why stay on site?

[ValpoCory]

If you are driving to WDW, staying onsite is less financially attractive. We fly, and I love DME and not having to rent a car, in addition to the other benefits listed on this thread.

 

[crisi]

We are DVC, go 2X a year at least and I see less and less value to staying onsite. If we weren't DVC owners (which I do love) we would probably not pay for WDW resorts unless we got a fantastic rate. I also don't like the dining plan and even free dining is not at all appealing to us (we don't eat like that and paying rack rate for the rooms means you still are paying for the dining ).

I am so over Disney transportation. Sure it works great sometimes, but we have had way too many horror experiences on it to make it worthwhile to us. If I am paying thousands of dollars to stay at a Deluxe, I expect Deluxe level transportation! My time is way too important to me. We always rent a car now and love, love, love it. Especially with young children.

Our favorite offsites are Bonnet Creek and Buena Vista Suites (for short stays). They are as close to, if not closer than some of the Disney resorts. We also are AP holders so we don't have to pay for parking. I do miss using our KTTW card for charging (I like the itemized bill at the end of the week) and sometimes I miss evening EMH when staying offsite...but that is about it. Since we usually split our stays with DVC and offsite though it usually isn't a huge issue.

Also DVC owners...and if I didn't own, I'm not sure I'd stay onsite.

At our kids ages, its nice now because I think this year they'll actually be off on their own a bit. And onsite means they can just go back to the room. But if you are sticking together as a family.

A few years ago my husband and I started visiting Orlando on business - separately - and had opportunities to stay offsite. I like the not driving part of onsite - but as for "magic" - eh....and there are a lot more great choices for food once you are off property.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

To me, on-site vs. off-site is the difference between a Disney Vacation and an Orlando Vacation. We drive, we always stay on-site. We like being able to leave the car parked until it's time to leave. I enjoy the Disney immersion -- no outside distractions, no "noise" everywhere. We are all so bombarded in our daily lives with noise everywhere -- TVs in the post office, practically every restaurant, doctors' offices... Disney is a welcome respite from that. Last January I was at Disney World when Rep. Giffords was shot and didn't know anything about it until my sister and I noticed the MK flag was at half-mast and we had to ask a CM why.

Like the others said, each person has their own idea about what a vacation should be and the funds they want to spend. For us, on-site is the only way to go!

 

[cluvsdisney]

If we weren't DVC members, we would stay off site. For us, it's not the cost but the value. We just don't feel we get what we pay for with Disney resorts compared to other hotels. We don't use ME or the dining plan. We occasionally use the EMH but not enough to make staying on sight is a necessity. We would rather have nicer, more spacious accommodations for the same or less money than it costs to stay on sight.

 

[nluvwithdisney]

Having done both, we prefer onsite but we know not everyone's budget will allow that. I am really excited about our stay and Animal Kingdom Villas in the fall. 2 couples are traveling and splitting the cost of a 2 bedroom villa.

We splurged on the room this time but still saving money by renting from a DVC owner. We will have a full kitchen so at least we can bring leftovers back from dinner and have them for lunch if we wanted . Also buying bottled water or other beverages before hand will save us money as well. Using my frequent flier miles to pay for half the airfare has saved a great deal as well.

We also have stretched a 10 day park hopper over 3 trips. But couldn't resist my company reward of a 5 day park hopper for the price of a 3 day. So I can still save the days on the other for another trip!

Even staying onsite, we rather have a rental car at our disposal to run offsite and shop as well.

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

We stay off-site...ALWAYS. For us, it's about space--I love having a 3 bedroom condo and we always get such great deals on them! My last trip was just my oldest son and me, so we stayed at a Red Roof Inn (yuck, but it was very cheap). But when we all go, we get a condo. We have our own vehicle because we drive. If we stayed in a 3 bedroom suite on-site, it would be a fortune probably!!

 

[monarchsfan16]

I fly. Staying onsite means I don't have to pay for a rental car, gas, or parking. Plus I travel solo. I really don't care about space. I have no qualms with staying at a value, particularly since I'm only in the room to sleep anyway.

