Resort or Off-property?

[hroyale]

Hi,
I'm sure this topic has been beat to death, but I'm new to these boards and can't get the search to work. Please feel free to point me to a thread that has this discussion already.

We're planning our first family trip to Disney for next Jan. At the very least it will be me, DH and my 4 year old twins (DS and DD). They'll be almost 5 at the time of the trip. DS is PDD-NOS but very high functioning. He does have some very picky traits and will melt down when tired.

We might, might also have the grand parents. MIL, FIL and my mother.

Ok, the pros and cons of resort stay vs off-property condo in two scenarios:

Just the four of us
All 7 of us

Here is what I have, since you are all probably resort fans I'd really love any advice or opinions you have that might convince me.

On-property Pros:
Convenience
More "magic" experience
Straight from the airport experience
Restaurants


Off-property Pros:
Full kitchen (save money eating out, can easily prepare food for DS)
More space/privacy
Quieter downtime for DS
Allows for private time for me and DH
COST

On-property cons:
privacy
cost
food for DS

off-property cons:
driving
convenience
less "fun"

If we add in the grand parents, the cost becomes an even bigger plus. But convenience a bigger problem since we'd have to rent more than one car if we want to split up, or a mini-van to fit us all.

Thoughts?

Thank you,
Heather

 

[Bob P]

Hi and welcome to the DIS, Heather!

Well, you certainly have done your research and you have indeed come up with the main pros and cons of staying on and off property.

So.........it's really your call now. You need to decide which and how many of those variables mean the most to you and go from there. I don't think anyone else can make the decision for you.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[BTown]

Your pros and cons are pretty well on the mark. However, I have to add that the experience of staying on property is priceless. I would never, ever, consider going to Disney without staying on property any more. I've done it both ways, but staying on site gives you the total experience. You get to live the Disney magic 24/7 and at no point during your vacation will you be pulled from the magic and brought into the real world. For me, this is part of the magic and experience of Disney. I can't stress this point highly enough. Plus, the convience of Disney transportation is great, especially when dealing with a larger crowd that may not all fit in one car. Granted, a lot of the off property resorts do offer transportation, it is not nearly as frequent or reliable as Disney transportation. Also, with Disney transportation, the buses run at regular intervals throughout the day and night, so should you need to bring your son back to the room early for some rest, you would be able to do that easily without the rest of your party having to leave, or worry about transportation back to the room.

Also, I can't remember if you mentioned this in your pros and cons, but Disney resort guests have access to Extra Magic Hours, which allow you extra time in the parks, only available for resort guests.

In short, if you want to make the most out of your first trip, and get the most magic possible, you should really consider staying on site, it's totally worth it.

 

[LuvsTinker]

Definitely your call.

I couldn't bring myself to stay off property cuz we've stayed on property so much can't even think about changing.

My son is PDD-NOS also - HF - the parks brought on more meltdowns than the resort. We normally stay at CBR and it's just so relaxing (a short bus ride back from the parks), beach with playground, a bridge over the water that my son loves to walk on. Lots of ducks and some bunnies around. No meltdown problems at the resort ever that I can remember.

 

[loco4dis]

Here's my opinion, for what little it's worth. These boards are really pro staying on site. I've only been to WDW twice, and stayed on site both times. However, if you read the Orlando hotels threads on this site, people who stay off site have wonderful, relaxing experiences to report, particularly those whose kids really need downtime from the parks. In my humble opinion, the magic is at the parks, not necessarily at the resorts. If I were traveling with my in-laws and a high maintenance child, my priority would be room for everyone to spread out and a little place to claim as their own when we're all exhausted at the end of the day. Moreover, from what I've read, the adjoining non-Disney hotels are highly Disney-focused, they just cost a lot less. We stay on site b/c we fly in and don't want to rent a car. But we have rented a car before and driven to the parks. It felt just fine, just as magical, and after a long day it was actually quite nice to get into our own car and decide where we wanted to go next. As our children get older, I am really starting to lean toward an off-site "suite" hotel with more space.