WDW resort or non-WDW resort? (long)

[jdads2]

I notice a lot of folks wondering whether or not to stay on-grounds. I thought that I would write down a list of factors we used to determine what hotels or resorts we would consider. Maybe some folks could add their reasons for their decision.

Cost of room
Transportation to/from hotel
Free meal deals at some hotels
Convenience for afternoon naps
Pool
Food availability
Fun factor
Perks

Cost of rooms was, for the most part, much lower at off-site hotels. But it was closer than I thought it would be for a couple of reasons, there are 5 in my family, meaning that we would need to get a larger room or 2 rooms at some hotels, and low rates we get from various discounts on WDW resort. Advantage: NON-WDW Resort

As far as transportation costs go we always figure on spending $30 a day for car rental and gas if we were to stay at a non-WDW hotel. We’d get a larger car to hold all 5 of us and our loot! Obviously we would not get a rental if we were to stay at a WDW resort or transportation would be a moot point! Parking is also not a problem since we get AP’s. Advantage: WDW Resort

Free meals at the non-WDW hotels. Well, we saw quite a few ads for free meals for kids or breakfasts for the whole family at those hotels and that is a great money saver. After our first visit to WDW we noticed that the only breakfasts we ate were in the room, a quick bagel or muffin, or at a character meal. Since we consider the character meals as part of the WDW experience we would have attended those even with the allure of a free breakfast somewhere else. Total savings from free breakfasts for us would have been in the neighborhood of $50 for our stay. We also discovered that you could get a pretty good meal at WDW for the same price as a fast-food joint anywhere, roughly $30 for the 5 of us. As far as other meals, again we felt that eating at the restaurants where you should make a PS are part of the WDW experience and we would have eaten there regardless of where we were staying. Small Advantage: NON-WDW Resort

When we were researching for our first trip we read that lots of folks went back to their resort in order to take a quick nap. If you decide that you will need a break during the day you might want to strongly consider staying at a WDW resort. Even though we didn’t take any naps we did take advantage of the pool for our midday break almost everyday. I don’t know if it’s faster to use WDW transport to go back to your resort or faster to get to your non-WDW resort using a rental but when we were using WDW transportation I never felt like I had left WDW. If there is one thing I hate about being on vacation, it’s driving. I always feel tired after driving, especially if it’s some place I’m not familiar. Big Advantage: WDW Resort

I can’t comment on the pools at non-Disney resorts other than what I have read so I won’t maybe others will be willing to toss in their 2 cents. I will comment on the pools we have used. They are the pools at the Poly, the AKL and ASMu. The pools there are wonderful. Enough play areas for kids of all ages and enough quiet areas for adults. I read in one of the Disney guides that when kids, age 6 and under, are asked what they liked best about their vacation 65% mentioned the pool. Don’t underestimate the importance of a quick dip in the pool at night to make kids calm down and get sleepy! Advantage: Make sure there is a pool!

There are enough restaurants in and around WDW that if you can’t find what your hungry for it’s YOUR fault! You have a ton of different choices, all within a short walking distance, at EPCOT alone. I’ll say this is a toss up, it is difficult to get reasonably priced items at WDW if you plan on making sandwiches or quick snacks but for shear variety I can’t see beating WDW.

Fun factor, is this a joke? OK, so I’m skewed towards Disney, but what’s more fun than being awakened by Mickey? Yes, we chose to go to WDW instead of the Grand Canyon so I want “Disney” fun. I can get plenty of that at any WDW resort. Advantage: Disney

There are a million different hotels in and around WDW and easily that many perks. They go from towel animals to free shuttles. Just keep in mind that you may not get that cute elephant made out of pillows and towels and how long is the wait for that free shuttle? Advantage: Depends on the perk!

Anyone else care to add his or her 2 cents to my quarter?

 

[sue1013]

Just wanted to add if your entire party doesn't want to take a break if you are onsite only those that want to can go for their break. If off-site you would have to take the car and that leaves the others staying no way to get back without the car.

 

[MJames41]

Also, kinda along the same lines, if you have children who are getting a little older and looking for more independence, Disney World is a much safer environment for a kid to go to the pool by themselves than at an offsite hotel/resort. During normal hours (when the parks/pools are open), you will usually see a Cast Member within 2 minutes in any direction you go from your resort. And, if they are teens and you trust them enough, they can even go to the parks they want themselves with Disney transportation. Just my 2 cents.