 

[DisneyLoverUSA]

We have stayed on-site and off-site. We have flown and drove. We like it either way.

Last October when we stayed in the All Star Music Family Suite the kids liked being able to roam around by the pool, playing pool games with the lifeguards and playing ping pong and meeting other kids their own age. Mine are tweens and teens so we let them roam the grounds without us and they liked the freedom.

Staying off-site saves a ton of money.

We can afford to stay any where we like. We paid $230 a night to stay on property for 10 days and that was fine.

But last time we stayed off-site in a hotel suite that sleeps six and has a living room and a kitchen for $80 a night. It was just as cool to me as staying on site.

Next time we go we are actually renting a real house/vacation rental home so that the kids can have a game room and private pool and each have their own bedroom. We will use the kitchen for breakfast in the mornings and some dinners at night.

I considered staying on property again this year with the kids because I think free dining will be offered again for the fall, but I just made the decision to stay in the house.

It's just more room and way cheaper.

To stay 7 nights on property in the ASMu suite, with 3 day tickets and free dining is $3,000.

To stay in the vacation rental home, pay out of pocket for parking and food and tickets will end up costing us about $2200-$2400 depending on how much we go out to eat at night vs cooking. $800 savings is a lot to me. It is enough to enable me to take my whole family to have a dolphin swim encounter and day at Discovery Cove this year. So worth it to me to save in other areas so that we can do the day at DC. We are all looking forward to the Dolphin swim.

Our trip last October cost us over 7 thousand dollars. This 7 day trip will only cost us around $4,000 and that includes Universal, Island of Adventure, Sea World and Discovery Cove, as well as Epcot, MK and DHS.

SO at least for now, we are staying off-site.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I enjoy the Disney immersion -- no outside distractions, no "noise" everywhere. We are all so bombarded in our daily lives with noise everywhere -- TVs in the post office, practically every restaurant, doctors' offices... Disney is a welcome respite from that.

Weird, I get the immersion idea, but Disney isn't exactly the type of destination one typically thinks of when looking for a break from "noise". I camped in a Wilderness area once for 5 days during which I saw 2 other people and heard 1 airplane. Now THAT was quiet

 

[Chelley00]

I can't stand the "You can't have magic if you aren't onsite" mentality.

We've stayed onsite and offsite and neither way was more magical than the next. It's all in what you make of it. I can stay onsite and pick it apart just as much as I can stay offsite.

For us it comes to budget and what we want. When it's all 6 of us, there is NO WAY we can stay onsite for the same price as offsite, even figuring in discounts for onsite vs parking and gas for offsite. Driving to an offsite place can take less time than waiting for a bus back to a resort.

Figure out your budget, your needs and ideas of what a vacation needs to be for you and then decide. We stayed Poly last trip, this time we're trying Bonnet Creek because while we enjoyed our last trip, having 4 of us in one room with one bathroom just wasn't comfortable for us. We like to spread out, we like extra bathrooms and having a kitchen, and there is no way we could get that anywhere close onsite price wise as off. I'll take 14 days offsite instead of 7 days onsite for the same price. Plus, the Poly was so busy in the evenings it just didn't remove us from the "noise".

 

[Disney-Chick]

The main (and really the only) reason I stay on-site is for the Extra Magic Hours at night. I love being able to be in the parks later at night and going during the first 2 weeks of December, parks are only open until 7-8 p.m. during the week. We go to a non-EMH park during the day and hit the EMH night park about 2 hours before it closes.

I prefer to drive to the parks (I hate shelling out $$$ to stay at the Poly and then being packed like sardines (and waiting forever) at closing on the resort monorail at night). The buses are hit or miss on service at most resorts and mostly it just depends if you have good timing.

We typically go for longer trips and since we don't have children, we have a slower paced time at WDW. I enjoy the drive into the parks every day and from the airport (but I drive 500 miles a week for work, so driving never really bothers me). We've never stayed off-site (because of EMH), but I think it would be nice to have a big living room where we could hang out and talk or a nice, quiet deck and a pool.

