resorts vs offsite

[halld6479]

what advantages does staying at one of there resorts vs at less expensive site?
Do guest get to use special tickets or just early park times? We are going down week before Easter 20-25

 

[sjw4870]

IMO, there are many pro's to staying on-site.

Pro's:

Location
Disney Transportation to/from the parks
Early Entry
Guarenteed admission on busy days (though I would think this would almost never happen).
Disney theming

cons:

could be more expensive.

I always stay on site and couldn't imagine not staying on-site. Fans of off-site usually indicate better value for the rooms as one reason and the availability of less expensive (and perhaps better quality) food off-site.

 

[mbcary]

what advantages does staying at one of there resorts vs at less expensive site?
Do guest get to use special tickets or just early park times? We are going down week before Easter 20-25

First of all, Welcome to the Dis! You will find lots of interesting and useful information on these boards.

The biggest advantage of staying onsite is the transportation. Every resort has their own transportation (except the Port Orleans resorts, which share) that takes you to and from the theme parks and Downtown Disney and the water parks. Using this service can save some time by not waiting in line to get out of the parking lot.

Another advantage to staying onsite is the extra magic hours (which you mentioned). You can get into the designated theme parks either one hour early or up to 3 hours after regular closing time at night.

There are some moderately priced resorts onsite at the Value and Moderate resorts.

Do you have any more questions?

 

[DISNEYFAMILYOFFOUR]

And do not forget the free transporting of all the purchases you buy!!!

 

[blanq]

I echo what other posters have said so far, but wanted to add another thing to consider. You will be going to WDW during one of the busiest times of the year, the week leading up to Easter. I avoid holiday periods at WDW like the plague, however if I did decide to venture to WDW during a holiday period I would not consider staying offsite. Using every strategy available to you during these peak periods is imperative, and having access to EMH is one of those strategies. Also, you likely may want to take a break in the middle of the day, and hopping on Disney's efficient transportation to quickly head back to your resort can be a lifesaver and a timesaver. Is this your first trip to WDW? If not, you likely know what you are getting into, and maybe staying offsite would work for you and your family. If this is your first trip, there is a recent thread on the "trip reports" board about someone who this past Xmas went to WDW for the first time ever, stayed offsite and it was not a "magical" experience for her family. I would encourage any first timer, going to WDW over a major holiday, to find and read that thread.

 

[buzz2400]

Another perk of staying onsite is free parking at the parks (if you have your own car and don't want to use their transportation).

 

[rlyrehc]

We've stayed both off and on site and love different things about both.
First let me say that we always rent a car no matter where we stay.

On-site we like:
Free parking
Packages delivered to resort
Disney theming

On-site we don't like:
The size of the accomodations
price

Off site we like (or make up for it by...):
-The calm (feeling of getting away from it all)
-We have packages sent to the front of the park and just pick them up at the end of the day
-I buy a basket of Disney themed goodies and set it out on the counter
-We have been able to rent a house with a hot tub and pool, and pay air fare for both sets of grandparents for the amount of money we normally spend on-site

We have been several times since we got married and each time we say:this was the best we'll never do it another way. Hope this helps

 

[Crazy Kanga]

We have done it both ways, and it is much more convienient to stay on site. In my opinion it is worth the extra money, especially if you can get a discount code. Go to www.mousesavers.com to check for codes.You might have to check often to make sure you don't miss one. They are much harder to come by now that the economy and travel have picked up. If you are a member of AAA you might get a discount that way. I agree that for a first visit, especially at a busy time like Easter, you can't beat staying on site.

 

[cdntourguide]

When I first started to go to Disneyworld I could only afford to stay off-site. Now the prices at Disneyworld are more in tune with the off-site prices. Sure the Disney prices might seem a bit high, but the added convenience of not having to travel an hour each way back to the offsite hotel makes staying at a Disney resort worthwhile.
certainly there are some benefits for staying offsite if you are not going to be at a Disney theme park everyday of your trip. However, when I go to Orlando there is nothing outside of Disneyworld that I want to see or do. (Other than the Premium outlet mall and Character stores at Betz).