split stay - off first or on ?

[u4ik]

I am starting to dream of my family's Mar2003 trip to the world and have a key question for the board. We would like to go for 9d/8n and split our stay between an offsite suite and a onsite hotel (I have always wanted to stay at the contemporary).

But the question is do I start the vacation onsite and then after 4 days move off. We would start out great, and then once we are tired after 4 days in the park, we would move off.

Or, we would start the vacation off site and then ramp up to the Disney experience. That way we would have something to look forward to after staying offsite...

It is still early in the process, and I am leaning one way. But what does everyone think? What would you do??

Thanks -- Tom.

 

[TFMont]

I would stay offsite first just so you have the onsite experience to look forward to. Of course, there are many great hotels offsite that are very nice but I think you would miss the monorail if you stayed onsite first. I'm sure you will have a great time either way.

 

[kimmar067]

...you are DEFINITELY not going to be visiting any of the WDW parks for the remainder of your trip, stay on-site first and then go off-site (and experience other places, such as IOA and Seaworld). If you might go to a Disney park afterwards, "Once you stay on-site, everything else pales in comparison". Our 1st trip to WDW was at a lovely location in Kissimmee (2 floor condo w/1-1/2 baths, full kitchen, etc - you get the picture) We had nothing to compare it to. Years later, we stayed at CSR, and now we NEVER stay off-site. Even though E-mornings have been taken away, you just don't get the same MAGICAL FEELING OF STAYING ON A DISNEY PROPERTY (this is my honest opinion)....Good luck with your decision. (I think half the fun of a WDW vacation is the PLANNING and the anticipation...!!!)

 

[bgart]

my opinion
off-site first, then on-site
Going from on-site to off-site would be a let down for me
We stayed off site in 79 and 80, then on-site in 92. Every trip since has been on-site. I couldn't go back to off-site. I've been spoiled.
Hope this helps.
Bruce

 

[donnamerry]

I definitely would do "off-site" first (if I had too that is). Looking forward to on-site will be most exciting. But you will surely miss it if you do on-site first. You'll see what we mean here after you experience "on-site" resort stay. Have fun!

 

[tmli]

We are splitting our stay for our Jan03 trip. First we are on site and doing 4 disney days, then off site. Once we go offsite we are doing Seaworld, Busch, etc and will only go back to Disney for possibly a shopping trip in DD. I think it depends on what you are doing, if we were still going to the dis parks for the remainder of our stay I could not stay off site. However since we are doing other things it works better for us. I could not be in Florida for 4 days without seeing the mouse so we must do it first.

 

[jaguar9748]

Off-site; then on. Finish up with the best.

 

[maryliz]

I agree ... off-site first. The great thing is that if you happen to get a lot of your "parks" in while staying off-site, there will be so many other things for you to do while on-site along with the convenience of doing the parks. We stayed at ASMu last Sept and moved to AKL at the end of our stay for 2 nights. DH and I were both in agreement that if we had done the deluxe first, we would have been depressed to move to the other hotel. It also made the coming of the end of our vacation a little more bearable.

 

[Disneyholic]

Definitely off site first.

Two years ago I wanted to do Disney at the end of our trip, but WL was only available for the beginning of our stay so we turned our trip around and booked another hotel offsite for the end of the week. After 5 days off Disney (Parks, Hotels, Security, Friendly CM's and all other things Disney), we moved offsite for the last 3 days. What a let down. We didn't feel near as secure at the offsite hotel. It wasn't as clean and the people working there could have cared less about us.

This year we are staying at another offsite hotel for the first 6 nights (We stayed at this one before and really liked it and I sent a friend there last year and they liked it, too.) It's close enough to Disney to do occasional day trips as well as going into Orlando and down to Cape Kennedy. The last 5 day (value season starts) we will be moving to WL to finish our trip in Disney style.

Can't wait till August.

 

[epcotized]

Three years ago we stayed off site first and visited Sea World and Universal. By the time we moved on site, we were more used to the heat and fast pace of the parks so Disney seemed more relaxing, if that's possible. It made the Disney experience even more enjoyable.

 

[themeparkcomando]

We like to stay off site second. We did it that way the last time and it was wonderful to rest and relax after the hectic pace at WDW. We are doing it again this year, Orlando has so much to do one week is never enough!

 

[B3LM]

First, are you planning on visiting Disney parks during the second part of you trip?

If yes, then I'd recommend off-site, then on-site.

If no, I'd do on-site, then off-site to rest.

 

[llfowl]

I agree with B3lm (my sister). It depends on when you are going to the parks.

Lori

 

[u4ik]

Hi all - When we get to Orlando, we need to go to MK for a day straight off, no deviating from that! But after that I see us doing either 3 or 4 days at Disney and then 3 or 4 days off site doing Universal and Seaworld. I tend to prefer going to Universal/Seaworld first and then ending up at Disney for our last days. How can we end the vacation not being at Disney?