Why do you stay off site?

[Zeebs]

Its tough to compare apples to apples as it were...

We're obsessive about "knowing it all" and "figuring it out" if you'll allow me. So we really tried to look at it in a variety of ways. We took out the rental car piece of the trip since we'd rent weather on site or not, so the only items to look at are room and food.

Six nights is Kidani via renting points from a dvc member is costing us $1550.I had a quote of $1070 for NINE nights in a four-bed villa at vrbo.com; had its own pool and hot tub and thr price included pool heat. We budgeted 150 for the other three nights off site (actually got them free thru starwood cc) so on site was about $650 more.

Food? Well dining plan will be $800. COuld we eat for less than $800 offsite over six nights? Yes, likely for half that if we ate in the villa but here's the really tough piece to discern:

What's our time worth? Cooking, shopping, planning is something we do each day here at the house. Is it really vacation to deal with that? What the six night / seven day value of not dealing with lunch and dinner (we'll have breakfast in the kidani room to keep the ts's for high end meals and to save)?

Is it worth the $1k Difference which is what we could likely save if we did the whole 9 days off site? 1000/6 nights = 167 if I divide it by 4 since there is 4 of us it amounts to about $42 a day. But maybe its only the time spent dealing with and cooking meals and cleaning up after them that should count... maybe 90 minutes per meal plus shopping time? 270 X 6 = 1620 minutes? 16 or 17 hours over six nights dealing with food? Sound right? High?

Now factor in the "park time issue" (at least a 10 mile commute to parks each day) and pay for parking issue and we realized that it might be a wash even though more money will, in fact leave our wallets...

This doesn't make a darn bit of sense does it...

Blimey a lot of time on your hands ,

Agree it is good to put it into something like this too see how it would work for you.

We made our first trip last year, and stayed off site. We were 4 adults and 2 small children so obviously a condo was going to be cheaper than 2 rooms.

The way we currently tour with the kids being so young, is that we have breakfast at the condo, (when my kids wake up they want breakfast NOW not after everyone is showered and dressed and then wandered to the food court.) get to the park early. We never found the whole parking thing particularly tedious, it was easy and being there early meant we were usually in walking distance rather than tram distance.

We would have a lunch at the park and then mid afternoon to about 4.00 depending on how the kids were doing we would leave for the day and not return.

On leaving it was nice to get in the car and everyone had a seat, no waiting and off we went.

We loved being able to go back to the condo, maybe have a swim, chill out with space, have a relaxed dinner, some times take out, sometimes go out.

Also I have two very very noisy sleeping boys, having them in a room not the same as me is great.

I have no regrets that we stayed offsite. Yes one day I would like to compare but I think I will wait until the kids are bigger and we can stay out later without them melting down.

Kirsten

 

[Magalex]

My son and I just returned from five nights at Doubletree in DTD. I picked it for the price -- $400 -- for five nights. That includes all taxes and fees. I also decided on Doubletree because all rooms are suites. My son stays up later than me and I'm up earlier than him. If we stayed in a Disney hotel, then I know we both would have been inconvenienced by only having one room.

I also liked having the small refrig and microwave. The shuttles ran every 30 minutes to and from the parks. Beds were very comfy and the room was clean. The hotel also had Neutrogena shampoo, conditioner, lotion and facial wash. I think when I stayed at POFQ in January I only got shampoo.

Doubletree and Best Western are the farthest from Downtown Disney (but there are shuttles as well)....about a 12 minute walk....a little over a half mile according to my Garmin. We really liked the Doubletree and would recommend it to others. For the money, we got a great deal.

Did you have the chance to visit the restaurant at the hotel? If so, how was the food at the cafe? So there were no transportation issues to the parks? We are planning on spending only 2 days at WDW parks(Epcot & MK). So it would be great to try the DTD bus system.

 

[littlbugmom]

What's our time worth? Cooking, shopping, planning is something we do each day here at the house. Is it really vacation to deal with that?

