Off site or Wilderness?

[ahem2]

Hello fellow Disney lovers!

We are getting ready to embark on a short family vacation to Disney for a birthday. I've been really going back and forth between staying offsite or at the Wilderness resort so I thought I would ask some experts. We have two small kids (3 and 4) so staying on property would be nice for proximity and the experience, but at the same time, saving a couple dollars while at Disney never hurts either. I also question how much time we will actually spend at the resort vs at the parks to make the extra money worth it at the Wilderness. I was looking at the Carbie Royale for an offiste property. But everyone speaks very highly of the Wilderness. Any recommendations?

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

Personally I'm an on-site person but this really depends on your preferences and budget. Having stayed at the WL, I will say it's beautiful and has a lot of really nice amenities. I loved how calm it felt after the hustle and bustle of the parks. Boat to MK is a HUGE plus, and also with WL being a deluxe it will also get you access to the extra evening hours. There is a nice splash pad which was AMAZING with little kids. We will now only stay at resorts that have a splash pad!

I think staying on property with little kids is worth it, just for the convenience to the parks. That said, I've never stayed off site but I can see how that could also be beneficial with little kids, especially if you were renting a house or condo that might offer more space for sleeping arrangements.

 

[woody5]

If you want to save some money, why not stay at a moderate or value resort? All the benefits of being on site for less $.

 

[Mle8308]

Hello fellow Disney lovers!

We are getting ready to embark on a short family vacation to Disney for a birthday. I've been really going back and forth between staying offsite or at the Wilderness resort so I thought I would ask some experts. We have two small kids (3 and 4) so staying on property would be nice for proximity and the experience, but at the same time, saving a couple dollars while at Disney never hurts either. I also question how much time we will actually spend at the resort vs at the parks to make the extra money worth it at the Wilderness. I was looking at the Carbie Royale for an offiste property. But everyone speaks very highly of the Wilderness. Any recommendations?

Are you referring to the Wilderness Lodge of Fort Wilderness? Two completely different experiences/resorts.

 

[Anthony1971]

Budget is personal.
There are great options onsite and offsite.
As above are you referencing Wilderness Lodge - a Disney deluxe resort or Wilderness Campgrounds which also has cabins.
You can also explore Moderate resorts as well as Value resorts since you mentioned you will likely not spend much time at a resort I would think be able to get to the parks would be the most important part of your decision. With that take the cost of a Disney resort Lower end to Higher end take the cost of offsite add parking car rental or Shuttle fees or Uber or like fees however you plan to get to the parks and make a decision based on numbers.
We stay onsite as that is just us. From my experience with kids that young you will be spending more time at a resort then you think. Kids get tired and adults do as well especially when you are hauling all the gear and pushing a stroller all day... I recall 6PM calling it quits for a number of years. we also always had resort days. Kids that age for the most part will remember a pool the most.... with that Wilderness lodge has a reasonable slide for kids that most will enjoy as it is not intimidating for a younger child it is also decent for adults but by far not one of the top fun ones. The rest about the resort I am sure you have heard it is one of our favorite resorts as far as theming very easy to get MK however I will however warn getting to the rest of the parks like all MK resort area is no time savings especially later in the day when buses are shared as it makes transportation slow at best.

 

[hmansionlover]

I think your children considering their ages would most enjoy AoA. Three different pools. Little mermaid, Cars, and Lion King. Great theme throughout

 

[sponica]

I've stayed at the Caribe Royale, and it is a nice hotel, but personally I won't go offsite until my kids are out of carseats. With kids that young, it's just easier being on site.

 

[Lisa P.]

...personally I won't go offsite until my kids are out of carseats. With kids that young, it's just easier being on site.

I can relate to this, with a caveat... I think it's easier being onsite at a resort with onsite transportation OTHER than buses, with kids who use a heavy-duty stroller from home. IMO, getting 3- and 4-year-old kids in and out of carseats is not a big deal most of the time. But getting tired preschoolers out of a comfortable stroller AND collapsing that heavy stroller to carry it onto the bus or boat is a hassle.

The time to walk across the parking lot to your car is comparable to the time you'd wait at a bus stop or boat dock. The drive time to a nearby offsite resort can easily be the same as a bus/boat ride to an onsite resort - sometimes more, sometimes less. If you'll mainly visit the parks where you can walk/monorail/skyliner from your onsite resort, then you'd likely find it much easier to return to and enjoy the onsite resort, IMO. Obviously, YMMV.