Tell me why staying at a disney resort is worth the extra cost

[chimommy]

Hello-

we are looking at staying at either WL or BC on our next disney visit. I think we will only stay on-site if we can get free dinning. Seems like I can get a much larger room (timeshare) if we stay off site for the same price or even less. So I am just wondering if anyone can persuade me to pay more to have a smaller place on site (we have small kids so an extra bedroom or suite is always nice). I have always wanted to stay at BC (we used to stay at swan and dolphin and I always wanted to go to the sand bottom pool) but I think WL looks really nice too.

Thanks!

 

[raven69david]

For some of us, me included, staying on-site is part of the magic. For many years I stayed off-site until I had my first child. Ever since then we've stayed on-site. I never knew how much I was missing until we stayed on-site for the first time. We've never really stayed off-site since. For myself, I cannot explain the feeling of staying on-site as it's just something you feel inside. Sure I can get a bigger/cheaper room outside of the parks, however some of the magic would be lost for us.

I used to be the kind of person that said "It's just a room; we're only going to be sleeping in it and then we'll spend the rest of our time at the parks. Why do we need to stay on-site?". All that changed after our first stay on-site at AKL. All of that feeling just went out the window after walking into the resort. For us, half the magic is staying on-site with the rest of it coming from the parks.

While saving money is great, my family does not choose to cut corners on our family vacation. Others love doing things as cheaply as possible, such as we do, however saving a few extra dollars does not justify losing some of the magic in our trip to Disney by staying off-site. It's all in the way you look at it. If it's not important to you, then you won't be missing anything and you'll be more happier racking up the savings. For my family, that's not even an option. Whatever you decide to do, you'll still be at Disney World and you and your family will have a great time regardless.

 

[Mousemommy1]

Hello-

we are looking at staying at either WL or BC on our next disney visit. I think we will only stay on-site if we can get free dinning. Seems like I can get a much larger room (timeshare) if we stay off site for the same price or even less. So I am just wondering if anyone can persuade me to pay more to have a smaller place on site (we have small kids so an extra bedroom or suite is always nice). I have always wanted to stay at BC (we used to stay at swan and dolphin and I always wanted to go to the sand bottom pool) but I think WL looks really nice too.

Thanks!

First, I'll say, WL is amazing!!!!! Very magical and wonderful place.

Second, my first two visits to WDW were when I was 7 and 12, with my mom, dad and sister...we always stayed offsite in Kissimmee. I always wished we could stay on site. As soon as I was old enough to go myself (I was 21 when I first booked my own trip) I started staying on site! I will never turn back. I love being immersed 24 hours in the magic. I love Magical Express! I love the theming of all of the resorts. It's like I enter a magical bubble and don't have to leave until my stay is over.

 

[mickeynut1]

Our first Disney trip was offsite and while we had a great time being at Disney and exploring the parks for the first time, we haven't stayed offsite since. As the pp said, you can get more space for a cheaper price offsite, but for us, it's not worth the extra savings. One perk (among many) that we love is that Disney takes care of transportation and we don't have to do any driving on property. We usually take a car service to/from the resort and then use Disney transportation to get around to the parks, water parks, and DTD. Everyone's definition of worth is different and only you can decide whether or not the extra cost to stay onsite is worth it for your family, but for us, nothing beats being immersed in Disney magic 24/7. Good luck.

 

[francie57]

We have done off site years and years ago and nothing beat staying on-site. The convenience alone makes it worth every penny. If you want to go back and spend the afternoon by the pool, you just hope a bus/boat/or walk and you are there. If you are off-site you have to get to the car, drive back to the resort and then reverse the process to go back to the park at night. We are going to the BC in two days and just love the Epcot resort area. You have walking (or boat) access to two parks and all the activities of the Boardwalk area at night. The pool area (Stormalong Bay) is fantastic with kids. As a pp said, this is our family vacation and for us there is no cutting corners to make it a cheaper trip (we did get a AAA discount on the room since that was the only discount available for our dates). I am a deluxe girl all the way so our trips will never be "cheap" but it is worth every penny.

 

[Srbright]

We did the math (although judging by my math in the Sept 2012 thread...) and for shorter stays (3-4 days) its it worth it to stay on property once you add in, for our family of 4, transportation to and from the airport, parking fees at each park, and some of the perks you get for the package.

Add in the intangibles of being eligible for the dining plan (free or not), EMH, and the transportation and even on longer stays it is worth it to us.

Stacy

 

[Masonmj84]

Advantages to staying on-site:

1. As PPs have said, being immersed in the Magic 24/7.
2. Not having to rent a car.
3. Not having to deal with baggage claim.
4. Being able to check your bags at your resort before going home.
5. If you have young children, not having to deal with the car seat hassle.
6. Not having to worry about driving, traffic, getting lost, parking, etc.
7. EMH
8. Theming and grounds of the Disney resorts is a lot more fun than most hotels off-site.
9. Access to dining plans (although these have stopped being a good deal unless you have free dining).
10. Can more easily return to your resort for naps/swimming/R&R in the middle of the day.

