Need some reassurance!

[Awholenewdisney]

Hi all! I am in need of reassurance that I did the right thing staying offsite!

Just a little background: We are a family of four with two teen girls who will be 20 and 18 at the time of the trip. We are planning for June of 2016 but don't know the for sure dates yet. It will be our first time to Disneyworld but we are Disneyland Vets!

As of yesterday I put in for a timeshare at the Sheraton. I went back and forth between staying on vs. offsite. Eventually I went with the cheapest option but now I'm starting to regret it!! I worry that we won't be in the "Disney bubble"

 

[HopperFan]

We are at Disney 5-6 weeks a year with anything from 2 to 5 of us - our kids are also adults now. We spend about half the time on property and half off property. Off property is usually when there are more of us for the additional space and lower cost. When you are looking at even a moderate plus the two additional adult charges - ouch, and if we are five, well forget that.

Have not stayed at Sheraton yet although I am looking at it for this summer. We have stayed at Wyndham Bonnet Creek and even when we don't use the amenities we love having all the space. Last month we were in a two bedroom, two kids slept in the extra room, each with their own bed and the other on the sofabed. Their own bathroom. Our own bedroom/bathroom. Living room, dining room, kitchen, laundry, balcony ..... plus all the amenities for $88 a night with tax. It was a no brainer.

The plus is you are all adults and what we find about offsite is that:
- We have the energy to go all day, no naps needed, so we don't need to leave and go rest. If you are going all day your resort has less value.
- We would rather go to a water park a couple times and maybe take a late night dip in the pool after a long day. On site is not needed for this.
- We want to do Universal, Discovery Cove and other things like Dessert parties or favorite Disney table services for dinner - saving money on the hotel allows us to do more stuff.
- Kitchen saves on breakfast and late snacks. We even LIKE to pack our sandwiches to take to the park and people watch so we can spend money for the nicer dinner. We may cook a meal or grab some pizza on way back to resort.
- While we all love Disney resorts we have found at this point, most of us (Dad is a bit more of a pool relaxer) would like to keep going and we find we rarely use all that is at the Disney resorts like we did when they were smaller.
- When at the condo, it was good to have the space, kids hit their room with their ipads, you could nap while someone watching tv, do some laundry and that is all tough to do on property without a huge expense of a villa.

If you've never stayed onsite you won't be missing it. Make the focus the parks and other activities you are planning and think of your resort as home base to sleep, shower and eat a bite. If you end up using the amenities great, if not at least you didn't pay a fortune for it.

PS I leave tomorrow for a short trip with three of us and we decided offsite at a suites hotel with cooked to order breakfast. We plan on spending all our time at the parks.

 

[mousefan]

that final decision is going to have to be made by you and your family
but some perks of staying at a disney on site resort

driving in and parking fees each day
The rate depends on your vehicle, but each theme park lot charges the same rate per day.

Automobile, taxi, limo or motorcycle: $17 USD
Camper, trailer or RV: $18 USD
Bus or tractor trailer: $21 USD

Once you pay for the day, you may park at any of the theme parks.

If you are a Guest of a Disney Resort hotel, you receive complimentary parking at Disney theme parks for the length of your Resort stay. You must present valid Disney Resort hotel identification to enter the parking lots

Staying at a Disney resort you are welcome to use the early entry and late night park hours at the various parks each day ( just need to show your resort magic band)

MagicBands – Receive amazing all-in-one devices that—with a simple touch—allow you to unlock your room door, enter parks (admission required), check in at FastPass+ entrances, charge purchases to your room and more.

FastPass Make your FastPass selections up to 60 days prior to check-in for the entire length of your stay. Valid theme park admission required.

several months of the year (if history repeats itself) by taking a Disney resort package there maybe " free dining offer packages" which really saves a bundle

you didn't mention if driving or flying in and renting a car but if you are flying in and staying at Disney resort you get

Complimentary Airport Service – Skip baggage claim with Disney’s Magical Express, a convenient motor coach for you and your bags between Orlando International Airport and your Disney Resort hotel.


while you can find more economical rates staying off site , we did this one time since we started going there in 1976 (and we go two or three times a year) when we decided to do a last minute June trip . It was an ok trip , but the renting a car , driving in traffic, parking fees,
and not having the above listed perks we decided as a family never again....

 

[Alesia]

I used to swear that I would never stay off-site. And then I actually did it. There is no way I would go back to staying on-site. We stayed in a 3 bedroom/3 bathroom condo for less than half of the cost of a single room at a value resort. We were still less than 15 minutes from MK. And I didn't have to take a day out of our trip to do laundry - I could just throw a load in whenever.

