Is it Really Better Staying On Property?

[goofyernmost]

Let me start off by saying that I am not a fan of staying onsite. I think it is a rip-off. Bank holdup room rates, captive audience both for shelter and food are not something that I take easily too. That said, I also understand that many people do enjoy onsite immensely. What I am about to say applies to me and I am not being judgmental of anyone that decides that onsite is the way to go.

I started going to WDW when my family was young. My girls were 6 and 8 years old. We were not rich and it took many months of saving to afford to go. We drove to Orlando from Vermont and stayed offsite in a 2 star accommodation that worked well for us because we only spent nights in it. With the lights out, you couldn't tell it from a 5 star hotel.

Spring ahead many years and I took my girls and their families which at the time consisted of their husbands and their combined three children. Also in the group was my girlfriend and my sister and nephew. I rented a beautiful 6 bedroom villa for the week, complete with a Florida room with full size pool, hot tub, full kitchen, 5 bathrooms, play room, computer, TV's in every room just 1 mile from the main gate entrance to WDW. I had driven down and had purchased 7 day, hopper, non-expiration tickets for everyone, paid for their airfare round trip from Vermont and rented two more vehicles to transport us all to wherever we wanted to go. We were able to be more flexible that way about where we ate as not everyone wanted to eat the same thing, so we could split up and go to different places, if we chose. This happened in 2008 and the entire trip cost me less then $7000.00.

What that afforded us was a situation where we weren't stepping on each other, had a nice private place to relax. They even had a gas grill were we could have a cookout if we desired. We were in the same building so in the evenings we were able to play cards, the kids could play in the pool or do whatever they felt like without anyone having to sacrifice. Having the ability to not necessarily need to go to the same restaurant saved us from having to deal with 11 people all at once. I know that OP doesn't have that luxury, but, I know that I saved thousands of dollars doing it that way.

I have only stayed onsite once in 2010 and honestly I couldn't wait to leave. I felt like a prisoner. Others don't feel that way, I know. That's way i started and ended with the disclaimer that I am only talking about what worked for me.

 

[kathy884]

As a Disney stockholder I'm glad to see so many people staying onsite.

As a consumer, I'm an offsite girl all the way -- love to rent timeshare condos from owners (great quality for a very good price) -- amazing value. // I never got that Disney magic / Disney bubble thing people talk about, and I thought it was just brilliant marketing that filled those 30,000 to 40,000 hotel rooms and condos lol. So many friends though I love and respect think the experience is better onsite and worth the price (we're all different). Onsite (I've done it six times in 42 trips -- I've been going down since 1971) even with a car, I've always felt trapped and want to escape from high priced food and souvenirs (so maybe I do get the bubble, but just don't like it). I really do like the parks and grounds. I love the deluxe resort theming especially the Polynesian and the AKL, but the prices not so much. My offsite condo resorts, though, just are sooo much nicer than moderates and values for amenities and space. And I really like having a balcony - private outdoor space when in Orlando for sitting out. Renting a condo onsite -- renting Disney vacation club point from an owner would have cost me triple what I was paying for my offsite condo the two different times I looked into this and did some number crunching (I travel high season). // I have a bit of a bean counter personality too, so that probably doesn't help the onsite case. I know my way around Orlando and don't mind the driving too, so I'm sure that's a factor also. I love SeaWorld too and always go there for a day or two, and if you are doing offsite things why pay high onsite prices just to have to go offsite.

 

[loves to dive]

Let me start off by saying that I am not a fan of staying onsite. I think it is a rip-off. Bank holdup room rates, captive audience both for shelter and food are not something that I take easily too. That said, I also understand that many people do enjoy onsite immensely. What I am about to say applies to me and I am not being judgmental of anyone that decides that onsite is the way to go.

I started going to WDW when my family was young. My girls were 6 and 8 years old. We were not rich and it took many months of saving to afford to go. We drove to Orlando from Vermont and stayed offsite in a 2 star accommodation that worked well for us because we only spent nights in it. With the lights out, you couldn't tell it from a 5 star hotel.

Spring ahead many years and I took my girls and their families which at the time consisted of their husbands and their combined three children. Also in the group was my girlfriend and my sister and nephew. I rented a beautiful 6 bedroom villa for the week, complete with a Florida room with full size pool, hot tub, full kitchen, 5 bathrooms, play room, computer, TV's in every room just 1 mile from the main gate entrance to WDW. I had driven down and had purchased 7 day, hopper, non-expiration tickets for everyone, paid for their airfare round trip from Vermont and rented two more vehicles to transport us all to wherever we wanted to go. We were able to be more flexible that way about where we ate as not everyone wanted to eat the same thing, so we could split up and go to different places, if we chose. This happened in 2008 and the entire trip cost me less then $7000.00.