Is it worth the $1k Difference which is what we could likely save if we did the whole 9 days off site? 1000/6 nights = 167 if I divide it by 4 since there is 4 of us it amounts to about $42 a day. But maybe its only the time spent dealing with and cooking meals and cleaning up after them that should count... maybe 90 minutes per meal plus shopping time? 270 X 6 = 1620 minutes? 16 or 17 hours over six nights dealing with food? Sound right? High?

Now factor in the "park time issue" (at least a 10 mile commute to parks each day) and pay for parking issue and we realized that it might be a wash even though more money will, in fact leave our wallets...

This doesn't make a darn bit of sense does it...

This is a perfect example of how everything depends on the individual. What is a hassle to one person doesn't even register as a thought to another.

The drive-------
I think the last time we were at WDW, we may have had a 10 mile commute if you estimate 5miles each way. The time to drive there was nothing. The kids had just enough time to talk about what we were doing first. Next year, the drive will be 1 mile away. That is less than nothing.

Directions were not a hassle at all. Even before gps, it was simple to follow the handful of streets you have to use to get to any of the parks.

Time spent on planning meals during vacation------
This doesn't register a thought for me because the planning is done before we even leave for the airport. It's part of the fun of planning. All meals are planned based on our touring plan and/or ADR's for the day. No thought is put into meals once we're enjoying our vacation.

The shopping list is also done before we start our vacation. DH does the shopping our arrival day while I unpack and get the room set up for us. That time isn't wasted because I'd be unpacking anyway while the kids explore the house.

Meals are simple....less than 30 minutes to prepare and the clean up time for a family of 4 with everyone doing their part seems like nothing to me.

I could equate the time spent preparing/cleaning up to the time spent waiting for a table at a sit down restaurant or standing in line for a counter service meal. We have spent 45 minutes waiting to be seated at a table for which we had a reservation. DH has stood in line for 15 minutes just to get a turkey leg.

Of course time is spent doing these things. Someone is going to prefer the time spent doing it one way vs the time spent doing it the other way.

 

[littlbugmom]

For us, no transportation stress is worth a few minutes of standing in line (which has NEVER been very long) for the monorail or a bus. And finally, we can have a beer or glass of wine with dinner without having to worry about driving later....

Another example of what works for one, doesn't for another. The best way is always up to the individual. We will always rent a car because Disney transportation is a hassle, in our opinion. I suppose it depends on when you are there, what time you leave the parks etc.. The crowds that are gathered at the bus stops when we are walking out to our car are usually pretty big. HUGE at night.

 

[Jill in Chicago]

Pool. I love having a private pool. That seals it for me.

T.V. I go to bed early. My husband and boys like to stay up and watch t.v. That is tough in one hotel room.

Kitchen. DH loves to cook. I am blessed. It saves so much money from going out, and there is nothing like having appetizers while lounging by the pool.

Two bathrooms. Enough said.

Space. I know people say how much time do you spend in the room? You still have to all shower, get dressed, or get ready for bed. We are big people and it gets tight in a hotel room.

Driving. My husband does not mind the drive. He loves the challenge of finding the short cuts. It was only a 10 minute drive from our house to Animal Kingdom. Not a big deal.

Privacy. Quiet. Not on top of other people every time you turn around. It is much more refreshing to have your own space.

 

[kksmom92]

Pool. I love having a private pool. That seals it for me.

T.V. I go to bed early. My husband and boys like to stay up and watch t.v. That is tough in one hotel room.

Kitchen. DH loves to cook. I am blessed. It saves so much money from going out, and there is nothing like having appetizers while lounging by the pool.

Two bathrooms. Enough said.

Space. I know people say how much time do you spend in the room? You still have to all shower, get dressed, or get ready for bed. We are big people and it gets tight in a hotel room.

