How much do you miss on site perks?

[disneymouse16]

How much does it impact your planning not having the 60 day fastpass+ and missing out on Extra Magic Hours? Those are my biggest concerns with staying off property. We are planning a trip for 2022 (yes, it is a long way out but we need the time to save the money!) for an extended family trip, 7 adults and 5 kids. It would really loosen up the budget if we stayed off site and rented a house or stayed at a non Disney resort. Disney is my families priority, although not necessarily everyone in our group, so not being on property might give others the space they want to explore other Florida attractions.

 

[NJlauren]

The 60+ FP really stings.

Other then that we enjoyed our first off site stay a few weeks ago. We tried it for similar reasons, 7 people, cost saving. We are doing it again in November.

I have mixed feelings on it but am happy we my choice. We have a few ideas on how to work around the FP issues, extra events (early morning magic, after hours). But it’s is less then half for our group that would need 3 rooms to stay off site.

 

[HopperFan]

60 day FP+ for a few rides is all you really lose ... that would be the new rides. We are usually three and have been lucky to get day of even for the tough ones by refreshing often.

EMH are so crowded anymore that we fine rope drop at a non-EMH park brings works and the evening hours are packed. So I don't really miss that.

We have AP so the free parking is a perk for us ... but sometimes what you save is so big it doesn't matter paying that parking fee.

There are no other perks for us that have any value.

I honestly don't see myself returning to onsite after around 140-150 stays because the hotels are simply priced way beyond their values. I can get a nice two room suite and breakfast buffet for much less than a value resort and if I go to renting a "condo" unit I pay less than half. If I want a real deluxe I can get that too for the fraction of a Disney "deluxe" resort. I can visit hotels, enjoy the bars and restaurants without paying those rates.

 

[happymommy]

Honestly, if Disney is your family’s priority, but not theirs, I would NOT do it. I’d go just with your family, and let them do what they want. Done a couple large groups, and never, ever again.

 

[NH-to-FL]

We shifted to staying off site before the change to fast pass+ but I sure do feel the effect of the 30 day window. There are a few attractions that the only alternative is rope drop. Unlike @HopperFan I seem to have no luck with day of FP+. But then I don't have a lot of patience working the refresh button. DW really misses riding Peter Pan.

That said, with the exception of those few headliners, I typically find three reasonable FP+ to enhance our winter walks at Disney. For instance I snagged Soarin', Living with the Land, and Spaceship Earth for our visit to Epcot last week.

But the perk I miss most was provided by where we stayed on site, the Boardwalk Inn. Being able to just wander over to Epcot in the evening was very special.

 

[HopperFan]

Honestly, if Disney is your family’s priority, but not theirs, I would NOT do it. I’d go just with your family, and let them do what they want. Done a couple large groups, and never, ever again.

I will say I agree with this. Last big group we stayed offsite in a nice big suite and the family stayed onsite at AoA in a few rooms. We set up meet times late morning so no one felt pressure to get to the parks early, we booked a table service meal every day and then we all retreated back to our rooms at night to chill. I've also had big groups go who ALL stayed onsite but in varied hotels. I've done the group housing thing before and while there were no disasters there were tight, stressful moments. And honestly, it was way too much work.

 

[TamaraQT]

How much does it impact your planning not having the 60 day fastpass+ and missing out on Extra Magic Hours? Those are my biggest concerns with staying off property. We are planning a trip for 2022 (yes, it is a long way out but we need the time to save the money!) for an extended family trip, 7 adults and 5 kids. It would really loosen up the budget if we stayed off site and rented a house or stayed at a non Disney resort. Disney is my families priority, although not necessarily everyone in our group, so not being on property might give others the space they want to explore other Florida attractions.

