Help Convince Me that Offsite is OK

[marvel]

Hi. We have an upcoming unexpected trip to WDW and Universal, total being around 10 or so nights. Previously we stayed onsite at WDW and at the hard rock. We loved doing both, but it is really expensive. Can't do value resorts as need queen beds. We are flying from Australia, into New York and driving to Florida as we love to drive and see as much of the US as possible.

Now I am considering staying offsite, we are a family of 4, kids, 13 and 11, and i understand the convenience of having larger rooms etc. But i just feel that even with the hire car, all the parking and driving to and from disney will just be a nightmare. Couple the parking cost with the hire car rental, probably around $100 in per day in total, and i just cannot see the ultimate value.

I have been looking at as many threads as I can to convince myself, but still leaning towards paying extra just for the transport convenience.

Any advice appreciated. We go in Oct.

 

[Teacher03]

Hi. We have an upcoming unexpected trip to WDW and Universal, total being around 10 or so nights. Previously we stayed onsite at WDW and at the hard rock. We loved doing both, but it is really expensive. Can't do value resorts as need queen beds. We are flying from Australia, into New York and driving to Florida as we love to drive and see as much of the US as possible.

Now I am considering staying offsite, we are a family of 4, kids, 13 and 11, and i understand the convenience of having larger rooms etc. But i just feel that even with the hire car, all the parking and driving to and from disney will just be a nightmare. Couple the parking cost with the hire car rental, probably around $100 in per day in total, and i just cannot see the ultimate value.

I have been looking at as many threads as I can to convince myself, but still leaning towards paying extra just for the transport convenience.

Any advice appreciated. We go in Oct.

We stayed offsite in Windsor Hills and traveling to the parks was very easy. It truly is 5 minutes from the parks, and you don't waste time waiting for Disney transportation. The only park that had wait time was the Magic Kingdom because you have to take the monorail or boat to the parking lot. I was skeptical also before staying offsite, but couldn't believe how easy it was. There is also a shortcut, but I can't remember it exactly; I'm sure someone here can direct you.

 

[blodders]

We stayed offsite in Windsor Hills and traveling to the parks was very easy. It truly is 5 minutes from the parks, and you don't waste time waiting for Disney transportation. The only park that had wait time was the Magic Kingdom because you have to take the monorail or boat to the parking lot. I was skeptical also before staying offsite, but couldn't believe how easy it was. There is also a shortcut, but I can't remember it exactly; I'm sure someone here can direct you.

I have always stayed on I Drive and wouldn't have it any other way. The drive to the parks is no more than 20 mins. Less than that to Universal or seaworld. As much as I love the theme parks it is nice to get away from them sometimes and stroll up a regular sidewalk . There are lods of restaurants and shops to choose form and the hotels are so much cheaper! Real value for money!

 

[happymommy]

Have you considered flying from New York? Just wondering, as it is a LONG drive, and often you can find some good prices on flights.

Or driving down but flying back (or vice versa?). I've done the drive from the DC area, and it was okay down, but back seemed so long!

With 2 children, I'd definitely go with a condo! Now that our kids are older, I love having the space to stretch out, the kitchen and washer/dryer, and I don't think we'll ever stay onsite again.

My husband is Marriott platinum, so we look at Marriott timeshares (so he gets his nights and points). We loved Harbour Lake, and it's so close to Sea World (and not far from Universal, and easy as pie to get on and off the highway for Disney as well). Our condo was so clean and new (I posted photos here somewhere) and we had a king bed room with its own bathroom, a room with 2 queen beds and another bathroom, living room, nice large kitchen table, full kitchen, etc... Plus a nice screened in porch with table and chairs to eat outside too. After a long flight and drive, the space you'd have in a condo will be so much more relaxing for you (and you can wash your laundry daily, so pack light too!).

Definitely I'd look into it!!!!

 

[dtum]

We stayed offsite in Windsor Hills and traveling to the parks was very easy. It truly is 5 minutes from the parks, and you don't waste time waiting for Disney transportation. The only park that had wait time was the Magic Kingdom because you have to take the monorail or boat to the parking lot. I was skeptical also before staying offsite, but couldn't believe how easy it was. There is also a shortcut, but I can't remember it exactly; I'm sure someone here can direct you.

Another vote for WH. Just the savings on the food alone would save the cost of parking. You would need two rooms which, i think, even at value would be over $200/night. There are condos at WH that would offer so much more for that price or less. We're paying a little over $1,200 for 7 nights at WH in a 4-bed/4-bath pool house. Since you don't need anything that big, I'm sure the savings would be even bigger. We're staying here:

http://www.romancingthemouse.com/index.html

This place is supposed to be really good and offer some great deals:

http://vacationcentralflorida.com/

and you can get on Dave's e-mail list with specials all the time. I vote off-site!

 

[Disneyforus]

We like to do both for different reasons. The deciding factor for us staying offsite this time is our food budget. When I priced out onsite vs. offsite factoring in car rental and parking etc...it is $158 cheaper to stay offsite for a week....but add into that cooking most of our meals at the villa vs. eating onsite and it is HUGE. We enjoy Disney Transportation but will just take advantage of the shuttle service at WBC, and maybe drive to MK on the days we go there. We are going to love spreading out a bit more and think that WBC is going to be nicer than any onsite we have had the chance to stay at.

