Staying Off Site Worth It?

[HopperFan]

What about FP? Do you get what you want?

It’s definetly harder to get fast passes sometimes. That’s the one drawback.

You likely won't get FoP and 7DMT without diligently checking over and over but we've had no issues getting the rest. Was there in January and while we had picked up some a few weeks out, Epcot we booked our first one as we went through the gate. Park was pretty busy, busier than I had seen in awhile and we could get everything in the park. We actually booked FEA with a wait the length of our walk to the ride. (3 of us)

We are heading down in two weeks Easter week, have no FP+ yet. Looked yesterday and looked like most everything was available. We just don't panic over it and we have done well even day of, you just keep refreshing that app and stuff pops up. We roll them all day.

The better lodging and the money saved is worth a couple lines, a rope drop or working the FP+ app.

 

[pigletto]

Yet some offsite hotels will charge a resort fee...

Right, but A) I haven’t stayed at any of them, and B) They aren’t charging me over $400 a night to stay in an average room and then charging me to park on top of it. It’s ludicrous.

 

[HopperFan]

Right, but A) I haven’t stayed at any of them, and B) They aren’t charging me over $400 a night to stay in an average room and then charging me to park on top of it. It’s ludicrous.

Hilton Bonnet Creek has a resort and parking fee (free bus to parks) .............. I looked at some dates, even with those fees I can stay for less than POFQ. There is absolutely no comparison in the two hotels, the rooms, the interior, the pool area, the amenities, the dining ................. and HBC is attached to Disney property so it's not even far.

The reason that Disney rates were more palatable is that they were inclusive of fees ... they are there, they are just hidden in inflated rates. If they want to go by "industry standard" then they need to drop their rack rates to where they should be.

 

[pigletto]

You likely won't get FoP and 7DMT without diligently checking over and over but we've had no issues getting the rest. Was there in January and while we had picked up some a few weeks out, Epcot we booked our first one as we went through the gate. Park was pretty busy, busier than I had seen in awhile and we could get everything in the park. We actually booked FEA with a wait the length of our walk to the ride. (3 of us)

We are heading down in two weeks Easter week, have no FP+ yet. Looked yesterday and looked like most everything was available. We just don't panic over it and we have done well even day of, you just keep refreshing that app and stuff pops up. We roll them all day.

The better lodging and the money saved is worth a couple lines, a rope drop or working the FP+ app.

I couldn’t agree more. I always get uneasy when it comes to staying offsite and fastpasses. It always makes me a little nervous and yet I can’t recall ever being shut out of anything except FOP. But onsite people were shut out of FOP around the time of my trip too. I decided saving thousands offsite (stayed in a 2 bedroom at Bonnet Creek and had a kitchen to make some meals plus tons of space for five people) was worth a few hours in that one line. Well .. day of we got there early for rope drop and our whole party was able to do FOP with very little wait. Then in the afternoon hundreds of fastpasses for many different times were released and everyone got to do it again. This was end of August. I don’t think I would worry about fastpasses unless you are going at a very high crowd time.

 

[HopperFan]

I couldn’t agree more. I always get uneasy when it comes to staying offsite and fastpasses. It always makes me a little nervous and yet I can’t recall ever being shut out of anything except FOP. But onsite people were shut out of FOP around the time of my trip too. I decided saving thousands offsite (stayed in a 2 bedroom at Bonnet Creek and had a kitchen to make some meals plus tons of space for five people) was worth a few hours in that one line. Well .. day of we got there early for rope drop and our whole party was able to do FOP with very little wait. Then in the afternoon hundreds of fastpasses for many different times were released and everyone got to do it again. This was end of August. I don’t think I would worry about fastpasses unless you are going at a very high crowd time.

