why bother with offsite?

[jennytablina]

We've always stayed off-site. Which has been that way from trip one.

We first stayed at Quality Inn because it was one of the cheapest on I-Drive and we stayed at another hotel the second trip. Though we all got a little bugged that if we had to eat, we had to go to a resturant or just buy nibbles. Still it was about the same as a value room if not a little bigger in both cases.

Then we discovered villas.

We stayed in a villa for trip 3 and havent looked back since. It's just so nice having a full kitchen and seperate bedrooms. Not to mention our own pool, DVD players (great for checking those extra purchases). Plus sometimes its nice to take a break from Disney. Theres plenty shops and attractions in Orlando that are worth a view.

I do want to stay onsite one day but I really want to stay in one of the more fancy resorts to do this

 

[centurythree]

I thought seriously about booking two rooms at a value this trip, since with the deluxe dining plan it would only be an extra $700.00 or so compared to staying at a nice off-site villa.

But when it comes down to it, I don't think I'm willing to give up the villa to stay at what is, in the end, a motel. I'll probably just pay OOP for dining and save several hundred dollars. (Now if Disney or AAA comes up with a steep discount between now and January, I might consider switching back.)

So, I'm back to saying that unless I'm staying at one of the monorail resorts, I'll just continue to stay off-site . . . and those deluxes will just have to wait until I'll finished school.

As for the benefits of staying onsite:

EMH?--Don't need it. I can get everything done during park hours, and would rather avoid the EMH park of the day.

Busses?--No thanks, I don't enjoy being on them or waiting for them. I'll have a car.

"Closer to the magic'?--We're staying pretty close by. I suspect we may be able to get to the parks faster than people waiting on their busses in the morning.

Charging privileges?--I'm still trying to figure out how it benefits me in any way to charge something to my room which then hits my credit card, rather than just charging it to my card in the first place.

 

[Minniemouse07]

I'm one of those "immersion" people. Sorry but there it is.

If I'm traveling all the way to Orlando to see Mickey...I want to be on property. I've been to WDW 9 times (tenth next month) and eight of them were off property either in a hotel or staying w/ ILs. I MUCH prefer on property. Heck ILs are FREE and I prefer on property! We stayed on property for the first time in December and I can't see us ever not doing so again by choice.

I prefer to eat out on vacation and not cook (I love cooking...just not on vacation) so having our own kitchen isn't important to me. I do like at least a mini fridge though w/ our kids (7 and 2) to keep drinks and small snacks for them.

I really love the dining plan and it works great for us. Ds wasn't old enough for it this past trip, but we booked a lot of buffets where he ate free (and he made up for dd not eating all that much!).

Dh and I both prefer not to drive on our vacation. I love taking DME from the airport and I love being able to hop on a bus (or a boat!) to get anywhere I need to. We had zero bus issues on our December trip...even with ds' stroller! I have a 20mile commute each way... every day for work, the last thing I want to do on vacation is drive!

As for EMHs...I like that I CAN use them. I don't all the time but they work out nicely when I use them wisely. When we stayed off property I was all about juggling to make sure we avoided those parks, but I liked walking into AK an hour early and getting on the Safari!

And the last reason why I prefer staying property... I like people.. I like staying somewhere where I can chat w/ others around the resort, at the food court and at the pool. I like that I can have a conversation w/ someone on a bus on the way to the parks.

If we stay off property in the future it would be with our friends in a townhouse/private pool set up and that is just too secluded for me. I want to be in the middle of the action and be "immersed" in the magic.

But hey... everyone that wants to stay off property ...more power to ya, that just means less people and shorter lines during EMHs for us diehards!

 

[jarrdisney]

I find it pretty ironic that everyone here is on a WDW message board, presumably loves WDW, yet states that they don't want to be immersed in WDW 24/7. That they need to "get away" from WDW. Also, nearly everyone (not all) that have stated why they would rather stay offiste, always bring up the value resorts. I'm sorry but when you're talking about staying on disney property it's imperative to lump in the amazingly immersive deluxes. BWI, WL, etc, are amazing vacation destinations in their own right.

