Is it Really Better Staying On Property?

[momimouse27]

If they're that old, couldn't they leave on their own (using the family car) and return when the rest of the party is ready to leave? It's definitely not as convenient; however that could be an easy alternative.

They are now, I was meaning when they were younger. At around 14/15 or so they started doing things independently and were leaving the park alone at around 17 to go and take breaks. For some that would be a good alternative but mine weren't good enough driving in Orlando I would've trusted them! Also, I have a son with ASD who sometimes needs breaks at times we don't expect, so getting on a bus/car and going back to the room is important for us. Too many people going too many directions....on site is important. We have stayed off site-and did last year once-but the convenience is much needed for me.

I would've trusted them last year to drive but when we're on propert I don't have to worry that the car isn't there for me to use when I need it.

 

[thelittlemermaid2]

There are some very good points on this thread but I can't get over the fact that without a Disney hotel and taking the bus to the parks every day it just wouldn't feel like Disney to me. I don't know, staying on site just seems more magical

 

[dragitoff]

There are some very good points on this thread but I can't get over the fact that without a Disney hotel and taking the bus to the parks every day it just wouldn't feel like Disney to me. I don't know, staying on site just seems more magical

I thought that exact thing before I ever stayed offsite. My adult life had always been staying at a Disney resort and using the bus service while there for everything, but a few years ago, we were planning a budget trip for 3 families and we could not get a reasonable rate on hotel rooms big enough to accommodate each family. One family had 5 people in it and we heard about rental homes around that time. We checked rates and found it was significantly less expensive than onsite hotels. It was in Windsor Hills so it was close enough that we thought we'd give it a shot. We were so happy with our decision because the adults had room to visit and socialize and the kids did too and the drives to the parks were short enough and we could leave whenever we wanted to. No waiting for buses at the end of a long day.

The next time we opted to rent a home, we did so with expectations. It was a family reunion so the entire family staying together was a top priority. This time we stayed at Acadia Estates which felt a little further, but still shorter than the typical bus wait and ride to the parks. It was great!

There are aspects to the Disney Resorts we love when we stay on property, but now with a family of 8, I don't see us ever staying on property again. Of course, owning a home now in Orlando will sway us away from that option too, but it's just far more comfortable, convenient, and definitely affordable for us!

 

[lzmclean]

I've done both and would say it depends what you wanna do whilst in Florida. Disney hotels are great if you plan on doing mostly Disney but it is easier to access other parks from outside Disney resort

 

[BeerMe]

Not better - different, but definitely more expensive.

ETA: 7 weeks of condos for us this fall will cost a few hundred dollars LESS than 7 days at Saratoga Springs in December. That was with a 40% discount too.

 

[leebee]

I just looked on Disney website & it says starting at $98 (ASsports). My DH always does the reservations so I don't know his tricks.

Apparently that means it's $98 per night if we go tomorrow next March/April, the pricing as of now is anywhere from $112 to $172 per night depending on what day it is. It may go up the closer you book to arrival date, I'm not sure. We generally only book 4-5 months out, so that may drive the price up, because I've seen the value resorts even more expensive than that. There are only two of us, no kids, so we can stay somewhere fairly nice off site for $90/night. Last time we got a beautifully renovated room at a golf resort, complete with all the amenities and a kitchen, for like $80/night. I WISH Disney were that affordable, but it just never has been in the six years we've gone.

My sister is at WDW right now (and I'm jealous!!). She has a room at POP Century at $119/$129 a night (different price for weekday/weekend) plus tax, and that's the AP rate. It's April vacation here in New England, and value rooms are expensive!

 

[momimouse27]

There are some very good points on this thread but I can't get over the fact that without a Disney hotel and taking the bus to the parks every day it just wouldn't feel like Disney to me. I don't know, staying on site just seems more magical

This. Growing up, when we could go, it just wasn't affordable to stay onsite. When we were finally able to, it just felt like a different world. It doesn't matter that values are exactly laid out like a Motel 6, the feel is different to me. The convenience is important. I look forward-my kids look forward-to receiving that little band in the mail when its time. If it benefits me, or I can't go unless I stay off site, then that's what I'll do. But I'll always prefer staying on property.

Sometimes its cost effective for us. This trip, I looked off site first before I did on property. The reason for the trip is not primarily Disney, its football, and it wasn't something we really saved for, so budget is paramount. It turned out that with my dad being retired military, the $94/night we got at ASMovies was better than anything we found off property. There are 9 of us, and getting multiple rooms would have happened no matter where we went, on top of that there's the matter of $25/day parking to add to that. And we will need to be independent of the kids with the car several times. No where else but at Disney could be be able to go off in our own vehicle and not worry about the rest of the family being transported to where they need to be.

