Help convince me staying off site is great!

[uandmfan]

Thanks everyone. I agree that at this age, staying off-site is best if the timeshare doesn't work out. Fingers crossed.

Thanks for all the helpful feedback!!

 

[Ametista]

^^^^This and with the savings my one week vacation is now a bot over 3 weeks

Yup. We go 3 times a year because we stay offsite and it's so much cheaper. Besides, we visit Seaworld and Universal parks most trips so we would have to drive anyway.

 

[shandysugar]

Our first trip is coming up and we are staying at the Wyndham Bonnet Creek (MIL is an owner). I am excited to be staying off site. I like the idea of having my own rental car and being able to come and go as I please. We've already budgeted for parking at the parks. I am also excited for having 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and kitchen/dining/living areas!

 

[MolonLabe]

We have used a timeshare to trade into DVC at the bay lake towers before. We had a 2 bedroom and could walk to the MK.

I'm not sure we will be able to do that this time. We will have a 5 and 2.5 year old so we need separate rooms and a kitchen.
<snip>
Thanks!!

Where to start. With two Contemporary stays, I'm right there with you about convenience for MK. I was honestly underwhelmed with Contemporary for the price... I suppose fantasizing about it from age 3 to age 35 can build up expectations though, lol.

I'll walk you through our thought process on our second trip there (relating to distance)- It was a HEAVY MK trip. Parties, rope drops, park closings and doing EMH's at 1am with the kids asleep in the room. Our 8 days had us in MK for 4 or 5 days (at one point or another, we skipped AK entirely that trip and only did a half day at DHS). For us, that helped a lot walking back and forth.

Flip to renting a condo or staying at one of the many 2 and 3 bedroom's just 10 minutes from the parks for 1/3 of the price... $169 a night for a 3 bedroom with fireworks view total of 1,400 sqft. makes Disney properties look... not so magical. Having a full kitchen, in room washer/dryer and two bathrooms is awesome too.

I can drive from them to DHS / EP or AK and be in the parks faster than staying at any of the WDW properties and taking the bus / monorail. MK is the only "kicker" because you have to get the monorail/ferry after you park, still it isn't that bad.

The down side with kids that age is getting them in and out of the car. Even a 10-15 min car ride means they fall asleep then wake up right away, that can suck.

As far as ADR's? Taking your own car means you get there sooner than waiting on those early morning buses.. minus walking to MK anyway.

We rarely do on property any more, usually only because of free dining or some other big perk. Both stays at CR we got the middle free dining for our family of 5, that was huge. I don't think they do free dining for TPV anymore and I'd never stay at CR without a TPV. That's really the main draw for me, I could never justify those prices otherwise.

There is something to be said for that "park your car and forget it and totally immerse yourself in WDW". I get that, I really do. I'd be more inclined if I could the pricing was less or the rooms were bigger.

We have one more trip this year to WDW before our current PAP's expire (we won't renew this next year, we need a break) and we'll be offsite almost certainly. Unless they have some sort of 40% off deluxe AP discount or something. It's just not worth it. So nice to come back to separate bed rooms, a place to sit and eat or just relax two people to shower at one time, or in the case of the master suites we get, my wife will soak in the jetted tub while I shower.

 

[disneysteve]

we need separate rooms and a kitchen.

Last time, we were there for RD every day, had 8 am breakfast reservations and went back to the room for dinner and then to the part for MSEP and wishes.

Is all of the above doable?

I haven't read any of the relies but I can tell you from extensive experience that yes, all of the above is doable from an offsite location.

We PREFER staying offsite. Yes, it's cheaper, but that's only one reason. We love the space and amenities offsite that you just can't get onsite at any price.

We usually rent in Windsor Palms and have no trouble being at rope drop in the morning, going back for a break during the day, and heading back into the parks for evening events.

