Staying on-site vs. staying elsewhere...how much am I really saving?

[mjallemand]

It's a slow day at work, so I'm looking at trip planning stuff, of course.

Now, to preface, out next planned trip is January 2015, so we've got over a year left. Prices can and will likely go up between now and then, but for now I'm going of January 2014 prices.

So I've been browsing the web recently and I've heard a few folks claim that staying offsite is significantly cheaper. It logically makes sense, so I've been looking into it. However, I've been having trouble finding that it's cheaper, so I was looking for a second (and third, and fourth...) opinion on the matter to see what I can come up with.

I have absolutely no trouble staying at value resorts. I got to Disney to visit the parks, not my hotel room. So, by default I'm leaning towards the Little Mermaid section of Art of Animation, which according to Disney's site is roughly $122 a night.

So, I dug up Hotels.com and searched for hotels in the Walt Disney World area. Assuming the cost of a rental car, I need to find a hotel room that's at least 50% the cost of art of animation, so let's look around $75 per night.

...yikes. There's not a whole lot of hotels that look like they're worth staying at in that price range.

So man, even if I stay in the fleabag hotel, by the time I pay for a rental car, I'll be up to the cost of the art of animation anyway. That's not including the convenience of not having to park, the travel time I'd save going from the hotel to the park, and the ability to have the Dining Plan.

Am I missing something here or is it just the simple truth that it's not as big of a savings as some would like to make me think?

 

[GaBelle]

We stayed offsite our 1st trip to Disney. I too thought I could save significantly by doing so. And...my resort was only a mile from Disney!
Ugh, never again.
If you are comparing dollar for dollar, you may save some by going offsite. But heres what you won't save- time. Precious and expensive vacation time.

 

[Marionnette]

It's a slow day at work, so I'm looking at trip planning stuff, of course.

Now, to preface, out next planned trip is January 2015, so we've got over a year left. Prices can and will likely go up between now and then, but for now I'm going of January 2014 prices.

So I've been browsing the web recently and I've heard a few folks claim that staying offsite is significantly cheaper. It logically makes sense, so I've been looking into it. However, I've been having trouble finding that it's cheaper, so I was looking for a second (and third, and fourth...) opinion on the matter to see what I can come up with.

I have absolutely no trouble staying at value resorts. I got to Disney to visit the parks, not my hotel room. So, by default I'm leaning towards the Little Mermaid section of Art of Animation, which according to Disney's site is roughly $122 a night.

So, I dug up Hotels.com and searched for hotels in the Walt Disney World area. Assuming the cost of a rental car, I need to find a hotel room that's at least 50% the cost of art of animation, so let's look around $75 per night.

...yikes. There's not a whole lot of hotels that look like they're worth staying at in that price range.

So man, even if I stay in the fleabag hotel, by the time I pay for a rental car, I'll be up to the cost of the art of animation anyway. That's not including the convenience of not having to park, the travel time I'd save going from the hotel to the park, and the ability to have the Dining Plan.

Am I missing something here or is it just the simple truth that it's not as big of a savings as some would like to make me think?

In your case, it may not be a significant savings. Everyone's situation is unique, so there are going to be times when staying offsite is not going to be the huge savings that others might say it is for them.

But consider a family of 5 that needs more than a standard hotel room that sleeps 4. And they're driving from their home, so they will have their own car (no need to rent). And Dad purchased an AP so that they will get free parking and other AP perks. And Mom doesn't mind cooking while on vacation, so they're eating breakfast and quite a few dinners in the condo because it has a full kitchen. Suddenly, AoA doesn't seem so affordable any more.

The key is to assess it for your own situation. From the looks of things, onsite is a better choice for you.

 

[RitaE]

If you are satisfied and able to stay in a Standard Value room then you probably won't save much money.

It is those of us who need 2 to 3+ rooms and/or suites who generally find the much better deals offsite.

For instance, last March I rented a 5 bedroom house with a Private pool that cost just a little more than 2 standard rooms at one of the Values. Park time is not that important to us. We've all been to Disney numerous times and our vacations now tend to be much less theme park intense.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

There's a big ol' thread a little further down that (quite passionately) gives lots of onsite-vs-offsite opinions. You might want to check that out .

