Please convince me that staying on-site is better!

[lisalonglash]

Everyone keeps telling me that staying on-site is better, but there are so many WAY cheaper accommodation options for our party size off-site (nearby hotels or a villa) that I'm having trouble accepting that on-site is preferable LOL

If you could please let me know the pros and cons of on-site versus off-site, I'd be most grateful

 

[Hockeychic]

If you check my ticker, we stayed offsite the first visit and onsite every other time. We only stay at the values which we absolutely loved.

The atmosphere is wonderful, you have full use of disney transportation, which we don't use alot by nice when you want to go to DTD for the night and maybe have a drink or 2....no driving worries.

Rooms are small an nothing special but they have alot of little hidden mickeys.

I really find it hard to explain but I have actually turned down a trip because DH wanted to cut expenses and stay off site....lucky for me he relented and we are staying at POP.....lol

Enjoy your stay

 

[cudworth]

We have done both . Both have good points . The reason we enjoy staying on site is part of the family can go back to the hotel any time they want or go to the park later than others in the morning. Going back to the pool in the afternoon is just so easy when on site. These are a couple reasons there is more but those come to mind right now.

 

[Hockeychic]

Oh forgot one.....if you stay offsite you pay for parking if you stay onsite your parking is free....so that is about $8 - 10 per day for parking....can't remember the exact price.

Kim

 

[sympatico]

It all depends on what will work for your family. If you don't have a car then stay on site by all means. If it means 5 people crowded into one hotel room then you need something bigger.
We stay off site in townhouses or pool homes and love having the privacy and extra room not to mention our own pool. The last couple of times we've stayed in Windsor Hills in townhouses with private splash pools.($110. per night for up to 8 people and you have free use of the resort) There's also a huge zero entry clubhouse pool. Having 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, kitchen, w/d, beats a hotel room every time for us. We're going back in Nov and staying in a 6 bedroom pool house.
It takes 5 min to get to Disney AK and a little more to the rest of the parks from WH. There's many other subdivisions and accomodations to choose from. Being at Disney all day gives me as much magic as I can stand, it's nice to have some down time away from it. It's also magic being able to put kids to bed in their own bedrooms and also having our own. Also there's much more to Orlando than Disney: shopping, other restaurants ( much more reasonable), SeaWorld, Universal, dinner shows etc.
There's arguments for both ways, it's a matter of what works for you.

 

[NancyK]

Ditto to what sympatico posted. It depends on what will work for YOUR family.
Onsite gives you Extra Magic Hours. While the morning ones work well, the evening ones are extremely crowded so we don't even bother with those anymore. It's definitely a bonus to have the bus service if you don't have a car or if you think your family is going to split up (i.e. - one parent needs to take a small child back to the hotel for a nap).
But as much as I love onsite, I enjoy staying offsite as well. In a couple of weeks we're staying at All Stars. If it wasn't for the free dining, I would rather be at Cypress Pointe. We stayed there twice and it is so close to the parks - driving is no problem at all. We rented a 3-bedroom in May with room to sleep 8 if necessary, full kitchen, washer/dryer etc. It cost us the same amount of money as renting two Value resort rooms. It was a no-brainer for us. Much nicer than being cramped up in a hotel room. I really, really want to stay in a house at Windsor Hills sometime. It sounds awesome!
If you head over to the Resorts board, you'll be told that you'll lose the magic if you don't stay onsite. If you check out the Orlando Hotels & Attractions board, you'll be given a more balanced view.
Now - after all is said and done, if I had lots of money I would be staying onsite - I love Wilderness Lodge and someday I want to stay at the Polynesian. Remember - whatever you decide, you're going to Disney World. The magic is in being with your loved ones!

 

[AprilFool]

We have never stayed onsite and probably never will. This Oct, 10 of us are going and have booked hotel rooms in the same hotel. I have always rented a car or used the hotel shuttles (free). I enjoy the bigger room and free breakfasts that some hotels offer. If i want to walk to a cheep burger joint for a late night bite, I can. We love doing other stuff besides disney, like US/IOA and Seaworld and the free hotel shuttles work fine. I am sure you will be happy with whatever you do. If $ is not a problem and you are just doing the Disney parks then stay at the Disney resorts otherwise enjoy saving a few bucks and get a bigger space.

