Offsite vs. OnSite

[cl1067]

We are in the planning stages of a trip for Jan/Feb 2008. I have been twice before and stayed onsite both times.

This time we are considering staying offiste and renting a townhome. Just wondering if it is worth the $$ we will save. We are planing on doing some things outside of Disney World (Universal, Sea World, etc).

There are 8 of us going...me, DH, three DDs (ages 12, 7, and almost 2 at time of trip), my parents and my adult brother. Other than my youngest we all went the last time and stayed onsite. We did split up twice...once when the guys golfed and the other time when they did the Richard Petty driving experience. So I am guessing we will split up some of the time again.

So I'm looking for advice on what you would do...onsite or offsite...and if offsite any tips you can offer would be great.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Christine]

I did offsite in a townhome this past Easter and loved it. I had been to Disney many times on-site (and one other time off-site), so I didn't feel like I needed the on-site "experience" again.

Bottom line: We LOVED the townhome. We were so comfortable. We all had a our rooms and a place to go and decompress each night. The weather was bad so we didn't get to use the pool in the backyard, but that would have been nice. I really enjoyed being able to fix something like a bagel for breakfast and not have to trudge down to a food court or eat Pop-Tarts in the room.

I don't know if I will stay on-site again.

 

[Darcy03231]

I've done both and prefer staying offsite, especially if I'm doing other things in the area. I love having the extra room to spread out, the full kitchen, the extra bathrooms and the private pool. As my children are all older (the youngest is almost 14) its really easy to just drive to where we want to go and not feel as though we're "stuck" on property. We like the flexibility of having a car and going anywhere we want for dinner. I've found with renting a house and car the cost is way less than staying on-site, even with paying for parking. We're going for two weeks this summer (10 of us). If we stayed on-site would have had to have at least three rooms. I priced it out for our dates and it would have been over $4000 just for the rooms. I rented a 5 bdrm/3.5 bath home for a fraction of that. Even adding in the rental car its still much less expensive and we can eat some meals at the house.

 

[spiceycat]

most townhomes or homes don't have transportation. So you will need a car or van.

if you are planning on traveling two different places at the same time - you might need to 2 cars or vans.

maybe one car and a van.

that is the only problem I see.

staying offsite it is generally much easier to visit offsite places like SW and US/IOA.

 

[Christine]

most townhomes or homes don't have transportation. So you will need a car or van.

if you are planning on traveling two different places at the same time - you might need to 2 cars or vans.

maybe one car and a van.

that is the only problem I see.

staying offsite it is generally much easier to visit offsite places like SW and US/IOA.

Even when I stay onsite I rent a car/van. I am not a "bus" person and I do a lot of resort dining so I don't like all that bus mess. I just want to go where I want to go WHEN I want to go. So, for us, staying off-site, the rental car was not an added expense, but I know for many people it would be.

Having said that, with the exception of my last-minute Easter trip, I have always been able to get a van for under $200 for a week. Sometimes as low as $150. But it does take lots of research, coupons, etc (lots of help on the transportation board). I didn't get a great rate over Easter but I think that's to be expected on a holiday time period.

 

[Mainebound]

You will get a lot of support for an offsite stay on this board. We have gradually converted to being offsiters, and we love it. You MUST have your own car, however. But don't look at that as a negative -- we love having our own car so much that even were we to return to an onsite stay, we would still rent a car.

I'm in the midst of trying to find our pool home for our March '08 stay. We stayed in Windsor Hills this past March and are looking to stay there again. For the first time, my mom will not be staying with us -- because she went and rented herself a condo for a month at Windsor Hills! It will probably just be our family of 4. Yet we are still looking at larger, more expensive homes. I realized that I am actually probably going to spend MORE (by choice) to stay offsite than I would to stay in a moderate or even deluxe (AKL or WL) onsite. Then it hit me: We do not stay offsite to save money any more. We do it for all of the other great advantages, like extra space, our own pool and hot tub, being able to cook our own meals, fun things in the home for the kids (Playstation, games room, board games, DVDs, and of course, the pool), etc. etc. etc.

But yes, you can definitely stay offsite more cheaply than onsite. And that is a huge advantage. I can tell you my mother rented a really lovely 2 bedroom condo at Windsor Hills for March 08 with every amenity for $700 a week. And that was without doing a huge search for a better deal.

