On-site benefits?

[cjlong88]

Of course it's pretty easy for me to say that, since I'm a dreaded Childless Millennial and I'm either solo or with my partner.

"A dreaded Childless Millennial"...I feel seen!

 

[Bete]

For now, offsite is fine. Some offsite resorts do not charge a parking fee. You have more options to eat; since, you will leave Disney property. That should save some money. You most likely will get larger resort accomodations and an included breakfast staying offsite. It will make it easier to see other parks, as well.

We have done it both ways through the years and with over 50 trips I can say right now I would save the money and stay offsite.

Furthermore, I have to say I'll be choosing other vacation destinations until Disney World brings back the entertainment including live street performers. Now, I don't want to put anyone at risk with any gatherings; I will just stay away until it gets better there.

 

[Jaydee51]

with all due respect, if you are willing to sit in a ride at a disney park why wouldnt you be comfortable with disney transportation (monorail, skyliner, boat)?
especially now that you have all transportation to yourself bc of social distancing.

ive been on three trips since September and stayed on property for each (antibacterial and wipes on hand for anything hands may touch). it's been like having a private resort to ourselves. worth every dime!

 

[Flamingeaux]

Another vote for staying in the Disney bubble!!!

 

[angelsil]

I've done a mix of onsite and offsite for years. I prefer onsite for the bubble factor (I hate to drive), but if I can't find a decent deal for a budget resort on property I have a few hotels in the area that I use and enjoy. Right now Disney is running some good specials for next month. We're staying at the Boardwalk for close to the price we paid for Pop Century last Food and Wine festival. The ability to walk to HS and Epcot is pretty high on my list of 'pros'.

 

[kylenne]

I don't consider transportation much of a perk; other than MK, I prefer driving (I'm usually staying 7-8 minutes away). I rope drop so I usually have a good parking spot (no trams).

But for MK, I prefer on site transportation.

Proximity is huge. AK doesn’t really matter, and you can actually get there faster from some offsite hotels. But I can’t walk to 3 parks from offsite. We’ll be able to on our split stay next year, and that’s worth paying the premium for to us.

"A dreaded Childless Millennial"...I feel seen!

I joke a lot about it (that post will never not be hilarious) but I’m always careful to point that out in these conversations because I think it’s important to remember we all have different traveling situations. A pair of Childless Millennials are gonna have different needs and priorities when choosing a place to stay than a family with young children, or a large multigenerational group, etc. Best example is how “you get more space offsite for cheaper” is a meaningless argument for me personally because it’s only ever just 1 or 2 people in my room, and we only need 1 bed. But if I was traveling with friends and family, or was a parent to teens, or had a big group...that argument becomes very relevant, maybe the most important after location. My old boss never went to the world with anything less than her 5 kids and her entire multigenerational extended family. Renting a vacation home with a pool made infinitely more sense for them than staying on property. Everything gets more expensive the more people you add on to the trip, and sometimes I’m guilty of forgetting that. So I try to always give context for my opinions.

I've done a mix of onsite and offsite for years. I prefer onsite for the bubble factor (I hate to drive), but if I can't find a decent deal for a budget resort on property I have a few hotels in the area that I use and enjoy. Right now Disney is running some good specials for next month. We're staying at the Boardwalk for close to the price we paid for Pop Century last Food and Wine festival. The ability to walk to HS and Epcot is pretty high on my list of 'pros'.

There really is no comparison at festival time imo. Last year I stayed at Beach Club during Food and Wine and watched a swell of angry and frustrated guests Saturday night after Epcot Forever, when CMs said the Skyliner was still down (it went down a few hours earlier). One family looked at their wits end because they didn’t know how to get to Boardwalk, where buses were being sent to pick up Skyliner resort guests, so I told them to follow me and showed them the path over the bridge from IG. They were really grateful and I kinda felt bad that meanwhile it took me about 5 minutes to walk back to my room.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

We rent a car so we have to pay parking at every hotel... and the parks daily so the biggest plus for us is not having to pay parking at the parks.