Driving. My husband does not mind the drive. He loves the challenge of finding the short cuts. It was only a 10 minute drive from our house to Animal Kingdom. Not a big deal.

Privacy. Quiet. Not on top of other people every time you turn around. It is much more refreshing to have your own space.

I would have to agree 100%!

The reason's we stayed off site the first time was because we could get a 4 bedroom house with a private pool for the same price as if we stayed at an All Star resort!! My biggest worry staying at the All Star (or any hotel) would be how to keep the kid quiet once we got back from the parks. At least with our house they could run around or just crash in their own bedrooms and we didn't have to worry if they were to noisy (if they were running around) or if our tv was to loud as they we in a totally different room.

The other big plus for staying in a vacation rental is the washer and dryer!! We didn't have to worry about bringing a ton of clothes with us as when they get dirty I can just throw a load into the wash once we get home and by the time I go to bed they are already out of the dryer and folded!

I love having a kitchen! We can have a good size breakfast before we head to the parks, then we can come home for lunch and enjoy the pool (when the parks are busy) and then go back at night. Yes there are nights we might just stop at subway on the way home, but most of the time we can just make a quick sandwich or one of those days we don't do a whole day at the park I can make enough where we can have left overs the following day. (or two)

The driving and parking doesn't bother us at all. Where we stay is only 10 minutes from the Disney exit on I-4. I'll just never forget staying at the All Star and using their busses before (That was pre kids) and thinking it was a little crazy then! I couldn't imagine trying to fold up strollers and hauling them along with the kids on the bus! So for us even if we stayed on site we would be driving to the parking lots.

 

[champ.49er]

Here are our reasons for staying off-site the past 2 years:

1. Cost
2. Rental car gives us flexibility to go to Walmart and other places.
3. Bus takes longer than driving a rental car.
4. We stay all day at the parks, so we don't really get to experience the Disney atmosphere in the resort.
5. Off-site hotels have a refridgerator and microwave when comparing the same per night cost with a resort.

 

[dyna]

Even tho only DH an I travel no kids most trips we still enjoy a 2 bed 2 bath condo or townhouse. I put all my stuff in 2nd bed an bath we can both get ready at same time without falling all over each other. DH sleeps more than I do hotel rooms just don't work well for us for that reason.

As far as shopping a cooking I have that planned out before we leave home. I can do breakfast in less than 5 mins waffles, eggs an sausage but I cook the sausage arrival day while DH unpacks his stuff then he cleans up while I unpack my stuff. usually 60 to 90 mins total for preccooking our food an unpacking.

We always drive warm months we travel on a harley having a washer an dryer is NICE cause we have to do laundry at least every other day. Usually it's easier just to do darks one day an lights the next tho. I'm up for at least an hour if not more once we back to condo after park closing I usually do laundry then at least get it washed an in dryer clothes might get folded next morn while waitin for DH to get up. He's not above folding laundry either an at disney it no problem it's either mine or his he knows the dif.

Riding harley down we get motorcycle parking at all the parks usually right next to the handicapped parking very very short walk. In a car winter months I can take cooked frozen food we can eat that it weighs out having to park a little further away from gate.

In June when we visited disney we ate at TGIFridays buy one entree get one free a couple of times. Olive garden once but got 3 meals off that meal. Arbys had reg roast beef 5 for5.00 we got those a couple times got 2 meals an a snack off 5 roast beefs.

We have stayed onsite many many times even done free dining I don't go to disney for the food esp not TS takes way to much park time. We don't like planning where to eat months in advance having to be at a certain place at certain time etc.

We HATE disneys cattle cars the bus service has went downhill the past few yrs with the wait times.

 

[Scurvy]

I've been going to WDW for several trips every year for the last 14 years, and once a year for almost 20 years before that. Until last year I had never stayed off site. Last year when they announced they were closing the Adventurers Club my husband and I planned several quick trips to enjoy the Club before it closed. I was mad at Disney for closing the Club and didn't want them to benefit financially from it, so we decided to stay off site for those trips. I expected to just tolerate that and thought once those trips were done we'd be back to staying on premises again.