Here is the thread that I posted our price breakdowns if you want to take a look:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2643751

Good luck in your decision.

 

[Brian Noble]

Half my trips are onsite. Half are off. Comparing driving to the bus system: not much difference, and I generally prefer to drive. I usually rent a car even onsite, unless I'm staying in the EP area or on a budget trip.

 

[torinsmom]

We stayed in a condo at Emerald Island last year and the drive to the parks was a breeze. There is a shortcut from that area--I believe the road is Sherbeth road, and it took us between 6(AK) and 15 minutes(MK) to get to and from the parks. We got a GPS unit for the trip and it was really helpful! This is the condo we stayed at and for a week it was only $500!

http://www.vacationhomerentals.com/vacation-rentals/Kissimmee-Florida-vacation-rental-townhouse-proID-42665.html

You could get a rental car for a lot less than $100/day. I would say $40/day for a mid size would be about right if you get a weekly rate. Yes, parking is going to cost you $14/day, but it was soooooo worth it to avoid waiting for the buses at park closing.

We will probably never stay onsite again. This year, we are renting a 5 bedroom pool home at Indian Creek and taking the whole family. Even that house will be around $800 for the week. Three rooms(at least) at a value resort would have cost that for 2 nights!

 

[bankr63]

Marvel,

First off, on this board you are going to find a strong bias towards off-site. Hope that is what you are looking for...

October is one of the quietest months for Orlando, everyone is in school, no major holidays, but still warm enough to tour easily. The best thing is that everyone is cutting rates, so it is inexpensive on or off-site.

I am convinced that you will see value in offsite no matter the time of year. I own a week during our mid-term break (March break) at one of the larger time-share resorts (Vistana). Although Disney property is a bit more swank, for the same size accommodations, it is 4-times the price (on Disney sale) to stay on site. That's a lot of dough to offset the cost of car hire and parking. Our fully equipped 2-Br villa has alway been cheaper than 2 rooms at a Value resort. And I am talking about the rates that our resort charges non-members to stay, not what I pay.

For my trip this year I have a full-size SUV reserved at under $40/day all-in(National); found a great deal though. Even at their full rate you are under $80/day all-in. In October, you should easily be able to land closer to my price than full rate.

Travel time to all the parks from our resort is less than 15 minutes for everything. Access is very easy. I can be at the park before most people at a Disney resort have waited for and boarded their bus.

And as PP said, meals are SOOO much less expensive, even if you eat out but off-site. The Disney Dining Plan is really no great deal if you compare wisely. Many people rave about the "free dining" without noticing that they are paying nearly full rate for what should be a heavily discounted room.

IMO, we save have saved thousands of $$ by staying offsite over the years.

Regardless of where you stay, I hope you have a wonderful time!

 

[yrdlyprincess]

I am so happy that you did this...cant wait to see what everyone says...if they dont come out with some awesome deal soon we will have to stay offsite

 

[marvel]

thanks everyone, really great info. I do appreciate the detailed responses. I do realise that on this board people love stayin off site.

last time we drove from NY we stayed in Savanah, and also in a cabin on a lake in Tennesse, which we found out from Disboards. We are hoping to find somewhere spectacular to stay between NY and WDW for a few days, nice to break up the trip.

The value does seem incredible either at WH or a condo. It is a little harder to convince the kids, as we have only ever stayed onsite, however my daughter who is 13 is starting to come around when I mention having her own room and bathroom !!

Saving on the food isn't that much of an issue, being from Australia, we truly love eating everywhere in the US. Even Denny's is an experience you can't have here!! And we do love eating at Disney. It just seems hard to justify $300 per night at WL when the room is soon small.

Thanks again for the advice.

 

[Zeebs]

Much of our travel to WDW is also to experience other bits of America - like shopping for food at the grocery store, eating at places you see on telly. Visiting Walmart.....

We have only been on 1 trip and we stayed offsite, we loved it. Yes one day I would like to stay onsite, but I do not want to spend 14 days in one room, and there is no way I can afford the prices for Disney's larger accommodation. So offsite it is.

We stayed at Windsor Hills, some pics in my trip report linked at bottom. We also loved it. This time we have rented from one of the Mums at schools parents (get that lol) so we aren't in Windsor Hills and I am a bit sad about that. But this time we are in a 4 bed house with a pool so that will be neat.

I am not sure, but I think the reason Americans can get their car hire cheaper is they can use their own insurance??? while those from overseas need to ensure they buy every insurance going. We use usrentacar not sure if you can use from Australia but I like knowing everything is paid up front, no hardsell when we collect.

We did not find driving a chore, we loved it. We had a car we would never have had in the UK or NZ it was fab to get back to the car and just go home. We stayed late one night at the MK just hubby and I and getting to the carpark was a chore we took the boat which was crowded and then walked to the car BUT once we were there were no delays getting home, it was comfortable, we had a seat and airconditioning. Certainly preferrable in my opinion to waiting on a bus with the likelyhood of standing up and taking longer to get home.

