Pain arguing facts with onsite only people...

[coast2coastmickey]

Just because it sounds like a challenge, here's my similar offsite vacation:
$890.00 1 week at Sheraton Vistana Resort - 2BR townhome villa (more like a 3BR with the sleeping loft)
$360.00 2 additional nights at Vistana booked through Sheraton (with common discount code)
$2,022.28 4*10 day hoppers (tax and shipping incl, UT)
$600.00 food (based on my records for last 6 trips, I've never spent over C$500 for our family of 4 for a week. I think US$600 would be doable - combo of onsite, offsite, breakfast is usually in the villa)
$450.00 rental (although we actually drive so I wouldn't pay this, but I should be able to get a 9 day for this price with discount code). Driving down saves me about $2,500 over flying 4 from Canada.
$180.00 parking at the parks.
$4,502.28 Total, about $300 more than your onsite, but close. It's lower than your onsite without the rental car.

That's actually quite a bit more than what my one week vacations actually cost, but I'm being pretty liberal in my estimates.

Again, not trying to convince anyone to stay offsite, I think the Disney bubble lovers need to do their thing. Just adding more "math" to the conversation.

Compared to 4 adults staying in a value...this is positively luxurious.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I won't argue that topic with anyone.....different strokes for different folks. One of the things I love about Orlando is that there's truly an accommodation option to fit every taste, budget, personal need, and interest.

Honestly, what annoys me most are those that will defend the superiority of onsite without having tried the alternative. You can't say you don't like cake just because you've only ever eaten pie. It might be that cake becomes your favorite dessert after you have the first taste.

Me personally, I've done both an onsite and offsite stay. Once we got a taste of the space, luxury, and amenities of offsite, we lost any desire to stay at a Disney property ever again. The "magic" for us is at our beautiful offsite resort. But....I'm an oddball on these boards in many regards. For us, there's SO much more awesome to Orlando than just the portion within the Disney gates. Not only would we be unhappy being stuck in a small Disney room for an entire vacation, we'd also be unhappy being restricted to just the Disney parks for that same amount of time. Now THAT statement will surely get some of the die-hards fussed up!

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

I won't argue that topic with anyone.....different strokes for different folks. One of the things I love about Orlando is that there's truly an accommodation option to fit every taste, budget, personal need, and interest.

Honestly, what annoys me most are those that will defend the superiority of onsite without having tried the alternative. You can't say you don't like cake just because you've only ever eaten pie. It might be that cake becomes your favorite dessert after you have the first taste.

Me personally, I've done both an onsite and offsite stay. Once we got a taste of the space, luxury, and amenities of offsite, we lost any desire to stay at a Disney property ever again. The "magic" for us is at our beautiful offsite resort. But....I'm an oddball on these boards in many regards. For us, there's SO much more awesome to Orlando than just the portion within the Disney gates. Not only would we be unhappy being stuck in a small Disney room for an entire vacation, we'd also be unhappy being restricted to just the Disney parks for that same amount of time. Now THAT statement will surely get some of the die-hards fussed up!

But on the flip side, if someone has tasted 4 or 5 different kinds of cake that they didn't like, offering them yet another kind of cake isn't going to entice them.

I've gotten that when I say I like pie. People come to the conclusion that since I haven't tasted their special cake, I haven't really tasted cake. When I tell them that I like that the main ingredient in pie is recognizable fresh fruit, they try to tell me about the mashed up bananas in their cake and how it is just as good as cut up apples.

All that to say that Disney transportation is very important to me. We use it pretty much exclusively when we are at Disney. And the intermittent bus service offered by some hotels, isn't the same.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

But on the flip side, if someone has tasted 4 or 5 different kinds of cake that they didn't like, offering them yet another kind of cake isn't going to entice them.

I've gotten that when I say I like pie. People come to the conclusion that since I haven't tasted their special cake, I haven't really tasted cake. When I tell them that I like that the main ingredient in pie is recognizable fresh fruit, they try to tell me about the mashed up bananas in their cake and how it is just as good as cut up apples.

Perhaps you didn't read my post?

