Actual Savings Staying Offsite Versus Onsite

[katyjeka]

Another cost to consider is luggage with most airlines. When we stay at a condo with private washer/dryer we are able to do laundry without interrupting our vacation. When we stay onsite in a hotel we have to share which can make laundry tough at times. I hate missing pool time while standing in a laundry room. There are times when I've been able to get a washer right away but just as many times that I've had to wait. So when we're onsite we pack more which can mean an extra 2 suitcases at least for 8 people for two weeks. With most airlines were looking at another 60.00. (Thank goodness for southwest)

 

[jaykorf001]

It's not a matter of "justifying". Costs of a rental car and Disney parking offset many of the offsite savings if you're comparing apples to apples. Hotel room vs hotel room. In some ways DME was a game changer. Renting a car used to cost about the same as a car service. Renting a car made sense, economically, for all guests. Orlando is overbuilt with timeshare resorts. The weekly cost to rent can be less then maintenance fees. No question people who want that kind of vacation can get a great deal. DVC is in demand. It's not cheap if you reserve through Disney. Renting points, for a 2 bedroom unit isn't cheap. People who want that kind of vacation should consider purchasing DVC. Apples to Apples....I don't see any of the offsite comparisons including the cost for daily maid service. Daily maid service is included with a hotel. The cost must be added into the timeshare cost for a fair comparison. I understand many people don't want daily maid service, or at least don't want to pay for it, but the comparison isn't really valid unless it's added in.

Daily housekeeping is available at WBC, although I cannot remember how much it costs per day. It was definitely more than I was willing to pay.

The Four Seasons is a hotel. It adjoins Disney property and will have transportation to the parks (not sure how this will work I admit but The Four Seasons does have a knack for doing things well). It will be significantly nicer than either the Poly or the GF and less expensive unless someone is getting some sort of fabulous deal. It's also my understanding that the Waldorf, also a true 5 star hotel within the Disney gates, can often be booked for what it might cost for a Disney mod. The Hilton next door to it is even cheaper, lovely, and has the use of the Waldorf's facilities.

I admit I have no interest in staying in a hotel like the Disney values or mods so I haven't researched available rates for nearby equivalent hotels. Obviously the less expensive a room is the smaller the difference is going to be -- e.g. The price difference btw a Disney value and a similarly equipped hotel would be smaller even if the percentage is the same. I get that. But I also get how I can have a fabulous stay at WBC for the same price or less than a value. To me the difference in the space, finishes, and amenities is mind boggling. I'm glad I discovered DIS and became knowledgable about how inexpensive Orlando is.

There will always be a certain sect of people that relish staying in a Disney hotel so much that nothing will change their minds. That's totally fine. But I also think there's a group of people out there that maybe have not explored or learned about all the plethora of offsite options and amenities and what the price of these might be. To me it's why it's good to read both sides and educate oneself.

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[Gr8t Fan]

We are a family of 6 (but 1 will be off to college) staying in a 3 bedroom condo at Windsor Hills in late August for $422 for the week. The condo has a full kitchen, washer/dryer, two bathrooms and enough beds that everyone has their own.

The least expensive option onsite for us would be POR in the Alligator Bayou section with our AP discount for $1,494. (POR wouldn't even be an option for us if our eldest DD was traveling with us, we'd have to go with an AsMu Family Suite for $1,789.92 or AoA Suite for $2,175.75).

We will have our own van because we drive down, but I've priced out a rental at Hotwire and it would be $214 for the week.

Parking for 7 days at WDW would be $119 (we have APs so we don't pay for parking).

Simply based on lodging alone, we'll save $739 for the week choosing offsite over onsite. (We will actually save $1,072 because we don't need a rental vehicle or parking, but I added them so as to compare apples to apples).

We don't care much about daily housekeeping and, in fact, usually put up our "do not disturb" sign most days when we do stay onsite.

We have to eat no matter which option we choose, but we usually save quite a bit of $ by having the full kitchen in the condo because we always have breakfast there and sometimes dinner too. We usually budget $700-$900 for meals/groceries and spend about $400 - $500.

For us, the savings between offsite and onsite is SUBSTANTIAL. I can see how that might not be the case for smaller families who can fit into a value room and don't mind the tight quarters, but that doesn't work for us.

 

[artemis4]

I agree with your numbers but you drive, have an AP and stayed over a holiday weekend. Your savings would shrink dramatically if you had to rent a car, over a holiday weekend, and pay for parking at WDW.

And if my family used Magical Express and Disney transportation to the park, that would mean we flew which increases the cost of our vacation dramatically.

