why bother with offsite?

[MickeyMomTo2]

We prefer onsite, but on our next trip, we will be staying six nights free in a Downtown Disney hotel because of honors points. It's hard to turn down free!

 

[Goofy'slady]

I'm another one who has experienced both and think both have their advantages. My family use to only stay off-site for years, renting villas or homes until last year. After taking our family last May for two weeks my husband and I decided to return to celebrate our wedding anniversary and our 30th birthdays (all happen in the month of Sept.) and we got a great deal for a Mod on-site. We usually drive but this time around the great deal we got on flights just couldn't be beat and to top it all off we got free park tickets because a family member works for ABC (which is of course owned by Disney) and since he wasn't gonna use 'em he gave them to us as a gift.

It was a first time for us and we were excited about our stay at CSR. We loved being picked up by ME at the airport, my husband who does all the driving in our family (I don't drive or even have a license) loved the idea that someone other than him would be driving back and forth. Mickey was not pushed in our faces 24/7 at CSR (not that we would have minded cuz we love the guy) but we certainly had that "special Disney-feel".

Fast forward to this past May-we took our two wonderful girls and my BFF friend tagged along just as she did last May so we needed more room to spread out. We rented a 3 bdroom 2bath home with screened in private pool and spa. We ate breakfast each morning so that saved us tons of money that was frankely better off spent on Mickey ice cream bars and suvies at the parks for our wee ones. We were only about 15mins outside of the park so that really wasn't a bad drive for us. We could afford to stay for 10 nights instead of just 7 on-site. HOWEVER-we're already planning for next May and this time it will just be the four of us and we're doing a split stay; 4nights at POR and 3nights at WL. My husband and I plan on making this a present to our oldest daughter for graduating 5th grade and we want to imerse both of our girls in the full Disney experience.

All I have to say to someone who says "I'll never stay off-site" is "don't knock it til ya try it" and like it's been said before a stay on or off-site is a good one if that means you're spending your days with Mickey.

T.

 

[d1gitman]

You should have heard me explaining why we weren't staying w/ them!

It was a lovely speech about "immersing dd in the magic."

We had to tactfully find ways of letting Mother & Mother-In-Law know that we were going alone this year. For the last 2 yrs, they have joined us. There were no issues, but we felt it time for just our family to have a vaca.

The other family issue we have is that my DW has cousins & uncles/aunts that live 30 min. from WDW entrance and they always want us to stay with them, visit etc....i put the kibash on that yrs. ago because i wanted to enjoy our vaca and get to see WDW. fact is, THEY don't vaca in Boston and stay with us why should we have to do any different.

 

[Snowy-girls]

all great answers...keep them coming...who knows, maybe someday we will consider offsite again.

my reasons for NOT staying offsite are as follows:
1. while on vaca, we don't want to lift a finger if we don't have to, the more WDW does for us, the better.
2. we don't want to cook, we get to do that the other 50-51 wks in a year, thus a kitchen is useless.
3. for the limited time in the room, watching TV from our bed in a hotel room is just fine. thus do not need a villa with a living room
4. we don't want to make beds or do linens
5. we don't want to drive ourselve to & fro park
6. we don't want to spend money on car rental, parking, GAS
7. we prefer the Magical Express convenience vs. car rental pick up & returnI
8. most of all, we love to immersed in the Disney experience. can't get enough of it. going back to the resort and getting the Disney touch is a nice pick me up at the end of the day

Anyway, thanks for all the great responses and keep them coming.

Please believe me when i say i am not picking at your reasons,-but just wanted to point a couple of things out ----
1,When staying in a hotel/suite(as i pointed out in my post,we do on I-Drive)you don't have to make beds or do linens etc..housekeeping does that for you.
2,99% of I-Drive hotels/suites offer transport to+from the WDW parks inc Universal/Seaworld+IOA,even the shopping malls,90% are free of charge.(where as Disney don't offer you transport to any other parks bar there own).
3,I personally believe you don't have to rent a car when staying on I-Drive everything is so close by.
....................................................................
With the tv,that's ok if you all want to watch the same channel-but myself+dh having 2 daughters that doesn't work,so one in the bedroom for them is great+1 in the lounge for us is great.

