Why do you stay off site?

[littlbugmom]

As MDINME points out, the Home Away from Home villas at Disney are very nice. They have the kind of space we need for a vacation. We stayed in a one bedroom villa at Old Key West and loved it.....but a 9night trip in the Fall is over $4,500 for just the room!!


We stayed in a two bedroom condo last year and spent less than $2,000.


Next year, we're renting a Disney themed 3 bedroom townhouse with private splash pool for $1,175. That's a savings of $3,325! We get everything the Disney villas have to offer and more. We're 1 mile from Disney and the resort is beautiful. All of that for a fraction of the cost.

Even if I figure in the value of free dining, we'd still save about $2,000.

 

[SunniKC]

We chose off site solely on cost. We got 9 nights over Christmas for under $800 at one of the DTD hotels --couldn't come close to that at a Disney resort. I wanted desperately to do one of the resorts this time but could not convince my husband it was worth the extra money.

 

[KateKat23]

My family has been to Florida 20+ times and have always stayed off property for many reasons. The past three years we have stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in LBV. We have been very pleased. Great price and a pretty good breakfast. Every year we add one more day cuz the price and location is perfect for us. The pool is never crowded so my girls are able to enjoy themselves.
In Sept. my husband and I are going by ourselves and found a GREAT rate at Embassy Suites. We did price out staying on property for only 6 days and it was still cheaper for us to stay off property plus we were able to add another 3 days. Also I was surprised we found a rental car for $145.00 granted it is mid size but it is only for the two of us. I would love someday to stay at the Polynesian but until I am able to afford it I am very pleased to stay off property.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I do it for both reasons, you get more for your money... larger space which equals out to more for your $$$$

 

[watersbland]

As another poster stated to calculate the real value, you have to take into consideration what things are most important to your family. For us, we wouldn't eat enough on-site to justify staying just for the free dining. We rented a car last time and are driving this time and we will always do one or the other when we visit disney. So, the rental car is out of the equation for us as well as the free dining. Some people don't want to step inside a kitchen or do any laundry at all while on their vacation. I can understand that but for us it's quick easy meals and laundry can be done while we're lounging in the pool, hot tub or playing billiards in our game room. My mom and DW are in the process of planning some easy meals right now and the grocery list will be done long before we leave. While mom and DW are unpacking and relaxing in the pool my dad and I will run to publix or walmart and pick up our necessities. A lot of things will be brought from hom with us because we are driving down and have lots of space for a couple coolers. With my parents going this time everyone will have their own space and plenty of bathrooms to expedite getting ready and out the door to the parks in the a.m. But even if it were just the two of us again we would still do a condo or villa. All that being said, we will try a long weekend on-site at some point in time so we can see the other side of the equation.

 

[Brian Noble]

The relative value offsite is superior for our family. We require separate sleeping spaces for the adults and kids, and it's possible to do that much less expensively and much more luxuriously offsite. We only stay onsite when we can get a DVC exchange for a 1BR or larger. We do not find the rental prices for those units (even as a point rental) to be worth the expense given the many wonderful resorts in excellent locations nearby that are available for 1/3 the cost.

 

[kydisneyfans]

Offsite for us:

-cost-can stay offsite in a condo for a week for the cost of 1 night in a deluxe Disney resort.
-space-1200 sq ft vs a hotel room
-amenities-full sized fridge, washer and dryer, microwave.
-travel time-it is quicker to drive offsite than take a bus onsite. I've never had to stand in my vehicle to drive it either.
-more facilities-waterslides, DJs, planned activities for the kids, etc.
-better tasting food
-multiple TVs with the channels I watch.

And the list could go on and on.....

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Generally we prefer to onsite. I've stayed offsite many times, and usually end up thinking I'd rather have stayed onsite. The three situations where I'm totally fine with offsite is: if DH has a conference (hey, it's free!), if we are offsite for arrival night, or if we are visiting the other Orlando. (Universal for one)


The thing about onsite vs. offsite is that's it's just easier for us to be onsite. There are those who will argue otherwise; the difference is hard to put into words.

In '06, we had a split stay, and one of our worst trips ever: four nights at a very nice offsite condo (Vistana), and three nights at AKL. Granted it's a deluxe. While we were offsite tension ran higher. All 9 of us felt pressure to come/go together (2 cars). With a rental car offsite, one person was the designated driver of each car - so coming and going was absolutely dependant on when THAT person wanted to come/go.

In our condo, we had a big fridge, cable tv, washer/dryer. It was nice being able to wash clothes in one sense - but in another: we DID wash clothes. We cooked. We cleaned the kitchen. In some ways, it was a bit like being at home. Worst of all, it was tough to coordinate when we left each day. The kids got sucked into tv/playing with toys. The adults got sucked into making breakfast and extra primping.

