Is it really worth the $ difference to stay onsite?

[tlg145]

Pugsley,

I think what it boils down too after I have read and reread everyone's post's on this and having some time to think about what the issues are, I have come up with the following:

1. My husband loves a deal. If he thinks he can do it cheaper, he is all for it. He does not need the bells and whistles, and though we can afford the $155 a night, the thrifty side of him, says why waste the money, when he would be just as happy at the Holiday Inn.

2. The money is not an issue for me. I just want to stay somewhere special. We go on very few vacations and although we could not afford a $300 a night room, $155 for The Swan being a deluxe hotel sounded like a great deal to me. Granted, my dear husband brings up alot of good points that other's have brought up on this thread, we will probably be in our room very little. My thought is, but if we do stay onsite, and would like to take a break, we are right there if we stay at The Swan. Transportation is not an issue, because we are renting a car, but I think it is still nice to have a choice to take our car or use Disney transportation or better yet, walk to Epcot. We could have early entry and e night, of course his argument is if we stay at a Downtown Disney hotel for $89 a night (Courtyard Marriott in Downtown Disney) we also have that perk.

3. I do not want the accomendations to be a problem between us. He says, Honey, whatever you want to stay, just decide. I just wish I could make a decision and stick with it. It helps knowing I am not going crazy and others have struggled with this same choice. I just don't want to decide to stay offsite to save a few hundred dollars and then see "The Swan" and think, Oh my God, what a place and we could of stayed there.

4. Tonight, my thoughts are (75% Swan) (25% Offsite) Husband (100% offsite) I'll let you know what I finally decide.

Teresa (Dazed and Confused)Still!!!!

 

[tlg145]

Still doing offsite research, I have been on hotelkingdom.com and am armed with "The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2001". This resort looks really nice, it is $89 a night. Rooms look really great from the pics and got a great rating from the book.

Has anyone stayed here?

 

[Planogirl]

I have also stayed both on site and off site, and I can honestly say that I enjoy both. A Disney resort is wonderful but you can have a perfectly wonderful time staying at an offsite resort too. The important thing to me is that you get to Disney.

Last year we did the Priceline routine and stayed at the newly remodeled Doubletree Conference Center in Kissimmee. This hotel was VERY nice and only a few minutes away from the parks. I didn't use points but got the hotel for $50.00 a night and it was worth far more to me. This was during peak time so I was more than pleased.

This year, we are staying at the Allstars for $110 per night also during peak time. I know that I will be getting less hotel for more money but I decided to stay on site this time mainly because I don't want to deal with a rental car this time. I will take advantage of Early Entry and e-nights, both very important during busy times.

Why not, as someone suggested, do both? Stay offsite for part of your trip and then move to the Swan for the remainder. That seems like a possible compromise to me.

wishin' on a star in Texas...

 

[TinkerbellRules]

We prefer onsite because of many reasons. One being, we're ALWAYS at Disney! Love the transportation, too. Just jump on a bus and go. If you can afford it, spend the extra $$. If you absolutely can't afford it, by all means stay offsite. At least you'll get to go! Save money by bringing your own breakfast. I'm not much of a breakfast eater anyway. Bring a cooler to keep drinks in and don't feel badly about it. It so much more convenient to be onsite. We stayed one night off site our first year and swore we'd never do it again.

I don't know a lot about the S/D, but it would be much more convenient than offsite due to the fact you're withing walking distance of two parks. The Boardwalk is lots of fun and relaxing.

Just my 2 cents worth!

Been there, done that, going back!

Check my site: http://www.geocities.com/tinkerbellwdw2000/

Off-site 87, 88
All Star Music 97
All Star Music 98
All Star Movies 99
Ft Wilderness Oct 00
BWV/WLV Oct 01

 

[dianeschlicht]

We stayed off-site for years, and always enjoyed ourselves. Then we decided to stay on-site once.... Never again were we to stay off site!! The convenience alone is so worth it not to mention the ameneties of Disney resorts. We have owned DVC for 4+ years now, and take numerous trips a year or else extra long on site trips. We stayed off site one night two years ago because we didn't have enough points for a weekend night in a grand villa. We couldn't believe how we hated it!