 

[MrInfinity]

On site is worth it for me in that I can send my teens back to the room on their own on a bus and know everyone will be safe, and much happier for it. If I have to get a job just to support vacations...well, how are the retirement options? We will have 8 on our October trip, and we also fly (for my sanity). We did offsite with a large group, and apparently I picked the wrong place because it just wasn't all that magical to me. I hated driving to the parks, having to make trips because someone forgot something, or was ill. I want that magic bubble.

Yeah, we've stayed at many different local hotels by WDW and DL... you know what they all have in common? Every one of them feels like -- a Sheraton. Nothing special. An adequate room, uninspiring corridors, nothing really themed, plain pool area, and bus service (Disneyland) that shares a route with 10 other hotels. They aren't bad, per se, they're just nothing particularly different from a hotel I'd stay at for business. They have a workout room, laundry, coffeemaker, etc. Normal hotel perks.

Since we can only vacation once a year due to the logistics of school and work, when we do vacation, we don't go ultra budget conscious. Vacation is one of the times we're willing to splurge. With 2 weeks at our disposal, it's more about making the most of our time than trying to squeeze a few bucks out of the budget by sacrificing atmosphere, activities, and most importantly, convenience. The ability to split up and leave with some people is huge. The walking out of the Luau and strolling back to your room, stopping by Trader Sams for a drink and then sitting on your porch is such a different experience than leaving the Luau, heading to transportation, riding the Monorail the long way 'round (or walking to the TTC), catching a tram out to your car, and then driving 10 min to a hotel, where again you navigate a parking lot, walk 10 min from your car across the asphalt and ride up an elevator to your typical motel-style room. That's an hour getting home, vs that stroll, drink, sand, and porch. It is such a different experience to be there on property.

I'd say we end up splitting up almost every day -- often into 3 groups. Some kids will want to go back, others will want to stay. We can do this onsite... some can leave, go have fun at the hotel, meet up later at another destination, or come back to the park, or just stay home knowing the rest of our party can get home whenever.

Even when the alternative is FREE and we already have our own car we still stay onsite.

Note, we do use offsite hotels on filler days between say one park and another, or for our first night down there when we wouldn't get a full day out of an onsite hotel.

 

[momimouse27]

Mr Infinity, great post! You put into words exactly the reasons.

 

[goofyernmost]

There are some very good points on this thread but I can't get over the fact that without a Disney hotel and taking the bus to the parks every day it just wouldn't feel like Disney to me. I don't know, staying on site just seems more magical

That may well be some of it. I didn't stay onsite until about 20 years after I started going. I always stayed offsite, so doing that does indeed seem like Disney to me. So many of the surrounding hotels have a neighbor agreement with Disney and as such have Disney stuff all over the place. Many are themed hotels as well, maybe not Disney themed but they do have there own personality. The one time I stayed onsite I, honestly, felt like a prisoner and by the end of the week I couldn't wait to leave. I know that is a personal thing, but, that personal thing has saved me thousands of dollars over the years, even when I had to rent a car. There is more then just accommodations to think about, the food at Disney, to me, is grossly overpriced. That is a huge savings alone. I usually go to breakfast at one of the many $4.00 or $5.00 buffets that surround the entrance to WDW. Please tell me where on Disney you can get an all you can eat breakfast (good food too) anyplace on Disney property for that price. Oh, and not a single ADR 6 months in advance is required. What I cannot get into on Disney property, I don't need to go too.

Spoiler

All that is probably why I have to enter MK via the TTC. That is how it started and a huge part of it is missing without it. I love the ferry or monorail ride over, I even enjoy the tram from the parking lot. It is Disney to me.

 

[Yahweh]

There are some very good points on this thread but I can't get over the fact that without a Disney hotel and taking the bus to the parks every day it just wouldn't feel like Disney to me. I don't know, staying on site just seems more magical

I think this is exactly how I feel! The resorts, the magical express, the luggage being delivered to your room, the water transports, even the internal busses are as much apart of what WDW is as the parks themselves.

Plus we tend to go back and spend the whole afternoon at the resorts (not so much in the room themselves), so I always feel that i'm not just paying for a room to sleep in, but uniquely Disney culture.