I've stayed offsite about 6 times in a nice villa with extra bathrooms/bedrooms. I've also stayed onsite close to 10 times, and would take staying in a disney deluxe over offiste any day off the week. What it comes down to is the almighty dollar for most, including me. Our trips offsite are completely different in their own right, but they are NOT full on WDW experiences. We take the chance to explore the rest of orlando (universal/etc), and take advantage of having a car.

At the end of the day it's all about what WDW means to you. For us WDW is an escape from reality. It's a dream world created for children of all ages, and I want to experience that from the moment I land at MCO to the moment magical express drops me back off at the airport for departure. IMO you just can't do that staying anywhere offsite.

 

[jsmla]

I raised my family staying on-site (since 1989), mostly camping at Ft. Wilderness. At Easter hubby and I chose to stay in a condo in LBV and it was wonderful! I might feel differently if we could spring for Deluxe resorts but for us on-site usually means camping or a Value (for the kids and me, hubby refuses to stay in a Value resort). I arrived earlier than DH at Easter and spent two nights at Pop with no car. Pop was okay but I hated not having a car! I felt trapped at Disney. I think we're now off-site converts.

Here's my breakdown:

We prefer having our own car and I hate the busses. To me they're way more stressful than sitting in my own car, listening to my own music and having a nice cold beverage from the ice chest. We drive everywhere but the Magic Kingdom even when we're on-site. We drove to the MK at Easter and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't the ordeal I'd been lead to believe. I have an Annual Pass so there are no parking fees.

I like to have our own food with us and get tired of eating out for every meal (or even most of them). Sometimes I'd much rather fix something simple and eat in the relaxed atmosphere of the condo. I like to eat a certain diet (don't do burgers/fries/pizza, etc.) and it's just easier for me with a kitchen. It's no trouble to throw together a salad. It's not like I cook Thanksgiving dinner every night. Besides, we're from Louisiana and I like my own cooking better than Disney's

Our condo was $100 a night, a moderate would have been well over $200 (Easter week). Hubby HATES the values and refuses to stay in them. For over $100/night savings I'll make my own bed. It takes me three minutes for goodness sakes. DH hates people coming into the room anyway.

Loved having a washer/dryer.

Camper=tiny, Values=not much bigger, Condo=well over 1000 sq. feet. I had an extra room just for the shopping!

At Easter hubby spent one entire night watching some sort of winter X games on the TV. It was nice to have the bedroom to get away from that! He's a rabid LSU fan and it seems like there's always some sort of important game he has to see while we're in Disney. (We go in early January and last trip was completely dominated by the BCS championship. I got to watch it whether I wanted to or not.)

We did stuff besides Disney, a trip to the beach and a day canoeing at Blue Springs State Park. It was nice to take a break from the parks.

Some of the condos are pet-friendly and I save $35/day by not putting Jack at his boarding place. Plus, we enjoy having him with us.

Sorry so long, but I was one of the die-hard on-site fans till now and I'm just thrilled so far with what I've found off-site.

Jennifer

 

[takemetodisney]

I find it pretty ironic that everyone here is on a WDW message board, presumably loves WDW, yet states that they don't want to be immersed in WDW 24/7. That they need to "get away" from WDW. Also, nearly everyone (not all) that have stated why they would rather stay offiste, always bring up the value resorts. I'm sorry but when you're talking about staying on disney property it's imperative to lump in the amazingly immersive deluxes. BWI, WL, etc, are amazing vacation destinations in their own right.

I've stayed offsite about 6 times in a nice villa with extra bathrooms/bedrooms. I've also stayed onsite close to 10 times, and would take staying in a disney deluxe over offiste any day off the week. What it comes down to is the almighty dollar for most, including me. Our trips offsite are completely different in their own right, but they are NOT full on WDW experiences. We take the chance to explore the rest of orlando (universal/etc), and take advantage of having a car.

At the end of the day it's all about what WDW means to you. For us WDW is an escape from reality. It's a dream world created for children of all ages, and I want to experience that from the moment I land at MCO to the moment magical express drops me back off at the airport for departure. IMO you just can't do that staying anywhere offsite.

