Off site stay

[Retroecho]

we are heading to Disney in October! This will be our first off site stay (out of 5+ trips). Any suggestions to making it feel more like an on site stay? We are staying a few days at Disney springs then at a condo (summers bay). Thanks!

 

[Marionnette]

we are heading to Disney in October! This will be our first off site stay (out of 5+ trips). Any suggestions to making it feel more like an on site stay? We are staying a few days at Disney springs then at a condo (summers bay). Thanks!

Is your DS hotel one of the Good Neighbor Hotels? You will have EMH if it is, so you will have that to enjoy. Take a couple of Disney-themed pillow cases for the beds at the condo. Learn how to make a couple of towel animals to place in the bedrooms. Play a YouTube video of Stacy doing the "must do" attractions on your TV thru your tablet device. If you have old refillable mugs, bring them for your coffee or other beverages.

 

[Judique]

we are heading to Disney in October! This will be our first off site stay (out of 5+ trips). Any suggestions to making it feel more like an on site stay? We are staying a few days at Disney springs then at a condo (summers bay). Thanks!

Bring a Mickey and Minnie plush and set them on your sofa. hang some Disney clings on your windows.

I have Disney lights from Lowes that I've strung in a window to give the Disney feel.

Get a Disney ice cube tray and serve yourself a chilled beverage with Disney shaped ice cubes!

 

[FCDub]

I would embrace something new and not worry about trying to make it feel like onsite.

 

[Wild4Walt]

I agree with FCDub - embrace something new. If you try to force it to feel like Disney, you risk being disappointed.

 

[bigbabyblues]

We stayed offsite for the first time in June and we loved it! We were in a condo at Windsor Palms, and I doubt we stay onsite again, at least until our kids move out. Embrace the extra space and privacy!

 

[RangerPooh]

I too agree to embrace something new. We often stay at Wyndham Bonnet Creek, and while we love it it does not have the Disney theming. This said, you can certainly add Disney touches. Coffee mugs, stuffed animals, window clings. Be careful with lights as not all resorts will allow things to be hung or attached to walls/balconies.

 

[mmbrad02]

We did a mixed trip this June, a few nights onsite and some offsite - and I agree - embrace it. We are normally exclusively onsite people. We really enjoyed our days offsite. One of those days my daughter and I used the hotel shuttle and went to Epcot, so that certainly felt "Disney" on its own. But the other two days we enjoyed new experiences and also the resort pool. Have a good trip!

 

[OhMari]

We stay off site for half our vacation and the whole Orlando area is immersed in WDW things. I think you will rather enjoy being off site. It is not like it was years ago, when it took forever to get to the grounds. Traveling into the parks is so easy now. Plus you will be spending a whole lot less. Disney food has gotten so expensive. The price of food at other places or if you are picking up groceries are almost a quarter of the cost less than eating at WDW. Have fun, you are still in Florida.

 

[crazycatstacy]

We are staying off site in March when we go with extended family and I am super nervous about it! I'm worried it will take forever to get to the parks!

 

[Klayfish]

I would embrace something new and not worry about trying to make it feel like onsite.

Exactly. If you're intent on trying to make it feel like an onsite stay, I suspect you'll be disappointed no matter how many Disney stuffed animals or decorations you bring. We always stay off site because we want to. We could never stay onsite, it would be horrible for us. Not saying you have to like it, plenty of people are hard core on site fans, and that's great. Just go into it with an open mind.

We are staying off site in March when we go with extended family and I am super nervous about it! I'm worried it will take forever to get to the parks!

We've had about 15 or so offsite stays, at places all around WDW. From door to door...and that means from the time we leave the condo to the time we actually pass through the tap point to enter the park (so through security and all), it usually takes us anywhere from 25 minutes to 50 minutes depending on the park, the day, where we're staying, etc... This past summer we actually timed it exactly once just to see...it was a "worst case scenario". Friday near rush hour, going to MK (so drive all the way to MK which is the farthest away, park, tram, security, monorail). From the time we walked out of the townhouse front door until we stepped foot on Main Street took us 53 minutes. Again, that was on far end of the norm...as I said it's usually between 25 and 50.

 

[mmbrad02]

We are staying off site in March when we go with extended family and I am super nervous about it! I'm worried it will take forever to get to the parks!

We ubered to MK and AK from offsite and that made it super convenient and was much faster than I had anticipated! With Uber and services of that nature, I'm much more likely to consider offsite stays in my future now.

 

[Retroecho]

Thank you guys!! You are making me feel a lot better about it we are doing disney springs three days, a condo for a week, then the last night will be at all star music

 

[bellangie]

We usually stay at Doubletree by Disney Springs. They have buses to all the parks, EMH and you can walk to Disney Springs. Big bonus is that I believe all of their rooms are suites so there is plenty of space in the rooms for a family.

 

[TabbyShabby]

Is your DS hotel one of the Good Neighbor Hotels? You will have EMH if it is, so you will have that to enjoy. Take a couple of Disney-themed pillow cases for the beds at the condo. Learn how to make a couple of towel animals to place in the bedrooms. Play a YouTube video of Stacy doing the "must do" attractions on your TV thru your tablet device. If you have old refillable mugs, bring them for your coffee or other beverages.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the pillowcase idea. So simple, but gets you in the spirit.

 

[bigbabyblues]

This past summer we actually timed it exactly once just to see...it was a "worst case scenario". Friday near rush hour, going to MK (so drive all the way to MK which is the farthest away, park, tram, security, monorail). From the time we walked out of the townhouse front door until we stepped foot on Main Street took us 53 minutes. Again, that was on far end of the norm...as I said it's usually between 25 and 50.

We had some friends who were staying at POR this summer the same time we were at Windsor Palms. We had planned to meet up at MK before opening and do a couple rides together, so we were texting back and forth. When we were leaving the parking lot, they were walking to the bus stop (granted, I don't know how far they had to walk). We drove the 23 minutes (yes, I timed it every time) to the TTC, walked to and went through security (no trams for us), got on the ferry because the monorail wasn't open, waited for it to fill up and then rode to the MK. As we were walking up Main Street, friend called and said they were STILL waiting for a bus and for us to go ahead and we would meet up later on.

They have decided to stay in a condo at WH or WP from now on. Their last hold out was the bus service and they didn't have good bus luck this time at all.

 

[MrsPete]

We've done onsite, and we've done offsite. Both are great, but they are different experiences. I agree with those who say that trying to make off-site into an on-site visit will lead to disappointment.

 

[Princessclab]

IMHO, it is what you make it. I have done both and loved both.

The Disney value for what you pay to stay onsite, no longer contributes much to the Disney magic.
As we all know, customer service has deteriorated and the hotels are certainly not worth what you pay in comparison to other hotels, just based on direct comparison.
We have all just drank the Disney koolaid.

Yet, we continue to stay onsite, yes me too.
Because it has become such a crowded and overly busy vacation, it is a difficult decision. We all want to get in as much as we can though it is impossible to do everything, as we all know!
It depends on the type of vacation you are looking for.
JMHO.
Have fun all!