 

[Disney5Mom]

We really enjoy the freedom the buses give us so if someone is tired they can head home on their own (but we are all adults). Also we like to send anything we buy back to our resort so we don't have to carry it.We just like the feeling of being on site. Also we usually do the Extra Magic Hours.

 

[aGoofyMom]

I always stayed offsite until my honeymoon. DH had never been to Disney so we decided on one week off site - near Universal etc, and one week on site so I had a "first" as well.
I will always stay on site now, but that's what works for our family. DH prefers to feel like a Disney vacation can still be relaxing. He has discovered since I found the boards & the research tools available on line, I can do my homework before the trip & guide us while making him feel like he is having a no pressure relaxing trip. We agree on key important must do's ahead of time and let it flow the rest of the time while I make sure we avoid the crowded parks, and get to the rides we want to do away from the busy times or get fastpasses. Staying on site for us gives us the chance to go back & nap or swim. I found staying off property we never took advantage of that idea - I didn't want to lose "Disney time". Staying on site means for me that I am having "Disney time" the whole time & actually takes the pressure off trying to be comando and be non-stop while on vacation. I also have arthritis so I get tired and sore from all the walking - not having to go far at the end of the day and taking it easy throughout the day is a real bonus for us. The transportation has been a plus, but this fall is our first time renting a car so we will see how that goes. When DD is older we will likely consider splitting a visit between on site at Universal & on site at Disney.

Read all the responses & think about what you and your family want out of your vacation and that should really help you decide what will work best for you.

 

[lisalonglash]

I've read all the responses and shared them with my sister-in-law (the two of us seem to be in charge of trip planning lol). You've convinced us to stay on-site - for all the reasons you listed.

Thank you all very much for your assistance

 

[OntFamily]

There is one big negative to staying on site -- you won't ever stay off site again. In May, 2001 we stayed on site for the first time, and became hooked.


We've even tried the Swan/Dolphin. Close, but no cigar.

 

[lisalonglash]

It's OK if we become hooked

So, I've now posted looking for advice on which resort to stay in in the Resorts forum (hint, hint to everyone lol)

 

[Hockeychic]

It is a decision you will not regret....lol....except for never staying off site again....(JMHO)

I really do like the values, we have considered many times going up to at least a moderiate but the values to me just are great, the pools are just basic and there is no table service restaurant just a counter service but the bigger then life characters around the resort just say Disney to me....and for alot less $$ then the mods.

Enjoy whatever you pick you won't be disappointed.

Let us know where you decided to stay
Kim

 

[canron]

do not stay off site ,,its worth the safety,,,just read what goes on on 192 and I drive,,car jackings,,,bank machine follow backs,,and rob you ,,it happens everyday on I drive and on 192,,i know it happens everywhere,,,but its on the increas in the disney area,,off grounds,,just watch the orlando news ,,i watch it everyday,,they will tell you stay in a gated resort area,,,

 

[ChisJo]

I didn't think staying onsite was that great - I found it really crowded and loud at the value resorts. The pools were terribly busy, and I found the transportation to be overly crowded and never there when I wanted them. I opted to try to stay off-site on my next trip and LOVED it. We got a great condo off-site (with a seperate bedroom, full kitchen and washer and dryer!) through my parents time share company and won't stay onsite again. I have no problem paying for parking...at least I have my own car and can come and go as I please. The condo that we rent is close by so I have no problem going and taking an afternoon nap and then going back. We have access to the parking lot again if we leave - in and out priviledges throughout the day. I went for extra magic hours in the past and thought it was the most ridiculous time of the day at that park - waited long times to get on the rides. I truthfully didn't think staying on site was worth the money, at least at WDW.
Now, staying onsite at Universal, that's a different story! Nothing beats FOTL priviledges or walking from the hotel to the parks in less than 10 minutes. If Disney could offer that, which I know they couldn't based on the amount of rooms they have, then I might consider staying onsite again....

