On Site vs. Off Site

[Samar]

Argh it KILLS me to ask after experiencing the Deluxe accommodations of AKL a couple years ago

Anyways, can you all help me compile a list of pros/cons for on and off site?


ON SITE PROS- constant park transportation, Disney "feel", EMH's and potential for pin codes (not guaranteed but it's a potential), resort activities, some souvenirs from parks can be sent to the room

Cons- none from my side of the fence. lol


OFF SITE PROS- bigger space for the kids to move around, less "guilt" for doing a non-Disney park (like Universal/IOA/or Seaworld) lol, variation in pricing for not paying for themeing


OFF SITE CONS- we'll very likely need a car. We keep halal (kosher) when we can so even On Site, my husband would push for the car to have a wider variety of food options since the kosher options are kind of lacking at Disney.

Not as constant shuttles so we'd have to be time vigilant and some places charge for shuttle and housekeeping.

We'd have to pay for parking at the parks.


****These are just a few things off the top of my head. I have a written list upstairs and I'm sure I've missed a few. Could you all help me with these lists so I can get DH to work with me on booking our Magical vacation one way or another? Thanks

 

[natenapril]

WHY not stay at BC? It's onsite with transportation. It has a kitchen and laundry in your suite. And if you are going in the off season you can get a really good deal.

 

[Marionnette]

You've pretty much touched on the usual pros and cons.

You will definitely get more room and amenities for your dollar if you decide to go offsite. There are hidden costs that go along with staying offsite, such as paying for parking and having to rent a car in many cases. Just keep those in mind when you are evaluating costs.

There's the "Disney Difference" when you stay onsite and that means a lot to some people. Although, I have to say that Disney has been slacking in that area over the past few years and it makes it less appealing to spend more money to stay onsite when you don't get that same level of service that you did 5 or 10 years ago.

One could also make a case for waking up to certain views that are only available from a Disney resort. You're not going to see a view of the castle unless you're staying at a monorail resort with a theme park view. Nor will you see the Epcot ball from you balcony at Windsor Hills. Of course, if you don't pay a premium to Disney for your view, your balcony could just as easily overlook a parking lot.

It really all depends on how you prefer to spend your money as to whether any of those things are actual pros or cons.

 

[crusoe2]

I love onsite - I like the atmosphere and all the hubub. I like that we can use Disney transportation and split up (DS is 19 and likes to be able to go off on his own). And I appreciate the perks like being able to have packages sent back to the resort.

But, all that said, offsite is so much easier for us. Nevermind the money we save. We like having the extra space and everyone having their own bedroom and television. But we've been to Disney enough times now that we don't feel the need to be in the parks from open to close. So having some room to spread out and veg is nice. The extra bathrooms make getting ready to go much easier. And I usually end up needing to wash a few clothes while we're there and much prefer being able to do it in my own house or condo rather than hanging out at the laundry room. And having a full kitchen is great - even if I don't do any cooking. We like eating in for some of our meals and it's so much easier to do that when you have a real kitchen. It's do-able in a resort room but it can be a pain in the rear. I've also found that when we're staying for more than 3 or 4 days, that it's difficult to pack enough food to last the entire time. Yet once I'm onsite, I hate leaving to make a grocery run. I'm not crazy about doing it when we're offsite but it seems to be less of an inconvenience then cause we're heading back to the condo anyway.

 

[Marionnette]

WHY not stay at BC? It's onsite with transportation. It has a kitchen and laundry in your suite. And if you are going in the off season you can get a really good deal.

Regular BC rooms don't have kitchens nor do they have a washer & dryer. Those would be the Beach Club Villas and only the 1- and 2-bedroom units have full kitchens and washer/dryers in the units.

 

[Ed J]

If your number 1 concern is cost and you are a group of 4 or less onsite at a value or maybe even a mod will cost less in the long run. If you are more than 4 and need 2 rooms off site and the costs that come with staying off site it ends up to be a pretty equal outlay of funds.

There are pros and cons.