And if on a Monorail resort with young kids:
From MK, can even more easily return to your resort in the middle of the day and/or return to your room without having to fold up the stroller (the same holds true at an EP resort from EP or HS), which is especially nice if you want to stay late for Wishes or Illuminations (where the kids may have fallen asleep in the stroller).

 

[zoom8942]

I am going to be the oddball here. we have done both, and as much as I love staying onsite, the transportation, the extra magic hours, and 24/7 disney, we choose most times to stay off site. We have a larger family, and the cost of a much larger timeshare type property(1200 sq ft for around 100-140 a night depending on the time of year) allows us to splurge on more fun instead of spending a lot of money for a room that is cramped and small just to be in the magic. There are options like ft wilderness cabins(our preference), AOA, DVC properties, but all those can be costly just to be able to spread out. Even the free dining doesnt work out to be a great deal unless you really like to eat expensive.
Also you didnt mention how many times you have been to disney.or what else you plan to do in Orlando. If this is a once in a lifetime thing(or even once every 5 year thing )stay onsite. If you have done disney a time or two and/or plan on going to sea world, universal stay off.
Bottom line. you really dont lose out by staying offsite. I thought I would. There is still plenty of magic, and some of the timeshare type properties are bigger, and nicer than disney accomadations for a fraction of the price. You will have a great time either way.

 

[mkoerner]

For our family, staying onsite means not having to drive a car for at least a week! I commute 80 miles round trip every day and my husband drives up and down the east coast, sometimes 8 hours of his day for his job. Not having to drive while on vacation for us is worth any cost.

 

[LSchrow]

IMHO, off-site felt like we were just staying at some motel or house, somewhere, anywhere......but not really at WDW. kinda like a pit-stop on the way to the "real" vacation.
on-site feels more like an all inclusive: no driving, safe to stroll around at night, no pulling luggage around, tons of dining and activity options....... so much to see and do, all at our fingertips. from the time you step off the plane until the time you get on your home-bound flight, you are taken care of.

many ppl love off-site, and that's great for them for us, our vacations are precious, and we would absolutely reschedule a WDW trip if we could not stay on-site.

 

[francie57]

If you want to save some money, you could rent points from a DVC member or Dave's rentals and have a villa. Check out the DVC boards and you will see that it is much more economical to rent points. If you rent a 1 bedroom or larger you would have a full kitchen, an in-room w/d, and two bathrooms. We are leaving Thurs and are staying in a 2 bedroom at BC (booked through Disney with AAA discount). We love have the extra space and use the kitchen for quick breakfast and to have snacks and drinks on hand. We also love the w/d since you can pack less and return home with clean clothes. We put a load of laundry in before heading out and when we get back we throw it in the dryer.
If may the perfect option to get a bigger space and be on-site.

 

[MrEVILdrPorkchop2u]

That is an interesting question to ask, and honestly one that DW and I used to ask before planning our trips. We know that we could save by staying off property and get larger accommodations, but we would end up losing the feeling of being completly submersed in the "Disney experience". It is worth the extra cost to us to have the little things that the Disney Resorts offer. I know that for some the extra cost isn't worth it, but for us it will always be!!!

 

[LovingDisny]

Great Question.

As many pp's have said it is really a matter of personal taste and what you want out of your vacation. We always stay on property, My husband and I call it the "Disney Bubble". We don't have to get our own luggage at the airport, we don't have to drive, get gas, or cook. We could probably go more often if we made more of an effort to cut costs, but for us we would rather take a BIG trip and splurge. I know people who order in groceries, stay at the least expensive hotel and try to spend as little money as possible - My sister is one of those people and I love her dearly! Everyone vacations differently. If she spent the amount of money that my family does, she wouldn't enjoy her vacation at all. On the other hand, if I had to rent a car, drive to the parks, get gas, cook and stay somewhere off property, I wouldn't enjoy my vacation as much. So, Here are some good reasons to stay on property:

not dealing with luggage at the airport
not driving at all.
extra magic hours
Dining plan - I love having my meals paid for in advance - that is less money that I have to take with me. We also eat at places a little nicer and more expensive than we would if we paid cash at the rest. Not sure why, it is just nice to have a great meal, get a ticket for $189.00 and just sign instead of having to pull that out of your wallet.

very convenient for afternoon breaks at the resort - no getting in a hot car, the busses are nice in cool as soon as you step on.

Which ever way you go I hope you and your family have a great trip!!

 

[Belleofthehouse]

IMHO, off-site felt like we were just staying at some motel or house, somewhere, anywhere......but not really at WDW. kinda like a pit-stop on the way to the "real" vacation.
on-site feels more like an all inclusive: no driving, safe to stroll around at night, no pulling luggage around, tons of dining and activity options....... so much to see and do, all at our fingertips. from the time you step off the plane until the time you get on your home-bound flight, you are taken care of.

many ppl love off-site, and that's great for them for us, our vacations are precious, and we would absolutely reschedule a WDW trip if we could not stay on-site.

I completely agree....BUT.....If the only way I could go to WDW is to stay offsite, I would do it. We have been very fortunate to stay deluxe/mod each time. It is a wonderful "total immersion" experience. And, IMHO, much more relaxing. I always feel like I would have to cook if I stayed offsite. I hate cooking on vacation!