Now, mentioning this on my part is useless to the conversation of actual costs for my family's vacation style. 2girlsmom was stating that her family has APs and drives. Staying onsite wouldn't change these basic facts about her family's vacation style. I don't see the point in stating the obvious fact that if the base assumptions on her family's vacation style changed, the costs would change.

If a family is going to drive regardless of where they stay, then telling them that their savings would be different if they rented a car is pointless. If they are going to fly regardless, telling them how much they could save offsite by driving their own car there is useless. If a family is going to have APs regardless, pointing out the parking cost they didn't pay is irrelevant. If a family isn't going to buy APs, it would be ridiculous to point out that they could have parking fees if they had one.

Everyone has to look at actual costs and benefits to determine what is the greater value for their personal vacation style preference.

 

[2girlsmom]

I agree with your numbers but you drive, have an AP and stayed over a holiday weekend. Your savings would shrink dramatically if you had to rent a car, over a holiday weekend, and pay for parking at WDW.

People in this forum like the extra space offered by a vacation home or timeshare resort. They like the pricing.

People who post in the resort board love (overstate?) the benefits of onsite. They would never give up the Disney "magic". They like EMH. Package delivery. Transportation.

JMO but a family of 5 has the most "issues" staying onsite. A DVC studio is generally too small. Family Suites are expensive.

That's true, and I agree that a family of 5 has the most problems with onsite. However, we stayed in the largest suites, the 2 bedrooms at Caribe, and that was holiday pricing for them as well, we have stayed there off season for as low as $99 per night in the 2 bed room units. Also, they have 1 bedroom suites, as well, in a variety of configurations, and those price out at @ $100-$150 even on the holiday weekend (for 2 queens in the bedroom + a fullsize pullout couch in the living room), and as low as $59 in the off season. We have stayed in that size, we just are fond of the space and the ability for everyone to have the extra tv so the kids don't argue about what to watch before bed or in the morning, LOL. I could have gone there for the holiday weekend for $109 per night, so roughly $400 total for the hotel, making a bigger savings, and a closer estimation to the family suites as far as space is concerned. A car rental and parking would add roughly $40 per day for those who didn't have a car already there and an annual pass, x 4 days is $160, so that would be $560 for the 1 bedroom, or $1025 with the 2 bedroom, so still a savings of over $200, even adding in for the car and keeping the larger unit.

 

[Detailor]

Apples to Apples....I don't see any of the offsite comparisons including the cost for daily maid service. Daily maid service is included with a hotel. The cost must be added into the timeshare cost for a fair comparison. I understand many people don't want daily maid service, or at least don't want to pay for it, but the comparison isn't really valid unless it's added in.

So, would that mean that car rental costs for an offsite stay shouldn't be added because it isn't apples-to-apples? Personally, I don't buy the argument that I should include daily housekeeping services if I stay offsite and don't want the service. I'd leave that for folks who find some value in that. I also don't buy the comparison that if I stay at timeshare resorts offsite that the only fair comparison would be the cost of a DVC onsite. While I'd prefer a two-bedroom DVC over a hotel room, the high cost way outweighs my desire for additional space. Just my opinion, but my comparison would be for what I'd be comfortable paying in either setting for my personal preferences.

Here's my approach for 3 people (my wife and I and one of our adult daughters)...


Offsite
Lodging - Timeshare exchange (we own outright at a resort in North Carolina) exchange fee: around $150/wk, annual maintenance fee: around $650, total about $800
Car Rental - Full size car: ~$260
Gas - ~$50
Parking - maybe five park days, so $85
Food - Groceries about $200; Dinners out $400; Park Snacks $250
Total offsite: $2,045 (our actual cost would be about twice that amount if airfare and park tickets - four day park hoppers through Undercover Tourist (pay for four day tickets, get fifth day free) -were added)

Onsite
Lodging - We'd trade off a two-bedroom villa at a resort like Marriott's Cypress Harbour for two queen beds in a room at a Disney Deluxe like Wilderness Lodge: $2,165
Car rental - Yes, we would still rent a car when staying onsite as there are many places that we usually go to in the area for dining, shopping, etc.~$260
Gas - would probably be about the same, ~$50
Parking - $0
Food - I don't have a good gauge on this but without a kitchen we'd be eating out someplace for every meal. Let's say the dining out cost would be additional 50%: ~$975
Total onsite: about $3,450

I might be over estimating the cost of offsite lodging (we get a bonus week for depositing each of our timeshare weeks so it could be argued that it would be legitimate to split the annual maintenance fee amount between the regular exchange week and the bonus week) and might be underestimating the onsite food costs (we generally eat and drink well while on vacation) so the putative savings of $1,405 that I calculated might be a little higher. Based on our vacationing preferences there's no disputing having a rental car in either scenario - don't care about DME and don't much like waiting for/crowding in park-to-park buses, though we do end up using them to/from Studios and AK when we're park hopping. And we truly don't want housekeeping - if it were an option in a hotel we'd most likely opt out.