What that afforded us was a situation where we weren't stepping on each other, had a nice private place to relax. They even had a gas grill were we could have a cookout if we desired. We were in the same building so in the evenings we were able to play cards, the kids could play in the pool or do whatever they felt like without anyone having to sacrifice. Having the ability to not necessarily need to go to the same restaurant saved us from having to deal with 11 people all at once. I know that OP doesn't have that luxury, but, I know that I saved thousands of dollars doing it that way.

I have only stayed onsite once in 2010 and honestly I couldn't wait to leave. I felt like a prisoner. Others don't feel that way, I know. That's way i started and ended with the disclaimer that I am only talking about what worked for me.

You make good points and it does sound like for you and your family off site is the perfect arrangement. I agree, there is no either/or, some people like the freedom of cooking and having a lot of room to spread out, saving money doesn't hurt either. Some people prefer to be waited on and room to spread out might not be an issue for a couple or a small family. I started going to WDW when DS was 3 and I was a single mother so we went every other year because it took me that long to save the money and trust me, we shared a lot of happy meals. For me, the chance to go to a restaurant to eat and have someone wait on me, not to have to wash dishes or do laundry was a godsend. The fact that we could go back to the room for a nap or a swim or just watch cartoons then go back to a park later if we wanted without me having to drive was priceless. We don't feel like slaves to the transportation, more often than not we stay at an Epcot resort since that is our favorite park so we walk there and HS. We do ride the bus to AK but we've never minded the waits, we are in no hurry when on vacation so when he was little we would play games with each other and now as an adult we talk, we read our kindle's on our phone, we relax. I don't rule out the possibility of some time in the future we stay off site, I can certainly see where the amount of money saved might outweigh the convenience of staying on site but we aren't there yet.

 

[kathy884]

[QUOTE="goofyernmost, post:
I have only stayed onsite once in 2010 and honestly I couldn't wait to leave. I felt like a prisoner. Others don't feel that way, I know. That's way i started and ended with the disclaimer that I am only talking about what worked for me.[/QUOTE]

OMG -- I thought I was the only one. I can so much relate to what you are saying.

 

[Happy_2_B]

Some of the off-site properties are less than 15 minutes from the parks and there is no waiting for your transportation to arrive. With that in mind vs. having your own car, isn't the argument valid for staying off-site IF you're looking at a convenience aspect?

We always stay onsite these days- it is a totally different experience as you are immersed 24/7 in the magic of Disney. We also always have a car- way more convenient than relying on Disney transportation. You need a car offsite- and I could make a really good argument that you need one onsite as well. We go where we want when we want- and rely on no schedules other than our own. Cost-effectiveness doesn't come into the picture for us, but I get that it does for some. If that is an issue- the choice would be harder. We are fortunate that is not an issue we have to weigh. In the end I am sure you will make the right decision for your family.

 

[powellrj]

When I first started planning this trip it was on-site at Ssr with deluxe dinning. The closer we got the more I realized I was going to miss the space we had in an off-site pool house. I cancelled the on-site trip and planned an off-site one. I can now relax knowing I will have plenty of space!

 

[PetePanMan]

Yes it better but it costs more and you can still have a great time staying offsite

 

[dragitoff]

The few times that I have traveled with a "we need a minimum of two rooms" group, we stayed at the Swan/Dolphin for around $149 per room per night. We couldn't come close to that price (and space) at Disney-owned properties. Our other option was going to be off-site. So if you haven't looked into it, you might want to check out those resorts. You get 90% of the perks of Disney hotels. What you lose is Magical Express and the extra 10 day window for booking ADRs. Neither of those things has ever mattered to me. We usually do a one day car rental upon arrival. If you rent from National, you can drop the car off right at the Dolphin when you check in. Once we have the car, we make a side stop at Publix to buy supplies for the week and the money we save on breakfast foods and snacks more than makes up for the cost of the rental car. On the way back to the airport, we arrange for a shuttle through Mears.

I'm not suggesting that you will be able to get a room rate of less than $150 per night, but the Swan and Dolphin often have some really great rates. And you can accumulate Starwood points for your stay, or use Starwood points to book your stay, if you are a member of their program and have any points lying around.

Also, though I haven't stayed there yet, they Bonnet Creek resort area might be useful to you. It takes you out of the middle of the bubble. But you are still in the bubble a bit more than you would be 15 minutes outside of WDW.

All in all, while staying on site is nice, with a family of 6, staying off-site is easy to justify given the price options that are out there. But give the non-Disney hotels that are "on property" a look before you book 20 minutes away.

We have stayed at the Swan and Dolphin quite a few times prior to our family doubling in size earlier this year. We are not interested in staying in two separate rooms especially since most resorts will not guarantee adjoining rooms. Our only on-site options are 2BR or larger villas. We do love Swan and Dolphin and especially love the location. It's nice that Epcot and DHS are only a short walk or boat ride away!

