why stay on site?

[Kellydelly]

Great and reasonable responses all . At the end of the day there isn't a right or wrong to it, there's simply being there as family and friends.

I've never not stayed on site and perhaps at some point in time I'll want to. The magic is also simply the knowledge of how many possible ways there are to do the trip. As a family of 4 there is no real option for us to drive, I would never put myself of my family through that and the valuable vacation days I have would be seen by me as wasted sitting in a car for 10 hours a day for 4 or 5 days.

Hmm, with a family of six, I am trying to figure out why a family of 4 cannot drive? We drive from MI and make it a point to see the sights between there and Orlando when we make our trips . It is just way too much money to fly with a crew our size.

As for staying offsite or on, we prefer offsite. I refuse to be stuffed into a hotel room for a week with 5 other people and no chance for privacy . It's cheaper, close enough, and very comfortable for us to rent a private home with a pool . I don't understand why people think you can't enjoy the parks or the experience if you have to drive and park your car there ?

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Hmm, with a family of six, I am trying to figure out why a family of 4 cannot drive? We drive from MI and make it a point to see the sights between there and Orlando when we make our trips . It is just way too much money to fly with a crew our size.

Didn't make much sense to me other than the comment about 4-5 10-hour days in the car. So, depending on where PP is from, it could be a much longer trip than yours or mine. I pretty much tell everyone it's better to drive - until I saw the Portland to Orlando thread

 

[tennessee]

Staying on site is the only way to go. we like to go twice a year and work our vacations around the special, we watch for the free dining and book as soon as they come out,and pay weekly on it till 45 days till we leave, for us this is a great way to do it. Had the free food in jan and going down in late sept again, we always stay at the value resorts and love the extra magic hours, we are night owl. I just love that once u are there they can bus you and dont have to worry about finding your car or driving when u r so tired.

 

[kinntj]

For our family of 4, onsite is just a better choice.

-The kids love the themed pools
-No driving after a long day at the parks
-we can split up if a child is sick or wants to go swimming instead. Our youngest gets tired quickly and our oldest could go all day.
-on our last trip we did hate the buses, but now figure our kids are older and can handle them without us holding them while they sleep

When our kids are teens, we'll take a trip and stay offsite to go to Universal and explore outside WDW. For now, they don't want to.

 

[W8n4night]

Again the point is simply options. We live in Saskatchewan Canada given our winter and the winter that exists along any route we could take its at best iffy. There is also the time element "is it worth the cost of flying and having 2 travel days and spending 12 full days on site (rested) vs taking approximately two weeks to spend five days onsite after spending 5 days in a car. As a family, we think so and can afford it or we'd have to think a different way. We've been down from 10-14 days each of the last 4 years. My boys are both in school which also plays into the planning. We typically travel in February to escape winter here. (I just want to be warm again, having fun with my family as quickly and easily as possible and still maintain some balance)

Even as a family of 4 (my boys being 21 and 12) we appreciate some space at the end of the day so we typically have two rooms at a value resort vs cramming ourselves into a moderate single. Doing so also makes it possible to stay down longer and check out more stuff in and around the Orlando area. As I said "lots of ways to skin a cat" and one size definitely doesn't fit all.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I like the Extra Magic Hours and free disney transportation.

When I go solo, I don't have a car but when we go as a family, we do have our car but sometimes the family likes to sleep in. I don't. So I can get up and go and take disney transportation.

If we stayed offsite I wouldn't have that option and would be sitting around resenting everyone else because they are wasting my precious vacation time.

I have this same issue at home normally too. I get up early, DD is up by 10am and the other 2 sleep until noon or later. Drives me nuts. We can't ever do anything fun early and later in the day it's very crowded and not as fun.

 

[minushka72]

I did not read through all the previous posts so it may have already been mentioned, but the AAA parking pass does not give you free parking! It only gives you a "closer" spot. I find it great at all the parks except MK since there is no tram from the AAA Diamond lot, you have to walk. The walk is relatively short for all parks except MK. Basically, the parking is near the disabled parking. If you are not staying on property or have an annual pass, the you will have to pay $15 for each day you go to the parks. 5 days and that is $75.

We have stayed offsite and onsite. My DFiL lives close so sometimes we stay with him. If I am going all out and staying a a hotel, then I stay at one of Disney's resorts since I prefer to immense myself in the whole vacation and not just some room at some cheaper hotel.

We drive down most years so we have our car too, and I much prefer it to waiting for the busses!Having a car IMHO is a must for our family. Just something I like since the kiddos are still little and driving is so easy. To me it is much quicker getting around and we can go offsite to eat and shop which saves money. So our offset of spending more on the room is to save elsewhere by going offsite for some of the other expenses. (We have only stayed moderate and usually with some kind of room only discount so the hotel is about $150 a night or less depending on the discounts). Also we only have 4 people in our family so 1 room will suffice.

 

[Marionnette]

I'm always puzzled when people take offense when other posters express a preference that isn't in line with their own thinking. It's not as if any one choice is correct or better than another. But it does have everything to do with what you want and expect from a vacation.

If you think that the theming, proximity to the parks and being in the magic 24/7 is worth the price, then staying onsite is for you.

If you only want a place to rest your head, or a place that gives you more space for your money and your Daily Dose of Disney can begin and end at the park gates, then stay offsite.

The same goes for flying vs. driving. I live a lot closer than MI and there was no way on God's green earth that you would have convinced me to drive to Disney with my family of 5, regardless of the cost or the inconvenience of air travel. But there are others who like the adventure of driving and the price tag that goes with it. It doesn't make me wrong or right. It's just a different preference on where and how to spend my money.

 

[Planogirl]

I prefer more than just a place to rest my head but I can find that offsite too. Plus immersion can be annoying.

