Tell Me all the Advantages of Staying Offsite...

[dougsmom98]

We have only stayed offsite so this post may not carry as much weight as those where people have done both but here goes. We have gone during the summer and at the holiday time and have never, ever ran into traffic trouble staying offsite. I was nervous because I had heard that traffic in Orlando was a problem. We absolutely loved our last stay at a 2 bedroom villa. There were 6 of us and it was so handy to be able to come home, take our sweaty, dirty clothes off and throw them in the washer and then dryer. It didn't seem like work to do laundry because everyone just threw their clothes in the washer when they were done and then before bed I would throw them in the dryer. When I got home from the trip there was no laundry to do. We didn't have to pack as many clothes either since we could re-wear them and that was nice. This is especially nice in the winter months when you have to pack both long and short sleeves shirts and pants. Having a full size dining room table with enough chairs for all of us with also nice. Trying to eat in a regular hotel room is such a pain. Half of the people sit on the bed juggling plates of food and drinks, and inevitably with kids someone is going to spill. I got up every morning and drove 2 blocks and got donuts or I would make a big breakfast. A full size coffee pot was fantastic for our morning coffee. The refridgerator was full sized so we had 2L bottles of soda, beer, juice boxes, bottles water fresh fruit and other food in there with room to spare. We could freeze ice packs easily in the freezer. It was nice having a place for leftover pizza or other take out food. Sometimes when we go to a hotel, even if it has a mini fridge, we have had to throw out perfectly good food because there was no room in the mini fridge for it. Our villa had two bathrooms which was very nice especially since my MIL was there and so she primarily used one and we used the other. Our particular villa did not have its own pool, but the community pool was just outside our door and it was wonderful. There was a pool bar and it was never very crowded. We went back to the villa in the middle of the day for a break and didn't think twice about going back to the parks later. It was very simple and not very time consuming. We carried less to the parks knowing that we would come home for a swim in the middle of the day and then we would repack our soft sided cooler. As other posters have said, having totally separate sleeping arrangements for the children is definately a plus.
Good Luck!
Amy

 

[ttfn3]

We normally stay offsite at a very nice resort very close to the DW property. We like having a 2 BR condo. It's much more relaxing to have our own bedrooms (like home), a kitchen (great for quick, inexpensive breakfasts & snacks - at the least), and a washer/dryer (I don't come home with tons of laundry to do - and it's nice to throw a load in as we head out to the pool). We prefer to have some real vacation days to just hang out at the pool. Plus the places we normally stay at have tons of activities at the resort unlike the DW resorts. We have gotten some incredible bargains on a week stay in some wonderful resorts (more money for us to spend on food & entertainment!). We also like to explore other areas of Orlando and often head to other events such as area arts festival (LOVE the one in Winter Park!).

We were fortunate to stay onsite last fall at a BWV 1BR unit (rented points). The first night we stayed in the Coronado Springs. I don't know how a family of 4 lives in a moderate resort for a week. It would NOT be relaxing for us. One night was fine (we hung out at the pool/resort). Now, we did like staying at the BWV during Food & Wine festival. It was nice to be within walking distance. The only way we could stay multiple days onsite would be to stay in a 1 BR unit. We also used the bus transportation for the first time. It was okay when we went to the MK. However, I didn't care for waiting for a bus when we wanted to leave AK (late one morning) and we waited a LONG time for a bus when we left Blizzard Beach. I didn't even try to take the bus to Downtown Disney one day. I used our rental car instead. (We like being able to go places when we want to instead of being dependent on others for transporation. Plus it's cheaper in the long run to rent a car for the week if you are flying and changing resorts).

 

[dizneekim]

Yet another pro-offsite reply! We have always stayed onsite before; our last trip was Poly concierge, and that was wonderful. HOWEVER, last Feb. we stayed at Vistana Resort through Skyauction. We have been converted! We spent the same $$$ for 7 nights, 2 baths, W/D, full kitchen 2 bedrooms, balcony, 7 pools, etc. that we did for one night at the Poly!!! That's hard to reconcile.
My DH was concerned about driving, but as a previous post said, it was actually better than onsite. (Well, ok, not as good as the monorail.) The first day was a bit hairy, but it was fine after that. Maybe 10 mins. to the MK and a speedy tram ride to the gates. It was so nice to return "home" in the evening and have space and privacy. We may do a short trip onsite in the fall, but our longer winter trip will be a condo again. Hope that helps.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

I love doing both so I divide up my Orlando vacations between offsite years and onsite years. This year is an onsite year. My mother normal comes with me on offsite years so she was a wee bit surprised on how things work when I stay onsite. Normally if I am onsite I won't go offsite except for groceries and a foray to the Character Warehouse/Premier outlet...so Mom was a bit surprised that I showed NO interest in the things we usually do during offsite years. I had to compromise a bit and sacrafice a day to run around for her.