Dick Taylor

 

[Lewisc]

A lot is about location. Some people visiting NYC stay in Jersey City or Long Island City. They'll take a subway, path train or bus to their hotel at the end of their day. Other people book a hotel within walking distance, maybe in the Times Square area (or whatever part of NYC they'll be visiting).

Disney is able to charge a (significant) price premium for location. Looking at the castle from your resort. Being able to walk back to your resort after a day at DHS, take a pool break, shower then walk over to EPCOT for dinner.

Different people have different vacation budgets and different priorities. One poster said he (she?) uses the hotel laundry/dry cleaning service. He (she?) said it was worth a few hundred dollars extra on the vacation budge in order to come home with a suitcase of clean clothes.

You're going to pay less offsite. Offsite can't charge the same as Disney and fill their rooms. Guest staying at Disney have the option of not having a car. That might offset some of the savings. A plus for people who don't want to drive on vacation. Most of the offsite properties discussed in these threads don't offer free shuttle Caribe is an exception. DTD hotels are an exception. Shuttle schedules are generally limited. Guests staying in most offsite properties need a car.

 

[jaykorf001]

A lot is about location. Some people visiting NYC stay in Jersey City or Long Island City. They'll take a subway, path train or bus to their hotel at the end of their day. Other people book a hotel within walking distance, maybe in the Times Square area (or whatever part of NYC they'll be visiting). Disney is able to charge a (significant) price premium for location. Looking at the castle from your resort. Being able to walk back to your resort after a day at DHS, take a pool break, shower then walk over to EPCOT for dinner. Different people have different vacation budgets and different priorities. One poster said he (she?) uses the hotel laundry/dry cleaning service. He (she?) said it was worth a few hundred dollars extra on the vacation budge in order to come home with a suitcase of clean clothes. You're going to pay less offsite. Offsite can't charge the same as Disney and fill their rooms. Guest staying at Disney have the option of not having a car. That might offset some of the savings. A plus for people who don't want to drive on vacation. Most of the offsite properties discussed in these threads don't offer free shuttle Caribe is an exception. DTD hotels are an exception. Shuttle schedules are generally limited. Guests staying in most offsite properties need a car.

Are you suggesting the time difference btw Jersey City and Manhattan is the same as between resorts being on Disney property or a 5/10/15 minute drive away? I guess I should surrender.

I agree wholeheartedly that people are willing to pay more for a Disney hotel and that there is a premium for a hotel like the CR where you can walk to MK. My only premise is that IMO a significant percentage of these people do not know first hand what is available elsewhere and at what cost. That's all. I say this because I did not know until I saw it for myself by staying onsite and offsite. I would have assumed I'd have been an onsite only advocate but that's not how I ended up thinking in the end.

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[jeff968]

For us it is the timeshare resorts. They offer a big savings in the following areas:

Resort - I have no trouble finding a one week rental and the cost per night is as cheap as $150 for a two bedroon suite which are huge. And these are Hiltons or marriotts, top notch offerings. No extra fees.

Food - Huge here. We hit the Publix and fill up the fridge. We get everything we need for breakfast, lunch, snacks, and drinks. Compared to purchasing out this goes a long way. In room laundry is great. less clothes to bring down and we bring small bottles of the laundry cleaners we will need. We go out for dinner.

Entertainment - For us, it is becoming less and less about the parks and more and more about relaxing in the Florida sun. Poolside at one of these resorts is fantastic. They also have a full agenda of activities everyday so the kids make friends and don't want to leave. No problem. And the activities are mostly free.

I shop early to save on the flights and the car rental. I am usually under $3K for 7 days in February for a family of 4. And we come back fully relaxed and ready to fight the daily rigor again!

 

[katyjeka]

We've stayed at Cont/MK view and thought it was nice. I guess when you pay almost 800.00 per night for two rooms you expect a lot. The view and being able to hop on the monorail was great, and the walk to MK nice. This being said we had to take a four day trip versus twelve and have discovered the view was not worth the sacrifice. We pay less for twelve nights off in a much bigger and nicer resort. My dh gets so upset when you pay that kind of money and have to tiptoe around sleeping children. We enjoy our alone time, and if I can post this, the time alone at night relaxes us!!! We've come home with two beautiful dd's from our vacation in Orlando. They are our permanent Disney souveniers.... I respect people who pay for convenience and the Disney bubble, but there is so much available for much less offsite. As a family we'd rather have 12 nights versus 4!!!

