On Property versus Off Property

[bukosluvswdw]

I am looking at possibly going on a solo trip in Sept. Disney is offering free dining. So I checked on their web site and for a 6 night stay at All Star Music with 6 day base tickets and free dining it is $995.16. If I stay off property with same 6 nights and 6 day tickets plus the $90 to park for the week it comes to $670.31.

That is a difference of 324.85. Which one sounds like the better deal to you? Can I save money in the long run by paying for my meals as I go or is it a better deal to use the free dining offer and stay on property?

Thanks!

Bryon

 

[OurBigTrip]

For $324, minus what you'll spend on food, I'd stay on-site.

 

[Micca]

Are there any room-only discounts available? That would be my choice--get a room discount pay OOP for food. Saving money is great, but I'd avoid staying off site if possible.

 

[nkereina]

After 6 days of paying OOP for food if you stay off site, I would think you'd come out with a minimal difference. If I were going solo, I would prefer to be on site if difference in cost was essentially negligible.

Are there any room-only discounts available? That would be my choice--get a room discount pay OOP for food. Saving money is great, but I'd avoid staying off site if possible.

OP is pricing out values. If there is a room discount on a value, it wouldn't be terribly significant and again OP would be in the same boat where the difference would be negligible, since they'd then be paying OOP for food.

 

[amccu18007]

I too think that I would call and see if there was a room only deal. Will you spend more than $55 a day on food? If you will, go with fd. If not see if you can get the room only discount. I would do anything though to stay onsite if it were me though......

 

[MEK]

The free dining discount does seem to be most cost effective if you are sharing a room with someone.

Still, if this is a solo trip I would definitely recommended staying on site. It will be so much easier to negotiate WDW using their transportation. People who stay off site without a car often get frustrated with the bus service at the various hotels where they stay.

You could book free dining now but change in the future if you find out the room only discount if more cost effective for you.

That being said - there are a lot of great QS restaurants that you can use the dining plan at. I'm assuming the price you quoted is with the QS plan and not an upgrade to the regular dining plan.

I reread your post - I think you are traveling as a couple? If so, definitely do the free dining.

 

[mickey2minnie1]

Being alone, I would immerse myself in Disney.

 

[Stinky_Pete]

I did my first solo trip in December and stayed off site and it was fantastic. But I had a car. If you don't have a car, I would stay on site.

Off site your food costs will be much lower than on site. I'm not even talking about leaving during the day for lunch.

Some mornings I went to Bob Evans for breakfast on my way into the parks. A huge TS breakfast with drink, tax and tip was maybe $12. You won't get that at Kona Cafe or any other on site TS for breakfast. Other mornings I would grab a McMuffin and large iced tea at off site McDonalds and use the back entrance onto property and enjoy my McMuffin in my car in the theme park parking lot. I also got "real world" McDonalds prices, not the inflated prices they charge at the one next to All Stars. Then I would enjoy a counter service lunch at the park I was at, and have dinner back at my off site condo. I ordered Girodono's pizza one night, which was amazing, and it lasted me three nights! I just kept it in my fridge an reheated.

If your goal is to go WDW without spending a lot of money, off site can't be beat. Don't let the on site only people sway you. There is an "Orlando hotels and attractions" page on this site where you can get all kinds of info from those of us who choose to stay off site.

 

[Stinky_Pete]

I see you are factoring in parking, so you obviously have a car. Then I would try an off site stay if you are concerned about costs. It is still a great time, especially if you are at one of the hotels near the park. I was out off Irlo Bronson Memorial and there were all kinds of places to stay and eat. All much more affordable than Disney offers.

 

[Senator Tressel]

Depends on which offsite hotel we're talking here.

 

[glaserjm]

I guess for me, if I was going solo, I would stay on site as I'd prefer to be around like minded people who also love Disney as much as me as even though I was traveling solo I'd still like to chat with people at the resort or on transport.

Another thing you have to take into consideration is gas costs as since you mention parking, I'm assuming you would be driving each day. WDW property is big and depending on where you are staying, what kind of car you have and how often you are coming on and off property you can end up racking up some miles and gas costs.

With food it depends on whether you're staying at a condo or hotel. If you are at a condo and have cooking facilities you can easily save significant money on food costs. However if you are going to be eating three meals per day in a restaurant your savings over going with free dining are going to dwindle.

I think you can definitely enjoy your trip regardless of whether you stay in or off property... but I'd sit down and really calculate everything to see what your actual savings would be after taking food and gas into your budget.

 

[Stinky_Pete]

Depends on which offsite hotel we're talking here.

Very good point. I don't think I would be wanting to stay off site if I was at, say Econolodge or Motel 6. I'd check reviews on TripAdvisor.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Depends on which offsite hotel we're talking here.

Exactly! Value resorts are like a Motel 6 with the Disney name splashed all over it.