We loved staying off site! We've stayed close to Downtown a few times and we've stayed closer to Universal a few times. We've also gone back to Pop once since then. Three are only three of us on most of our trips and we don't need more room, but we have discovered we really like having the larger rooms that staying offsite gives us. I also discovered that driving our own car to the parks is much easier than relying on the busses.

As for EMH - your miliage may vary. We never liked EMH as well as the Early Entry that they used to have. We haven't really missed EMH at all - and I was one who always suggested that people stay onsite just for EMH. But the last few times we used it - including this past March - we realized that it didn't really save us any more time than just planning our days carefully did.

As for meals - we never eat enough to warrant getting the dining plan. Plus there are off premises places we really like. Staying off site hasn't changed the way we dine at all.

And yes, staying offsite does often cost less. But we went back for the Fourth of July and could have stayed at Port Orleans (our favorite WDW resort) for the same price we payed offsite. We chose to stay offsite anyway.

 

[BonnieP]

We have a last minute trip in December planned-free dining and great airline prices . We fly into MCO late afternoon, so we have decided to stay off-site that first night and then arrive at POR for the rest of our stay. We have not decided on a hotel for that first night yet.

We are renting a car, so getting around will not be a problem. My DH is VERY good with maps and the roadways for driving from park to park, resort to resort. I drive, he navigates... But we have the option of taking Disney transportation too.

This past January we rented a 3B, 3B townhouse at Windsor Hills-drove our own car that time. The owner had a week open, so we got a decent rate for the 7 days. It was nice having a splash pool and the convenience of a kitchen for breakfasts. That time we only went to the parks 3 of the 7 days. The rest of the time we explored the surrounding areas and checked out different restaurants. We really enjoyed Town Tavern in Celebration.

At this stage of our visits to Disney parks we now take our time and don't have to rush, but that's probably due mainly to our age ....we've been going since 1990 with the boys and now by ourselves.

We have stayed at a variety of resorts on-site, but also like the great deals you can get off-site.

Good luck with making that decision!!

 

[mcvixen]

For us, it's not really about the money, it's about the space. My husband and I have only one child and so easily could stay at any on-site at any of Disney's resorts. But for us, with our daughter so young and with a bedtime so early, Disney's standard rooms turn into a lock-down when she goes to bed.

We much prefer having a suite, where we can bed the girl down, and then stay up in a living room as we do at home, watching TV and getting some time alone together.

I'm not sure we're saving money staying off-site, as I don't like to cook while on vacation (it's my vacation too!), and any money we're saving on the hotel will likely be taken up by the cost of car rental (especially this year ).

 

[Our 2 Princesses]

We have decided to stay offsite next year because we really want the extra room and the kitchen. We want to at least eat breakfast in the room before we leave for the day. Plus our dds who will be 10 and 14 at the time cannot sleep together without fighting!!

 

[alexcturner]

We love being able to go shopping/eating etc wherever we want. Also, to us, it just feels more relaxing staying in a home. I love Disney!!, but I do not want to spend 24 hours caught up in the frenzy of eating/going/revolving around Disney.
And yes, waiting for the bus can be maddening....

 

[SanFranciscan]

My husband and I stayed off-site during our only trip to WDW. We were planning to stay on-site next time. A half-hour wait for Disney transportation wouldn't upset us. We often wait that long in the subway station for our streetcar home from work. However, if we got a really good deal off-site, we'd go for it.

Just make sure that you consider the value of your time. We stayed out on Presidental Way and got around on the public buses because we live in a crowded city where a car is largely a nuisance because there is no place to park it so we are not used to driving. If you have a car and are not hell bent on a hotel with a high star rating, the Crestwood Suites, where we stayed, are fine. It was clean and had a little kitchen but much too far from WDW without a car. I wouldn't put too much faith in the star ratings anyway. I asked here about a week ago for someone to explain how those stars are assigned, and the response I got said that it is so subjective that sometimes the numbers of stars is even based on how much the hotel pays in local taxes. The same place can get different ratings by different organizations.

