To Stay On WDW Property Or To Not Stay On Property

[DisneyPrincess21]

That is the question

:D

I thought it would be fun for everyone to vote on if they stay on WDW property or off property and why. And what advantages or disadvantages you have found with your choice.


I personally have been to WDW 4 times and the first 3 times always stayed off property because it was cheaper, Then this past trip last December we decided to stay on property and I loved it soooo much I could never think of staying off property again.

I love staying at POFQ and my number one favorite thing there is getting to ride the boat to DTD. And I like the resort mugs, extra magic hours,billing purchases to my room key, towel animals, and being in the Disney Magic 24 hours a day. :cloud9:

[KAT1811]

I'll start by saying that we declined an offer to use a friend's time share for two weeks because it was off property.

So as you can tell we will NEVER stay off property. For us part of the magic is total immersion. From the time we step off the plane to the time we step back on it is 110% WDW. DME, Disney themed resorts, Mickey heads everywhere, the parks, the smell, the people, it is pure heaven to us. Anything off property, for us, just wouldn't be the same. Nothing like sitting on your bed taking a "break" from it all and looking down to find a hidden Mickey. :cloud9:


:welcome: Welcome to the always on property crowd!!

[Wrigley]

I personally will NEVER stay off-site! We tried this once, and hated it very much. We will ALWAYS stay on-site!! We love that Disney feeling you get from staying on-site-you are surrounded by Disney 24 hours a day-and I love it. I also love and appreciate not having to rent a car. Magical Express is handy and convenient, and Disney transportation to and from the parks is great as well. That right there is enough of a reason for us to stay on-site! :mickey:

[Lakin]

I could never even imagine staying off-site on my trip to Walt Disney World. When I go to Disney, I want to stay immersed in the magic 24/7.

Pros:
-in-park transportation
-disney immersion (lol, that sounds weird)
-DME
-EMH


Cons:
-a tad more expensive

Though, even if it is a bit more expensive, I think that it would equal out when you add transportation costs.

[g8rgirl29]

I love staying at WDW Resorts!!! I love DME, EMH, Disney transportation, room charging, resort package delivery, and 24 hours a day Disney Magic!!!

[GBBT]

We will not stay off-site.We wnt down with my side of the family 1 year and they booked a room at Holiday Inn on 192 for a night before we went to POP the next morning.During the night a cockroach fell on my face.We've never had a bug problem at Disney.

[OogieBoogieMan]

I can't imagine staying on site anymore. A house is much more convenient for us, especially with small kids. We thought we weren't going to like it and have never looked back.

[sassy2000]

I stayed off-site up until Oct 2007 and did not have a problem with it. Once I stayed on site I realized what I had been missing. I don't think I could ever go off-site again. I'm now on a mission to stay in every Disney resort at least once. :mickey:

[ASweetLov]

I prefer paying the extra $ to stay on WDW property to have the magic around me 24/7. I can only afford a value resort but that makes me extremely happy since I love my Pop Century!!!

[beksy]

Growing up we always stayed off property and fit-in Disney somewhere during our stay in FL. Dad didn't want to stay longer than 4 days, although we did get 5 days on the last trip when AK opened. On-property was never an option because it was too expensive (said without even pricing it! :mad:). So once we started traveling without him, we switched on on-property and could not go back. We also spent the entire week at Disney (Dad's still in shock ;) ). For us, we loved having Disney transportation, charging to the room, and really loved package delivery! The Disney resorts just have a special magic and we like never having to leave that magical feeling once we get there. :cloud9:

[MickeyandTink]

We first went to WDW in 1983 and stayed off property, frankly because the only options on-site were the monorail resorts and they were way beyond our family's budget. Went again in 1988 with my brother and stayed off site because we were only there for a couple of days and being poor college students there were really no good options on-site.

Flash-forward 20 years later and we would be hard pressed not to stay on-site. With Value and Moderate resorts now an option, you can now stay on-site for not much more than off-site. And when you factor in not needing a rental car, various incentives for on-site guests (Thank you, free dining), DME, etc., it can even work out cheaper. Lastly, we love not having to ever leave that Disney feeling.

[RAIDER]

I used to stay off site mainly for at the time we used explore Florida ,so we would basically use our off site hotel as a base so spending all that money on a WDW resort wasnt worth it . Now 10 years on we stay at a WDW as we have slowed down and now couldnt go back to off site .:thumbsup:

[WDWCrazyKaren]

We stayed off site the first few times we went, only because we just didn't know any better. Back then, it was all about doing it as cheaply as possible. Obviously, we had a great time as we kept coming back! Then, one year, I had a really great yearly bonus check from work. It afforded us a once in a lifetime (or so I thought then) opportunity to stay on site, purchase the "Food and Fun" package (yes, I'm well aware of the fact that I'm dating myself) for a full week. Well, that did it. Even though those bonus checks were never that big again (and with my move into the non-profit world-now non-existant!) we've never stayed off site since. I'll save my pennies just a few extra months and make that leap to pay more just to stay on-site. It's all about perception!

