Should we stay on or off site and pros and cons of both ?

[abaldacci]

I now have two ressies one on and the other off site. It is about $500 cheaper to stay off site.

 

[DopeyRN]

We stayed offsite once...at a Homewood Suites in Kissimee..it had nice rooms, breakfast, and a living room with a kitchenette. We paid $59/night.

I did not like staying there....my worst trip. Leaving the grounds is losing the magic. It was like every night you went back to the "real world". I do not plan on doing it again.

That said, it really depends on whether money is a big issue. We like eating well in WDW, so that trip this is what we needed to do to make the finances work.

 

[Disney Doll]

The pro to staying offsite is that it is usually cheaper. The con is losing the immersion in the Disney magic.

Personally, I wouldn't ever stay offsite, unless money was really an issue. In the case of the cost difference you found, it's not enough to make me want to lose the magic.

Note...this is MHO. I realize to some people $500 is a lot of money, so don't flame me!

 

[Meriweather]

I guess it is cheaper to stay off.
I stayed off the first 2 times (I didn't know any better). It was more of a hassle. More inconvenient to take breaks during the day.
I would never stay off site again. The magic onsite (no matter where) is definitely worth it to me.

 

[SPAGo 98]

i usually stay offsite, and i don't mind it at all. it's basically always cheaper. if the place is nice, then i say what the heck. wdw isn't the only thing in central florida.

 

[catsrule]

I prefer on site. It is just so much nicer and feels more Disney, and we don't like to drive.

 

[shep]

For $500 cheaper i'd stay offsite, but I wouldn't be happy about it...

 

[Otimon]

Given a choice, I would always perfer to stay onsite, but $500 is a lot of money!

Any chance you could make a reservation onsite for less money than what you have now? Have you tried all the hotels onsite and compared? Maybe you could whittle that $500 difference down.

Good luck.

 

[snoopy]

We're considering staying off site for a part of our stay on our next trip. Disney Magic is nice and all, but with two kids and two adults, we need more room than even a deluxe room can provide. Considering I can get a two bedroom suite for less than what I would pay to stay at a deluxe resort (and in some cases, a moderate), I can go look at the castle if I want magic. I also like the idea of having a kitchen available for breakfast and lunch.

Of course, I've never actually stayed off site before, but I'm willing to give it a try.

 

[Cindy B]

I stayed offsite this trip, and it was so worth it to me.

Yes for $500 you could get more tickets, or put it in a fund for next trip. That could be your rental car, or nice dinners.

It was so much nicer to pay less per night, and still have room.

If I need magic, I can look at the castle.

I love all of central Florida, not just WDW, so it was good for me.

 

[Saffron]

For me the pros on-site:
Disney Magic 24/7
Early Entry or Magic Hour - whatever they're calling it these days
No driving necessary
I found WDW resorts to feel extremely safe and be extremely clean
Rooms seem to be pretty sound proof - I was never bothered by noise from people outside or my resort "neigbors"

Pros off site:
Convenience to other attractions I might want to visit
Inexpensive hotels
Inexpensive full sit down service meals
Lots of inexpensive buffets! LOL!!

Cons on-site:
Smaller rooms than can be found off site for less money
Expensive sit down full service meals

Cons off site:
Depending on the hotel, it can feel unsafe and it can be very dirty - stay away from the Ramada near Universal! Noisy, scary and YUCK!! Filthy!!!
Need a car or public transportation to travel to and from the parks.

$500.00 dollars is a lot of money. That could cover some bills or even a few extra days at Disney or Universal etc. Good luck with your decision.

 

[faith]

$500 is a big difference, but I feel safer onsite. Plus the traffic outside DWorld is awful.
Would the budgets(Allstars) help save some money?
Good luck with your decision.

 

[tar heel]

abaldacci,

Since we drive from nearly the same place as you, I'll tell you what we do:

We stay off-site the first night and last night. We then get up early and go to a park, staying until after lunch. During our "break," we check in at the resort. Then, our last day, we check out, then spend the entire day at the parks, usually closing whatever park is open latest before driving an hour or two toward home. We always ask for a late checkout last day, and sometimes get late enough to take a break in the room.

We also eat breakfast in the room every day except one, keep a cooler with soft drinks, water and milk, and travel with a boatload of snacks for the room and the car. And, or course, we drive. I'm perfectly willing to make these "sacrifices," but not to stay off-site. We go to Disney to totally escape from the real world and you can't do that if you leave every evening.

Staying off the first and last nights will save you $ but not $500. If you had planned to fly or eat breakfast out, this WILL save you that much $ and more.

 

[Chattyaholic]

We stayed on-site our last trip and plan to do it that way for the next trip too. It was just so "magical" looking out over the Magic Kingdom from our balcony room at the Contemporary. We loved the convenience of the monorail and bus system, and DH especially appreciated not having to drive everywhere. Always before we stayed in some hotel in Orlando, went to one park one day, another the next, etc. We spent 4 nights on-site last time and the time just flew!! I'd like to stay at least a week next time, and maybe spend 3 nights in one resort and 4 in another.....
We probably won't go again until at least 2005 though, so since we don't go "that often" I want it to be very special when we do!

 

[Lucky4me]

I've stayed in DVC resorts onsite and condos and vacation homes off site. For the money, off site is the best for us.

In non peak season you can rent a nice three bedroom home complete with kitchen, laundry room, and private pool for $100 a night or less. The community where we stayed was 15 minutes from our driveway to the gates in front of MK. It was residential and you could hear a pin drop it was so quiet.

I enjoyed all the magic Disney had to offer the 10 hours or so we were in the parks. After that, I was glad to be back 'home' where we could sleep in our own rooms, sit down at a large dining room table, and swim by ourselves. I guess maybe because we are homebodies we felt more comfortable in a home atmosphere rather than a hotel. I never felt any less magic staying off site compared to staying on site. I did however, like the magic of more money in my pocket!