 

[Mrs~Incredible]

Disney for sure has that extra Magic something, but for us we love stretching out in a 2 bedroom condo for the week, and although it's not themed like Disney, there are 7 lovely pools to choose from. Probably however, the biggest deciding factor is price- staying offsite essentially allows us to go more frequently

 

[pamcakes82]

We stayed off site at a Motel 6 and it was a 10 minute walk away and $75 a night (or less...I can't remember). We only slept there and rooms were clean and free parking/breakfast included. We would recommend staying here as it was convenient to the park and a fraction of the cost.

 

[BeerMe]

It is personal preference. There are no correct or incorrect answers. Everyone is different.

 

[goofyernmost]

We stayed off site at a Motel 6 and it was a 10 minute walk away and $75 a night (or less...I can't remember). We only slept there and rooms were clean and free parking/breakfast included. We would recommend staying here as it was convenient to the park and a fraction of the cost.

I'm a little confused... a 10 minute walk from where? Are you talking about Disneyland in Anaheim? Nothing is a 10 minute walk from WDW.

 

[pamcakes82]

I'm a little confused... a 10 minute walk from where? Are you talking about Disneyland in Anaheim? Nothing is a 10 minute walk from WDW.

Yes....10 minutes from DL in CA.

 

[goofyernmost]

Yes....10 minutes from DL in CA.

OK, gotcha! I was thinking WDW and wondering where that could possibly be. I stayed at the Red Roof Inn. If I remember correctly it was on Disney Avenue or something like that. It was a walk as well, seems like a little over 10 minutes, but, not much.

 

[maxiesmom]

That may well be some of it. I didn't stay onsite until about 20 years after I started going. I always stayed offsite, so doing that does indeed seem like Disney to me. So many of the surrounding hotels have a neighbor agreement with Disney and as such have Disney stuff all over the place. Many are themed hotels as well, maybe not Disney themed but they do have there own personality. The one time I stayed onsite I, honestly, felt like a prisoner and by the end of the week I couldn't wait to leave. I know that is a personal thing, but, that personal thing has saved me thousands of dollars over the years, even when I had to rent a car. There is more then just accommodations to think about, the food at Disney, to me, is grossly overpriced. That is a huge savings alone. I usually go to breakfast at one of the many $4.00 or $5.00 buffets that surround the entrance to WDW. Please tell me where on Disney you can get an all you can eat breakfast (good food too) anyplace on Disney property for that price. Oh, and not a single ADR 6 months in advance is required. What I cannot get into on Disney property, I don't need to go too.

Spoiler

All that is probably why I have to enter MK via the TTC. That is how it started and a huge part of it is missing without it. I love the ferry or monorail ride over, I even enjoy the tram from the parking lot. It is Disney to me.

If you are simply comparing costs, of course off site food and hotels (for the most part) have it over Disney. But I don't go to WDW to eat cheap food. I pay $30 for breakfast to see Winnie the Pooh and his gang. And I have tons of great memories of my family doing just that.

 

[goofyernmost]

If you are simply comparing costs, of course off site food and hotels (for the most part) have it over Disney. But I don't go to WDW to eat cheap food. I pay $30 for breakfast to see Winnie the Pooh and his gang. And I have tons of great memories of my family doing just that.

That is a misconception and I don't really care if you spend ten times the money thinking that you are getting top quality for it. It's OK with me if you do, but, don't imply that what I eat is trash just because it's cheaper out in the real world where there is competition. As far as paying anything to see a college kid in a Winnie costume I'm afraid that I'll have to pass. I'm glad you have good memories, but, it's not my thing. I don't enjoy that stuff and I feel uncomfortable with it so I certainly am not going to see why paying that much money extra to experience it is anywhere near my reality. Sorry!

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Yeah, we've stayed at many different local hotels by WDW and DL... you know what they all have in common? Every one of them feels like -- a Sheraton. Nothing special. An adequate room, uninspiring corridors, nothing really themed, plain pool area, and bus service (Disneyland) that shares a route with 10 other hotels. They aren't bad, per se, they're just nothing particularly different from a hotel I'd stay at for business. They have a workout room, laundry, coffeemaker, etc. Normal hotel perks.

This is how we feel.

There are only 2 or 3 of us. Our son is an adult so he won't be going with us as often.

We don't need a huge condo. And as DVC members we always get at least a fridge, toaster, coffee maker and microwave.

For us, there is nothing better at Disney than hopping on the monorail, boat or bus to the parks. Not having to hike it in from the parking lot is a huge perk.