 

[cjlong88]

I joke a lot about it (that post will never not be hilarious) but I’m always careful to point that out in these conversations because I think it’s important to remember we all have different traveling situations. A pair of Childless Millennials are gonna have different needs and priorities when choosing a place to stay than a family with young children, or a large multigenerational group, etc. Best example is how “you get more space offsite for cheaper” is a meaningless argument for me personally because it’s only ever just 1 or 2 people in my room, and we only need 1 bed. But if I was traveling with friends and family, or was a parent to teens, or had a big group...that argument becomes very relevant, maybe the most important after location. My old boss never went to the world with anything less than her 5 kids and her entire multigenerational extended family. Renting a vacation home with a pool made infinitely more sense for them than staying on property. Everything gets more expensive the more people you add on to the trip, and sometimes I’m guilty of forgetting that. So I try to always give context for my opinions.

Well said!

 

[dachsie]

I am at the point that I like to take breaks and leave the parks to go back to room for a while and that is easier with staying on property. However, I did stay offsite in 2019 at a Hampton off Palm Parkway. I would take their bus into the parks. Then would bus to DS and get uber to get me back. Saved a boatload that trip

 

[Jaydee51]

Last week we stayed at Copper Creek with our 4 year old and my in-laws (great folks btw) and cannot tell you how priceless it was to be on property and break the days in half.
In such close proximity (short boat ride) to everything we were able to enjoy the mornings/mid afternoon and return to room for break/snack/rest feet/freshen up/bathroom #2/adult beverage and return to park (one park day) or start next leg of afternoon/evening activities (non park days). Our 4 day trip felt like a week long trip b/c we did so much on resort property and resort hopping/dining/x-mas decoration tours - It was easy to get my husband and in-laws excited about exploring by boat/monorail/skyliner. (during the sept & oct trips did resort pool in the afternoons - priceless!)
If we stayed off property everyone would be cranky & tired by 3pm which means leaving property and ending the magic of the day. don't know about others but I would not feel comfortable putting my son in just any pool or hotel lobby - no offense to others but the cleanliness/sanitizing bar is set pretty high on Disney property.

Proximity and convenience matter, opportunity cost matters and enhances the experience.
In all the years I stayed off property, and as a south florida resident, I never enjoyed Disney like I do now that I only stay on Disney property.
Yes, more expensive BUT you can plan/budget for future trips (dvc, cook in room, take a cooler, leverage discount offers, etc.). You can even buy Disney wine for $17/bottle at resort gift shop and apply DVC discount (or annual passholder discount) no need to pay $14 for a glass of wine at Disney, unless you really want to of course.
side note: my mother in-law was shocked at the great shopping deals at resorts shops (70% off and DVC discount on top of that)

If you add all the car rental money, parking money, resort fees (!), florida taxes, hotel taxes, state tax, city taxes, plus plus plus - you will see that staying on property isn't that much more expensive comparted to what you are getting in return (more vacation time).

 

[Jaydee51]

I am at the point that I like to take breaks and leave the parks to go back to room for a while and that is easier with staying on property. However, I did stay offsite in 2019 at a Hampton off Palm Parkway. I would take their bus into the parks. Then would bus to DS and get uber to get me back. Saved a boatload that trip

YES! those afternoon breaks are a game changer for sure!

 

[sethschroeder]

Universal is a different story. Walking to the parks and to City Walk? Yep. Free Unlimited Express Passes? Yep. I think it's worth the cost, at least for the days you are going to the parks.

Stay at Boardwalk, can walk to two parks and more food options than Universal has. You are downgrading Disney for having more.

Universal I would only have to stay a single night and get through every thing in both parks during a slower time based on previous experience. Just a different experience imo.

only a little

Staying off site and needing to drive, rent a car, or needing to worry about very limited bussing is a large downside for us. On top of that even people looking for a lower cost hotel have the Skyliner access from AOA and Pop.

