Quick open ended poll: stay offsite at Marriott and save $500 or stay onsite at POR

[BigAlsGal]

Well from our experience I would say stay onsite. We wanted to go to the parks one day on our way to the beach. I was trying to save a little money by staying offsite cause it's only a short stop. We woke up bright and early. When we got to the parking lot it was packed. It took us a half hour just to park (keep in mind it's around spring break). The line for the tram was out of control. By the time we got on the tram I was getting antsy. I just wanted to get in the park.

Since this was a quick stop I hadn't ordered tickets. We had to stand to get tickets. There were like 2 machines working and the "smartest people in the world" were all lined up to use them. It took 20+ minutes to get tickets.

Then you have to get across the lake. We picked the monorail. It took about 20+ minutes to get through the line and on the monorail. DH looked at me and asked "How much did we save?"

"About 150" (which was a lot for one day 2 nights)

He said "From now on always on property."

I just had to agree. It took about an hour and a half to get from the parking gates through the MK gates on this given day. Plus you have to consider the convenience of leaving the park midday if you need a break. So much harder to do off property. (I know magic kingdom is the worst as far as parking and such. Other parks are easier.). It just wasn't worth it to us. I'm sure you'll have a blast no matter what you pick!

 

[999DoomBuggies]

Well from our experience I would say stay onsite. We wanted to go to the parks one day on our way to the beach. I was trying to save a little money by staying offsite cause it's only a short stop. We woke up bright and early. When we got to the parking lot it was packed. It took us a half hour just to park (keep in mind it's around spring break). The line for the tram was out of control. By the time we got on the tram I was getting antsy. I just wanted to get in the park.

Since this was a quick stop I hadn't ordered tickets. We had to stand to get tickets. There were like 2 machines working and the "smartest people in the world" were all lined up to use them. It took 20+ minutes to get tickets.

Then you have to get across the lake. We picked the monorail. It took about 20+ minutes to get through the line and on the monorail. DH looked at me and asked "How much did we save?"

"About 150" (which was a lot for one day 2 nights)

He said "From now on always on property."

I just had to agree. It took about an hour and a half to get from the parking gates through the MK gates on this given day. Plus you have to consider the convenience of leaving the park midday if you need a break. So much harder to do off property. (I know magic kingdom is the worst as far as parking and such. Other parks are easier.). It just wasn't worth it to us. I'm sure you'll have a blast no matter what you pick!

well hell, this just sealed the deal for us. We are now staying on property. We reserved the dolphin but are in the process of potentially switching to POR. Both are the same price but I have been hearing bad things about the dolphin.

 

[Planogirl]

Never EVER choose the monorail if you park at MK. The ferry is so much nicer and I actually look forward to riding it. The monorail not so much.

OP, you have to expect people to say onsite here. You could go to another forum and hear something else. Do whatever is best for YOU.

 

[BigAlsGal]

well hell, this just sealed the deal for us. We are now staying on property. We reserved the dolphin but are in the process of potentially switching to POR. Both are the same price but I have been hearing bad things about the dolphin.

PoR is our favorite resort!! Just love the theming.

 

[Planogirl]

well hell, this just sealed the deal for us. We are now staying on property. We reserved the dolphin but are in the process of potentially switching to POR. Both are the same price but I have been hearing bad things about the dolphin.

What have you heard? I have several friends that love the Dolphin and Swan so if this is new they would probably like to know about it.

 

[lynn46356]

Another nice thing about POR is the boat transportation to DTD. That being said, nothing beats the location of the Dolphin. Hard decision!!!!

 

[wareagle57]

I would vote option C. Stay at Pop and save the same amount of money.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

well hell, this just sealed the deal for us. We are now staying on property. We reserved the dolphin but are in the process of potentially switching to POR. Both are the same price but I have been hearing bad things about the dolphin.

To me, this wouldn't even be close. Dolphin is a deluxe hotel. POR is nice for a moderate, but it's not deluxe. Plus, the locations don't compare. I'd easily pay $100+ a night more for Dolphin. You don't have Disney theming, except for the Disney store, but we prefer deluxe accommodations over theming. Dolphin & it's sister resort Swan also have the best restaurants on property, excluding V&A. The only caveat with Dolphin is the air condition & humidity issues, which can be fixed. Check out the Swan/Dolphin thread for tips.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

I'm a big proponent of staying on site, as well. I have stayed off and on site and to me, there is just no comparison. I'd pay the money to stay on site, no contest. The magic is better on site and you never feel you leave it behind. If the money was really that big of a factor (I know you said that you aren't short on money but feel guilty splurging that much, which I get), I agree with the other poster who said he'd stay at Pop. Except I wouldn't stay at Pop. I'd go to Art of Animation in a heartbeat, though. It feels much better than a value for a smaller price than moderates, as long as you stay in a Little Mermaid room. But, no matter what, I'd stay on property for the trip. Absolutely.

 

[Luckybee]

To me, this wouldn't even be close. Dolphin is a deluxe hotel. POR is nice for a moderate, but it's not deluxe. Plus, the locations don't compare. I'd easily pay $100+ a night more for Dolphin. You don't have Disney theming, except for the Disney store, but we prefer deluxe accommodations over theming. Dolphin & it's sister resort Swan also have the best restaurants on property, excluding V&A. The only caveat with Dolphin is the air condition & humidity issues, which can be fixed. Check out the Swan/Dolphin thread for tips.

Could you elaborate on this for me a little ? We're doing the Dolphin for the first time end of Sept. I like a room that is really cool. Are you saying the a/c doesn't work well at the Dolphin? Does the Swan have the same issues?

 

[To the honeypots]

Offsite an splurge in character meals souvenirs etc

 

[cleophus12]

I am an onsite cheerleader. (Big surprise on these boards!) We stayed at the JW Marriott several miles further up the road a few years ago, and while the property is amazing, I came away feeling that I'd rather stay at the cheapest onsite property than stay offsite again. And although we have stayed offsite since then, I love the convenience of being on the WDW property. Nothing like it IMO. Now, I won't pretend that $500 is negligible, but if you can swing it, I'd spend the extra money for the Disney Bubble. Love that bubble.

 

[plumsiren]

Another positive for POR in this scenario is that they've been talking a lot on the podcast about how DTD is a nightmare - especially the parking. Being able to take a boat right there could be very appealing!

 

[AquaDame]

I'd stay offsite - $500 is a lot of money! That said, our next trip will be onsite because it is worth it to my Mom to have the FP+ at 60 instead of 30. Oh when I think about the money we would save - we are talking a one bedroom here...!

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Could you elaborate on this for me a little ? We're doing the Dolphin for the first time end of Sept. I like a room that is really cool. Are you saying the a/c doesn't work well at the Dolphin? Does the Swan have the same issues?

Unless it's changed recently, the AC cuts off, when you leave the room. It doesn't take long for the FL humidity to kick in & make everything feel damp. Maintenance can override it to where it stays on all the time. You just have to call & ask. I remember reading other fixes long ago, but haven't checked recently. It's possible that things have changed since our last stay, so I recommend checking the S/D thread for updated info & tips. Regardless, IMO, this isn't a reason to pass on Dolphin. It's a fantastic resort in a perfect location.