Thinking of switching to off-site ...

[mommy2aprincess4]

We currently have reservations at all-star music in a family suite 1/6-12. I've been having a lot of second thoughts though. My daughter is 4. We've heard about the long ride in the shuttle from the airport, the lines from the very beginning, the time in the busses to the parks, the noise at the resort, etc. I don't want to spend my vacation with a grumpy kid and lots of stress.

We've found a condo we adore at http://www.loyaltyusa.com/. Even with park tickets and car rental, we'd be paying about $600 less than what we're paying at ASMu.

I don't want to start an on-site vs off-site debate, I'm just curious on everyone's thoughts on the subject, especially when traveling with small children.

Thanks.

 

[MotherOf2Princesses]

The condo you're looking at is 4 miles from Dinsey. There are several that are closer. Windsor Hills is just over two miles and gets good reviews.
I was considering the value suite for my jan trip but decided to stay off site. This is my first off site stay. The past two trips I rented points and stayed in a villa on site. You could check that out on the rent board.
If this is your first visit to Disney you may want to stay on site. Just for the experience. But if you really want space at a lower cost then consider off site.
Sorry I'm not much help but I understand the situation.
Check out Windsor Hills, allstarvacations is where I rented my townhouse. I notice you are staying in January and so am I. The townhouse comes with a private pool that can be heated like a jaccuzi. And if your 4 year old is like mine she loves to swim as much as she loves Disney. When we were at Disney last Jan you could only swim during the day after the sun went down it was too cool even with the pool heated. And they're not heated all that warm for swimming at night in January.
Good Luck.

 

[TotoToo]

We currently have reservations at all-star music in a family suite 1/6-12. I've been having a lot of second thoughts though. My daughter is 4. We've heard about the long ride in the shuttle from the airport, the lines from the very beginning, the time in the busses to the parks, the noise at the resort, etc. I don't want to spend my vacation with a grumpy kid and lots of stress.

We've found a condo we adore at http://www.loyaltyusa.com/. Even with park tickets and car rental, we'd be paying about $600 less than what we're paying at ASMu.

I don't want to start an on-site vs off-site debate, I'm just curious on everyone's thoughts on the subject, especially when traveling with small children.

Thanks.

Good plan. 4 miles isn't much for a $600 savings and a relaxing "home base"h. There are closer places as well. We find 100% Disney all the time is simply too much and can burn you out.

 

[HeatherC]

I have 3 kids and am a huge fan of condos. I honestly believe that with small children, it makes for a more relaxing vacation. This has nothing to do with on or offsite.

Disney is wonderful, but there are a lot of lines and little kids do get dragged around all day. At the end of the day it really is wonderful to be able to come back "home" and let them have a little space and freedom to work off that vacation stress. They can watch tv in one room while you are in another. A lot of them have the jacuzzi tubs that you can relax in at the end of the day. Or even the kids can....my kids love that.

A couple more benefits is that you can order groceries ahead of time if you like and can get up and have a snack in your pj's without having to get dressed first and wait in a line. It's also nice at the end of the day because sometimes little kids don't want to sit in a restaurant. You can just give them a little snack in your own kitchen.

You can also put them to bed in one room and relax in the living room yourselves.

You are also going at a nice time so traffic issues are not a concern. The parks should be relatively uncrowded and you would be able to come and go as you please without having to wait for a bus.

I think it's a great idea. Have an awesome trip no matter what you decide.

Heather

 

[FamilyGuy]

We stayed off site for the first time earlier this month (4 nights out of 7 nights)...

It's likely the last time we will stay off site to visit WDW, at least if I can help it!

There are many that highly recommend off site and I can understand that too... it's just not the same to us!

 

[scottny]

$600 is not worth it for me to go offsite for the convenience that staying onsite offers.
Could you go to a moderate maybe. I stayed at Riverside and it was a very quiet resort in July and going back in january again.
The bus ride when I went was quiet and peaceful. The DME was quick and fun.
Maybe you just need to look into a moderate or a villa.

 

[HeatherC]

Forgot to mention that if you are flying in and renting a car, make sure you check out Dollar and National's Loyalty Clubs. You can join for free, pre-register all your info and avoind waiting in yet another line.

With National's Emerald Club you can literally walk straight out of the airport, get in a car, stop at a checkout window and be on your way. No shuttle lines and no lines inside the airport. Makes a world of difference with kids.

