On Site vs Off Site Question--Replies requested Please

[MichelleK]

I will be taking my kids (5 & 3) to WDW for the first time and was fortunate enough to secure the $49.00 rate at ASmo. However, since reading all of the posts I wonder if I am being "selfish" by wanting to stay on site, when we could reap economic benefits by staying off-site and getting the "free" buffets. Or would we really be saving anything?
Personally, I think we would just overeat and feel bloated.
Any additional suggestions welcome.
Any opinions welcome!
Additionally--were are the board acronyms defined at?

 

[pstepka]

I think it depends on what you want out of your vacation. We are a family of 5 and recently stayed at HIFS and absolutely loved it. Having the two bedrooms plus living room area made the vacation THAT much more enjoyable. I do not like hanging out in a hotel room, watching t.v. while sitting on the bed, trying to be quiet while the kids sleep, etc. IMHO, with just younger kids, a place like HIFS is better. They have an awsome pool for younger kids (older ones, too) that can't swim yet. The zero depth entry means the little ones can play around in the water without having to be held by an adult. Kiddie pools are still deep enough that you have to have a hand on your little one so they don't fall under. Or, they're too 'babyish' for a 3 year old. My 1-1/2 and 3-1/2 y/o boys just LOVED the pool at HIFS.

The breakfast buffet there was just great, too. PLUS, you could take it 'to go' and eat in your room if you preferred.

My husband and I agree that as long as we're vacationing with the kids, we will stay in a suite, not a room. Even getting two adjoining rooms -- you still don't have the 'space' you do in a suite, plus you're still hanging out on the beds while you're in the room. Some people may think of the hotel as 'just somewhere to sleep' but when you have little ones, it's way more than that. They have to have room to relax and undwind and room to wake up and get ready to start the day.

I think you should check out HIFS before making your final decision regarding where to sta

 

[smarro]

I don't think at that rate you would be saving much by staying at an offsite hotel even with breakfast. I am sure the kids will love it, and you are guaranteed a clean, safe hotel with a nice pool for the kids so mom may get to relax a bit while the kids play. With kids that age, breakfast won't cost that much anyway. Would it be possible to bring some snacks/breakfast stuff with you in an extra suitcase (if you are flying)? You could even pack some of that milk that does not need refrigeration and chill it with hotel ice for cereal. I would suggest eating breakfast that way and having brunch/lunch late morning before the lunch crowd. Then either do dinner early or late to miss the crowds again. If you do the suitcase thing throw in some extra snacks to take to the parks and have in your room and some juices too. Sometimes splitting an adult meal between two kids is cheaper than two kids meals (especially fast food). I do it all the time with my kids. Also, carry two small drink containers for the kids and either fill them with water or split one large drink between them. If it is hot, they are probably not going to eat big at meal time anyway. With my kids, we will probably eat two meals a day with snacks in between. Have a great trip.

smarro

 

[Lynn CC]

That is a great rate! The food court is very reasonably priced at the All Stars.

I'm sure you could get regular sized meals there and split them. I also get childrens meals for us and it's plenty of food for an adult.

Refillable mugs are a plus!

The All Stars are sooooo much fun for the whole family
You won't be sorry you stayed there, the Movies is great and your kids are the perfect age. Plus, it's a snap to go back to the Resort for naps. The transportation there is very efficient.

Enjoy!!

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[horseshowmom]

We've been to WDW many, many times and have never stayed onsite. We found we could stay 2 weeks (which we did and usually rented a house) for the price of one week onsite. However, I would definitely stay onsite for the $49 rate. I've never seen a rate that cheap at Disney, and who knows if it will come up again. Pack some snacks and breakfast foods if you want to save, but there are some good breakfast buffets onsite too. You might eat a great breakfast (we're breakfast eaters) and go light on lunch. We generally do that and then eat a good dinner.

 

[mikesmom]

I don't think you'd save much offsite. For one thing, places with breakfast buffets usually cost more than $49! Also, you'll have to factor in transportation costs - offsite you'll either have to get a rental car or be at the mercy of the shuttle bus at your particular hotel (and that can get dicey).

We've stayed offsite for 3 WDW trips and then stayed onsite the last one. Boy, did THAT make me a believer -it made all the difference. You cannot believe what an enormous difference it makes to your vacation to be able to easily go back to your room for a break. It changes a WDW vacation from boot camp to a real pleasure. And with little ones like yours, I expect it will be quite important.

 

[CarolynNC]

We've stayed there several times (last trip in January 2001 for $49/nite). You probably wouldn't save much using an offsite motel and you'd loose the convenience. I love having someone else fight the traffic when I'm on vacation. We used to stay in the Deluxe hotels for ease of transportation but since staying at the All Stars, I'm convinced their bus transportation is great. I imagine your kids will think the bus is another attraction! The buses run frequently enough for a return for scheduled breaks from the parks and those emergency runs that often crop up with young kids.

The breakfast isn't too expensive. My 14 year old bottomless pit, his 14 year old friend, and myself all purchased the kids meals when we ate in the food court. The meals were big enough but left us not feeling stuffed. We didn't want to feel loaded down.

When we stayed there January 2000, I took along a collapsable cooler. We had milk for cereal, sandwich makings, and other breakfast & lunch/dinner fixings in the room. We ate quite a few meals in our room. I even used the toasters in the food court to make my morning toast. I saw quite a few people bringing cereal in for their family and eating them the food court. Those refillable mugs are a lifesaver. My son just loves the hot chocolate in the morning.

Since you were able to get the special rate, take advantage of this chance to stay on site. Maybe next trip (and there will be a next trip ) you'll have to look for a budget hotel off site.

Have a great trip! I wish I was able to take advantage of this special rate but my son's school is altering their schedule and he gets out of school June 8th and returns August 7th.

Carolyn

Tact - A keen sense of what to do or say in order to maintain good relations with others or avoid offense. Webster's Dictionary

 

[CarolynNC]

Try this link (hope it works!)

http://www.wdwinfo.com/abbreviations.htm

Carolyn

Tact - A keen sense of what to do or say in order to maintain good relations with others or avoid offense. Webster's Dictionary

 

[MichelleK]

Many Many thanks for the great tips.

Any ideas on park hopper tickets?

Thanks again.

MichelleK

 

[CarolynNC]

We schedule long trips but I find even when only staying a week, we like a down day. We hang around the pool, visit other resorts, visit Downtown Disney, go to Ft. Wilderness, and sometimes veg out the whole day. We like to recharge our batteries. Now that my son's older, we have to schedule in an entire Disney Quest day.

We also sometimes plan in trips to other parks like Sea World. I now buy Annual Passes but when we were buying park hoppers, I always opted for the regular hopper passes. We never seemed to have enough time to do plus attractions. I found the most bang for my buck came from the regular hopper passes. I think the least bang for your buck come from the length of stay passes (now called UMP, I think).

If you'll give more details like number in party, when you're going and for how long, and if there is something ya'll just have to do outside the parks people could offer more concrete suggestions. Since I discovered these boards several years ago I've picked up tons of budget saving tips and no longer book our traditional package at the Contemporary. We've been able to go three times as often and stay twice as long.

Carolyn

Tact - A keen sense of what to do or say in order to maintain good relations with others or avoid offense. Webster's Dictionary