If you WANT to spend your vacation that way, then I think offsite is a good choice. Generally, I want to be on the go in WDW. I want to put all my energy into having fun and being in the parks. There is more to do at WDW than you will have time and energy to be able to do.

Once we were onsite: everyone could come and go as they pleased, everyone got up and out early, and things generally went more smoothly. While you are onsite: Disney beckons. Having to leave the room to get breakfast is a great start. It was one of our worst Disney trips ever, but I think it illustrated the difference clearly. The Vistana is very close to WDW, but it was still easy to get lost leaving WDW late at night.

Other times we've had smooth stays offsite. So long as we adhere to the situations I mention above. With every visit, there is bound to be at least one tense moment in a trip. The Vistana was very nice, clean HUGE room, nice amenities. Pop though has a fun feeling. AKL is just breathtaking. Vistana is not breathtaking.

(Oh, and I've stayed many times at the Swan- I consider it onsite. If you can get that place for $149 per night, it's a great deal!)

 

[PGHDisneyfan]

we like to stay off site at the Doubletree since all rooms are suites. Wifey and I enjoy a few hours every evening to ourselves to talk and laugh while peewee zzzzzzzzz in the adjacent room. We bring his monitor and his sleepy time music and do our best to make like as much like home as we can. Besides all the years I stayed in hilton hotels got me a ton of HHonor points to use!

 

[formill]

We are staying in a villa for our 3rd time. Swimming in the pool at the house and going in the hot tub there is sometimes the best part of the trip. I could not imagine 6 of us in a hotel room for more than a night or two. We need our space and having lots of tvs for the evenings is great too. Price wise the villas have been great too.

 

[LorilieMarie]

I haven't read all the posts, but what I have read makes off-site sound awesome. For me, on-site is better.

First of all, I fly in and take the Magical Express to my resort. I don't have to worry about locating a taxi, or renting a car. I don't want to be driving in an unfamiliar city. To me, it's part of the magic, having them do the driving. And yes, I know a BUS is not magical, but I can sit there and talk to my kids instead of watching the road ahead of me.

Second of all, the value resorts are $82 a night during value season . . . you can't get much cheaper than that. We don't like to relax at the resort. We are either in the parks or sleeping, so a nicer place would be nice, but not necessary.

 

[itchin2go]

We're staying offsite because it's free.

I would not trade my previous onsite stays for anything; they were amazing. However, we're very excited about staying offsite this time to try something new (and at a major savings). We always drive to Orlando, so the car thing is not an issue. At this point, we know our way around pretty well, so we're not worried about driving, parking, etc. We haven't been terribly dependent on Disney transportation our last two trips even though we were onsite. Sometimes driving is just more efficient. The cost savings enabled us to add an extra day to the trip. We like morning EMH, but only if you have park hoppers. I didn't buy park hoppers this time, so we wouldn't do EMH even if we were staying onsite. We're excited about cooking in the room a bit and lounging around instead of go-go-going every day. We're excited about trying some offsite restaurants.

 

[floydfamily4]

We are staying off site because of the space. I've been on vacation with just me, DH and the twins in 1 room and it was no fun. When they really needed to go to sleep it meant quiet for all of us. This time they get their baths, stories, and into bed to be ready for the next days adventure. This time we are going to have 4 adults and the twins and even 2 value rooms just weren't going to cut it. I am very budget conscious and vacation on cash. I just can't part with the kind of cash it takes to be really comfortable for a party (DVC2bdr) of our size. We are going to have 5 TS meals. Yes, that is a lot of OOP but since I don't want my kids eating nuggets and pizza for a week and we normally don't eat the kinds of portions, etc on the dining plan it makes sense for us. I priced it out and even at a break even (which we still couldn't get with room at wilderness cabins) the comfort won out. I don't mind preparing breakfast. We will still eat out but to have the ability to feed my family fruit and healthier choices and not pay an arm and leg for it. Well, its what we chose. Others make their choices, good luck with yours.

 

[snowangel72]

We stay off site for one main reason... I cannot stand being locked in a hotel room with lights out at 8pm! I just cannot do that for a week. And my kids crash hard when they have been at the parks all day. Seriously I think I would go nuts.

Oh and I love Giordano's pizza. It is my fav pizza in the entire world! From now on, I am going to order whilst driving from the airport to the house so it's there when we get there. It is that good!

I don't "cook" while on vacation, no way. We do make breakfast, but we order in Chinese, or pick up Giordano's or eat out for dinner. And I don't do laundry on vacay either BUT we use the dryer a TON. My kids are always in the water and everything is always wet. I love having the dryer!