 

[artemis4]

A lot is about location. Some people visiting NYC stay in Jersey City or Long Island City. They'll take a subway, path train or bus to their hotel at the end of their day. Other people book a hotel within walking distance, maybe in the Times Square area (or whatever part of NYC they'll be visiting).

Disney is able to charge a (significant) price premium for location. Looking at the castle from your resort. Being able to walk back to your resort after a day at DHS, take a pool break, shower then walk over to EPCOT for dinner.

This was our view from our last offsite trip:

We watched fireworks from the balcony and could see the part of the Fantasmic show from there as well. It took us 4-12 minutes from the time that we got into the car to the time we parked at any park. I found that highly convenient. We paid $609 total for 7 nights in a 2 bedroom timeshare condo for seven people. $87 per night. Less than a single room in a value resort.

Different people have different vacation budgets and different priorities. One poster said he (she?) uses the hotel laundry/dry cleaning service. He (she?) said it was worth a few hundred dollars extra on the vacation budge in order to come home with a suitcase of clean clothes.

You're going to pay less offsite. Offsite can't charge the same as Disney and fill their rooms. Guest staying at Disney have the option of not having a car. That might offset some of the savings. A plus for people who don't want to drive on vacation. Most of the offsite properties discussed in these threads don't offer free shuttle Caribe is an exception. DTD hotels are an exception. Shuttle schedules are generally limited. Guests staying in most offsite properties need a car.

Again, some of us would have a car with us whether we are onsite or offsite, and some of us don't consider shuttle buses a perk in any way, shape or form.

I don't disagree that people have different vacation styles and different vacation priorities. I love having a washer and dryer at my disposal in the unit so that we come home with clean laundry, but I wouldn't do the laundry if it wasn't convenient and in our condo. It doesn't matter to me how others choose to vacation and spend their money/time. For me, offsite wins hands down on money, convenience, and comfort. Other people get to make other choices. My preference doesn't invalidate the fact that others prefer other things. Likewise, the fact that people love onsite doesn't mean I'm wrong in finding offsite to be the better bargain.

 

[supergoofy]

Family of six and when I run the numbers I am saving under $200 by staying offsite at Bonnet Creek versus onsite.

Problem I found with onsite was we are a party of six. A family suite was okay but it only has one bedroom which puts the kids on the couch or table/murphy bed. Not ideal for us.

We got 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, full kitchen, living room and laundry.


If we were a smaller group then it would make more sense to stay onsite.

 

[kathy884]

A lot is about location. Some people visiting NYC stay in Jersey City or Long Island City. They'll take a subway, path train or bus to their hotel at the end of their day. Other people book a hotel within walking distance, maybe in the Times Square area (or whatever part of NYC they'll be visiting)..

lol The only time I've stayed in Manhattan is when I'm traveling there on business and my company books me there. The only time I stay onsite at Disney is when my husband has a business conference at the Contemporary and his company is paying.

I'm an offsite Orlando girl (do the condo for week long trips, but have done offsite hotels for shorter trips). On the east coast we do a three night trip to visit relatives every year and stay three blocks from where our relatives live in a hotel in New Jersey. We do one family visit day, and then a day trip to NYC (train) and come back to NJ to take relatives out to dinner. Some, but not all of the family come into the city with us when we visit. And when we went to see the US Open tennis tournament we stayed in Long Island City to stay in budget. Doing this meant we could do more days at the tournament and a Broadway show. // lol -- I have always wanted to stay in Manhattan, but haven't to date. On our next trip we're looking at day one overnight in NJ by relatives, two nights in Manhattan, and a second day in NJ before heading home. For Orlando, though, onsite Disney is not a big deal to me. I actually prefer offsite. It's super easy to get to the parks and the offsite condo resorts and hotels are just so nice and such a good deal. I really and truly just don't have the stomach to pay Disney hotel prices that seem really high to me when there is such a reasonable option that works so well for us and that we like so much. But I obviously don't put the value on the onsite perks that a lot of people do.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I think the best overall comparison is the price of a 2 br villa like OKW or SSR versus a villa offsite. Either compare the cash rates or the rental rates via an owner. Then you are controlling for the location factor or view etc and the amenities and square footage are similar.

Adjust for a rental car if needed (although I would never stay at OKW or SSR without one either!)