I have a feeling that you may discover that staying off property is more affordable so you could probably go more often. If you stay at a timeshare resort with activities and other entertainment you wont need so many Disney visits. Rent a car, take a drive to the beach and spend the day. In fact go explore other areas of Florida besides Orlando. Also having full kitchens saves on dining out for every meal. Buy deli meat or salad stuff, etc. Order from Walmart a week before you go and pick up. Things like a case of bottled water for $5 sure beats paying $2 a bottle. Buy a box of frozen ice cream bars in Walmart for $3 or $4 instead of $4 each at the parks. Also, the dining choices off-site are far better in quality food than what Disney serves. Have pizza and other take out delivered. Kids love eating on balconies overlooking a pool. Go to the lobby and pick up a family board game to play on the balcony. Its more fun to do that in Florida on vacation!! Go to a Olive Garden for far less than you would pay at Mama Melrose at Disney. You may even discover an Orlando Italian restaurant that isn't a chain. Needles to say You are going to be surprised how much money you will save and still have a fantastic time. Also, having more space than a room with 2 beds and 1 bath in it also helps. Change your mindset from having to go on a DISNEY ONLY vacation. Instead, go for an Orlando vacation and stop by Disney while you are in Orlando. Florida is FULL of things to do and see from sun up until sun down. Needless to say all the activities that are available for the kids to participate in at the resort. I highly recommend stays at timeshare resorts instead of a private home. Mainly for the entertainment and activities alone. Private home communities do not provide entertainment and activities for guests like timeshare resorts do. It makes it part of the vacation. And at the end of the day, you have a master bedroom with a jacuzzi tub to relax in, instead of deciding how to wind down in a cramped room with 2 beds and 1 bathroom.

 

[kathy884]

For me the only loss is now 7DMT fastpass, and we just skip that ride. And no FOP fastpass (so one longer wait). I have a bit of a bean counter personality, and with the exception of one onsite trip where DH's company was paying (five night tower view room at the Contemporary -- That was pretty sweet) I have actually liked offsite more than onsite. I usually rent at one of the nice offsite timeshares and really enjoy that (all the space, the great balcony, amenities, you name it). We usually go with extended family and typically have two condo units. These have a great resort feel and are such a great value. I always decline any resort tours (timeshare presentation described) and I never pickup the coupon book (opportunity for them to try to talk you into the resort tour).

 

[kevtlas]

I'd say it really depends on when you go. We stayed off site at Christmas one year because we took our RV and weren't able to get a spot at Fort Wilderness. There were several attractions we absolutely could not get a Fastpass for and standby was 6+ hours (FoP), so there we definitely missed the 60 day perk on that trip.

We've also gone in February and March and stayed off site and had no issues at all getting FP for anything we wanted.

 

[erinch]

We found we were getting stressed cramming our family into one hotel room on property, as much as we love being in the Disney bubble. We will be 2 weeks in October at the Vistana, our 8th time there or so. I rent from an owner over on the TUG and am paying the most I’ve ever paid at 1200 for the week. I booked pre-COVID and could now get it cheaper. That is total. No taxes on top of that. For that we get a huge master bedroom and bath with jacuzzi. Another full bedroom with 2 doubles and another full bath. A full kitchen, large living room and a screened porch overlooking a pond or a pool. And full washer dryer. It’s less than 15 minutes from the MK. In non COVID times, there’s a fun Tacky Tiki Bar. Lots of pools and hot tubs on property. I miss the AKL, but now that the kids are young adults, we can stay for 2 weeks what we would spend in less than a week and we like the longer time.

 

[kathy884]

We found we were getting stressed cramming our family into one hotel room on property, as much as we love being in the Disney bubble. We will be 2 weeks in October at the Vistana, our 8th time there or so. I rent from an owner over on the TUG and am paying the most I’ve ever paid at 1200 for the week. I booked pre-COVID and could now get it cheaper. That is total. No taxes on top of that. For that we get a huge master bedroom and bath with jacuzzi. Another full bedroom with 2 doubles and another full bath. A full kitchen, large living room and a screened porch overlooking a pond or a pool. And full washer dryer. It’s less than 15 minutes from the MK. In non COVID times, there’s a fun Tacky Tiki Bar. Lots of pools and hot tubs on property. I miss the AKL, but now that the kids are young adults, we can stay for 2 weeks what we would spend in less than a week and we like the longer time.

We are big fans of doing rentals on TUG also (www.tug2.net) and love the Vistana. The other rental site we sometimes use is Redweek.com. We just join small fee (maybe $10 or $15) if we find something we want to rent

 

[Disneyfan754321]

60 day FP+ for a few rides is all you really lose ... that would be the new rides. We are usually three and have been lucky to get day of even for the tough ones by refreshing often.

EMH are so crowded anymore that we fine rope drop at a non-EMH park brings works and the evening hours are packed. So I don't really miss that.

We have AP so the free parking is a perk for us ... but sometimes what you save is so big it doesn't matter paying that parking fee.

There are no other perks for us that have any value.

