Tips for staying offsite

[Momto3littlemice]

We are planning our Apr/May 2009 trip and for the first time (in a long time) we will be staying offsite (in a home in Windsor Hills). I would love to hear any good tips for staying offsite. We are definitely early birds, get to the parks WAY before they open and will have 4 children with us.

What things would you suggest as far as parking, going back for naps, traffic, etc?

Thanks!:mickey:

[Beast_fanatic]

I haven't stayed offsite for years either, but I agree with getting there early as you can typically get a lot done when the park first opens. Definitely avoid the parks that have Extra Magic Hour since you will not be able to take advantage of those hours. Many people recommend going to the park that had EMHs the day before.

As far as parking, if you leave and come back later, be sure to keep your parking receipt as you can show that when you return and not have to pay again to park.

That's about all I can offer. Hopefully someone with more recent experience will be along soon...

[goofiecrazy]

Our last trip we stayed off site and we would pack a cooler and leave it in the van and we left we had cold drinks waiting for us.We would leave around dinner time and head back to the house to swim and eat then head back.I have to say it was nice having a car and not having to wait for the buses.Also having the pool right outside ur door was good.Plus being able to make some meals was a way to save money.

[RockinRollerMom]

If you are a AAA member get one of their diamond parking passes. The parking is really close normally right next to the handicap parking.

[Pirate Granny]

Last time I checked with AAA (which I have and get the AAA rate still booking through MJ)...but I was told no parking pass unless I purchased the package from AAA...maybe each office has their own policies, but the one Downriver Michigan was quite firm...
:pirate:

[irish1967]

We stayed off-site last summer when we went with 5 other families.

I have to say that although I went in with slightly negative feelings, it was a very good experience overall.

It was certainly less expensive - being able to eat 2 meals in the condo and only getting lunch in the parks.

One thing I would recommend is that you remember that Orlando and the surrounding towns and city make up a fairly significant metropolitan area. As such, the corresponding traffic occurs, especially during normal commuting hours. We were late for our 7:15 am Chef Mickey's appointment and we left our condo (6 miles from the gate) at 6:30 a.m.

Also, we found that our standard procedure of hitting the parks early and then taking a break in the afternoon didn't work. Once we left the park for the day, there wasn't any going back. We found ourselves sticking around the condo instead.

Make a list of what you need to take to the parks each day. One day my DH, my 2 DS, my DBIL and DN(ephew) went to see the space ships at NASA and my DSIL and DN(iece) were going to go to DHS to see some of the shows that the boys weren't interested in. Since my DN(iece) loves the monorail, we decided to part at the TTC, take the monorail to EPCOT and take the boat to DHS. Well, my DSIL didn't bring her park passes with her so we had to backtrack and drive back to the condo to get the passes (We were the ONLY passengers on the monorail going back - we got to sit in the front!)

Finally, I personally found driving around the "World" a little difficult. I found the signage a little erratic and hard to follow. We ended up looping around more than once during our trip.

Have a great trip.

[Altair]

Get a good map of the Orlando area from Mapquest or AAA ahead of time so you can become familiar with the different routes you can take getting to and from the World.
Keep in mind when arriving at the parking lot, you will probably exit at a different location so this can be confusing.:mickey:

[Disney Lynn]

I agree with the previous poster about driving around WDW- if you follow their signs, you will end up in the right spot- eventually. They do not route you in the most direct path- probably to control traffic flow and to keep as many cars as possible on the main roads.

However, if you can find a decent map of the World and have a decent sense of direction, you can navigate on your own (that is, don't pay too much attention to the signs LOL) and get from point A to point B much more quickly.

As for parking, when you return in the evening. you may be able to find a vacant spot right "up front" since those early birds may have left by the time you return. Sometimes, the parking attendants want you to park "way out" in a remote lot- ask them if they'll let you look for a closer spot. Or you might consider dropping off your passengers first (keeping an eye out for close spots), then the drivier can park and meet everyone at a designated spot. This can be a lot easier than getting 4 kids (and possibly strollers?) onto the tram, etc.

And definitely get there early and never visit an EMH park. In April/May, the parks are not open really late, so you may find that coming back in the Evening is not realistic. If the MK closes at 7 PM on the non-EMH day, will your little ones be able to nap in their strollers (in a quiet place at the park) rather than returning to the rental? Getting to and from the Mk can be really time-consuming.

[Momto3littlemice]

Thank you all so much for the suggestions. Yes, we will really have to think about whether to come back in the middle of the day for a nap or not. The children who would need naps haven't quite been born yet, so we won't know their schedule until we get closer!

:mickey:

[Taja]

We stayed off-site last summer when we went with 5 other families.

I have to say that although I went in with slightly negative feelings, it was a very good experience overall.

It was certainly less expensive - being able to eat 2 meals in the condo and only getting lunch in the parks.

One thing I would recommend is that you remember that Orlando and the surrounding towns and city make up a fairly significant metropolitan area. As such, the corresponding traffic occurs, especially during normal commuting hours. We were late for our 7:15 am Chef Mickey's appointment and we left our condo (6 miles from the gate) at 6:30 a.m.

Also, we found that our standard procedure of hitting the parks early and then taking a break in the afternoon didn't work. Once we left the park for the day, there wasn't any going back. We found ourselves sticking around the condo instead.

Make a list of what you need to take to the parks each day. One day my DH, my 2 DS, my DBIL and DN(ephew) went to see the space ships at NASA and my DSIL and DN(iece) were going to go to DHS to see some of the shows that the boys weren't interested in. Since my DN(iece) loves the monorail, we decided to part at the TTC, take the monorail to EPCOT and take the boat to DHS. Well, my DSIL didn't bring her park passes with her so we had to backtrack and drive back to the condo to get the passes (We were the ONLY passengers on the monorail going back - we got to sit in the front!)

Finally, I personally found driving around the "World" a little difficult. I found the signage a little erratic and hard to follow. We ended up looping around more than once during our trip.

Have a great trip.

Good to know that I'm not the only one who's a bit "loopy" driving around WDW! We ended up at All Star resorts several times when trying to return to Pop Century! *LOL* Part of that was just not paying attention, though. When I'm by myself I seem to do fine--with others in the car, I'm also paying attention to what they're saying! :)