We do two TS meals a day OOP, so the packages don't appeal to us. If you're interested in a package, you would have to stay on-site.

The resorts are nice (and I've stayed at most of them), but you can definitely get nicer rooms and accommodations (or the same level, but cheaper) outside of Walt Disney World. I guess it all depends on the type of trip you prefer and/or your situation.

As I was reading what you wrote I couldn't believe it as I agree with you 100%. We usually go the first 2 weeks of December and love hearing the Christmas music and being able to use the EMH. We usually go to a park and then back to the resort for the afternoon and head over to the parks around the time the parks are closing for non-resort guests. I know we have stayed till closing at MK until 3am. What a site and how quiet it is at that time of night.

My DH says that you are in a whole different world once you go to WDW and I agree. We always stay at POP and love it there.

We also drive (2000 miles one way or 36 hours) and love having our car. We flew once and would probably never do it again. I also like staying onsite for the FD and for the fact that I don't have to clean/cook/make beds etc.

The only diffence is we do have a DD who will be 15 next month. Because my DH is so tall (6'5) the beds are way to small for both him and I to sleep in so I always sleep with my DD. But that doesn't bother me. Having the MAGIC around me 24/7 is the greatest feeling.

I was just thinking about our trip this past Dec when I was out by the pool reading and listening to X-Mas music in 80 degree weather....oh how I wish I were there now.

So for me & my family I always recommend staying onsite and would never consider doing off site.

 

[englishteacha]

The only way we can afford to travel is to travel frugally. Every trip we've done to WDW I've figured out the prices of staying onsite vs. staying offsite, renting a car, and paying for gas and parking. Every time, offsite has been cheaper, by several hundred dollars. That money can then be used for food, souvenirs, and vacation fun. We rented a condo for 3 of our trips for much less than a room at the value resorts. We had 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, a full kitchen and laundry, and a living room and dining room. We did some breakfasts at the condo, had snacks and such there, but ate lunch and dinner in the parks or somewhere offsite.

As a teacher I'm stuck traveling when it's expensive season most anywhere I want to go. We don't use credit cards, so we save up to pay for our vacations. If I had to wait till I saved enough to stay onsite for a Disney vacation, (or to stay in the nicest hotels in other places) we would travel much less often. Now with baby on the way, I'm looking forward to staying in condos with washers/dryers and separate bedrooms for us and baby (and maybe Grandma if we can convince her to come to WDW with her new grandbaby!).

 

[mhsjax]

I stay onsite, PERIOD. We drive ,only 2.5 hours away, but we don't use Disney transportation, too much of control freaks. I have relatives that like to stay off site for pretty much the reasons other people here do. Cost and more room. For us, it simply isn't the same off property. EVen if I didn't get extra magic hours or free parking, I would stay on property.

I grew up here and never stayed on property until I was in my 30's. That was all it took. I just don't feel the same magic I I have to leave property. Others don't feel that way, but I do. Oh, and there isn't anything worse, to me, than leaving Disney property and having to deal with the traffic in Orlando.

 

[aprilgail2]

Honestly, I would not go to Disney and stay off site. If I couldn't afford to stay onsite, I'd postpone the trip until I could. When I advise people about their Disney trips I make no personal suggestions, except about staying onsite. It is the one thing I do believe makes a difference.

Now, the OP is driving, but for those who are flying, they get off the plane, they're whisked away by Disney transport to their on-property resort, they do not worry about driving or parking, they never once have to leave the "magic" until they step off the Disney bus onto the airport tarmac at the end of the trip. That is what I pay for, never having to touch the real world in the slightest from the time I arrive at my destination until the time I'm dragged kicking and screaming away.

I agree with you that I would postpone until I could afford to stay onsite but even staying onsite I much prefer to rent a car than to be at the mercy of a bus system. We did the buses one trip and I regretted every minute that I did not rent a car.

 

[mhsjax]

I can't stand the "You can't have magic if you aren't onsite" mentality.