I honestly don't see myself returning to onsite after around 140-150 stays because the hotels are simply priced way beyond their values. I can get a nice two room suite and breakfast buffet for much less than a value resort and if I go to renting a "condo" unit I pay less than half. If I want a real deluxe I can get that too for the fraction of a Disney "deluxe" resort. I can visit hotels, enjoy the bars and restaurants without paying those rates.

On our last trip in March (stayed at ASM) and I was on the MDE app right when it went live.. I only got one of the rides at MK I really wanted at 60+4 the FP were getting harder to get. . .. then there is the free MBs that was nice... honestly we use to always stay off site and we could buy everyone plain MBA and still save money.
By the time you go I'm sure they will change everything again

 

[Bete]

Obviously, all the perks you mentioned for onsite are gone for now. When and if they return both, EMHs and 60 day advanced FP, they may be a paying proposition whether you are are onsite or off. This is in the rumor mill.

Even if it does stay the same I'm satisfied getting the 30 day fastpasses being offsite even if it's not for the most coveted rides. I will watch and check for any better fastpasses that may become available each day if I'm not satisfied with what I have already. There are cancellations and people changing their minds; so, you can get lucky. We tend to go when there are special events and we enjoy the event more than the rides anyway.

The only time I like onsite better is if you can get the free dining deal. That combined with the other perks if available definitely gets me to lean towards onsite.

You may find yourself breaking up from one another anyway. Some people dislike roller coasters, for example; so, it may not work with everyone doing the same rides. I would get a definite idea of everyone's thoughts here. You may find some people are not early risers. Even meals can be a challenge.

We often go on vacation as a group of 7-8 spanning 4 generations and believe me we will not always do the same rides. Without buffets available we would have a hard time with meals satisfying everyone. The older crowd like shows, parades and fireworks more than rides. Of course, all of these activities are on hiatus for now.

Hopefully, by 2022 Disney World will be back to its old self but this is a wait and see for right now.

 

[ktate82]

We do a mix of onsite and off since we own DVC as well as other time shares. Having stayed in condos, we couldn't go back to a week or so crammed into a timeshare. We enjoy the space for less money. An option for you if you wanted to try to stay online while watching the cost would be to rent DVC points. That would give you the Disney benefits while also making it cheaper than Disney prices. If you are looking to stay cheaper, we really like Silver Lake as it is right by Animal Kingdom with big units. It's not super fancy, but it's nice with huge units and a good pool. We have found having a full kitchen as well as a washer and dryer really relaxes the trip and saves money.

 

[tuckymom]

The only time we've stayed off property is when we have SUPER last minute trips planned. A few years ago our football team played in a bowl game in Orlando so clearly we had to go for the game and stay for Disney. My law school in 2008 had some type of power issue early on a Wednesday morning. NO POWER TIL THE NEXT WEEK. 8 of us jumped in 2 vehicles by late afternoon and headed 10 hours away to play so....

FP weren't great but we booked so late, those were fine.
My family typically drives everywhere so the transportation limitations weren't a big deal either.
Eating in resturants off property was weird and was really the only time I felt out of the bubble. Olive Garden and the Deli place don't exactly scream Mickey Mouse.

Both times I missed: EMH and Magicbands. I know you can take your old MB and switch it for new trips but werne't aware of that back then. I like to rope drop, go back to the resort about 1:00, and head back about 5:00 to the same or a different park.

 

[kathy884]

One point I didn't think about (It's not a demographic in our family currently) that onsite is really fun for are older teens. The Disney transportation allows them to go off on their own and meet up with others easily (pretty sweet perk). This is great when different individuals in the group want to spend different amounts of time in parks and gives teens a lot of independence (happy teens = happy life, and in some families this can be a hard demographic to please).

In the nice timeshare resorts with lots of amenities they have this a little bit, in going to different pools, hot tubs, playing tennis, mini golf, going over to the lake, shuffleboard courts, but not for the theme parks, etc. For activities outside of the resort, they need someone to drive them over and later pick them up. Uber is not available till they are 18.

IMHO this is my no means a show stopper for staying offsite, but it is a perk that could be missed by this age group in particular. It's many many years ago for me now, but I can still remember being 15 and staying onsite at Disney and how cool the transportation perk was.

 

[Magical2017]

One point I didn't think about (It's not a demographic in our family currently) that onsite is really fun for are older teens. The Disney transportation allows them to go off on their own and meet up with others easily (pretty sweet perk). This is great when different individuals in the group want to spend different amounts of time in parks and gives teens a lot of independence (happy teens = happy life, and in some families this can be a hard demographic to please).

