Offsite hotels, what would we be missing?

[Albertan mom]

We have only ever stayed onsite, and I have questioned why anyone would ever stay offsite! lol. That being said, hubby and I are looking at going in December, and resort prices are high because most values and moderates are all booked up! So I am looking at staying at a Disney Springs hotel. I know most of the advantages of staying onsite, but am I missing anything obvious?
1. Fast Pass (I am not too worried about this one as I usually change my mind so many times anyway and usually change days before)
2. Extra Magic Hours (now available at DS hotels)
3. Magic Express (this is a huge one for me, as I love it and don't want to pay to get to/from airport)
4. Resort Transportation and free parking (we will use the DS hotel busses, are they really far from park entrances? Handy? Nice? Still feel 'Disney?')
5. Purchases sent to resort (this is huge as I love to shop and get stuff sent to hotel haha)
6. Magic Bands that are used for everything (room key, park entrance, charging, fastpasses etc) can the magic bands I bring from last trip be used? Can I put a credit card on them to be able to charge food/purchases at parks?

The biggest concern I have is Busing: if we stay at a DS hotel, and take bus to Animal Kingdom. Now we want to go to Epcot. Do we take Disney bus from AK to EP? Or are those only for resort guest use? I have often wondered, because they don't check people getting on. Or do we need to wait for our hotel bus, and go back to hotel and then go to Epcot?

DS hotels do look nice and so much cheaper!
Any advice, comments, input greatly appreciated!

 

[writerguyfl]

1. Fast Pass (I am not too worried about this one as I usually change my mind so many times anyway and usually change days before)

For stays between now and the end of 2019, the Fast Pass benefits are identical at Disney Resorts and the Disney Springs Hotels.

2. Extra Magic Hours (now available at DS hotels)

Correct. No difference between Disney Resorts and the Disney Springs Hotels for Extra Magic Hours through the end of 2019.

3. Magic Express (this is a huge one for me, as I love it and don't want to pay to get to/from airport)

As you noted, the prices at the Disney Springs Hotels are generally much cheaper for comparable rooms than at Disney Resorts. If you remember that fact, paying for transfers becomes less annoying.

Back when I lived in Orlando, I always used Mears Transportation for rides to/from the airports. Mears is the contractor that runs Disney's Magical Express. You can book shared-ride van service for $23 one-way or $37 round trip for adults. Children prices are $18 one-way or $28 round-trip. Or, splurge with a private sedan for $81 one-way.

Note: All prices are in US Dollars. Also, if you book online, use Promo Code "WEB10" and save 10% off the above prices.

http://www.mearstransportation.com/

4. Resort Transportation and free parking (we will use the DS hotel busses, are they really far from park entrances? Handy? Nice? Still feel 'Disney?')

I created a Disney Springs Hotels Bus Information thread that is "stickied" in this forum. Check out that thread and see if it answers your questions.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/disney-springs-hotels-bus-information.3653605/

5. Purchases sent to resort (this is huge as I love to shop and get stuff sent to hotel haha)

I have no personal knowledge here, so I will gladly defer to anyone else. But, I'm fairly certain you can have any theme park purchases sent to the Disney shop that is located at each of the individual Disney Springs Hotels. I believe the same rules apply as Disney Resorts: You need to be checked in and staying over the following night to use the service. (So, you can't use the service if you're checking out the next day.) Packages can be picked up at the store during their normal business hours.

6. Magic Bands that are used for everything (room key, park entrance, charging, fastpasses etc) can the magic bands I bring from last trip be used? Can I put a credit card on them to be able to charge food/purchases at parks?

Unfortunately, you can't charge anything back to your hotel. Charging privileges only work for guests with an active Disney Resort reservation. For example, annual passholders can't charge anything via Magic Bands unless they are staying at a Disney Resort.

You can use a previous Magic Band for your tickets/entry into parks as well as Fast Passes.

The biggest concern I have is Busing: if we stay at a DS hotel, and take bus to Animal Kingdom. Now we want to go to Epcot. Do we take Disney bus from AK to EP? Or are those only for resort guest use? I have often wondered, because they don't check people getting on. Or do we need to wait for our hotel bus, and go back to hotel and then go to Epcot?

The entire Disney World transportation network is available to all guests, regardless of where they end up sleeping. If you have valid tickets or you are visiting a resort to dine or shop, you are considered a guest.

If you are park hopping, you can use Disney buses or monorails to move between parks.

DS hotels do look nice and so much cheaper!

I appreciate the Disney Springs Hotels because most of the time I can stay at a nicer hotel for less money than comparable Disney Resorts. That means I can stay longer and/or visit more often.

If you haven't done so, be sure to check the Disney Springs Hotels marketing website. There might be a discount for your trip.

http://disneyspringshotels.com/

Finally, be sure to check out the various frequent guest programs offered by the chains. For each dollar spent, you can earn points that can (eventually) be redeemed for free nights. Of the 7 hotels, all offer rewards with the exception of the B Resort and Spa. That property announced a program that hasn't yet begun.

 

[hiroMYhero]

If you haven’t read the thread on the Theme Parks board regarding the new ticket structuring and pricing, you may want to read about the changes that begin Oct 16th.

It’s advised to buy your tickets before the 16th for full flexibility in usage. There will be time constraints on the new tickets especially for those who are offsite who don’t purchase tickets for each day of their stay.

New ticket system coming to WDW - Begins October 16th

 

[pooh2001]

We may stay in a Disney Springs hotel to save money the next time we go to WDW.
I can not wait to see the new ticket price options.
Since we go without our DS & DD - both now adults - we are very flexible to go when the tickets are less.

Why staying offsite would make a difference ?
A ticket is a ticket to go into a Park.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Why staying offsite would make a difference ?

There are time constraints when using a ticket with the new ticket restructuring.

A 2-day ticket is only valid for a 4-day time span. A 4-day ticket is only valid for a 7 day time span. This will affect guests who may not enter parks on days that correspond to the new ticket schedule. Info is in the first 2 posts of the Thread linked above.