Compare apples to apples.

The Moderates are like a Best Western or Holiday Inn.
The Deluxes are like a Hyatt.

What offsite hotel are you looking at?

 

[glaserjm]

I guess for me, if I was going solo, I would stay on site as I'd prefer to be around like minded people who also love Disney as much as me as even though I was traveling solo I'd still like to chat with people at the resort or on transport.

Another thing you have to take into consideration is gas costs as since you mention parking, I'm assuming you would be driving each day. WDW property is big and depending on where you are staying, what kind of car you have and how often you are coming on and off property you can end up racking up some miles and gas costs.

With food it depends on whether you're staying at a condo or hotel. If you are at a condo and have cooking facilities you can easily save significant money on food costs. However if you are going to be eating three meals per day in a restaurant your savings over going with free dining are going to dwindle.

I think you can definitely enjoy your trip regardless of whether you stay on or off property... but I'd sit down and really calculate everything to see what your actual savings would be after taking food and gas into your budget.

 

[rustyanchor]

I don't think there is ever a time when it's actually more cost-effective to say onsite, no matter how anyone tries to justify it. In September you can get a hotel off-site that is technically more luxurious than the Disney values and even moderates for $50-60/night. The real question is whether it's worth it to you to stay onsite. We used to always stay off-site, in nice hotels very close to Disney for GREAT prices, until we made the decision that we wanted to stay onsite just once... and now we are hooked! To us, it's worth it to pay extra for a little more Disney magic. But if we were strictly trying to save money, there is no way I'd stay onsite, free dining or no.

 

[bukosluvswdw]

Are there any room-only discounts available? That would be my choice--get a room discount pay OOP for food. Saving money is great, but I'd avoid staying off site if possible.

There are room only discounts but the price difference between free dining and room only were very minimual.

 

[bukosluvswdw]

In the past we have stayed on property and we have spent one night outside the world. We have stayed at Super 8 right on 192 which is only 10 min. away from Disney. I will have a car so transportation is not an issue. I do not need much for a room because I will be by myself and I will not be spending much time in the room.

I guess the real question is can I spend less than $56 a day on food that would be significant enough to stay off site. I have never went by myself so I really do not know the answer to that.

 

[rustyanchor]

In the past we have stayed on property and we have spent one night outside the world. We have stayed at Super 8 right on 192 which is only 10 min. away from Disney. I will have a car so transportation is not an issue. I do not need much for a room because I will be by myself and I will not be spending much time in the room.

I guess the real question is can I spend less than $56 a day on food that would be significant enough to stay off site. I have never went by myself so I really do not know the answer to that.

Yes, you should be able to spend less than $56 if you try, but that all depends on you. Do you eat a lot of snacks? Are you the kind of person who likes to have a TS dinner or do you mind eating a lot of CS meals? With CS you could do less than $56/day no problem, but throw in a TS meal here and there and you'd pass that, definitely. So CAN it be done? Yes, but is that what you want to do?

 

[Stinky_Pete]

Exactly! Value resorts are like a Motel 6 with the Disney name splashed all over it.

Compare apples to apples.

The Moderates are like a Best Western or Holiday Inn.
The Deluxes are like a Hyatt.

What offsite hotel are you looking at?

You know, I agree with you on one level. The value resorts are like cheap motels, and the moderates, to me, are like slightly more expensive motels.

I have never seen the point to paying the much higher cost for a moderate over a value. They are both basically motel rooms - outside doors. I prefer inside hallways. I guess if a few more square feet and a nicer pool are that important to you, then so be it.

However, the one thing I have to say is the transportation. If you don't have a car, staying on property is going to be better. Everywhere I have stayed off property had a shuttle once or maybe twice a day going to and from the parks. It would not suit my touring at all. If I didn't have a car I wouldn't stay off site.

 

[Stinky_Pete]

In the past we have stayed on property and we have spent one night outside the world. We have stayed at Super 8 right on 192 which is only 10 min. away from Disney. I will have a car so transportation is not an issue. I do not need much for a room because I will be by myself and I will not be spending much time in the room.

I guess the real question is can I spend less than $56 a day on food that would be significant enough to stay off site. I have never went by myself so I really do not know the answer to that.

On my solo trip I did no TS meals at Disney or anywhere else, so I spent much less than $56 per day on food. It will depend on what you like. I don't generally like to go to TS places by myself. Do you? Even if you do, you will spend much less off property than on, unless you are going to top of the line restaurants off site.

Like I said, I did McDonalds for breakfast that was about $4. Then on site CS that was maybe $12. My Girodano's pizza delivered with tip was around $30, but it lasted me 3 days. So I guess the average for me was $26 per day. Give or take a Mickey bar or Dole Whip here and there.

I guess you really need to think about what you would eat while you were there. Where would you go if you were on site or off site? What would you order? There are menus online. Check them out.