Off-site or On-site for me?

[centurythree]

I'm one of those people who's always stayed off-site. However, for my upcoming trip (with a friend and her pre-teen son, for 11 nights) I'm wondering if I shouldn't stay on-site for the following reasons:

* It's my first big trip without my parents, so an on-site stay seems a bit more "controlled"
* With the Dining Deluxe Plan, it seems that staying at a moderate may be marginally cheaper than staying off-site and paying out of pocket for everything, especially if I book through AAA. (I'd rather not look at Deluxe or DVC properties until I've graduated in a couple of years.)

However, I also get an amazing discount at an off-site resort that I can best compare to Saratoga Springs. It would have two bedrooms, two baths, and a lot of room to spread out. I've been staying with this resort for the last ten years or so.

What to do? I'm familiar with the benefits of staying on-site and off-site, and we'll be driving down so we won't have to deal with the bus system. I'm looking for the "unofficial" benefits and drawbacks of staying on-site versus off. I'm already giving up space and hotel quality, anything else I should be aware of?

 

[mickeynut1]

For us, it's being immersed in the "magic" 24/7 . Everywhere you turn, it's DISNEY . That alone does it for me .

 

[skipperkim]

Two of the best reasons to stay onsite are:

EHM

resort delivery of purchases

Do you really need more.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

If you have the chance to stay onsite you should take it because it's very special staying at a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel.

 

[estherhead]

I love staying off site. LOVE it. We rent a house & have lots of room. That being said, there are plenty of benefits to staying onsite (you already know them all) so if the money is the same & you haven't experienced staying onsite, I think you should. Then all future decisions will be based on personal experience.

We stayed onsite for the first time last year so we could experience DDP. This year when planning we decided to stay off site again. But I planned a 4 day girls weekend with my sis & mom and we decided to stay onsite for that & get the deluxe dining. I'm so glad we stayed onsite last year so I now know for my family when to stay onsite & when to stay offsite for us.

Ya know?

 

[KatMark]

If you can afford to stay onsite, I say go for it. We would never consider staying offsite. It's just not Disney to us offsite, and we enjoy the extra morning and extra evening hours too much to pass them up.

 

[disneychick0412]

I agree with KatMark in that I would not consider staying offsite. I would
not feel like I was "doing Disney" if I was staying offsite. To me the traffic/driving and having to find my way around is the main reason we stay onsite. I can get road rage pretty bad and I get lost pretty easily. Also, I don't think I would feel the "magic" like I do now if I stayed offsite. Disney is just a totally immersive experience for me that I've not found anywhere else and that includes staying onsite.

Just my opinion....

Oh yeah, I also like mid-day trips back to the resort in the heat of the day and staying onsite makes that very easy to do.

 

[pepe of ohio]

If you can afford to stay onsite, I say go for it. We would never consider staying offsite. It's just not Disney to us offsite, and we enjoy the extra morning and extra evening hours too much to pass them up.

We've logged 40 trips to WDW and would never consider staying off site no matter what the cost is. We go to WDW just to be immersed in the magic and the idea of not driving or needing a car while on vacation. We enjoy our resort and afternoon heat or crowd breaks gives us a break to do the pool, have a few drinks and take a nap or just cool off and chill out. There is so much to see and do around the resorts and staying in a park from opening to close and getting into a hot car and driving off property to a resort, let alone driving again for a meal is not how we want to spend a vacation.

We prefer the on site, relax, no driving, dining experiences out the wazoo, different resorts and lounges to see and try not counting the water parks, golf, putt putt and shopping. It truely is all under one roof, no car needed adventure.

 

[alldiz]

For me it's being IN the magic 24/7. I would definately stay onsite if you can afford it. Soooooo worth it
Happy planning
Kerri

 

[disnut8]

I'm going for off site. Why?

1 - You've used the resort for ten years. You know it. You obviously know how to get to the parks. And it's never diminished your enjoyment up until this point.

2 - 11 nights with a pre teen boy in one room? Um, no.

3 - the dining plan is "marginally cheaper". Off site restaurants can be really cool. In fact, we just found one on our Memorial Day trip that was absolutely fantastic. The best dining experience in a long time. (Not a chain, very local).

4 - it's YOUR finances. We've had to cut back quite a bit since I lost my job. But we still go to Disney World at the same rate we did "back in the day". Why? Because we stay off site.

5 - once you walk through a theme park turnstile, Disney has absolutely no idea where you are staying. You are a guest. Anything that you experience can be experience by the person next to you who is on site at club level at the Grand Floridian (no offense, just trying to think of an extreme).

6 - you can make your own magic.

 

[takemetodisney]

2 - 11 nights with a pre teen boy in one room? Um, no.
.

That was definitely my first reaction.....living in a large house with a preteen is a challenge.....put them in a confined space and it's survival of the fitest! Plus, if it's not YOUR child, then there is the whole "modesty" issue when your entire living space is a bedroom, and the bath/shower area is too small to dress. Awkward to say the least.

3 - the dining plan is "marginally cheaper". Off site restaurants can be really cool. In fact, we just found one on our Memorial Day trip that was absolutely fantastic. The best dining experience in a long time. (Not a chain, very local).

Ok, it's not fair to say you have found "the best dining experience in a long time" and then not tell us where!

 

[spiceycat]

since this is your first trip without your parents - might go for onsite - but would go with a value.

a value has the same beds as a moderate - so you lost nothing.

now moderates are great if you are planning to enjoy what they offers - sounds to me like you are in the parks every day all day.

now if you aren't say so - because moderates are great for those off days - when you don't go to the parks at all.

I stay at both places onsite (generally my DVC but stay at value too) and offsite - other timeshares with RCI.

so familiar with both.

EMH is a great deal for staying onsite. if you are flying into the area then DME is pretty wonderful too. not to mention WDW transportation once you have arrived at WDW.

you know with a value resort you might have your room and your friend and her son their own room.

pre-teens are okay - he will probably love it. now when they get to be teens and WDW is only so and so - you definitely want to kill them.

 

[disnut8]

Ok, it's not fair to say you have found "the best dining experience in a long time" and then not tell us where!

You have to like sports and you have to like simple bar food (burgers). It's Sharky's next door to Captain Nemo's buffet on Highway 192 (close to Old Town).

Never been there before, treated like we were old friends, sports on all over the place and even had our own TV on the table which was quickly turned to the NASCAR race we wanted to watch. Cheap beers, good burgers and a great all around good time.

We would have never found this place if we were on site (our off site place was next door - we walked over).

We will be back.

 

[centurythree]

since this is your first trip without your parents - might go for onsite - but would go with a value.

a value has the same beds as a moderate - so you lost nothing.

now moderates are great if you are planning to enjoy what they offers - sounds to me like you are in the parks every day all day.

now if you aren't say so - because moderates are great for those off days - when you don't go to the parks at all.

I stay at both places onsite (generally my DVC but stay at value too) and offsite - other timeshares with RCI.

so familiar with both.

EMH is a great deal for staying onsite. if you are flying into the area then DME is pretty wonderful too. not to mention WDW transportation once you have arrived at WDW.

you know with a value resort you might have your room and your friend and her son their own room.

pre-teens are okay - he will probably love it. now when they get to be teens and WDW is only so and so - you definitely want to kill them.

I'd never considered staying in two rooms at a value resort, but that would solve my concern! I'd just assumed that it would be far more expensive to do this than to stay in one room at a moderate, but that's not the case. Plus since we'll never really see our resort except to sleep, there really is no point in staying at a moderate or above.

I think I might be sold! Thanks everyone for your honest feedback!