Offsite newbie - what do I need to know?

[Brer Shay]

We're going to stay offsite (Windsor Palm) in August for the first time (not our first Disney trip). We'll be driving down (also a first) so we'll have a car. I know we'll need a good local map/GPS for finding our way around and we'll have $14 parking fee each day. I think we have to go to the TTC to get to MK and Epcot rather than parking directly in their lots. What other things do I need to know?

 

[Hootch]

at rope drop. They are generally less crowded then. Since you rae staying offsite you can't take advantage of morning or evening EMHs. Avoid the parks with morning EMH that morning.

They are usually more crowded than norms. Know how to use fastpasses. That's one of the best ways to avoid long waits.

If there are restaurants that you have to have call 180 days in advance.

You can park in the Epcot parking lot. If you get there before rope drop you should probably be able to get close enough to walk to the gates.

Here is a site with addresses and lat and longs for Disney for use in your GPS.

http://www.disneyworldaddress.com/

 

[L107ANGEL]

We're going to stay offsite (Windsor Palm) in August for the first time (not our first Disney trip). We'll be driving down (also a first) so we'll have a car. I know we'll need a good local map/GPS for finding our way around and we'll have $14 parking fee each day. I think we have to go to the TTC to get to MK and Epcot rather than parking directly in their lots. What other things do I need to know?

What are you plans? That would help get many people thinking along with you.

 

[Alesia]

The parking lot at the TTC is the parking lot for MK. Epcot has it's own parking lot.

 

[Brer Shay]

We'll plan to arrive at RD as usual - but we've always used Disney buses. I get that the parking lots are huge, there must be shuttles though right, and where do they pick-up from the lots and drop off near the gates - same place as the buses?

I feel a sense of "I don't even know what I don't know" in terms of being offsite. Traffic issues, roads to take or avoid. The townhouse is stocked with the basics already, but will I get there and find there are things I thought were part of basics, but aren't? We've always been onsite and I'm not sure what change of thinking/packing/planning I need to make for this trip.

 

[L107ANGEL]

Yes there are shuttles in the parking lots and you will easily find the pick up spots. I cant remember where we were dropped off so it must have been close.
Are you taking a GPS with you?

 

[WDWjen]

...and you wont be disappointed. We stayed offsite at a rental home last year and didnt realize how long it would take from the minute we left the house until we went through the turnstiles. With 3 kids, finding our way, traffic, lines for parking, taking the tram, security lines, etc it was always at least ONE hour.

AK, DHS, EPCOT are all easier than the MK just because the MK has you park in the lots, take the tram to the TTC and then get on the boat or the monorail. We were so used to the internal buses dropping us off in front of the MK. Just be prepared for that! All the 3 other parks are much better for offsite.. you just park and walk/tram to the gate

After the first few days we got the hang of it and left the house earlier...I'm so used to being there at rope drop that I was sad to arrive so late. But like i said, once I realized we started leaving even earlier. We also went over the FEB school break so it was really crowded - I'm sure it wouldnt have been so bad during a slow time.

We didnt have GPS - just used local maps. If I had to do it again we would DEFINITELY use a GPS.. lots of time wasted going the wrong way! We have stayed onsite and used buses so many times we never payed attention to all the roadways INSIDE the WDW gates. So first we had to navigate the outside roads and then deal with internal directions!! Just be prepared beforehand (map out exactly how to get where you are going!)

Also - if you have kids/strollers... we found it was a pain to get the big double stroller onto the trams. So usually my DH or I would just walk from our car to the gates and the other one would wait and take the tram.

Enjoy your trip!!

 

[englishteacha]

Be prepared for a great trip! We stay offsite in a condo and DH won't have it any other way! Can you blame him? King master suite, full kitchen, living room, 2 baths, 3 total bedrooms...our house has 2 beds (one is an office), one bath!

We haven't stayed onsite so we can't compare, but we love having the room to spread out (our first trip we stayed at a Days Inn), love having choices of where to eat both on and off WDW property, and we find we can be at the parking lot of a WDW park in about 20 minutes from condo door to parking. If we get there early enough, we can easily walk from our parking spot to the gate without waiting for a tram. There's a new-since-our-last-trip highway that I'm told makes the trip even quicker from the condo.

 

[Brer Shay]

Be prepared for a great trip! We stay offsite in a condo and DH won't have it any other way! Can you blame him? King master suite, full kitchen, living room, 2 baths, 3 total bedrooms...our house has 2 beds (one is an office), one bath!

We haven't stayed onsite so we can't compare, but we love having the room to spread out (our first trip we stayed at a Days Inn), love having choices of where to eat both on and off WDW property, and we find we can be at the parking lot of a WDW park in about 20 minutes from condo door to parking. If we get there early enough, we can easily walk from our parking spot to the gate without waiting for a tram. There's a new-since-our-last-trip highway that I'm told makes the trip even quicker from the condo.

That's great to hear - especially since it looks like you've travelled in August (when we're going)! I'm really looking forward to the extra space and the extra meal options. We'll be at Windsor Palms and want to do RD each morning - I'm wondering how long that will take to arrive, park, get to the gate. I'm guessing it can't be any longer than it is with planning for Disney busses.

We'll have GPS with us - are they reliable in terms of choosing the best routes?

 

[Tink575]

We're going to stay offsite (Windsor Palm) in August for the first time (not our first Disney trip). We'll be driving down (also a first) so we'll have a car. I know we'll need a good local map/GPS for finding our way around and we'll have $14 parking fee each day. I think we have to go to the TTC to get to MK and Epcot rather than parking directly in their lots. What other things do I need to know?

HI, you'll find Windsor Palms is about 3 miles down the road from Disney. We stay in our house there about 1/2 the year and getting to Disney is a breeze.

Exit Windsor Palms past the guard house and turn left (becomes Formosa Gardens Blvd.). Go down to US 192 and make a right turn on 192. From there just drive on and look for the signs to Disney/Magic Kingdom, exit on the right side of the road.

You'll park in the parking lot at MK, Epcot etc. and take the parking lot tram, if you arrive early you can probably walk right to the Epcot entrance. At MK you'll need to go to the TTC and get the monorail or ferry. This whole process can be much faster than queuing for a bus from a Disney resort, I've done both.

Now you might see people sharing a "back route from WP", but we found we saved no time and it only complicated things When leaving the parks follow the exits to West 192, go down to Formosa Gardens Blvd,. make a left and look for Windsor Palms on the right.

Depending upon the length of your stay and the prices, you might consider an annual pass for one member of the party, since parking is then free. We started getting annual passes in the 80's and would go down in August one year, and July the next, so we spread the cost over 2 vacations.

Have a great time!

 

[BamaDad]

If you want to save the parking fees during your trip and do not mind riding the Disney buses, you can park for free at Downtown Disney and use Disney transportation to any park or resort. This works great, have done it many times before we started staying on property.

 

[Alesia]

If you want to save the parking fees during your trip and do not mind riding the Disney buses, you can park for free at Downtown Disney and use Disney transportation to any park or resort. This works great, have done it many times before we started staying on property.

Disney no longer provide direct transportation between DTD and the parks for this very reason.