Disney Property or Offsite

[Snickerdoodle]

We're having a time trying to decide to stay on Disney property or offsite. Please give me some suggestions on the benefits of both.

Thanks:mickey:

[Dulcee]

On property is a necessity for us. I don't like leaving the magic until the end of the vacation (and even then I'm not happy about going...).

As far as the benefits, having transportation to and from parks can be a godsend. If your flying in you don't have to rent a car. The buses are fairly reliable and if you stay at a monorail resort that cuts down a lot on even needing the buses.

Staying on property also gets you early or late admission to the parks on select days, if your going during a busy time this is a great way to see what you want to see with somewhat more manageable groups.

Disney's dining plan is also only available to resort guests. The convenience of having our meals paid for in advance is something we've come to appreciate.

The draw back...it can be more expensive, but personally we find it worth it!

[Dragongirlx]

As the previous poster said there are some great benefits to staying on property
transport to and from the parks - so no driving
extra magic hours - get in an hour early or stay for 3 hours later than the park closing times (certain parks on certain days)
plus one of my faves get anything you have bought sent back to your resort so you don't have to lug it round with you all day.
The resorts that I have stayed in are absolutley gorgeous and the service has been wonderful which is another plus.
I think a lot of it depends on how much time you are planning to spend in the parks. If you are planning to spend a lot of time I would stay at disney but if you are wanting to spend the majority of time exploring other non disney parks and other bits of the area then it might be worth staying offsite

[DisneyDINK]

Your question is a bit general.

For me it would depend on how many days you'd be there, your budget, whether or not you want to visit places outside WDW while you're there, whether or not you want to rent a car, whether you're flying or driving, which airport you're flying into, etc...

Generally I'd say stay on property. Easy transit to the parks, EMH, and the facts that I'm not a fan of driving and I don't spend time outside of WDW pretty much make staying on property the only good choice for me.

If I were driving there I might be inclined to consider staying off property. A car provides some flexibility, you could go to Universal, etc. Better deals can be had outside Disney. Some hotels have shuttles to the TTC and some are better than others.

[magicofdisney]

Keep in mind it cost $14 a day to park. That one time fee (per day) includes all theme parks and water parks.

[brivers222]

staying off site... is well ummm offsite, out of the realm of disney magic. You pretty much have to be a slave to the resorts transportation (if they offer it) meaning you have to arrive and leave on THEIR schedule not yours... and some even charge you like $10 a day for the "convience" of their shuttle... or you have to drive your car in and pay $15 to park every day you go to the parks..

It was a hassle for us this past october. We had to get up extra early to make sure we arrived in time for any of our morning adrs... because you never could guess what the lines were like getting into the parking lots.

You do miss out on the Extra Magic Hours, which can be a bummer. We used the MNSSHP as our version of the EMH so that we could stay in MK until midnight on 3 nights with very little crowds.

for our honeymoon in December we opted to not just stay onsite, but to stay right on the monorail loop.

we recently found my parents can use RCI to get a 2bdrm at the WL so in 2013 we will be doing that as a large group.

the days of staying offsite are over.

[princessjojo]

Even before we purchased DVC, on property was a given for us. Even under the tightest budgets for us, DH and I both felt it was non-negotiable, for several reasons:

We don't have to worry about cars and parking fees. When we take those cost and apply it to our on-site room, we can break even somewhat.

We love the EMH, both morning and evening.

The ability to go and come with ease.

Though it makes our vacation more expensive, the DDP also allows us to prepay this part of our vacation as well.

Magical Express is super convenient.

Not having to deal with my packages, should there be any, all day.

The whole idea of "time to leave Disney and we'll be back tomorrow" isn't there.

Because we've never even considered it, I really can't think of any real benefits to staying off site, unless you're staying somewhere like Marriott/Hilton using their points. Then cost could be a big factor.

[MarkC]

Its not just the benefits of staying on-site. Anybody who has ever experienced the magic and atmosphere of Disney knows exactly what I'm talking about. You can't put it into words, but we always stay on-site. Even my wife, who usually offers no opinions considering vacations, said "never again" the one time we stayed off-site.

[princessgirls]

Although some off site resorts are amazing...I'm never happy to stay in them!

I love all of the Disney magic and perks of staying on site!!

For us it's cost-effective!
We don't rent a car
We USE Magic Express both ways
We use the Disney transportation all week
We book a package with the Disney Dining, and usually get it for free using a promo code!

I have done it both ways...off-site is more expensive for us!
Julie:mickey:

[DizneyRox]

Agree, when comparing apples to apples, I find it hard to find any real savings..

