Staying off site for the first time

[owliecupcake]

My family and I will be going to Disney World next month and are staying off site for the first time. I have always stayed on Disney property and have gotten quite spoiled by it. I would be lying if I said that I'm not nervous about staying off site. We will be staying for 4 nights at Maingate Resort and Spa and will have our car with us. Any suggestions about whether to take the shuttle vs. driving and paying for parking? We have 4 kids ranging from 11-2 and will be having to drag our double stroller around with us. I always took it on the Disney buses with no problem but not sure how the hotel buses are. Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[maxiesmom]

I would definitely drive. You will get to the parks much quicker, and with much less hassle. Off site resort buses typically only run a few times a day, drop off in the boonies of the parking lots, and may not even go to all of the parks.

 

[glassslippergirl]

Drive. The $17 is small price for the convenience, especially if you plan on afternoon breaks.

We always stay offsite and prefer it. We get more room for lower cost. Unless you're staying at a monorail resort and going to MK or Epcot, WDW transportation can be time consuming and uncomfortably crowded. You'll appreciate being able to skip the bus line and climb into your comfy car where everyone has a seat.

 

[Lupeix]

Definitely drive, and pay for valet at the contemporary when going to MK. It is only 4$ more, you can walk right to MK (avoiding the TTC and monorail/ferry) and you can come and go all day long without having to worry about parking your car yourself.
Parking is easy at the the other parks, but at MK is a hassle and you will likely loose your spot if you go back for a midday break. Plus at the end of the night, when monorail and bus lines are crazy, you can just walk to the contemporary and get in your car.
You will find that driving can be faster than taking Disney transport.

 

[brymolmom]

I've stayed both on and off...both have pros and cons. What I LOVE about offsite: Being able to have 'down time' - we always have a kitchen when offsite..I love having the ability to come back to the room and just grab something to eat instead of tackling the craziness of the food court. One tip - grab the phone numbers of a few takeout places between your place and WDW...call on your way to the parking lot and make a quick 2 minute stop to pickup dinner.

I would definitely recommend driving. With a double stroller - I wouldn't try the shuttle.

Since you'll have the stroller - stock lots of snacks and drinks in the storage basket.

 

[DopeyDame]

We've stayed onsite for 30+ trips and a few weeks ago stayed offsite for the first time in over a decade. I was scared! It turned out wonderfully! We'll still be onsite most of the time, but driving to the parks wasn't nearly the hassle that I expected. Parking was efficient and easy, and it was so convenient to just hop in the car and not wait for a bus.
Enjoy!

 

[powellrj]

Even when we stay on-site we always drive, so I vote to drive!

 

[owliecupcake]

Thanks for everyone's feedback! It looks like we will plan to drive to the parks.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I love to stay onsite but when we travel with extended family we stay offsite and have an equally fantastic time. Definitely drive, the offsite hotel buses do not run as often as the Disney buses. We ended up waiting in the parking lot in the rain for an hour one time. It's not the norm but even if it happens once with your four kids it will be unpleasant.