Disneydiane

 

[tlg145]

Well, I made a reservation today for the "Renaissance World Gate Hotel". I contacted the hotel and was given a discounted rate (AAA)for their standard room at $179.00. Prior to doing that I went to the site "hotelkingdom.com". What a great site. They quoted a price for the same standard room at $64.90 a night. I could not believe the difference. We will save $500 by staying there over "The Swan". Since we are going in November and this is there slower time of the year, having early entry and e night is not such a big deal. We planned on renting a car anyway, but can use their shuttle service also. I still have my Swan reservations and am going to give it another week before I cancel, just in case I change my mind. Since we don't have kids and will probably be at the parks from opening to close, I just don't see the need for the extra money to stay on Disney. This way we can check out all the Disney resorts and next time when we go, we will have a better idea where to stay. The Renaissance is a 4* hotel, so I know it will be beautiful. I know it will not have the Disney magic, but I think being at the parks all day will fill that need just fine.

Making this choice will let us splurge on the nicer more ex*****ve restuarants for dinner and spend more money on souveniors and things. I am really looking forward to going to Cirque du Soleil also.

Thanks again for all the advise. You all were more help than you will ever know.

Teresa

 

[babus]

The poster who mentioned the parking lot at closing time was right. Get a cool drink, and wait 20 minutes for the bus is much better than sitting in a hot car(baked in the sun all day) while the engine tries to overheat as you try to get in the line leaving the parks. The bus will be much faster-plus no risk of the rental car being dented or worse yet stolen. have you ever looked for a rental car at night in a parking lot with thousands of cars? The bus service alone is well worth staying on site, kids or no kids.

 

[chells]

Staying offsite and driving. Today we started at Animal Kingdom, then hopped over to MGM, then to Epcot. Parking was no problem. You never had to wait for a tram to bring you from the lot to the entry way - closer than wear the bus brings you.... Left after the first ToN parade and again, no problems, no delays.... now, leaving at closing is more traffic, but also crowded buses, etc....

Just offering the "other" opinion.

p.s. You only pay for parking once, keep the ticket on the dash and covers you at any park for the day.

Offsite Feb 2001
Offsite Feb 2000
Offsite March 1999
Offsite March 1998
Offsite Feb 1997

Hey - What can I say? Offsite gets me there every year.

 

[Trekker]

This subject (posted many times, on many boards)always gets tons of posts. ain't it cool! I believe that the answer to this cannot be about money, for us there is no option but to stay on site. We have spent one vacation off-site and will be on from now on. All the reason given on this post are valid - it is really a personal preference thing. The way we see it, a 12 day vacation for our family of 4 with air, hotel, parks, meals, souvenirs will be in excess of $7,000.00. $400 - $500 difference one way or another just does not matter. And we love the Magic 24 hrs a day!

<FONT color=darkblue size=2>Feb 1995 - Caribbean Beach</FONT>
<FONT color=cadetblue size=2>Feb 1997 - Port Orleans</FONT>
<FONT color=darkred size=2>Nov 1997 - Offsite</FONT>
<FONT color=darkgoldenrod size=2>Feb 2000 - Dixie Landings</FONT>
<FONT color=orangered size=2>Nov 2001 - Contemporary </FONT>

 

[Lisa P.]

For us, it is mostly about money. And it's not just $400-$500 either.... more like $1,800-$4,500 extra for an onsite 12 night stay!

