off site, where to begin?

[revwooster]

Hey all.

Considering a trip to DW this fall.

On previous trips, we have always stayed on property (POFQ). But we are open to staying off site this trip. But I don't even know where to begin.

What we like about being on property is the ease of getting to and from the airport and being able to easily catch a bus to the parks.

We would want something that would shuttle us from the airport, and shuttle us to the parks. But I don't want to have spend lots of time on a crowded bus. . . Breakfast at the hotel would be nice too (that is one advantage that off site may hold for us.)

We would be traveling with a 4 year old (Who has talked nonstop about our trip since last may.) and a nearly one year old. We prefer to head to the parks in the morning, head back to the hotel in the afternoon and then head back for the evening entertainment. (Our 4 year old loved loved loved the MK fireworks).

So any thoughts or guidance for us?

Thanks
james

 

[sympatico]

If you're not going to rent a car and have two small kids your best bet is to stay onsite. Shuttle times for offsite hotels may not be as convenient as you want and you may have to book your to and from the airport transportation privately.
We always stay in a vacation home rental and a car is a must.

 

[FrenchSnowWhite]

I was going to say the same thing! With a 4 year old, if you don't rent a car you better stay on site!!!

 

[party-of-five]

Hey all.

Considering a trip to DW this fall.

On previous trips, we have always stayed on property (POFQ). But we are open to staying off site this trip. But I don't even know where to begin.

What we like about being on property is the ease of getting to and from the airport and being able to easily catch a bus to the parks.

We would want something that would shuttle us from the airport, and shuttle us to the parks. But I don't want to have spend lots of time on a crowded bus. . . Breakfast at the hotel would be nice too (that is one advantage that off site may hold for us.)

We would be traveling with a 4 year old (Who has talked nonstop about our trip since last may.) and a nearly one year old. We prefer to head to the parks in the morning, head back to the hotel in the afternoon and then head back for the evening entertainment. (Our 4 year old loved loved loved the MK fireworks).

So any thoughts or guidance for us?

Thanks
james

I agree with those who have already posted replies. Given the ages of your little ones, that you won't be renting a car, and the fact that you would like to return for a mid afternoon break, I'm not sure that you'll be happy off site. You may find that you'll save enough $ by staying off site that you can pay for a rental car, but that's only if you don't mind driving.

 

[dja14]

I agree, w/o a car onsite is the way to go. We stayed offsite at a comfort Inn once, very near the park, and I heard a lot of complaints about the shuttle. We had a car and it was quick and easy to get on and off site (maybe 5 minutes?-except to MK) I can't imagine being able to take a hotel shuttle twice a day each way (and not missing the end of the day shuttle would have me worrying all the time)

If you rent a car you would need carseats but you could carry your own stroller pretty easy. You also could have a 2 bedroom place so the kids could sleep when you didn't want to. We do a condo and then have a kitchen and washer and dryer.

If you decide to stay offsite, I always look around here for places people are talking well about and look for other well liked places on trip advisor and stuff like that. We like condos since our kids are bigger and I check around the same way. After I find a couple places I google map the addresses and see how far they really are from where I want to be. I really don't trust when a hotel says 'minutes' away. I can usually see where the roads are and which are busy if I do it myself.

Looking up and comparing a few places with Disney costs (don't forget to include parking if you rent a car) should help you decide if you want to go offsite or not

 

[nacho113]

Hey all.

Considering a trip to DW this fall.

On previous trips, we have always stayed on property (POFQ). But we are open to staying off site this trip. But I don't even know where to begin.

What we like about being on property is the ease of getting to and from the airport and being able to easily catch a bus to the parks.

We would want something that would shuttle us from the airport, and shuttle us to the parks. But I don't want to have spend lots of time on a crowded bus. . . Breakfast at the hotel would be nice too (that is one advantage that off site may hold for us.)

We would be traveling with a 4 year old (Who has talked nonstop about our trip since last may.) and a nearly one year old. We prefer to head to the parks in the morning, head back to the hotel in the afternoon and then head back for the evening entertainment. (Our 4 year old loved loved loved the MK fireworks).

