Am I a joke on the Dis b/c my family chooses to stay off-site?

[js]

Well, I am guilty of the reverse snobbery; I make fun of the folks who choose to cram their families of 4 (or 5, in some moderates!) into one room, or worse, pay for TWO rooms because they are families of 5 or 6, instead of being smart like us and having luxury 2 or 3 bdrms condos. I feel particularily intellectually superior when I think of how little I pay for my condo through skyauction.

If you do a search on my username, you'll find an old thread titled "Wanna Join My Offsite Support Group?" . There are many of us who prefer offsite!

DITTO

My choice to stay in our timeshare at OLCC offsite has NOTHING to do with money. I could stay in deluxe, and have. My choice to stay offsite with my family of 4 is due to the s p a c e. We have very clean condo, my kids have their own bedroom, their own tv in their rooms and their own bathroom and shower. We have a kitchen, although we use it really only for breakfast and a dinner or two. We have a living room with tv and deck.
OLCC is huge, has a water park, many pools, evening activity, small beach, a few golf courses, mini golf, movie theatre and some restaurants to name a few. I LOVE to come back to our condo for our afternoon breaks or in the evening and have a calmness and relaxing feeling.
To the OP, I've been on these boards for six years and never felt others were "looking down" on my choice I KNOW we LOVE the extra room and that is what matters to my family. We always rent a car whether on or off site and we get back for our afternoon breaks MUCH faster than those at some, well most, resorts that are waiting for busses to take them back. Just do what is best for your family. No one else knows better than you. Enjoy

 

[gypsydoodlebug]

I'm still sorta regretting my decision to move the three of us on-site. If it weren't for the free dining, we'd still be booked in the Doubletree Suites. DH & I are trying for #2 and that's going to be put on hold this week while we're crammed into a one-bedroom room at POR. My parents are wanting to rent a house in January '08 for my brother, DD, DH and I -- who am I to argue?

We leave tomorrow and I'm now wishing we hadn't cancelled our rental car. I'm terrifed of not being able to get to a Walgreens. I seem to hit one in every state I travel to. I always forget something.

 

[djkeenan]

We stay in a beautiful 6 bedroom home with our own heated pool. We can get into the parks in far less time than the folks who stay onsite and take the busses. At $107 per night we can aford to stay for two weeks and invite family and friends to stay with us for free. We have 7 TVs, leather furniture, two master suites, wireless internet, a gas grill, etc., etc., etc.

People who stay onsite and feel they have a better vacation are entitled to their opinion, but you can be sure they are not going to convince me that I am missing anything!

 

[ANTSS2001]

I read lots of threads and people who choose to stay off-site are made fun of by the on-site guests. I don't get it. Just because we stay at our condo doesn't mean we aren't informed about Disney. We are very aware of on-site hotel costs vs. what we paid for our time share membership. We even looked into DVC, and it just didn't make sound financial sense to buy.

We have never been to an EMH, but we have always experienced everything in each park with minimal wait times (15 min wait is too much for us ). In fact, we ride all the major attractions 3 or 4 times each. We've never had a problem arriving prior to opening and waiting for the rope drop.

I'm constantly picking up this tone of superiority on the Disboards from those who stay on-site. Like somehow anyone who doesn't stay on-site is an uninformed, clueless moron.

We stayed on and off site depending on the size of my tribe! If it is just me I tend to stay on site so I dont have to worry about transportation. When we stay off site I choose to stay in one of those Pool houses! Love Love to swim without the crowd! Again it all depends on the size of my tribe tagging along the lenght of stay. Don't mind their silly antics! Long as you are happy that's whats matter most!

 

[PlutosFriend]

To answer the question seriously, though, you won't find any snobbery to offsite folks on this particular board (Orlando Hotels and Attractions). I can't stomach the Resort board at all. Most of the posters over there have no patience for anything other than Disney 24/7, and they really, truly believe we unfortunate souls who stay offsite are missing out on the "magic". There is no magic in putting my family into one room for a week, and I am, how shall I say it...less than magical before I've had my first cup or 2 of coffee. Nobody really wants to meet me in the food court before then!

Now if you REALLY want to be made fun off, admit to liking Universal & Islands of Adventure. (Oddly enough, they tend to leave SeaWorld alone)

Love your sense of humor I have stayed mostly on-site. Funny thing is, the place my son remembers the most and wants to go back to is the HIFS, which is now the Nick hotel. I think a great time can be had no matter where you stay. I certainly don't go to WDW to spend the majority of time in my room. As long as I have a clean place to lay my head down at night, I am good to go

 

[PlutosFriend]

We stay in a beautiful 6 bedroom home with our own heated pool. We can get into the parks in far less time than the folks who stay onsite and take the busses. At $107 per night we can aford to stay for two weeks and invite family and friends to stay with us for free. We have 7 TVs, leather furniture, two master suites, wireless internet, a gas grill, etc., etc., etc.