 

[amberpi]

We stay on site, usually Swan/Dolphin and get a cab to and from the resort and sometimes to and from dining reservations. We want our vacations to be convenient and the thing that makes us want to do 3 or 4 days multiple times a year at WDW is that staying onsite is terribly convenient. We can have a few glasses of wine and not worry about driving back to our hotel, we can take advantage of evening EMH if we want, we can walk back to from the Boardwalk at any time of night or just walk around the lake/fake beaches. The convenience is certainly worth the cost to us. We've stayed at WL and DL's GC and the themeing was REALLY not us. We're minimal people and hated how old fashioned the WL and GC seemed. It was a huge letdown. When we stayed there at WDW, we ended up getting moved to the YC. It was awesome after that

 

[robinb]

The reasons why I like to stay onsite are:

(1) Disney "magic" 24/7
(2) Easy to use and efficient transportation to/from the parks
(3) Heavily themed resorts, not all just "tropical"

Other advantages are (in no order):
(4) Package delivery
(5) Ability to purchase the DDP (or get it for free)
(6) Free parking at the parks
(7) Buying a package that includes everything
(8) Free transportation from the airport

FTR, the "free" DDP may not be the best discount at a Deluxe resort for your family since you have young children (it looks like you have a 3-year old and a 1-year old). It may be cheaper for you to book with a discount and pay for the DDP. To get free dining you will have to pay rack rate and your "discount" will be the cost of the DDP for 2 adults and 1 child.

Also ... if you want to get a rounded view of onsite v/s offsite ask why people like to stay offsite over on the Orlando Board.

 

[tofubeast]

I live in Florida, so the ME and airport perks don't matter to me.

For me, it's all about immersion. I grew up in L.A. and went to Disneyland often. I was always jealous of the lucky people who got to stay at the DL Hotel. It was a dream of mine from a young age. Years ago, my parents took me to EPCOT for a day. I was so sad we didn't get to stay on-site (even though I begged.) So, staying at a Disney resort has always been something I desired, and it's something I like being able to do over and over again.

I also like that parking is included, so if I don't feel like taking a bus, I can use my car. Some of the off-site resorts are gorgeous. For a work conference, I have stayed at the Ritz in Orlando. BEAUTIFUL hotel, but if I were there for my Disney vacation, I would miss being surrounded by Mickey and Co.

 

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

Never stayed at BC, WL is my favorite resort with the Poly a very, very close second.

Why I love staying on-site (and will never stay off-site again).

1) CM's are great.
2) Landscaping.
3) Theming.
4) WDW transportation.
5) Extra Magic Hours.
6) Walking the grounds in the early morning to the sounds of birds, not road traffic. Occasionally the sound of the CM carts.
7) Shopping items sent to your resort when shopping at one of the WDW parks. Not waiting until the end of the night (when everyone else is shopping), or you have to carry it around all day.
8) Not having to deal with traffic tie-ups if staying off-site.
9) Not paying for parking, and possibly having to look for your car at the end of the night. I laugh every time I hear the car alarm going off as people are looking for their car.
10) Last but most important to dear family and me, 24/7 Disney.

If I take enough time I can think of more reasons to stay on-site. But these are the most important for us. I would rather go fewer times to WDW by staying on-site then pay to stay off-site again. We just save our money for the resort we want to stay at; then make the reservation.

 

[Singinglizzie]

I have stayed both off and on-site and honestly, there is something special about staying on-site. You are at Disney, in a Disney Resort - with all the subtle nuances and details. You see things that, well, are only at Disney. Take for example, the Animal Kingdom Lodge (which I love staying at). Look at the lobby, the artwork, the restaurants, the walkways, the walls, the bathrooms, the shops, etc. Nothing is there my accident, it is all beautifully executed. You will find all sorts of interesting items, including hidden mickeys, hidden treasures, and many artistic touches. You can tell that the team the designed and set up the lodge put a lot of thought into everthing. It is a beacon to the senses. You will find this at all the WDW resorts. That's why I always recommend staying at the resort whose "theme" appeals to you. If I could afford it, I would always choose to stay at WDW. The sum is bigger than the whole, it is the whole experience, and it's hard to put a price tag on "priceless"!

 

[Lifeangel1]

Until our trip in 2009, we always stayed off site. We saved money by sharing a house with my DD and her family. It was fun but we had to leave the "magic" behind every night. It really did feel more like going to any amusement park each day. I 2009 we stayed at POFQ. Loved it!! We came again in 2010 and stayed at POP. Last year we used a friends Timeshare at Wyndham Bonnet Creek. It was nice but not disney. We were dropped off in the parking lot with busses zooming by. There were only certain amount of pickup times and when we were ready to go back we had to go to parking space 48 (or whatever it was) and stand to wait for our bus. I hated it. This year we are going to CBR and I cant wait. I booked our trip last year with $200 down and have been making payments ever since. It is now paid off and I have no debt. I soon can make my plans for next year!!! Disney sucked me in. If only I could afford DVC.....hmmm.