For our family, offsite is a HUGE savings. We have reserved a two bedroom, two bathroom villa at Sheraton Vistana Resort, fully renovated with a full kitchen, screened in balcony, granite countertops, jacuzzi tub, 3 flatscreen tv's, etc. for $120 per night (we arrive in 2 weeks). That price is including tax. A similar room at Saratoga Springs was more than $4600 MORE than our room at SVR. Our room at SVR was comparable to a room at POP at the time of booking.

We have a standard SUV reserved for $293.36, all taxes and fees included. Even factoring $120 in for a week's worth of parking, that still leaves us more than $4180 ahead of the same sort of onsite accommodations. Not a small chunk of change. We booked our accomodations with our flights through Jetblue Getaways.

There are lots of pros and cons to staying both onsite and off. I would look at both price and what your family needs and wants out of a vacation.

Personally, we don't enjoy travelling on Disney's bus system, packed with hot and sweaty (and sometimes tired and irritable) travellers and often standing room only. So not having a car is not an option.

We don't enjoy all being crammed into one tiny room for sleeping and getting ready in the morning.

We don't like all having to go to bed at the same time.

We don't like having only one TV, even though we don't have much downtime in the room.

We don't like being trapped on Disney property, stuck with eating only at Disney restaurants and shopping at only Disney stores. We love exploring Orlando, taking in other area attractions, shopping at the outlets, and dining at a multitude of offsite places.

We are not fans of the DDP, and don't find it to be a good value for our family, so that's not something we miss by staying offsite.

Offsite works for us. We feel we get WAY more for our money. More space, more amenities, more flexibility. Others will (sometimes heatedly) disagree. What works for us doesn't work for others.

I, myself, would not look at Hotels.com for Orlando accomodations. Bonnet Creek offers 2 bedroom/2 bath units for much the same price as a Disney value (sometimes cheaper!) and is right next door to Carribean Beach. That would be a good place to start your offsite search (check out the Orlando Hotels and Attractions board for some help on who to contact). Windsor Hills is also quite popular with families, as many townhouses and homes have their own private pools (plus there's a large community pool with a waterslide too).

"Offsite" encompases timeshare resorts, hotels, and more, so it can be quite an undertaking to see what's out there, at what price, and what would work best for your individual family. Lots of number crunching to be sure!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Well, my experience was that time was not a factor; opposite of PP's (GaBelle) experience. 8-15 minutes from where we stayed to any of the parks (and back).

Here's some things to consider though:

1) many people who stay offsite drive to DW, so no need to rent a car.
2) many people who save big money are doing so in Summer when Disney charges a fortune for their rooms
3) many people who save money this way are going when free dining is NOT available at the resorts.

For me, all of the above was true, so the savings were $1,100 over 8 nights - more than enough to cover parking costs.

Apply that to another time of year and rent a car, and the picture can certainly change.

 

[Alesia]

If you're only looking at hotels you won't find anything significantly cheaper. Condos are a different story.

I just reserved a 3 bedroom 3 bath condo for 9 nights. It has a full kitchen and a washer and dryer and is literally 15 minutes from the MK parking lot. Total cost, including taxes and fees: $638. Total. A room at AOA for the same dates was almost $1800.

We're driving to WDW anyway, so a rental car isn't a factor.

I never thought that I would stay off-site, but saving nearly $1200 and getting so much more for my money changed my mind.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) In most cases, you can save a bundle for a week's vacation.
2) Also, in many cases you do not have to rent a car.
3) There are several hotels that offer free bus service several times a day, both to and from WDW.


NOTE: Some folks will say that you will save money, but miss the "Disney
Experience" or your wouldn't be enveloped in the "Disney Theme". Well, the
resorts, for the most part, are not Disney-themed. Yes, they all have a
theme, but not necessarily "Disney". The bus service is convenient, but if
saving money is the goal, driving 10-15 minutes is a small inconvenience.

 

[amg35]

Well, my experience was that time was not a factor; opposite of PP's (GaBelle) experience. 8-15 minutes from where we stayed to any of the parks (and back).

