Which would you choose?

[beautybelle]

The next time I go I will have a 10 yr old and a 14 mo old. What would you recommend, a pool home with all the goodies or onsite hotel? I was thinking AKL would be nice IF we stayed onsite but I was also thinking that the pool homes are sooo comfortable not to even mention cheaper and we usually stay around 7 to 9 days. I really love the pool homes BUT I have always wanted to stay onsite too. I cant decide.

 

[mmeb144]

Stay onsite! Be surrounded by the magic 24/7. Utilize Disney transportation. Do the EMH. (Well, you get the idea. )

Alright, I am biased. But, to me it's worth the extra buckage to be closer to the magic.

Marie

 

[sue1013]

Depends what will give you a better vacation room or convenience? Some families want more room that the pool home will give you. Aside from the room you will have to drive back and forth from the parks. Are you planning to spend every day at the parks? Will you need to go back for a nap for the younger one each day? Do you plan on using the kitchen in the pool home for some meals? We have always found it more convenient to stay onsite. I don't prepare any meals on vacation. We also love not having to drive, I spend way too much time in my car on a daily basis. Also if you need to split up for whatever reason say one child wants to stay and swim the other wants to go to a park if you're onsite that makes it easier. Whatever you decide have a great trip!

 

[Bugsmom73]

I would vote for staying onsite. I would do a monorail resort or WL if your fundage allows. The 10yr old will probably not need a nap but the baby will and being able to get back and forth easily is key and not have to worry about the baby falling asleep in the car and then waking up upon transfer. If you would prefer somewhere in the middle of the whole shebang, Carribean Beach.

 

[What the Heck]

You asked what I would do and I would most definately stay onsite. Onsite, you can allow the kids more freedom than you might somewhere else. You don't go too far without seeing a CM, have you ever noticed that? Probably not, most people don't. But what that means is if one of the kids should be lost somewhere, if you are onsite, it's easier to get them back to you. And, I love onsite (so I'm a little biased there). Just my thoughts.

 

[ceecee]

I would pick onsite. Like the above poster said you never have to leave the magic! We love not having to drive for 10 days too.

 

[gigi1313]

i would strongly encourage you to stay on-site... but not at akl... it's too far from most of the fun... those bus rides are very gruelling... a better bet would be wilderness lodge (in the same price range) or POFQ (our family's fave)

 

[legalslave]

I would stay onsite in one of the Fort Wilderness cabins. You get a full kitchen and a separate bedroom and living room (with two TVs) plus daly maid service (mousekeeping even puts the dishes in the dishwasher and runs it) and all the other Disney onsite perks. Join AAA and get their discount.

 

[Lisa P.]

When you ask any onsite vs. offsite question on this forum, it will ALWAYS be overwhelmingly answered with, "stay onsite!"

When you ask the same question on the Orlando Hotels forum, you'll find it varies much more, usually leaning toward offsite so long as you will have your own transportation (car)... the space and amenities offsite for the same price you'd pay onsite make a huge difference for many families. And they don't bother to frequent this forum, since this perspective is rarely appreciated here.

FWIW, we consider onsite when....
--- staying briefly (up to 3 nights)
--- we wouldn't have a car
--- we may split up and need transport to regroup at our room
--- if we want to stay on the monorail with little ones (near MK)

For most of our time, we prefer offsite. We like the added benefits we find offsite:
--- sleeping privacy (and romance) for longer stays
--- peace/space to unwind in a regular LR while others sleep
--- inroom kitchen, washer/dryer, jacuzzi, extra bathroom(s)
--- relief from the Disney marketing machine 24/7
--- convenience to less costly restaurants/food
--- breakfast in our PJs, while getting ready at our own pace
--- easy, favorite foods handy (picky kids or hungry teens help you appreciate this)

With the ages of your children, you need to decide what will enhance your vacation the most. We've tagged a couple of nights onsite onto the end of an offsite week, several times. It's a good combo for us.

 

[MareSINY]

In the past year my family has stayed at a rental home twice. We loved having the convenience of going to our own room when we needed space. We had our very own pool in the backyard, could do laundry if needed, had no problem making snacks for the kids, and we had a game room and lots of toys for the kids to play with.

I'm going in 12 days with my sister and two nieces, we're staying at the Contemporary and we're really looking forward to experiencing the magic of staying onsite, but that doesn't take away from the relaxing trips we took when we stayed in villas offsite.

 

[wdwfan1]

With little ones, stay onsite. If one gets tired during the day, one parent can take him/her back to the hotel, while the other is free to stay and tour with the other child.

It is truly a different vacation when you stay on the property. If you need more room, try to get two rooms at Pop Century. It may be around the same price as AKL. Not as nice, but you would have 2 TVs and 2 bathrooms.

 

[jrjac]

My reply is simple-stay onsite!

 

[What the Heck]

Another reason for staying onsite is the extra magic hour. We are late sleepers, so those extra 3 hours in the different parks look very appealing.