I don't know where you are looking to stay but keep in mind that many offsite places are actually closer to the parks than some of the onsite resorts. No, they aren't in walking distance, but drive time can be faster. For example, I've timed the drive from Animal Kingdom to Orbit One vacation villas. It took us 4-1/2 minutes to get there. That's 4-1/2 minutes from the time we got in our car outside our unit until the time we parked in the Animal Kingdom parking lot. Let me see you get from Bay Lake Towers to Animal Kingdom in under 5 minutes.

Stop worrying. Find yourself a beautiful place to stay offsite. Enjoy all it has to offer and enjoy the low price you'll pay for it and have a great trip.

 

[MolonLabe]

Let me see you get from Bay Lake Towers to Animal Kingdom in under 5 minutes.

The only way to get from BLT/CR to AK in under 45 minutes is via your own car or a Taxi. That lends itself to a different issue with the monorail resorts, bus transport is horrendous.

 

[disneysteve]

The only way to get from BLT/CR to AK in under 45 minutes is via your own car or a Taxi. That lends itself to a different issue with the monorail resorts, bus transport is horrendous.

Exactly.

Onsite fans love to tout how convenient it is and how close to the parks you are. In fact, you might be close to one park but you are rather far from the others. There is no Disney hotel (or offsite hotel for that matter) that is close to all 4 parks. When we were 5 minutes from AK, we were, admittedly, frather from Epcot, though we still got there a lot faster with our own car than folks staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge did by Disney bus.

 

[Dennis2754]

We have not been to WDW since 2011 and with the price increases and age increases of my family we will have to stay offsite. It doesn't thrill me but we will just have to plan even more than we ever have (I don't like this either). Personally, I would not go back to WDW ever again with all the changes, but the kids ask every year and I have been putting it off so this will be one last trip. We also can't afford DVC rental and will probably try for Windsor Hills to make the commute a bit more tolerable. We aren't going until Summer 2017 and I don't plan to think about the lack of magic for this vacation until I really have to.

Hi, I'm so new at this site its crazy (I joined like 10 minutes ago! LOL) But I have NEVER stayed onsite at Disney. We, instead always rent a property in Davenport or surrounding area. You can find private homes (very nice, I've never been disappointed in 15 years) for rates of $85 to $120 a nite. Now these places have as many rooms as you need. Each bedroom has its own TV. You have a kitchen if you decide to save some money by cooking. There is laundry rooms in each place as well as many have games room, right in the house!. Best part if you have a PRIVATE POOL closed in and right off your living room. No sharing with 200 other people. You can enjoy relaxing while your kids swim. Here's where I have always had the best luck. VRBO.com. Most housing in Davenport area is usually a 10-15 minutes from all disney parks. Hope this helps. Dennis

 

[disneysteve]

You have a kitchen if you decide to save some money by cooking.

I would add that "cooking" is a very loose term here. You can enjoy the benefits of that kitchen even if "cooking" consists of little more than having bowls of cereal for breakfast in the morning or stopping at Publix and picking up a ready-to-bake pizza out of the refrigerator case and throwing it in the oven at night.

 

[TamaraQT]

I have done both on-site and off-site. I personally prefer off-site for many of the reasons already listed here (space, washer/dryer, savings). I have a DD9 who LIKES Disney but she doesn't LOVE Disney. The DAYTIME of our vacation is mostly about HER and what she wants to do. But it's OUR vacation too, and a single room with 2 beds and a bath does not leave many options for grown-ups. So off-site works better for us.

It's nice to come back to your condo/house, throw a load of laundry in the washer, put her to bed and have a few drinks on a balcony with a view. Better yet, have a glass of wine in the Jacuzzi !!!! Even just relaxing on a sofa, watching TV is better than staying in a cramped room with 2 beds and a bath. We always rent a car and driving around Orlando/Lake Buena Vista/Kissimmee is NOT that challenging. With GPS on cellphones there really is no reason to feel intimidated. I encourage EVERYONE to try off-site at least once. When we purchased a timeshare on the resale market there was no reason to go back on-site. But we extended our vacation from 7 nights to 10 nights. So we go onsite for 4days/3nites and then check into a timeshare resort and spend 7 nights there. This way we get both experiences.