People who stay onsite and feel they have a better vacation are entitled to their opinion, but you can be sure they are not going to convince me that I am missing anything!

I would love to try a pool home sometime! Do you have a certain community that you use each time?

 

[UKDEB]

I can't say I've ever sensed that I was being made fun of for choosing to stay offsite, but I do feel that some posters almost pity me and assume I don't 'get it'. As you'll see from my signature, I've stayed at most of the Disney Deluxes, but I still prefer offsite. I do understand both the attraction and the benefits of staying onsite, but I wouldn't want to do it for an extended period. The villas we stay at are far more luxurious than any Disney hotel which all have that reassuringly homogenised, formulaic Disneyness, but they don't measure up to my definition of deluxe. I can't even claim that we stay offsite because it's cheaper - it isn't where we choose to stay - we do it because we genuinely prefer it.

EMH is an overrated benefit IMHO, but I'm glad all the onsiters flock to their designated park each day - makes the others less crowded for me!

 

[Mono~rail]

I can't say I've ever sensed that I was being made fun of for choosing to stay offsite, but I do feel that some posters almost pity me and assume I don't 'get it'.

EMH is an overrated benefit IMHO, but I'm glad all the onsiters flock to their designated park each day - makes the others less crowded for me!

I saw a post yesterday that was downright making fun. Like you, I've sensed the pity.

ITA about EMH!

 

[tednvon]

Gosh, we have been to Disney at least 40 times since 1972 and never stayed onsite...that is probably how we afforded to go over 40 times!!!

We are now sort of the unofficial Iowa experts on going to Disney and we have helped many many folks go off site. Feedback is always how much they loved it and saved lots of money...for those who wanted to stay onsite we showed them how to get great rates by buying one annual pass and getting the room discounts and parking free.

In fact a family we just helped a localfamily to do condo that had always done budget Disney hotels said to us, "We didn't realize there places to eat at Disney besides food courts." I love Disney, and we can visit the hotels anytime to OOOOOH and AAAAAAAAH. I am a confirmed off siter...


Peace...Ted

 

[keishashadow]

Everyone's got their strategies for enjoying WDW, ours is am EMH.

We did okay during off-site trip as to crowds, even though we were @ the parks 1/2 hour before they opened - old habits die hard

. For us, you can't beat riding EE twice before 9:00 a.m. @ AK or having our favs crossed off our list in Tomorrowland/Fantasyland & headed to the other Mts. @ the official rope drop...and swimming in the pool by 1:30 p.m. Obviously, if EMH were @ the top of your list you'd probably rethink staying offsite either for split stay or whole trip...all a matter of personal choice/trade-offs; whatever floats 'ya boat.

It's just a rumour I've seen bouncing around for the last year or so figure they'll be various promos/announcements Oct. 1, wonder if this will crop up...

WDW did patent new methods of technology for FP distribution for on-site guests wherein FPs (extra/bonus??) would be tied to level of on-site resort stay...now, that would up the ante & probably the rates too. Who knows if it will every come about but, may change the way some plan their travel.

Say all you want about on-site WDW fanatics... but add me to the Universal onsite group. We enjoy Universal but, after seeing the non-express lines during President's day, don't think we'd ever visit without booking a room there (if only for a day or 2). Entire family would rather limit our vists to the Dark Side for that perc.

 

[wayneg]

We enjoy Universal but, after seeing the non-express lines during President's day, don't think we'd ever visit without booking a room there (if only for a day or 2). Entire family would rather limit our vists to the Dark Side for that perc.

I think Universal have made a massive mistake removing Express ticket machines. We have had AP's for 4 years and love the 2 parks.
We have just done 25 nights in Orlando and would have done 5-6 days in the 2 parks but because no express tickets we did half day in Islands and 1 1/2 days in Universal. Less than half we would have done in past years. If other AP holders do the same as us their revenue will fall.

 

[Missy1961]

I do solo trips. I don't drive. So I need to stay on site in order to get the most from my vacations at Disney. But if I could, I would stay off site once in a while, because you can save tons of money!

 

[Local_Girl]

EMH is an overrated benefit IMHO, but I'm glad all the onsiters flock to their designated park each day - makes the others less crowded for me!

Yep...we avoid the "designated park" like the plague!