Onsite has transportation, some good, some not so good. It comes down to expectations. If you expect to get back to your room quickly, go to the MK or Epcot and stay at a monorail resort. If you need to use the bus, lower your expectations. I’ve stayed both on and off, I’ve used all forms of transportation.

We have stayed off site while my sister stayed on. We would leave the park at the same time. Sometimes we beat them to our condo sometimes they beat us back to their room, so the whole argument that staying onsite gets you back to your room faster is BS. A car and parking at the parks adds up quick, easily 30 to 40 bucks a day, but access to things outside Disney transportation can off set those cost quite a bit, it’s all a compromise. If you’re not staying at a monorail resort, a car wins hands down IMO.


On site is on site and the whole emersion thing, fun for a few days but it gets old depending on where you stay. But for a first trip 7 days onsite is a great idea. A 3 or 4 day trip in a hotel room is fun, a 7 day + vacation in a hotel room for our group at this point in our lives is not fun. I don’t go commando for 6 or 7 or 10 days strait so I want more than a place to SSSS [S(sleep)S(pc-restroom)S(shower)S(shave)].

The cost comparison between a deluxe 2 bed villa (DVC type place) and an offsite 2 bed villa is 2 to 3 times more costly onsite. We stay high-end off site for a few bucks more than a mod onsite costs and there is no comparison in the accommodations.

Bottom line, there is no which is better answer IMO, it’s what ever you find more important.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

BC means Bonnet Creek, not Beach Club. Check out the Orlando Area Accomodations for more info, photos, etc.

Off-site has much more varied dining options, in addition to having a kitchen where you can prepare some simple meals, if you choose. You would also have a washer/dryere, which means packing less clothes.

The real price difference is when you have more than 4 people in your party. 4 or less can stat in pretty much any hotel room, it gets dicier when you need room for 5 or more.

If you want Disney ambience, take a look at some of the condo rentals available (try vrbo or other rental sites). Some rentals have elaborately themed condos and homes, with over-the-top bedrooms, game rooms, etc.

 

[Samar]

I LOVE the Disney Vibe when I stay on site My husband however is like the Disney Grinch The costs are more or less the difference of a couple hundred dollars but the cost saved off site would pay for parking in the parks so at this moment, we're breaking even (comparing Mod vs off site). We're a family of 5, the baby will be 3 this Sunday so in Disney's eyes, she's a ticket holder. lol

Bonnet Creek is a timeshare, right? If so, how many points would I need for 8d/7n in late August or early July? What are the chances of getting burned on a transaction?

 

[Beemitchcowski]

I LOVE the Disney Vibe when I stay on site My husband however is like the Disney Grinch The costs are more or less the difference of a couple hundred dollars but the cost saved off site would pay for parking in the parks so at this moment, we're breaking even (comparing Mod vs off site). We're a family of 5, the baby will be 3 this Sunday so in Disney's eyes, she's a ticket holder. lol

Bonnet Creek is a timeshare, right? If so, how many points would I need for 8d/7n in late August or early July? What are the chances of getting burned on a transaction?

Its a timeshare..but you can rent from companies like Vacation Upgrades, Vacation Strategy...Ebay...VRBO.com...Redweek.com...there are several of them.....

 

[Marionnette]

BC means Bonnet Creek, not Beach Club. Check out the Orlando Area Accomodations for more info, photos, etc.

Sorry for the misunderstanding. BC is commonly used to mean Beach Club on Disney websites. There's bound to be confusion when two places have the same initials. I don't think that I've seen anyone refer to Bonnet Creek as BC. They usually write it out to avoid being misunderstood.

And while Wyndham at Bonnet Creek is close to Disney, it isn't "onsite" and doesn't enjoy the same perks as an onsite (such as DME and EMH).

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

No worries, I can see how you could easily think "Beach Club" on a Disney board! Since I'm an offsite person, I'm more familiar with Bonnet Creek. And I agree on the loss of DME and EMH by staying offsite.

OP, I have just a few thoughts for your consideration:

You say that your DH is a Disney Grouch who pushes to rent a car anyways. All other things being equal, you might want to work with those things. I can tell you, my DH would NOT be happy if we were all crammed in one room for a "vacation". He likes his space, likes his king-sized bed. You will all fit in a Moderate, sure, but if DH isn't happy, he's likely to balk at doing it again.

