Questions about staying off sight and not doing dining plan.

[NeverBeen2DW]

I am tempted to make the jump and stay off sight this trip and going on the cheap! It it really less to stay off sight.

I found sheraton vista for 110 and Hilton Parc Soleil for 100 (approx. w/ tax includ). I found a tenal car for about $20 per day. So this is putting me roughly at $130 per day. I can buy groceries and cook breakfast. I can also pack sandwhiches for lunch (w/ an ice pak I will buy at story).

So what are the other expenses besides tickets? Sheraton Vista offers free shuttles to the park. The Hilton charges a fee. Is all of this really less? Will bringing lunches be a hassel? I need thoughts, opinions on how to do off sight! Thanks In Advanced.

 

[budbeerlady]

For $130 a day I would stay at a value resort paying rack rate for free dining and use ME with Disney buses. But I dont know how many you are traveling with if you would fit in 1 room...

If you are staying off use site tripadvisor or the like to see if there are any hidden resort fees. You can heat water in the coffee maker for oatmeal for breakfast, pack sandwiches and head back to the car to eat them. Or rent a locker at the park for the lunch bag. (I would get really tired of hauling around food for the morning.)

 

[Calliaz]

I would make sure that the rental car is really $20 a day and that you aren't being quoted the price before tax. Taxes on rental cars can nearly double the cost. If the hotel has a shuttle, you could consider not renting a car and using a car service from the airport to the hotel. Many include a grocery store stop. But, this depends on how many days you will be there. Sometimes the rental is still cheaper. If you will drive to the parks, you will need to add parking costs.

As the other poster mentioned, make sure you are also including taxes and other resort fees such as parking, etc. into the offsite hotel costs. You want to be sure you are comparing apples to apples.

 

[alyssa810]

The Sheraton safari -our favorite offsite resort- is showing a rate of $69 (with taxes it was about $77)! I know it's a more traditional hotel as opposed to one with a kitchen/kitchenette, but the price difference might be worth a look.

 

[ambgoph]

If you drive to the park(s) each day will cost $14 for parking (assumes you don't have an annual pass).

 

[Marionnette]

I am tempted to make the jump and stay off sight this trip and going on the cheap! It it really less to stay off sight.

I found sheraton vista for 110 and Hilton Parc Soleil for 100 (approx. w/ tax includ). I found a tenal car for about $20 per day. So this is putting me roughly at $130 per day. I can buy groceries and cook breakfast. I can also pack sandwhiches for lunch (w/ an ice pak I will buy at story).

So what are the other expenses besides tickets? Sheraton Vista offers free shuttles to the park. The Hilton charges a fee. Is all of this really less? Will bringing lunches be a hassel? I need thoughts, opinions on how to do off sight! Thanks In Advanced.

Use the fall/winter room only discount. You can get a room at an allstar resort for under seventy dollars per night, tax included. Take magic express and disney resort transportation. Forget the rental car. Use the money saved to pay for meals. Pack sandwiches and do breakfast in the room if you really want to cut corners. Use a grocery delivery service to have the food sent to your resort. Buy your tickets from undercovertourist through the mousesavers newsletter link.

 

[karice2]

I am a big proponent of staying offsite for a number of reasons. The first one is that I get it really cheap. I use my parents timeshare so I only pay exchange rate.

I like having a kitchen and being able to cook really good food. Disney food is great but it can get to be a bit much. Kind of rich and hard to find a wide variety of veggies.

I love Disney but I also like to explore other parts of Orlando so I like having a car. Of course I do the auto train when I take my car down so I don't pay rental car prices.

I don't want to eat oatmeal everyday for a week. That would get old quick. I know I can do the grocery delivery thing but I like to see and pick my food.

I like having a pretty decent amount of space. Hotels are great for a couple of days but I like having a living and dining room area if I am there for a couple of days.

Yes the bus system can get you places but it does take forever IMO. I do have an annual pass so I don't have to pay for parking.

