Will I reget staying offsite?

[robinb]

Ummmm...........Hello..............I think I was qualified to answer. Look at my siggie.......

Of course you were! I am sorry I didn't include you in "the list" . Especially when we both had essentially the same advise . FWIW, the list wasn't meant to be conculsive. I just picked out a couple of posters and I missed you .

 

[allshookup]

i don't understand this. this is a board for orlando hotels but we have the people who never stay off site and say not to stay off site. this portion of the site is for info on OFF site hotels.

I don't want to get into a debate, although I sometimes can't help myself, but this is the Orlando hotels and ATTRACTIONS board. I'm sure people who stay on-site also visit other Orlando attractions. And there is no site on the DIS boards restricted to other users (except maybe the moderators board). I do believe everyone is entitled to their opinion and if someone asks for an opinion, they should get all sides. I don't think you need to stay off-site to offer reasons why you love to stay on-site! Although I have stayed both on and off-site so I can see both sides. When we were first married we stayed at a roach motel miles from Disney (that was a horrid experience but we were young and stupid!) After that we drove from my mother's house about an hour away a few times. Once we had children (mid 90's) we always stayed at a Disney Resort except for one time we got such a great deal on a non-Disney hotel, we couldn't pass it up. That was a huge mistake! It was just a hotel with no theme and no beautiful grounds to enjoy a leisurely stroll. I don't think we will chance it again, no matter how good the deal is.

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

If only people who stayed off site as a rule were permitted to reply to the OP's question, she certainly wouldn't get a well-rounded answer. I think the entire point of the boards is so that people can hear a variety of opinions in order to look at the issue from all sides. People post questions because they want to look at the situation from another perspective outside their own. Why would hearing a different opinion stated respectfully bother anybody?

I have stayed onsite and offsite. I prefer onsite, esp if I am only doing Disney, not Universal, etc. I like to experience Disney from my 6:30 am Mickey wake up call, to my character breakfast, to my monorail to the park, to my Disney-fied resort room at the end of the day. That said, many people do not enjoy that as much as I do. There are many fine hotels on and off property. There are hotels in the Universal area, timeshares, great condos, etc. I would make a list of what is a priority to you (price, location, spa, size, etc.) before I make a decision. As far as regretting it, as long as you have a positive attitude and know what your hotel will be like in advance, you will have a wonderful time! Enjoy your vacation!

 

[swincha]

Oh, puh-leeze! That is not true and you know it. The question of on-site v/s off-site is a common one on both boards. I have been on the DIS since 1999 and have seen these threads many times. I find the vast majority of supporters of both views are able to express their opinions with respect for the "other side".

IMO, the only people who can directly answer the OPs question are people like MELSMICE, PamNC and me who have stayed both on-site and off-site. However, every poster is entitled to their own opinion, even if they would never dream of staying off-site away from the "magic" or on-site in a "tiny" hotel room.

well add me to the list. i have stayed on site at the contemporary and it worked when i had 2 young children. this time we stayed in a home with 2 young children and 2 teens. i prefer the home. if i go later when we only have 2 kids at home i might consider staying onsite for part of my trip. however for the price even how close the home was i really see staying off site being better for my family. i LOVED having my own pool and spa in the backyard. now i have not stayed multiple times as other people have at disney. actually i am amazed this seems to be peoples ONLY vacation place to go. we like to see the country and go other places. we are from the midweast and have traveled to hawaii, bahamas, virginia beach, gulf shores, wisconsin dells, michigan, chicago, french lick indiana, sandusky ohio, branson. we have had some awesome vacations that had no disney in them at all. see the country. go to different places.

 

[swincha]

I agree with this also. If we were to make a positive off-site (or heaven forbid, a negative on-site) comment on the resorts board we would be slammed so hard we couldn't move.

no kidding. i got a post pulled because i said disney is going downhill by not keeping their parks and bathrooms clean. heaven forbid anyone says anything negative about disney. i am going to send my observations to disney also in a written letter.

 

[robinb]

well add me to the list.

Check .

i LOVED having my own pool and spa in the backyard.

I *know* my DD would love that! I have rented an off-site suite and an off-site condo but never a house. I know I'll try it one day because I too would love having a pool in my backyard.

now i have not stayed multiple times as other people have at disney. actually i am amazed this seems to be peoples ONLY vacation place to go. we like to see the country and go other places. we are from the midweast and have traveled to hawaii, bahamas, virginia beach, gulf shores, wisconsin dells, michigan, chicago, french lick indiana, sandusky ohio, branson. we have had some awesome vacations that had no disney in them at all. see the country. go to different places.