Now this year, DD turns 10 so I offered her a week at Disney and a week at a timeshare resort. SHE CHOSE to spend BOTH weeks at a RESORT without going to Disney at all !!! She wants to stay at Orange Lake Resort one week and at Bonnet Creek the next week. As far as Disney goes, her only request is dinner at Ohana's one night and that is ALL the Disney she wants. Wow!!!!

 

[mckennarose]

Exactly.

Onsite fans love to tout how convenient it is and how close to the parks you are. In fact, you might be close to one park but you are rather far from the others. There is no Disney hotel (or offsite hotel for that matter) that is close to all 4 parks. When we were 5 minutes from AK, we were, admittedly, frather from Epcot, though we still got there a lot faster with our own car than folks staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge did by Disney bus.

This!!

On our trip last year, we were offsite (Marriott Sabal Palms) and my DD and DSIL were onsite (his parents own DVC) and every park we met up with them, we had to wait for them to arrive at least 30 minutes after us, despite all of us leaving our resorts at the same time. Same with leaving the parks....we both would leave the same time and they got to their resort later than we got to ours. Waiting for their buses really delayed them.

Also on the last trip..... DSIL stayed in our offsite condo one night until their DVC check in and he was blown away by how nice it was. He is a self proclaimed Disney snob who has never stayed offsite before and he said he definitely would stay offsite after seeing how nice it was for the money we paid.

 

[momof2gr8kids]

We haven't done Disney offsite yet, but did do Universal staying at WBC and loved it. We are going to Disney for new years this year and I originally planned WBC again, but wanted EMH during that time, so ended up getting a good deal onsite through a TA and then renting points from the 1st. Cost wise it was cheaper than WBC, but that's definitely not comparing apples to apples. LOL

I'm a little nervous that we will miss WBC and all it has to offer (especially the space!). But our next trip after this one will be in a slow season, and hoping to get WBC again, or SVR.

 

[TamaraQT]

1) For me there is NO magic in the too small hotel room with one bathroom that I am likely to be able to afford to stay onsite.

Ed

My sentiments EXACTLY. There is ABSOLUTELY NO MAGIC for me in that type of accommodation.

 

[pa. dad]

We have used a timeshare to trade into DVC at the bay lake towers before. We had a 2 bedroom and could walk to the MK.

I'm not sure we will be able to do that this time. We will have a 5 and 2.5 year old so we need separate rooms and a kitchen.

Last time, we were there for RD every day, had 8 am breakfast reservations and went back to the room for dinner and then to the part for MSEP and wishes.

Staying off site won't let us walk to the park. Is all of the above doable? I know there are some advantages (having a car, space, etc). Does anyone have experience with this who can share? I'm worried a vacation off-site (or really, in other resorts) won't live up to the memories of the last one. And I also think I'm being ridiculous! I'm also concerned about making the pre-opening ADRs.

Thanks!!

I absolutely insist on renting a car whenever we go to Orlando. One year my wife got sick at 6am and I had to run out to a drugstore to get her the right medicine. It really saved the day to say the least and saved her a lot of pain having that car that I could promptly resolve the situation.
I have stayed at Disney hotels and at non disney hotels. You can get a lot more space at lower costs off property. The Visitana is close to disney- a short drive. And there are many others also. Walking to a park is great - but just get up 15 minutes earlier and drive as it'snot that bad. One of the advantages we like off campus is that some of the others pools and hot tubs are open later than the Disney hotels and a quick dip in the pool or hot tub can be nice after a long day.

