Offsite = Less Magic?

[BadgerGirl84]

OK

My last stay.

Fairfield Inn. $75 a night
No other fees or charges


Disney "value" for the same weekend $120

Hmm... Add in parking and I would still be saving $31 a night. Plus I had a King bed without paying extra, free breakfast, interior corridors and a hotel company that rewards me for staying.


Sort but I don't get much "magic" when I do the comparison

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I disagree with your statement that "most hotels charge insane daily resort fees along with parking fees."

This is incorrect. I would say the minority of resorts (25%???) charge parking or resort fees. They do seem to be getting slightly more common (take the beloved Wyndham Bonnett Creek and their daily $12 transportation fee), but most of the non-DTD resorts do not charge extra fees. And those that do, it usually still makes the resort cheaper than staying in site even when you add in parking and rental car vs paying Disney rates and having to pay to eat Disney food for each meal.

Another view.

First weekend in March

Disney wants $401 a night for Beach Club. Standard room.

Swan/Dolphin $286 a night

Waldorf $303


Resort fees and parking don't add up to $100 a night. LOL

 

[Lewisc]

Another view.

First weekend in March

Disney wants $401 a night for Beach Club. Standard room.

Swan/Dolphin $286 a night

Waldorf $303

Resort fees and parking don't add up to $100 a night. LOL

Waldorf $25 resort fee $24 parking fee $14 Disney parking fee
I think BC and Waldorf are 4* but I think BC is as close to a 3* as waldorf is to being 5*

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Waldorf $25 resort fee $24 parking fee $14 Disney parking fee
I think BC and Waldorf are 4* but I think BC is as close to a 3* as waldorf is to being 5*

And,,,, you still save $35 a night.

For a hotel that FAR exceeds anything Disney has in quality and service. Plus you can take their transport to the parks which is pretty good

I had an OUTSTANDING stay at the Waldorf with service that was magical. And you can use the great pool at the Hilton with features that rival Beach Club's pool


So why should I pay $400..... those rooms are so overpriced

 

[spiceycat]

love disney - also love offsite.

now if I didn't have DVC - probably most of my trips would be offsite - especially in this economy.

when staying offsite use my other timeshare II or get an extra vacation w/rci.

now have stayed much cheaper at Motel 6 and Loved it.

that say have stayed at BLT and gotten up to see the castle on the balcony - well nothing offsite beats that.

walking back to your room when the monorail, ferry and buses have an extra long line - yet that helps too.

then again if I had to pay rack rate or even greatly discount for BLT could not afford it.

the magic is in you - your trip onsite or offsite can be magic - just depends upon you.

 

[aubriee]

Keep in mind when staying off site, room prices might seem cheaper, but most hotels down there charge insane daily resort fees along with parking fees. You will also have to pay the $14 daily rate to park in any of the parks.

Offsite less magic Yes.

OK

My last stay.

Fairfield Inn. $75 a night
No other fees or charges


Disney "value" for the same weekend $120

Hmm... Add in parking and I would still be saving $31 a night. Plus I had a King bed without paying extra, free breakfast, interior corridors and a hotel company that rewards me for staying.


Sort but I don't get much "magic" when I do the comparison

love disney - also love offsite.
the magic is in you - your trip onsite or offsite can be magic - just depends upon you.

I agree with Spiceycat and OCC. After saying there is no way we would ever stay offsite, I had a fantastic deal just dropped into my lap last Oct/Nov. A coworker had weeks she was going to lose, so offered me a week at Westgate Town Center for just $400.00, (plus the $50.00 trade in fee). I had a room booked at CBR using an AP discount, but no way could that discount even come close to $64.00 per night for a one bedroom condo just one mile from the Disney gates. Thinking it was just one trip and if we didn't like it we would never have to stay offsite again, we decided to give it try. We loved it. There were no other fees and having an AP meant we did not have to pay for Disney parking either. We loved having all the extra room and the resort had wonderful pools, hot tubs, swan paddle boats, mini golf, a theater that showed free Disney movies every night, restaraunts, ice cream shop, pizza shop, etc. It had a big screen TV in the living room, another TV in the master bedroom, a jacuzzi tub, a huge walk in shower, a fully equipped kitchen, washer/dryer, etc. All for alot less than we would have paid for a small room at CBR (even using an AP discount). I can't see us ever staying onsite and in fact, the week I came back, I canceled my other reservation with Disney for May and booked at Bonnet Creek through Vacation Strategies. Yes, Bonnet Creek has started charging a transportation fee, but even with the fee, is still cheaper than staying onsite, even with a discount. I'll have a rental car anyway, so Disney transportation would not figure into my calculations anyway, nor do I ever use room charging or have pkgs delivered to my room. The magic is going to the parks, not staying in a tiny single room on Disney property. The condos at Bonnet Creek are just as close and closer in some cases to the Disney parks than the Disney owned resorts are.