All in all, I like staying onsite but for the way I like to travel off site is just better for me.

I don't even go with people, I just like having the 1280 sq ft to myself. LOL

 

[mrsklamc]

How many people are in your party? I might stay on site if it were just DH and I but we go w/ extended family and split a rental home.

I LOVE having a townhouse or villa but I wouldn't bother staying off site just for $100/night hotel room-especially when you could have a full kitchen for less.

 

[NeverBeen2DW]

Thanks for the response everyone. After reading a few yesterday I decided to call and see what was availible. We are going Dec2 to Dec6 so when I called previously there was nothing availible. Interesting enough when I called yesterday the All Stars Music was availible. The rate was 97,107, 107, 97 for each night with the free dining. So I asked if I could get free dining. The black out period starts Dec 3rd. Well she tried it and it worked. So I decided on the counter service only meals. I can upgrade for another $50 to the regular dining plan. I have to see if I can get ADRS first. I had to buy 2 base tickets which I needed anyways. I have one base ticket from my last trip so I will combine the 3 and upgrade them to a park hopper.

So my package was:

Room: 97,107,107, 97 ($408)
Dining - Free
Park ticketes: 2 adult $162, 2 child $146.00 = $308
trip insurance $66.95
tax $55.13

total $838.08

I can live with that. I priced online the rooms with out dining are the same price. Previously there was nothing availible due to the Popwarner event I am sure. We have gone pop warner before and it is not the big deal everyone makes it out to be. But we have never gone during the filming of the parade. We will just stay away from MK that day. Did I do good? I wanted to stay at Coronado Springs. I stayed at Pops once and hated the buses. So I am sure I will not be thrilled with the buses here either. We want to do the water parks. I have 7 non expiring water park admissions that we need to use from a previous trip too.

 

[kimkoz]

Sounds good

I'd say if you were going to stay off, we always do (we have someone in the family that works for hilton = great deal) I'd look for the transporation and ones that may offer a free breakfast. We're renting a house this time but normally we shoot for the Embassy Suites. Big rooms, frig, bfast buffet and cook to order eggs, free cocktail hour with drinks and snacks each night, 2 pools at that location and free shuttles. We still got a car but honestly only used it for airport transfer. Tons of things in walking distance.

 

[budbeerlady]

Sounds like a good plan OP!

 

[dzorn]

Thanks for the response everyone. After reading a few yesterday I decided to call and see what was availible. We are going Dec2 to Dec6 so when I called previously there was nothing availible. Interesting enough when I called yesterday the All Stars Music was availible. The rate was 97,107, 107, 97 for each night with the free dining. So I asked if I could get free dining. The black out period starts Dec 3rd. Well she tried it and it worked. So I decided on the counter service only meals. I can upgrade for another $50 to the regular dining plan. I have to see if I can get ADRS first. I had to buy 2 base tickets which I needed anyways. I have one base ticket from my last trip so I will combine the 3 and upgrade them to a park hopper.

So my package was:

Room: 97,107,107, 97 ($408)
Dining - Free
Park ticketes: 2 adult $162, 2 child $146.00 = $308
trip insurance $66.95
tax $55.13

total $838.08

I can live with that. I priced online the rooms with out dining are the same price. Previously there was nothing availible due to the Popwarner event I am sure. We have gone pop warner before and it is not the big deal everyone makes it out to be. But we have never gone during the filming of the parade. We will just stay away from MK that day. Did I do good? I wanted to stay at Coronado Springs. I stayed at Pops once and hated the buses. So I am sure I will not be thrilled with the buses here either. We want to do the water parks. I have 7 non expiring water park admissions that we need to use from a previous trip too.

You cannot combine more than one ticket for an upgrade. It may be cheaper in the long run to just save the unused ticket and up grade one you already have or upgrade the two day ones and save the ones you have. The first three nights cost the most after that it is only a few dollars for each extra day.