 

[swilphil]

I think another deciding factor is time of year. We stayed off-site Christmas three years ago, and it was a nightmare. We were in the car for so much of the trip because the traffic and parking lots were jammed, plus we couldn't get into MK on two of our days.

We stayed at the Dolphin on our most recent trip and because of the location we didn't even need to rent a car. That saved money and time. Staying in the Epcot area also meant we spent less time on the bus--a big plus for me. Dolphin is not Disney owned, but very much on site. We were able to get a great rate at a deluxe hotel.

 

[yecats]

Don't get me wrong, I love Disney and their properties. 1/2 of the times I've been there have been on property. My next vacation is on property curtesy of the FTP. If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have been on property. I have found some very good deals off property in the past for the very reasons you stated and saved money and had a fabulous time as well. These are the things I know about myself when vacationing at Disney:
I am a theme park gal (enjoy the heck out of those theme parks). Hotel is not a big issue (as to theming) and for me really doesn't matter as long as its clean. Money is an issue (as I don't have tons to throw around). Space is an issue as I don't particularly like to hear my neighbors and their kids at midnight (I hear more of my neighbors at disney than at any offsite hotel I've been to). Getting more for my buck matters a lot to me. I would perfer to get the free breakfast as this does save me money. I drive most of the time which saves time in having to adjust to someone's bus schedule including disneys and saves money (as I can shop for gifts off grounds which saves you a whole lot of money). As I get older, renting a condo is looking like more of an option to me. Just my opinion. But on the flip side, Mickey can't give me a wakeup call offsite (so every now and again I have to stay onsite - but I find it iritating that I am shelling out the money for it).

 

[DMRick]

if you have children who are getting a little older and looking for more independence, Disney World is a much safer environment for a kid to go to the pool by themselves than at an offsite hotel/resort.

I agree that if you have teens and allow them to go off to parks themselves, on site is a great thing. However, I do not think the above statement is something I would consider as fact. There are perverts everywhere, including at Disney. Don't fool yourself that your child will be safer by themself at Disney than anyplace else. If you feel save letting them go to a pool without you at Disney, I don't think it would be less safe at most off-site hotels.

I've mentioned this before on these boards and just want to mention again that I am on an eBay list that tries to keep an eye on exploited children on eBay. One of the items that has been sold off and on on eBay is a CD with photos of young, shirtless boys. They try to sell them as additions to scrapbooking, but believe me, they are being sold to perverts that like shirtless little boys. Many of the pictures are young preteens on beaches without shirts..but several being sold by one guy had been taken at WDW..both at resorts and the water parks...very recognizable..just kids having fun. I would know that clown or slide anywhere. You know that guy with the zoom lens you see at the pools? You assume he is taking pictures of his children for memories. Well, guess what..he may be taking pictures of YOUR kids to put on a CD he was selling to other perverts.

So if you bring kids to Disney..on site or off, you have to be vigilant. You should feel safe at both places..but I don't believe it's safer at one over the other.

That said, I prefer staying on Disney property for most of the reasons the OP stated. I think they are overpriced and feel much better about it, if I'm using an AP or postcard code.

 

[jgates]

We stayed off-site twice (once more for DS) and at the Swan last time and next trip. It becomes very personal selection.

We were very content staying off-site. No problems except TRAFFIC (somehow that must be a 4 letter word).

The last off-site was at Courtyard DTD. It is a good location, however still lacks the comfort of onsite. Also one nite at Hampton Inn Maingate West which was an EXCELLLENT facility. Now we are Swan fans.

I was mentally more relaxed being on-site. If I needed to run somewhere (boardwalk, etc), I could leave DD in the room. DS & DD could walk to mini-golf and I could nap. DS drove to golf course and DD & I went to parks. It worked SO well for us at the Swan.

You have done a fantastic job of analyzing this. For us, as long as I can afford to stay with a discounted rate at the Swan, it will now be my choice. It is a fantastic place. My DS no longer wishes to go with us (maybe in a couple of years again he says). Consequently, I can justify the savings of not renting a car against the xtra cost of the Swan. If I am no longer able to obtain this good rate at some point, I will probably go totally off-site and head to the Marriott Village at Little Lake Bryan(t?). I believe they have their own shuttles rather than sharing like the DTD hotels. I can use my Marriott points to purchase nights there to help pay for a vacation. Budgets have a nasty way of changing (can you tell DH is considering changing jobs?)

