Staying off site?

[Blanche_Neige]

I never stayed off site before and from what I see it seems like you save $$$.

We are planning on going to WDW next year, last year we stayed at the ASMu family suite and loved it. We are 6, with 3 kids. We are slitting in group at the park and come back to the hotel in mid afternoon. This is why we loved Disney's transportation, it gave us the freedom to come and go.

Do any of the off site hotel/villas offer comparable free transportation ?

 

[dioxide45]

Nothing offsite offers transportation that is comparable to Disney that I am aware of. Usually set limited schedules. With a family of six I think you will find that the additional room and time you save will outweigh the loss in flexability.

 

[SammieG]

None of the hotels have good transportation systems.. but if I were you I would try and stay at a timeshare or something like that.. just so you have the space for all 6 of you. Of course if you have your own car.. getting to and from the parks is easy!

There are many benefits to staying offsite...and as the previous poster said.. the benefits often outweight any compromises you have to make!

 

[maxiesmom]

That is a matter of opinion. We frequently go as a family of 8, and we think staying on site is much nicer!

No, none of the off-site hotels will run busses as frequently as disney does. They usually have morning runs and evening runs. So if you want to go back and relax in the afternoon you will either need your own car, or to grab a taxi. Which you can do from any park, if that works for you. But that is one of the down-sides of staying off site, the lack of busses.

You do get much more space for your money off site, and you can also save money on food. Many places offer free continental breakfast, and you can also make your own if you rent a home or villa.

Staying on site is good too, even though many people here would tell you it is a waste of money. If you want a balanced opinion, post this question on the Disney resorts board too. Then you just need to decide what works best for your family, and go with it!

 

[can]

Previous posters all bring up some very good and valid points. What it boils down to is just a matter of personal preference. We love love staying on Disney property, there is absolutely nothing like it. But, if you are on a budget, you are limited to where you can stay for what you can pay.

We are trying Windsor Hills Resort on our next trip for the first time. What lead us to this decision was the fact we are going over Easter, which we normally don't do, and we understand just how crowded it will be. One of the big leading factors that helped us to make this decision was the cost of what we are paying for a 3 br, 3 ba townshouse vs. a hotel room on Disney property (which for four us would have been one hotel room with one bathroom). Truthfully, I am so used to us being on Disney property, I am not sure how we will or won't like it, but we need to try it once and this seemed like a good time.

Read through the Disney Resort posts, make a list of pros and cons of both Disney Resorts and off site properties and see what is or isn't important to you. Good luck!

 

[Reflection]

There are no offsite properties that offer transportation comparable to the WDW transportation system. The offsite properties will have set schedules for the morning and evening pick ups and drop offs. That is why most suggestions for staying offsite note the need of a rental car so that you have transportation flexibility; or you need to be prepared to take taxis if you want to leave a park before scheduled departures.

As other posters have suggested, I would advise noting the pros/cons for onsite and offsite and decide what components fit best with your budget and vacation style. I have stayed onsite and offsite and prefrer offsite for better and larger room (condo/villa) for less cost. However, even when I stay onsite, I always rent a car because I don't like waiting for buses. For others, not having to drive and the bus availablity is one of the reasons they choose for staying onsite. It really boils down to personal preference.

 

[Magalex]

I am debating about the same thing for next year(June 2009). I still have time but it is fun planning and looking at different resort options. We have been staying on site since Disney offered the value resorts. We did stayed at CBR in June 2007 and loved it. We have only one DS(7) but in June 2009 he is interested in trying out Universal. Plus we may want to visit Sea World again. So I am considering the Doubletree Guest Suites in DTD(which is still located in our comfort zone of WDW. Their rates match the moderates and they have recently renovated some areas. Also receive good reviews. We do rent a car for dining options even if we stay onsite. Sometimes we do get tired of the regular hotel rooms where we have to sit on the bed to have a snack.