Monorail, I totally agree with your point about staying off-site because you have done your research. And I agree with everyone who believes in choosing which option is best for your family. We like the space, the kitchen, having a washer/dryer in the condo, driving to the parks and being able to park right near our door (instead of having to trudge 1/4 mile through a resort to get to the room after a long day at the parks). And, with careful research, I can keep the cost of such amenities way down...which allows us to to to WDW for 2 weeks at a time...wouldn't have it any other way!

Hooray for those who choose to stay on-site! Leaves more off-site options open for the rest of us!

 

[Local_Girl]

I think Universal have made a massive mistake removing Express ticket machines. We have had AP's for 4 years and love the 2 parks.
We have just done 25 nights in Orlando and would have done 5-6 days in the 2 parks but because no express tickets we did half day in Islands and 1 1/2 days in Universal. Less than half we would have done in past years. If other AP holders do the same as us their revenue will fall.

Hey wayneg, I know this is OT, but have you written/emailed Universal to let them know this? Perhaps you're not alone and this is one of the reasons their revenues have been down...

We've never been to Universal/IOA and would like to sometime, but we wouldn't stay onsite...so when they removed the Express machines it made us rethink a visit there. Hmmm...maybe I need to email them too!

 

[jeff968]

We've done both and prefer off-site. But, to each his own.

 

[damo]

Hey wayneg, I know this is OT, but have you written/emailed Universal to let them know this? Perhaps you're not alone and this is one of the reasons their revenues have been down...

We've never been to Universal/IOA and would like to sometime, but we wouldn't stay onsite...so when they removed the Express machines it made us rethink a visit there. Hmmm...maybe I need to email them too!

Actually, their revenues are up considerably as is attendance.

 

[bstnsprts]

We've tried on-site our last two trips and still most definitely prefer off-site. You can't beat the convenience of having multiple bedrooms and baths. One off the great things about free dining is that you can have the best of both worlds for less than the price of a moderate. We booked for four of us at POP with free dining, then found a two bedroom on sky auction, total for the two reservations, plus car rental, equaled less than booking a moderate. We'll have all the on-site perks, a room to take breaks in and freshen up at POP, meals paid for, and when the day's over, a nice two bedroom to go home to.

 

[mickeyfan2]

People who are into Disney read this site. People who are into Disney tend to like to stay on-site. I think the important thing is that you are aware of the choices, the advantages of each, and then make a choice based on your family's needs.

We tend to stay on-site to cut down on driving. DH and I drive long distances for work, so to us vacation is not driving. Staying on-site affords us that luxury that we want in our vacation. We have stayed off-site and would in the future if the situation was right.

 

[jme829]

Everyone's got their strategies for enjoying WDW, ours is am EMH.

We did okay during off-site trip as to crowds, even though we were @ the parks 1/2 hour before they opened - old habits die hard

. For us, you can't beat riding EE twice before 9:00 a.m. @ AK or having our favs crossed off our list in Tomorrowland/Fantasyland & headed to the other Mts. @ the official rope drop...and swimming in the pool by 1:30 p.m. Obviously, if EMH were @ the top of your list you'd probably rethink staying offsite either for split stay or whole trip...all a matter of personal choice/trade-offs; whatever floats 'ya boat.

It's just a rumour I've seen bouncing around for the last year or so figure they'll be various promos/announcements Oct. 1, wonder if this will


I think alot of this is just planning...We got back yesterday and only needed one fast pass for the Kilimamanjaro Safari in AK.. At MK our first day we were on everything from Splash (2 times in a row)Mtn all the way around to Stitch done by lunchtime (about 1)...After lunch we hit Adventureland and then went back to Liberty Square to ride SPlash, HM, and BTMRR again (with no waits), at Epcot, we didn't wait for anything (got on the first Soarin ride without a FP), at Universal, the only wait was for Jaws (15 min) without Express Pass, Sea World we did Kraken twcie in a row and Atlantis 3 times in a row (at 3:30) with no waits. AK was by far the busiest but we did EE 3 times in a row at 9:15 and only had to wait for the Safari (which we ended up getting a FP so we only had about 5 min compared to the 30 min standby). We stayed offsite all week and so couldn't utilize EMH...We arrived at each park about 1/2 hr before opening (had awesome parking spots at MK and EPCOT-Right by t he main walkways for each). Literally everything was either a 5 minute wait or a walk right onto your car wait all day long. Most of the FP machines weren't even open.

 

[keishashadow]

jme829 - cool, glad you had a great trip w/little hassle...might want to take into account the crowd projections for early Sept (even w/free DP onsite) vs June/July (probably double the folks).

I've always heard Sept & mid-Jan to 1st week of Feb is nearly walkon, very little need to FP, wish we could travel during those times.