Well, for some of us the almighty dollar is about whether we get to go to WDW at all. If my only choice was to stay at a deluxe....we wouldn't be going. Because of the number of days I could afford to stay at a deluxe....2 maybe 3....would not make it worth the cost of airfare for 2-3 days of fun.

So...while staying onsite is great for those that feel the need for immersion 24/7.....not all of us need that to enjoy WDW. I can immerse myself in it for 12 hours a day, and take the euphoria it brings me back to my offsite accomodations. It usually lasts right through to the next morning without any problem.

But hey....that's what makes WDW so wonderful...you CAN do it the way you want and the memories are just as strong and just as wonderful.

What I find sad, and this is not aimed particularly at the post I quoted, but at all the people who find the need to basically tell those who choose to stay off site that they're not getting the same experience and are somehow less of a WDW lover because of it. I'd love to see someone compare number of days/hours spent at the parks over the course of a year for those who stay onsite and those who stay offsite.....cause I'll bet the costs some feel are necessary in staying onsite prevent you from being there as often as others who stay offsite. I know there will be exceptions, because some people on here make way more money than some of the rest of us....but I'll bet those earning average salaries but insisting on staying on site don't visit nearly as often as those earning the same salaries who stay offsite.
For example....the national average salary is $41k. Our single wage-earner household income is below the national average....yet by the end of 2008 we'll have stayed 64 days in WDW.....8 of which were spent elsewhere, so 56 days in one year.


So then who's the more dedicated?

 

[takemetodisney]

I agree!! Being cut off from the outside world is GREAT. No driving, no traffic lights, no worrying about how to get to where, directions. No eating at any places like chain restaurants, nothing that isn't MICKEY...it's GREAT!

Hee hee, you guys are probably the ones who also don't take your cells phones or computers with you on vacation. I'm by no means plugged in all the time, but I also don't want to be cut off from the rest of the world. I am a stay at home mom, so it's not the office calling, but friends....and on the computer I enjoy watching news shows from my hometown, not Orlando, and talking to my friends at home, and keep up with my online friends too.

I guess it all boils down to how you enjoy vacationing....I love to drive and would probably go beserk not being behind the wheel for even one week....and while I definitely have favorite restaurants at WDW......I also love several chain restaurants, and since we seldom eat out while at home, vacation to me is ALSO about eating at Olive Garden, lol. I don't go to the one here in town, but I almost always hit an Olive Garden when we travel.

 

[asmit4]

Hee hee, you guys are probably the ones who also don't take your cells phones or computers with you on vacation. I'm by no means plugged in all the time, but I also don't want to be cut off from the rest of the world. I am a stay at home mom, so it's not the office calling, but friends....and on the computer I enjoy watching news shows from my hometown, not Orlando, and talking to my friends at home, and keep up with my online friends too.

YUP! I am that person...no computer on trips, we also take cells, but do NOT pick up any phone calls unless they are from those of us that are ON the trip (like we got lost, are gonna be late). We check our messages each night from those not on the trip. We also update our cells to say where we are on the message and to let them know that we will be checking later at night. (we don't have a home phone at all, just cells).

We avoid any and all news, no tv either, unless it's the DW vacation tv station or weather. I don't want to know who died, what blew up, what political pundits said about the candidates.

We do this with ALL vacations, not just DW. We are going to Mexico in October for a week. We are THRILLED b/c we will not have any newspapers, we will not have any TV that is not in spanish (we don't speak spanish), our cell phones won't work! SOOO excited! We LOVE not thinking about anything but our current location. No bills, no interruptions, no politics, no news, nothing Family will have the name and # to our hotel if an emergency happens. That's it!

 

[poeticdiabetic]

YUP! I am that person...no computer on trips, we also take cells, but do NOT pick up any phone calls unless they are from those of us that are ON the trip (like we got lost, are gonna be late). We check our messages each night from those not on the trip. We also update our cells to say where we are on the message and to let them know that we will be checking later at night. (we don't have a home phone at all, just cells).

We avoid any and all news, no tv either, unless it's the DW vacation tv station or weather. I don't want to know who died, what blew up, what political pundits said about the candidates.

