Off site? Please read. :)

[Marsheliz]

What do you guys think about off site? We have stayed on site the last two visits but we never use the transportation bc of how crowded it can be, the wait time and we have a stroller to deal with. When we go we will have a 4 yr old and a 12 month old. (October) I know the Not so scary halloween party is then and they shut down early anyways for that and I doubt we will be there super late ( I know staying in the park offers extra magic hours). I also like that I can pay for the hotel now and then have until we get there to purchase the tickets. Also, my mom has Stage 4 cancer and I think if something was to happen before we go, it would be easier to just cancel the hotel.

What do you think? In park or off site? Why or Why not? If you have stayed off site, please give me some ideas of good places!

 

[puffkin]

It really is just personal preference. We have stayed both and I always say I would rather be in Disney offsite than not go at all. We also always have a car so we don't need to worry about transportation.

We are DVC members so we typically stay onsite in a 1 bedroom. But we sometimes need to tack on a few extra days if we are low on points or we make an extra trip that year. For shorter trips, we love Buena Vista Suites. Extremely clean, very close to Disney, good free buffet breakfast, free parking, good price, etc. If we ever need to stay offsite for a longer trip I am plaining to look into Bonnet Creek. It looks really nice, awesome location, and DISers seem to find AMAZING rates there. We also know families who have rented houses in Windsor Hills and have fantastic vacations. It really is all a matter of personal preference.

 

[Marsheliz]

Thank you for replying. I will look into those. how do you get into the DVR thing?

If anyone else has any ideas, please let me know.

 

[minnieandfamily]

Hello!
We have stayed both on-site and off-site. For me, the pros of staying on-site are proximity to the parks, the disney "magic", and great customer service. For me, the pros of staying off-site are the savings and extra room/space. Now that we have 3 kids (my youngest - twin boys - are now 3), savings and having the extra space are more important for us. We are going in April - I had originally booked a 1BR villa in Bay Lake Tower (which we love, especially since you can walk to MK and have access to the monorail). However, we were able to save thousands of dollars but switching to Wyndham Bonnet Creek - and we will be staying in a larger 2BR villa. Although I haven't been there yet, friends of ours recommended it and there are many fans here on the disboards. With your little ones, it's nice to have access to a full kitchen plus the extra space (you can put them to bed but still relax in the living room and not disturb them). Also, they have zero entry pools, a pirate themed pool, wading pools, and splash grounds perfect for your kids ages. And it is essentially "on property", near Downtown Disney and close to Epcot. We've also stayed at Lighthouse Key, which I would recommend. It's newer, very nicely appointed (nice furnishings, granite countertops, etc) and very reasonably priced. However, it's not as close as Bonnet Creek and only has one, big pool (no splash ground, wading pools, etc).
Oh, and if you were looking for a regular hotel room, they just opened the Wyndham Grand at Bonnet Creek....brand new, looks very nice, and guests can use all of the pools in the neighboring timeshare complex.
Good luck with your planning!

 

[Marsheliz]

Thank you. I will check out those options as well.

 

[Leajess99]

We have stayed both on and off site and I really like the offsite benefits. Our last stay was at Silver Lake Resort (http://www.silverlakeorlandoresort.com/) and it was really nice and well kept. It also is right out the back gate of Animal Kingdom and travel time was was not long to any of the parks.

They had a washer and dryer in the resort room as well as a full sized kitchen. We had a 2 bedroom that slept 8 so lots of room to spread out and with 3 different televisions we could watch what we wanted. There was also a master bath with a jacuzzi tub and separate walk in shower. The other bathroom had a shower/tub combo so 3 people could actually bathe at the same time if need be.

Cost wise, it was still cheaper to stay offsite than stay on but we used the Military salute tickets. We would have used the YES tickets if we did not have the salute option.

ETA: We did use the Armed Forces Vacation Club to rent this.

 

[lsulindy]

I haven't stayed onsite as an adult, and so I can't accurately compare it, but so far, we've loved staying offsite. Both times we've stayed close and both times we've had a car.