Now offsite years are loads of fun as well. We get the big two or three bedroom condo. My timeshare has sugar loaded breakfast foods for owners so we usually buy some eggs and bacon and then go over to the owners breakfast to harvest some enhancements (cereal, juice, fruit, danish...maybe coffee if we are in a rush). Offsite we always do Universal a couple of days and Disney if I've got tickets to spare...of course that's no longer possible. We always go shopping at the outlet malls and maybe a regular mall. We look for new places to eat and then we make sure we do something new. We'll definitely check out both citywalk and DTD. And finally we'll prepare one meal in house as a group rather than our normal approach of cobbling a meal together from leftovers, fresh groceries or pre-cooked chicken.

The best thing about offsite is that you are absolutely free to do what you want. What that would mean for me is that I'd buy a 10 day ticket, hopping, plus options, no expiring and just cherry pick what I want to do each day. Water park, hopping, PI or maybe buy a Universal pass as well to mix in. The leftovers you save until your next offsite trip.

 

[Tiger Fan]

It's all been said before, but huge $$$$$ savings and MUCH more space!!!!! We often go with just our family of 3, but when it's more of us we absolutely NEED and ENJOY the huge amount of space. We usually do timeshare trades for our offsite stays (we almost always do both each trip, so I can give honest comparisons) and have at least 800 sq feet, and often more in the range of 1500-2000 square feet. It's heavenly! We love the multiple tvs, the two bathrooms, the large kitchen (we never cook meals, but love having all the snacks and drinks we want at our disposal and always have grab and go breakfast type things) the whirlpool tub, parking right in front of our front door (this is great since I have a wheelchair and it's so easy to just pull inside and gives us a place to park once inside - this is not fun in a value resort, trust me), and most importantly is the great space. When people talk about afternoon naps and the needing to be onsite for this I guess they must just sit on the side of their bed or in a hard straight chair while the child sleeps nearby, while we lay back in a nice recliner or stretch out on the couch while the child sleeps in a totally different room. Trust me, there are benefits to offsite - enjoy them!
Lisa
Tiger Fan

 

[isla bonita]

I have done both. With just my husband going back to on site would be okay. I really want to do GF in the bridal suite some day . Enough said.
We have 3 children I refuse to sleep my whole family in one room ever again. After spending one vacation in a pool home we even decided to purchase one. We owned a rental property from when we first got married and sold it and bought a pool home in Emerald Island. It is the best thing we could have done. We all love having a house near Disney.
We have 6 beds and 5 baths so we bring down friends and family and have a ball. My kids have wonderful memories of sharing their vaca's with all the people who love them. It's the bomb. A 6/5 is not for everyone but the pool homes have a lot to offer all different types of vacationers.

 

[JANNYANS]

Having done both I found the on site hotels were great when the family were small but as they grew it became not only a price thing but a privacy thing for all of us.No space- no chill out area- making for a tense holiday.So we bought our own home there and now spend relaxing times around the pool ,enjoying the space and freedom a pool home gives.We always have a car and find it is great being masters of our own timetable and not at the beck and call of a bus.We explore and see so much of Florida that we wouldn't be able to if we were on site with no car.We don't mind a journey to get to the parks -it generally takes us around 10-15 mins - and we have spent longer than that waiting for buses in the past.Magic for the holiday is what you make it nt where you stay .JMHO

 

[Goofy4WDW1964]

I think our preference is different because we are a family of three; me, my wife, and my son. Although, the last three years, we have brought a friend of my sons with us.

We have done both on-site and off-site and unless our family situation changes, we will never stay off-site again. Now again, I do stress that this response is only for my family's situation.

The traffic and noise off site was awful. It wasn't so much the number of vehicles, but the flow. The traffic going to Disney from our hotel was never busy, but the traffic from the other way was non-stop. So, we could never get across the street to get out of the parking lot. We had to turn and go the wrong way and turn around and come back. This was every single day. The traffic didn't let up at night so we heard cars and saw headlights far into the night. We have stayed just off Disney property, on 192 and on International Drive. I will never stay in the heart of International Drive ever again even for the 93 cents that people were getting the Holiday Inn. I can navigate downtown Chicago traffic easier than International Drive.

