Stay onsite or offsite?

[Haygar2]

We are now a family of 6 adults. Myself (53), my husband (56), daughter and son in law (both 27), and my son and his girlfriend (both 23). We are planning a trip to Disney next summer to celebrate my son's college graduation. We have been to Disney multiple times and have always stayed onsite. We were able to get 2 rooms since it was the 4 of us. Our kids shared a room and we had a room. Now, we would have to do 3 rooms. My daughter said she didn't want to share a room with her brother and his girlfriend. So I started looking at rental houses. I found one at a fantastic price. Supposedly it's 5 minutes from Animal Kingdom. I can afford to pay for the house and then the park tickets. (Christmas and birthday presents for the next year). We would have to rent a car or Uber/lyft everywhere. But, like I said...we have never stayed offsite. Onsite, the cost does go up. I would not be able to afford to do the whole package for all of us. If my kids paid for their rooms (based on this year pricing and discounts so it's an estimate) if we stayed at an All Star, they would pay around $650ish for a 6 night stay. Do I stay offsite and pay for it all or do we stay onsite and the kids pay for their room? Do the benefits of staying onsite outweigh the extra costs? Since I have always stayed onsite, I am afraid we won't be happy if we stay offsite.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

There are only a few onsite perks I'd look at. Offsite you can only book ADRs 60 days out, so you'd have to do that every day. Offsite you can only book LL 3 days in advance, not 7, if that's important. A more expensive thing to consider is you'll have to pay to park at the theme parks if you're offsite, which is probably $45-$50 these days. If you're doing 4-5 park days, that adds up. In the summer, onsite can be nice for hot afternoon breaks at the pool. Offsite could be much less convenient. But you can make either version work, I'm sure!

 

[Miffy]

Another benefit of staying onsite is that anyone in the group would have the ease of coming and going as they pleased. I think this is a big plus with 6 adults who might not want to all do the same thing at the same time.

There are terrific discounts at onsite resorts this summer, so perhaps it'll be the same next summer, although there's no guarantee that'll be the case.

Really, I think onsite wins out for your group, but as the above poster said, whatever you do, you'll make it work out. And you'll be at WDW!

 

[nyy]

I would think that staying offsite would end up being cheaper but much less convenient.
You know the real value of what is most important to you and your family. If you love on-site, then do it.
We have only stayed offsite once, at a hotel in the Disney Springs area, and we did not like it. At all. YMMV
The above posters have pointed out some excellent reasons to stay onsite. Since you are planning ahead, I think that adult kids in their mid 20s could be asked to pay for some of the expenses. My kids are in their early 20s and share expenses with me. I realize everyone's financial situations may be different.
The flexibility with provided on-site transportation that offers the group the ability to have different plans I think is key here. You are all adults. It is unlikely you will all want to do the same things 100% of the time - and that is ok! We have stayed at all levels of resorts and enjoyed them all!

 

[sponica]

I think it really depends on what type of trip it is. If this is a family trip that happens to be at Disney, off site is fine. If it's a Disney trip with family, I think I'd prefer on site for ease of travel to/from the parks and the ability to zig when someone else zags.

 

[nephykupo]

Plenty of pros and cons on either choice. With All Star, you would rely on Disney buses to go back and forth. Renting a car and doing as you please is a nice pro. You can go elsewhere too. The other benefit is lightening lane, which depends on how intense the family wants to be with rides. It's also harder to navigate that with more ppl. If you want to be more chill, I would go offsite. If you're really stressed on timing(for attractions) and not wanting to drive around, go with All Stars imo.

 

[liamthompson]

OP, is your married daughter not in the financial position to afford $650 for a disney vacation, especially when she doesn't want to share a room with her brother and his girlfriend?

I don't think staying off-site is a bad choice since your party is made up of 6 adults who can manage long days and ride shares...but if cost is your deciding factor, I think it's reasonable to ask your adult children to share costs if they are in the position to do so.

 

[Haygar2]

OP, is your married daughter not in the financial position to afford $650 for a disney vacation, especially when she doesn't want to share a room with her brother and his girlfriend?

I don't think staying off-site is a bad choice since your party is made up of 6 adults who can manage long days and ride shares...but if cost is your deciding factor, I think it's reasonable to ask your adult children to share costs if they are in the position to do so.

Yes. It would be her and her husband. Yes. They both have full time jobs.

 

[pixiegoose]

If you think being onsite would work out best for your trip, given that both your daughter and her husband have full time jobs AND she’s the one insisting she won’t share a room with brother and girlfriend, she and her husband can pay for their room, especially if you’re (very generously) covering the other costs. Honestly, I can’t imagine being 27, married, and working full time and still expect my parents to pay for my entire Disney vacation, including demanding my own room. Heck, my husband and I went on a Disney vacation with my parents at roughly the same age and they generously covered the tickets (since my dad is retired military, he can get the good salute tickets) and we paid for our own room/dining.