What could you get at WDW for $100 a night? A 300 square foot room at All Stars or Pop? The pool at WH is MUCH nicer than at a WDW budget hotel (it is on a par with the WDW deluxes, in that it is huge, has zero depth entry, has a tall slide, has a toddler play area, has other "water fun" features, and has a hot tub), as are the other facilities (games room, movie theater, etc. etc.). The only thing lacking is an onsite restaurant, which isn't a problem b/c (a) you have a kitchen, and (b) within about 40 seconds you can get onto 192 which has every restaurant you can imagine, at better prices in most cases than the Budget Disney hotel food court.

I'm using Windsor Hills as an example because that is where we have stayed most recently, there are other offsite developments like Emerald Island, Oak Island, Indian Ridge, Formosa Gardens, etc. which have most of these pluses. You have a huge selection out there. Have fun looking!

 

[deejay-55]

Choose a rental home on a community close to Disney and you will wonder why you ever stayed in a hotel!

 

[KayR]

We usually stay off site at Emerald Island or Windsor Palms. We love the whole experience and space off site.

This year, we had an extra day and tried staying on-site for one night. (This was at a moderate resort). We wanted to see and experience the magic that is talked about. To be honest, overall we did not enjoy the on-site experience. We did take advantage of the EMH and that was cool (as it was our first night in the area) but I would not stay onsite just for the EMH. (In fact we did wonderfully over the remainder of Easter without EMH and using TGM's advice!) There were themed Mickey soaps in the bathroom, but there were also hairs left there from housekeeping/previous guests.

The bus to EPCOT that evening would have taken 30-40 minutes, so we drove. (It takes us less time to drive to EPCOT from off site than to take the resort bus!!)

We felt cramped in one room (4 of us) so we missed the space of a home. The food at the food court was OK, but nothing special. We can eat better, healthier and cheaper staying in a home. We don't cook in all the time, in fact we often eat out in the evenings or have an easy meal (rotisserie chicken, bread, salad) or grill something simple if we are at home.

Some people love staying on-site, and I respect their opinion. I have come to the conclusion that we are now spoilt and on-site won't work for us. UNLESS we win the lottery and can stay in one of the larger suites / villas.


I will say try staying off-site. Go for a 4 or 5 bedroom home. Enjoy the space, enjoy the pool in your back yard, enjoy the flexibility.

To me the magic of Disney is when I see the mickey road signs, my first glimpse of Everest, turning up at the parking lot and making our way for a fun day at the parks.

--Kay

 

[MiaSRN62]

You will get a lot of support for an offsite stay on this board. We have gradually converted to being offsiters, and we love it.

This is true. This particular board is very pro offsite and the disney resorts board is very pro onsite.

To get the best of the pros and cons of both, you should probably post your question on the disney resorts board as well and then pick and choose what you want of your vacation.

I can totally understand the positive aspect of renting a home or townhouse or timeshare villa. The space can't be beat. Love the multiple bedrooms, full kitchen, washer and dryer.
But onsite, we also love the EMH (especially useful during busy times of the year). Also love the package delivery to your resort so you don't have to carry around souveniers all day. Sure you can send the package to Guest Services, but if you park hop, you'll need to pick up those souveniers before you head to the next park. And we do choose to use the disney busses about 50% of the time. Sometimes we just don't feel like driving and then parking (especially when you park and get directed to the very last spot on the far end of the tram pickup ! ). Sometimes it's nice (especially with the MK) to be dropped off right at the front gates and avoid the parking....tram...then ferry or monorail to get to the MK. Can take up to 45 min easily to get into the MK park when driving---sometimes longer. The busses are much more convenient for this park.
We love both on and offsite. We do both about equally.
Good luck...sounds like you have a terrific trip planned.

 

[PEANUT1]

Personally it doesn't feel the same to me to stay offsite. We have done both. Now that we bought a DVC we will never stay offsite again. That being said, you will have a wonderful time either way.

 

[Mainebound]

This particular board is very pro offsite and the disney resorts board is very pro onsite.

To get the best of the pros and cons of both, you should probably post your question on the disney resorts board as well and then pick and choose what you want of your vacation.

This is true, and it is a good suggestion. Be warned though that the Resorts board is so pro-onsite that staying at the Swan or Dolphin (technically onsite, but not WDW hotels) is considered sub-par to many on there. I personally think that folks on the Orlando board are much more open to "doing Disney the other way", and many of us actually recommend that first timers stay onsite, or that uncertain folks should split their stays. In contrast, my experience on the Resorts board has been that many are very anti-offsite. I actually think people have a better chance of both sides getting a fair shake on this board. But the more different opinions, the better.