[betteratmk]

We have done both but on site is so much better. I know people complain about the transportation but we think ME and the park service is great! So you have to wait a few minutes! You don't have to fight all that traffic when you're tired. We love Disney!:number1:

[sorcerer fan]

we've been going on site since 75. It's so nice to let someone else take care of driving to and from parks and dtd. and the resorts are just so nice and food is close and the magic is everywhere

[jnfr2424]

Like everyone else first few trips to Disney the family stayed off site somewhere on 192 because we did not know any better but when Caribbean Beach Resort opened, it changed everything. I have since stayed at most Disney Resorts looking forward to staying at BLT this Thanksgiving

[caryrae]

We have done both. We like staying on-site better but sometimes we need to stay off-site which in my opinion is really not that bad. As long as it ment we could go to WDW we would gladly stay off-site no problem.

[Disney_Barbie]

My family likes to do a trip every couple of years where we rent one of those big off property houses w/ our personal pool and such. It's fun, I do enjoy it. But, I do this ONLY because it's what everyone else wants to do, I sugest on-property every time, I get shot down every time. Admittedly when there is that many people the vacation condo is nice, I mean we can't afford like a grand villa or anything, so pretty much it would be 5 or 6 individual hotel rooms in a value or mod resort, vs. one big house where we can ALL stay together w/ a private pool, big kitchen area, game room, ect. Admitedly when there are 10-15 of us, the vacation house is kinda the best option.
None the less, I still prefer ON property. But when it's just DH & I on a trip, you couldn't pay me to stay off property!
Neither DH or I enjoy driving, so any vacation where we can avoid having a rental car is good by us. Avoiding the possibility of getting lost is also nice!
As a rule-of-thumb disney has the best guest-services in the state of florida (in my personal opinion) I love knowing every where I go waitresses, mousekeeping, bus drivers, EVERYONE is going to be top of the line. I feel like you risk loosing that even by steping into a taxi on property!
We're also VERY much night owls and the evening EMH to be the BEST perk of being on property!

[GottaLvDisney]

I was so bummed when I first started planning our trip this year b/c we were going to have to stay off property for financial reasons. DH is strictly a numbers guy, so I was ecstatic when they started offering some of the discounts and he agreed to let us book on property. I can't imagine having to leave the Disney magic, even if it is just for sleeping.

I'm lobbying for on-property from now on....as well as a yearly trip instead of every other year.

[Dsnygirl]

:mickey: We are just like the OP... we stayed offsite once, then the next trip it was CBR. And from that time on, never again have we stayed offsite -- it just wouldn't be the same!! We love the Disney ambience everywhere, the ease of getting around w/o driving, the CM's on the buses (really!!), just being immersed in "the world" and never leaving and facing reality 'til we hit the airport.

We have friends who have a timeshare (not Disney) about 3 miles from MK and have offered it to us, at a fraction of what it costs us to stay onsite. Even renting a car, it would still be much cheaper.

They are continually shocked that we don't take them up on the offer -- but it just isn't worth the savings to us to have to drive everywhere, miss EMH, miss our Disney immersion. Crazy, probably, but there it is... :crazy:

[KAT1811]

We have friends who have a timeshare (not Disney) about 3 miles from MK and have offered it to us, at a fraction of what it costs us to stay onsite. Even renting a car, it would still be much cheaper.

They are continually shocked that we don't take them up on the offer -- but it just isn't worth the savings to us to have to drive everywhere, miss EMH, miss our Disney immersion. Crazy, probably, but there it is... :crazy:

Us too!!! They are shocked that we turn it down. They just can not fathom why we would rather pay to stay onsite!!! Only a true Disney lover would understand! :cloud9:

[kemps@wdw]

I think the post reply percentage speaks for itself! We ALWAYS stay on property as much for the total WDW experience, as for the convenience. Once we park, we do not want to see our vehicle til we're ready to leave. Not to mention the perks! :thumbsup:

[Mousemates]

while this poll (66-0 at my posting) certainly reflects the very "disney-esque" views of this board (me included :thumbsup:)...I kind of doubt it gives a good real world view of the choice between the two. After all if no one liked staying offsite there wouldn't be all those offsite lodging surrounding WDw.