I said "what annoys me most are those that will defend the superiority of onsite without having tried the alternative". If you've tried it, and don't like it, fine by me. It's your money, and your vacation, so spend them both the way that you want. I am confident enough with my own decisions that yours, being different, don't bother me in the slightest. I may not agree with your assessment of "value" or "benefits", but you won't hear any arguments from me. Go ahead and eat your pie!

 

[disneysteve]

Disney transportation is very important to me

I think this is a deal breaker for some people. When someone tells me that they love Disney transportation, I won't say another word about staying offsite. That's one service that simply isn't available offsite. If you are going to stay offsite, you really need to have your own car. Sure, there are shuttles but I would never recommend depending on them to get around.

Personally, we despise Disney transportation. Even when we stay onsite, we drive our own car pretty much everywhere we go. I mean we use the ferry boat or the monorail to get to MK from the TTC but other than that, we avoid Disney transportation. Depending on it really ruins the trip for us. I would honestly rather stay home than be dependent on that as my only way to get around.

Different strokes! No right or wrong choice here. You just have to know what you like and how you like to vacation.

 

[robinb]

I think this is a deal breaker for some people. When someone tells me that they love Disney transportation, I won't say another word about staying offsite. That's one service that simply isn't available offsite. If you are going to stay offsite, you really need to have your own car. Sure, there are shuttles but I would never recommend depending on them to get around.

Personally, we despise Disney transportation. Even when we stay onsite, we drive our own car pretty much everywhere we go. I mean we use the ferry boat or the monorail to get to MK from the TTC but other than that, we avoid Disney transportation. Depending on it really ruins the trip for us. I would honestly rather stay home than be dependent on that as my only way to get around.

Different strokes! No right or wrong choice here. You just have to know what you like and how you like to vacation.

We almost always rent a car when we go to WDW. I think that Disney transportation is a big plus when you are a family that splits up for whatever reason. Maybe you have kids that are far apart in age and parents split up, one staying the park while he other goes back to the room. Or maybe you have teens that sleep in, or want to park hop, or want to stay out longer. I do think that Uber now fills the role of hotel shuttles. It is quite cheap to get to/from WDW via Uber or Lyft.

 

[missnic]

We have done both over the years, with equal degrees of satisfaction. It really is up to HOW we're going to vacation that particular time. I know you can get much better deals if you stay a week+ at a time, but we do not. For short stays, onsite can be a better option.

With 2 adults, a Value resort is perfect most of the time. We don't need extra space you get with an offsite hotel, and transportation is readily available. We live 2 hours away, so we have a car, which we usually drive to the parks anyway. We do like to hop a bus back to the resort for an afternoon rest though, and then head back to the parks later in the evening. For short weekend trips, we don't use additional amenities. Up until a year or two ago, a value onsite was cheaper than an 'equivalent' offsite once you added up resort and parking fees. Disney's resort parking fees, increased rates, and less availability have made that no longer the case though. It got really hard to find a value room a week or so out. We found an offsite resort with no fees for about $100/nt. Again, we don't need extra space, fancy pools, etc (even though this place has both), so we typically stay there now when we're just going to be sleeping there.

Now, a few times a year, we go all out. I have a club level TPV booked at the Poly for a few days in August. We LOVE the resort, and will actually use the pool/etc for this trip. We'll park the car and leave it for the duration, because this trip won't be rushing around the parks nonstop.

I know that we vacation very differently from most people on this forum, and that's okay. No one's wrong, no one's right, and no one can tell you you're doing it wrong. Nor should you be telling anyone that they're doing it wrong.

 

[KStash]

I like staying on site, because of the convenience factor. But we are doing our first offsite stay this year at Reunion Resort. We have rented a 6 bedroom/6 bath house with a pool for the cost of one room at Disney. If we stayed onsite, I would have had to purchase 4 rooms (which I’ve done in the past). I’m saving 6000 dollars.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

To each his own.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

You're right. Everyone else is wrong. Now you can bask in the glow of your superior intellect. Is that better?

