Help....Value or Off Site

[mebfalcon]

Since we can't get a moderate for our upcoming visit we are deciding between an off site hotel (Caribe Royale) which has nice rooms and pool or a value resort (probably POP) with the dining plan. The dining plan just sounds like such a good deal. Our kids are 11 and 8. What do you think?

 

[Letsbgoofy]

Definitely stay onsite. We like the ASMU because it's less crowded with kids, but POP would be better with your family. The dining plan is great. I took my 16 year old son the 2 weeks ago and had the free dining. My husband and I are going on Dec. 2006 with the dining package. It's worth paying for when you stay at a value (cause the discounted rate is only about $20 less than the rack rate).

 

[christinadei]

What is the cost difference? I would definately stay onsite at a value. Onsite is so much more fun to me and free dining?!?! How could you pass that up? I think that the whole experience will be much better onsite with free dining.

 

[rockin_rep]

Oh most definitely stay on site because IMO it's priceless!

Serioiusly, even if it's a *value* resort on site, it's better than being off site at a luxury resort.

Don't get me wrong, we love luxury as much as anyone, but when at Disney, we want DISNEY, even if it's at a *value* resort. We're in the room so briefly that it's a great *value* for us!

Have a great time!

 

[umaangel00]

I am all for staying offsite. I was able to get a condo for 2 full weeks for only 850 bucks! My rate for disney was over a 1000! Plus with the condo, we have 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. We also have a full kitchen and laundry facilities right there so it will save us money on doing laundry and eating.

 

[Laurajean1014]

I think you will be much happier staying on-site. You will have all the perks of WDW without the added costs of having a car rental and traffic issues.

Our friends stayed at CR a few years back and they thought the rooms were rundown and dirty. However, they may have had improvements since then.

Good luck on your decision.

 

[umaangel00]

I think you will be much happier staying on-site. You will have all the perks of WDW without the added costs of having a car rental and traffic issues.

Our friends stayed at CR a few years back and they thought the rooms were rundown and dirty. However, they may have had improvements since then.

Good luck on your decision.

However staying offsite gives you more options as well. Personally, I couldn't go to WDW without a car. There is more stuff to do outside of the world too. You can also eat cheapier (unless you have free dining) outside the world than in. IMHO.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Wow - Caribe Royal for the same price as a Value? That surprises me a little. Tough choice. Onsite is way cool, but the Caribe Royal is a really nice place, and it is very close to the entrance. the pool there is comparable to a Disney pool, and you'll get a suite, which I think has a kitchenette. If you'llbe using it that makes it even harder. I really like onsite because of the EMH hours, but your room will be a lot smaller - so take that into consideration and decide what is best for your family, and for the time of year that you are going.

 

[swilshire]

I have an 11yo and 6yo, neither of which eat much. DH and I sometimes share a meal as well. We are staying at the Pop for four nights in October just to get the free dining, then moving off-site.

We get far more comfort off-site and eat some of our meals in the luxury of our condo. No way would we come out ahead paying for the meal plan and crowding into a room or two.

Sheila

 

[Crazy4Disney06]

I would say staying on site unless you just can't afford it then off site would be better then no disney at all.

We are staying at All Stars w/ dinning plan and I think we are getting a great value!!!!!

 

[bscs]

I am all for staying offsite. I was able to get a condo for 2 full weeks for only 850 bucks! My rate for disney was over a 1000! Plus with the condo, we have 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. We also have a full kitchen and laundry facilities right there so it will save us money on doing laundry and eating.

I totally agree with umaangel.
I canNot see myself and my husband sharing a room with our daughters for 10 nights. We need our privacy

 

[Jimdamedic]

I'm a bit predjudiced but there's 8 of us going for 10 days. We're renting a pool home for less than $1000. We would have to have 2-3 rooms in a value resort at $100/night by the time you add taxes and such. No comparison.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

No comparison.

{The following is meant in the spirit of fun....Please don't take it too seriously }

True. They are very different worlds. When you are on-property you get that feeling of being special for a few days...although the magic isn't "real" (BLAPHEMY, I know) you get the illusion. First thing in the morning, you answer the phone for your wake-up call and a familiar voice says "...Have a magical day!" Are you still dreaming? You peek at the view that is outside your window, and see that is good. Simply put, you are IN-side.

Near the end of the day, you look at the people drving away in their cars and you think, "Today, I just don't have to deal with traffic! Ahhhh!" (Which is a big deal if you live in a part of the country that has way too much of it all the time). You get to board a nice clean bus (unlike many busses in the real world) full of other Disney trekkers like yourself (not disgruntled people on their way to work, like in the real world) And for a moment, you believe in public transportation.

When you are re-entering the Magic Kingdom at 7pm, dressed in fresh, warm evening clothes, after the relaxing swim break and delectable dinner, you sigh while you watch the disheveled hordes departing for their off-site accomodations. You' re energized for those three magic hours, tantilized by the choices before you...Space Mountain? Big Thunder? Pirates? Dessert?