Dollars Club is a little different. They actually have a separate line that is kind of like a go to the head of the line pass.

Both of these can be huge time savers when traveling with little kids.

Hope this info helps you.

Heather

 

[lulugirl]

I thought I would never stay off-site, I really do love the Disney resorts!

We are going to Disney this January, we were initially booked at POR for 10 nights, we had two rooms (one for my Mom, the other for Dh, 2 kids and myself) reserved.
I started thinking about how cramped we would start feeling in a small hotel room, having to tip toe around after the kids were asleep.
We decided to rent a 5 bedroom, 5 bath pool home in Windsor Hills. Even w/ a ten day car rental we are saving money. I feel like driving to the parks everyday is a minor inconvenience.
These are my main reasons for staying off-site this trip
* Space! We can put the kids to bed, then sit by the pool and have a drink.
* washer/dryer, I don't mind doing laundry while on vacation and I love being able to pack light.
* kitchen, we can enjoy our morning coffee while still in our pj's, the kids can have juice and/or cereal.
* several bathrooms, no waiting!
We will likely stay on property again, but for longer stays I think we really need the space that a home offers.

 

[joellyn23]

I'm a HUGE fan of staying off-site and would personally never stay on site again. My sister, on the other hand, can't imagine not staying on site.

There are certainly pros/cons. Having a 4 yo, you might like the ability to get back to hotel mid day for a rest. While you can certainly do that if you stay off-site, driving to Magic Kingdom is pain because you have to go to the TTC, park and then catch the ferry or monorail. We've stopped going back to MK later in the day.

But, not having to battle your way onto the bus with a small child - priceless.

Either way, it's going to be magical!!

 

[spiceycat]

Disney is about 45 to 60 minutes away from the airport.

the shuttle lines - especially for the All star - seems to be pretty quick.

You will be on the shuttle for a while - but they play a DVD about the WDW parks so the kids are entertained - just be sure to sit in front on one of these if you can.

that say - I also like both on-site and off-site.

but for a 4 year old first trip. I would go with onsite.

WHY?

getting back and forth to the MK without a WDW resort bus is a big, big hassle.

you have to park your car in the TTC lot, then ride their tram to the TTC, then you have to ride either the monrail or ferry to the MK. You are talking at the minimum 30 minutes here - sometimes an hour. Coming back with a tired and exhausted child - the same wait time - except then you have to walk back to your car.

with a 4 year old the MK will be your big park.

the other parks are not so bad. In fact if I have a car and we are going to Epcot I would rather drive it than the buses.

but the MK does not work that way.

the wdw resort bus you put at the front of the park - you can walk into the MK without a long walk or wait.

 

[rickydean]

I am not an experienced disneyer as I have only been there once (next trip 11/29), but I did take a 4 and 6 year old. My 4 year old daughter loved the buses. In fact, she wanted to grow up and be a bus driver after that (we still tease her about that!). We absolutely loved staying on-site. We never waited long for buses. Occasionally we had to stand on a bus, but usually an adult would give a tired kid a seat, Usually the kids wanted to stand too!! My DH loved not having to go through the hassle of driving each day. Also, it's really nice to have the option to return to your room. My kids usually fell asleep on the bus on the way home and we just tucked them in bed without a fuss. We are staying onsite again despite renting a car to go to Universal for two days this time. It's also nice to be near to the foodcourt for easy meals instead of driving. YOu can have breakfast food and a fridge n your room. I guess we always eat out on vacation , so no kitchen needed except breakfast. And.. the thing my daughter remembers most about staying on-site, was getting the wake-up call from Mickey!!!

 

[MiaSRN62]

I agree with Spicey.
Since your dd is so young, most likely you'll be visiting MK alot. I'm all for both on and offsite as we do both, but I can honestly say, when comparing the two for ease of getting in and out of the MK, onsite wins hand-down. It can easily take up to 45 min more to get in and out of the MK with a car. Also, I don't think the ME shuttle from the airport was long at all. Also, being able to take advantage of Extra Magic Hour is a nice onsite perk.

the time in the busses to the parks,

I don't find this to be a factor any more than the time you'd spend in the car driving from an offsite location to the parks.

Obviously though, you can't beat the size of a condo. This is where your offsite choice wins.

We've found a condo we adore at http://www.loyaltyusa.com/. Even with park tickets and car rental, we'd be paying about $600 less than what we're paying at ASMu.