[Dsnygirl]

while this poll (66-0 at my posting) certainly reflects the very "disney-esque" views of this board (me included :thumbsup:)...I kind of doubt it gives a good real world view of the choice between the two. After all if no one liked staying offsite there wouldn't be all those offsite lodging surrounding WDw.
Very true!! And I am SO thankful for all those places and the people that love them, because it leaves more room at Disney for US!! :D :thumbsup: :cloud9:

[DisneyPrincess21]

I kind of doubt it gives a good real world view of the choice between the two.

:D
I understand your point your were making, And I never expected to get a "real world view" I just thought it would be fun to see why everyone decides to stay on property or why they decide to not stay on property.

Just for the fun of it. :thumbsup:

:wave:

[jonahbear2006]

We stay on property bc we love the feeling of being lost into the resort and not being a part of the real world for the entirety of our trip. It turns, visiting a theme park into, our resort has it's own theme park, I think.It is like no other feeling I have ever had and I think leaving the park in my car every night to go back to our hotel or rental home would just be heartbreaking.

[2Epcot]

We stayed off the property the first two trips to WDW in the 80s. All of the other trips have always been on the property, and most of the time at more than one resort.

[tink2006]

I think the post reply percentage speaks for itself! We ALWAYS stay on property as much for the total WDW experience, as for the convenience. Once we park, we do not want to see our vehicle til we're ready to leave. Not to mention the perks! :thumbsup:

I agree :thumbsup: We drive from Indiana and we do not want to get back in the car until we have to leave :(

We would stay outside one night before starting our true Disney vacation - we no longer have to do that, we go staright in! We did not mind that one night because it was just part of the travel time. Every time I would think this is OK for ONE night...We knew the magic was going to be waiting for us the next day.

[Jeff G]

Like so many we stayed our first two trips off site and then found the on site hotels and were hooked, that is until this May.

After ten trips to WDW and staying on grounds we had an offer to use a friends time share. The cost was a fraction of what Disney wanted so we gave it a try. With the time share we were just outside the main entrance, we timed it and it took us less 5 minutes and we were to the HS parking lot entrance. With staying off grounds we payed about 1/2 of what we would have on site and our room was over twice the size of a moderate room at WDW. The amenities we had were that of a deluxe plus a lot more. The room included a 48" plasma/LCD(?) TV, a king suite with a hot tub, a 2nd bedroom with two full size beds, two bathrooms, a kitchenette (we never used but came in handy) etc. The room had a common area so we could hand out and not be in our bedroom which was nice. Based on cleanliness I and amenities the hotel blew away every deluxe we have tried including the Poly, AKL & Wilderness Lodge.

What we lost was the DME & bus transportation on site, EMH's and the themed hotel. Since we never go to the parks on EMH's to avoid the crowds we didn't loose there. The driving was actually nice because we went where we wanted on our schedule and didn't have to wait for buses.

Bottom line, we gained a great room for the cost of a value. Did we feel we were gipped the Disney experience by not sleeping in a Disney hotel, nope. We're going again next month and will be staying on grounds because of the free dining. If they were to take the free dining promo away next year we will seriously consider staying off grounds.

[dream6]

Another vote for on property - I just like to be in the center of it all. And the magic is at Disney! Why would I want to leave???! I honestly can't even imagine a trip to Disney without staying on property. A few years ago we did a random day trip to Epcot, and while it was fun to be in Epcot, it definitely wasn't the whole experience.

[KatrinaJ91]

We have done both and the perks of staying on-site far outweigh any cons! We own a timeshare and have exchanged it for weeks in Orlando in the past few years. The condos we stayed in were great BUT we had to drive and pay parking, no EMH, no dining plan, and basically the entire experience is completely different! When you stay on-site, you feel completely immersed in the Disney experience and it is way more relaxing! We have decided that we will no longer exchange our timeshare and always stay on-site from now on!! :mickey:

[disneyboundagain]

We stay on property every time. We stayed off-site many years ago, and vowed to never do it again. 143 days until our stay at the Contemporary. However, I have the opportunity to go to FL on business at the end of August. We just can't resist being that close and not going to DW for at least a few days:number1: Being that this is an unexpected trip, and we have our big trip in a few months, I don't want to spend the money to stay on property this time. Trust me, we aren't going to complain;) Besides, I will be able to use the fuel, meals, and hotel as a tax deduction:D

[DisneyOtaku]

We used to stay off-site, mostly because we would be there for the weekend and we only lived two hours away. Then one year, after we moved to Louisiana, my dad decided to try the CBR. We LOVED being at Disney like that! However, my dad hates the busses (well, doesn't HATE, but it's not his preferred mode of transportation) and we upgraded to the Poly for the most of our other trips (Wilderness Lodge and the Contemporary are the other places we've stayed at, and I've been to the POP by myself).