We've stayed onsite and offsite and neither way was more magical than the next. It's all in what you make of it. I can stay onsite and pick it apart just as much as I can stay offsite.

For us it comes to budget and what we want. When it's all 6 of us, there is NO WAY we can stay onsite for the same price as offsite, even figuring in discounts for onsite vs parking and gas for offsite. Driving to an offsite place can take less time than waiting for a bus back to a resort.

Figure out your budget, your needs and ideas of what a vacation needs to be for you and then decide. We stayed Poly last trip, this time we're trying Bonnet Creek because while we enjoyed our last trip, having 4 of us in one room with one bathroom just wasn't comfortable for us. We like to spread out, we like extra bathrooms and having a kitchen, and there is no way we could get that anywhere close onsite price wise as off. I'll take 14 days offsite instead of 7 days onsite for the same price. Plus, the Poly was so busy in the evenings it just didn't remove us from the "noise".

But for those of us with that mentality, it is what WE feel. I am sorry but I don't feel the magic off site, if others do that is fine. Sorry if our opinions irritates you. YOu know what they say about opinions don't you?

 

[Disney-Chick]

But for those of us with that mentality, it is what WE feel. I am sorry but I don't feel the magic off site, if others do that is fine. Sorry if our opinions irritates you. YOu know what they say about opinions don't you?

I agree with you. That each family/person has their own feelings of the Magic and like I said in an earlier post, my family feels were in a whole new world. I am not going to knock down other peoples opinions as I would expect others not to knock mine down. I feel with threads like these we all start off giving our opinion then someone says something that may sound negative (which they do not intend to, or maybe do) and then the thread turns into who is right or wrong. In the end nobody is, it's all about what each family prefers. And honestly, I would rather most people stay off-site so that when EMH comes it is even less crowded

So for all of you who love off-site....GO FOR IT!!!

HAPPY FRIDAY!

 

[apnep]

We've done both. I much prefer staying on site because it is so convenient and you get the EMH. Last time we were at Port Orleans and we really enjoyed it. No worries about paying for parking or getting back to your room, just hop on a bus. But everyone has their preference when traveling.

Good luck OP whichever way you go!

 

[dzorn]

One big thing for us staying on site is the transport options, even if they are not the quickest at times. We do not necessarily stay together all day. If one DD is tired and wants to head back to the resort, we split up and go. No need for everyone to leave.

We do also use EMH and I like sending packages back to the resort instead of toting them around.


Denise in MI

 

[Chelley00]

But for those of us with that mentality, it is what WE feel. I am sorry but I don't feel the magic off site, if others do that is fine. Sorry if our opinions irritates you. YOu know what they say about opinions don't you?

My point didn't come across how I meant it to. Sorry.

If you would have looked at ALL my response and not just the first sentence, we stay onsite and offsite both, and we love BOTH, for different reasons.

My problem is the people who say that you can't have any fun, any magic or any relaxation unless you are staying onsite. That's why I didn't quote anyone, because I wasn't trying to make it a "my way is better".

 

[Gr8t Fan]

We have been to WDW many, many times and we have stayed offsite and onsite. We will only consider staying onsite if free dining is offered (and yes, I know it's not really free if we're paying rack rate for our room, but it's enough of a discount to get us to stay onsite). We love to do evening EMH and close down MK at 3 am. It's amazing! And being able to come back to the room for an evening (or very early morning) swim is nice too, no matter what time it is. FD allows us to eat anywhere we want with few restrictions. During our everyday lives, we don't go out to eat very often, perhaps 5-6x a year, so we look forward to doing so on vacation.

We also have had great trips staying offiste, most recently at Windsor Hills last year. We loved having a washer/dryer and space to spread out, but we missed being able to swim at any hour (Windsor Hills pool closes PROMPTLY at 10 pm), and I felt obligated to use the full kitchen we had at the condo more often than I'd like to on vacation. After we totalled everything up, we spent about $1,000 less for 2 weeks in the condo than if we'd stayed onsite. We decided that wasn't enough of a savings for us, so we're staying onsite for our next trip with free dining.