Stay on property?

[tripletmommiesrock]

DH and I have always stayed at Sheraton's Visitana Resort which we love! We are taking our triplets to DWD for the first time and were thinking about staying on property for our first trip. However, I am having trouble spending the extra money just to stay on sight. We will have our car since we are driving, and DH and I are experts moving around Orlando as we have friends who live there.

Is it really important to stay on property once for the kids first trip, or do we stay where we know?

 

[shalom]

Is it really important to stay on property once for the kids first trip, or do we stay where we know?

Some people think it's important to stay on property every time -- other people think you should stay on site once "so you know you're not missing anything and are actually getting more staying off site." So the real question is, how important is it to you?

Personally, I wouldn't sweat it for the kids first trip at all. Even if you do decide staying on site is important, it sounds like you'll be going again, so I'd wait. Especially if your kids are grade-school age or younger, I think they'd be happier with somewhere to retreat to that's familiar. They could have the excitement of the new experience, but also somewhere that wasn't stressful, if you see what I mean.

Depends on the kids, of course, but Disney can be pretty overwhelming on the one hand, and on the other hand, if you're going to go more than once, it's nice to keep some stuff back that'll be new another time. The parks are the same where ever you're staying. Your kids will most likely have a great time where ever you're staying. You know you like Vistana, planning your first trip can be overwhelming, so just stick with what you know on that front, is my advice.

And to be honest, in your place, I wouldn't stay on site unless there was a particular resort I wanted to stay at. I'm not going to leave a place I love unless I have reason to think I might like the other place just as much. If you go to the Wilderness Resort for dinner or just looking around, and think the place is the coolest thing ever, then think about staying there next time. Or if your kids start doing the, "All my friends stay there, why don't we?" thing. Maybe. But I wouldn't leave something I loved without a good reason.

 

[sympatico]

It looks like you kids are quite small so I don't think whether they're on or off site is going to make a big difference to them. Maybe if they were older they would appreciate it more. I think I'd stay where you know and save some money this time. I'm sure the parks will give them enough excitement for the day and they'll be ready for a rest when they get back to their room.
I don't stay onsite so I'm bias toward offsite.

 

[Darcy03231]

I've done both and like both for different reasons. With the size of your family I would definitely stay off-site. We're a family of 6 and when we all travel I rent a vacation home (sometimes a condo, but mostly a free standing pool home). I hate to crowd all of us into one small room. If there's just 2-3 of us going and its a really short trip (i.e., 4 days), I'll stay on-site.

Last trip we stayed at one of the value resorts. Honestly, between waiting for the buses and depending on what park we were going to, I found we got there faster driving from our vacation villa then we did from staying on-site.

The other advantages to renting a vacation home are:

You can put the kids to bed and the adults can still stay up, without everyone being all in one room.

You can do breakfast at your home each morning and save some money (we also do dinner in. We get up early, have a big breakfast, hit the parks, snack if we're hungry and go back to the house for an afternoon break/swim. We have an early dinner and then go back to the parks in the evening,)

 

[dtum]

We have always stayed on site, not because of the kids, but because as they grew up we stayed at FW in our camper, but now FW has even priced themselves beyond what we would pay ($100/night for camping ) so we're going off-site to Windsor Hills. Got a 4-bed/4-bath house and can't wait. My fear is that they will like the private pool and hot tub so much that they won't want to go to DW

 

[Brian Noble]

Is it really important to stay on property once for the kids first trip, or do we stay where we know?

The main "tangible" advantage to being onsite is the transportation system. If you would find it easier to bus (or boat, or monorail) to the parks than to drive, then onsite is a nice thing. The other "tangible" benefits, to me, aren't that big of a deal. You can have a more-than-full trip avoiding all of the Extra Magic Hours, and most of the others are just minor conveniences.

There are also several "intangible" benefits---namely, you have a seamless vacation experience, never leaving the "Disney Bubble" the entire time. That's important to some people. Others are indifferent, and a few genuinely hate it.

For the most part, the kids don't notice or care about the intangible benefits, the mickey lamps, and what-have-you. Most kids just want to know if there is a pool.

The disadvantage of onsite is that if you want separate sleeping spaces for the kids and the adults (as you do at Vistana) then the price can get astronomical pretty quickly.

After having done it both ways, I would rather have space than the onsite experience. If you can afford to stay onsite in a DVC villa---perhaps by renting points from an owner, or exchanging in with some non-Orlando RCI timeshare---and the cost fits into your mental budget for vacation, then it can be worth doing. But, the difference between onsite and offsite stays, for us, has not been huge.