If you include parking, transportation, gas, and hotel costs, I have always found off-site very similar in cost to on-site accomodations.

Parking being $14 (or so, I'm sure it's due to go up again) is a big one, add that right onto you hotel room. Cost of rental car goes right in there as well.

And the reality, I consider my time valuable, so any extra time or aggrivation I don't need to deal with goes in the savings category under intangibles. Driving around WDW can be very aggrivating, you have loads of tourists that don't know where they are going/doing. Being able to quickly head back to my resort to pick up forgot items, or take a nap, swim, change of clothes, etc.

We can get really cheap rates (associate) at the Marriotts around the parks. Still, it's never really a consideration due to the intangibles.

[Disneyfirsttimer]

I agree with all the previous posters. Sometimes you may find a great deal off site, but it is off site. My kids love riding the resort buses. We love the Disney feel at the resorts. We love the dining plan (free or not). Would never visit another way.

Karyn

[White Rose]

I'm relatively stubborn and will absolutely not to go Disney unless I can stay on property.

Now, I do think if you plan on doing multiple things in the Orlando area (Seaworld, a few days at US, Discovery Cove, etc) it may be worth it to stay offsite/rent a house. But, considering, when I go to Disney, I go only for Disney (I did spend one day at IOA back in January but that was for Harry Potter!), staying on property is a must for me. As the others have stated, staying on property is wonderful for the convenience of the transportation and I love it because from the moment I arrive at the airport and take ME to my hotel, I'm in Disney. And I stay in Disney, even after leaving the parks.

So, for me, it's either on site or bust!

[Altair]

If you're driving you can save money by staying off site, but if you are flying the savings will be less or nil.
If you feel the need to be immersed in Disney 24/7 stay on site or you may regret it. If not, try off site, it's a whole new world out there (pun inteneded).
Providing more information would be helpful to us.;)

[A Big Kid]

If you add in the daily parking fee ($14) and gas driving back and forth between the parks and your resort, if there is a cost difference, it would be negligable. And that small savings would more than pay for itself with the ease of getting to the parks and having the ability to take a mid day break.

[Tink#64]

Another vote for onsite! My fam has to seriously plan for our WDW vaca's, with 2 DS's in private school, we have to budget for everything! lol

Only one trip have we stayed offiste, & that was a spur of the moment trip during Spring Break! I called & there was nothing available onsite anywhere ( I called the week before we planned to arrive! :blush:) So we booked via Priceline, a decent hotel at a great price! We would've saved alot if we'd've stayed there all week! But alas, we were able to move on property after 2 nights (knew this before trip) & I didn't feel like our vacation really began until we checked in at Pop, parked our van & boarded the bus for MK! Nothing compares to the magic of staying onsite & being immersed in that Disney spirit for the whole of your trip! :cloud9:

[TinksGoofyMom]

I've only stayed on-site but know others who haven't. They've been fooled by low costs at other hotels but then complained about everything else they had to pay for which ended up being equal to or more than a Disney stay. My husband likes not having to be responsible for anything; just get on the bus. We also split up often due to various likes & ages. My DH also likes to nap in the pm. On-site makes life easier. Also, if you have kids who want the character meals or just Disney restaurants, it's cheaper on the DDP. I tried pricing us w/ just a few meals & it was more than the DDP. Prepaid is awesome. We only bring spending $$ & put tax & tips on our Disney Rewards Card.

[angyl15]

Growing up I was always a die-hard of staying on-property. We usually stayed at moderates, but always on property. Then I had kids....my sister, mom, 2 nephews, my son and I went a few years back. It was horrible - we were so cramped and having 3 kids under 5 there was no where for them to play or us to relax after they went to bed. The next time we went, my mom, dad, husband, son and I rented a 2 bed, 2 bath timeshare at the Wyndham Bonnet Creek. It was amazing what a difference it made. My 1 year old had a whirlpool tub that he thought was a pool - we had 3 TVs, a full kitchen, highchair, crib, more beds than we knew what to do with and a veranda with an awesome nightly view of epcot fireworks. Yes, it necessitated renting a car, but we paid about $100 a night with tax for the place, so it was still cheaper and so much more relaxing. I would rather drive anyday that wait for the buses with a little one.

We are going back this December and will again be staying at Bonnet Creek. We now have 2 little ones and I think a condo-like property is the only way for us to travel until at least the kids are a little older. When we are past strollers, I am sure we will consider staying on property, but maybe only half the stay. At that point maybe we would use the extra hours and it would make it worth it.