This trip, however, we're going to the POR. I'm sure it's going to be great, but I hope Dad doesn't have monorail-withdrawl TOO badly! :laughing:

[BIGDOG]

I do not understand were eles would you stay are there hotels,resorts outside of Disney property???????

[DisneyPrincess21]

I do not understand were eles would you stay are there hotels,resorts outside of Disney property???????

I don't know, I thinks these others peoples is bein' trickey! LOL J/K :D

[PrincessJadesMom]

I love the convenience of staying on property. That way we can just fly in and take Disney transportation, it's a lot cheaper than renting a car! Plus, this way I feel totally submerged in the Disney magic, and I love that!:mickey:

[KAT1811]

I do not understand were eles would you stay are there hotels,resorts outside of Disney property???????

There are? LOL! Who knew?!

[Kathy Jetson]

Since we are late risers we need evening emh and plan our days around them.I also like to be in disney 24/7 staying off property would not be the same for us.

[prprincess]

I stayed off-site up until Oct 2007 and did not have a problem with it. Once I stayed on site I realized what I had been missing. I don't think I could ever go off-site again. I'm now on a mission to stay in every Disney resort at least once. :mickey:Are you my twin??

I stayed offsite with my family until I was of the age that I could pay for my own trips, and then after that, forget it--no turning back!! Well, except that one time that my husband planned an "only Universal" trip, but I gotta tell you, it wasn't the same visiting Orlando and not visiting WDW. :(

I'm also planning on hitting each and every resort at least once.

[renecat]

We have done both. We have rented a five bedroom house when we had family coming up from Clearwater plus took two grandchildern age 13 and 14. Not brother and sister and felt they needed their own rooms. Have also rented a condo when my stepdaughter and mother-in law came along for the extra room and less expensive. Have stayed on site many times and also love the EMH , plus fast pass, dinning plan and overall never leaving the magic. Last Dec. my sister and I took two youngest grandaughter and stayed at GF. Going back for my birthday and trying the Poly for the first time. Was thinking about staying at POFQ but once you've been on a monarail resort hard to go back. 39 more days to go!!!!:cloud9:

[Madzac]

I have always been an onsite girl myself and preached the benefits, but I have to say, for us, with three kids, possibly four someday... wow, the thought of a townhouse with three bedrooms, kitchen, 3 bathrooms, a pool, washer and dryer (we can pack half of what we did!)... it sounds so much better. It was tough all of us in one little room this past May. I loved the WL, but the space.... and not waiting for the buses all the time! We shall see. I want to give it a try. for us it means being able to go back in two years rather than 3!! Also, I priced two value rooms, free dining, no car vs 3 bd TH 2 miles from disney, car, meals and honestly they came within 100 dollars(Offsite less), and that is when dining plan is free. A moderate is WAY more, especially if Grandma comes and we HAVE to get two rooms, and that is with free dining. I like the values but I am not crazy about the buses there with strollers and such. As for theming, you can find homes that have amazing disney theming, especially in the kids rooms!

Anyway, just wanted to add that "offsite" is a HUGE category! You have your tiny little chain motels to full size 6 bedroom pool homes. Some are minutes from disney vs a half hour. So I think when people say "I have tried offsite and never again", it makes a difference what they chose. I personally would chose onsite every time over an offsite chain motel... unless that was the only way I could go.

Family size certainly makes a difference too. If I were a family of 3 or 4, I think onsite would win too!

We will see... I will let you know if I change my tune after our next trip!!! ;)

[caryrae]

Have stayed on site many times and also love the EMH , plus fast pass, dinning plan and overall never leaving the magic.

but remember anyone with a valid park ticket can get fast passes regardless if they stay on or off-site.

[KAT1811]

I have always been an onsite girl myself and preached the benefits, but I have to say, for us, with three kids, possibly four someday...

As a mother of four it is much easier for us to stay onsite. That way if someone needs to take a break, doesn't feel good, etc. one of us can head back to the resort while the other stays and plays with the other children. Sometimes at night one of us stays in the room while the other takes the older children back to a park or to DTD. I can't see us having the same mobility we have onsite.

When you have larger familes, like we do, the reasonable onsite options are limited. You may want to look into the cabins in Fort Wilderness. They sleep 6 with a full kitchen and living room. They have laundry facilities in FW too (not in the cabins themselves). There are the family suites at All Star Music as well. The magic of being onsite is something we (and the kids ;)) would miss way too much.