 

[wilbret]

Yep. Would like to try the boardwalk one day, but Epcot and HS are currently our 2 least favorite parks. Thats good for you, 5 less people.

I love being on site. So much so that we maximize our DVC every year by staying in the cheapest rooms possible. I just can’t justify the massive markup for paying out of pocket for non-DVC stays. Driving isn’t as bad as it is made out to be, and we always have a car.

different strokes for different folks!

 

[bakerworld]

I have been enjoying WDW since '77 and I've always stayed on property. We do this because neither of us like to drive. We're not the type of people to enjoy riding around in a car and when on vacation stopping at a million traffic lights along with dealing with highway traffic isn't our enjoyment wheelhouse. Even when we vacationed on a shoestring I'd rather eliminate a vacation day and eat PB&J in the room for meals than deal with traffic so for us staying off site has never been a question. Vacation is too precious to waste on negativity that traffic and locals bring.

 

[WorldOfPooh]

Are there any? Aside from convenience?

As we head into a better (hopefully) 2021, I am hopeful Disney does something to make staying on site more attractive.

Paying 5 star prices for 3 star (at best) accommodations, was always "justified" by the added perks you got (60 day FP / early entry mostly). But then all the nearby hotels got the same benefits, so those became watered down. Now that neither of those exist, you can stay off-site and use the savings to add in a couple Universal days or extra Disney days (with none of the lodging budget going to Disney).

I get it, some prefer to "stay in the magic" and I absolutely understand that. But for a lot people, money will do the talking next year.

Hopefully Disney will address this.

what benefits? lol.

I'm at homewood suites lake buena vista right now. Free parking and free breakfast. And it was only $73 before tax (no resort fee either).

It is kind of ridiculous that even some off site hotels are still charging a $20 resort fee (I'm looking at you Doubletree Disney Springs, and Embassy Suites Lake Buena Vista)

***
For Universal I would actually stay on site or I drive or Sea World
The walking distance offsite hotels across form Universal (that area isn't the best and there are random people and vagrants just walking around for no reason at all hours)
I stayed at the DoubleTree towers ($71, parking extra) right across from Universal the other night and my room was really noisy from the street and highway. You could hear all the cars and even people's music when they stopped at the stoplight even though I was on the 15th floor.

The other night I was at Embassy Suites I Drive ($56, parking extra, free breakfast with bacon)

 

[WorldOfPooh]

I have been enjoying WDW since '77 and I've always stayed on property. We do this because neither of us like to drive. We're not the type of people to enjoy riding around in a car and when on vacation stopping at a million traffic lights along with dealing with highway traffic isn't our enjoyment wheelhouse. Even when we vacationed on a shoestring I'd rather eliminate a vacation day and eat PB&J in the room for meals than deal with traffic so for us staying off site has never been a question. Vacation is too precious to waste on negativity that traffic and locals bring.

That doesn't make sense to me since you can stay at Embassy Suites or Homewood Suites and get free breakfast. How can paying $56 for Embassy Suites plus free breakfast not be worth paying $120 and no breakfast at the value All Star resorts. Even that is a ripoff.

Or you could stay at Quality Inn at the Parks, literally 300 yards from the Disney Property line. It's virtually an identical distance as the AK resorts or the All Star Resorts, with no traffic at a fraction of the price, with free parking and free breakfast (albeit not as good a breakfast as Embassy suites)

 

[RanDIZ]

Last week we stayed at Copper Creek with our 4 year old and my in-laws (great folks btw) and cannot tell you how priceless it was to be on property and break the days in half.
In such close proximity (short boat ride) to everything we were able to enjoy the mornings/mid afternoon and return to room for break/snack/rest feet/freshen up/bathroom #2/adult beverage and return to park (one park day) or start next leg of afternoon/evening activities (non park days). Our 4 day trip felt like a week long trip b/c we did so much on resort property and resort hopping/dining/x-mas decoration tours - It was easy to get my husband and in-laws excited about exploring by boat/monorail/skyliner. (during the sept & oct trips did resort pool in the afternoons - priceless!)
If we stayed off property everyone would be cranky & tired by 3pm which means leaving property and ending the magic of the day. don't know about others but I would not feel comfortable putting my son in just any pool or hotel lobby - no offense to others but the cleanliness/sanitizing bar is set pretty high on Disney property.