So any thoughts or guidance for us?

Thanks
james

Let me start by saying that I have to agree with everyone's' comments here.

You have to decide where you want to stay. If you book somewhere close to Disney, your shuttle ride to the parks will be shorter but it's highly unlikely that you will find one of these hotels that will shuttle you back and forth to the airport (which means a taxi or towncar to your hotel at extra costs).
If you book closer to the airport to take advantage of the free airport shuttles offered by some hotels, then you are looking at much longer shuttle rides to the Parks - if they have park shuttles at all (and you definitely won't be "popping" back to your hotel for a mid-day break from the parks - actually probably true with most offsite hotels if you are using their shuttle)

If you are staying offsite, you will definitely need a rental car.
You hear people complaining about waits and crowds on Disney buses...multiply this 10 fold if you stay offsite and have to ride the shared theme park shuttles. They are on limited schedules and service several/many hotels on their routes.
Even hotels which are close to Disney property (Maingate West, Disney Springs area etc) are still a considerably longer bus/shuttle ride than any of the Disney buses running from onsite resorts to the theme parks.

If you are dead set against renting a vehicle and budget is a factor, you may want to consider staying at one of the value resorts onsite. You will get the Disney perks and transportation at a more reasonable price.

We stay offsite quite often, especially if we're doing a split stay with WDW and Universal.
We always rent a vehicle, even if we are staying onsite, it gives us the freedom to come and go on our own schedule and venture outside the Disney bubble to see what central Florida has to offer.

 

[Bete]

In your situation with two younger ones I would stay onsite. First, as you said you like the conveniences of Disney transportation. Also, the close proximity of easily going back and forth to the resort room is ideal. In addition, you get extra magic hours staying onsite and earlier fastpass plus reservations (60 onsite vs. 30 offsite). If money is an issue get a value resort. Your little ones will love the theming there.

Most of the shuttle services of non-Disney resorts are very restrictive with their times back and forth from Disney. Some of the shuttle services are shared with other resorts which takes a lot longer. Also, other shuttles drop you off only at Epcot and it's up to you to get to whatever park from there using Disney transportation. It's all a hassle. There are a few resorts that may be better in this regard, but no matter what it will take longer going back and forth.

With a car it's more doable staying off site, but you still lose the Disney perks staying offsite. There's more effort required on your part using a car, too. You need to navigate for one.

You can always pack non-perishable breakfast items to be with you at Disney if that's an issue like protein bars.

 

[crusoe2]

I agree with all that's been posted so far. One other thing about shuttles from off-site hotels is that I think some of them drop off and pick up at spots that are quite a hike from the park gates and in an area with no cover or places to sit. Someone correct me if I'm wrong on that. But I believe I've seen this mentioned here on the boards in the past and I'm pretty sure I remember seeing some buses loading and unloading out in the middle of parking lots. Waiting out in the middle of an asphalt parking lot with two small kids would not be fun - even in the fall it may still be pretty hot. Or rainy.

 

[glassslippergirl]

I think you can have a great trip and save money staying off site, but, as others have mentioned, you have to embrace car rental. If it eases your mind, driving in Orlando isn't hard. Roads are well marked; your GPS will take you the fastest route to your destination. Even without a GPS, it's particularly easy to follow signs on property to get to your park. It's also really nice after a day at the parks not to have to join the press of humanity crowding on Disney transportation. If we stay for fireworks we head right to our car, and DS3 usually falls asleep in his car seat and slides right into bed, which is a nice benefit.

The best part of staying off site is the extra space. Often for less than the cost of a moderate, you can get a condo or time share with bedrooms and living space. That's a big deal for my DH who goes to sleep much later than DS and I. He can watch tv and relax without fear of waking us. With two little ones, I'd prioritize the extra room over breakfast included-- just stop at Publix at the start of your trip, and stock up on your chosen breakfast foods, snacks, and drinks for further savings without really having to give up any of your vacation time for cooking.