[Meteora]

We're a very happy off-site family, having tried both. For us, the convenience of everyone having their own bedroom, of having our own kitchen, washer, dryer, etc. outweighs all else. To us, our timeshare is magical--we've been there so many times that it feels like home to us. We like staying onsite for a few nights here and there, but we all breathe a little easier when we have our own space. We just adore our timeshare, which is very conveniently located to the parks. But, in all fairness, we never do just Disney. As a family where the kids are 21 and 25, we have been to the parks numerous times, and at this point can usually finish them in three days or so. We like seeing the other things Orlando has to offer as well.

[GrmGrninGost]

We would hold off until we could arrange on-site accomodations rather than stay outside the magic! We stayed in the Kissimmee area a couple of times in years past, and the whole vacation we were disappointed we weren't on property. It's just a HUGE difference!

[estein80]

DH and I swear by staying on park grounds. Our first trip together, we stayed somewhere else, and completely regretted it. Since then we always try to stay at WDW.

We went last year with DH's family. There were 6 adults (3 families) and 4 kids (3, 3 years or younger). DH's family is not interested in staying at WDW, so we rented a house. It worked well for that trip, but we have been back since then and stayed at POR, and have ressies for Oct at AKL. We just love the magic that these resorts have. For us it's worth it.

[DisneyorBust]

Like others have mentioned, we have stayed off site and on. We much prefer on-site.
'Total immersion' as some have stated is pretty accurate. I like the fact that once we land at MCO, we don't have any transportation concerns.
EMH hours, Dining plans etc. I especially like knowing that I don't have to make my way back to a parking lot, after a long Disney day and hope that I can find my back to a rental house or hotel!

[steamboat willy]

My first trip to WDW in 1972, (37) years ago our Dad took us to this really nice campground.....Fort Wilderness I think it was called. :cap: :camp:
Back then a real steam train chugged its way through the campground and stopped at all the loops.
(Dad worked on the Southern Railroad back then)

Boat rides to and from the Magic Kingdom.

Electrical Water Padgent show right out in front of your beach.

Fireworks from the dock.

Goofy water sking on Bay Lake.

Nice - Air-Condition Buses take you everywhere.
No crank up the car unless you want to!

Monorail ride whenever you want.

Resort Mugs with unlimitless refills.

Swim in the pool with the Three Amigos, a Large Dragon, an Alligator or slide down through a volcano.

Stick you toes in the sand while swinging on a hammock.

And get up everymorning to a Mickey Mouse wake up call.....if you choose.

Thats why after 37 years, These are ONLY a few reasons we continue stay on property.

Once you go with the Mouse, you don't go anywhere else. :mickey: :mickey3: :minnie: :balloon: :mickey3:

[BPATSMouse]

We stay onsite. We want to get away for a week and let the magic take us away. The transportation and knowing what to expect from the resort does it for us. I have family with a time share in Orlando and would not use it unless it was the only way to stay for a trip to WDW.

[mainemajor]

On site is Disney all day every day and I love it.

[LilRonGal]

For Disney World, I have always stayed on property. I like not having to deal with driving and parking and the extra magic hours and all that other fun stuff. Being immersed in Disney 24/7.

I've only ever stayed in the value resorts. I like the crazy decorations and themes. I'd like to stay in a moderate or deluxe, but for now, I'd rather use the extra money toward souvenirs!

For Disneyland, I've stayed offsite both times, with friends. Disneyland wasn't the only point of the trips, so it made more sense to not stay onsite. Plus, Disneyland's hotels are quite costly.

[Bubbie Girl]

We always stay on property. It is so magical and I like to feel the magic of Disney World 24 hours a day when I'm there!!!!:mickey:

[Mickey91]

For a first time visitor or someone who has never been onsite, it won't ruin your experience to stay off site. But once you stay on property, there is no going back. We stayed off once since staying on property and were miserable every time we left the WDW gates :(.

[Tinkerbella16]

We've only stayed off property once and that was my very first trip to wdw back in 1992 and I was only 6 years old so it didn't matter to me.

After 16 trips staying on WDW property, I cannot imagine staying anywhere else. It is a huge part of the magic for us, just like a lot of others here! We love the bus transportation, waking up early to walk around and get breakfast and be able to get right on a bus and right to a park without having to worry about driving and all. Being able to stay late for EMH and enter a park early for EMH is fun too. Staying on-site just makes the trip that much better and we feel more at "home".

[Mousemates]

we've done both and do prefer to be on property for all the aforementioned reasons...however, we also enjoyed our off property stays very much too...you do get a lot more room for your money...spots like the Gaylord Palms are very nice.