 

[Brian Noble]

It does mean you have one less card to carry.

I guess that five grams might make a difference...

To be fair, I do charge to my KTTW...a LOT. Especially during F&W. But, still.

 

[Lewisc]

I disagree with your statement that "most hotels charge insane daily resort fees along with parking fees."

This is incorrect. I would say the minority of resorts (25%???) charge parking or resort fees. They do seem to be getting slightly more common (take the beloved Wyndham Bonnett Creek and their daily $12 transportation fee)....

Are we talking about hotels which have a fitness center, pool and end their name with the word resort? An increasing number of those properties now charge for parking or charge resort fees. I'm not sure if the number is half but it's close. Sheraton near DTD. Holiday Inn at the S end of I drive. Almost all the DTD hotels....

Are we talking about real resorts? 4* +? The answer is close to 100%. The Universal hotels, Gaylord Palms, Omni, Waldorf, JW Marriott, Ritz, Grand Cypress.......

Another view.


Resort fees and parking don't add up to $100 a night. LOL

Your comment falsely implies resort fees and parking aren't significant.

And,,,, you still save $35 a night.

$100 savings just went down to $35. Big difference. Some people may prefer a superior hotel (Waldorf) others may like to being able to walk to two parks. I think S/D is a good choice for those people but I accept the fact that different people have different criteria in picking hotels.

People should get complete information before making their decision. Resort fees and parking have an impact on what people pay.

I guess that five grams might make a difference...

To be fair, I do charge to my KTTW...a LOT. Especially during F&W. But, still.

EMH, transportation (including DME) and availability of the meal plan are the biggies. Not having to carry a wallet or any cards isn't a biggie to me but might be to others.

Disney is able to charge a price premium for location. Enough people don't think the price premium is worth it Disney will have to lower the price and reduce the differential.

I think the best offsite deal is using PL and bidding for a resort. Your price, including parking and resort fees, is generally $120-$150.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

Are we talking about hotels which have a fitness center, pool and end their name with the word resort? An increasing number of those properties now charge for parking or charge resort fees. I'm not sure if the number is half but it's close. Sheraton near DTD. Holiday Inn at the S end of I drive. Almost all the DTD hotels....

Are we talking about real resorts? 4* +? The answer is close to 100%. The Universal hotels, Gaylord Palms, Omni, Waldorf, JW Marriott, Ritz, Grand Cypress.......
.

I was talking about regular ol' hotels. I have never paid parking or resort fees and I've stayed off-site a bunch of times. Examples, Courtyard, Residence Inn, Fairfield, Days Inn (yuck! do not recommend! but it was in my mom's budget back in the day), Buena Vista Suites. All the hotels you mentioned are very high-end resorts and the average person would expect extra fees there, per industry standard. If a family wants to avoid parking and resort fees, have access to a nice and spacious room with a nice outdoor pool, it is very easy to find a variety of hotels that meet that need off-site.

 

[librarygeek]

I think my opinion is pretty unbiased since we tend to do our trips about 50/50 - half of them have been on-site, and half have been off-site. There are tons of pros and cons that have been brought up here already (price, amount of room, transportation, ability to add the dining plan, extra magic hours, etc.). That being said, at the end of the day, I would never in a million years say that my off-site trips were "less magical" than on-site ones. The Disney magic is what you make it.