[EJS-Houston]

I've only ever stayed off-property once in the mid-90s. I'll never do it again for all of the reasons enumerated by my fellow posters. Bottom line: I want to be immersed in the magic when I visit DisneyWorld...and get all the benefits of staying at a Disney property (e.g.: magic hours, Magical Express, more convenient transportation, the ability to pick up my park purchases at my hotel at the end of the day rather than carry them around with me).

[magicofdisney]

Growing up I was always a die-hard of staying on-property. We usually stayed at moderates, but always on property. Then I had kids....my sister, mom, 2 nephews, my son and I went a few years back. It was horrible - we were so cramped and having 3 kids under 5 there was no where for them to play or us to relax after they went to bed. The next time we went, my mom, dad, husband, son and I rented a 2 bed, 2 bath timeshare at the Wyndham Bonnet Creek. It was amazing what a difference it made. My 1 year old had a whirlpool tub that he thought was a pool - we had 3 TVs, a full kitchen, highchair, crib, more beds than we knew what to do with and a veranda with an awesome nightly view of epcot fireworks. Yes, it necessitated renting a car, but we paid about $100 a night with tax for the place, so it was still cheaper and so much more relaxing. I would rather drive anyday that wait for the buses with a little one.

We are going back this December and will again be staying at Bonnet Creek. We now have 2 little ones and I think a condo-like property is the only way for us to travel until at least the kids are a little older. When we are past strollers, I am sure we will consider staying on property, but maybe only half the stay. At that point maybe we would use the extra hours and it would make it worth it.
Do you mean your portion was $100 a night or you found at that rate? If so, what time of year did you travel? $100 a night seems quite reasonable for all the amenities you enjoyed. :)

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Unless I'm ever invited to go with someone else who is staying offsite, I will never stay anywhere but on Disney property....For many reasons but here are the top

1. You get to feel like you are at Disney during your whole vacation even when you leave the parks you are immersed in Disney theming and magic at your resort.
2. You have Disney restaurants and giftshops and cool pools in your hotel....
3. Free Transportation to the Parks
4. Extra Magic Hours
5. Can get dining plan and other great package deals
6. Package delivery from parks to resort

[akaDisneyDreamer]

Count me in with the pro on sites posters! I can't even imagine staying off site. You don't need a car, the magic begins when you arrive at the Orlando International Airport (if you are flying) and is with you until you are returned to the airport (a very sad day :(). The previous posters really covered it all and I really don't have anything else to add, I just know that for my family, we want to completely absorb the Disney magic when we go to the World! :cloud9:

[angyl15]

Do you mean your portion was $100 a night or you found at that rate? If so, what time of year did you travel? $100 a night seems quite reasonable for all the amenities you enjoyed. :)

That was a special rate that was being run by Ken Price on his site (someone on here actually referred me to him). His normal rate for a 2 bed, 2 bath is $120 a night for value season - so it is a great deal all around. And the mini golf, parks, water playground, pool and lazy river are all on-par with disney, if not better!

[Sylvia]

For a number of years, we stayed offsite, usually on International Drive. Then, several things happened.

First, I-Drive became more congested every time we went back; if I want congestion and noise, I can stay home. Gone were the days when you could take a nice leisurely walk along the drive. It became just as loud and crowded as any large city.

Second, we had an unexpected problem with a stomach bug; it hit us one day when we were at the Magic Kingdom; it took forever to get back to our I-Drive hotel and we were getting sicker by the minute. By the time we got back to our room, we were green.

Third, a moderate resort (Caribbean Beach) opened; we decided to give it a try since we still had valid Annual Passports and wouldn't need to set aside money for tickets. On the day we checked in, we explored the resort while waiting to get into our room; it took us just about 30 minutes to decide to never stay offsite again. The resort was, and still is, beautiful and peaceful, even when filled to capacity. While we were having lunch at Old Port Royale, we created a pro-and-con list - at the top of our pro list - being able to get back to our room, from wherever in the World we happened to be, without having to worry about shuttle times. By the way, our con list only had one entry - higher room rates; but, over the years, thanks to PIN codes or Annual Passholder discounts, the rates are comparable to offsite locations.

So, count me in as someone who will never stay offsite again.

[CuteAsMinnie]

There is something to be said about having nothing more to worry about than which park you would like to explore on a given day. And the luxury of having the World at your fingertips truly is magical. :mickey:

[wdwfansince75]

Some of us, including DW, love to just chill...while others, including me, love to spend lots of time at the parks...so being on site allows us to be very flexible. In addition, most of our trips have been with teenagers...who love to be able to go off somewhat on their own...and many of our trips have been with infants and/or toddlers...clocks and hard schedules do not work for us. We have always felt comfortable about the freedom and flexibility being on site gives all of us...

