onsite vs offsite

[Hillbeans]

I'm sure this has been debated over and over again, however I convinced my DH to let us go down for a 4 day weekend with the great airfares out of NYC.

We're flying down late and staying the first night at an airport hotel I hope to get on a priceline bid.

I see that people are getting the Gaylord Palms for $84 a night around the days we'll be there. That would be less than $300 for the 3 nights we'd stay. We don't plan on renting a car this time (my dh had a minor boo-boo with the convertible top last time we rented in Orlando) so this is where I consider on-site being a better deal. I can get the CBR for $580 for the 3 nights.

Is this worth it? We stayed at the Marriott World for a few days in March and it was beautiful, but the last trip we stayed at AKL and I definitely missed the "magic".

 

[sjh801]

Stay anywhere onsite! I would never stay offsite. Onsite means 24/7 Disney!

 

[DennisP]

Originally posted by sjh801
Onsite means 24/7 Disney!

Nothing like 24/7 Disney!!!

 

[Hillbeans]

Originally posted by DennisP
Nothing like 24/7 Disney!!!

yes, that's my thought exactly. I don't get down as much as some people do, and I know our family trip late next summer with my in-laws is in a vacation house.

I'll try and make lunches/dinners for a month to save up the extra $$$. Thanks!

 

[grinningghost]

I have to agree - onsite is where it's at, but then again, at this point, with no WDW trip in sight, I'd stay at a Motel 6 if I could go to the World.

 

[spacemountain]

yes, it's definitely worth it!

 

[goin2disneyagain]

I don't think I could ever stay offsite again. I'm hooked. Definately stay onsite.

 

[katerkat]

Without a car, I'd probably vote on-site. The offsite transportation can be spotty!

 

[Trinity721]

I would say onsite if you aren't going to rent a car. I think it's worth the extra $$$. But if you are really on a budget, and you think you can bear with the transportation your hotel may provide to Disney then stay offsite. Our first trip to WDW, DH and I stayed offsite for 7 days. We enjoyed it and it was no problem for us, even without a car. Our second trip we stayed onsite (CR) and loved it, and the convenience was something we really enjoyed.

whatever your choice is, hope you have a wonderful trip! Any trip to Disney, onsite or off, is a good trip in my mind!

 

[LisaSt]

Our family would never stay offsite not worth the time or energy to have to drive back and forth etc to WDW and park etc. We would stay at the All Stars or POP or someplce like that if it were a cost factor keeping us from staying in a moderate or better. I would ratehr stay at the values than stay offsite if not then we wouldn't even go if that was the case.

 

[shortbun]

We stayed offsite for the first time this Christmas and it was
great BUT- a BIG BUT- we had a car. I wouldn't have considered it
without one. I really prefer having a car anyway as I hate waiting
for buses to DWTN DIS and late night park departures get so
crowded.

 

[snoopy]

For a short trip where we are going to only visit WDW, I like to stay onsite.

For a longer trip, I like a few days on property and a week off. We use skyauction.com and get a week at one of the timeshare villas (with no obligation to do the presentation). After 3 or 4 days, we need having room to spread out. I'm always amazed at people who say they don't want to drive back and forth to the parks -- for us driving has always been quicker than taking the buses. We usually drive when we stay onsite for that reason alone.

 

[vernon]

For a short trip, without a car I think on site is the simplest way to go.

For a longer trip, particularly for someone who's going to visit other attractions, with a car I think it's a much more debatable question. This is even more the case if finances are tight. While off site hotels can show a saving over onsite, IMHO there's a much bigger saving on food to be made. Eating in Disney hotels and on site you pay at least a 25% premium for a meal of the same quality off site. If you don't have a car , then the taxi fare is going to eat up the meal saving, but if you do I'd guess most people could easily save $30-50 a day by not eating on Disney property.

Staying on site is certainly easily, but you do pay extra for the access.

 

[Grog]

Having done both I can say that a trip to WDW is what you make of it. If someone is convinced before going that staying offsite will ruin their trip, then it will ruin their trip. I've had just as good a time staying offsite as onsite.

I will agree though, that a car is essential to having a really good offsite trip. I relied on the hotel shuttles once and it can be a pain. If you want to leave the parks a couple of hours before the shuttle returns you're stuck, or have to pay for a taxi.

I also agree that for a short trip I would favor staying onsite.

 

[Disney Doll]

Well, I would be less inclined to stay off site if I wasn't going to rent a car. Then you are dependent on whatever shuttle service the hotel provides, and it may not be as timely as you'd like it or whatever.

I also do like the feel of being "in the magic" all the time.

My vote is on-site.

 

[4greatboys]

We have stayed on and offsite and we just really prefer to be onsite. Its just easier for us to get around. My older ones like to go to DQ without us sometimes (they are 17 and 14) and staying offsite they couldnt do it.
I know its cheaper offsite but we like all the benefits of being onsite and having everything we want just a bus ride away.

 

[Robinrs]

It's a personal preference, of course, but I really don't like onsite at all. I like the entire experience of being in Orlando and prefer condos or vacation homes and being away from the "magic" once I leave the parks. I will not, btw, do it without a car, though, but we usually drive down.

 

[Nancy]

If there are just the 2 of you stay at the values....you can get some good rates. We have done both. If we didn't have a car I would stay on-site. Last trip we stayed at the DTD hotel strip...It was fine, rate was good and because we have 5 people we couldn't afford to do on on-site this time around. We also had our own car. We did take the busses one day but I hate waiting for them and all the stops they make...takes ten times longer to get to the magic! If I had my first pick we would stay at one of the Boardwalk area hotels.

 

[luvindisneyworld]

I would definetly stay onsite.You have to keep in mind that there will more than likely be some kind of codes come out for your time.So you should be able to stay cheaper than what they have quoted you.

 

[Hillbeans]

Well, i've enjoyed staying off-site, and we loved our visit to the Renaissance right across from Sea-World. That's probably my favorite park, but this trip we'll pass only because we went twice in March.

I'm not on a super-strict budget, however I don't want to get a car this time only because it's such a short trip and unlike our previous and next visit in July 2005 which will be for 8 days in a vacation house, we won't be doing much outside of Disney or TL.

I like the idea of staying at the Gaylord Palms, however I don't forsee another trip "on-site" in awhile and i'd rather save by not getting the car than being off-site without one. In addition, i've wanted to stay at other Disney resorts, and the Caribbean Beach resort looks perfect for us and my DS3.