Denise in MI

 

[NeverBeen2DW]

Sounds good

I'd say if you were going to stay off, we always do (we have someone in the family that works for hilton = great deal) I'd look for the transporation and ones that may offer a free breakfast. We're renting a house this time but normally we shoot for the Embassy Suites. Big rooms, frig, bfast buffet and cook to order eggs, free cocktail hour with drinks and snacks each night, 2 pools at that location and free shuttles. We still got a car but honestly only used it for airport transfer. Tons of things in walking distance.

I tried to get the DTD Hilton but it was booked. What makes saying on disney property so easy if the ME to and from the airport. It is so overwhelming trying to plan staying off sight. I think I will read up on it and perhaps take that approach our next trip. We are staying at All Stars Movies. I head they are not as nice as Music. I think I said Music in my original response.

 

[NeverBeen2DW]

You cannot combine more than one ticket for an upgrade. It may be cheaper in the long run to just save the unused ticket and up grade one you already have or upgrade the two day ones and save the ones you have. The first three nights cost the most after that it is only a few dollars for each extra day.

Denise in MI

I had to buy 2 base tickets for each of us with the free dining. So you are saying upgrade those to a 4 day? We arrive on the 2nd at 1pm. By the time we get to the room it will be 3pm with the ME etc. So I thought the first night we would go to the MVMCP. Since we can get in the parks at 4pm That day we are set. If the weather is agreeable we plan to hit the water park in the day BB (at least one day) is the only one open right now. Perhaps that day we will go to DTD, have dinner go to the legos store etc. So really at most we would need only 2 or 3 park passes. Not sure what to do now. When I booked the reservations I was told I could combine all 3 one day tickets which would of paid for a park hopper pass for the entire time we were there. Does anyone know what board talks about tickets and the best way to use them? I remember finding post like that somewhere before!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Stick with the tickets you're getting with your package; leave the tickets you possess right now at home (you've had them too long to upgrade, and you can't combine tickets).

IF you need/want to upgrade the new tickets, you can do that any time within fourteen days of the first day you use them. If you don't need/want to upgrade them, you haven't spent money wastefully

 

[NeverBeen2DW]

Stick with the tickets you're getting with your package; leave the tickets you possess right now at home (you've had them too long to upgrade, and you can't combine tickets).

IF you need/want to upgrade the new tickets, you can do that any time within fourteen days of the first day you use them. If you don't need/want to upgrade them, you haven't spent money wastefully

Are you sure you can not upgrade an unused base ticket? I was told you can. That an unused ticket never expires and is upgradable.

You can only upgrade a ticket you have already used with in 14 days. Example if you bought a base 2 day, you could upgrade to a 10 day non expiring. Which is what I did my last trip when I was snowed in for 3 days. Hence why I have all of these crazy non expiring tickets for the water parks still. I may have one park day on that as well.

 

[vettechick99]

You can get Bonnet Creek (basically on property - not owned by Disney) for that price. Check out the thread in my sig.

 

[NeverBeen2DW]

The Good Luck Fairy is on our side! I sent an email to customer relations expressing my confusion and frustration over being told my tickets could be combined and up graded. I was told all 3 could be combined towards the purchase of a park hopper pass or any other higher ticket value. There was no "money back" if I did not use the full value. For example park hopper was $325 and my credit combined of the 3 tickets was $340. I also told them that the customer service rep that worked with me was not very nice. When I asked for comparisons for the bounce back code that I had and the free dining code. She told me the free dining code was cheaper and I should go with that but would not tell me what the total was with the bounce back and regular dining. WELL..... turns out the bouce back was cheaper. So....

I was able to book Coronado Springs Resort instead, with dining using my bounce back code and the 2 park tickets for the same price! They threw in free trip insurance for my troubles! Yeah! Love that Disney Magic! Oh and did I mention they made all my dining reservations for me and I was able to get all but one! YES!

 

[WDWisTheBest]

Great news for you. So Coronado it is. Have fun.