 

[wrlippert]

I also have stayed on and off property. If money was no object, I would get club level suite at the Grand Floridian and eat every meal in a full service Disney restaurant. Unfortunately, that isn't my reality. I have to make the decision between a value resort or off property. I have no children and often do solo trips. I have an annual pass and always get a rental car so parking and transportation are of little concern. My recent trips have all been off property resorts. For far less money I can get a suite with a full kitchen and washer and dryer. This means that I can get snacks, breakfast food, and adult beverages to enjoy at reasonable prices and on my schedule. The Windham Bonnet Creek is my favorite choice, but I have done other properties in Lake Buena Vista and even vacation homes. I like to get out of the bubble occasionally. It is easy to get over-stimulated on property and I find the off property resorts can be less hectic. I personally don't spend much time in my room, but if I did, I don't think that I would find any value in the knowledge that there are hidden Mickeys in the wallpaper. In other words, when I stayed on property, I did not find that the particular theme of the resort was magical. The Hyatt Grand Cyprus seems about as magical as the Contemporary - to me. I don't eat a lot of big meals, so the dining plan has not worked out well for me. I have been to the parks so many times (40+) that I don't need the Extra Magic Hours because I no longer try to go from rope drop to the "kiss goodbye" but instead try to be more relaxed and spontaneous.

In the final analysis, this is totally subjective. I understand that others get great satisfaction from staying on property, using WDW transportion, Magical Express, Extra Magic Hours, and receiving a wake up call from Mickey Mouse. I also think that off property stays meet the needs of many people. If you look at the number of people who visit the parks each day and calculate the number of people staying at official WDW owned resorts, it is clear that an off property experience is the norm. It's all good.

 

[disneysteve]

If money was no object, I would get club level suite at the Grand Floridian and eat every meal in a full service Disney restaurant.

Not me. If money was no object, I would BUY a house offsite in one of the nice developments like Windsor Hills or Windsor Palms. Then we would have it furnished, decorated, and equipped just the way we want it. We could stock it with everything so that we wouldn't have to pack nearly as much when we come down (well if money was truly no object we would live there full time). And I can't see us ever eating every meal in a Disney restaurant. That isn't all about the money either. We would have the house stocked so that we could cook for ourselves just like at home.

If you look at the number of people who visit the parks each day and calculate the number of people staying at official WDW owned resorts, it is clear that an off property experience is the norm. It's all good.

Absolutely! It always amuses me when people debate the whole onsite-offsite thing. The reality is that the vast majority of Disney World guests are NOT staying onsite simply because most hotel rooms, as well as timeshares, condos, and houses are located offsite, plus all of the locals who live within day trip distance. Staying onsite is really the minority by far.

 

[uandmfan]

Thanks everyone! Very good points. I'm sure either way we will have a wonderful time

 

[TamaraQT]

Thanks everyone! Very good points. I'm sure either way we will have a wonderful time

And that is REALLY what it is all about !!

 

[mickeysimba]

I've done both and struggled with this. To be honest, we always split stay, because I hate being offsite on the big park days, esp with early ADRs before the park opens. I have, in fact, done the early breakfasts even though I am staying off site, and it really isn't a big deal to get there early. We are often in the first row of the parking lots, but the one thing I don't like is that I think it adds a layer of energy, and we wipe out in the afternoon more easily from fatigue. I read this article just before our last trip while I was debating to split stay or not, and you may find it useful to promote the benefits of being off site, the the writer also split stays for the same reasons we like to:

http://luxerecess.com/disney-world-resorts/

Off site hotels have other perks that may make your vacation lovely, but if even the word "theming" means something to you about a stay, then you may just be disappointed.

We have another trip coming up in a few weeks where we are staying on site in two deluxe properties for the first time, and we are moving off site in between the two stays to save money while we are at the parks all day. Some people may think that's crazy, but it works for us.

 

[trvlgirlmq]

After reading about this latest round of up charge changes (basically selling EMH making onsite less than a stellar deal) we have decided that we are no longer sad about staying off site. This will also probably be the last time we spend our vacation dollars with the WDW company. If the kids happen to change their mind about wanting to go I will be super happy to make other plans.