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

[Planogirl]

It depends on how you prefer to vacation.

I don't like the values so that's out for us. If you like them then I wouldn't go elsewhere. We almost always rent a car onsite or off so that's a given.

I also like to have a free breakfast, a decent sized refrigerator for drinks and snacks, a restaurant onsite just in case and so on. These enhance my vacation.

We did once stay in a nice resort for a steal just outside the WDW gates. It took virtually no time to get to the parks by car. It can of course take longer at other locations.

 

[ZoeBell]

My friend's family just returned from Disney and they booked through Expedia. They paid about $1200 to stay at an off-site condo and the price included a car. They had 5 in their party with 2 of the children being young adults. I thought it was a great price. The days they spent at Disney they parked in one resort and used the buses to travel in between areas.

Sure it sounds nice to not have to drive, but like a previous posters said I wouldn't want to eat Disney food all day, every day. I wouldn't want to deal with hot, sticky, crabby people. Nor to I feel like standing on a bus or waiting for a bus with room for my whole family.

I'll stay off-site. The benefits of staying on site just aren't enough for me.

 

[HeatherC]

You can get a condo through SkyAuction for about $300 a week INCLUDING ALL TAXES. Even with a car rental it saves money.

You can also rent complete houses via homeaway or vrbo for $500 a week. That still saves money.

You can rent Bonnet Creek villas for $100 a night including taxes. That is still a savings since it includes taxes.

Plus the fact that these places all have full kitchens would allow some easy meal prep which would definitely save money over eating every meal out.

You could eat breakfast in your pj's and throw something in a crockpot for dinner...that saves a ton.

May not be what you want to do, but I think offsite is almost always cheaper.

Have a great trip!!

 

[sueliz]

I think the savings become pretty significant the bigger your party. We are a party of 6- my family of 4 and my parents- so I was pricing 2 rooms. Its a third of the price for us and even if the price was equal I don't know that I'd want to be onsite for what we'd get. At our 4 bedroom town home there are 2 king beds and then the kids can each have their own room (although they'll probably sleep in same). It is a much more desirable experience for us to all be together in same house yet so much space to spread out. Also- when you have a kitchen the savings really add up. I don't plan to do a lot of cooking- but even the breakfast and simple lunch/snack prep that having a kitchen allows will save some money- we are not getting the dining plan.

That being said- I hope someday our family of 4 stays onsite and gets the free dining plan- I think that would be great too!!

 

[Lisa71]

We have did off site just me and my hubby and two onsite trips with our kids. We live in California so driving is not an option. We love onsite and have Garden Grocer deliver. The immersion, no driving or luggage handling make it worth it. We have had great food and a wonderful time. I am praying to go back soon...but onsite only. The magic for me is to be there and not just in Florida.

 

[torinsmom]

For a family that needs only one room, offsite is probably not much more expensive. If you go during free dining, it may even be cheaper.

I, personally, like to spread out. I like having an actual bedroom and more than one bathroom. I like having the ability to cook simple meals and have a full size refrigerator. I even enjoy having a laundry room to wash clothes(we tend to change clothes midday since we go in summer) I REALLY like having a private pool and not having to wait for the bus when I am ready to leave the parks.

We stayed in a 5 bedroom pool home this year for $750 for the whole week. One room at Pop Century would have been around $1000. Rented a car for $250, so we broke even on those things. The other stuff just made the stay more pleasant and kept us from killing each other, LOL.

 

[crisi]

If you are planning on doing a budget trip, and need to rent a car, as was said, the car rental probably makes it pretty much a wash.

In addition to bigger families, people who already drive - or rent a car - etc., one I didn't see mentioned - people who like nice hotels. Frankly, Disney Deluxes aren't anything to write home about when it comes to a hotel room - and are really pricey. It can be cheaper to stay at a Hyatt or Hilton - even the Ritz - than stay at a Deluxe. The Waldorf Astoria Orlando is less than $150 a night on Expedia right now for September. Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress is $134. I can get a two room suite at the Ritz Carlton for less that the Yacht Club standard room rate.