That's why you pay extra to be on-site. The two aren't equal. You can take a non-Disney reality filled vacation anywhere else in the world. At almost any city in the world, you can be with your family having cookouts on the grill, in a rental house. If you're going to do that, why not do it in the mountains? Or at the beach? There is only one WDW!

When you are off property you can more readily visit grungy, run-down, tacky tourist traps like Old Town (not 'Old' like Old West -old as in 'not renovated'), with all of its tacky, touristy trinkets (the best item we found there were those curly sprouting bamboo shoots at discount prices.) You can also visit the neon "Florida Souveneir" shops with their cheap t-shirts, crude bumber stickers, shell-ships, etc...

[Disclaimer: I do admit that off-site is better for the other big theme parks in Orlando, which are worth visiting. And there are some good restaurants in Orlando, and a cruise down I-Drive is exciting in its own way, but there are plenty of non-magical places too. I would still do a split stay, doing the offsite part first.]

 

[JodyTG]

I also agree that there's no comparison to staying on-site. I just feel completely immursed in the magic from the time I enter WDW property until it's time to go home. I just don't feel the same when staying off-site and I promised myself that I'd never put myself through that again. I don't want to drive myself anywhere when I'm on vacation so the buses at WDW are great for me. And, like someone else said, the hotel is just to sleep in so a value resort is great!

I don't think the little bit of money that you can save is worth it. Time is money, you know, and you'll be spending plenty of time getting from your off-site hotel...not to mention gas...

Good luck with your decision.

 

[powellrj]

You might want to ask the same question on the Orlando board and you will get totally different answers!

 

[christinadei]

I have an 11yo and 6yo, neither of which eat much. DH and I sometimes share a meal as well. We are staying at the Pop for four nights in October just to get the free dining, then moving off-site.

We get far more comfort off-site and eat some of our meals in the luxury of our condo. No way would we come out ahead paying for the meal plan and crowding into a room or two.

Sheila

You say you are staying onsite just for free dining and then going off site. Do you know that you can still get the free dining if your trip extends past Oct. 4? As long as it starts before then, you can get free dining the entire stay. Just wanted to be sure you realized this. If you guys just decided that that's what you want to do, okay, I just wanted to be sure you realized what was available.

 

[canwegosoon]

If you can get the free dining...it is hard to pass up. MY MIL just came back from 7 days at ASMU ...she said the hotel was "Budget...but nice(she is used to 4 star)"...but the food plan was "FANTASTIC". She said each night their bill was at least $130 for 2 people....and it was included!!! So she loved getting her lobsters..

I know many people tout the savings off site, but for me it is not a vacation if I have to pick up, clean, cook etc...I can stay home and do that. So for me staying onsite puts those jobs on someone else (ok I straighten and do laundry once or twice). But I am a strong believer in what works for your budget you should do. I have been seen on BTMR at 2:30 am at Easter!!! so I love the extra hours too. CAribe is very close..looks great, and comes highly recommended on Mousesavers. So I think you would be fine either place...perhaps you would want the privacy, without doing all the work of a house.

 

[swilshire]

You say you are staying onsite just for free dining and then going off site. Do you know that you can still get the free dining if your trip extends past Oct. 4? As long as it starts before then, you can get free dining the entire stay. Just wanted to be sure you realized this. If you guys just decided that that's what you want to do, okay, I just wanted to be sure you realized what was available.

Thanks for the post, and I was aware of this. We had already reserved a 3br house with a pool beginning 10/8 for the week of our Fall break. I saw the free dining and decided to sneak the kids out of school three days to go early.

My family will be much more comfortable with 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and 4 televisions. In fact, we're sort of dreading being crammed into a room at the Pop for four nights.

We will only spend a couple of days at the Disney parks seeing the new things since we were there for Christmas last year. We plan to do Sea World and drive over to Busch Gardens because we have 2 year passes for all the Busch parks.

I saw another 3br resort I could rent the week of 10/1 pretty cheap and was tempted to book it too and not even stay in our room at the Pop. Still debating on that one!

Thanks again for making sure I knew I could stay on at the Pop past the 4th.

Sheila

 

[swilshire]

I don't think the little bit of money that you can save is worth it. Time is money, you know, and you'll be spending plenty of time getting from your off-site hotel...not to mention gas...

Well, we do spend a bit of gas, but may not spend as much time as you would think. We own at both Vistana and Wyndham Palms. From Vistana, I can be anywhere in WDW in less than 15 minutes. I can make it to the Marketplace or Typhoon Lagoon in closer to 5. It takes a little longer to get home at night if you are in the traffic rush, but not too much. From Wyndham Palms, I can be at Animal Kingdom in five minutes and anywhere else in about 15.

I'm not sure you'd beat that too much waiting for a bus, even factoring in the time to get into the car. And the only sweaty people and grouchy children we have to put up with are in our own family.

We also have a 6yo who would much rather be playing with his toys while he waits for a simple meal at our resort than sitting in a restaurant.

Sheila

 

[Carrieannew]

Hi people- Just a question. I will be staying at the pop right now probably for 2-3 nights the week after christmas. Now this dining program, how does this work? How much does it generaly cost and do you need a min. number of nights? thanks!