People have different opinions on just about anything. If you want to discuss the merits and drawbacks of onsite vs. offsite, then have at it. If you insist that yours is the only correct POV, you're going to draw flak. IMO, you're comparing apples and oranges. Some people like apples and some don't mind paying more for oranges.

It's these kinds of replies that quite honestly leave me baffled . I often wonder if somehow I'm reading different words than what other people are. @bankr63 specifically said "I enjoy the superior value and quality of my offsite resort, but I prefer to let the Disney folks do their thing". No argument. No challenge to the other side. Just an opinion.....which, last I checked, were ALL permitted here. I will never understand the need for surprisingly defensive (and mean) remarks as bolded above.

 

[Klayfish]

I think this is a deal breaker for some people. When someone tells me that they love Disney transportation, I won't say another word about staying offsite. That's one service that simply isn't available offsite. If you are going to stay offsite, you really need to have your own car. Sure, there are shuttles but I would never recommend depending on them to get around.

Personally, we despise Disney transportation. Even when we stay onsite, we drive our own car pretty much everywhere we go. I mean we use the ferry boat or the monorail to get to MK from the TTC but other than that, we avoid Disney transportation. Depending on it really ruins the trip for us. I would honestly rather stay home than be dependent on that as my only way to get around.

Different strokes! No right or wrong choice here. You just have to know what you like and how you like to vacation.

Yes, this. If I had to rely on WDW transport, I wouldn't go. I can't imagine WDW without my car.

 

[smidgy]

Well didn't take too long for the argument to start. However, if you really want to stir it up, post on the Disney Resorts thread. I think most of the regulars here are of like mind.

I enjoy the superior value and quality of my offsite resort, but I prefer to let the Disney folks do their thing. Helps keep my resort affordable and accessible.

I just wanted to post that nebo says "hi there!!! miss you!"

 

[Magical2017]

I have been visiting Disney since before I can remember (DL when I was a kid, and WDW since I was in my 20's). I will be celebrating my 50th birthday at WDW this summer. I have never had a bad trip to Disney, no matter what hotel we booked. My favorite on-site is AKL, and I am loving the pics of the off-site properties posted above for future reference. I would not waste time arguing, and instead just focus on the fun you are going to have with the people you are traveling with.

 

[maxiesmom]

Yes, this. If I had to rely on WDW transport, I wouldn't go. I can't imagine WDW without my car.

And I only get a rental car if I feel I have to, such as when I take my dad to WDW. Which really just shows that room cost for many is not the only factor in budgeting a trip to WDW.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

I think this is a deal breaker for some people. When someone tells me that they love Disney transportation, I won't say another word about staying offsite. That's one service that simply isn't available offsite. If you are going to stay offsite, you really need to have your own car. Sure, there are shuttles but I would never recommend depending on them to get around.

Personally, we despise Disney transportation. Even when we stay onsite, we drive our own car pretty much everywhere we go. I mean we use the ferry boat or the monorail to get to MK from the TTC but other than that, we avoid Disney transportation. Depending on it really ruins the trip for us. I would honestly rather stay home than be dependent on that as my only way to get around.

Different strokes! No right or wrong choice here. You just have to know what you like and how you like to vacation.

We almost always rent a car when we go to WDW. I think that Disney transportation is a big plus when you are a family that splits up for whatever reason. Maybe you have kids that are far apart in age and parents split up, one staying the park while he other goes back to the room. Or maybe you have teens that sleep in, or want to park hop, or want to stay out longer. I do think that Uber now fills the role of hotel shuttles. It is quite cheap to get to/from WDW via Uber or Lyft.

For me, it is a personal scooter. We, in fact, have a car since we drive.

Although it is "portable" it still takes time and effort to take it apart and put it back together. I don't want my husband to have to do that for every trip to every park.

 

[robinb]

For me, it is a personal scooter. We, in fact, have a car since we drive.

Although it is "portable" it still takes time and effort to take it apart and put it back together. I don't want my husband to have to do that for every trip to every park.

BTDT with the "portable" scooters for my mom. The Disney bus system is totally worth it!