If you stayed offsite, you could rent something with 2 bedrooms (and possibly two bathrooms). More space for everyone, and you can put kids to bed and still be up and about. A kitchen and offsite dining allow for greater food options, and an easier ability to keep to your dietary needs.

Worst case scenario, if you try offsite, and you all truly miss the Disney magic, don't like driving a car, etc., then you have concrete proof to go back with for the next trip, as to why staying onsite is better for your family. Again, I only have my DH to judge by, but I find that nagging him (or other methods of convincing/persuading) doesn't get me anywhere. I have to set up the scene, and let him draw his own conclusions. Then, it's not me bugging him into submission, it's all his brilliant idea. Which, if it's what I wanted in the first place, works for me!

 

[eliza61]

Argh it KILLS me to ask after experiencing the Deluxe accommodations of AKL a couple years ago

Anyways, can you all help me compile a list of pros/cons for on and off site?


ON SITE PROS- constant park transportation, Disney "feel", EMH's and potential for pin codes (not guaranteed but it's a potential), resort activities, some souvenirs from parks can be sent to the room

Cons- none from my side of the fence. lol

OFF SITE PROS- bigger space for the kids to move around, less "guilt" for doing a non-Disney park (like Universal/IOA/or Seaworld) lol, variation in pricing for not paying for themeing

I can think of a very big con. The price. Disney deluxes are ridiculously price. Now you could stay at a value but that's not apples to apples comparison.

We do both but we only stay onsite because we are dvc members. I can't do a value, the men in my family are just to tall and big to squeeze into a value so that's out.

Anyhoo. we have stayed at Bonnet Creek and even with a 10 day rental and parking the price was 500 bucks cheaper than staying at a deluxe. We stayed at the Waldolf astoria for cheaper than a disney deluxe and that was a true deluxe that I almost cried when I had to leave. LOL

ED J, also correctly pointed out that the line about staying onsite being more convenient is BS. I've stayed at the villas at AKL and it was a headache getting back to that lodge. 40 mins easy from every park except AK.

I guess you have to decide, if you are trying to go for more bang for your buck. offsite hands down. now with the ddp costing a ridiculous amount of money that's not even an incentive. We do enjoy the EMH especially now that my kids are older and often tour without us. we especially like the evening ones.

 

[torinsmom]

The pros of staying offsite greatly outweigh the cons for me. We love to spread out, even when it is just DS and me. I like to have a kitchen. I don't cook big meals, but I can get quick fix breakfasts and lunches and save a lot of money. We can get to the parks faster overall staying offsite in the Formosa Gardens area than we ever did staying at Pop Century. I am factoring in time to walk to the bus stop, waiting for the bus and the ride. At a condo, the car is right there and I ride in comfort without have to stand in the heat and wait, then be crammed right up next to stranger who may or may not believe in deodorant. We always get to the parks early, so we park really close. At night, there is nothing better than getting in your car and driving vs. dealing with those horrendous lines at the bus stops.

Love having more than one bathroom, more than one tv and more than one room to hang out in. I love my family, but after a few days of being together 24/7, time apart can be great. I even love having a washer/dryer because I like to pack light and often change clothes midday when we go in the summer.

When you can get a 3 bedroom condo for $500/week and a 5 bedroom pool home for $625/week, you just can't beat that, IMHO.

 

[rachelmarisa]

We don't dislike onsite at all, but as the PP said, offsite just has worked better for us in the past. We stay at Windsor Hills and have no complaints!
I'd love to stay onsite at some time in the future though! *crossed fingers*
If it was between one of those non Disney "onsite" hotels and onsite, I'd totally pick onsite.

Onsite is probably better for families with young children or old folks because I feel it's more catered to you. Staying offsite, we cook and clean ourselves. Just my two cents

 

[Samar]

We ended up booking POR since at the moment, hubby is thinking about not renting a car. So it'll be our first Magical Express ride