 

[3pletprincesses]

I've done both with my triplets. This past trip I went alone with them and found to be much easier to be onsite with them. that being said, once they got tired of the parks, they truly cared less about where we were going and where was the bed. It was the 4 of us at Port Orleans Riverside bayou side and since I was as tired as them, I would go to bed with them. It was nice to not have a car and simply take Disney's transportation and have the dining plan. We are going back in May and staying there again because we added the dining plan and it will be my DH first trip staying at Dinsey.

We're looking into buying a timeshare. Staying at Dinsey is really fun but the lack of space in the rooms that are more affordable can be annoying. We've rented a house in the past and loved the extra space and being able to put the girls to bed and have alone time around the house or patio.

It's 2 different experiences worth doing but I can tell that once the kids get out of a long day at the park they truly don't care where they are sleeping.

 

[TotoToo]

I've done both with my triplets. This past trip I went alone with them and found to be much easier to be onsite with them. that being said, once they got tired of the parks, they truly cared less about where we were going and where was the bed. It was the 4 of us at Port Orleans Riverside bayou side and since I was as tired as them, I would go to bed with them. It was nice to not have a car and simply take Disney's transportation and have the dining plan. We are going back in May and staying there again because we added the dining plan and it will be my DH first trip staying at Dinsey.

We're looking into buying a timeshare. Staying at Dinsey is really fun but the lack of space in the rooms that are more affordable can be annoying. We've rented a house in the past and loved the extra space and being able to put the girls to bed and have alone time around the house or patio.

It's 2 different experiences worth doing but I can tell that once the kids get out of a long day at the park they truly don't care where they are sleeping.

A timeshare in the area may be a great fit for you. Just be sure to buy RESALE and make sure it's a good location with the amenities you'll want to use over & over again. I'd recommend Cypress Pointe Resort as one with what may be the best location in all of Orlando. Just 1 mile from DD & less than 15 minutes to all the other Universal, Seaworld parks plus vry pedestrian friendly in a planned community. Rare combination to find and they offer 3 berrom, 3 bath units - deeded - with an annual fee of under $900. Purchase of Diamond (year round) time is usually $2500 or less - Emerald ("quiet times" p- excludes Holidays and most school breaks can be found for $1000 or even free for the transfer costs on the resort web site or many other sourcs like TUG .

You could also benefit from a Wyndham resale for points that let you stay at any Wyndham Resort - they ave 4 in Orlando alone including the highly regarded Bonnet Creek - for $1500-$2000 purchase and fees of around $1300/year for a good number of points (about 250,000 works well for most people). This is a great system that gets you Orlando as well as 60+ internal locations in many great cities.

Of course there are many other timeshares but you want to be sure what you buy into is owner controlled (VERY important for lower fees and accountability to owners) or a system that offers plenty of internal choices (those don't require exchange fees and other costs/frustrations of trading). Few are not still controlled by the Developer (like Westgate, Hilton, Vistana, Orange Lake, Marriott and many others) that means higher fees on average and little or no owner input on maintenance or costs - a bad place to be as an owner).

Overall in nearly 20 years of timeshare ownership we have found it to be a great and inexpensive way t travel and enjoy large, beautiful units both through direct ownership and occasional trade.

 

[Upatnoon]

What kind of Disney trip did you have in mind? For a short trip of a couple of nights, I could put up with 5 in a room -- but that gets old fast. The most convienient hotels for families with small kids -- on the monorail -- are very expensive.

For a longer trip I would want some space to spread out with a fridge and kitchen and 2 bedrooms. Then you are talking a very expensive disney room or going off-site.

In the end, I would say keep it as low stress as possible and everyone will have more fun.

 

[twoplustwins]

After staying onsite for our kids first trip (then aged 7,4,2,2), we will not be doing that again! We were really cramped in our room at POR. For the trip this year, we are staying at Bonnet Creek. Having the space to spread out, a kitchen, washer/dryer, a table for all of us to eat together makes a huge difference to us. To get the room like that onsite would cost us $$$$$. We are staying at Bonnet Creek for less than the price of two value rooms or one room at a moderate.

When we ate in our room, we had to sit on the bed because there are only two chairs at the table - then the kids would have to take turns eating. (NOT good!) Rest time was also an issue since we were all in a small room (I think they are 315 square feet or something like that).

The transportation was disappointing. You usually have to wait for a bus (hopefully it is not full), then when it comes, you have to stop at other "depots" to pick up more guests and the same thing when you return from the parks. We would wait for a bus to leave the park, but sometimes the line was so long that we would have to wait for an additional bus. By the end of the day, the kids were tired and did not want to stand and wait any longer! After a few days of this, we started driving to the parks. SO much better!!! Bonnet Creek does have free shuttles to the parks, but we will probably still drive.