With teenagers, you're all going to appreciate having some extra space and privacy.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Hi all! I am in need of reassurance that I did the right thing staying offsite!

Just a little background: We are a family of four with two teen girls who will be 20 and 18 at the time of the trip. We are planning for June of 2016 but don't know the for sure dates yet. It will be our first time to Disneyworld but we are Disneyland Vets!

As of yesterday I put in for a timeshare at the Sheraton. I went back and forth between staying on vs. offsite. Eventually I went with the cheapest option but now I'm starting to regret it!! I worry that we won't be in the "Disney bubble"

Is is the Sheraton Vistana Resort you are considering? If so, its a beautiful property with awesome villas and resort amenities. You can check it out here:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3148502

We, personally, don't find the appeal of the Disney resorts (and yes, we have given onsite a try....our first trip, for that matter, when we stayed at a moderate). The rooms are so small. The amenities (room and resort) are very limited. Doing laundry is inconvenient. The buses? Crowded, and full of sweaty passengers who are irritable after a long and tiring day at the parks (not to mention how long it takes you from place to place, stopping at multiple resorts along the way). We're no fans of the dining plan so that's no "perk" for us. We have found better dining options for MUCH lower prices offsite.

With 4 adults in a room, the privacy you get at an offsite villa will be well worth the efforts of driving to the park (and for the record, we find driving around Orlando super easy.....not problematic or cumbersome at all). The multiple bathrooms will be a godsend. You will love enjoying a morning coffee on your screened in balcony. After you've had your fill of the parks, you'll have 7 pools from which to choose, 6 hot tubs, basketball, volleyball, tennis, shuffleboard, surrey bikes, mini golf, or whatever you feel like doing.

Or, you could just take a stroll through their beautiful walking paths, and soak up the peace and tranquility of the resort while you feed the ducks. Its a wonderful change from the hectic pace of the parks. That's the "bubble" I'd prefer to be in.

And the savings??? Substantial. Definitely enough to pay for a rental car, parking, and still be in hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars.

that final decision is going to have to be made by you and your family
but some perks of staying at a disney on site resort

driving in and parking fees each day
The rate depends on your vehicle, but each theme park lot charges the same rate per day.

Automobile, taxi, limo or motorcycle: $17 USD
Camper, trailer or RV: $18 USD
Bus or tractor trailer: $21 USD

Once you pay for the day, you may park at any of the theme parks.

If you are a Guest of a Disney Resort hotel, you receive complimentary parking at Disney theme parks for the length of your Resort stay. You must present valid Disney Resort hotel identification to enter the parking lots

Staying at a Disney resort you are welcome to use the early entry and late night park hours at the various parks each day ( just need to show your resort magic band)

MagicBands – Receive amazing all-in-one devices that—with a simple touch—allow you to unlock your room door, enter parks (admission required), check in at FastPass+ entrances, charge purchases to your room and more.

FastPass Make your FastPass selections up to 60 days prior to check-in for the entire length of your stay. Valid theme park admission required.

several months of the year (if history repeats itself) by taking a Disney resort package there maybe " free dining offer packages" which really saves a bundle

you didn't mention if driving or flying in and renting a car but if you are flying in and staying at Disney resort you get

Complimentary Airport Service – Skip baggage claim with Disney’s Magical Express, a convenient motor coach for you and your bags between Orlando International Airport and your Disney Resort hotel.


while you can find more economical rates staying off site , we did this one time since we started going there in 1976 (and we go two or three times a year) when we decided to do a last minute June trip . It was an ok trip , but the renting a car , driving in traffic, parking fees,
and not having the above listed perks we decided as a family never again....

The savings of an offsite villa versus an onsite comparable will be so substantial, the cost of parking and a rental vehicle will be easily covered 10 times over (maybe more). For our October dates, our 2 bedroom, 2 bath offsite villa was $906. Even renting DVC points (I used David's for costing purposes), the CHEAPEST 2 bed/2 bath option is AKL at a whopping $2982. That's a $2076 different, or almost $300 a day.

Magical Express won't be an issue if a car is rented (which OP, it should be for an offsite stay). Not being slave to bus schedules (to and from the airport, or to and from the parks) means more time enjoying Disney and less time on the bus. Renting a car is super easy at MCO, and generally very affordable. For our May trip, we have a full size for the entire week at $165 including tax. And that's very likely to drop substantially before our travel dates.

Magic Bands, those "amazing all in one devices", seem to give most folks more headaches than benefits. The boards are riddled with reports of tickets that don't show up on the bands, resort doors that won't open, etc. They may have their merits at times, but they are hardly without their own problems.