Many of us are able to go see the country and the rest of the world and work Disney into the trip . I just booked a Spring Break Hawaii trip (our third) which includes a stop-over at Disneyland. We went to France 3 years ago and stopped at Disneyland Paris and our trip to Japan almost 5 years ago included a visit to Disneyland Tokyo. Oh ... go other places too ... camping at Devil's Lake near the Dells, multiple trips to Chicago, Tampa to see the beach, a dude ranch in Colorado, a long drive to Bayfield, WI and Lake Superior, visiting family in New York, a visit to London when my DD was a baby, etc.

But we always return to WDW once or twice a year. It's a comfortable place for us. It's a known location. As long as we enjoy ourselves, so hookairs how many times we go?

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

Of course you were! I am sorry I didn't include you in "the list" . Especially when we both had essentially the same advise . FWIW, the list wasn't meant to be conculsive. I just picked out a couple of posters and I missed you .

Yea, I figured that. I was just kidding..............hence the smiley in my post.

 

[pixelpixie]

Oh, puh-leeze! That is not true and you know it. The question of on-site v/s off-site is a common one on both boards. I have been on the DIS since 1999 and have seen these threads many times. I find the vast majority of supporters of both views are able to express their opinions with respect for the "other side".

I agree.
I have not had as many vacations to mickey's as many of you on this board, however I have stayed both on and off site and both as a pre-child couple and as a family with a child. I have made comments on both the orlando hotels board and the wdw resorts board stating mho and no one has ever slammed me for it. Everyone has an opinion and should feel free to express it. Isn't that part of the reason these boards exist? To learn from the experiences and opinions of others? I find that even posters with opposite views make good points and it's all relative to your situation and personality.

 

[disneymom3]

Hmmm, I am thinking that if it was just me and one of my kids, I would probably stay onsite if it were not a totally budget trip. DD and I did stay offsite when we went on a girls trip, but I was only able to fit it in because I got a 3star room off priceline for $35 per night. I am a huge offsite fan, but I usually have 5 of us to consider and that is what stronlgly tips the scales to the offsite side.

However, I would still rent a car as I hate "having" to rely on Disney transportation.

 

[kathyclownfish]

We have stayed both on and off site. It depends on the ages of your children. As my kids got older 12 & 14, we really appreciated the loads of extra room that off site gives you.....especially for 1/2 the price. If it were my 1st trip, I would definately stay on site. Otherwise, I wouldn't even blink for off site accomodations!!

PS. We stayed at the Sheraton Vistana Resort...wonderful experience!!

 

[MazdaUK]

We stayed onsite for 2 weeks at CSR DH is completely "moused out" now (I can't wait to go back ). "Next time" (DH says 10 years, I say half that or less ) we'll spend one week on the coast and one week "at the heart of the magic" (plus possibly one or two nights at a Universal hotel to get max use of US/IOA) I think you can't beat the Disney transportation for moving between parks and hotel (but recommend a car for dining offsite for economy and variety if on a long trip)

 

[pamlet]

We went at the end of May this year - we were at Vistana and LOVED it. There were four of us - our sons are 16 and 21 so it was wonderful to have the two bedrooms. Due to our youngest son's epilepsy it's not feasible to get to the parks first thing in the morning. In fact - we took things VERY slow and most days had breakfast/lunch in the condo - then dinner at the parks. We had an absolute blast - no we didn't see EVERYTHING.. (but we've been a few times) but we enjoyed our time.

On our anniversary the boys surprised DH and me with a night at the Poly - LGV.... I had NEVER stayed onsite - I will say it was nice... enjoyable - the room larger than I thought -BUT I could NOT see the four of us staying in that room for 7 nights... we'd really get on our nerves - Values/Mods are out - as they only have double beds... we could possibly get by with two rooms.. but no kitchen... And anything else would be outrageously expensive for our family. If it was just DH and me - sure we'd stay onsite - but I think it would have to be deluxe...

We did not find traffic to be much of an issue - in fact everytime we went to the parks... while we got there late - the trams were just about empty - things seems more relaxed going into the park than I remember from visits past. Also - I paid close attention to the location of the mods and value resorts - believe me the worst traffic we had was on Disney property - Vistana is SO close - and once we were on the road there traffic thinned condsiderably.

Took a bus one day - Youngest DS and Dh stayed at Animal Kingdom - and eldest DS and I took the bus over to the monorail resorts .. we were going to the Luau that night and I had to pick up the tickets... I think I'd go crazy having to ride the bus.. it seemed to take forever, was crowded.. and LOUD .. so even staying onsite I suspect I'd still be driving everywhere.

Overall - I think I'd consider onsite if we had little kids again - or were alone - otherwise I think it'll be offsite for us! (unless I come into a TON of money and can buy into DVC... )