Good luck!!!

 

[4forMe]

I've done both and like both for different reasons. With the size of your family I would definitely stay off-site. We're a family of 6 and when we all travel I rent a vacation home (sometimes a condo, but mostly a free standing pool home). I hate to crowd all of us into one small room. If there's just 2-3 of us going and its a really short trip (i.e., 4 days), I'll stay on-site.

Last trip we stayed at one of the value resorts. Honestly, between waiting for the buses and depending on what park we were going to, I found we got there faster driving from our vacation villa then we did from staying on-site.

The other advantages to renting a vacation home are:

You can put the kids to bed and the adults can still stay up, without everyone being all in one room.

You can do breakfast at your home each morning and save some money (we also do dinner in. We get up early, have a big breakfast, hit the parks, snack if we're hungry and go back to the house for an afternoon break/swim. We have an early dinner and then go back to the parks in the evening,)

I agree with everything mentioned above. We have done 4 trips with our kids. The first three trips were off-site and the last trip was onsite. We were in a 2 BR unit at Bay Lake Towers. I loved the location; however, my 4 kids sharing one bedroom was a complete nightmare!

We are returning in March for Spring Break and heading back to Windsor Hills.

 

[DCbride]

I think age is a big factor- we went with friends and their triplets 2x. The first time we were offsite, she wanted a washer/dryer, to feed them breakfast before we hit the parks using a kitchen and they had the triplet stroller which would have been tough on a bus.

The next time they stayed at POR and loved it. The kids were bigger, they used 1 double and a single stroller and the kids could easily get on and off the bus.

I think staying onsite vs off is all about what is better and easier for you. The kids will love thier time at Disney no matter where you pick. We like to stay onsite because we go back and forth between room and parks several times a day. If you plan to go and stay in a park and return to your bed to sleep then offsite would work.

 

[Kay1]

With five, I would probably stay offsite. I don't think the buses are worth the extra expense, and likely smaller accomodations.

I hope you have a lovely time either way.

 

[LaurenT]

I've done both and like both for different reasons. With the size of your family I would definitely stay off-site. We're a family of 6 and when we all travel I rent a vacation home (sometimes a condo, but mostly a free standing pool home). I hate to crowd all of us into one small room. If there's just 2-3 of us going and its a really short trip (i.e., 4 days), I'll stay on-site.

Last trip we stayed at one of the value resorts. Honestly, between waiting for the buses and depending on what park we were going to, I found we got there faster driving from our vacation villa then we did from staying on-site.

The other advantages to renting a vacation home are:

You can put the kids to bed and the adults can still stay up, without everyone being all in one room.

You can do breakfast at your home each morning and save some money (we also do dinner in. We get up early, have a big breakfast, hit the parks, snack if we're hungry and go back to the house for an afternoon break/swim. We have an early dinner and then go back to the parks in the evening,)

This is us...
We own on and off property.
If it's just DH, DD7 and me, we'll stay on site for the convenience of not having to drive anywhere and the beauty/amenities of the Disney Villa resorts (stormalong bay pool at Beach Club, dedicated savannah with 22 variety of African wildlife at Animal Kingdom Lodge, etc).
If there's a crowd, we'll stay in the 3 bedroom unit off site - just more comfortable with a large group.

 

[kathy884]

What type of itinary do you have planned? When DS was little, one of his favorite things was downtime at the resort swimming pool. The Vistana is really nice for a resort downtime day or afternoon with the kitchen, laundry facilities, extra space, balcony, pools, etc.

Do you children still take naps? If so, a condo is really fabulous for that (hotel room with child that naps is not nearly as convienent).

How about eating out with your kids? I have a picky eater and being able to do all breakfasts in easily, make sandwiches to take to the parks, and do some dinners in is an option I really like. It's just not fun for me at all to have to do three meals a day out. My son in particular likes fairly plain foods and will eat much healthier choices in that out.

Also, how long is your trip? I get claustrophobic in a hotel after four nights. For a stay longer than that, when it's a good option, you'll always see me opting for the condo.

Also, unless you're looking at monerail resort (really pricey) // It IMHO hardly takes any more time to get to the parks from an offsite condo than from a Disney moderate. I found even staying onsite at POR one time, we drove most places.

 

[khgreen]

We are splitting our next trip. 3 nights on and 5 nights off. We get a little taste of Disney Magic....then we get some space, kitchen, washer and drier etc. Best of both worlds.