Also being/sleeping in the same room is not great if you have young children who are still in bed by 8 or 9pm,then me+dh can't have any lights on,have to whisper to each other when we want to say something+have the tv so low you can't hear it anyway+may as well go to bed yourself .

Also having a fridge/microwave in the hotel room is so handy for re-heating leftovers,heating popcorn etc..In some suites you get a wet bar-which consists of micro/coffee+tea facilities/fridge+sink+cupboard space-believe me this comes in so handy-especially with children.(Also a nice cold fridge to keep my bottle of wine in after a long day at the parks .)Also housekeeping does your dishes for you as well .

Also most hotels/suites offer a FREE full cooked breakfast or continental breakfast which is a great money saver.x.

 

[WillCAD]

I've stayed off-site more than I've stayed on-site. I prefer on-site, but I never hesitate to stay off-site if my budget requires it.

And since I travel solo, I don't stay in vacation homes or condos or villas - I stay in old-fashioned hotels, mostly the cheaper ones.

I have one overriding reason why I stay off-site: Money. I stay in the cheapest place that meets my minimum requirements (clean room, proximity to WDW, ample parking, quiet and peaceful). I am willing to spend a little extra to stay in a Disney Value instead of off-site, but I won't pay more than $80 for a Value, and if I can get a bigger, more comfortable room at the Comfort Inn, Days Inn, or Amerisuites off site for less than a Disney Value, then I'll take it.

all great answers...keep them coming...who knows, maybe someday we will consider offsite again.

my reasons for NOT staying offsite are as follows:
1. while on vaca, we don't want to lift a finger if we don't have to, the more WDW does for us, the better.
2. we don't want to cook, we get to do that the other 50-51 wks in a year, thus a kitchen is useless.
3. for the limited time in the room, watching TV from our bed in a hotel room is just fine. thus do not need a villa with a living room
4. we don't want to make beds or do linens
5. we don't want to drive ourselve to & fro park
6. we don't want to spend money on car rental, parking, GAS
7. we prefer the Magical Express convenience vs. car rental pick up & return
8. most of all, we love to immersed in the Disney experience. can't get enough of it. going back to the resort and getting the Disney touch is a nice pick me up at the end of the day

Anyway, thanks for all the great responses and keep them coming.

All valid reasons. But many of them don't apply to me because I travel to WDW solo.

1. Ditto. Except that there are a few things that I prefer to have under my control-freak contol at all times - like driving.
2. Ditto. I have no need or desire for a kitchen. However, a microwave and small fridge are useful to me.
3. Ditto. But I have a bad back, so if I happen to get a room with a comfy chair for TV viewing, all the better.
4. Ditto Ditto.
5. Here's where I diverge from you - I prefer to drive myself everywhere. It's a time-savings/control-freak thing.
6. I always rent a car, even when I stay on-site, and drive myself everywhere.
7. I don't mind handling my own luggage - I don't overpack and my luggage has wheels - and I prefer being able to make supply stops on the way in and souvenier stops on the way back.
8. Even when I stay on-site, I really enjoy getting off WDW property for shopping, dining, and going to other attractions in Orlando. Disney gets a lot of my money every year, but they don't have an exclusive hold on my imagination - or my vacation time!

There is nothing "special" about staying onsite. There is something "convenient" about staying onsite. My opinion is that when you stay onsite you are paying for location. Your not paying for the room. Your not paying for the amenities. Your not paying for the EMH's. Your paying a hefty price for being located the closest to WDW. So if that means the most to you...onsite is were you need to be.

I disagree - I think staying on-site IS a special experience. Granted, the WDW resorts are not as upscale as their rates imply, but they still have some wonderful themeing and atmosphere, and some great extra ammenities - like EMH, free transportation, package delivery, room charging, etc - so I think staying at a WDW resort is a special experience, as long as you approach it with the proper attitude.