Thank you for adopting your children. I know a family that has five kids through adoption, another that have three and several others that have adopted another child.

In your situation, I would stay of site. I don't know your financial situation, but the logistics of getting rooms and having space is important. The family experiece is better for you in a house or condominium than staying in a WDW resort.

2BR villas for an extended trip are not cheap by any means, but it was really more about the overall experience than the cost. Sure, the cost is a consideration, but each morning while we were waiting on the buses we were trying to keep our kids corralled. It makes for an interesting and challenging start to the day to say the least.

 

[dragitoff]

Congrats on the adoption!!!
We are a family with 6 kids, ages 2-15. We've been renting off property houses since 2003. If you'd like info on our favorite houses, please PM me.

Our favorite communities to stay in our slightly to the west of Disney World off Highway 27. That being said our current favorite house is south in Champions Gate.

He strongly prefer having our own vehicle and are very good at doing rope drop rope drop. We very often get front row parking.

The one caveat to all of this, is that now the fast pass plus is an issue.

To solve that problem we have rented off property house for about $104 a night, as well as a fort wilderness campsite for $70 a night. Together they still cost for less than what it would cost us to stay on property. I will not be canceling the campsite. But we will get free parking, and it includes magic bands. This is worth it to me so I may have the 60 days to book my fast pass plus is, as well as 180+10 for my ADRs.

We have stayed off property with our ever-growing family for more than 10 years. If you have any questions, feel free to private message me.

We're very close to investing in a property in Reunion (I can actually see Champion's Gate resort from our lot!) so I'll have our property, but I appreciate the offer on sending me some house locations. More importantly, thank you for the congrats on the adoption. It was a very long process we're glad to finally be finished with and we're happy we were able to keep the boys together (it's a sibling group of 4 brothers). I've heard about the campsite rental idea and really hadn't checked into it much. We will invest in AP's once we close on the property we're looking at so I know there are some advantages for APH and FP+. We already have magic bands from our trip in May that we can technically still use.

I'm just about your complete opposite. I'm a family of 2 (me and a child).

If I had to drive somewhere, I'd be the only driver, in an unfamiliar place - no thanks. I have the problem that Disney rooms (even values) are more room than we actually need. I don't do laundry or cook on vacation.

To me, nothing beats the convenience of staying on site!!

The laundry is another factor too! I know WDW resorts have laundry facilities onsite and most 2BR villas have them in room, but it's nice having that at your disposal. While no one wants to do laundry while on vacation, it does at least help you pack a little lighter while traveling and even helps on the amount of laundry you have to do when you get home. Imagine a family of 8 on vacation for a week. That's a lot of laundry!

 

[GillianP1301]

For me, I much prefer to stay on site. I've done both and definitely just like "being in the bubble".

I think the balance would tip for me if my family was larger than 4 or 5 people. Once you're out of one standard room at Disney, I would seriously look at a rental house off property.

 

[sharona]

For me, a vacation isn't a vacation if I have to drive once I get there. I'm the only licensed driver in the family, so that skews things, but once I arrive somewhere I want to Not Drive Ever At All.

This is one of those things that's very individual. We tried the buses on our first trip and I felt the exact opposite. For me, waiting for a bus, being crowded in with others, standing on the bus after a long day in the parks, is not vacation. I love the freedom of having our own car and I find WDW very easy to navigate.

I love that there are so many on and off site options in Orlando. Something for everyone! You can spend as much or as little as you like on accommodations. You can overpack or do laundry. You can drive or take the bus. You can eat all your meals at WDW or cook at a condo or visit Orlando restaurants or bring in your own lunch. You can spend all your time at WDW or explore other activities in the area... really so many ways to do Orlando.

 

[720L]

YES! I love being in the "bubble". Everything is clean, top notch customer service, awesome with food allergies, everything is themed to the maximum. Love it.

 

[DisneyMandC]

It's all about the bubble for me! Not a Disney vacation if I'm not onsite! That being said, we will likely not ever travel at a peak time. The only time I would would be for the holidays, but I would still go early December. We don't have kids though, so we are able to go at odd times.

We are also the types that once we get to Disney, we don't leave. No offsite food. No trips to Universal. No outlet shopping. Put me on DME when I get there and I am good to go! We are the types to do DDP as well though. It's not a vacation if we have to cook! All of our vacations, regardless of whether they're Disney or not, are based around eating good food- and we like Disney food!

 

[BudgieMama]

For us, onsite is the best choice: 2 adults, doing WDW, not bothered (generally) about the other parks and not wanting to drive. (We're from the UK, and I'm a new driver- just coming up to a year since I passed my test). DH doesn't want to be stuck driving in a left-hand drive vehicle, and rules of the road that aren't familiar. I couldn't cope with changing gear with my right hand, which I prefer to have on the wheel at all times... but I don't like driving an automatic. DME saves us having to hire a car or book extra transport, and once we're there the Disney transport system give us freedom to come and go as we want- sometimes together, sometime different places or different times. We're happy as we can be onsite, and have no desire to leave!