LOVE WBC. Having all those real beds plus a sofa bed means we can all spread out. Washer/Dryer - woot, we pack less! Just throw in a load every other day when we get back to relax, cooking or fast breakfasts, big fridge for some deli stuff, one trip we grilled a steak outside! Nice big relaxing balconies ALL looking at the lake - no parking lots and last trip a wonderful fireworks view. Pools, hot tubs, slides and amenities are great and if you do resort days, the activities. DS1 met a gator and got to hold it from Gatorland. The food offerings are basic but good but literally 7 minute drive to DS. Covered parking so no hot cars if you like. The bars around lake are good too, even had some live music that we even enjoyed from our balcony.

We are way more relaxed and energized staying here literally spitting distance than most our Disney hotel stays ........... and other than an excited child in the hallway ... never hear the other guests or the toilets. Even DH who says Disney is good for every 3-4 years said he'd go every year if he could stay there.

One trip there DS1 had a major medical episode at DHS and I had to get a W/C to get him out of the park. SO thankful we were at WBC and not a Disney hotel. We spent next 3 days in our unit .... where we needed that kitchen, the space, the balcony and quiet. I would have gone nuts in a small hotel room.

 

[NJlauren]

Really happy I found this thread! I’m thinking of doing a trip next year and staying offsite doing some other stuff and fitting in Disney a bit. I’m looking forward to checking out some of these options!

 

[spiceycat]

I stay at home on most of my trips - live an hour away - and that keeps me from going every day. that say went twice last week. I am also still a DVC member and still love to stay there.

for FP - it really depends - today I order for March 20 - and I got SpM, BTM, HM for MK. the same a few days ago for AK - got lion king, safaris and dinosaurs (my favorite) -

now I got the night party at AK once - never again - it was very, very slow and worst yet - at the time there were no signs telling guests how to get out of that darn part - so after the show got lost and had to find a CM who would help me. It was silly to have a Disney place with no way out. I have not been back to that area - despite my loving the film it was based on. the show was na'vi River show.

also for the MK trip 7dmt - but this is just a roller coaster - actually like the first one better. 7Dms. Which is fairly easy to get these days

 

[spiceycat]

forgot - try this once to stay offsite. If it does not work for you - then next trip (and believe me there will be another trip) you can stay onsite.

but really think you will enjoy offsite. Just as long you are not going doing a bad traffic time - spring break (which has started), palm and easter weeks - July 4 week, thanksgiving week, Dec 20 to Jan 2.(a little before Christmas to after NY). then staying on property is better. during those times a 15 minute to the AK or studios - can easily be an hour trip (or even more). Okay assuming you would be staying along us 192 W in Kissimmee near Sherberth Road.

 

[Firebird060]

I think all comes down to how you and your family do Disney, My wife and I came back from WDW yesterday 3/15/18 and we did a split stay with the First night at the Grand Floridian and the next 5 at a Air BnB about 8 Miles off Property because we had a large family join us part way through the trip and of course it was about 2000 cheaper to use a Air Bnb over Even the cheapest Pair of Disney rooms. Now in saying that yes Wow a large savings but when it comes down to it, Me and my wife would still prefer to stay on property. Yes we are annual passholders and yes we use all the wonderful discounts that being AP entails but that isnt the reason why we prefer to stay on site. The reason we prefer to stay onsite over the large discounts we can get from being off site has to do with how me and my DW do disney, We tend to be all-dayers and all-nighters. We show up at rope drop 90 percent of the times or even before rope drop for breakfast reservations. We then of course enjoy the 1 to 2 hr sitdown dining experience at WDW and then start our day, we try to plan out our fast passes so they all get used before our Lunch reservations which also tends to be a sit-down reservation at whatever park we are at for the day. After that we get our 4th and possibly 5th fast pass of the day done and go to whatever diner reservation we have be it at the park or another disney park or resort. We then after that 1-2 hour dinner go back to the park mostly MK and stay to park close, using the extra magic hours if they are at night. We hardly ever go back to our resort during the day and if we do its only because we might have a Disney Springs night planed and my DW wants a nap while I hit whatever resort pool, hot tub, or Pool side bar. Yes our Disney vacations tend to be very strategically planned out but we try to make sure our dinning plans allow us that 1-2 hour break from running around every couple of hours. Now we dont have kids and we dont have any mobility issues and we come prepared with mole strips and anti chaffing measures as well as multiple pairs of shoes to switch on and off so I know we dont have alot of the normal things that might slow a family down but in saying that because Disney is a master of transportation, we find that our somewhat busy schedule is easier to handle and obtain only if we are on property.