Our final decision is always driving - if we're not driving down and don't want to rent a car then we definitely stay on property due to the free and regular transportation. It has absolutely nothing to do with the magic of the properties. Not to sound overly cheesy or anything, but that Disney magic is in you, not in some hotel or resort.

 

[Steve BWV'99]

Slightly OT, but I've never understood why this one is a big deal. I can give the hotel my credit card, use my KTTW as if it were a credit card, and sweep charges at the end (or, if I'm a big spender, each time I hit the charging limit). Or, I can use the credit card directly.

I agree for the most part but do like the KTTW card for 2 reasons:

1) Less chance of my card getting frauded swiping it all over the place
2) For me, I hate managing tons of charges on my creditcard statement (personal preference really). Its more convenient to have a single charge from Disney at the end of the trip and still get the rewards points regardless.

 

[aubriee]

I agree for the most part but do like the KTTW card for 2 reasons:

1) Less chance of my card getting frauded swiping it all over the place
2) For me, I hate managing tons of charges on my creditcard statement (personal preference really). Its more convenient to have a single charge from Disney at the end of the trip and still get the rewards points regardless.

Then use your Disney Chase card to buy several gift cards and use those down there.

1. No chance of your card 'getting frauded' because you'll never swipe it.
2. No tons of charges on your credit card statement.
3. Still get the same rewards points and get them sooner by buying the gift cards with your credit card
4. Everytime you use one of those gift cards, the receipt will show the balance left on the card at the bottom. That makes it very easy to check charges daily, so you know you are not overcharged anywhere.
5. Not only do you not have a balance to pay at the end of the trip, but I always come home with a little money left over on those gift cards, to use for my next trip. I love going to WDW knowing the trip is paid in full (including all souvineers, meals, gratuitites, etc) and that I'll be coming home, not to a big credit card bill, but with extra money to spend on my next trip.

If you don't want to buy Disney gift cards, you can always go somewhere and use your Disney Chase card to buy a Visa gift card. That way if you have money left over at the end of your trip, you can use that card anywhere at home too. For our upcoming May trip, I will have a Disney gift card to pay for anything I want onsite, but will also have a Visa gift card to use for any offsite expenses. Trip is prepaid in full and I should be coming back with money left over on both gift cards.

 

[donaldlovesdaisy]

I think my opinion is pretty unbiased since we tend to do our trips about 50/50 - half of them have been on-site, and half have been off-site. There are tons of pros and cons that have been brought up here already (price, amount of room, transportation, ability to add the dining plan, extra magic hours, etc.). That being said, at the end of the day, I would never in a million years say that my off-site trips were "less magical" than on-site ones. The Disney magic is what you make it.

Our final decision is always driving - if we're not driving down and don't want to rent a car then we definitely stay on property due to the free and regular transportation. It has absolutely nothing to do with the magic of the properties. Not to sound overly cheesy or anything, but that Disney magic is in you, not in some hotel or resort.

Same here even if we drive down to FL the only time DH wants to drive again is if we go off property to eat and to whatever park we are visiting that trip (SW , BG , LL) but usually once we start our Disney days we don't leave the property again until we leave to go home.

I agree for the most part but do like the KTTW card for 2 reasons:

1) Less chance of my card getting frauded swiping it all over the place
2) For me, I hate managing tons of charges on my credit card statement (personal preference really). Its more convenient to have a single charge from Disney at the end of the trip and still get the rewards points regardless.

Second reason we stay at Disney so everything is linked to the KTTW card. We don't like dragging stuff into the parks with us so this is so convenient and I am even more excited about the bracelet for its convenience factor.

I really think it is all in how you like to spend your vacation. We would not make good use of the house because I refuse to cook on vacation and while having a pool of your own would be great especially since we spend our Disney afternoons at the pool we prefer the themed pools , slides, and most importantly the pool bar.

 

[Lewisc]

I think my opinion is pretty unbiased since we tend to do our trips about 50/50 - half of them have been on-site, and half have been off-site. There are tons of pros and cons that have been brought up here already (price, amount of room, transportation, ability to add the dining plan, extra magic hours, etc.). That being said, at the end of the day, I would never in a million years say that my off-site trips were "less magical" than on-site ones. The Disney magic is what you make it.

