Onsite vs off-site

Any other cons to staying offsite?

Sorry if I'm repeating, but these come to mind:

-cannot send purchases in the park back to your resort
-no option for a dining plan
-no 180+10 for making ADRs
-no Magical Express
-pay for parking at the parks
-convenience - we like being able to hop on WDW transportation to get back to our room after having a few drinks, especially on an adult trip with no kids.


We always opt for on-site. The only time I can see off-site making sense is for an Orlando vacation (as opposed to a WDW vacation) or for house rentals with large groups. For just two adults, my vote would be on-site.
 
Dirty, way overpriced rooms at Pop, combined with long dysfunctional bus lines and on demand entry into the rooms for "room checks" by assorted Disney employees led me to stay off site for my recent Oct/Nov 2018 trip. I also had problems with poor WiFi during my last on site stay that negatively impacted a work project that I had to do.

It was definitely better staying off site. My off site room was kept in pristine condition and I had privacy and amenities like a pool, fitness center, hot tub, free breakfast AND happy hour at my resort. There were no parking or resort fees and I paid, including all taxes and fees, an average of $101 a night. This resort was on Palm Parkway less than 4 minutes from Disney property.

I have an annual pass so parking at the parks was free.

The tide has turned against staying onsite for me. There are too many problems staying onsite at a WDW resort. Disney management expects YOU to herd them into addressing and correcting the problems that you WILL BE experiencing during a stay at their resort. All that at rates that are exorbitant for what you get.

For my next trip I am required to stay on site at WDW but if it were up to me I'd be off site because the prices, services and amenities are way better than what Disney is offering right now. I saved so much money by staying off site that I was able to stay for longer and enjoy more of what Florida has to offer.

~NM
 
I think you can use your Marriott points at the Swan or Dolphin. You'd be right on the property, but not free transport to and from the airport (you'd have to pay for that).
 


Again, I would say OP you have to decide what are priorities for you. That will decide what you should do. Many here list "pros" for onsite, but you have to decide if they are pros.

For me, using a WDW bus would be a near deal breaking negative. No way, no how, no thanks. I LOVE having my own car. We usually stay fairly close to WDW...the time it takes us to get to a park is probably the same time or less it takes when using a WDW bus. Plus, if we want to go from DS to a water park, or a resort on property, we don't have to transfer buses.

As I mentioned earlier, the "bubble" is completely what you make it. It's just as magical for us to drive into WDW every day and see the welcome signs. To us, the fact that we're not in our own home, in our own town makes it feel like vacation. Everything not only in WDW, but around WDW too, has Disney magic for us. There's a particular Dunkin' Donuts and gift shop we always go to, it's our "Disney thing".

We bring our own food in, so we have no need for a dining plan.

Most importantly, having to stay in a tiny hotel room for a week or more sounds like torture, not fun.

These are all priorities for us. They may or may not be yours. If you don't care about the bubble as you mentioned earlier and don't mind driving in (or prefer it like we do), then stay off site.
 
Op-you may find an assortment of answers in the positive for offsite if you post elsewhere!

Personally, I love emh more than any other perk
Now they are available at disney springs resort's-that creates a whole different world for us.

However; whilst free dining and free parking are still available (I'm in the UK)
I would opt for onsite.
 
So many varied opinions and valid points either way!

OP - We're going back for our first trip since 2009, and only second trip ever, in February. I, like you, pondered this very question. And then I ended up booking at a Deluxe! :D Honestly, I think the frequency that you plan to visit may factor in. For us, this may very well be our last trip. So - I wanted that immersive experience. If I end up being completely wrong about that and we end up going every year, that may change.

But, being able to put $900 towards our next family DL trip is really tempting too

See - I wouldn't be that disciplined. I would TOTALLY blow that money on something else long before I could put it towards our next trip. :rolleyes1
 


Could you change it to the Marriott World Center instead? That is a lot closer to Disney property. The one downside for me when staying offsite is how long it takes to get on and off property. I like the Disney Springs hotels for that reason since they are really close or the Marriott World Center, it's where I stayed a lot as a kid. I hate the value resorts on Disney property, I really only stay Deluxe now. For their cost you could get a much nicer hotel off property and I can never justify their cost. June isn't a super busy time where you'd absolutely need to stay on property so I'd say stay offsite
 

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