an off site resort with a set up that does work.


But please keep in mind a trip to WDW is not a right, it is a splurge. Walt wouldn't be sad to be making money.

 

[TeresaWen]

This will be the first time we stayed off property in about 15 years. We'll see how it goes. I have been over and over in my head what "perks" we will be missing and what we will be gaining.

Only real loss for us will be the ease of getting back to our hotel at night....we are almost always in EPCOT in Countries at the end of the night so it has been a stroll or boat right back to the Yacht club. Now we will have to drive back.

Hoping the space and money saved will more than make up for that. For us it is more about the space than the savings. I get up very early and go to bed early. Other way around for my husband. It will be very nice to have a living room. Kitchen will be nice so we can have a healthy breakfast. Laundry will be nice so we can pack (a bit) less.

I plan on keeping a journal so I can share my experience with others who are considering this!

 

[jkc0325]

This year was going to be my first year staying onsite. Had a room booked at POR but couldn't get free dining. I found I just couldn't do it...so, I got a 4 bedroom3 bath house with a private pool and a clubhouse with game room, huge pool with slide, waterfall, jacuzzi's, etc and a tiki bar for $800 less than we would have paid to cram 5 of us into POR.

I've never stayed onsite and I've always had a blast at Disney!!!! It can be done, I promise!

 

[Blessed_wth_Triplets]

Wow...these are some amazing deals off sight! We have yet to, but with my big family of six and this being the first year we can't get FD ... Not offered at AoA suites...I'm beginning to wonder how much I could really save after car rental? Currently out 6 night/6 day base tickets with DDP for 2 adults and 4 kids is $4600. Would anyone who mentioned these great prices mind posting a direct link to the actual condo? I've looked before at vohr.com and there are so many it is just so overwhelming I don't know we're to start there are soooo many!!??

 

[MistressMerryweather]

This will be our first year going and not staying on property. So sad. It costs my family of 6(soon to be 7 in September) no less than $4000 and that includes the free dining, for one week. We have always gone for 10-14 days in the past.
We can rent a 2 bedroom, full kitchen, pools, lazy river, etc for $840/wk.

That means giving up magical express. We'll have to rent a car, lug car seats, get groceries, no magic hours, no transportation. Stinks, but we just can't afford it anymore.
It's the all-inclusive feel that we have always loved. Really seriously bummed.

 

[maxiesmom]

This will be our first year going and not staying on property. So sad. It costs my family of 6(soon to be 7 in September) no less than $4000 and that includes the free dining, for one week. We have always gone for 10-14 days in the past.
We can rent a 2 bedroom, full kitchen, pools, lazy river, etc for $840/wk.

That means giving up magical express. We'll have to rent a car, lug car seats, get groceries, no magic hours, no transportation. Stinks, but we just can't afford it anymore.
It's the all-inclusive feel that we have always loved. Really seriously bummed.

I'm not picking on you, but when posters say they can't afford to stay on site, what I think they are saying is they can't stay on site and go as often as they would like.

I love going to WDW as often as I can. And if I had to choose between going less often and staying off site, I'm not sure which I would pick. But staying off site is a choice, we could all save up longer and take less frequent trips, if on site (or deluxe) is what we really preferred.

 

[Autumnslight]

Wow...these are some amazing deals off sight! We have yet to, but with my big family of six and this being the first year we can't get FD ... Not offered at AoA suites...I'm beginning to wonder how much I could really save after car rental? Currently out 6 night/6 day base tickets with DDP for 2 adults and 4 kids is $4600. Would anyone who mentioned these great prices mind posting a direct link to the actual condo? I've looked before at vohr.com and there are so many it is just so overwhelming I don't know we're to start there are soooo many!!??

This is the actual property that we'll be renting http://www.vacationrentals.com/vaca..._lprop&utm_campaign=VROwnerInquiry#rates-jump. There aren't a lot of photos of the actual inside in that listing, but I've seen photos of each room, and it's quite nice. We're paying $806 for 9 nights, including all taxes and fees. We'll have 3 adults and 3 children, and the rental is 4 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. Even with a car rental and parking, we're still saving a ton of money over staying onsite.