We do this with ALL vacations, not just DW. We are going to Mexico in October for a week. We are THRILLED b/c we will not have any newspapers, we will not have any TV that is not in spanish (we don't speak spanish), our cell phones won't work! SOOO excited! We LOVE not thinking about anything but our current location. No bills, no interruptions, no politics, no news, nothing Family will have the name and # to our hotel if an emergency happens. That's it!

Dangit! That's me to a tee!!!

I would like to sign some sort of petition that places the newspapers on WDW hotels in places not easily read by passers-by. I actually make a concerted effort not to even look that way, which is hard for me to do.

And I actually carry a totally separate cell phone, an emergency phone, that only close family and associates have. And that phone's voicemail says something like this: "Please stop and listen to this message. This phone is to be used for emergency purposes only. Emergencies are life-threatening or life-ending events; such as death, severe bodily harm to close family, or extreme property loss- like a fire to my home."

"If that is the case, please leave a message. If not, please utilize the other forms of communication and I will get back to you when I get back from vacation; for a message left on this phone's voicemail will automatically cause alarm."

"Thank you for your cooperation!"

 

[WillCAD]

I find it pretty ironic that everyone here is on a WDW message board, presumably loves WDW, yet states that they don't want to be immersed in WDW 24/7. That they need to "get away" from WDW. Also, nearly everyone (not all) that have stated why they would rather stay offiste, always bring up the value resorts. I'm sorry but when you're talking about staying on disney property it's imperative to lump in the amazingly immersive deluxes. BWI, WL, etc, are amazing vacation destinations in their own right.

I bring up the Values because they are the ONLY Disney resorts I can afford. The Almighty Dollar rules my life, too.

I compare the Values to off-site hotels in the same category, or in the same price range. Either way, you get more bang for your buck off-site.

And as for "immersion," frankly, I think the Values are far more immersive in the Disney theming than any of the Deluxes. The Deluxes have immersive theming, to be sure, but not Disneytheming - South Seas, turn of the century Florida, northern woods, African safari, Jersey seashore... all of these are nice, but they're not Disney-esque to me.

Now, a 30-foot dalmation... a giant Mickey Mouse phone... an enourmous Mighty Ducks hockey mask... these things scream DISNEY to me! The fact that they are all in the only Disney resorts that I can afford is just gravy.

If I have a choice between staying off-site and not going - I'm off-site in a heartbeat!

YUP! I am that person...no computer on trips, we also take cells, but do NOT pick up any phone calls unless they are from those of us that are ON the trip (like we got lost, are gonna be late). We check our messages each night from those not on the trip. We also update our cells to say where we are on the message and to let them know that we will be checking later at night. (we don't have a home phone at all, just cells).

We avoid any and all news, no tv either, unless it's the DW vacation tv station or weather. I don't want to know who died, what blew up, what political pundits said about the candidates.

We do this with ALL vacations, not just DW. We are going to Mexico in October for a week. We are THRILLED b/c we will not have any newspapers, we will not have any TV that is not in spanish (we don't speak spanish), our cell phones won't work! SOOO excited! We LOVE not thinking about anything but our current location. No bills, no interruptions, no politics, no news, nothing Family will have the name and # to our hotel if an emergency happens. That's it!

I refuse to do anything work-related while on vacation. I won't answer phone calls, won't respond to voice mails, and won't even read my work email while on vacation.

But I also don't want to cut myself off from the world like the Unibomber. Going on vacation doesn't mean I stop living my life; heck, my vacations are the best part OF my life! Pretending the rest of the world doesn't exist just makes it that much more difficult to return to it at the end of the trip, and besides - knowing that the rest of the world is out there makes my time on vacation that much more precious, more special, more dear to me.

You can't appreciate what you've got unless you know what it's like to not have it.

And I also keep up with the news while on vacation. If there's a hurricane coming, a terrorist alert, or a natural or man-made disaster at home, I'd rather know in advance than be caught like an idiot at the airport asking, "Why is my flight cancelled? Storm? What storm? Why didn't anybody tell me about that!?"

 

[Cool-Beans]

I want to add that the TV issue is another reason that I like a condo.

I can't stand TV. Drives me a little bonkers. I tune it out at home as much as I can and it isn't even on when nobody else is here.