In the nice timeshare resorts with lots of amenities they have this a little bit, in going to different pools, hot tubs, playing tennis, mini golf, going over to the lake, shuffleboard courts, but not for the theme parks, etc. For activities outside of the resort, they need someone to drive them over and later pick them up. Uber is not available till they are 18.

IMHO this is my no means a show stopper for staying offsite, but it is a perk that could be missed by this age group in particular. It's many many years ago for me now, but I can still remember being 15 and staying onsite at Disney and how cool the transportation perk was.

I agree this would be fun and allow older teens some freedom. I think our family will have to make a choice on our next trip--suite offsite, full kitchen, w/d, great rate, lots of space vs a standard hotel room onsite at a moderate or value.

I do not think I want to pay the price (DVC rental or cash for a non DVC room) for an onsite suite. The price difference ends up being thousands of dollars on the dates we want to travel. I can put that savings into a second vacation. The last time we decided to stay in a WBC one bedroom instead of a Disney one bedroom, we were able to use the savings to pay for a week long cruise in an ocean view balcony for our family of four. Granted, it was not a Disney cruise, but it was amazing.

 

[Paranurse]

We take three vacations a year. Two large ones with the kids and a long weekend, just wife and I. With the kids, we stay offsite at Champions Gate Resort for our Disney fix. My wife and I usually do a long weekend at one of the monorail resorts or the Wilderness Lodge. Our third vacation is to California to visit our oldest daughter.
As far as missing the perks of staying onsite, we find the costs out weight the perks when it comes to our family of 7.

 

[TamaraQT]

We take three vacations a year. Two large ones with the kids and a long weekend, just wife and I. With the kids, we stay offsite at Champions Gate Resort for our Disney fix. My wife and I usually do a long weekend at one of the monorail resorts or the Wilderness Lodge. Our third vacation is to California to visit our oldest daughter.
As far as missing the perks of staying onsite, we find the costs out weight the perks when it comes to our family of 7.

I agree you. The amount of money saved far out weighs the perks. We are usually a family of 4 and it applies to us also.

But one more benefit I'd like to add is the fact that we get MORE vacation by staying off-site. We can get a Disney vacation and combine it with an Orlando area vacation. Also, the savings allows us to stay twice as long than we would be able to stay if we stayed onsite in Disney.

 

[LovesTimone]

This is one of those things that truly is in the eye of the beholder...

There are lots of good reason to do both... and you have to sift through what you need and want you want.

When going with a big group, there are so many personality involved, as well the simple fact that each family vacations in their own way... Some are rope drop, some are sleep in till whatever time, some want only QS others are into TS, there are the commando style and you see them storming across the parks from ride to ride, other just strolling along... and everything in between... not that one is better, the point is that there are very different styles that will come into play...

With renting a house with a big group, you have to figure out just how many meals you are going to actually make in the rental? What those meals are going to be, and who is going to prepared them? how are you splitting the cost? what kind of budget for the groceries? who is going to clean up, kitchen and bathroom? what about laundry? Transportation? What happens when someone wants to call it a day, and others do not want to go back... Or for goodness sake what if someone forgets something? or a kiddo needs a nap, or for that matter grown up's need a nap too... ?

Plus are you all going to try to stay together every minute? Getting everyone on the same page and moving in one direction is tough... just picking where to eat can be a challenge, as well as what people want to spend on dinning is another issue... As well if you break off is someone going to get mad or hurt feelings? Then the I don't like this ride or I don't want to stand in line for this and its your favorite ride scenario starts happening...

Having a real conversation with everyone is the most important option that you need to start with... Having a plan in place before you go can save everyone stress, as well no hard feelings afterwards...

Sometimes the cheaper route is not the best route... You need to break things down... adding in things like if you want to hit rope drop, and others might want to sleep in, or someone forget something, or just wants to head to the pool, nap or whatever... having the transportation options that Disney and Disney hotel offer is a plus.. So people can head back to the hotel or sleep in and meet up later....is a good thing,
lots of dinning and variety of food options, as well as price points in the parks, and hotels, is another plus... if you eat offsite and there are very good restaurants off-site... how do you decide...

I learned that having a honest and up front conversation about everything is the way to go... Money being in the forefront, transportation talking about using Uber, or Lyft if everyone is not ready to go... how will you split up the household chores of cooking, washing towels, or whatever need to be address... by doing in before... everyone remains friends after the trip is over...