Pros:
1) cheaper, last trip us, my parents, and our 3 kids stayed in a condo for the cost of 1 Value room.
2) way more space. 1st trip we had a suite with bedroom and separate living area. Tons of room for dd's playpen, room to play, room to just move. Could put dd to bed, and stay up in living room with lights, TV, etc on
2nd trip we had a 3 bedroom condo. 1 br for us and baby, 1 br for 2 older kids, 1 br for my parents. 2 bathrooms, full kitchen. Tons of room for baby swing, and 2 families/3 kids worth of stuff.
3) Laundry, condo had a washer and dryer which was invaluable b/c baby soiled at least one set of clothes each day.
4) Never had to wait for a bus, or stand on a bus with a tired/sleeping child in my arms, or stand on a bus while someone else's child vomited on the bus and as the vomit rolled down the aisle with each stop of the bus
5) Got to ride under the Disney arches every day!
6) Had a microwave and fridge first trip for milk, snacks, etc. Had a full kitchen in condo. Never cooked a full meal, but we had breakfast in condo every day. Fridge and microwave are a requirement for me traveling with young ones. Suite included a full breakfast buffet every morning.
7) Travel time was very short. Friends staying on site said that when they factored in wait times for buses, we made it into the parks quicker than they did. And that was the time we stayed in the condo, which was a bit further away than the suite. Neither trip did we ever hit any traffic. (This isn't a factor if you're driving from on-site rather than taking the bus, but Buena Vista Suites is very close. I doubt driving time is too much longer that driving time on-site.)
8) Our condo was Disney themed, my kids were thrilled with it. I didn't feel that we were lacking any magic at all. http://www.allstarvacationhomes.com/res/property.asp?ID=321

Cons:
1) No extra magic hours, but I don't think we would have used them much.
2) No option to get a dining plan, but I saved food receipts both trips and both times we spent far less than what a dining plan would have cost.
3) If I had older kids, the bus may be nice if we wanted to go to/leave the parks at different times, but right now that's not a factor.

I can't directly compare, but DH's best friend and my best friend (two different families) both stayed onsite roughly around the time of our first trip. They thought they "had" to to have a good trip. Both stayed offsite for their next trips after hearing about our good offsite experience. After their offiste stays (one in a suite, one in an offsite townhome w/ pool), both said they will never stay onsite again.

 

[nmb1dsnefan]

I did not like staying off site. We didint have the dining plan and going back to the condo to cook everytime the kids got hungry was a pain in the butt. Also you have to pay for parking everytime you go to the parks and at $15 a pop it gets pricey fast. My family didnt enjoy the trip as much as previous trip because we didnt feel any of the Disney magic after leaving the park. I did like the extra room we had and the washer and dryer was very convenient, but given the choice I would not do it again.

Last year we stayed in a 2 bedroom villa at Saratoga Springs and I liked it way better than any other resort we have stayed in. And it had a washer and dryer. The costumer service in Disney cant be beat. Whatever your decision, I hope you and your family have a magical time!

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

We're definite off-site converts (and former DVC owners). Off-sie is cheaper, plenty of options available, it all depends on your priorities (how much room, how close to WDW, amenities, etc.)

For your family, Bonnet Creek sounds like a good possibility. They have a shuttle to the parks, you would have a kitchen--even if you don't plan to cook, it's nice to have it for snacks and breakfasts, especially with little ones. A huge advantage, IMO, would be the ability to put the kids down for a nap/bedtime, and still be in the room, watching TV or enjoying an adult beverage or whatever. I spent way too many nights, reading with a book light, waiting for my kids to fall asleep! There are also many resort amentities--fancy pools, activities, etc., that might be fun for your older child.

There are plenty of hotels in the area, the only thing I would mention is, shuttle service can be spotty (I've heard nothing but good things about Bonnet Creek). So, you would have to plan on taking your car, and then if the shuttle works out, it's a bonus. Parking is $15 a day, which can add up.

 

[powellrj]

Check out the orlando board, its full of off-site places that are not only cheaper, they are much larger! Bonnet Creek seem popular, but we have never stayed there, we have been staying in houses which is another great idea. All of the information about renting is on the threads and people are helpful about offering info!

 

[Leajess99]

I did not like staying off site. We didint have the dining plan and going back to the condo to cook everytime the kids got hungry was a pain in the butt. Also you have to pay for parking everytime you go to the parks and at $15 a pop it gets pricey fast. My family didnt enjoy the trip as much as previous trip because we didnt feel any of the Disney magic after leaving the park. I did like the extra room we had and the washer and dryer was very convenient, but given the choice I would not do it again.

Last year we stayed in a 2 bedroom villa at Saratoga Springs and I liked it way better than any other resort we have stayed in. And it had a washer and dryer. The costumer service in Disney cant be beat. Whatever your decision, I hope you and your family have a magical time!