 

[Chelley00]

We stay offsite for many reasons, not just because it's cheaper

1. We're a family of 6, and cramming 6 of us (including 2 teenagers that are 6 foot tall) into 2 little hotel rooms is just setting up disaster

2. We love that each kid can have their own space and we get our own room. That's vacation!

3. We need that extra bathroom. The 16 year old takes REALLy long showers, and if we only had one bathroom, or even 2, it would take days for us to get going in the mornings!

4. I like being able to throw a load of laundry in before we leave for the park, then fold it when I get "home"

5. No fighting over the pool chairs!

6. DH and I like to put the kids to bed and then take a drink out to the hot tub. The kids are right through the door and we can see into the house through the sliding doors in case someone gets up.

7. The villa we rent only has one house on one side and woods on the other. It's quiet and peaceful at night after the hustle of the parks during they day.

8. We stay in Sunset Lakes, and have a really quick, easy drive to the parks. We timed it with friends once, and we were "home" from Epcot before they were back to AKL on the bus.

9. We like being able to cook breakfast in the mornings before heading out, and once in awhile will grill for dinner. Saves money, and sometimes eating out all the time just gets old.

 

[mdinme]

To each his own yes yes and great thread. Many have said they like the kitchen off site but don't most rooms have them? We're in Kidani in Jan and the 1bd has a full kitchen?

 

[Scurvy]

To each his own yes yes and great thread. Many have said they like the kitchen off site but don't most rooms have them? We're in Kidani in Jan and the 1bd has a full kitchen?

No, most of the WDW rooms don't have kitchens. The value rooms don't have any kitchen amenities. The Moderates have small fridges and coffee pots, as do the deluxes. Only the "home away from home" resorts (or whatever they are calling them these days) such as the DVC properties have anything like a functional kitchen. And those are normally much more expensive than comparable lodging off premises, though of course they have the advantages of being on site.

 

[mdinme]

Animal Kingdom Villas Rooms

One Bedroom

Value category rooms can accommodate a party of 4, all other rooms can accommodate a party of 5 (plus child under age 3 in crib)
Master bedroom with king size bed
Master bathroom with whirlpool tub
Second bathroom in Kidani Village guestrooms only
Queen size sleep sofa in living room
Sleeper chair in living room (not available in Value rooms)
Flat panel TV and DVD player
Fully equipped kitchen
Stacked washer/dryer
Private balcony
629 - 710 square feet in Jambo House
807 square feet in Kidani Village

 

[Scurvy]

Animal Kingdom Villas Rooms

One Bedroom

(snipped description)


Fully equipped kitchen

Yes, that does sound really nice. Unfortunately those aren't typical hotel rooms - they are DVC property. Most WDW hotels aren't like that. If you don't want to stay at a DVC property you have to go off premises to find comparable lodging.

 

[Chelley00]

Animal Kingdom Villas Rooms

One Bedroom

Value category rooms can accommodate a party of 4, all other rooms can accommodate a party of 5 (plus child under age 3 in crib)
Master bedroom with king size bed
Master bathroom with whirlpool tub
Second bathroom in Kidani Village guestrooms only
Queen size sleep sofa in living room
Sleeper chair in living room (not available in Value rooms)
Flat panel TV and DVD player
Fully equipped kitchen
Stacked washer/dryer
Private balcony
629 - 710 square feet in Jambo House
807 square feet in Kidani Village

Pricing one night on the WDW website for late October (when we usually go) it's $510 A NIGHT for a weekday for the 1 bedroom in Kidani. We pay that much for a 4 bedroom, 3 bath house with private pool and private hot tub for 4 nights.