Our family of five (youngest age 10) does not fit in a single room at any Value or Moderate resort. For onsite, we must choose between FW Cabin, Deluxe resort or two rooms. The cheapest nightly rate would be about $200+ or $2,400+ for 12 nights (we usually stay 7-14 nights in the area). To get an onsite luxury suite or spacious 2-BR, 2-bath villa, like we enjoy offsite (full kitchen, washer-dryer, balcony w/view, romantic MBR jacuzzi w/DH), it would run about $459+tax (OKW) per night and up, up, up! That's $5,558 for 12 nights onsite in value season, for the kind of accommodations we get offsite during holidays. By contrast, our timeshare weeks offsite, cost us under a whopping $400 per week out-of-pocket.

By saving this kinds of $$$, we can afford a second vacation week per year at a timeshare condo on the beach or at Williamsburg or wherever we'd like to take the kids. We can enjoy a couple of nicer meals at WDW and we still have money left for several long camping weekends away whenever we'd like them. One offsite Disney trip doesn't consume our entire year's vacation budget as one onsite Disney trip would. Personally, we enjoy more frequent vacations and I think it's healthier. YMMV.

 

[Fantasia_]

I don't know why I force my husband to stay on-sight. You do get a lot more if you stay off-sight. But there are some advantages that you don't get if you're not a Disney Resort Guests. What is funny is that we don't do EE or E rides, but I still like to stay on-sight, I guess I'm looking for that Disney theme that you don't get off-sight.

This year we are staying on-sight cause we are not renting a car, we are soley depending on disney transportation this time. And I know that disney bus is very reliable and always there every time.

Wherever you go, wherever you stay, as long as you're in WDW, the magic is always there. Magic is what you make of your vacation. Enjoy planning.

<font color=green><marquee direction="right" align= "middle" behavior= "alternate">Disney***Where magic and dreams come true!***</marquee></font>

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DL-79,82,92,03-I hope!
WDW-83,91,94,00

 

[able]

2 things sold me on on-site:

1. Having 3 young children in our group (not wanting to drag them around when they get tired).
2. The MAGIC.

7/27/01-8/1/01 WDW Dolphin

 

[shamrock30]

My husband and I are also a couple without children, and we have always stayed off site. We look at our trips to Disney as a nice break from the cold in the winter, but it is usually only one of several vacations we take a year. The way we see it--spend less, get more vacations! We have never felt deprived--we are at the parks from opening until closing.

I just hate to have anyone to feel that staying offsite is some kind of hardship, only to be considered as a last resort. We stayed at the Sheraton Safari in December, and the only time we got more than a glance at the pool area was on the night we checked in. And we had a balcony overlooking the pool!

 

[pdzabe]

On-site, if you can afford it, has to be the better choice. I am saying this even though I'm staying off-site because my husband works for a major hotel chain and gets the room for $25 per night. We're also staying two nights right on the beach for the same price. No one can beat that (I think!) The convenience of accessibility to the parks and all the other recreation is there in WDW, and you can rent a car if you want too. It's the best of both worlds, I think, even if you're planning other activities off-site. It boils down to what you can afford by way of hotel and meals which are obviously more expensive in WDW than outside.

 

[Sylvia R]

I am a Fl res and have an AP. We stay on site once a year for 3 nights at Christmas time. This year we are going to AKL. However we have booked off site for 2 nights this summer because we can save a lot of money. We are staying in a suite just minutes from Disney and will benefit financially because the price is a lot lower and we get free breakfast. Plus lots more room to move about. However there is a lot to be said for staying on site. If you have no car, stay on site--the buses to the parks are a hassle. Disney buses run all the time, you can take the boat to MGM or you can walk to MGM and Epcot. Keep soda in your room to save money and there is a nice bakery on the Boardwalk where you can get some nice breakfast items. A coffee maker in your room would be nice and those little ones that make 4 cups pack easily. We do not bring one because of the refillable mugs available at the Disney resorts. The price you got the Swan for is wonderful!! I guess if money is not a big factor, I would stay at the Swan. You will have a wonderful time there--and staying on site is magical!! Good luck.