I like nice hotels - we are DVC members so that's where we stay in Orlando. But I'd take the Hyatt at $134 a night long before I'd take Art of Animation at $122.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

I wanted to mention to the person up-thread who mentioned baby paraphernalia, some rental houses have strollers and cribs available. It would be that much less that you have to bring. Don't be afraid to ask!

We've done both on and off-site, there are things to love about both. I don't mind simple cooking or throwing in an occasional load of laundry--in fact, the availability of a w/d is a huge plus--you can pack less, and with 4 kids, I seem to have at least one grand clothing mess per trip. The house we rented had a crockpot, blender, etc. in the full kitchen. And the kids just loved the private pool.

One other thing that hasn't been mentioned is, when you stay onsite, you can't get a room for 4+ with a king bed unless you go deluxe. My DH is a big guy, and a king bed is much preferred (he suffers in a queen, sometimes, but really prefers a king). Sharing a full-sized bed wouldn't even be close to okay with DH, especially on a vacation. If you look at rental houses, king beds are fairly standard, and a lot of houses have more than one bedroom with a king bed. In fact, a lot of the larger houses have multiple master suites, with a king bed and private bath. I'm sure this is perfect for those travelling with several families/generations, but frankly, my DD18 thinks it's the height of luxury to have her own room with a king bed and private bath! With a TV! And a DVD player! If we put a mini-fridge in there, we'd never see her.

 

[danygirl]

We most recently stayed off site at the Best Western in Downtown Disney. Absolutely did not need a rental car, they have excellent transportation and are right next to shopping, too.

We got a bigger room (ended up with a suite because there were issues with the room - they were very helpful in accommodating us) for less money. Under $100 a night for Christmas week. They had an onsite pizza hut so you could get a quick and inexpensive meal there.

The only downside for us
1. no extra magic hours

We usually stay off site because we are a family of 5, and the Disney resorts just make it so hard for a family of 5 to stay onsite without booking two rooms.


Trip before that we stayed in a condo, had two bedrooms, laundry in the condo, full kitchen, for less than a value resort. That trip we did need a car.

 

[LovesTimone]

I personally think that a lot of people just look at the cost of the hotel room itself and with that it is cheaper, but when you take a look at the whole picture, you have to add in, rental car, gas, and mileage for some, parking at the resort and parks, wifi, and any other hotel related cost. Some are hidden so you have to be aware.

Then add in the time to and from the parks, traffic, no extra magic hours, no free dinning plan if offered, or room only. For us package's are the way to go, It is neat and wrapped up with a bow. DH loves knowing its paid for up front, and I love not worrying about additional cost.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I personally think that a lot of people just look at the cost of the hotel room itself and with that it is cheaper, but when you take a look at the whole picture, you have to add in, rental car, gas, and mileage for some, parking at the resort and parks, wifi, and any other hotel related cost. Some are hidden so you have to be aware.

Then add in the time to and from the parks, traffic, no extra magic hours, no free dinning plan if offered, or room only. For us package's are the way to go, It is neat and wrapped up with a bow. DH loves knowing its paid for up front, and I love not worrying about additional cost.

Personally, I didn't find the bolded to be an issue AT ALL. If you choose your off-site location poorly, it certainly could be. But, it need not be so. There are plenty of options with next to no traffic issues or travel time involved if you do your homework. Personally, I prefer the area of 192 & I4. Even in the heat of Summer, the only traffic we had to deal with AT ALL was leaving DHS - and all the resort buses were stuck in the same traffic as us. Lost maybe 10-15 minutes there & then we zipped right back.

BTW, we also paid for our cabin & our tickets up front despite staying offsite, and the princess lunch that we had at the castle too. So, our only "added" expenses were $56 in parking and most of our meals (which we'd have had to have paid for anyway as we didn't go during free dining, nor did we have any desire to get the meal plan).