And I apologize for the rambling - just too tired!

 

[Mickeyhugger]

My two cents worth?

DH and I stayed off property our first time at a rate that was 1/2 of what a Disney resort would've been. It was our honeymoon, and after footing the bill for our wedding/reception ourselves, we wanted to save money.

What a live and learn experience! Had we known then what we know now, we would've saved to stay on Disney property. The cost of rental car, parking, and time commuting between the World and property was not worth it.

This is a situation in which the adage 'you get what you pay for' is all too true!

But that's just my opinion. We're all different. Good luck!

 

[CrzyforPiglet]

Aside from all the great things everyone has already contributed I think it really comes down to how you and your family vacation. We go wanting to be immersed in Disney and have yet to leave property so for us staying on site is a perfect choice and we don't even have kids yet. Our next trip we will be going to Sea World - DH won't let me get around it but we're buying DVC so we will still be on property. Point being if you and your family think you'll be spending a majority of your time at Disney then for all the reasons noted in prior posts that you should stay at Disney. If you're going to split your time then I think the argument gets harder to make.

I will tell you when we went a couple weeks ago during the slowest time I've ever been to WDW we still saw groups of people sitting on the pavement in the middle of the parking lots waiting for their hotel busses to pick them up. That was all I needed to see on our trip to convince me we had done the right thing staying at CSR!!

 

[gepetto]

You still have to pay quite a bit of airport transfers when you're onsite. We have stayed onsite many times and have never once seen a towel animal.

Offsite you can stay in a luxury condo/suite with a kitchen/bigscreen tv/washer/dryer/dishwasher for about the same price as a moderate. Your parking would be free with the AP's.

 

[Grumpy37]

DW is a stay-at-home mom. For business travel I generally like staying a suites hotel. But for a family vacation the suites hotels (and you could probably include DVC villas in this category) really don't amount to much of a vacation for DW.

Likewise, getting everyone ready and packed up and into a car to go to the parks, then back for a nap, etc. then back to the parks doesn't really constitute a vacation for me. Parking lots, trams, etc. aren't really that big of a deal, but they really highlight the difference between a resort and a hotel, IMO. I, for one, will never go back to the offsite hotel experience during the WDW days. BTW, we stayed at the Rennaisance across from SeaWorld, that was almost like staying at a park resort. Our kids are YEARS away from Universal age, etc. so we've never tried that.

Other misc. stuff in favor of resort stays vs. offsite hotels:
Free (and fast!) taxi service to/from Disney golf courses for resort guests.
Room key charging throughout the World.
Purchases delivered back to your room (this is huge for us, we actually arrive with an empty suitcase).
Early Magic Hour.
Extended park hour passes, when available.
Guaranteed park entry when ultra-crowded.
Most importantly, WDW resorts have prices to fit any budget!!!

 

[jdads2]

Lots of good reasons folks.

Grumpy37: I was unaware of the guarenteed entry.

Thanks everyone

 

[DMRick]

Guaranteed park entry when ultra-crowded.

We were told last May that that had stopped, and once the parks were full, they were full (although we were also given the days the park had closed and it wasn't many over the years....don't remember now what days that was).

 

[Julia M]

Dave,

You made some good points. However, I am one of those people who would use the same criteria and stay off site. Here's why:

Cost of room:
We exchange our timeshare, and have stayed at OLCC and will be staying at one of the Marriotts (can't remember which one) courtesy of my parents) and one week at Vistana. Because I bought a resale unit, and have owned it enough years, we are past the "break even" point, where all I need to figure cost wise is maintenance, the exchange fee and RCI membership. So cost for one week in a two bedroom unit is $600. Since we usually travel at peak period, we pay alot for a room at Disney. the last time it was over $200 per night (with tax) at Dixie Landings.

Transportation to/from hotel:
We stay pretty close and rent a car. When you add in the wait at bus stops, it's pretty close. The bonus for a car......I pack a treat in the car, along with drinks in a cooler. As we get out of the parking lot and on the way home, we enjoy our snack. Definitely makes the drive home smoother. In terms of cost, I paid $189 for our last rental, which was for 10 days. Of course, for me, part of the pleasure of planning a vacation is finding bargains....I will admit that I spend more time than most people.