Parking is only $14 and it is good for all day. We also had great customer service at Silver Lake. Customer service is not always great at Disney either.

 

[100AcreWood]

Another vote for offsite! I'm booking a condo for our next trip but I've stayed at Doubletree DTD several times and Buena Vista Suites last time. I haven't found a hotel I'm 100% against. They were both good in different ways.

Check out the Orlando thread though. Lots of suggestions there!

 

[lsulindy]

I did not like staying off site. We didint have the dining plan and going back to the condo to cook everytime the kids got hungry was a pain in the butt. Also you have to pay for parking everytime you go to the parks and at $15 a pop it gets pricey fast. My family didnt enjoy the trip as much as previous trip because we didnt feel any of the Disney magic after leaving the park. I did like the extra room we had and the washer and dryer was very convenient, but given the choice I would not do it again.

Last year we stayed in a 2 bedroom villa at Saratoga Springs and I liked it way better than any other resort we have stayed in. And it had a washer and dryer. The costumer service in Disney cant be beat. Whatever your decision, I hope you and your family have a magical time!

$14 to park is all day, in and out. Our off-site accomodations were much less than $14 per day cheaper than on-site. We didn't have DDP, but never left the property to eat. We ate all meals besides breakfast on-site and paid out-of-pocket. Spent less than the DDP would have cost. I know some people love on-site, but you do not have to leave the property to eat every meal in your kitchen just because you have one.

 

[Mom23WildBoys]

We just went to Disney World for the first time (13 days in January/beginning of Feb.) and stayed at Windsor Hills off-site. We thought that since we'd be there so long, and because our boys are so young (6, 4 and 2) that we'd definitely need to be able to separate them for sleeping and that it wouldn't be too bad to drive back for naps, etc.. The FIRST night there we regretted that decision, especially for our very first trip. We got lost the first three nights/days b/c Florida's street signs are wacky (to us anyway!). It took WAY longer than we thought to actually get into & out of the parks every day, even though our condo was one exit from the main road into Disney. It was such a pain to get all the way back out of the parks, to the rental car (which was a pain in itself...car rental, flying with car seats, re-installing car seats, etc.) that we never left in the middle of the day for naps and the boys were tired and difficult. We didn't know until we arrived that the a/c units in Windsor Hills condos aren't supposed to be turned down less than 75 degrees without risking freezing the unit and incurring at least a $100 fee or more if the unit was damaged. It was in the 80's and very humid during half of our stay, and impossible for us to sleep without some cooler air blowing, so we risked it and turned on the a/c anyway, but I wish we had known about that rule before booking!
All in all, we had a great trip, but it was sad that we were wishing every day that we could just walk or ride back to somewhere on-site easily. Our next family trip will be much better b/c we booked a 1 bedroom villa at Bay Lake Tower, which will give us basically one "room" for the kids to sleep in, a washer and dryer, kitchen, and we'll actually be able to walk to MK and quickly ride to EP, and my boys love busses, so the trips to AK and HS won't be an issue. We're super excited to go back and hopefully have a more relaxing trip next time!!!
Good luck with your decision!

 

[puffkin]

$14 to park is all day, in and out. Our off-site accomodations were much less than $14 per day cheaper than on-site. We didn't have DDP, but never left the property to eat. We ate all meals besides breakfast on-site and paid out-of-pocket. Spent less than the DDP would have cost. I know some people love on-site, but you do not have to leave the property to eat every meal in your kitchen just because you have one.

We are AP holders so we don't pay to park but most offsite will be cheaper than $14/parking fee a day.

We also never do the DDP and pretty much all (except for breakfast in the room) meals in the parks. We never come close to spending what the dining plan would cost. We do have Tables in Wonderland though which is a dining discount plan you can get with an AP.