Here's some things to consider though:

1) many people who stay offsite drive to DW, so no need to rent a car.
2) many people who save big money are doing so in Summer when Disney charges a fortune for their rooms
3) many people who save money this way are going when free dining is NOT available at the resorts.

For me, all of the above was true, so the savings were $1,100 over 8 nights - more than enough to cover parking costs.

Apply that to another time of year and rent a car, and the picture can certainly change.

I've come to realize after doing some reading here, it also depends on where you stay with the transportation thing.

We saved up for our big trip in October 2014. We are staying at Beach Club and for that reason alone, the transportation beats off-site. Obviously it's a lot more money, but that's why we saved for this one for a couple years. Budgeted perhaps? (just trying to stay with the theme of the board!)

I think it comes down to if you go more than every few years, have a bigger family and would need two rooms, have your own car, and want to save money, then off-site sounds great.

If you don't go very often at all and want to splurge and just go crazy , need only one room, and don't mind Disney transportation, on-site can't be beat. In my opinion....

 

[skw444]

I think the savings can be there depending on what you are looking for. We typically stay at Port Orleans. For our upcoming trip, I priced all different options. We ended up deciding to stay offsite at Windsor Hills. I'll be paying $423 for a week in a 3 bedroom condo. All Stars was $632 and Port Orleans was $1200. Windsor Hills was a $200 savings from the Values AND we're getting so much more space! If you are looking at hotels, from what I found, the savings really isn't there.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

The amount of savings varies depending on the time of year, if you need to rent a car, how many are in your party, and so forth.

Aside from cost savings, there are pros and cons to both. Some people don't want to drive on vacation. Some people don't want to cook anything. Some people prefer "commando" touring, or at least being in the parks from rope drop to fireworks. Other people prefer a more leisurely pace. Some people even (gasp!) visit other places in the Orlando area, like Seaworld or Universal.

The important thing is, you have to decide what kind of vacation suits your family right now. And the beautiful part is, you can choose a totally different option some other time.

 

[AntFarm]

We stayed offsite our 1st trip to Disney. I too thought I could save significantly by doing so. And...my resort was only a mile from Disney!
Ugh, never again.
If you are comparing dollar for dollar, you may save some by going offsite. But heres what you won't save- time. Precious and expensive vacation time.

I wouldn't say that, depends on where you stay offsite and if you have your own transportation. Many places off route 192 are a few minutes from AK, some places in Lake Buena Vista area are down the road from DTD, Bonnet Creek is next to Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort and many of the units have views of Epcot. We are doing a split stay onsite/offsite stay at Port Orleans Riverside and Wyndham Bonnet Creek for our upcoming trip. With our own transportation, I really don't think we will lose precious vacation time. Reading threads about people waiting close to an hour for a bus, the frequent threads about the monorail being down, and the recent one about folks being stuck on the Epcot monorail for three hours all show that you can lose time either way.

 

[AntFarm]

I've come to realize after doing some reading here, it also depends on where you stay with the transportation thing.We saved up for our big trip in October 2014. We are staying at Beach Club and for that reason alone, the transportation beats off-site. Obviously it's a lot more money, but that's why we saved for this one for a couple years. Budgeted perhaps? (just trying to stay with the theme of the board!)

I think it comes down to if you go more than every few years, have a bigger family and would need two rooms, have your own car, and want to save money, then off-site sounds great.

If you don't go very often at all and want to splurge and just go crazy , need only one room, and don't mind Disney transportation, on-site can't be beat. In my opinion....

 

[brymolmom]

Honestly...If you are a family of 4 or less and need to rent a car - depending on length of trip it might be about even.

If you are a family of 5 or more - I think in MANY cases it will save you a chunk (at least $500 if not more on a week long stay). Only exception is with a VERY GOOD discount onsite.

Let's say onsite with Regular Dining Plan (I know you can eat for cheaper than dining plan but this gives good comparison, for 2 adults and 2 kids for a week at a value will be maybe $3120 - this includes 7 day base tickets.

