Your preference and why?

[MudQueen22]

That's a good point though I think time is also a huge factor thus as you mentioned the question would be how far do they live away.

I'm in the middle of the country and it would take 2 days of driving just to make it there (18hrs driving time). That means 2 days of driving back so that's 4 days total. Plus that's time out of the vacation or time spent using vacation days for work.

OR a 2 1/2hr-ish non-stop flight. Right now I would estimate that for my Sep 2017 trip (basing off of the August dates available right now) for SWA it would run right about $400 RT per person non-stop. The cons of driving would outweigh the costs of flying for me.

But it is something, depending on the distance, the OP could consider though they would need to include rental car costs even if staying on-site (assuming they don't want to drive their own vehicle).

That's a big reason I asked about distance.
Our drive time is estimated at 15 hours, but we make it a two day trip. Our children are young, we have to stop, stretch, run, and eat, and there are multiple bathroom breaks. It's more like 21 hours for us.
Even with that, it's worth it.
But for families living further away, I recognize it might be just as costly.

 

[Imamom2]

We have rented points several times. It's amazing and you will really save. Try David's DVC. Also look into FW cabins. I know several families that have really loved them.

 

[siskaren]

How far away do you live? Have you considered driving?

That's a good point though I think time is also a huge factor thus as you mentioned the question would be how far do they live away.

The OP stated that they live overseas.

 

[MudQueen22]

The OP stated that they live overseas.

I guess driving is out.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The OP stated that they live overseas.

Thanks for bringing that to my attention must have missed that

 

[jaychis]

I would also recommend staying on site. I live about a half hour from the parks and exploring the area is probably best left for a return trip. There are plenty of things to see and do within a couple of hours of Orlando, but the $$$ will begin to quickly add up. Then throw in the traffic around the metro areas and you may hate your trip. The other thing is you are coming during a busy time. If you stay late in the parks (closing time), you will regret staying off site. You need to shuttle to the parking lots and then drive off site to your place. I will guarantee an added 30-60 minutes getting offsite. We left last night after the fireworks in the MK and it was 60 minutes before we were off Disney property. Take into consideration we are heading into the least busy time of year.

 

[hkkatie]

OP here. Yeah, driving is out of the question. We do live overseas, but we will be in Arizona for a couple weeks before WDW to visit my family. My husband will most likely only get 2 weeks off from work, so the kids and I will be in the US longer than him, and we want to maximize our vacation time with him by not driving. (And our kids hate road trips). As far as flights go that I've seen so far, the most reasonable one (price wise and a non-stop!) leaves PHX around 11am, but with the time change, it will be after 6pm by the time we land in Orlando. So no park time. We'll want to get dinner, look around the resort, and go to bed early so we can be up early the next day. The day we leave, we'll be flying all the way back to LAX and probably flying back overseas the same day, so also not really an option for a park day.

 

[Tigerlily125]

I would either stay on site, or consider renting from an owner at Wyndham Bonnet Creek, which is within Disney gates but not a Disney hotel. You'd need to rent the car there but you can stay very inexpensively and it has beautiful pools and great resort activities, plus you can get grocery delivery to cut down on expense since the rooms have beautiful full kitchens.

 

[Leelo]

We LOVE staying in the bubble! You will want to remember if you stay off-site, parking is $20 per day and with on-property stays, parking is free or bus transportation will get you anywhere in the bubble. A Disney bus picks you up at the airport and takes care of your luggage and gets it to your room for you. Everything is so convenient and is a really wonderful experience. There are lots of perks!

You will find that adding more park days will cost very little, the major expense when adding days for a family of 6 is food.

I agree with this. We have found that it is under $20 per person per day to add additional days to our multi-day park hopper tickets and the $ is less and less the more days you add. I remember adding an extra park day for $9 each one time. For our upcoming trip, we got 7 day park hoppers for the price of 4 day park hoppers through Undercover Tourist. It's worth looking into. The food is definitely where the extra cost will be.

 

[eeyoresmom]

Is mid to late Aug usually free dining?

 

[adisneyaunt]

I would stay on site! So much "less" to deal with ( driving , parking, fees, xtra time n energy after park time to then get in a vehicle n drive rather than catching a boat/bus etc and b dropped at ur resort worryfree)

Using magical express for the free transport from airport to resort and back.
I'd choose a moderate resort For the xtra amenities and think ur hubby would appreciate it more than a value ... themed main pool And the quiet pools ... use for a resort day to Not be doing a park , along with a bar/lounge on Premise for a nice cocktail to Unwind from the Disney Overload that can come with a first trip, lol. ( and of course ... like at POR or POFQ .. in/outside bar with snacks for kiddos etc.
I'd seriously consider placing an order with garden grocer or someone else for bkfst foods/snacks to cut costs ( shipped ahead to ur resort)
I'd def Not do hoppers, I'd not do All Park days back to back.
I'd also consider renting DVC points ..for an even better deal??
Wishing you Happy Planning, Magical Moments thruout your visit and Safe Travels! Enjoy!

 

[dreiwhit]

We stay off site, but that's only because we can either get a week in a condo for free from my father-in-law, or for $349 through my company. We get a rental car, just because we drive from a neighboring state and we don't want to put the miles on our older cars.

On our last trip, I compared the cost of staying offsite and paying for food, or staying on property at a value resort and having a dining plan. With tickets included, staying off site was still about $1500 cheaper.

FWIW, when we go to Disney World, we really don't have much time to go out and explore Orlando. The most we have gone and explored on two seperate week long trips was to Costco, Wal Mart, the Disney Outlet store, Outback Stakehouse, McDonalds, Subway and Waffle House! After being in the park for most or nearly all day, we really don't have the energy or desire to go and do some exploring. However, if you plan down days where you don't go to a park, you may be able to do more exploring.

 

[DisneyCAL]

I've done both. Off site with 2.5 year old twins and on site with 5 year old twins. Hands down on-site was better. In fact I probably will never visit WDW again unless it is an on-site stay even if that means visiting less often in order to save up money for it.

 

[fifthdimensiondweller]

I'd vote for onsite as well! I'm familiar with Orlando but it's still nice not having to navigate to and from an off site area, pack into a car, pay for parking each day, etc. I love staying in the Disney bubble too!

 

[nursejackie]

We have done both and it may be obvious to state we prefer staying on site, but if it meant we couldn't go at all we would stay off-site again without a doubt. We visit in December and love to make the most of early morning EMH as we are very early risers but if EMH (either morning or evening) aren't important, it would be better to stay off site if you are on a budget. We have stayed at Marriot Grand Vista and Lake Buena Vista resort, in two or three bedroom apartments, which would be plenty big enough for your large family. Both have great pools, and the cost of a hire car and parking in the parks would not be as much as staying on site.