The old on site vs off site debate

[Lupeix]

I am planning our family trip for next year, our son will be 4 then. This will be my 4th trip and I have never stayed on site, which has been a dream of mine for a while. I had originally planned to stay at AK villas. Our son goes to bed way earlier than we do, so a separate sleeping space is a must for us, and so is a fitness center for DH, and renting a car.
Now it is likely we are taking grandma and grandpa, so we are looking at a 2 bedroom, which seriously increases the budget. The only way we can pull it off is renting DVC, in which case we will have to make a reservation 8-11 months ahead.

We have previously stayed at Sheraton Vistana and like it, and also like Caribe Royale nearby. The difference in accommodation is the whole price of Disney tickets for everyone, so I am now not sure if I should postpone my onsite dream or not. One thing that I just realized is that it seems that AKL is as far away from MK as the Vistana, is that true? Will it take us the same amount of time to get to the parks by car? We don't stay late, so extra magic hours may only work in the morning, if I leave DH in the room cause he won't get up that early.

We could afford it, but we could also do a lot of other fun things with that extra money.... I am torn
advice?

 

[BellsFam]

The room is where you sleep...not where your vacation is.

If you are going to stay onsite and then be in the parks, analyzing every nickel and dime spent then it's not much of a vacation is it?

 

[Unyeah]

I personally dont think AKL is far away

 

[Altoqueenkelly]

You could easily consider multiple resorts. What about getting two rooms instead of the villas?

 

[tinktinktink]

I recommend 2 rooms.

 

[Gracie09]

Have you considered renting DVc points? You may be able to get a room you want onsite for around the price of a moderate

 

[Gumbo4x4]

We generally only use the rooms for sleeping. We don't go during free dining. And we drive. So, onsite is a poor value for us. But, I have to say one of those Savannah View rooms would be so awesome for a day off from the parks. Alas, it would cost as much as we spend on an entire trip.

We're actually planning a Univ/SW/Aquatica trip for 2015 & my plan is to move into a Savannah View room for ONE night at the end of that trip. Hope that's enough to "get our fix"

 

[maxiesmom]

When are you going? I've done both on and off site stays, and had great times during each. I would not, however, stay off site over a peak season. If the parks are going to be busy staying on site is a huge plus.

Also, do you intend to spend all of your time together, or will you split up a bit? Staying on site it is much easier for the family to split up. Whoever wants to go back to resort for a break can just hop on the bus, and the rest of the family stay behind.

 

[ArwenMarie]

How about a split stay with offsite then AKL?

 

[MandiC]

Split stay might be nice for you!
You get your on-site and save a little money.
I really enjoyed staying on-site, but we keep going back and forth, it might end up coming to whether we can get free dining during our trip (we plan on renting a car either way). The cabins at FW could be an option for you, it is one we are considering, it can sleep 6, there is only one 'bedroom' (they do have a full kitchen too) but you could send your son to sleep earlier and sneak in when you go to bed. There's lots to do and it is near MK.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

We love renting DVC points and makes staying onsite very affordable. Last March I needed 1 nt pre cruise stay and got BCV for just $162 total. Even with a 30% off promo, my regular room res at BC booked directly through Disney was almost $300. To me this is a huge savings. In Sept will be the same thing again and got SSR for $132. A nice part about renting points is there's no 12.5% tax added to the price. It's like paying moderate prices for a deluxe resort.

I would compare prices with getting a 1BR for your own family + studio for grandparents vs. a 2BR. Grandparents might prefer their own quiet space alone also.

We stayed at AKL with savanna view (not AKV) last Sept and wouldn't do it again. There are so many viewing places all over the resort and we were hardly in our room. Most of the animals we saw were not ones any adult could identify, let alone a 4 yr old. You would need an Arusha view to see giraffe & zebras.
We also felt it was a long ride to any park except AK.

When staying onsite, a car really isn't necessary so if I were looking for ways to cut excess costs from the budget, this would be first. If crowded buses annoy you that much, just avoid the most crowded times such as right after Wishes ends. Maybe leave the park a little early or hang out shopping and let the crowds dissipate.