I have a rate of $85 for a 2 bedroom at Staybridge suites that includes, full HOT breakfast daily - Let's say $700 with taxes for the week.
Car and gas = $200 for the week
parking 7 days = $105
2 table service meals = $200
8 counter service meals = $8 x 4 x 8 = $250
random snacks in park = $100
Groceries for rest of food and snacks = $50
Offsite meals (2 takeout, 2 table service) = $225
tickets (7 day base with undercovertourist link 2 a, 2 c) = $1230

TOTAL = $3010

Now this total could come down $300 -$400 by staying at a condo instead (but I like a free hot breakfast - makes it feel more like vacation).

So - About even for a family of 4. When you have to go to POR for 5, the price for onsite goes up about $500 in addition to the price of the extra ticket (which would be about even either way)....If you have 6 in your party - it goes up even more for the room(s) you have to get.

 

[ssawka]

Another option would be renting DVC points. It might cost a little bit more than an off-site condo, but it gives you the best of both worlds. You're on-site but in a larger room with a kitchen and washer and dryer. You do run a bit of a risk though as most owners have a no-refund policy and you have to be willing to book at least 7 months in advance.

As for hotel rooms, yes you can save staying off-site, but realize that it is a different experience. Not necessarily better or worst, but different. I feel the same way about renting a car vs. Disney Transportation. The experience is different. Still, there is nothing quite like leaving MK after fireworks and walking 5 minutes back to your room at BLT without worrying about fighting the crowds to get on Disney transportation!

 

[DSNY4ever]

Honestly...If you are a family of 4 or less and need to rent a car - depending on length of trip it might be about even.

This exactly was our discovery. I calculated it out every which way and the values are just a better option for our family. We are also renting points this time for a great deal. If we ever travel with another family or something we might consider offsite.

 

[mjallemand]

Any Disney trips for the foreseeable future would involve only myself and my girlfriend...perhaps I should have mentioned that in the opening post.

 

[mjallemand]

Well, my experience was that time was not a factor; opposite of PP's (GaBelle) experience. 8-15 minutes from where we stayed to any of the parks (and back).

Here's some things to consider though:

1) many people who stay offsite drive to DW, so no need to rent a car.
2) many people who save big money are doing so in Summer when Disney charges a fortune for their rooms
3) many people who save money this way are going when free dining is NOT available at the resorts.

For me, all of the above was true, so the savings were $1,100 over 8 nights - more than enough to cover parking costs.

Apply that to another time of year and rent a car, and the picture can certainly change.

Okay this makes more sense.

1) I live in Southeastern Louisiana, which is definitely within driving range of WDW, but I'd rather save 10 hours of sanity (20 if you count both ways.) by flying...it would then require me to acquire a rental car once I arrive.

2) I'm picking late January to avoid crowds and avoid the heat, the (supposedly) cheaper prices for being off season are a perk.

3) I've yet to manage to take a trip and get free dining, so it's something we're paying for out of pocket...do they even offer free dining in January?

 

[Darcy03231]

For us I've found it depends on how many people are going. If its just 2 of us we usually stay at one of the All Star resorts (last trip I paid $75/night-low season).

For the trip when there were 9 of us we definitely saved money by staying off-site. I rented a 5 bedroom/3 bath private pool home for $700/wk including all taxes and fees. We were there for 2 weeks. If we stayed on-site we would have needed 3 rooms. We were traveling during a higher season and the rooms were $125/night. $125/night for 14 nights x 3 is $2625. We saved $1200 on the rooms alone. Even with paying for rental cars and parking we still were ahead. We also saved a lot on food. We ate most of our meals in, or grabbed pizza, subs, take Chinese, etc. and ate at the house.

 

[kymom99]

I LOVE CBR, and would love to go back there. I love the magic of staying on Disney property and totally get the concept of immersion. However, we have been to Disney 4 times and every trip we end up allowing ourselves to be "trapped" onsite. We would like to try Universal and maybe KSC, but have never been able to justify it when staying on property. The cost of food is outrageous but we always fall for the convenience factor.

Next trip we are considering a house through VRBO. If I consider my step-daughter's family, we have 8 people and will save a bundle on a house. Plus, we can bring all the baby paraphernalia and have plenty of room to spread out. Cooking some simple meals will save a fortune as well. We have been driving on most vacations since Disney is a day's drive and saves the cost of a rental.

Everyone is different, but I truly believe we will have a more laid back trip with this plan.