WDW resorts vs. Off property

[crisi]

To me the difference is Disney as a multiple theme park destination vs. Disney as a resort.

Disney provides a lot of stuff (that you can engage in as an off site guest if you are so inclined) that isn't theme parks. Pirate Cruises and Tea Parties for the kids. Fishing excursions, horseback riding, water mice rental, parasailing. 99 holes of fantastic golf. Sitting by the pool with a drink from the pool bar in your hand (ok, you can only sit at the Disney pools if you are a resort guest, but the rest of this stuff you can book regardless).

You probably aren't going to play $135 a round golf if you are on a budget. But if you aren't on a budget (or not a tight one) Disney is a lovely resort to visit - and even never step foot in the parks.

For our family, Disney is a resort destination. We fly into MCO, take a towncar into Disney property and don't leave until the towncar comes back to pick us up. No different than going to Club Med or going on a Cruise - well, except for the theme parks. As such, off site doesn't do it for us.

But Disney makes a very nice non-resort destination as well. You can come in every day from an off site hotel and have a lovely time. It makes a lovely day trip from Sarasota. A nice stop on a tour of Central Florida.

BTW, This aspect of Disney as a resort is most noticable at the Deluxe resorts and least noticible at the Value resorts.

 

[Aubrey]

Rather than pay $10 per day, you might consider purchasing the travel fridge at Walmart. It is the size of a large cooler, costs $57, and works in the car through the lighter plug (It turns off when the car is off so it doesn't drain the battery.), comes with an adapter for plugging into a wall outlet in your hotel room. It both heats and cools depending on how you set it. And it can be used as a standard cooler if you choose not to plug it in. If you are flying, pack some lightweight items in it, put it in it's cardboard box to protect it from scratches and check it in as a piece of luggage.

 

[disneysteve]

Originally posted by Aubrey
Rather than pay $10 per day, you might consider purchasing the travel fridge at Walmart. It is the size of a large cooler, costs $57, and works in the car through the lighter plug (It turns off when the car is off so it doesn't drain the battery.), comes with an adapter for plugging into a wall outlet in your hotel room. And it can be used as a standard cooler if you choose not to plug it in

These are great. We've used our Igloo one for years. But are you sure about using it as a regular cooler? I know ours isn't supposed to get wet inside because of the fan mechanism. So you can't fill it with ice. Maybe the newer ones are different.

Steve

 

[Aubrey]

I wouldn't fill it with loose ice but then, I don't do that in my regular cooler either. I use those frozen gel packs or even better, frozen capri sun drinks. Good point though, if someone is using loose ice, it could be a problem. I'd advise bagging your ice in double ziplock freezer bags to be sure it doesn't melt all over the place and re-use the bags when you refill the cooler.