 

[MandiC]

When staying onsite, a car really isn't necessary so if I were looking for ways to cut excess costs from the budget, this would be first. If crowded buses annoy you that much, just avoid the most crowded times such as right after Wishes ends. Maybe leave the park a little early or hang out shopping and let the crowds dissipate.

I think this is just a matter of opinion. The crowds on the buses didn't bother me, it was the waiting. I always felt like we were waiting for a bus, granted we just seemed to have the worst timing (walking up as the bus to the park/resort we were going to pulled away, getting the buses that needed an inspection before anyone could board, ect)...but we are definitely renting a car next time. On or off-site. It will make it just that much more enjoyable for me to not stress about trying to run to make our bus

 

[DisneyBaby823]

We're going in May 2015, it'll be my 4th trip there. It's also been a dream of mine to stay on-site with Disney. But, until we are less budget conscious we have no qualms about staying off-site. The great thing about staying in the area is that there are SO many lovely hotels at super great values (not just the skimpy 1-2star places).

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I think this is just a matter of opinion. The crowds on the buses didn't bother me, it was the waiting. I always felt like we were waiting for a bus, granted we just seemed to have the worst timing (walking up as the bus to the park/resort we were going to pulled away, getting the buses that needed an inspection before anyone could board, ect)...but we are definitely renting a car next time. On or off-site. It will make it just that much more enjoyable for me to not stress about trying to run to make our bus

Of course it's an opinion but if OP is trying to find ways to cut costs so that she can stay onsite, factually it is possible to stay onsite without a rental car. This is her first onsite stay so she doesn't yet have an opinion.

We've never had to wait very long for buses but perhaps it's just the time of year we go or maybe just luck. If someone says a rental car is a "must" what they really mean is they prefer having one enough that it makes the cost worthwhile to them. It doesn't mean someone would otherwise be walking or calling a cab without one.
Dh feels that having a verandah on a cruise is a "must" but we both know it really isn't.

ETA: We have been to WDW probably 20x, staying onsite half of those visits. The 2nd time we stayed onsite ds17 was around 10 and had been used to being offsite and hopping in the car to go to the parks. (His 1st onsite stay he was only 3 and didn't remember these details.) He felt very impatient waiting for a bus. We had a car anyway because it was a split stay at USO. He nagged us for what felt like an eternity at CBR's bus stop for us to just drive to MK. Just then our bus pulled up. It felt like forever but really was only around 10 mins. We would have wasted more than that dealing with the ferry vs. monorail from TTC so in the end it still saved time to wait for the bus.

 

[mrsp1030]

We took our two boys when they were 4,2 and my parents as well and ended up Renting points and getting two studios at AKL savannah view. We had no problems at all with naps/sleep as we were tired ourselves or would sit out on balcony and enjoy the evening. We always stay onsite at disney and have found it to be enjoyable and relaxing as a whole vacation. The activities at AKL for kids are amazing. Plus they have a kids club there and your 4 year old would be old enough if the adults wanted to grab a nice dinner one night.

 

[snoopy5386]

OP look at Bonnet Creek, best of both worlds if you have a car IMO. We own DVC and have stayed at Bonnet Creek with my ILs timeshare. Loved it and wouldn't hesitate to stay there again. Right in the middle of Disney property with the off site price tag and a gorgeous resort.

 

[Lupeix]

Thanks all for the suggestions
We went peak season last year and never again! So we are thinking may or October next year. A one bedroom and a studio may be a good idea, will price that out renting DVC points. Will also check out Bonnet creek. Looking at David's vacation club prices it seems that renting DVC for 2 bedroom will be at least 1000 $$$$ more than staying at the Vistana...We are also thinking about doing sea world one day.
DH is not a big Disney fan and cannot stand a full day at the parks, so we do spend quite a bit of time at the resort, not just for sleeping. He likes to "vacate" while on vacation.
Although if it was easy to split up, it will work for us since I could go for rope drop with DS and grandma and have DH and grandpa join us later. that will be a big positive of onsite. I rather not take the buses, but DH can if he wants to sleep in and go work out
The kids club is no advantage, DS will not stay with people he doesn't know. But having grandma and grandpa means we can go out on our own and having free disney transportation will make going out for a date much easier
What makes me nervous about DVC rental is that is non refundable, anyone has experience insuring a DVC rental?

