I can't shake the allure of staying on site

[MandiC]

Been following this with interest as we are staying onsite for first time-then moving offsite to explore more of Orlando. We got great deals booking through Orbitz (disney spring deal plus another 15% off-which gave me enough "orbitz bucks" to splurge on an overnight club level at Universal the second wee: win-win). I do have to laugh though at the comments on "renting a car wipes out savings" - just where are these highly expensive rentals coming from? We have a car for 2 weeks for ~$600. Staying onsite is costing twice that. Our 2 bed condo at Sabal palms is our timeshare trade-even if we would have rented another week it wouldn't have been $1200! Planning 6 days at the WDW parks (if parking paid for offsite ~$102).

All this to say that I really wanted to explore staying onsite-and with our kids older now we found last year we wanted to split up more and do different things for a bit-much easier if we are onsite and some wanted to head back and swim and others wanted to stay at parks. I am a wee bit worried about the 5 of us in a small room for 6 days (one of the reasons doing a split stay-figured the novelty of 2 different resorts will help).

I can't speak for anyone else but $300 rental car, $90 in parking for 6 park days = almost $400.
I just checked Wyndham Bonnet Creek for December 8-15. 314.71 a night for a 2 bedroom (that is what it gave me when I entered 2 adults, 4 kids). Total after tax, $2,478.38. That is without park tickets.
Park tickets for 3 'adults', 3 kids for 6 days. (base tickets) = $1,849.92
Total for off-site hotel, rental car and park tickets = $4,718.30

Same dates, staying in a family suite at All Star Music hotel and park tickets for 6 days $4,082.40. The added bonus of Disney transportation, making FP+ and dining reservations earlier than off-site. Extra Magic hours and the extra magic of staying on-site. Not to mention, historically that is within the dates of free dining. So that would be another thing we wouldn't have to worry about.

 

[nugov2]

I can't speak for anyone else but $300 rental car, $90 in parking for 6 park days = almost $400.
I just checked Wyndham Bonnet Creek for December 8-15. 314.71 a night for a 2 bedroom (that is what it gave me when I entered 2 adults, 4 kids). Total after tax, $2,478.38. That is without park tickets.
Park tickets for 3 'adults', 3 kids for 6 days. (base tickets) = $1,849.92
Total for off-site hotel, rental car and park tickets = $4,718.30

Same dates, staying in a family suite at All Star Music hotel and park tickets for 6 days $4,082.40. The added bonus of Disney transportation, making FP+ and dining reservations earlier than off-site. Extra Magic hours and the extra magic of staying on-site. Not to mention, historically that is within the dates of free dining. So that would be another thing we wouldn't have to worry about.

Are you comparing 260sq feet to a 2bdrm 1257sq foot spaceThat is 6 times as much space for $182 more a night. You can also get a 2 bedroom at WH for $165 a night at that same time so add in parking and rental and you"re at $223 a night. I see why people want to stay on site, but I don't think you can compare a value to WBC. That's like saying well I can stay at Motel 6 for $79 a night so why would you stay at the Ritz for $600 a night. There are tons of amenities that come with that upgrade and price. Dining with the value is also only two QS meals and a snack. I guess if it was free(but we all know that just takes the place of a room discount) then fine, but I wouldn't want to eat QS for a week straight and then you still need to add on another meal anyways so your better off with a room discount. If you want free dining b/c of budget your still ahead offsite where you can buy food and pack lunches easily. We are TS people so that wouldn't be a perk for us onsite and we'd rather have a room discount. You also can just book one night at a value or campsite and still get FP+ and early dining reservations. It pretty much pays for itself when you factor in that you get MB for each person in the party. It is all in how you look at it where some see a plus another sees a minus. It is really hard to compare the two and honestly unless you have done both it is hard to say what you would or wouldn't miss.

 

[MandiC]

I am comparing the rooms available for us as a family of 6. WBC is a popular off-site option. Not that it makes that much of a difference but family suites are double the size you quoted at 520 square feet. Since we aren't in the room often I don't really care how big it is, we have certainly crammed our family into smaller spaces without issue.
As far as the meal plan, you could upgrade staying on-site for less than you would pay if you paid for all of your meals out of pocket staying off-site. For us, we don't really care for doing table service frequently, certainly not daily. I actually quite enjoyed our quick service meals and could definitely do a week of them if we didn't have the kids to want character meals and T-Rex . I'm not a lunch packer/hauler or a cook when I am on vacation so those things don't matter to me, though the family suites do have a microwave and refrigerator. Another option for us right now is Fort Wilderness cabins, which if there is free dining would include the basic meal plan for cheaper than we could upgrade at ASM, and it actually has a full kitchen.
I wouldn't say it is comparing a Ritz vs Motel 6, even the smallest of value rooms at a Disney resort would be preferred for me if prices were equal to that of a Ritz. We go on other vacations where we stay at nice hotels, we go to Disney for the Disney experience and while some people think they are overpriced for what you get, I feel like you pay for the experience. Maybe it won't matter to me so much when my kids are older but for right now, on-site is pretty perfect. Not saying I wouldn't consider off-site if there was a significant savings at a place that was as close as the Disney resorts. I don't trust booking through orbitz or any of those (bad experiences with both myself and some family members, in fact my mom just two weeks ago arrived in Jamaica to find out she didn't have a room at her resort booked through one of those sites).

