On site vs off site on a budget.

[lucigo]

I'm looking for help planning for a friend. All of my experience involves driving to Orlando, year passes, large family, onsite etc. Now I'm trying to give advice to a friend who will have to fly, and it is just her and her 2 teenage daughters. Way different needs! She is a teacher with limited funds and they have to go in July. Is on site cheaper than having to rent a car? Are there off site resorts with transportation that are more budget friendly? Help me point her in the right direction. For someone with LOTS of Disney experience, I feel like I'm trying to plan a completely foriegn trip! Her on-site preference would be Pop. Thanks

 

[kat3668]

I always rent a car... so much more convienient in my opinion... There are deals to be had I usally pay between $120 -$150 for a week to 8 days. Start at www.carrentalsavers.com check often and when you find a decent price book it it can always be cancelled.
I love stayinf ta wyndham bonnet creek right on Disney property and you can get a week for around $600.00 if you shop around. Try Ebay or Skyauctions... also vacation strategy is good to many peopl book with them Ken price is the guy who runs that.

 

[Aliceacc]

If she stays on site, she can opt to give the girls a bit more freedom, knowing that Disney transportation will get them where they need to be.

If she books in the next week, she can take advantage of the summer special, and get a discount off her room. (The higher discounts are off the more expensive rooms. But she may be able to upgrade to a moderate for not much more than she's expecting to pay at POP without a discount. )

I ran the numbers for a friend at work a few months ago, here's what I found:

Resort ... Price per night... 7 nights ... discount... Discounted cost

POP Century... 120... 840... 126 (15%)... 714
Moderate... 164... 1148... 287 (20%)... 864



So a week at a Moderate will cost her $24 more thant she's expecting to pay at POP without a discount.... but remember, this deal closes next weekend.

Also, have her take a look at the teacher's discount at the Swan and Dolphin.http://www.swandolphin.com/offers/teachers/index.html

 

[lucigo]

If she stays on site, she can opt to give the girls a bit more freedom, knowing that Disney transportation will get them where they need to be.

If she books in the next week, she can take advantage of the summer special, and get a discount off her room. (The higher discounts are off the more expensive rooms. But she may be able to upgrade to a moderate for not much more than she's expecting to pay at POP without a discount. )

I ran the numbers for a friend at work a few months ago, here's what I found:

Resort ... Price per night... 7 nights ... discount... Discounted cost

POP Century... 120... 840... 126 (15%)... 714
Moderate... 164... 1148... 287 (20%)... 864



So a week at a Moderate will cost her $24 more thant she's expecting to pay at POP without a discount.... but remember, this deal closes next weekend.

Also, have her take a look at the teacher's discount at the Swan and Dolphin.http://www.swandolphin.com/offers/teachers/index.html

Thanks! Do you know if Swan/Dolphin have transportation? I know it costs to park there as we did a groupon meal there once.

 

[lucigo]

I always rent a car... so much more convienient in my opinion... There are deals to be had I usally pay between $120 -$150 for a week to 8 days. Start at www.carrentalsavers.com check often and when you find a decent price book it it can always be cancelled.
I love stayinf ta wyndham bonnet creek right on Disney property and you can get a week for around $600.00 if you shop around. Try Ebay or Skyauctions... also vacation strategy is good to many peopl book with them Ken price is the guy who runs that.

Thanks, those prices are awesome!

 

[Infamousmare]

Thanks! Do you know if Swan/Dolphin have transportation? I know it costs to park there as we did a groupon meal there once.

Self parking is $16 per day, valet is $26.
There is transportation - there are buses that go to all the parks and a boat that will take you to EC & HS.

This link might help you: http://www.swandolphin.com/feedback/transportation.html

 

[Brian Noble]

There are three things you might want in your lodging for a Disney vacation:

1: To be onsite.
2: To have a reasonable amount of space.
3: To spend a reasonable amount of money.

The trick is, you can't have all three at the same time. They are on a budget. That leaves 1 vs. 2. Would they rather have two bathrooms and a separate bed for everyone, or be onsite?

 

[Aliceacc]

Thanks! Do you know if Swan/Dolphin have transportation? I know it costs to park there as we did a groupon meal there once.

Keep in mind, though that once they get to the Swan/Dolphin, they can use Disney transportation the whole time. They can walk to Epcot, walk or take the boat to DHS, and take busses everywhere else.

 

[JimMIA]

I always rent a car... so much more convienient in my opinion...

We always drive, and having a car has two huge benefits, whether you stay onsite or off.

The first, mentioned here, is convenience -- but just saying "convenience" doesn't begin to capture the difference between driving and anybody's buses.

From any resort onsite (or Bonnet Creek) I can be parked in any theme park lot in 15 minutes. Add a 5 minute tram wait/ride, and I'm going through the turnstiles in 20 minutes (except at MK, which takes an extra 15-20 minutes from the TTC to turnstiles).

Bus wait/ride times are probably about an hour from start to finish and Disney Transportation advises allowing 90 minutes per trip.

So I spend an hour a day getting there and back; a bus rider spends two hours or more. That's a great time savings, and riding in your own car is even better than standing on a bus next to some tourist who hasn't bathed in a week!

The other difference -- often overlooked -- is dining. Offsite dining offers three benefits:

1. MUCH more variety vs. mass produced food cooked in common kitchens.
2. BETTER food throughout the whole spectrum from fast food to fine dining.
3. Much less expensive dining. Eating most meals offsite should save way more than a rental car costs.

I love stayinf ta wyndham bonnet creek right on Disney property and you can get a week for around $600.00 if you shop around. Try Ebay or Skyauctions... also vacation strategy is good to many peopl book with them Ken price is the guy who runs that.

Just checked the Wyndham owner's site and WBC has zero availability, for any size villa, for the entire month of July 2014. If the person is looking for 2015, they should be fine...and it's also possible one of the brokers has something pre-booked for July 2014.

We really like WBC too, but there are numerous other choices. In the timeshare world, Orlando is one of the most overbuilt areas on the planet with literally dozens of really nice resorts.

 

[lucigo]

Thank you all for the input, I have been able to help her with some options. Very much appreciate it!

 

[leebee]

Just some random thoughts…
I
know you are asking about hotels, but your friend should check mousesavers.com to learn how to stack codes and coupons to get the best deals on rental cars. If she signs up for their newsletter, she'll also be able to access a discounted rate for park tickets. About the only "down" side to staying offsite is she'll have to pay for parking at the theme parks every day… ?$16 a day?

We usually find offsite cheaper, because rates are more affordable, and it's cheaper to handle meals. You can stop at the grocery store for breakfast food, water bottles, etc. (no need to pay the fees and minimums from garden grocer).

Staying at POP means 2 double beds; staying at a mod means 2 queen beds. Will your friend (or the girls) care?