If you are staying offsite and plan to eat onsite, you may want to look into the benefits of one person in your party getting an AP. Between the savings on parking, merchandise (10% discount at all the stores) and the Tables in Wonderland, it may save you a lot of money.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

We just went to Disney World for the first time (13 days in January/beginning of Feb.) and stayed at Windsor Hills off-site. We thought that since we'd be there so long, and because our boys are so young (6, 4 and 2) that we'd definitely need to be able to separate them for sleeping and that it wouldn't be too bad to drive back for naps, etc.. The FIRST night there we regretted that decision, especially for our very first trip. We got lost the first three nights/days b/c Florida's street signs are wacky (to us anyway!). It took WAY longer than we thought to actually get into & out of the parks every day, even though our condo was one exit from the main road into Disney. It was such a pain to get all the way back out of the parks, to the rental car (which was a pain in itself...car rental, flying with car seats, re-installing car seats, etc.) that we never left in the middle of the day for naps and the boys were tired and difficult. We didn't know until we arrived that the a/c units in Windsor Hills condos aren't supposed to be turned down less than 75 degrees without risking freezing the unit and incurring at least a $100 fee or more if the unit was damaged. It was in the 80's and very humid during half of our stay, and impossible for us to sleep without some cooler air blowing, so we risked it and turned on the a/c anyway, but I wish we had known about that rule before booking!
All in all, we had a great trip, but it was sad that we were wishing every day that we could just walk or ride back to somewhere on-site easily. Our next family trip will be much better b/c we booked a 1 bedroom villa at Bay Lake Tower, which will give us basically one "room" for the kids to sleep in, a washer and dryer, kitchen, and we'll actually be able to walk to MK and quickly ride to EP, and my boys love busses, so the trips to AK and HS won't be an issue. We're super excited to go back and hopefully have a more relaxing trip next time!!!
Good luck with your decision!

I'm mystified as to how you could have gotten so lost. It was super easy to get from Windsor Hills to WDW, although I will admit, I got confused trying to find the AAA parking at AK, and had to circle around and back. That's as lost as I got. Did you not take the sneak route (Sherberth Road)? It's also possible to rent car seats--that's what we did, a regular car seat as well as a booster.

The only place where WDW transportation is going to save time is going to MK.

I second the idea of the AP--it didn't work out for us, but you should at least run the numbers on parking and meal costs, etc. Our last trip, we were there for 2 weeks, and only did 4 TS meals. The AP is especially good if you have someone who is might be travelling solo to the Orlando area (for business or whatever) at some point in the coming year.

 

[bumbershoot]

I also like that I can pay for the hotel now and then have until we get there to purchase the tickets. Also, my mom has Stage 4 cancer and I think if something was to happen before we go, it would be easier to just cancel the hotel.

I'm sorry about your mom.

FWIW, you could stay onsite, just booking the hotel room, and have the same deal. I can't be sure, but I believe you can cancel up to 5 days out with a room-only reservation, and still get your deposit back. You don't have to have a package, booking room and tickets (and maybe dining) altogether, but could still stay onsite if you wished to.



There are SO many hotels in the Disney/Universal area, and so many of them look like lots of fun! Add in the Windsor Hills type condo/townhouse/house rental places and one's head could burst from all the neat choices.

 

[Leajess99]

I'm mystified as to how you could have gotten so lost. It was super easy to get from Windsor Hills to WDW, although I will admit, I got confused trying to find the AAA parking at AK, and had to circle around and back. That's as lost as I got. Did you not take the sneak route (Sherberth Road)? It's also possible to rent car seats--that's what we did, a regular car seat as well as a booster.

On our first trip we made the trip to WDW the night before actually going to the parks to make sure we knew our route. We also chose places close by to stay offsite. We got lost a couple of times leaving but found our way back and found some cool stuff.

The funny part was on our on of our onsite trips when we stayed at Ft Wilderness, the bus driver coming from AK first cutoff a car and almost got us in an accident. Then to add to that he forgot where he was going and went to MK instead of Ft Wilderness. No one was happy on that bus.

 

[nmb1dsnefan]

She was asking for opinions. I just gave mine and pointed some cons for MY family. Because we were there for so long the parking cost became expensive and eating in the park for 10 days with 7 ppl was too expensive. Its a personal opinion and experience. There is no wrong or right OPINION.

 

[Reese]

We've done both and for a relaxing vacation we book offsite. I use http://www.vrbo.com/ to find rental houses. We've rented in Emerald Isle and Rolling Hills and find them about a ten minute drive to Magic Kingdoms gates. You can find a rental that meets your needs and it's nice to have space and we always rent with a pool and pool table (out two must have's). It allows us to be crazy busy at the park but spend a little quiet family time also.
We often just take a small cooler bag into the park with us carring lunch meats, cheese, lettuce and wraps. Also carrying some snackies keeps the cost down.
I understand the cost factor if you have to cancel, we had to at the last minute and lost our deposit but if it was onsite we would have been out a lot more since it was within 45 days.