EMH will be something the OP won't be able to take advantage of. And booking FP+ selections at 60 days out. Or the dining plan (but that's no loss, IMHO....I don't see the savings in it that others do).

When comparing perks of offsite versus on, offsite is a clear winner for us.

 

[Awholenewdisney]

Thank you all so much for your input! Yes, we are planning to stay at the Sheraton Vistana. A big deciding As of right now we are going to rent a car and drive cross-country as that is the cheapest option. Then we'll fly back home.

I guess I'm just so overwhelmed with planning! So we won't be able to get fast passes unless we're resort guest?

 

[bankr63]

I worry that we won't be in the "Disney bubble"

No you won't be. Each evening you will leave the "Disney bubble" and enter the "Comfort and Luxury bubble", and you will probably have enough shekels left in your pocket that you will be able to make trips back to enjoy that Disney feeling much more often than if you stayed in the "Disney Bubble".

Good choice!

 

[coastgirl]

Though you haven't indicated if you would have a similar level of space onsite--are you looking at renting a condo-style unit onsite, or would you be getting a hotel room (or two)?

We stayed on site our first three trips to Disney when the kids were little, in rooms. I enjoyed the onsite amenities (related it to being Disney, like the theming, the buses, the early entry), but didn't enjoy the lack of basic *hotel* amenities at the price point, particularly the room size. We did free dining once, and that was fun, but a fair bit of work to line everything up. We've done a little bit of everything--Pop, CBR, CSR, AKL, and a few glorious nights at the Poly. I liked the convenience of the buses, but at the end of a long, hot day, the last thing I want to do is queue up and fight for a seat. From leaving the room to walking through the park gate, we could drive there faster, in every case. A monorail resort is different. (And if someone wants to pay for the Poly for my family, I am so THERE.)

We've also spent a few nights at two different offsite condo places, can't remember the names. (Not Sheraton or BOnnet Creek.) It was a two bedroom/two bath with kitchen, living room, ensuite laundry, some nice pools, etc. The last two trips we rented houses. We don't actually cook that much, but it's great to have a real fridge for cold drinks, yogurt, milk for the coffee, ICE CREAM, etc.

I could not go back to one room with the kids for more than a night or two. And I only have one teenager (though an 11yo girl is too darn close, and she requires her own bathroom to a much greater degree than her older brother!!).

Some really good points from Hopperfan re the age mattering--you won't need to go home in the middle of the day for a nap (unless you want to!). If you want to watch a movie together, or play a game, you've got a comfy living room.

We are staying onsite at Universal in a family suite, for the first 4 nights of our upcoming trip, and it's the first time in years we've done so. And I would only do it at the start of the trip. After four nights of "togetherness", we move to our rented house for a week, and everyone gets a bathroom! Not sure how long your trip is; if only for a few nights then a hotel room might be sufficient.

Thanks Gina for the comparison--I always wonder about apples-to-apples comparisons. $300 a night! Personally I'd rather stretch my accommodation dollar so I can spend more time on vacation. YMMV.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

So we won't be able to get fast passes unless we're resort guest?

You will be able to make FP+ reservations 30 days in advance. Onsite guests can do so 60 days in advance, so they get a 30 day head start.

Each evening you will leave the "Disney bubble" and enter the "Comfort and Luxury bubble"

A perfect description. Love it .

Thanks Gina for the comparison--I always wonder about apples-to-apples comparisons. $300 a night! .

And that's just the savings. Renting that DVC room would run a total of $426 per night. Our offsite villa, with the same # of bedrooms, similar room amenities, etc. is $129 nightly. Suddenly, a rental car and the parking fee at Disney don't seem so insurmountable.

Personally I'd rather stretch my accommodation dollar so I can spend more time on vacation. YMMV.

Amen, sister!

 

[Upatnoon]

Thank you all so much for your input! Yes, we are planning to stay at the Sheraton Vistana. A big deciding As of right now we are going to rent a car and drive cross-country as that is the cheapest option. Then we'll fly back home.

I guess I'm just so overwhelmed with planning! So we won't be able to get fast passes unless we're resort guest?

Anyone can use the FastPass+ system. Resort guests get to book earlier to snag the popular attractions.

You mentioned driving a rental car across the country. Be aware they usually charge a fee for a 1-way trip. The fee could be as much as $1,000.

 

[mikehn]

If you are worried you wont be in the 'disney bubble', then that should drive your decision.(after you define what the 'disney bubble' is)

 

[Candleshoe]

Anyone can use the FastPass+ system. Resort guests get to book earlier to snag the popular attractions.

You mentioned driving a rental car across the country. Be aware they usually charge a fee for a 1-way trip. The fee could be as much as $1,000.

The money you save on accommodations staying off-site might allow you to fly there, too.