Our final decision is always driving - if we're not driving down and don't want to rent a car then we definitely stay on property due to the free and regular transportation. It has absolutely nothing to do with the magic of the properties. Not to sound overly cheesy or anything, but that Disney magic is in you, not in some hotel or resort.

My stays are close to 50-50. There are pros and cons. I try to base my posts on what I think will work for the person asking. A person concerned with missing magic. Who enjoys the intangibles including easier mid-day breaks. An extended family trip where access to Disney transportation makes it easier if people want to go to/from the parks on a different schedule. Yes I think some people will get less "magic" offsite.

Assume a poster in a different thread normally stays offsite. The question is if the "magic" is worth giving up a space of a condo. Giving up the kitchen. Putting 4 (or 5) people in one value or even moderate room. My answer--probably not worth it to that person.

Disney is able to charge a price premium for the location of their hotels. Many people don't think it's worth it. Others think it is. Neither is wrong.

Posters like OCC believe the offsite hotels offer a superior hotel experience at a lower price. Absolutely true. Disney deluxe hotels are barely 4* properties. Disney discovered they could charge 5* prices and only have provide a 4* (almost 3*) experience. Others posters are willing to pay for a monorail resort. They'll pay more then an offsite resort. The hotel experience won't be the same as the Waldorf. They get to take a monorail, boat or even walk to the MK. They're not wrong if they're willing to pay $$$ for that experience. OCC isn't wrong for paying less for a superior hotel experience.

One thing. I wouldn't think of offsite with a car. You don't need a car if you stay at a DTD hotel but by the time you pay for airport transfers you've paid much of what a car would cost.

 

[bankr63]

OCC isn't wrong for paying less for a superior hotel experience.

And therein lies my offsite magic. We can save enough staying offsite that we can afford to return to Disney pretty much every year - and that increases my overall lifetime Disney Magic exposure significantly...

 

[loveysbydesign]

And therein lies my offsite magic. We can save enough staying offsite that we can afford to return to Disney pretty much every year - and that increases my overall lifetime Disney Magic exposure significantly...

ITA! If we stayed on-site we could only afford to go every 2-3 years! Plus we LOVE off-site...are spoiled by having our own pool, gameroom and Disney themed bedrooms along with luxurious acoomodation and less than 15 minutes away from all the parks..only 4 minutes to AK!

 

[BadgerGirl84]

And therein lies my offsite magic. We can save enough staying offsite that we can afford to return to Disney pretty much every year - and that increases my overall lifetime Disney Magic exposure significantly...

Yes, I totally agree as well. I've stayed at the Wilderness Lodge and loved it...especially the pool area, lobby and boat ride to the MK. But if I stayed there every time I go to Disney (usually every year), I just couldn't justify the price.

Staying off-site (and loving it) allows me to go every year. Plus...after staying at a resort as nice as the Wyndham Bonnet Creek, I'm just not sure I could justify paying Wilderness Lodge prices ever again.

 

[Jewels*CPA]

So how much would a family 4 by staying offsite and just a good value hotel (preferably with free breakfast)? We've been looking at staying at Pop June 22-26th, but we're looking at $2335 just for 4 days (although that includes our dining plan). We would also like to go to Destin on the way home for a few days after that, so we don't want to spend a small fortune just at Disneyworld. Any suggestions on a good cheap hotel that is close to WDW?

 

[spiceycat]

sometimes timeshares are even cheaper.

what do you want to pay per night?

 

[ForMyBoys]

I think my opinion is pretty unbiased since we tend to do our trips about 50/50 - half of them have been on-site, and half have been off-site. There are tons of pros and cons that have been brought up here already (price, amount of room, transportation, ability to add the dining plan, extra magic hours, etc.). That being said, at the end of the day, I would never in a million years say that my off-site trips were "less magical" than on-site ones. The Disney magic is what you make it.

Our final decision is always driving - if we're not driving down and don't want to rent a car then we definitely stay on property due to the free and regular transportation. It has absolutely nothing to do with the magic of the properties. Not to sound overly cheesy or anything, but that Disney magic is in you, not in some hotel or resort.

I also agree the magic is in you!!! Great answer !