This past week when we were with the friends and family and staying off site at a Air Bnb we could definitely see the extra time it takes to get on property and how it effected the amount of park time that was had. Now I am not saying we didnt have fun and I am not saying that if I had to do it over again we would have stayed on site, what I am saying is that because of how me and my DW do Disney and how efficient it is to get around on disney property by using disney transport we find that we have more flexibility to do the things we want to do when we want to do it if we are on site and using the disney transport system. That is very important to us and to us at least adds more value to our vacation then the savings we see at staying off site. Again this is just our opinion because yes you can save a boat load of money staying off site, you can eat breakfast at your room or a cheaper off site property, you can save tons on accommodations, and yes if you know what you are doing you can still score those hard to get dinning reservations regardless of where you are staying, Fast passes though really do make a difference between the onsite and non reservation windows. You will still get your 3 fast passes a day staying off site but you might not get the rides you want or even the 4th or 5th fast pass depending on the times available.

So in short the question of staying off site or on site really depends on your personal Disney way. If saving money is important for you than staying offsite is probably the best option for you, if you like to take Disney slower and kind of just be in Disney and dont need to make alot of fast pass plans or ride every ride than the money savings may also be quite attractive to you. But if you prefer to get around disney and Do as much as you can while your there then on site is prob the best option for you. Not everyone does Disney the same way, you have to ask yourself what about Disney is important to you and how much value it is worth.

 

[M&M mom]

We just returned yesterday from a 9 night stay at Windsor Palms. This was our first stay off site and I did not enjoy it. My next Disney vacation will be at a Disney resort. After leaving the parks it wasn't uncommon to sit in traffic for an hour trying to get back to the house. Taking the trams from the parking lot to the parks was also a pain in my opinion. Staying off property did not have the "Disney magic" for me. It was a completely different vacation than staying on property. I will not do it again.

 

[HopperFan]

Maybe now is the time to start building some for the resorts offsite since many are considering this option and there really are so many more options and styles than there are onsite.

I've never been a trip report person and always felt like the one thing this sub forum was missing was really good current resort threads, reviews, pictures like you find on the resorts thread. Kinda follow same format at Resorts individual hotel threads ...

Thoughts?

 

[KristinU]

Maybe now is the time to start building some for the resorts offsite since many are considering this option and there really are so many more options and styles than there are onsite.

I've never been a trip report person and always felt like the one thing this sub forum was missing was really good current resort threads, reviews, pictures like you find on the resorts thread. Kinda follow same format at Resorts individual hotel threads ...

Thoughts?

I agree, @HopperFan , I rarely ever go into the sub-forum here. I just did and there isn't anything terribly current. With soooooo many different types of off-property accommodations saying "offsite" can literally mean thousands of different experiences.

Any thoughts on formatting or ways to increase postings over there?

 

[NJlauren]

Maybe now is the time to start building some for the resorts offsite since many are considering this option and there really are so many more options and styles than there are onsite.

I've never been a trip report person and always felt like the one thing this sub forum was missing was really good current resort threads, reviews, pictures like you find on the resorts thread. Kinda follow same format at Resorts individual hotel threads ...

Thoughts?

I also would love more info. Considering an offsite stay and there isn’t s ton of info.

 

[TeresaWen]

The first time we took the off site plunge it was to save money to travel more. Now we are so spoiled!

1. Love the extra space! When we stay off site we at least get a one bedroom suite and a lot of times a two bedroom villa with a full kitchen, living room, dining room, and laundry room. Great for long vacations.