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

I can't speak for anyone else but $300 rental car, $90 in parking for 6 park days = almost $400.
I just checked Wyndham Bonnet Creek for December 8-15. 314.71 a night for a 2 bedroom (that is what it gave me when I entered 2 adults, 4 kids). Total after tax, $2,478.38. That is without park tickets.
Park tickets for 3 'adults', 3 kids for 6 days. (base tickets) = $1,849.92
Total for off-site hotel, rental car and park tickets = $4,718.30

Same dates, staying in a family suite at All Star Music hotel and park tickets for 6 days $4,082.40. The added bonus of Disney transportation, making FP+ and dining reservations earlier than off-site. Extra Magic hours and the extra magic of staying on-site. Not to mention, historically that is within the dates of free dining. So that would be another thing we wouldn't have to worry about.

You can definitely get Bonnet Creek or another comparable condo/villa offsite for a lot less than that (the norm for a Bonnet Creek 2 bdrm reported by a lot of Dis'ers is around $120/nt on average) and you definitely don't have to go through an unreliable source to get a good deal. Our 3 bdrm condo at Windsor Hills was about $92/night after all taxes and fees. The Orlando Hotel/Attractions forum on here has a wealth of info and is a great resource for those that want more info on offsite options/deals. If your heart is set on staying on property, then I think the AS Music family suite definitely gives that bang for your buck as a family of six. We stayed there four years ago and the layout is nice, you get two bathrooms, and the suites are in the buildings closest to the Calypso pool, Melody Hall, and bus stop. If you are on the dining plan, having the food court is nice too. That was one of the reasons we decided against the cabins for that trip. Even though you can get the regular dining plan vs. the quick service plan by staying at the cabins during a free dining promo, only having one bathroom, not having a food court (there is the Trails End restaurant though) and having to deal with either an internal resort bus or golf cart rental (similar in price to a rental car) along with a separate park bus is what made our family decide against the cabin. Although, I do think having a stand alone private cabin would be nice with my five wild kids!

 

[nugov2]

I am comparing the rooms available for us as a family of 6. WBC is a popular off-site option. Not that it makes that much of a difference but family suites are double the size you quoted at 520 square feet. Since we aren't in the room often I don't really care how big it is, we have certainly crammed our family into smaller spaces without issue.
As far as the meal plan, you could upgrade staying on-site for less than you would pay if you paid for all of your meals out of pocket staying off-site. For us, we don't really care for doing table service frequently, certainly not daily. I actually quite enjoyed our quick service meals and could definitely do a week of them if we didn't have the kids to want character meals and T-Rex . I'm not a lunch packer/hauler or a cook when I am on vacation so those things don't matter to me, though the family suites do have a microwave and refrigerator. Another option for us right now is Fort Wilderness cabins, which if there is free dining would include the basic meal plan for cheaper than we could upgrade at ASM, and it actually has a full kitchen.
I wouldn't say it is comparing a Ritz vs Motel 6, even the smallest of value rooms at a Disney resort would be preferred for me if prices were equal to that of a Ritz. We go on other vacations where we stay at nice hotels, we go to Disney for the Disney experience and while some people think they are overpriced for what you get, I feel like you pay for the experience. Maybe it won't matter to me so much when my kids are older but for right now, on-site is pretty perfect. Not saying I wouldn't consider off-site if there was a significant savings at a place that was as close as the Disney resorts. I don't trust booking through orbitz or any of those (bad experiences with both myself and some family members, in fact my mom just two weeks ago arrived in Jamaica to find out she didn't have a room at her resort booked through one of those sites).

If you compare a family suite it is cheaper to stay off site even with parking and car. It is $260 a night for that room at that time you are talking about. Every person has their preferences. For us it is amenities and values don't have them(for us). When the kids are older I would go back to on site in a deluxe when we don't need so much space.

My point for the offsite cooking wasn't for you, but for a family who was on a tight budget and needed to save money. I think people connect off site with people only looking to save money, but that isn't the case...just like all families who stay value don't do it b/c they can't afford more. It is all about what you want. We need space and luxury and we can get that off site. We can still enjoy every single thing we want on site while being off site too. For us it is a win, win situation with 3 small kids.

I still disagree that even a preferred room is more than a motel. I haven't slept in one, but can tell just from the picture that the beds are not a high quality, the bedding is low quality and the room offers no luxury. They are a basic motel room. Disney does add a little flair but it doesn't add luxury. Double beds, no pillow top and very small basic bathroom. I think the problem is some people equate a motel with bad, but it is a place to stay cheaply with minimum amenities with exterior doors. I'd say that all values fit that description.