That is a good chunk of money and you did say you really liked the homes on the site. Though I've never stayed there, if you adore the look of these homes, I doubt the AS Suites would impress you as much based on privacy/size/amenities. So when staying onsite vs staying in a private home, you really are going to get different experiences based on accomodations alone. But you have to factor in the onsite perks and judge how important they will be to you. We find free parking, free use of busses to parks, EMH, package delivery to your resort all invaluable onsite perks. We also love the ease and convenience of the food courts. Some dont find these important at all.

Not sure if this is your first visit or not, but if it is, I'd go with onsite. I most certainly understand the benefits of larger offsite accomodations too----but for us, onsite is our preference. Good luck with your decision.

 

[chris7]

I won't stay in a hotel room for anything longer then a 3 night stay. Since we go to WDW for longer then 3 days.... I would absolutely love to try one of the DVC condos, I think that would be the best of both worlds, but the price is insane. We are not DVC members, never will be, so I don't think staying in an onsite condo will ever happen. We have not had a bad experience staying off site and I've never felt I was missing anything. In fact there have been times I've look at folks waiting in line for one of the ALL Star resort busses and thought that those people don't know what their missing.

 

[spiceycat]

I won't stay in a hotel room for anything longer then a 3 night stay. Since we go to WDW for longer then 3 days.... I would absolutely love to try one of the DVC condos, I think that would be the best of both worlds, but the price is insane. We are not DVC members, never will be, so I don't think staying in an onsite condo will ever happen. We have not had a bad experience staying off site and I've never felt I was missing anything. In fact there have been times I've look at folks waiting in line for one of the ALL Star resort busses and thought that those people don't know what their missing.

you need to try to rent from a DVC member. now they are not offsite prices, but they aren't that bad.

you can stay in a studio at OKW or AKV for around $80 (points at $10 a point)
Sun-thurs in Jan, Sept, Dec 1-14.
for the same time you can stay at BWV or AKV for around $90. these are studios.

a 1, 2 or 3 bedroom costs alot more. a 1-bedroom starts at twice as much.

 

[chris7]

That's just it... I've been spoiled rotten staying offsite in beautiful big 2 and 3 bedroom places. I would not want to do 4 people in a studio. Plus, we go during peak season, we are there over X-mas, so I would imagine the prices are much higher then.

 

[mommy2aprincess4]

Thanks everyone. I'm still torn. This isn't our first trip but it is our first big trip and first onsite stay. Generally my grandmother rents a condo for the winter on Anna Maria Island and we go the first week in Janaury. Then we either drive to disney for one day during that week, or we drive down early and stay in a hotel near disney for 2 nights before going to the condo (last year we stayed at some place on Idrive, can't remember the name right now but it was horrible). Anyway, my grandmother isn't renting this year, but we had our heart set on our disney trip, so we're going Disney for a week.

I am leaning toward staying onsite this year and see how it is and get the experience and then we'd be better able to decide between on and off next year since we'd have experienced both.

 

[isla bonita]

You can only tell which is for you when you actually do both and compare. Do onsite this time and off site next time and see what is best for your family.

Every one vacations differently and that is why there are so many options. Lucky for all of us we can have our cake and eat it too.

 

[spiceycat]

Thanks everyone. I'm still torn. This isn't our first trip but it is our first big trip and first onsite stay. Generally my grandmother rents a condo for the winter on Anna Maria Island and we go the first week in Janaury. Anyway, my grandmother isn't renting this year, but we had our heart set on our disney trip, so we're going Disney for a week.

my Grandmother got us started on WDW too!

I joined DVC about 20 years after our originally stay!

 

[mommy2aprincess4]

If I can convince DH that joining DVC is the way to go I'll be set That's my plan of attack, but I'm going to work into it! My first argument is "Well Sarah is still young, you know we'll be going to WDW for many, many years to come" -

 

[wahoostampingirl]

I love staying offsite and we'll be staying at Windsor Hills in Jan. 2008. However, in your situation, I would say go ahead and stay onsite just so you can compare the two. We had our first onsite stay last June and it really convinced me that a condo/townhouse was the way to go for longer stays for our family. But, if we hadn't stayed onsite (we stayed at POFQ), I would still think that I was missing something.

FWIW, my kids love taking the tram and the monorail over to MK (both were 5 during our Jan. 2007 trip) when we drive our own car. They consider those the first "rides" of the day.