2. Love taking uber. Fast, easy, no more freezing busses.

3. Even at the deluxe hotel, the actual rooms are small and not luxurious at all. our villa has a huge shower, dressing area, two person jetted tub, and fluffy robes. And a king bed! A screened in patio and all rooms have a view of a lake, golf course, or pool. No $500 a night to look at a parking lot, roof, or dumpster with a standard view.

4. We still enjoy a visit to the deluxe hotels to eat and drink in the lounges.

Love offsite!

 

[HopperFan]

I agree, @HopperFan , I rarely ever go into the sub-forum here. I just did and there isn't anything terribly current. With soooooo many different types of off-property accommodations saying "offsite" can literally mean thousands of different experiences.

Any thoughts on formatting or ways to increase postings over there?

I also would love more info. Considering an offsite stay and there isn’t s ton of info.

I'll look at the others front pages, then I will start some based on places I have stayed and can contribute photos etc. I'll do that tonight. I think the one for Sheraton Vistana Resort is great so that is good.

I'm thinking they belong on the Reviews page but maybe post some threads on the regular page to direct folks there.

Back in a few hours ...............

 

[Momof2Singers]

Yeah, I did see that.... I like that they are going for more of a "cleaner" look and trying to modernize the amenities, but at Disney a more "sterile" look doesn't jive thematically -- seems to me they could have found a good middle ground between the two -- get it updated, clean, less "90's" fixtures etc, but still keep that special "something". But I'm sure it has more to do with ease of maintenance and reduced cost to maintain more than anything, unfortunately.

Also heard they went to the ALL WHITE, sleeker styles to better control bed bugs, this was in other posts I read today also.

 

[HopperFan]

I'll look at the others front pages, then I will start some based on places I have stayed and can contribute photos etc. I'll do that tonight. I think the one for Sheraton Vistana Resort is great so that is good.

I'm thinking they belong on the Reviews page but maybe post some threads on the regular page to direct folks there.

Back in a few hours ...............

Okay ....... got a message about doing this, let me sort it out and then I'll come back.

 

[starvenger]

The first time we took the off site plunge it was to save money to travel more. Now we are so spoiled!

1. Love the extra space! When we stay off site we at least get a one bedroom suite and a lot of times a two bedroom villa with a full kitchen, living room, dining room, and laundry room. Great for long vacations.

2. Love taking uber. Fast, easy, no more freezing busses.

3. Even at the deluxe hotel, the actual rooms are small and not luxurious at all. our villa has a huge shower, dressing area, two person jetted tub, and fluffy robes. And a king bed! A screened in patio and all rooms have a view of a lake, golf course, or pool. No $500 a night to look at a parking lot, roof, or dumpster with a standard view.

4. We still enjoy a visit to the deluxe hotels to eat and drink in the lounges.

Love offsite!

I think the extra space is the biggest thing for us. First time in Orlando with the kids (and my MiL), we got an airbnb that had 3 BD/2 BA with a fairly large living/dining area. This time around we've got 8 people and got a 4BD/3BA townhouse for around the price of one room at a Value resort. Excited to see how this one turns out.

The time spent to get back to the place is a pain if you stay until closing though. Can't really get around that.

 

[TeresaWen]

I think the extra space is the biggest thing for us. First time in Orlando with the kids (and my MiL), we got an airbnb that had 3 BD/2 BA with a fairly large living/dining area. This time around we've got 8 people and got a 4BD/3BA townhouse for around the price of one room at a Value resort. Excited to see how this one turns out.

The time spent to get back to the place is a pain if you stay until closing though. Can't really get around that.

My way around that certainly will not work for a lot of families. We go back to the nearest deluxe hotel and have a drink or a snack. Then we uber from there.

 

[TeresaWen]

A lot of folks say they do not want to cook on vacation. Being able to cook is what makes a long vacation possible for me. I just cannot eat restaurant food every day.

We just returned from 9 days in a jr suite. Lots of space but no kitchen. I so missed being able to cook. I learned that 6 days is my limit for restaurant food

Definitely getting an off site villa with a kitchen for our next trip - hopefully two weeks in October.