Free meal deals at some hotels
Since we stay in a timeshare, we don't get free meals. I do like the convenience of a big fridge, and microwave in our room, for b'fast. I'm not going to make sandwiches for WDW, but we do sometimes pick up an offsite take out meal on the way home. Since we don't do character b'fasts (just who we are, I prefer to spend my money on lunch), it does save us money. I will also use the blender and make mudslides or margaritas in the evening.

Convenience for afternoon naps:
The extra time it might take to get to Vistana for a nap (IMHO) is easily offset my being able to put kids in bedrooms, and still have the family room for me and dh.

Pool
Again, timeshares frequently have nice pools. Interestingly, the pools I thought were nicest (we stayed at Grand Californian in July), my kids were just so-so about. Who can figure that out? We spend more time in the parks, than at the pool. But I do agree, a nice pool (whever you are) is a must for me.

Food availability
Again, WDW has lots of food opportunities. Since I haven't been since 2001, I won't comment on the expense. But I was appalled when I was at Disneyland this summer......what you were getting for the price was shocking (and I know food will be pricey......captive audience and all, and I've never cared.....but this was APPALLING) So I may be happier with a burger from Shake and Steak than onsite. Certainly, there are tons of places and lots of variety outside WDW, just as their is inside.

Fun factor
This is just to personal to try and quantify. We go to Disney alot, and have a Disney VISA to help add some money for trips. Having said that, I like getting away from the "magic" each night. It's just me. And I know my kids LOVED OLCC, feeding the ducks on our personal patio, playing volleyball in the pool, and so on.

Perks
I personally loved heading out to the peace of our timeshare, sleeping in our king bed. I would usually use the jacuzzi tub every night in our bathroom, too. I used the cable tv show (like cartoon network) to help get the kids up in the morning. Since we don't have cable at home, I loved watching it myself.

Personally, I have no desire to stay in the ALL Stars. I'm sure they're great and people love them, but I have absolutely no interest. And I enjoyed DxL, but absolutely hated a family of five in there. And for $200 per night, the amenities really aren't there in the rooms. It was fun for a night ot two, though. But by our third night, I was relieved to move offsite! I would probably enjoy the deluxes, but staying there isn't likely in my immediate (or not so immediate future)

This is truly a discussion where there will never be agreement. And with all the Orlando has to offer, there is no reason why there needs to be. The people who can't imagine ever staying anywhere but onsite need to remember that it's not a contest, as do the people who can't imagine ever staying but offiste. The reality is that with every criteria, there are very valid reasons thatsupport both decisions.

Julia

 

[jdads2]

Great reply Julia!!

Very informative. These are the kind of responses I had been hoping for. You make some excellent points anf some grest reasons why some folks should consider offsite resorts.

I'm sure the biggest reason we have no problems with service or transportation or anything else for that matter is because we vacation during value season when crowds are low.

 

[photobob]

When I go to Disney staying onsite is a definate must.

Transportation-Some may not care for the transportation Disney provides but it is one of the big reasons I stay at Disney Resorts. Is it true that you may can get to the parking lots quicker in your own car or rental? Probably, but I'm not there to run a race, I'm there to enjoy myself and not having to drive is a big part of that. Not driving for the length of my stay adds to the escape from reality that Disney provides.

Magic-Being immersed in Disney the entire time is another item I'd throw into the escape from reality category. I have a hard time explaining to others why we have been to WDW 4 times since '97, so I've quit trying to. It's great to meet others who get it.

Afternoon breaks-The simplicity of getting back to the resort by hopping on a bus or boat is priceless. I guess the hassle-free factor also adds to my enjoyment.

CM interaction-Most CM's at the resorts, parks and restauarants make you feel like you are a welcomed guest. So many times they add greatly to my experience, some act like they are glad you asked them. I don't recall ever having a CM make me feel unwanted. The fact that I'm always in a good positive mood myself when i'm there adds to that greatly.

Pools-My kids have loved the pools at WDW, especially on the last trip when we stayed at YC and they had SAB at their disposal.

Cost-Room costs are more. We always have a certain amount of money available for rooms and try to get the most room for our money. I stayed at YC my last trip but dud so for $104 per night.

Food-Food is expensive, but there a wide variety of food choices at a wide variety of prices. We usually eat at sit-down nice restaurants at lunch for better prices and have light suppers and breakfast to cut down the cost.

All things considered I'd rather stay onsite and really wouldn't enjoy going if I didn't...