Planning 1st off-site trip

[tabm01]

I'm planning our May 2015 trip, 3 adults & 3 kids. I think we will be more comfortable in something bigger, which is way above our budget at WDW, so we are going to try a 3 bedroom pool home off site for about $1000/week. I'm trying to make sure I know everything that I'll be missing out on by staying off site.
-no dining plan
-FP+ at 30 days (no A&E)
-pay for parking in parks (is this for the day, or would we have to pay again if we take a mid day break and come back?)
-no free buses

Can you think of any other onsite perks that I'm forgetting?

Will we still get magic bands?

 

[CoP Luv]

We are thinking about off-site too.

As far as I know, you can BUY Magic Bands, but no, you will not receive them for free.

Parking is a daily fee, but you need to have your receipt to show at other parks or if going back to the same park to show that you have already paid for the day.

You would also not be eligible for Extra Magic Hours.

That's all I can think of.

 

[set1208]

We stayed off site last year for the first time and whenever we go back, all six of us, we are doing it again. At first I felt like it would be less magical so I had to change my expectations and it helped. We loved our massive house, private pool, the quiet, the space, the game room and having our car right outside our door. We missed having fast passes. I think that was all that we regretted, but all the other wonderful things about staying off site far outweighed the lack of FP.

We also took advantage of all the other things that the area has to offer. We went to SeaWorld and LegoLand, stayed home one day and played in the pool.

 

[tabm01]

From what I'm reading I think I can link our old magic bands to the tickets when we get them???

 

[Monykalyn]

You should be able to link MB to Tickets if you have them. We bought ours last trip-offsite as well. MB are linked to your MDE account. Fast passes at 30 days out. And yes-you might be able to get FP for headliners. We got A&E, 7DMT and other big rides with no problems at our previous trip (and I booked at 21 days, and mine train was brand new). Some of this hysteria on offsite seems a bit overdone

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

Excited! We are staying offsite again. This time at Windsor Hills. Saving enough to upgrade to our AP and another trip. Just some pros and cons
Cons, but
No EMH- nothing but MK the week we are there we would miss
No MB-We have bands from a recent trip I re activated
No free dinning, we didn't eat all the food, paid rack rate for room
Free parking- Will have the AP for free parking (can use the park to park buses)
It is a Saturday to Saturday rental, unless special arrangements are made
No daily room service, I guess no extra towels.

Pros
The extra room (we needed two rooms onsite)
Three bedrooms three baths, living room, patio/pool
The washer dryer
Kitchen for food
Theme is Disney/Mickey/Princess throughout
Private splash 4' pool (option to heat it)
Onsite large pool, store, game room
2 miles from Disney (I've driven in circles onsite trying to get place to place)
Easy to stop for off site meals
We have the rental car to get to the AP at GF and Poly.
Less packing with washer and dryer, go home with clean clothes.

 

[VbChristy]

Making dining reservations is another con. Waking up each day at 6. And getting locked out of certain places. Same for FP- there was no A&E of course, and no mine train or any parade or FW. Not the end of the world. We were able to go on mine train on a previous trip and we have a toddler so that isn't as important but the logging in every day to get FP and dining is annoying. Worth the money I think with a large family but annoying.