Imagine having someone come running, just to let his dad know that they were having pre-opening previews of Mission Space...which wasn't due to open until after our visit...or imagine taking 4 grandkids to MK, just to ride Splash, after a heavy storm sent most of the late June crowd back to their offsite hotels (we also did BTMRR...and Pirates...and Splash, again)...or deciding, on the spur of the moment, to head over to EPCOT to buy the souvenir that one of the kids wanted, but didn't buy, because the line was too long, and they had to leave the park without it.

We've had friends staying off site while we were on site...invariably, we waited for them to arrive, even for scheduled meals...they continually had transportation problem...especially at opening and closing...and we changed our plans to accomodate their problems...convinced us to never stay off site...and to suggest to anyone who wanted to do the parks with us that they stay on site...or do their own thing.

[Ramblingman]

We have done both onsite and offsite, and have enjoyed both. I think we reached a point some years ago where it's just not worth it to stay offsite. You can find pretty good deals offsite but, as noted in all the other posts, you will pay in gas and parking and the difference won't be that much then.

Obviously you are going to have most on here vote for onsite. I vote that way too, for all of the reasons already listed, plus one more.

Time is an important factor when you are at WDW. There are only so many hours in a day and you are only there so many days. Those hours are precious and if you waste 2 hours per day traveling in a car back and forth, you are quickly sacrificing 10-12 hours per week that you could be riding rides, enjoying treats, or just soaking in the atmosphere.

[WIMickeymommy]

Our family has always stayed onsite when going to Disney, but this year we too have opted to stay offsite. Since going to the World last we welcomed twins to our family and I can't imagine craming our family of 6 in 2 rooms at the value resorts (which is the best price in our range). We are RCI members and have traded this upcoming visit to stay at Wyndham Bonnet Creek in a 2 bedroom/bath suite. I am a little worried about staying offsite, but for the savings and extra room, I am up to giving it a shot. If it does work, it will enable our families visit to WDW to be much more frequent. :mickey:

[AllDisney]

Staying on Disney property is the only way we go.:thumbsup:

[firefan43]

We stayed off site one time...and we hated it so much that 1/2 through our trip we called WDW and moved to the CBR. The shuttle was such a hassle, and we didnt rent a car. Plus, staying off property makes it feel less like a Disney vacation for us...it was just a hotel.

[Lizzie]

We did a house once. But it was my entire family. I think there were 14 of us at that time. And we got it for 217 a night. Such a good deal. I loved being able to put the kids to bed and go swimming with my husband and hanging out with people at night. And the cost was great.

But didn't enjoy the drive into the parks. Took us longer to get there and we didn't bother park hopping and if we went back to the house we wouldn't go back at night to much work.

[brivers222]

But didn't enjoy the drive into the parks. Took us longer to get there and we didn't bother park hopping and if we went back to the house we wouldn't go back at night to much work.

It was always a hastle piling in the car and heading down international drive and into the park... It was a good 1/2hour each way, even though we were literally like 10 miles away.

The one sign i hate most is the "BUCKLE UP" sign... meaning it was the end of your stay in the world... staying offsite, you see it EVERY night... depressing lol

[andreallybadeggs]

Here's my "I feel strongly both ways" spiel.
As another poster noted, without more info about your situation it's difficult to give a definitive answer and I will preface this by saying that, all things being equal, my family is also a big proponent of on property. But there have been times when, even including parking etc., the off site deal was just too good to resist and we did NOT regret those decisions since it came down to off site or not at all.
We were offered RCI weeks and had our own car. For our immediate family, on site is always the way we go. But with large family/friends group, the big condos/villas and our own vehicles worked fine. Usually we were 5-10 minutes away from WDW property so mid day breaks were possible. If further away (we avoid International Dr) we simply took mid day breaks at cool spots in the parks or resort lobbies.
In a nutshell:
-- see what deals (on and off both) are available but, yes, make sure to weigh the pros and cons of transportation.
--do your homework and make a general plan for each day. If you are off property, AVOID the Extra Magic Hours parks du jour.
--if you decide to stay off site make sure your resort advantages are something you will appreciate. Full kitchens and laundry are great but of no benefit if you won't really use them.
-- As far as we are concerned, if you have to rely on off property shuttle transportation, forget it. Stay on property. But if adding the coast of rental cars or your own vehicles still has the off property option coming in significantly lower than Disney, I'd probably consider it.
--Finally-- how often will you vacation at WDW? If this is a rare occasion then I'd stick with on site. If you'll be back fairly soon then it might be worth the grand off-WDW experimenht.
Good luck with your decision :mickey:

[Katzateer]

If this is a first trip or going to WDW is not something you plan to do very often ( we go at least once a year ) I would stay onsite for all the reasons listed by the replies on this page.