Whatever kind of quarters you choose, we like having a refrigerator for milk, DS's favorite yogurt that he can't live without, cold water, soda, etc. a few two-liters of soda (easy to get in your car) saves so much money over resort refillable mugs.

Look on this forum for suggestions for the right off site place for you. I've found that you can even book some time share rooms through sites like Expedia. There's often cleaning and other fees, so get that info upfront.

 

[Mickeycrocs]

As a kid my family and I would stay off site, I finally decided our on our last disney vacay last year we would stay in the parks and oh boy am I glad we did. We brought my 18 month old and it was so easy to do fast passes in the morning and then go back to the hotel in the afternoon. I crunched the numbers and between renting a car, the gas to put in it and the fees disney charges for off-site guest parking it equalled to nearly the same.

 

[writerguyfl]

Here's a contrasting opinion.

I'm a huge fan of the Disney Springs Hotels. These 7 hotels are located adjacent to Disney Springs, but operated by third-party companies. They provide continuous shuttle service to the parks. Two different shuttle routes run every 30 minutes. Usually, it's Epcot/Disney's Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom/Disney's Animal Kingdom. (Technically, the Magic Kingdom stop is at the Transportation and Ticket Center.) Although not quite as convenient as transportation to Disney Resorts, it's still possible to take a mid-day hotel break.

In all of my stays at Disney Springs Hotels, I've never needed a car. Additionally, these hotels are within walking distance of the shops and restaurants at Disney Springs. Plus, you can walk to nearby restaurants including cheap fast food like McDonalds and Taco Bell. So, you're not forced to pay the exorbitant prices found at the quick-service dining locations at the Disney Resorts.

For comparison, I picked a random date in October and priced some options. This is for a 5-night stay arriving October 6, 2016 for 2 adults and 2 kids (aged 4 and 1). For the Disney Resorts, I selected the cheapest option within the value, moderate, and deluxe categories.

• Disney's Pop Century Resort: $144/night = total $810
• Disney's Port Orleans French Quarter: $226/night = total $1,269
• Disney's Wilderness Lodge: $422/night = total $2,383
• DoubleTree Guest Suites: $152/night = total $685
• Holiday Inn Disney Springs: $170/night = total $956 [note: includes breakfast]

Of course, the Disney Resorts include transportation from/to the airport. For comparison, Mears Transportation provides similar shared-ride round-trip service for $33.30 adult and $25.20 child. The total for airport transportation to a non-Disney Resort is $117. (That's the estimated value of Disney's Magical Express.) Adding the cost of airport transportation, the Disney Spring totals become:

• DoubleTree Guest Suites: $802
• Holiday Inn Disney Springs: $1,073

So, that makes the price of the DoubleTree Guest Suites equal to Disney's Pop Century Resort. That Disney room will be a snug 260 square-feet. At the DoubleTree, you get a 2-room suite sized at 640 square-feet. It also comes with a wet bar with a refrigerator and microwave.

Another benefit of a non-Disney hotel is that the time it takes to get from the bus stop to your room is only 3-4 minutes. Plus, should you run into a problem, when you pick up your room phone, you'll be talking to someone downstairs, not in a call center. Finally, you can earn frequent guest points that (eventually) can be redeemed for free rooms.

For more information about the Disney Springs Hotels, visit their marketing website: http://disneyspringshotels.com

The two hotels I priced are my favorites. The Hilton Lake Buena Vista is fairly mediocre and I will only stay there if the total rate (including their $24 resort fee) is under $120. The Buena Vista Palace is currently under a full-scale renovation, so I'd avoid it. Although I haven't stayed there since it's become the B Resort, many folks here have had positive experiences. I have no direct knowledge about the Best Western or Wyndham.

 

[cruisingtwins]

I would rent a car and go explore one of the many offsite options. With little ones a must for us is a full kitchen. We find Disney food quite unhealthy so we prefer Eating a meal or 2 at the condo. An in suite laundry room for us is also non negotiable. We love the option of packing light and bringing clean clothing home.