 

[jsmla]

I've been going to Disney at least once a year for over two decades and feel the issue is highly individual. A family of five staying at Port Orleans Riverside during Free Dining is going to get a lot more value onsite than I do as a solo.

My husband doesn't care much for WDW but I would live there if I could. Most of my trips these days are solo ones where I meet up with local friends. I do both on and off site multiple times each year and my off site trips are always much, much cheaper. I get a week in a two bedroom condo for less than $300 and either eat in or pack a picnic for most of my meals. I realize that this sort of vacation isn't for everyone (and I do take one or two onsite/dining plan type trips each year) but I enjoy being able to visit often and staying offsite means I can afford to do it.

I have an annual pass and drive to the area (nervous flyer) whether I'm on or off site so perks like free parking or Magical Express are irrelevant for me. I may just have bad Disnry bus mojo but, with the exception of the Magic Kingdom, I can get to and from the parks faster in my car. I have to mention that I am a "rope drop" girl and always park within easy walking distance of the gates of Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. I'm guessing that having to wait on parking lot trams would make a difference. We camped at Ft Wilderness when the kids were still at home and drove to all of the parks except for Magic Kingom.


I make 5-6 WDW trips each year, some onsite, some off. In my experience offsite is less convenient in some ways but if we are talking sheer numbers it has never been even close to the same cost as a stay at Disney resort. I have spent hours and hours (and hours) pricing things out and, for me anyway, offsite is always cheaper-averaging less than $650/week including lodging, tickets, food and transportation costs.

 

[torinsmom]

Personally, I didn't find the bolded to be an issue AT ALL. If you choose your off-site location poorly, it certainly could be. But, it need not be so. There are plenty of options with next to no traffic issues or travel time involved if you do your homework. Personally, I prefer the area of 192 & I4. Even in the heat of Summer, the only traffic we had to deal with AT ALL was leaving DHS - and all the resort buses were stuck in the same traffic as us. Lost maybe 10-15 minutes there & then we zipped right back.

BTW, we also paid for our cabin & our tickets up front despite staying offsite, and the princess lunch that we had at the castle too. So, our only "added" expenses were $56 in parking and most of our meals (which we'd have had to have paid for anyway as we didn't go during free dining, nor did we have any desire to get the meal plan).

Totally agree. We stayed in Indian Creek and using the Sherbeth Rd. shortcut, we were at AK in 7 minutes, DHS and Epcot within 10 and the TTC in about 12. No waiting for a bus, no cramming on and possibly standing, A/C to our comfort levels and everyone was wearing deodorant We get there early, so we didn't even have to take a tram. It was so convenient that we left each day at around 1 to take a break and came back in the evening. And I'll tell you--knowing we didn't have to stand in line, hot, tired and grumpy with hundreds of other people when our day ended is WORTH the $14 in parking fees

 

[DawnM]

We are a family of 5, so the savings are very significant.

We get a two bedroom condo for around $250/week (used to get them for $150/week but those days are long gone.) So, roughly $36/night.

Where the savings for us comes in even bigger is that we then have a kitchen. We can eat in the condo, keep our food in a fridge, heat it up, pack it for the parks, etc......

A package of room and food for 5 would run about $3,000 without tickets. We typically pay around $500 even with some meals eating out.

So, yes, huge savings.

 

[crisi]

Personally, I didn't find the bolded to be an issue AT ALL. If you choose your off-site location poorly, it certainly could be. But, it need not be so. There are plenty of options with next to no traffic issues or travel time involved if you do your homework.

I didn't find traffic an issue either when I have stayed offsite, but I will say that onsite buses really are wonderful once your kids are independent. We could let my son sleep in and meet him later.

 

[Woodmnky]

Here is our cost comparision for a November trip. We are 2 adults & a 2 yo (free).