We did a fantastic road trip from LA to Vancouver with the kids and we want to do one for the East Coast at some point too, so I am very jealous of your trip.

Personally I think you will have a brilliant time, and while it is hard not to compare certain things some things aren't comparable so it is best not to bother.

Kirsten

 

[marvel]

yes, totally agree. We would actually like to move to the US, something about being there makes us happy. Just going to Wallmart makes us smile.

We truly appreciated just being able to travel as often as we have been, and I am sure whatever we decide we will have a great time.

I think we are probably flying from Orlando home, just transiting in LA, so having a car the whole time makes sense as we can enjoy more of florida that way, and do all our last minute shopping. And the prices for renting an entire home in a gated community, with resort facilities and your own pool for the prices available in the US is just soo good.

We usually get our hire car from UK companies as they include all the insurance and paying $60 for a 7 seater is pretty good. We pay around $100 per day on average in Australia for anything that size.

 

[Teacher03]

We stayed in a condo at Emerald Island last year and the drive to the parks was a breeze. There is a shortcut from that area--I believe the road is Sherbeth road, and it took us between 6(AK) and 15 minutes(MK) to get to and from the parks. We got a GPS unit for the trip and it was really helpful! This is the condo we stayed at and for a week it was only $500!

http://www.vacationhomerentals.com/vacation-rentals/Kissimmee-Florida-vacation-rental-townhouse-proID-42665.html

You could get a rental car for a lot less than $100/day. I would say $40/day for a mid size would be about right if you get a weekly rate. Yes, parking is going to cost you $14/day, but it was soooooo worth it to avoid waiting for the buses at park closing.

We will probably never stay onsite again. This year, we are renting a 5 bedroom pool home at Indian Creek and taking the whole family. Even that house will be around $800 for the week. Three rooms(at least) at a value resort would have cost that for 2 nights!

Do you know how far Emerald Island is from Windsor Hills? What is the pool like? I checked out the townhouse; it looks beautiful and you can't beat the price.

 

[torinsmom]

Do you know how far Emerald Island is from Windsor Hills? What is the pool like? I checked out the townhouse; it looks beautiful and you can't beat the price.

I don't know how far it is exactly from Windsor Hills, but it is in the same area(Formosa Gardens). Here is a map of neighborhoods in Kissimmee that might give you some ideas

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&t=h&hl=en&msa=0&msid=110562778588256174172.000453baef0290954cc04&ll=28.272032,-81.608849&spn=0.068335,0.11055&z=13

We didn't use the pool while we were there; we are not really community pool people. The condo was great; we even had a family of blue herons visit the backyard. It was a very quick trip to the parks, AK is closest(6 minutes) and MK is farthest(15 minutes). We had a problem with the cable in the two twin rooms, but the owner had it fixed for us right away. She was very responsive to emails and to phone calls as well. We would be staying there again if we didn't have the whole family coming with us. We needed 5 bedrooms this time, so we are staying at a 5 bedroom pool house in Indian Creek for $100/night

Oh, here is a thread comparing EI and WH

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2480330

 

[Teacher03]

Thanks, torinsmom, for the great info. I am definitely looking into renting the condo you mentioned. We are not planning a trip until June 2012, so I am a little early, but never thought about Emerald Island. I love Windsor Hills, but the difference in price is enough to make me look elsewhere. Thanks again!

 

[shalom]

Hi. We have an upcoming unexpected trip to WDW and Universal, total being around 10 or so nights. Previously we stayed onsite at WDW and at the hard rock. We loved doing both, but it is really expensive.

I think a lot of what people consider the "Disney magic" at the resorts is just the energy level -- the fact that there are a lot of excited, happy people in a smallish space. Some off-site resorts have that same energy, and some don't. I'm guessing the houses don't, but they have other benefits.

Our family likes to get away from that energy and get somewhere quiet. I think a lot of the people who love the houses feel that way, too -- sometimes people are surprised at how much more restful and relaxed an off-site Disney vacation can be. The parks are still high energy, but for some people, getting away from that every night makes it even more enjoyable while they're there. They're more rested and less stressed the whole vacation.

For other people, staying offsite makes every day at the parks "new." They feel that same "arrival excitement" driving onto the WDW grounds every morning.

There are just as many people who always stayed onsite who tried offsite once and never went back as there are people who always stayed offsite who tried onsite once and wanted that from then on. And some people like both equally, depending on what they need that year. I do think people forget that offsite offers as much variety as onsite. Either way, finding what works for you is the key, while OTOH being willing to try something different may surprise you in a good way.

Hope you are surprised by a great time.

 

[David Brent]

you'll be happy regardless. just remember that you're not at home and at work.

 

[marvel]

Thanks for the input. I am sure that whatever we decide it will be wonderful. I would be happy to pitch a tent if it meant just being able to be in Orlando.

I will have to check out Indian Creek, sounds interesting.

 

[jsthomps]

Hi,
On-site all the way. it is worth the extra $$$
Scott