Will I hate this??

[Kippa-Dee-Do-Dah]

Just to answer about driving...we stayed onsite this summer. We drove to WDW so we had our car anyway, and chose to drive every day to the parks instead of using the bus. Only once did that not really work well for us (coming back from MK after fireworks - the boat to the TTC was running way behind.) It was SO nice to be able to hop straight into the car and not have to fight for a seat on a bus or fold the stroller (we kept it in the back, so bonus, it didn't take up space in our hotel room). We did not feel at all that it took away from the magic, as opposed to using the Disney busses. In fact, it was really nice to have our own quiet space, especially at night. And since our resort room faced the parking lot it was a quick walk up to our room, as opposed to having to do more walking from the bus stop. I can't answer about staying off-site, but, the are so many places that are just or almost as close as the Disney resorts. Don't forget, it will be super fun to go through the Disney arches each day!

 

[mamaofsix]

Just to answer about driving...we stayed onsite this summer. We drove to WDW so we had our car anyway, and chose to drive every day to the parks instead of using the bus. Only once did that not really work well for us (coming back from MK after fireworks - the boat to the TTC was running way behind.) It was SO nice to be able to hop straight into the car and not have to fight for a seat on a bus or fold the stroller (we kept it in the back, so bonus, it didn't take up space in our hotel room). We did not feel at all that it took away from the magic, as opposed to using the Disney busses. In fact, it was really nice to have our own quiet space, especially at night. And since our resort room faced the parking lot it was a quick walk up to our room, as opposed to having to do more walking from the bus stop. I can't answer about staying off-site, but, the are so many places that are just or almost as close as the Disney resorts. Don't forget, it will be super fun to go through the Disney arches each day!

Totally agree with this! I always wonder why people seem to assume that Disney Transportation is more convenient than having to drive your own vehicle. We stay offsite in a huge house (saving thousands) and are about a 5 minutes drive from the parks. It is SO FAST to go back to our villa from any of the parks. At the end of the night we shake our heads at the huge lines of tired, cranky guests waiting for their resort buses. From what we've heard, it's often a 10-20 minute wait just for the bus, then another 10-30 minutes before you're back to your resort. We are home to our villa and sleeping by that time...

As for naps, a 1.5 year old is definitely young enough to sleep for hours on end in a stroller- all of our kids did An older child who can't nap in a stroller would be much harder to deal with.

To solve the 60 fp booking and free parks parking dilemna, check out the throwaway room thread. Day use Campsites can be as cheap $70 for a one time booking to get you into that window https://www.disboards.com/threads/throwaway-room-offsite-to-onsite-stays-update.3539209/

Anyway, if it were me I'd choose offsite for sure!