Since the most we have in our party is 4, the moderates are adequate. We love the themeing and the private pools. They are also extremely quiet and very relaxing. We always drive to Disney so we always have our car. But, once we are there, I want to minimize the amount of driving that I have to do. I will drive to Crossroads or Winn Dixie to get snacks and breakfast foods and I will drive to the parks. But that is it. This is my vacation too and I don't want to fight traffic. I can do that at home.

The last two years we have rented DVC points and have stayed at the Disney Home Away From Home resorts for even less. The rooms are a little bigger, have queen beds and a balcony or patio. This is even better. We never cook so having a kitchen is not needed. We have never had a crowded pool, so having our own pool isn't needed.

We have no use for the amenities of renting a home. We don't need the space or the kitchen facilities. I know those amenities are important to other families, just not for ours. I would never go on vacation where I had to share a home, even if it had 10 bedrooms and 20 bathrooms, with another family. I don't live at home with any other families and I am not doing it on vacation. As far as off-site hotels, the ones that I would want to stay in, and I am in no way a hotel snob, are not that much cheaper than what we pay at the Disney hotels.

Again, before anyone takes offense to this post, this is in regards to my family's situation. Each place comes with it's own advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of on-site meets our requirements more than off-site does.

You just need to figure out what is the most important things for your family and chose the location that best fits those needs.

 

[shewelch]

As a Disney Lover, mother and wife- off site let's me balance all my loves...

nothing's sweeter than kissing your little ones off to bed with Disney dreams- in their own room- and falling in love with you sweetie all over again... knowing that you are going to wake up to another magical day refreshed!

 

[MossMan]

I would gladly stay onsite every time down. I love the Disney hotels and get a kick out of visiting them when I get bored of the parks. But here's the thing. When I'm with my family, I want 2 things at a minimum:

1. Suite - My wife and I absolutely must have our own bedroom. This wasn't such a big deal when the kids were very young. But once they turned about 5 years old, I knew staying in one room wasn't going to work. Having a place to escape to keeps me sane on vacation. We are already spending every second of the day together, so it's nice to have a few hours away from them. Also (and to be frank), one of the reasons my wife and I take vacations is to relax. And once we are relaxed we invariably feel like fooling around more than we would normally at home. (Another great motivator to go on a holiday). So a vacation just wouldn’t be a vacation without the extra room and privacy.

2. Car - Even if we stay onsite, we have our own car. I do not like to rely on buses when I'm on vacation. You may be different than me, but I can't stand waiting for busses, crowding on to busses or walking forever to get to a bus stop. This is irritating. And I don't want to be irritated while on vacation. So even if I stay onsite, I pay for a rental car.

So, by the time I get a suite at a Disney hotel and pay for a rental car I can't help but look at some offsite options. If we were talking about a few hundred dollars, I wouldn't think twice about it and just stay onsite. But as we all know, that's not the case. Staying onsite under these conditions can be a horribly expensive.

Also, if there weren't some incredible choices offsite, then I would be more willing to ignore how expensive the onsite option is. And this used to be the case not so many years ago. Back then everything offsite (except for the most exclusive places) was far worse than anything onsite. But in the last 15 years there has been an explosion of offsite choices. There are offsite options in Orlando that are incredible and cheap. If you were to take these places to any other market in the United States, they would blow away the competition. True, maybe these offsite choices still aren’t quite as good as the Disney choices, but they come pretty close – Vistana, Tropical Palms and the Rental house we got were all fun and did much to enhance our vacation experience.

So, given unlimited amounts of money or given a trip without my kids, I would definitely stay onsite. Otherwise, I am a confirmed offsite aficionado.

 

[BonnieA]

One of the best perks, for me, of an off site condo or house is a good nights sleep. In my own bedroom, without noisey people running up and down the halls, TV's blaring from next door, pool parties going on outside, I can sleep soundly and be well rested for my next day at WDW.
Of course you can always run into these things offsite but I haven't.
And then of course there is the extra bathroom, washer & dryer, kitchen, room to relax, quick breakfast and great price.
Driving around the area and to WDW has never been in issue to me. It is part of my disney experience and has been for the last 28 years.

 

[powellrj]

we have done both on and off-site. If money were no problem and if it were just DH and I, I would go with on-site, BUT we are a family of 5 with kids 22, 14 and 9.(but only the youngest usually travel with us these days) We just got back from a week a Cypress Pointe and it was wonderful. The drive was a breeze, we were close to anything we could want, we had lots of room to spread out, the kids like the pools better than the ones a CBR we had last year and they weren't as crowded, I had all the laundry done the morning we left so we didn't travel with all those dirty clothes, we saved a bundle on snacks in the evening and breakfast in the morning, leaving mid-day from the parks wasn't a problem, we loved eating around Orlando and trying all the local places we hadn't been before.