I think I can help... for the past few years, we've taken our boys (now 7 and 5) onsite four times (with the Poly twice) and this last trip, we stayed at Hilton Bonnet Creek. We'll never stay onsite again. Hilton Bonnet Creek is awesome! They have rooms where you can see the fireworks at Hollywood Studios. The lazy river is large and there are always plenty of tubes for everyone. There's a great water slide for kids. They do movie nights on Saturday nights in the pool. Dinner on site is free for kids 12 and under at Harvest (part of your $30 resort fee). They have free transportation to the parks on a set schedule so you know exactly when to leave and not wait 20 minutes for a bus to get you. The place is much more "deluxe" than a deluxe at Disney at a much better price. The staff always smiled and said hello, everywhere you went. They have a dedicated
Disney store staffed with Disney Parks employees. You can actually see the Pop, Caribbean Beach and Tower of Terror from the parkview rooms. Plus, if you are a teacher, they offer a "teacher appreciation" rate, knocking down the price even more. We stayed this December and have already booked a return trip for this August before our
Disney cruise. You lose Magic Express and the ability to buy things with your magic bands, but for us... it was well worth the change. We actually felt more relaxed and enjoyed going back to the hotel to relax by the pool bar, watch fireworks, and sit by a fire table.
The ONLY thing that would sway me to tell you to stay onsite is that it's your first time going to Disney. There is a magical feeling being at a Disney hotel. But if you want the most bang for your buck, especially being a Hilton Rewards member, eligible for free upgrades, I can't say enough good things about Hilton Bonnet Creek.