 

[Aliceacc]

Why not get two "hopefully connecting" rooms at the resort of your choice? I'm guessing Grandma and Grandpa will want a slightly different schedule than your 4 year old son, and a little separation might be a very good idea.

Also, could I put in a plug for what might be a budget buster-- perhaps a pair of Garden Wing room at the Contemporary?

You can WALK to the Magic Kingdom, so a car won't be necessary. It's a Deluxe, so there should be all the amenities you want. It's on the monorail line, so the transportation to the MK (for the grandparents, who may not want to walk) or to Epcot are all easy.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Thanks all for the suggestions
We went peak season last year and never again! So we are thinking may or October next year. A one bedroom and a studio may be a good idea, will price that out renting DVC points. Will also check out Bonnet creek. Looking at David's vacation club prices it seems that renting DVC for 2 bedroom will be at least 1000 $$$$ more than staying at the Vistana...We are also thinking about doing sea world one day.
DH is not a big Disney fan and cannot stand a full day at the parks, so we do spend quite a bit of time at the resort, not just for sleeping. He likes to "vacate" while on vacation.
Although if it was easy to split up, it will work for us since I could go for rope drop with DS and grandma and have DH and grandpa join us later. that will be a big positive of onsite. I rather not take the buses, but DH can if he wants to sleep in and go work out
The kids club is no advantage, DS will not stay with people he doesn't know. But having grandma and grandpa means we can go out on our own and having free disney transportation will make going out for a date much easier
What makes me nervous about DVC rental is that is non refundable, anyone has experience insuring a DVC rental?

We cruise DCL these days more than visit parks so I'm used to paying in full 75-120 days prior with very strict penalties for cancelation. It varies with itinerary & departure port but typically if I cancel within 45 days we lose all or 75% of our $.
Not to steer you in a new direction but DCL is awesome for when grandparents want to join. It's a very relaxing version of Disney with incredible service. When my boys were little our dinner servers would cut their meat & crack their lobster. If I tried to get up to help them I'd be reminded I'm on vacation too. My parents came with us to the parks on only one visit and found it tiring even with renting electric scooters but continue to keep cruising DCL with us, probably 8x now, not needing scooters. But I digress...

We use insure my trip for cruising and for renting DVC points since most of our trips are a combination of both. They offer a variety of plans with different insurance companies. I've never had to file a claim so I can't vouch for their service is that area.

David's is expensive but you get almost instant confirmation with no negotiating. If you rent from someone on the Rent/Trade boards you will save a lot but may have to keep looking for a while. I have twice paid $9 pp and twice paid $11 pp. David's charges $14 pp so if you need a lot of points just a $ or 2 difference in price pp will make a big difference.

Also to be fair, any time you compare onsite to offsite and simply compare price, onsite will always be higher. To me it's like comparing apples to oranges.
Don't stay onsite simply because others do. Look at the benefits of onsite and see if they appeal to you and your family. When our kids were younger (ie: we were younger) we preferred offsite to save $ and have more space. We enjoyed driving in FL and didn't mind dealing with the car rental, car seats, cramming the trunk, etc. We didn't care about EMH.
Now our boys are 17 & 14. Their clothes are adult size so we have more bags and we are 10 years older too. We like that when we stay onsite Disney handles our luggage while we hop on the bus and let someone else deal with traffic. Also with a good nap, our boys will gladly take advantage of evening EMH from midnight to 3am which we never would have dreamed of doing 10 yrs ago.
In the end you have to do what works for your family.

 

[robinsnest49ers]

How does Fastpass work if you stay offsite? We started out staying offsite and liked the idea of being able to go to any restaurant, take a trip to the mall (I have 3 shopaholic girls) or for a drive to the beach.These stays were pre magic band. Then we started staying at the Art of Animation (love those rooms, very spacious for a family of 5). We are torn for next year. We miss being able to eat out, Disney restaurants are hit and miss with us. The good ones are very pricey if not on the dining plan and the QS are ok, but there are so many excellent restaurants out there, plus we wouldn't be able to go to the mall (we don't rent a car if we stay onsite). I like the freedom of choice staying offsite but the perks of staying onsite