 

[MiaSRN62]

KayR says : The food at the food court was OK, but nothing special. We can eat better, healthier and cheaper staying in a home.

Not sure which food court you were eating in, but that's beside the fact. We have been very pleased with the healthier options that are being offered on disney property. In the last 8 months, we stayed at : BC, OKW, WL, POP, CBR.
Yogurt and granola in the mornings....I actually had broiled salmon with red skinned potatos at POP for dinner in Feb and it was good. Lots of fresh fruit and veggies offered in the refrigerated cases in the food courts. We would buy fresh fruit and a fruit/cheese/cracker tray in the food court and take them up to our room for later on. So "cheaper" offsite, yes.....but I feel the healthy options are really on the rise at Disney. So I'm giving credit where credit is due.

 

[4eyedbuzzard]

For a party of 8 I would recommend going for a 4 bdr villa over a 3 bdr townhome. Yes, it will be more money, but it will still be cheaper than on-site. A 3 bdr is probably doable but someone will wind up on the couch, and often there are only 2 bathrooms. I don't know your budget, but if you are comparing to on-site prices for roughly the price of two value rooms you could rent a villa(detached home) with 4+ bedrooms and 4+ baths, private pool, spa/hot tub, kitchen, dinig room, living room, game room etc in a resort such as Windsor Hills, Windsor Palms, Emerald Isle, etc. Prices for villas will vary by season, size, and ammenities (some even have game rooms, usually converted garages, with pool tables, air hockey, play toys for little ones etc.) From my research, townhomes will cost a few hundred less than two rooms on-site, smaller villas about the same, and large or more luxurious villas a few hundred more.

Don't underestimate the convenience of everyone having their own space and having all those bathrooms. Extra bathrooms are great when trying to get everyone going in the am or after an afternoon swim prior to hitting the parks.

As for transportation, minivans seat 7 or 8 depending upon model and seat configuration(be sure in advance) but luggage room will be an issue. Some minivans have roof racks, but weather can be an issue. Full size vans are expensive - usually $500/week+. You might consider getting limo service to your resort so that the luggage isn't an issue and then renting a minivan from Enterprise or other off-airport rental agency once you arrive.

 

[Lisa BC]

We are staying offsite for our upcoming trip with 9 adults.

In the past we've rented points from a DVC owner and stayed at Old Key West - which we really have enjoyed. We like OKW for many of the same reasons we are going to enjoy staying offsite, the extra space, the ability to park basically at your door, and the quietness and calm laid-back feel. But it was just too pricey to rent two 2-bedroom units this year, since we are staying Sat-Sat. (Weekend nights are pricey at the DVC resorts...).

We are renting a 7 bed/6 bath luxurious house for just a little over what it would cost us to rent one 2 bedroom unit at OKW. (And for about the same money as renting 4 rooms at an All Stars onsite.) We are so pleased that there's a common meeting area, but everyone will have their own space too. We are especially thrilled with have a private pool and hot tub in our back yard. The pool will be heated much warmer than the Disney pools, and we're still only a few minutes away from the Animal Kingdom.

So now for tips:
decide how many bedrooms/baths you really want

do you want a more resort feel to your vacation with a clubhouse and common pool, or do you want a private pool right at your back door? That will help you decide between a condo/townhouse or a pool home.

decide your budget for lodging - You can get some very good values a little further away from Disney or you can get some amazing homes very close in Emerald Island, Indian Ridge, Formosa Gardens, Windsor Hills. Then check out lots of websites for information. AllStarVacationsHomes.com is a great place to start looking a homes, they include info about the neighborhoods. This is a management company so you will pay a premium for booking through them, versus renting directly from a homeowner, but their website is excellent. Most folks on this board suggest renting directly from the homeowner, since you'll receive a better value, and likely have more specific information about the furnishings and amenities of each home.

I think you'll enjoy an offsite stay, since you won't have to hike to the pool to supervise your girls' swimming adventures. You can hang out on your covered lanai. I am reasonably certain that you can rent a home and two cars for the same price as two rooms at a moderate resort in WDW. And at the end of the night as you stroll to your car, you have the confidence that you can sit down on ride back to your home...instead of standing like packed sardines on a resort bus - that you've waited 20 minutes for.

Since you are traveling in the off season, you won't really need to take advantage of EMH to see everything. We went the end of January this year, and we had a great time, we went in the stand-by line for Soarin' at around 8p with about a 20 minute wait without FP.

Have fun planning your accommodations!

Lisa