 

[Cambribec]

I'm so torn between staying on-site or off. Hopefully someone can help me out.

We're driving down and our trip is currently scheduled for Oct. 2015. We have 3 children, but our youngest (who will be under age 1 at the time) will be staying home for this trip, leaving us with our 4.5 year old and almost 2.5 year old.

We're staying for 10 days. If we stay on-site, I've looked at AoA (I think our kids would love the themed pool) or the Caribbean Beach Resort (my husband and I's favorite from a previous trip without kids). If we stay off-site, I looked at renting a house (since we will be there 10 days) or a condo near the park.

I just can't decide. This will be my kids first Disney trip, and I want them to have the "full experience", but at the same time, the extra space of a house might be great since we will be there for so long.

Anyone have any insight based on our situation?

 

[nugov2]

I'm so torn between staying on-site or off. Hopefully someone can help me out.

We're driving down and our trip is currently scheduled for Oct. 2015. We have 3 children, but our youngest (who will be under age 1 at the time) will be staying home for this trip, leaving us with our 4.5 year old and almost 2.5 year old.

We're staying for 10 days. If we stay on-site, I've looked at AoA (I think our kids would love the themed pool) or the Caribbean Beach Resort (my husband and I's favorite from a previous trip without kids). If we stay off-site, I looked at renting a house (since we will be there 10 days) or a condo near the park.

I just can't decide. This will be my kids first Disney trip, and I want them to have the "full experience", but at the same time, the extra space of a house might be great since we will be there for so long.

Anyone have any insight based on our situation?

I would stay off site. With that age I'd imagine you'll have kids who are exhausted and want to be in bed before you(at least we did). With a house you and DH can enjoy the pool and the hot tub while the kids are safely sleeping in the house. In a hotel room it will be lights out and tip toeing around whenever the kids are sleeping. If you valet your car at Contemporary resort you can walk to MK and be back to your house(we stayed at Windsor Hills) faster than grabbing a bus back to your value. The other parks aren't as difficult for in and out. You can skip the buses even on site with your car though to avoid some hassle. You can get a beautifully themed home with a princess room and some pretty cool boy themed rooms so not missing any magic there. You can participate in all activities on site by just researching what is going on and eat on site you whole trip if you don't want to cook(but having a full kitchen is a nice perk if you get tired of eating out) so again, no lost magic. If you want the 180+10 and 60 FP booking you can book a one night stay to get your MB and early booking and it basically pays for itself b/c you get MB for everyone, but if you don't want HTG FP you are probably fine without it. In Oct it will most likely be A&E that are the only hard ones to get.

It is really going to come down to what you want and what you feel is magical and what isn't. For me it isn't magical to be in a room that is 277 sq feet(or 565 if you pop for a family suite) for about the price I could get a 4-6 bdrm pool with resort pool and waterslide and with IMO are actually better themed rooms for the kids than you can get on site. The only perk I find on site with our family dynamic is the early booking, but we just book the one night stay to get that. We dine almost exclusively onsite, we play almost exclusively on site when not in the parks, but love being able to relax pool side with a drink after a long day while the kids are sleeping. We also loved WH resort pool on non park days, but we aren't a park everyday family and found it easy to get to the many WDW resorts to participate in activities on non park days. I was nervous to be off site, but it was very convenient and great to have the extra space. Either way I'm sure it will be a great trip and you will have people for or against both, but just sit down and figure out what makes sense for you. When my kids are much older I can see possibly going back on site, but for now the perks just aren't there.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

I can't speak for anyone else but $300 rental car, $90 in parking for 6 park days = almost $400.
I just checked Wyndham Bonnet Creek for December 8-15. 314.71 a night for a 2 bedroom (that is what it gave me when I entered 2 adults, 4 kids). Total after tax, $2,478.38. That is without park tickets.
Park tickets for 3 'adults', 3 kids for 6 days. (base tickets) = $1,849.92
Total for off-site hotel, rental car and park tickets = $4,718.30

Same dates, staying in a family suite at All Star Music hotel and park tickets for 6 days $4,082.40. The added bonus of Disney transportation, making FP+ and dining reservations earlier than off-site. Extra Magic hours and the extra magic of staying on-site. Not to mention, historically that is within the dates of free dining. So that would be another thing we wouldn't have to worry about.

You can get WBC for a better price on VRBO, for less than $200/night or cheaper. Or you can go 10 min down the road to Caribe Cove ( where we usually stay), and pay $72/night ( what we paid for those December dates 6 months ago). Even after adding in parking costs ( which honestly, for us, getting an annual pass will prove more financially sound, which makes parking fees a non issue), the savings is enormous. For that $72/night we got a 2 bed/2 bath condo with 5 piece master, full kitchen, dining, living room, pools, free movie rentals.