 

[lborne]

We've stayed on site and off site and prefer off site for most of the reasons everyone else has stated. If we did not have kids, we'd probably not mind a standard hotel room, but now we are spoiled with lots of space.

1. Much cheaper.
2. Usually stay in a 2 BR with full kitchen.
3. Can come back in the afternoon, let older kid watch TV in one BR, other kid watches another show in the LR, and wife and I get to nap in Master BR. Then go back to the parks refreshed.
4. Reaching into full size fridge to get a beer and jumping into the Jacuzzi tubs is realaxing after a full day at the parks.
5. We stop at Wal-Mart and get food and snacks that we can keep in the fridge and bring to the parks - saves $ and time in lines waiting to buy a drink.
6. We don't want to cook either, but for breakfast we can have cereal and be at the parks for rope drop.
7. Washing machine and dryer in the condo means we can pack less.

We drive and even if we stayed on site, would never use Disney busses again. Some might argue that taking the bus is just as fast as taking your own car, but at least walking to my car FEELS like I'm making progress. Waiting in line to take a crowded bus is not fun.

 

[labdogs42]

Here are a few reasons (I am referring to staying in a pool home, the only way I have stayed offsite):

'cuz I don't do EMH's anyway
I rent a car anyway
with a house, I get my OWN pool
when there are 9 people in your party and you can get a house for $800 for the week, you can't beat the space you get for the price!
two words: FREE internet

 

[rosiejo]

Because you can rent a private house with a pool for less than the cost of a value room - even when there's only two of you. Plus you have space to spread out and a kitchen to save $$ on breakfast and making lunch.

That said after years of offsite we just bought into DVC as we get similar benefits and get to be onsite.

I have a pros and cons article on my website at A Pocketful of Pixie Dust

 

[Freyja]

Because we are a family of 7 and when we stay in a ville offsite we get 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a full kitchen, a games room and a private pool for $125 per night. Not to mention the villa also provides a stroller for no extra charge (unlike Disney)

We would have to pay a lot more than $125 to get the same amenities at Disney.

That being said we are going to stay onsite for the first time in December. We´re doing a split stay, 1 week villa offsite and 1 week in 2 rooms at a value.

 

[d1gitman]

...after years of offsite we just bought into DVC as we get similar benefits and get to be onsite.

I have a pros and cons article on my website at A Pocketful of Pixie Dust

OOOO DVC another hot topic to me. I have run the math over and over and to me, i can book value resorts for the same money in today's dollars as DVC. Given inflation and annual dues increases, i venture to gamble it still will play out that way. furthermore, one can rent DVC points and get a Deluxe trip on a Value budget. The only reason i haven't done that is free dining. I would rather have free food than pay for food and have a deluxe resort. when free food dissappears, then i willd do a DVC rental.

 

[snickerboo]

Cheaper, full kitchen, washer/dryer, leaving the Disney crowds behind at the end of the day, 3 bedroom condo for the price of a value room so kids get own beds, own t.v.s......We've never stayed onsite and I can't say as I would unless my finances changed and I could stay at one of the deluxe resorts. No way I'd stay at a value resort over Windsor Hills!

 

[boakl1968]

Why?

1. We have three kids and it's too hard to cram all five of us into a room. Nobody sleeps well and when you're not rested at Disney, you are not having fun at Disney. We rent at least a three bedroom place so we can keep the sleeping arrangements the same.

2. No hikes to the pool after a long day at the parks. We rent houses with private pools and it's right there waiting for only us. Very relaxing and peaceful

3. Breakfast at home with our kids' favorite foods. No standing in lines at food courts or waiting at a table service restaurant first thing. We stand in enough lines in the parks.

4. Room to spread out when the Disney magic fades at the end of a long day. It's great to have a living room for the adults while the kids sleep. I hate having to sit there in the dark, being silent so as to not wake the kids. I like to take a bath, read a book, unwind after a full day.