 

[amw]

I have always stayed offsite, primarily because we wanted to have our young DDs sleep in a separate room. We have stayed in suite hotels, and condos in Orlando. They definitely gave lots of room, and an "escape" from Disney.

However, on our last trip we decided to try Disneyland. There, I found the magic lacking in Anaheim. The parks were great, but not an escpe from the city. I decided it would have been a better trip if we had stayed at the pricey-onsite hotels.

Now my DDs are a little older, they'll stay up a little later -- and I found we parents are a little older, and will go to bed a little earlier so sleeping in separate rooms is no longer a necessity (albeit a luxury). So, this year we will be trying the Wilderness Lodge.

Pros for staying offsite:
- larger & cheaper facilities
- easy access to quick/cheaper restaurants
- easy access to cheap stores (ie. Wal-mart) and groceries
- easy access to other non-Disney attractions
- ability to "escape" Disney
Cons for staying offsite:
- definite need for a car
- parking is now $11 a day at the parks
- escaping "Disney"

Pros for staying onsite:
- magical express & transportation -- no need to rent car, and easier access to the parks
- ability to book Disney Dining Plan
- staying in the magic 24/7
- ability for groups to split up, and return to hotel separately
Cons for staying onsite:
- smaller, more expensive hotel rooms (doubles in rooms unless a deluxe hotel)
- limited to Disney, unless renting a car
- paying for disney dining 24/7
- no non-Disney shopping trips (ie, outlets & wal-mart)
- staying in magic 24/7 (for those who want to escape it)


It all comes down to your group & plans for the trip -- are there small children that need naps, or a reason you need more space? Do you have older children/adults that want to visit Seaworld/Universal? Are there shoppers in the group? Do you have access to a car while down there?

If the answers are no, book Disney. You'll be immersed, and you won't have to worry about transportation/dining/airports etc. If you want to visit outside the park, you would be better to save your dollars and book a condo or the like. I know someone already mentioned Windsor Palms, I have stayed at Cypress Pointe and it was also a great condo with extra activities for the kids, and close by. We paid $85/night for a 3-bedroom condo in 2005.

There really is no right or wrong -- it's all DISNEY That being said, I'm excited to try out the WL and see what the fuss is all about

 

[sheilag]

Onsite for me! I've done both - and will only stay onsite now. Depends on your family, obviously, but Disney transportation, Disney dining, extra magic hours (really big deal to me), and being around Disney magic is all a huge PLUS for my family.

As for resorts - a monorail hotel is expensive, but puts you in the heart of everything. We love the Contemporary and Grand Floridian. Want to try the Polynesian sometime, but can't convince my family to forgo the Contemporary (love the ease of the shops in the hotel, nearness to Chef MIckey's, etc.) - course, the deluxe hotels cost more, but the trade-off is location, location, location (just like with real estate). Also, deluxe hotels have great amenities - pools with waterslides, great restaurants, etc. - but it all depends on what works for your family. I have many relatives that go and stay in the value hotels, and absolutely love their stay - they just want the Disney resort perks, and a clean spot to rest their heads. But, if you're travelling with wee ones, and think a quick trip back to the hotel for a nap and/or rest is really a big deal, I'd recommend the deluxe resorts.

 

[tribus121]

One of the biggest pluses of staying on site is magic express from MCO and not having to deal with baggage .the on site Disney shuttles really worked good for us as my MIL and some times my DD would go back to pop early and buy the time you add airport transfer a rental car and parking off site in most cases is not any cheaper i also found the Disney propties cleaner and better maintained than the cheaper ofsite ones

 

[lisalonglash]

The pros and cons you've shared have helped us make the decision to stay on-site - for this vacation anyway

I really appreciate your input! Thanks!

 

[disneyfreak75]

You've made a good choice. I don't know if we've ever stayed offsite (maybe as a kid) but it isn't even an option. It is just so convenient onsite and you get the disney service. another perk is that you can have your purchases charged to your room (that way you can keep track of what you buy) and you can have them delivered to your room too so there is no carrying stuff around.

I would never stay onsite again at WDL but I would always stay onsite for WDW.