On-site or off-site?

[alcie27]

We're thinking about taking our girls to WDW in Dec 2012 (I'm planning really far in advance!). We took our girls when the oldest was about 4 1/2 and decided we would wait to go again when the youngest will be that old. So it will be myself, DH, DD 8 yrs and DD 4 yrs. We prefer suite hotel rooms when traveling because it allows for naps if only one or two people want to sleep and it just gives us more room in general.

Our ideal would be to go to the park at opening, return to the room after lunch and spend the afternoon in the pool (if it's warm enough?) and naps then go back before dinner.

My question is, would staying on-site be better because of the shorter times to and from the park but with everyone staying in one room? Or would be it better to get a suite or connecting rooms off-site and just plan on not going back to the room during the day?

 

[tina.tina]

It was so easy for us to hop on & off of buses to travel around WDW. We loved being in the Disney bubble. We had our own vehicle but only moved it once when we had to go to a pharmacy. We stopped by Downtown Disney when we went to the pharmacy and had a hard time finding a parking space in the middle of the day so I thought the buses were great. We loved Pop and we dealt with all being in one room pretty well. DD is 10 and DS is 5.

 

[deakam]

On-site is probably going to save time. There are quite a few resorts that offer suites, including the new Art of Animation value resort due to open in 2012. Or you could book a cabin at Fort Wilderness. They have a separate bedroom with bunk beds.

There are a lot of off-site suite resorts that will probably be less money but then you have to figure in resort fees and parking fees both at the resort and at the parks plus the added expense of driving back and forth. Also staying off site would eliminate the extra magic hours available to resort guests and the dining plan if you would be interested in that.

 

[spiceycat]

can your 4 year old go all day w/o a nap???

offsite is definitely cheaper than onsite.

but you lose in transportation costs and more hours for the parks.
you might also consider DVC resorts - OKW or AKV would probably be the cheapest alternatives if you rent from a DVC member.

http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=29

before you rent - make sure you read all the warning and information posts at the top of this link.

otherwise a house might work better for you
http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/usa/florida/central-disney-orlando

kissimmee and LBV are the closest

Clermont and davenport should have better prices - they are little further away

 

[rt2dz]

I wrestled with the onsite/offsite thing not very long ago. I will admit, we will be staying offsite and are now looking forward to it. There were some wonderful people on here who pointed me in the direction of threads to help me make that decision. Hopefully one of them will come along because I can't seem to find them. I've also since found an article about staying offsite (linked) through a blog I follow. It makes a compelling argument for staying offsite.

As far as staying onsite, it is nice. I used to swear I would never stay offsite. I like the magic of it all and being surrounded by Disney all the time, since it is a Disney vacation and all. EMH is a great perk and I am nervous about giving that up. But, with careful planning, I don't think I'll miss it. I am also going to miss charging back to the room, but carrying a credit card with me isn't that big of deal. Same thing really.

 

[gabzee]

I would stay onsite! There are too many perks (ex: extra magic hours and transportation)!

 

[CookieDiva]

Here the Orlando Resorts and Attractions Board, I would guess that most people would say "Off Site" for a variety of valid reasons. There are several active threads that are addressing this very question.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2758154

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2765042

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2755814

I have a feeling that this thread was moved here from another board...Actually, I think that all of the above threads might have been moved here from another board. Makes things confusing sometimes...

 

[saysay]

If you are ok with one room and have the $$, then onsite is the way to go, esp if you are flying in and don't want a rental car.

I have only stayed at the Wyndham Bonnet Creek and Swan. LOVED BOTH! My MIL was with us both trips to WBC and we needed the extra bath. GREAT resort for a fraction of the price of Disney with so much room and its inside the gates.

I would say if you think you have to have EMH then also look at some of the good neighbor hotels which might be cheaper.

My DH doesn't like relying on a bus, so we don't mind staying offsite and driving.

Both have pluses and minuses - just look at cost and convenience and what matters to you the most. Everyone is different. For us, we don't need onsite.

 

[Lumiere Lover]

With kids those ages, and hoping to take breaks in the middle of the day, you definitely will want to stay on-site. The benefits of Disney's transportation will make afternoon breaks a lot easier on-site.

Off site you need to get to the car, go back, etc. Let Disney do the driving, and stay on-site.

 

[bankr63]

On-site is probably going to save time. There are quite a few resorts that offer suites, including the new Art of Animation value resort due to open in 2012. Or you could book a cabin at Fort Wilderness. They have a separate bedroom with bunk beds.

There are a lot of off-site suite resorts that will probably be less money but then you have to figure in resort fees and parking fees both at the resort and at the parks plus the added expense of driving back and forth. Also staying off site would eliminate the extra magic hours available to resort guests and the dining plan if you would be interested in that.

The transportation arguments always baffle me. It is much quicker to drive to the nearby but offsite resorts than it is to take a Disney bus or launch. Our timeshares tend to be about 10 minutes at most from the farthest park. And there are very few timeshare resorts that charge for parking or "resort fees"; actually Disney resorts are the only one I'm aware of that charge resort fees.

The onsite math never works for me. None of the Disney "perks" really add much value for our family, and the costs offsite are so much better...

Whichever way you decide, keep an open mind about your options and enjoy your trip!

 

[CookieDiva]

The transportation arguments always baffle me. It is much quicker to drive to the nearby but offsite resorts than it is to take a Disney bus or launch.

It baffles me too because I agree with YOU!

But over the years I have read countless people talk about how

1. They don't want to pay the cost of a rental car.
2. The don't want to worry at all about driving once that they are at WDW.

So everyone has their items of importance.

Ours is our time and money.