 

[Awholenewdisney]

I think I am just putting too many expectations on this trip. When I looked at the hotel room prices onsite they were substantially lower than those at DL. And I started to dream about staying onsite for the first time ever. It also doesn't help that I'm not sure when the next family vacation will be as both my girls will be in college.

But my husband sat me down and brought me back to reality! We have a two bedroom at a very nice hotel that costs us almost nothing. We are still going to have a great time and feel the Disney Magic

 

[Gr8t Fan]

I think I am just putting too many expectations on this trip. When I looked at the hotel room prices onsite they were substantially lower than those at DL. And I started to dream about staying onsite for the first time ever. It also doesn't help that I'm not sure when the next family vacation will be as both my girls will be in college.

But my husband sat me down and brought me back to reality! We have a two bedroom at a very nice hotel that costs us almost nothing. We are still going to have a great time and feel the Disney Magic

It's understandable that you have expectations of your trip.

Our experience was the opposite of what you fear - we started visiting WDW on our honeymoon in 1993 and always stayed offsite. Then I found the DIS and a lot of people were talking about the magic of staying onsite. I built staying onsite up so much in my mind that we finally took the plunge and stayed onsite at POR with a free dining offer about a year after it originally came out. POR was the only moderate that could accommodate our family of 5 (which is now a family of 6, but that's another story). Anyway, we were disappointed staying onsite because the rooms were tiny and we didn't really like the decor. The food was great, but we didn't want to spend any time in our room because we were on top of each other. Then we tried connecting rooms in a value resort another year and that gave us more room, but less amenities.

We've happily settled on staying offsite in a timeshare condo which gives us all room to spread out, a washer/dryer, a full kitchen, and an actual bed for every one of us.

 

[disneycrazy01]

Hi everyone. My log in name says it all. I am Disney crazy. I love Disney and used to stay offsite when we first started going to Florida, but we were just visiting the Disney parks for a day or two. When my oldest nephew was old enough to really enjoy the parks, about 5 years old, we started staying onsite. It was great being able to give him a pool break in the afternoon and then go back to the parks in the evening. We stayed onsite about 3 times at the value hotels. Then my second nephew was born and our vacations changed. His first vacation was a cruise.

One summer a friend of the family who owns a timeshare had us spend a week with her at Star Island and then we were hooked on having so much space. My second nephew is so hyper that being in a regular hotel room wouldn't work. While at Star Island we would spend the evenings on the balcony. We would put the little guy in his stroller and he would love to look at the stars in the sky.

Since then I can't justify the cost or how insane our vacation will be staying in a one-room hotel room at Disney. The little guy really enjoys the water parks at Disney, but that's it. Even after a long day at the water parks he still needs space to run around. He's a little energizer bunny.

Our summer vacation this year will be at Bonnet Creek. We were there 2 years ago and loved it. Having all that space makes our vacations so much more enjoyable. I'm an early riser and I love having my morning coffee on the balcony and I don't have to worry if I'm going to wake anyone up. Doing that at the Disney hotel was impossible.

We cut our expenses by eating breakfast before going to a park or somewhere else. On our lazy days we're able to pack a lunch and bring it by the pool - no glass of course. The cost of food for us was more at Disney since we had to eat all of our meals out. The kids aren't into cereal bars so all the meals were eaten at restaurants.

I don't like to cook too much while I'm on vacation, but having a dishwasher is a luxury so I don't mind cooking a few dinners. Throwing up a load of clothes doesn't seem too bad when I'm sitting on the balcony in the evening with a nice cold beer or a glass of wine and the kids are in their room sleeping or on their ipads.

 

[pjhootch]

Disney World is a lot more overwhelming than Disney Land. You can feel like you are in the Disney bubble even if you aren't staying on property. We stayed on and off site at both WDW and DL. Both ways can be great trips- it is just a question of figuring out what you want MOST from a trip.

We went through a phase of staying on-site when our kids were teens. That way, they could stay in the parks if we wanted to leave or go park hop if I wasn't in the mood. But we stayed in one room and the rooms were much more affordable at that time. With only 2 of our kids it was possible. If we take all three with us, we are now 5 adults. Not Disney adults, but regular world adults. There is no way we can stay 5 in one room and not kill each other. We did 4 in a room on our last trip to take advantage of free dining- and had a great time doing so.

I am really not willing to pay Disney rack rates anywhere at current prices- especially when we need 2 rooms. The discounts usually aren't enough to change my mind at this point. But you can get plenty of Disney atmosphere staying off site and spending days in the parks. I prefer to spend the difference on good meals or party tickets or just about anything other than seriously over priced hotel rooms.