But let me tell you, it is LOVELY to be able to put the kids down at night then listen to music while lounging in the hot tub with my hubby. Lovely! Now that's a vacation

For ME, you could not pay ME money to stay at a Disney Value Resort....loud, crowded, small and the decor - no thank you. Not for me. Now if I could do the Beach or Yacht club for the same price as a vacation home then maybe, but that's never going to happen...

 

[kksmom92]

Oh and I love Giordano's pizza. It is my fav pizza in the entire world! From now on, I am going to order whilst driving from the airport to the house so it's there when we get there. It is that good!

I'll have to remember that when we go down. I wonder where their closest location to Champions Gate would be. I better try and figure that out. (Good thing I have 5 months yet )

 

[dougsmom98]

I'll have to remember that when we go down. I wonder where their closest location to Champions Gate would be. I better try and figure that out. (Good thing I have 5 months yet )

I think the closest location to Champions Gate is the one on 192 West. If you take Old Lake Wilson/Lake Wilson road, it goes straight to 192 West. You can see it on this map, if you go to the Champions Gate area.
http://www.thedibb.co.uk/villa-map.php

 

[minnie_michelle]

I stayed off-site for my very first trip to Disney and didn't mind it. My boyfriend at the time had a cousin that lived 5 miles from Disney so he allowed us to stay in his apartment for free!!! It did take forever though to drive there each day (we went for 4 days!), park, walk or take the tram to the entrance and then spend the whole day in the park and then drive all the way back at night after the shows etc. We were very very exhausted each day.

I enjoy staying on site because I like having the option of getting to the parks early and then leaving around 2pm and going back to the hotel for a nap or pool time and then coming back to the parks in the late afternoon/evening refreshed and ready to enjoy them again. The EMH are also a huge plus. When my sister and I went for my second trip, this convenience was priceless and I will likely never stay off-site again.

 

[davinakb]

We stay off site because we think it's a better value. Having done the Value and Moderate thing, used WDW transportation, we just prefer off-site. IMO we get bigger, better space for a longer time for less money.

• Short stays. When it's a quick trip and space is not an issue, we get deals through Priceline or at SpringHill Suites which include breakfast, Internet, etc. for less than a Value.
• Long stays. The longer we're there, the more space we want esp. with a bigger group. So vs. the cost of at least 2-3 rooms, a condo or villa for $500-$700 for a week is a deal. Everyone gets their own bed, room, TVs, sometimes we have a private pool plus kitchen, laundry, Internet, etc. We've even split bigger places with friends, save more $.
• Driving. Other than the monorail to the MK, we prefer driving ourselves anyway. Easier and faster IME, esp. when going to different resorts for dining. Plus with a car, there's off-property dining and shopping.
• Dining. We have the TiW card, and splurge on a lot of signature dining; but we also save $ having breakfast and snacks in the condo.

If we were A) flying and B) could not Priceline a car rental, and needed the transportation and C) Magical Express and D) really wanted the EMH and maybe the E) DDP, we'd stay on site. Otherwise we stay off-site. FWIW.

 

[PistonsFan]

We just returned from our first onsite trip and both DH and I agreed that we wished we had stayed offsite again at Windsor Hills, even if price were not an object.

1. The pool at WH is just as nice as the Disney Resorts
2. We loved having the extra space. There are only 3 of us, but when my son is napping or goes to bed earlier than us we can stay up and watch TV or sit out on the lanai.
3. We HATED the Disney transportation and could get home from the parks so much faster in our own car.
4. We stayed onsite because of free dining, but found the dining plan to be too much of a pain with all of the scheduling that needed to be done, it was way too restrictive and we spent too much time worrying about making our reservation times (not to mention that you can get better food on the "outside" - I really missed that Chicago style pizza place by WH and also going to Celebration for an evening).
5. We missed having a full refrigerator and freezer (we liked freezing our water bottles to take to the park). Also, even if you just want snacks and breakfasts, it's nice to have a toaster and microwave (and dishes/dishwasher).
6. We find the housekeeping services to be more of an annoyance than anything because they never came until late when my son was trying to nap, so most days we didn't even get our room cleaned.
7. We really missed having a washer and dryer to just throw a quick load of clothes in.
8. As far as not wanting to leave the "magic" -- if "magic" involves standing in lines and crowds, then a little break from the "magic" is a good thing IMO.

 

[kissy]

We're staying off site this time
1. money. It was a couple hundred dollars cheaper to stay in a 3 bedroom condo in WH for 8days/7 nights than it was to stay for the same amount of time on disney property in a value resort! (we'd have to get 2 rooms)

2. we need the space. MIL goes with us when we go on vacation and I wanted her to have her own space and my kids to have thier own. Last time we were at disney she tagged along at the last minute and we crammed in a pop room. I ended up with stomach flu one day and MIL and DH got it the next. Stomach flu with 5 people and one bathroom, not good. Now we also have DS and his playpen.

3. We wanted to try something different.