5. I can sit by the pool during the mid-day break while the kids nap

6. On off days we have a house to hang around instead of a room'

7. No searching for a parking spot at 1am after the midnight Wishes show and then having to carry 25+ pounds of toddler through a parking lot, a lobby a long hall and into the room only to have him wake up as soon as his head hits the pillow and proceed to bounce around for two hours. Private home= private driveway with a spot for us and a quick walk to the children's bedrooms

Don't get me wrong --- there is a certain magic in staying on site. My husband and I go down by ourselves every spring and we stay on property and love it. But it's so much better when the family comes along to stay in a single family home. We have our own rooms, a kitchen, a pool, a living area, a parking spot, etc. We just avoid EMH parks and we see everything and feel like we are missing nothing

 

[mjpeter]

Why?

1. We have three kids and it's too hard to cram all five of us into a room. Nobody sleeps well and when you're not rested at Disney, you are not having fun at Disney. We rent at least a three bedroom place so we can keep the sleeping arrangements the same.

2. No hikes to the pool after a long day at the parks. We rent houses with private pools and it's right there waiting for only us. Very relaxing and peaceful

3. Breakfast at home with our kids' favorite foods. No standing in lines at food courts or waiting at a table service restaurant first thing. We stand in enough lines in the parks.

4. Room to spread out when the Disney magic fades at the end of a long day. It's great to have a living room for the adults while the kids sleep. I hate having to sit there in the dark, being silent so as to not wake the kids. I like to take a bath, read a book, unwind after a full day.

5. I can sit by the pool during the mid-day break while the kids nap

6. On off days we have a house to hang around instead of a room'

7. No searching for a parking spot at 1am after the midnight Wishes show and then having to carry 25+ pounds of toddler through a parking lot, a lobby a long hall and into the room only to have him wake up as soon as his head hits the pillow and proceed to bounce around for two hours. Private home= private driveway with a spot for us and a quick walk to the children's bedrooms

Don't get me wrong --- there is a certain magic in staying on site. My husband and I go down by ourselves every spring and we stay on property and love it. But it's so much better when the family comes along to stay in a single family home. We have our own rooms, a kitchen, a pool, a living area, a parking spot, etc. We just avoid EMH parks and we see everything and feel like we are missing nothing

Too funny!! I could have written that myself. I have three sons of my own and we're renting a house for the first time this December...then we're mooching off the in-laws timeshare. Both times, the kids will have their own sleeping area, we'll have a kitchen, a private WASHER & DRYER, and a whole lot more room. No contest for me.

I'm looking forward to sitting in our own hot tub after the kids are in bed with a couple of pina coladas!! Can't do that on-site....but we can do that at our rental home.

 

[agame2323]

i beg to differ...for those of us who do like to be immersed in Disney, staying on site is special. i haven't seen Disney theming at ANY offsite hotels. If being immersed in Disney at the hotel isn't your thing, then for you, it isn't special. I wouldn't make a blanket statement that IT isn't special...it's all in the eyes of the beholder.

If i am not paying for the room, then what am i paying for? i certainly get to stay in the room and sleep in the room? I FEEL that by staying on site, I am paying for and getting ALL the things you mentioned. Location, Amenities, EMH's, Convenience and, a room.

My thing is this...You can immerse yourself in Disney all you want. You don't need the theme of a hotel to be immersed in Disney. I have stayed at the CBR, which I will say is lovely and I would stay there again, in a heart beat. But my reason's for staying have nothing to do with the CBR making me feel "special."

A beautiful resort, is a beautiful resort no matter how you slice and dice it.

I think we may define the word special differently in this context. Special to ME is being pampered or treated differently then the average guest. Special to YOU sounds like it's simply seeing Disney every second of the day while at your hotel, which by the way isn't a bad thing.

The only thing that Disney can offer that offsite hotels can not IS LOCATION. Yes, you pay for a room and sleep it but so does everyone who is staying offsite. Outside of the Disney theme's, your room is no different then theirs. Amenities...again...Disney offers basically what its competition offers, even less in some cases. But the one thing that competitors can not match is the convenience of being located minutes, even seconds from Disney. Being so close that you can watch Wishes from your hotel room is priceless to some. THAT'S what your paying for. And you know what...its not a bad deal.