 

[jaykorf001]

Family of six and when I run the numbers I am saving under $200 by staying offsite at Bonnet Creek versus onsite. Problem I found with onsite was we are a party of six. A family suite was okay but it only has one bedroom which puts the kids on the couch or table/murphy bed. Not ideal for us. We got 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, full kitchen, living room and laundry. If we were a smaller group then it would make more sense to stay onsite.

Just out of curiosity, is the under $200 price difference btw WBC and a value family suite? If you haven't stayed there previously, I hope you enjoy WBC as much as my family did.

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[jenninaustin]

So...hypothetically speaking...if a husband and wife were considering a one day quick trip Disney (literally, one day in a park) and were pricing offsite places....trying to get the best deal what would you recommend?

Since it would probably just be one night (maybe two) and no kids, we don't need a fancy pool but it would be nice to find a fabulous deal and a very close place - especially if it was super close to DHS.

Just wondering what you might suggest. We've only been to the World a coupld of times, but both times for a week, stayed onsite, with kids.

 

[disneyfan55]

So...hypothetically speaking...if a husband and wife were considering a one day quick trip Disney (literally, one day in a park) and were pricing offsite places....trying to get the best deal what would you recommend?

Since it would probably just be one night (maybe two) and no kids, we don't need a fancy pool but it would be nice to find a fabulous deal and a very close place - especially if it was super close to DHS.

Just wondering what you might suggest. We've only been to the World a coupld of times, but both times for a week, stayed onsite, with kids.

Well, we have recently stayed in a Villa at Caribe Royale. It is really nice and also very close to WDW. No parking or resort fees either.

 

[kmb584]

I'm coming into this post a bit late but decided to share anyway. DD and I fly, and 98% of the time our Gammy comes too. Our aunt lives in Jupiter and drives up to join us for our vacation. Because of accumulated air miles I've paid $70 ($35 per person in taxes and fees) for our last 4 roundtrip flights, and will be paying the same for our upcoming November flights. My aunt drives to/from the parks and one tank of gas lasts us the week ($60 for her Infiniti crossover) and parking is free because we're all AP holders.

Whether onsite or off, we don't do the DDP. It's just too much food, and I find that we get a better savings with our TiW card ($100 fee but saves us 20% on food, beverages, and alcohol). For DD and I, using my TiW discount, I spend around $100 per day on food and snacks, but that number fluctuates depending on if we're doing 1 or 2 TS and what kind (buffet or a la carte). Memory Maker doesn't factor in as it's not something I'm willing to spend money on.

My real savings comes from the resorts. I like deluxe or deluxe villas, AKL and GF being personal favorites, and because we like extra room we opt for either 2 rooms or a 2-bedroom villa when onsite. Taking our November dates (7-18) into account, it would cost $5,566.52 for just our (1) room at AKL without a discount. I'd expect a 30% RO to be released at some point bringing that cost down to $3896.54, still quite pricey for a single savanna view room. If I opted to rent points for a 2-bedroom savanna view villa it'd be $6608, my cost being $3304 as I'd only be paying for myself and DD; my Gammy and aunt would be responsible for their half.

We're staying at the Sheraton Vistana Villas though, in a 2-bedroom unit, for $1,637.21 of which I'm responsible for $818.61, for a savings of $3077.93 (AKL) or $2485.39 (AKV). That's a lot of money to bank.

 

[itchin2go]

We drive, and we stay in a 2 br villa offsite for a fraction of what we paid at WDW for a 1 br villa (VWL and BCV). Honestly, we get a discounted price through my husband's company, but even if we didn't, I think it would be $1K for a week in a 2 br villa.

We like the extra space, and we're not forced to only dine on-site. We like Disney dining, don't get me wrong, but it's nice to have a choice, and to save a few buck on at least a couple of nights.

Granted, tickets for 3 of us are between $800 - $900, but we paid more than $3k or so to stay in a 1 br villa + tickets at VWL and BCV, for less nights, I think.

Food excluded, I'm pretty sure we're saving at least $1K without even factoring in the extra discount we get.

 

[Lupeix]

I was debating offsite vs onsite this time, and decided on offsite at WBC, which is on property, right next to Caribbean beach Disney resort, so in terms of location it is not much different. A 2 bedroom condo that sleeps 8 will cost you 120 a night on low season. There is no extra fee, but it does not include housekeeping, so getting one in the middle of the week is advisable. You should to rent a car even-though they have shuttles to the park, which we do anyway regardless of where we stay, and pay parking at the parks at about 17$ a night. We were looking at a DVC 2 bedroom villa and our savings for late april were over 2000$