Pop Century Standard View Room, 5 days of tickets with Park Hopper, and Free Quick Service Dining Plan - $1639.54

Condo at Windsor Hills, 5 days of tickets with Park Hopper purchased from Undercover Tourist, 5 days of parking fees - $1194.32

The savings is $445.22.

We will eat breakfast in our condo, which is our preferance as I hate having to go and get breakfast.

Lunches for us (if we eat onsite) will run $150 for the week. We plan to get take out from restaurants like Outback so that we can eat without having to worry about whether our 2 yo is happy (or awake) enough to go out to eat. Our budget for dinners is $400. $200 of this we would have if we were at Pop Century as well because they are Character Dining Reservations which would not be included in the QSDP.

After we purchase snacks in the parks that would be covered under the QSDP we break even between staying off site & onsite with free dining (without free dining offered, we would save $600 over staying onsite).

With the savings for us being the same it really comes down to what experience we want more. We have chosen the space and facilities that come with being offsite. If it were just DH & I, our decision might be different however with a toddler extra space is always a plus.

I absolutely believe that there is no right or wrong answer to the onsite/off site debate as so many factors are at play. The best you can do if run the numbers yourself and take into account what you would like your vacation to look like.

 

[manning]

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.

This sounds like a DVC plan.

Haven't run the numbers lately but if you go every year you may hit break even vs hotel room in about seven years.

Also Bonnet Creek might work.

 

[StuckInKS]

For us, on the surface it seems like we save a lot by staying offsite, but the picture changes once we take everything into consideration. For example, if onsite rooms cost us $600 more, it might seem like offsite would be better, but if it is during FD then we would end up paying more in the end (because I do not want to bring in food for my family nor do I want to leave to go to an offsite restaurant).

Taking free QSDP and parking into consideration, offsite is going to have to save us a minimum of $140-$150 a night just to break even. And if it is going to cost me the same to stay offsite (even in a place with more space) than it is to stay onsite, I'm picking onsite.

We have mostly done offsite trips, but we did stay at the values with FD for 6 nights last trip and we enjoyed it SO much more than our offsite vacations.

 

[StuckInKS]

The only downside for us
1. no extra magic hours

This is also a consideration for us. We plan our entire park schedule around evening EMH. We just love them. Our past trips have been when it is very hot, and being able to sleep in, take our time getting ready, getting to the MK in the early evening and staying until 1, 2 sometimes even 3 am is just so much better than rushing around in the morning and being there during the heat of the day.

Even now that EMH have been reduced and we are going to go during a time when regular park hours are shorter and it is cooler, leaving the MK at 9pm when other get to stay until 11pm would still be a big suck for us.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

For us, on the surface it seems like we save a lot by staying offsite, but the picture changes once we take everything into consideration. For example, if onsite rooms cost us $600 more, it might seem like offsite would be better, but if it is during FD then we would end up paying more in the end (because I do not want to bring in food for my family nor do I want to leave to go to an offsite restaurant).

Taking free QSDP and parking into consideration, offsite is going to have to save us a minimum of $140-$150 a night just to break even. And if it is going to cost me the same to stay offsite (even in a place with more space) than it is to stay onsite, I'm picking onsite.

We have mostly done offsite trips, but we did stay at the values with FD for 6 nights last trip and we enjoyed it SO much more than our offsite vacations.

It's great that you prefer on-site for now, but you may feel differently in 5 years, when you've got "adult" kids and no longer can take advantage of the "under 3 is free" thing.

As to the EMH thing, when we stay offsite, we just don't go to the EMH parks on those days. Also, it depends on your kids--mine are early risers, and keeping them out until 11pm or midnight is a rare thing--they simply couldn't do it, night after night. So a 9pm closing works well for us. We do rope drop in the morning, though, and when we're there during the shorter, cooler months, we don't take a mid-day break. Your family touring style may be different.