I especially hate any sort of reality TV, and double that when it is full of young people whose sentences are peppered with the following words: Wow, like, you know, ummm, dude. I want to strangle those people. Kidding. Mostly.

And unlike WillCAD, I don't want to keep up on the news. If someone got bombed, I don't want to know. A few days later will be soon enough for me to find out. If it's going to have a direct impact on my life, someone will surely call and let me know.

But I know a lot of folks simply must find out who was eliminated on American Idol. They have to know which politician said which stupid and incorrect thing. It is as important to them as my desire for peace and quiet is for me.

A condo lets us both get what we want.

 

[L500768]

We just got back from our first trip to Disney and stayed offsite and because we went commando almost everyday all we used the hotel for was to sleep. We were immersed in the Disney atmosphere almost our entire waking day. In the future we would go for the most economical hotel and stay longer due to saving more money.

 

[mdoc]

We stay on-site at Fort Wilderness. We love it because we have all the Disney magic in our own camper with our own stuff in tow. If we were not staying in our camper at FW, I would seriously consider off-site. With our family size (depending on who goes there are 6-8 of us) we need multiple rooms, and Disney rooms are small. We've stayed at the Contemporary, the Polynesian and the Wilderness Lodge and, while they were convenient, for the price I was very unimpressed. I'd rather rent a vacation home or for the price stay in a true luxury off-site hotel with more space and amenities.

 

[TIGGERGUY]

Why bother with offsite?

There is more to do in Orlando than just WDW. Staying offsite is cheaper and motivates you to do things outside of the mouse. Personally, I hit Universal almost every trip. Besides, I spend so much time at the parks all I do at the end of the day is go to my room and hit the bed.

Offsite hotels tend to throw in more benefits such as free breakfast, computer use, etc...

 

[thomas998]

Hmm... lets see... if your going to Disney with little kids that don't get up early or like to stay up till mid-night... you don't need the extra magic hours.... and if your an annual passholder you don't need the free parking from a resort...

I've stayed at a value when we waited too long to make reservations and couldn't get anything else... we lasted 1 night... the next day we checked out... and found a courtyard marriot that had a suite for $109... now quite frankly I don't know how anyone can justify paying Disney for a "value" at $109 in the summer when they could just as easily get a suite with free breakfasts thrown in for the same price. Did it have a themed pool? No, but then a "value" pool isnt' much of a themed pool either.... did it have an over priced fast food on site? no but it had several normally priced fast food places withing walking distance.

Frankly if I'm not staying at a deluxe resort I don't see any reason to stay at a value or moderate when I can get superior rooms at the same price or less by staying off site.... not to mention our off site hotel was closer to DTD and EPCOT than the AKL is from DTD or EPCOT... So for me I would have to ask why anyone would waste there money on a value or moderate... wouldn't you rather spend your money or dinning somewhere nice in the park instead of just having a tiny room in an over crowded hotel?

 

[kat777]

We're supposed to be staying offsite for practical reasons...it helps, of course, that I found a beautifully themed villa 10 mins away with the "wow" factor.

 

[asmit4]

Kat777

Can you post a link to the house you are renting? I'd love to see it! These houses are really gonna tempt me as time goes on. Nothing like having your own bedrooms and bathrooms plus a pool! I love love onsite, but that's b/c we don't have a big family. Usually just 2 or 3 of us going with no children.

 

[D&DDisney]

We prefer to stay off-site. Saves us a ton of money... rooms are better value for the money, free breakfast, access to off-site/less expensive restaurants, magical drive in to WDW, bigger rooms, and kitchen facilities.

Stayed on-site last year for the first time and was disappointed. Payed more for everything and yet didn't feel as "magical" as many have said.

 

[susan1]

stay off site as there is more to florida than disney. we try and stay nr an access road to the turnpike, I-75, I-4. so we can get outand about round the state

 

[PrincessBelle39]

After staying in a villa at Windsor Hills with separate rooms for the kids, private pool and hot tub, and all that space (not to mention the resort facilities), I would be hard pressed staying in a hotel again anywhere. Let alone Disney World. I've been spoiled.