 

[torinsmom]

If you have a car and can follow very simple driving directions, offsite will be cheaper and more comfortable. Last year, we stayed in a 3 bedroom townhome at Emerald Island, 3 miles from Disney property. We were less than 10 minutes from Animal Kingdom and DHS, and about 15 minutes from Epcot and MK. You do have to add some time for parking and getting from the TTC to MK when you drive. This is where we stayed, and it was just a 2 minute walk from the clubhouse pool. It was only $500 for the whole week. We went back for a break each day during the early afternoon, and it was very convenient. This year we are staying in a 5 bedroom pool home in the same area(Indian Creek) for $700/week...

http://www.vacationhomerentals.com/vacation-rentals/Kissimmee-Florida-vacation-rental-townhouse-proID-42665.html

I have stayed onsite, and using the buses, I ALWAYS had to wait at least 15 minutes for a bus in the morning, and the same or longer in the afternoon or at park closing. Last year, we left the park at closing and were back at the townhome in less than 15 minutes(MK was 25). We were also in our air conditioned car where we both could sit vs. standing on the bus beside stinky people and crying kids, not to mention the wait at the bus stop. Even with just me and my son, I hated being cramped in one room with one bathroom, the long walk to the clubhouse to get a drink or food, etc. I enjoyed the townhome because we got to spread out, could take a shower at the same time, had a full fridge. I even liked the convenience of having a full kitchen and a washer/dryer. I know that sounds weird, but I like packing light and also like to cook breakfast.

 

[Planogirl]

How long will you be there? If long enough, why not do both?

As for offsite fees, some like the Caribe Royale don't charge any. You just have to research this part of it.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

Before deciding to plan afternoon breaks and going back to the park after dinner, check the park hours for December. Since MK has the Christmas party almost every night, the park closes around 7:00 unless you have a party ticket. Animal Kingdom closed at 6:00 or 7:00 when we were there in December. I recall that DHS and Epcot had longer hours. When MK was only open from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., it didn't make sense to return to our resort for an afternoon break. Same with the short hours for Animal Kindgom.

 

[HeatherC]

If you are going in early December, I would highly recommend Bonnet Creek. It is onsite for all intents and purposes but not owned by Disney.

It is a beautiful resort...nicer than Disney's really. You can rent a 2 bedroom villa with kitchen, multiple tvs, laundry, two bathrooms for about $120 a night including all the taxes.

There are multiple pools, lazy rivers, free mini golf....and you are still "onsite" for the most part.

The only downside during Christmas would be you don't get the extra magic hours you would at a Disney owned property. But if you are going earlier in the month, you won't need them anyway since it is slower then. The first week in December would be great for low crowds and all the decorations should be up.

And...you are so close that you could do naps if you wanted too.

Have fun planningM

 

[3floridarays]

I have to agree with the PP's who think the Disney transportation system doesn't always offer the easiest and fastest way around. We've stayed at onsite moderates and deluxes and, without exception, it took us longer on the buses than it did when we used our own car.

When we stay offsite it is usually at DTD Hilton, which is the only non-Disney hotel that gets to participate in EMH. The last time we stayed (May 2011) we had our DS's BFF whith us and got a king suite, which had a sofa with a pull out bed. The boys were very comfortable on it and the extra space in the suite was really nice.

We have gotten to the point that even when we do stay onsite, we drive our car to the parks.

 

[Brian Noble]

Offsite does not necessarily mean mid-day breaks can't happen. If you choose a well-located property, driving to and from the parks will be no more time consuming than commuting by Disney buses would be.

About half our trips are onsite, and half are off. The offsite stays are at places like Bonnet Creek, Windsor Hills, Vistana, etc. Mid-day breaks are no problem from any of those locations. Our onsite stays are only in DVC 1BR villas or larger. I would never consider a single hotel room for my family of four.

 

[crystaldawn]

We've stayed both off and onsite and this year we'll be staying offsite (bonnet creek). We have always had a car (whether we drive or get a rental) because my inlaws are about 20 miles away and we like the freedom of going to see them. If that were not in the equation I would still like to be able to get to the store etc without worrying.

When we have stayed onsite we actually have preferred driving to the parks rather than getting on the busses. We are a family of 6 now and it's better for us to be on our own schedule rather than rushing or waiting for bus transportation. FWIW we never take mid day breaks... there is no way our kids would leave a park and get to a room and wind down for naps. They often DO nap but just in the stroller in the parks while the other kids keep trucking along

GL deciding

 

[momtoccc]

What are your thoughts for onsite vs offsite during a busy time like Spring Break?

I can't decide between staying on-site, having EMH, doing dining plan and no rental car which will cost more but all is taken care of...

versus having a rental car, staying off-site with more room, getting groceries, etc..

I should mention that it will just be my 8yo dd and myself so we won't need a ton of room.

I wonder if the EMH will be more helpful during a busy time of year or not..

Thoughts??

 

[torinsmom]

What are your thoughts for onsite vs offsite during a busy time like Spring Break?

I can't decide between staying on-site, having EMH, doing dining plan and no rental car which will cost more but all is taken care of...

versus having a rental car, staying off-site with more room, getting groceries, etc..

I should mention that it will just be my 8yo dd and myself so we won't need a ton of room.

I wonder if the EMH will be more helpful during a busy time of year or not..

Thoughts??

I think with two people, onsite/offsite is not that big an issue. You save a lot of money if you would need to have several rooms. I would suggest staying onsite since it is just the 2 of you and you are going during spring break. If you can swing it, rent a car as well. Everything, including the bus lines, are crazy during spring break. Be sure to get any discounts you can. Using morning EMHs will be really helpful for you to beat the crowds.