 

[asmit4]

My thing is this...You can immerse yourself in Disney all you want. You don't need the theme of a hotel to be immersed in Disney. I have stayed at the CBR, which I will say is lovely and I would stay there again, in a heart beat. But my reason's for staying have nothing to do with the CBR making me feel "special."

A beautiful resort, is a beautiful resort no matter how you slice and dice it.

I think we may define the word special differently in this context. Special to ME is being pampered or treated differently then the average guest. Special to YOU sounds like it's simply seeing Disney every second of the day while at your hotel, which by the way isn't a bad thing.

The only thing that Disney can offer that offsite hotels can not IS LOCATION. Yes, you pay for a room and sleep it but so does everyone who is staying offsite. Outside of the Disney theme's, your room is no different then theirs. Amenities...again...Disney offers basically what its competition offers, even less in some cases. But the one thing that competitors can not match is the convenience of being located minutes, even seconds from Disney. Being so close that you can watch Wishes from your hotel room is priceless to some. THAT'S what your paying for. And you know what...its not a bad deal.

I got ya on that! I now understand what you were trying to say. For us, it's LOCATION, not having to rent/drive a car, and EMH that does it.

As it stands now, DW is not our main vacation-it's a secondary trip. My husband and I go on a romantic trip too each year. However, when we have kids, we will most likely do DW for a week and make it our MAIN vacation. When that happens, we need our own space, our own room. This may be TMI- but part of our trips IS the romance, we are more free on vacation, no stress, no worries, so we want to enjoy our time together There is very little way we could do that in a DW resort as most are just regular rooms (not including suites which are out of our price range).

If we have kids and DW was our main vacation, I would push for a house. Sitting in the jacuzzi alone with a glass of wine while the kiddies are sleeping would be nice, having our own room with an attached private bathroom would be nice...these are things that we don't need as of yet. When we do-a house is gonna be the way to go.

 

[tndisneyfan]

I always stay on-site but I can see why some people don't. It seems like WDW resorts are for a family of four or less. Some people just can't afford a deluxe or two rooms at a value to accomodate everyone.

 

[tim17]

With four teenage children and travelling from Europe in July it's down to economics. Our airfares alone are $6000 so staying offsite is the only choice.

Plus (and this is where us Brits differ from you guys) it's not just about Disney. Our vacation will include WDW, Universal, Seaworld and maybe Kennedy Space Center, Gatorland etc. For us it's the whole Orlando package and we can't wait - 6 weeks and counting!

 

[ntsammy5]

But the one thing that competitors can not match is the convenience of being located minutes, even seconds from Disney.

Location, location, location. That's why the monorail resorts and the Epcot resorts are the most expensive --- location. Well worth it to some, not to us any more.

The one thing I don't get though is how everyone uses that trite phrase "immersed in Disney magic 24/7" all the time. It's a stock response and means absolutely nothing. As for us in 32 trips since 1995, all except one have been on site. November is the first off site for us since 2000. I'm curious to see how much we like it. Given the amenities we'll have, better than even the GF, I think I'll like it just fine.

 

[mjkaferle5]

........The one thing I don't get though is how everyone uses that trite phrase "immersed in Disney magic 24/7" all the time. It's a stock response and means absolutely nothing. .....

You say it means nothing, to me it means everything. It is simply the truth. That is why so many people say it.

When I stay onsite, I am completely cut-off from the outside world for the duration of my stay. So "immersed in Disney magic 24/7" sums it up for me.

 

[mjpeter]

I always stay on-site but I can see why some people don't. It seems like WDW resorts are for a family of four or less. Some people just can't afford a deluxe or two rooms at a value to accomodate everyone.

I agree with this. Our family of five would do fine in one hotel room while we had babies, but now that the youngest is almost 5, it doesn't work. Plus, my kids aren't used sleeping together, so they wouldn't fall asleep until 1 in the morning. That doesn't bode well for rope-drop.