Help! Getting Cold Feet re offsite stay!

[dixielander]

Please give some input...

We are booked for a week stay at Vistana Resort (which we know and love) for the last week in May. This is our first time we will be doing Disney, while staying off-site.

Now the Disney Visa rates came out, and we could get two adjoining rooms at Port Orleans, for a very reasonable price, and I'm thinking of switching.

I know having a 2 bedroom condo with a kitchen is nice, but with 3 children of differing ages, the bus system at Disney would sure be nice. And also, food options at POR are a plus for us because they have a nice food court, with something for everyone.

My main concern is commuting to the parks every morning, and then returning to the hotel in the afternoon for swimming... and then commuting back to the parks later in the afternoon. Will this be too hard?? I'd love to hear from someone who has done both, so I can get an honest opinion of how difficult/easy being off-site will be.

Thanks.

 

[spiceycat]

I would be more concern with the change of crowds and Disney closing the park to off-site guest....

the only park that is difficult to get to is the MK -

I go to Epcot - then ride the monrail to the MK - and back again - but you must have a annual pass or park hoppers to do this.

the others even when I stay on-site I generally drive.

You know how close Vistana is and you have stayed there before - if the Disney package is a better buy go for it - if not stay where you are....remember that meals at WDW are expensive - off-site they are not as bad and you do have that kitchen.

on one of our last trips Spicey stayed in FW - it was closer to the HGVC than the kennel that they recommended - it was a long drive and I had to do 4 times a day - you are must closer - so I really don't think you will have a problem....

 

[disneysteve]

I agree that it is not a big deal to commute from offsite. We do it all the time. Spiceycat is correct that the only park that takes a bit longer to get to is MK since you don't actually park at the park itself but at the TTC. As for Epcot, MGM and AK, you just walk to your car and you'll be back at Vistana while the resort guests are still waiting for a bus.

You couldn't pay me to stay onsite again and give up the space and amenities available offsite.

Steve

 

[dixielander]

Thanks...

We have decided to stay at Vistana.

We're pretty good at getting around to different places, so I don't think the commute will be a big deal at all.

I don't think I'll have to worry about getting into the parks, because we're going at a "slower" time, and we'll be done with the parks BY Friday (Memorial Weekend), so we should be fine. I can't imagine that the parks would reach capacity in May. I hope I'm right!!