Proximity and convenience matter, opportunity cost matters and enhances the experience.
In all the years I stayed off property, and as a south florida resident, I never enjoyed Disney like I do now that I only stay on Disney property.
Yes, more expensive BUT you can plan/budget for future trips (dvc, cook in room, take a cooler, leverage discount offers, etc.). You can even buy Disney wine for $17/bottle at resort gift shop and apply DVC discount (or annual passholder discount) no need to pay $14 for a glass of wine at Disney, unless you really want to of course.
side note: my mother in-law was shocked at the great shopping deals at resorts shops (70% off and DVC discount on top of that)

If you add all the car rental money, parking money, resort fees (!), florida taxes, hotel taxes, state tax, city taxes, plus plus plus - you will see that staying on property isn't that much more expensive comparted to what you are getting in return (more vacation time).

I attest to the CCV convenience. We just stayed there 2 wknds ago and left MK in the afternoon, did some resort time and boated back to MK for the eve. We also did the same thing when we were at BCV later in our split stay adventure. Rope dropped HS, took a break then headed back for our ROTR BG and more rides.

 

[wilbret]

That doesn't make sense to me since you can stay at Embassy Suites or Homewood Suites and get free breakfast. How can paying $56 for Embassy Suites plus free breakfast not be worth paying $120 and no breakfast at the value All Star resorts. Even that is a ripoff.

Or you could stay at Quality Inn at the Parks, literally 300 yards from the Disney Property line. It's virtually an identical distance as the AK resorts or the All Star Resorts, with no traffic at a fraction of the price, with free parking and free breakfast (albeit not as good a breakfast as Embassy suites)

I agree. We are a party of 5, our choices are limited and rooms for 5 at Disney are steep. I can’t emphasize how much we love staying on site, but we also come several weekends and one week per year...it just works for us.

But, if I had the funds... I’d stay on site every time.

 

[WorldOfPooh]

I agree. We are a party of 5, our choices are limited and rooms for 5 at Disney are steep. I can’t emphasize how much we love staying on site, but we also come several weekends and one week per year...it just works for us.

But, if I had the funds... I’d stay on site every time.

If I had unlimited money I would just rotate between my palace at Golden Oak and Poly-Beach Club-Animal Kingdom-Grand Floridan, Wilderness Resort.

 

[bakerworld]

That doesn't make sense to me since you can stay at Embassy Suites or Homewood Suites and get free breakfast. How can paying $56 for Embassy Suites plus free breakfast not be worth paying $120 and no breakfast at the value All Star resorts. Even that is a ripoff.

Or you could stay at Quality Inn at the Parks, literally 300 yards from the Disney Property line. It's virtually an identical distance as the AK resorts or the All Star Resorts, with no traffic at a fraction of the price, with free parking and free breakfast (albeit not as good a breakfast as Embassy suites)

If $$ is the focus than you are correct . We only have coffee for breakfast and have never stayed in a Value location. I agree with you = $120 is not a 'value' rate. My cash stay focus would be the Dolphin - the Dolphin for $120+$30 resort fee is worth the ability to walk to two parks. It is all about vacation focus.

I'd rather have the ability to do parks for 2 or 3 hours and head back to the resort for pool time and a rest up for evening park time. Hunting for the car (yeah, I'm that person) and driving out to hotel wouldn't be conducive to my vacation focus.