I agree with you that I never understand why people get annoyed. Everyone is different and we all have our own needs and perceptions.

 

[mrsklamc]

I'm curious- do you ever get tired of just Disney food? I think that if I stayed on site, I would.

 

[W8n4night]

Agree completely !

 

[Southernmiss]

Family of 6. We love onsite. Two trips to Disney--first trip one of our kids stayed with my brother in his room and we all stayed at Port Orleans Riverside.

2nd trip we had a buy 4 get 3 free deal on the Cabins at Fort Wilderness.

We drive to Disney, but love to not have to drive while at Disney and don't mind the buses. We also love, love, love EMH especially the evening ones at MK until 3 in the morning. We enjoy the immersion experience.

 

[NancyIL]

For our first two multi-day WDW trips in 1996 and 1997, my family of 5 stayed off-site. The least expensive on-site option that could accommodate 5 people was Dixie Landings at > $100/night, and it couldn't compete with the Quality Inn Lake Cecile at $29.95/night! In 1999 just my 3 kids and I drove to WDW. We stayed at the Comfort Inn Lake Buena Vista @ $27.95/night for 2 nights, then splurged and stayed at All Star Movies in the newly-opened Toy Story section @ $99/night for 2 nights. My car didn't move from that parking lot for the rest of the trip. I loved staying onsite, and that is when I became an on-site believer!

The following year I stayed at the WDW Dolphin - an on-site hotel that isn't owned by Disney. I was hooked on the great location of the Epcot resorts, and I've been a Swan/Dolphin lover ever since. I stayed at All Star Music for a solo trip in January at a great AP rate, and I have a few nights booked at the Little Mermaid section of Art of Animation in December - just to experience the new resort.

 

[Kellydelly]

I prefer more than just a place to rest my head but I can find that offsite too. Plus immersion can be annoying.

I agree with you that I never understand why people get annoyed. Everyone is different and we all have our own needs and perceptions.

Who is getting annoyed ? I just see people giving their opinions, many of them varied .

 

[LSchrow]

it's like toilet paper - everyone has a preference, and a reason to go with it.

personally, we prefer onsite (and yes, have tried off-site).
the transportation (even buses) is shorter when one considers the entire journey (from door of resort or off-site property to where the buses drop, not just the entrance to the parking lot. parking a car, sometimes taking a tram, etc, takes additional time and is often not, but should be included in the time estimate). btw, we do rent a car when on-site (normally stay at the BWVs), but find the driving to a park, getting a spot in the lot, walking and/or taking a tram is too time consuming.). we use the car on day one to pick up groceries, then go to the outlets, eat out a bit (love flippeer's in crossroads), and 1 or 2 trips to DTD (the only place we find WDW trans sometimes lacking).
DD and/or i will often go out for a stroll early morning or at night, something i would not consider at many off-site properties.

the big differences to us are that on-site is soooooo much more relaxing, with more spur-of-the-moment options (my personal fave is going to EPCOT just for a grey goose slushie - not really feasible when staying off-site), incredibly safe, nighttime options (again, safe), and invaluable when someone in your party falls ill, gets tired, etc, and wants to go back to the resort.
after many years of muliple visits, it's about more than just the parks......it's the entire relaxing and/or exciting experience - it's our choice and we get it all onsite

 

[mhsjax]

Who is getting annoyed ? I just see people giving their opinions, many of them varied .

I think the pp is saying that total immersion can get annoying, not the opinions expressed here.

 

[mhsjax]

I'm curious- do you ever get tired of just Disney food? I think that if I stayed on site, I would.

We are one of those that stay onsite, I don't want to go if I can't, BUT, we are o nay 2.5 hours away so we drive. However, yes on longer vacations I do get tired of WDW food, but since we do drive we do have the option of leaving if we want to, to grab some non WDW food. But that is the ONLY reason I leave. Honestly, I find the areas around WDW to way too touristy, and cheap looking and I just don't like the area. But that is JMHO.

PS. Sorry for all the typos and mis spellings, I haven't had even one cup of coffee yet. I think it is way beyond time for that. lol

 

[Jordansmominjax]

Hello, We live in Florida and go down about four times a year. We have done both onsite and off site. I think the biggest thing to keep in mind is your budget and what you feel is most important to you. If you stay on site I highly recommend you research the hotel you are looking at. For me I don't want to ride the bus. A Disney hotel io include the Swan and Dolphine gives you parking in the park current parking rates are $14.00 plus the extra magic hours. I would suggest the park hopper ticket because which ever park has extra magic hours is the park with the most people the later it gets the less people so you could go to one of the other parks and hop over later when the crowd thins out. I have a small child and find being able to get to my hotel for breaks is great. I don't think you are saving that much time because if you stay close in to Disney plan on about 30 - 45 mins to park and get into the park. If you stay at a Disney hotel with boat or monarail service you might save 20 mins depending on which one you are at. Grand Floridian is about 10 out and you can walk from the Contemporary. They both are expensive but deals can be found. The value resort by car took about 20 mins to get in and my son loved it. The Carribian beach hotel took about 20 min. My son loved it. The pirate beds hurt my back my husband said they were firm and he liked them. Most of the Disney hotels have kids activities and movies at night. My son loves to participate in those activities. So if you are not interested in those types of activities then off site might give you more room for less money. I also think there are a lot of things to do off site. Good food and shopping. Good luck and have fun that is the point after all.

 

[disneydreamin23]

Thanks, yeah I knew that about AAA not being a free pass. I just mentioned it to say that I was okay with having to park in the parking lots instead of riding the buses, etc. I have another question for you (or anyone) how much does the monorail cost to ride if not staying onsite?

 

[Sheaboys]

Monorail is free. Take it from MK to Epcot. Or just a ride around the world.