 

[texasroni75]

We've never stayed offsite. Mostly because DH and I are TERRIBLE with directions, and we envision bickering and getting lost, plus paying for parking, etc. We also like making use of EMH.

I will say that our last visit to WDW staying onsite, the buses were the least reliable and most packed I've ever seen (considering we went during a "low crowd" time). The bus drivers actually ticked me off a few times barking orders to move back and cram in further and further. I used to commute to Manhattan on mass-transit, so I'm not averse to being packed in like sardines. But, hey, I'm on vacation, and if I can feel what's in my neighbor's pockets I think it's time to stop asking us to push in more!

Also, we have been considering it as our kids get older, and we may want more space, maybe seeing some more stuff outside of the parks on our trips, etc. So, I can see both sides. Right now we're still onsite, but that may change.

 

[Planogirl]

We always have a car and dislike buses so that part is irrelevant for us. Driving from an onsite resort or offsite facility is pretty much the same depending on location.

I also don't have much interest in the Disney bubble. I do love a few specific Disney resorts and intend to go back to them but just staying onsite otherwise doesn't mean much to me. The lack of space and crowds and mediocre food courts don't appeal much.

I think that the OP should just stay wherever the family is most comfortable. It would be hard to find a reasonably priced way to stay onsite for such a large group.

 

[Kathryn777]

There is no one size fits all option. The feeling of staying in the Disney bubble is one of the reasons I love staying offsite. We rent a house with a pool. My kids can get away from each other (and I only have 3) and we can relax in a (usually) shaded patio while they swim. It is such a sigh of relief to me to not feel people judging my parenting, or my kids arguing or my slightly wild 8 year old.

We stay close enough the drive is very short. We go home for midday breaks. They can eat what they normally eat, not wake each other and the rest of the hotel when 1 gets up at 5 am. And they can chill out and eat the dinner and run around the house when they're done. We only did 1 onsite stay and it was so not worth it for us

 

[NavyDad]

Honestly, it really depends on your family needs.

We are a family of 5 so our options are a bit limited as well. The AoA suites and the FW Cabins have worked out good for us.

The first couple of trips staying onsite were great for us as we didn't really "know" WDW yet. It was nice just walking out standing under a sign for the place we wanted to go and just wait for the bus to come. Made navigation very simple for us.

A couple of years ago we did a combined WDW/UO trip and we did a split stay first at Beach Club and then at the Sheraton Vistana Villages. That really opened our eyes to the advantages of having a full condo and we got it for about the price we payed for a standard room at WDW.

Our last trip this summer we stayed at the Fort Wilderness Cabins. This was our first time driving to all of the parks except MK. Now that we are much more familiar with the geography of WDW we had no problem getting around and it was actually great having our vehicle. Just gave us a bit more freedom.

 

[Masonmj84]

My wife's sister's family is a good example of how this can come down to personal preference, finances and family size notwithstanding. They have 6 kids but are also quite well off financially. So they could totally afford to stay on-property if they wanted to.

But they choose to stay off-property for a number of reasons. First, they object to overpaying for things as a matter of principle. So when they look at the relative costs of similar on and off property accommodations, staying on-property not only doesn't make financial sense to them, it also feels morally wrong.

Second, they're energetic doers (goes with the territory of raising 6 kids). So they don't mind things like driving, grocery shopping, cooking, and even cleaning while on vacation. They're also very social people who enjoy taking vacations with other families. So renting a big house for a week (and sharing it with another family) is right up their alley. To them, an ideal Disney day is hitting the parks from about 9 am to 5 pm and then going back to the rental house for a big pool party cookout.

I'm basically the exact opposite. I want to be lazy on vacation. I want to feel pampered. I want an all-inclusive feel. On the other hand, I don't want to drive. I don't want to buy groceries. I don't want to cook. I don't want to clean. I don't want to be social. So my ideal Disney day is a park from about 9 am to 1 pm, followed by chilling out at the resort pool, followed by a relaxing signature dinner. Staying on-site just provides everything I want.

My wife's sister's family would feel bored, trapped, and ripped off with our vacation style. I would feel exhausted by theirs. It's truly different strokes for different folks.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

This is an excellent point. If you have older kids or a diverse group and you want the flexibility of going your separate ways when it suits you, then on site is the way to go.

We recently returned from a trip offsite (Wyndham Bonnet Creek) where our older girls stayed behind at MK a few times and we picked them up later. It was very easy to do. We had them walk over to the Contemporary after MK and we picked them up there.