We have stayed at some wonderful places off site and just gone to WDW maybe 2 of the seven days when we have been in Orlando. Some trips we like to spend a day in the Tampa area and we have gone to Kennedy and Cocoa Beach plus outlet malls.

My favorite is getting a house with a pool with the rental company sponsor on Intercot. lots of room to spread out

have fun planning!

[luvdiznee]

Offsite seems more of a hassle to me. You have to have a rental car, you have to be concerned about driving back/forth to the parks, you have to be concerned about parking fees for every park as well as gasoline. And not to mention the concern of the condition of a rental. :(

As well as driving in traffic and knowing exactly where to go. OK, maybe these are just real personal for me.:secret:

But on site everything is there. At least for us in our FL vacations. But of course you can go off site, too.

[NJGIRL]

We stay offsite the majority of the ten days that we are in FL. We like it better. First it is cheaper for us, even with a rental car. Driving to Disney is so easy. There are signs everywhere and it's hard to get lost. We have sooooooooo much more room for our money than in a Disney hotel. Everyone is not on top of each other and relaxing is so much easier. Not everyone has to go to bed or get up at the same time. We have two bathrooms so getting ready in the morning is quicker. We also have a kitchen, that saves us getting breakfast out and a washer & dryer , which lets us pack very light (saving luggage charges).

We have friends that stay on-site and we meet them everyday in the parks. We leave at the same time and we always get to the parks before them. A five minute ride from the parks in a car takes five minutes, in a Disney bus it takes??????

There are so many off property sites near the Disney gates. Our drive has never been more than ten minutes, but most times it has been less than five minutes.

One note: just because you stay off property doesn't mean you have to pay for parking. If anyone in your party has an annual pass, then parking is free.

I think that the Disney hotels have cool themes and for us it's fun to stay a few days, but after that we have enough and need our bigger accomodations. I don't feel we are missing any magic because of where we are sleeping that night.

It is really a personal choice, but I think it is important to let people know that if you don't stay on site that doesn't mean your vacation will be a hassle or a complete disaster.

[Mickey91]

The one sign i hate most is the "BUCKLE UP" sign... meaning it was the end of your stay in the world... staying offsite, you see it EVERY night... depressing lol


I totally agree!!!:mickey: LOL!!

If you have never stayed onsite before, you're not hurting yourself staying offsite now. But, if you have stayed onsite, you have probably been bitten by the Disney Magic bug and will be disappointed every time you leave the property. We stayed onsite and then offsite our next trip. We were miserable!

[AmandaChan]

To be honest the only benefit I see to staying off site is if you had to go to the store to get something you wouldn't have to spend so much $$ on things (like diapers, for example).

Never again will we ever stay off site. The first time I stayed with a friend/ex, wasn't even a real trip. The second time I went with my DH (then BF) and I can't believe how blind I was to the complete waste of $$$$$ it was!!!!! and the stress of a rental car!!!! we didn't even go to universal or anything... the only great thing I think we gained from staying offsite last time was the fact that we found a great pizza joint that does stuffed pizzas and they were awesome... we will go back there someday when we get a rental car sometime but we'll forever always be WDW resort goers.

[AmandaChan]

But, if you have stayed onsite, you have probably been bitten by the Disney Magic bug and will be disappointed every time you leave the property. We stayed onsite and then offsite our next trip. We were miserable!

seriously!

[BrerSchultzy]

If you add in the daily parking fee ($14) and gas driving back and forth between the parks and your resort, if there is a cost difference, it would be negligable. And that small savings would more than pay for itself with the ease of getting to the parks and having the ability to take a mid day break.

Okay, so i love Disney. I do. BUT, we just stayed at the Best Western Lakeside, and the standard rate for weekdays was around $40 per night...and that includes the resort fees and taxes. Even with the parking fee and gas (which was minimal, since we were only a couple miles away), that's a significant savings. Sure, we didn't have the magic of WDW, and the rooms looked older and weren't sparkling...but it was a clean, convenient place to rest our heads at night. Yes, Disney is more convenient, but even the value resorts would have been $60 more per night.