On park vs off park

[Spunky946]

How does that compare with the buses/monorails? I want to make sure I’m factoring that into my comparisons. At DL I don’t have to get in any sort of transportation- I just walk from the Grand to both parks. So this is new time to have to factor.

Busses run every 20 minutes or so. Distance depends on which resort to which park. Anywhere from 5-20 minutes ride time. You are dropped off near the front of the park and just walk to the tap styles. If you are at a monorail resort you can take the monorail to two parks and busses to the other two. We prefer to stay onsite. With a big party it might be better to be onsite so you can go back and forth in smaller groups if you’d like.

 

[disland7]

Busses run every 20 minutes or so. Distance depends on which resort to which park. Anywhere from 5-20 minutes ride time. You are dropped off near the front of the park and just walk to the tap styles. If you are at a monorail resort you can take the monorail to two parks and busses to the other two. We prefer to stay onsite. With a big party it might be better to be onsite so you can go back and forth in smaller groups if you’d like.

Right now I feel like it is such an impossible decision for a newbie, that I'll have to do a split stay.

 

[Spunky946]

Right now I feel like it is such an impossible decision for a newbie, that I'll have to do a split stay.

You could do that. You will have fun no matter what you decide.

 

[mamaofsix]

We LOOOOOOVE offsite. We stay at Windsor Hills - 5 minutes from the park. Luxury villas and Condos - much nicer than most onsite Disney hotels, in my opinion. It's not just the cost savings. We love the space, having our own personal pool and hot tube outside of our livingroom (as well as the resort pool / waterpark), not having to walk to get to get to our room like onsite. Just park in our driveway You are, quite literally, paying the exact same price as a value resort room that sleeps 4 to get an entire luxury home that sleeps 10 or more. It's about 1/10th of what you'd pay per night for a similar villa onsite.

I find the transportation aspect easier and quicker than onsite. Many of our friends wait 20 minutes for a bus, than another 20 minutes back to their hotel while onsite - then however long it takes them to walk back to their room. For offsite, it's a quick walk or tram ride to our vehicle, a few more minutes drive and we're back at our villa. EASY!!

I will say - if you're planning a split stay, you will be able to take advantage of all of the 'perks' of onsite for the entire length of your vacation. For example - if you book a value or a campsite for even the first night of your trip (even if you pay for it but don't stay the night), you will get magic bands, free parking for 2 days, plus the 60 day fp booking window.

You might find this thread VERY helpful: https://www.disboards.com/threads/throwaway-room-offsite-to-onsite-stays-update.3539209/

 

[Daisy1940]

When we visit DL, we never stay in the park all day. We go back and have lunch and rest and nap and go back out for more rides and the evening entertainment. The Grand Californian is very close and we can easily walk. I hear no hotel at DW is that close and it isn’t really convenient to get back to your hotel no matter where you stay. Is it feasible to get back in your car and drive back to your rental and later come back? How is the traffic getting to the park each day and how does parking work? It’s our 1st time going to DW and I don’t know anything.

We have a 3-year-old and almost 1-year-old. The stroller and all the various stuff we need make taking the bus impossible so we drive to the parks whether we stay on or off site. We are at POP now and like it okay but we are looking forward to returning to our usual Wyndham Bonnet Creek when we return in Oct and Dec of this year. I think with kids the space and conveniences with an offsite rental are worth the loss in Disney perks (bus, 60-day FP). There is a ton of great info on third party rental companies for offsite condos/houses on the Orlando Hotel board. Many condos are very close by and Whydham Bonnet Creek is surrounded by Disney hotels so it is literally just as close as most Disney hotels.

We do rope drop (get to park 30-45 minutes before open) to 1:00-2:00pm then return to the room for naps and head back to the parks around 4:00-5:00. It is feasible to get back in your car and drive back to your rental. We do this regardless if we are on or offsite. Parking for MK is at a location outside the parks that requires a monorail or boat ride to MK. EPCOT, HS, and AK all have parking lots at the park.

 

[disland7]

We LOOOOOOVE offsite. We stay at Windsor Hills - 5 minutes from the park. Luxury villas and Condos - much nicer than most onsite Disney hotels, in my opinion. It's not just the cost savings. We love the space, having our own personal pool and hot tube outside of our livingroom (as well as the resort pool / waterpark), not having to walk to get to get to our room like onsite. Just park in our driveway You are, quite literally, paying the exact same price as a value resort room that sleeps 4 to get an entire luxury home that sleeps 10 or more. It's about 1/10th of what you'd pay per night for a similar villa onsite.

I find the transportation aspect easier and quicker than onsite. Many of our friends wait 20 minutes for a bus, than another 20 minutes back to their hotel while onsite - then however long it takes them to walk back to their room. For offsite, it's a quick walk or tram ride to our vehicle, a few more minutes drive and we're back at our villa. EASY!!

I will say - if you're planning a split stay, you will be able to take advantage of all of the 'perks' of onsite for the entire length of your vacation. For example - if you book a value or a campsite for even the first night of your trip (even if you pay for it but don't stay the night), you will get magic bands, free parking for 2 days, plus the 60 day fp booking window.

You might find this thread VERY helpful: https://www.disboards.com/threads/throwaway-room-offsite-to-onsite-stays-update.3539209/

Thank you for your advice and the link to the thread - very helpful indeed. I had thought about doing something like that

 

[disland7]

We have a 3-year-old and almost 1-year-old. The stroller and all the various stuff we need make taking the bus impossible so we drive to the parks whether we stay on or off site. We are at POP now and like it okay but we are looking forward to returning to our usual Wyndham Bonnet Creek when we return in Oct and Dec of this year. I think with kids the space and conveniences with an offsite rental are worth the loss in Disney perks (bus, 60-day FP). There is a ton of great info on third party rental companies for offsite condos/houses on the Orlando Hotel board. Many condos are very close by and Whydham Bonnet Creek is surrounded by Disney hotels so it is literally just as close as most Disney hotels.

We do rope drop (get to park 30-45 minutes before open) to 1:00-2:00pm then return to the room for naps and head back to the parks around 4:00-5:00. It is feasible to get back in your car and drive back to your rental. We do this regardless if we are on or offsite. Parking for MK is at a location outside the parks that requires a monorail or boat ride to MK. EPCOT, HS, and AK all have parking lots at the park.

Thanks for the info on the parking lots and another board to check out.