For $1,000 less I could....

DiSnEyF@n

DiSnEyF@n

Well-Known Member
I just booked 5 nights at the Cabins with the QS free dining totalling about $4200 for my family of 6 with 6 day park hoppers.

For $1000 less I could stay 7 nights outside of Disney at Lake Beuna Vista Condos in a 2 bedroom condo with a full kitchen and I even factored in paying for parking ($20 a day), a car rental and $300 for food from the food store.

What would you do??????? I am torn as to what we should. HELP!

The only thing making me want to stay at the Cabins is that we won't have to drive, but I have also heard that transportation in and out of the Cabins is not easy. We will have a 9 month old, 3.5 year old and 15yo and 18yo. Lugging a double stroller on all those buses is making my husband cringe lol
 
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CaptainAmerica

CaptainAmerica

Well-Known Member
21stamps said:
Last year when I was looking at pre-cruise options, I actually thought it would be fun to camp for two nights. Fort wilderness was sold out of all campsites.

Then I started reading all of the people online who actually book campsites just because they're staying offsite.. to get on site benefits. I don't know if that caused the time I was looking at to be full, but it really shouldn't happen. There are people who actually want to camp.
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Cast members are the worst of the bunch.
 
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BigRedDad

BigRedDad

Well-Known Member
Mr Ferret 88 said:
http://www.thisisinsider.com/should-i-stay-in-a-disney-hotel-disney-world-2017-4
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I saw the article as well and it is riddled with bad information, at least for Disney veterans. For people going their first time, it is good general information.

#1 is if you are flying. If you drive, you don't need to rent a car either.
#2 I have never had any issue with parking at any park or resort.
#3 All my luggage is in my car.
#4 You can do this with little wait offsite as well. If you simply take what they assign you, then great. If they don't/can't accommodate requests, then it is more time.
#5 I avoid EMH parks unless I am on site.
#6 Yes, the FP window is 60 + 10 days for onsite guests. Offsite can do it too by dummy booking a campsite.
#7 Anyone and everyone can visit any resort. It is not restricted to those paying for a room.
 
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contrariwise

contrariwise

Well-Known Member
BigRedDad said:
I saw the article as well and it is riddled with bad information, at least for Disney veterans. For people going their first time, it is good general information.

#1 is if you are flying. If you drive, you don't need to rent a car either.
#2 I have never had any issue with parking at any park or resort.
#3 All my luggage is in my car.
#4 You can do this with little wait offsite as well. If you simply take what they assign you, then great. If they don't/can't accommodate requests, then it is more time.
#5 I avoid EMH parks unless I am on site.
#6 Yes, the FP window is 60 + 10 days for onsite guests. Offsite can do it too by dummy booking a campsite.
#7 Anyone and everyone can visit any resort. It is not restricted to those paying for a room.
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I agree with all of this. The author has been exactly once, and has nothing to compare that trip to.

I have done both, first onsite, then off. I was nervous as heck that our vacation would suffer staying offsite. It didn’t. I was very concerned about not being able to take breaks. Not a concern at all. It was easy driving to and from the parks, and not having to wait on buses was a huge plus.

One thing that may or may not have been mentioned. When we stayed onsite, we walked a ton just to get from our room to the bus stop/boat launch. Not so with offsite. We parked either a short walk from our villa or right outside it. That helped a ton.

I am not saying onsite is bad. We loved our onsite stays. We just found that the extra room we could get staying offsite (for less money) was better for us. The one onsite perk that keeps nagging at me every time I plan a trip is proximity – but even then, I’m thinking about Epcot or MK area resorts where you can walk to a park. We stayed at Beach Club once and it was SO nice to stroll in the back door of Epcot to have dinner at night.
 
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DiSnEyF@n

DiSnEyF@n

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
contrariwise said:
I agree with all of this. The author has been exactly once, and has nothing to compare that trip to.

I have done both, first onsite, then off. I was nervous as heck that our vacation would suffer staying offsite. It didn’t. I was very concerned about not being able to take breaks. Not a concern at all. It was easy driving to and from the parks, and not having to wait on buses was a huge plus.

One thing that may or may not have been mentioned. When we stayed onsite, we walked a ton just to get from our room to the bus stop/boat launch. Not so with offsite. We parked either a short walk from our villa or right outside it. That helped a ton.

I am not saying onsite is bad. We loved our onsite stays. We just found that the extra room we could get staying offsite (for less money) was better for us. The one onsite perk that keeps nagging at me every time I plan a trip is proximity – but even then, I’m thinking about Epcot or MK area resorts where you can walk to a park. We stayed at Beach Club once and it was SO nice to stroll in the back door of Epcot to have dinner at night.
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Love this! Thanks and we love the Epcot resorts too, just for that reason!!!
 
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vcstr

vcstr

Active Member
DiSnEyF@n said:
I tried to do that like do 3 nights offsite and 4 nights onsite, but the Free Dining minimum night stay is 5 nights...
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Just as an FYI - it looks like the minimum stay for Free Dining is 5 nights but it's really only three! They word it that way to encourage longer bookings. You're still committed to buying minimum two-day tickets with Hopper though.

I still think you're probably better off staying off-site but don't forget to factor in making and preparing meals. You included a cost for the food but a vacation where you're cooking yourself is still different!
 
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jlsHouston

jlsHouston

Well-Known Member
I always stay onsite...Once last October before a cruise we stayed 4 nites at the Holiday Inn Orange Lake resort. It was really nice and peaceful, tons of space..and not Disney.
 
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jlsHouston

jlsHouston

Well-Known Member
LAKid53 said:
OP, we've done the cabins - with 4 adults. And one bathroom - not a large one either. And you've got 2 teenagers. Stay in the condo....
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LOL I've always wondered if those cabins would be worth it. I decided a while back only if I was basically going to treat it like a camping experience and not try and do parks. The kids really want to try the cabins. To them that looks like a vacation experience in itself, LOL.
 
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DiSnEyF@n

DiSnEyF@n

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
LAKid53 said:
OP, we've done the cabins - with 4 adults. And one bathroom - not a large one either. And you've got 2 teenagers. Stay in the condo....
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Honestly, that's really what we're leaning towards and not just because we'd save the money but bc of the space we'd have... I just hate the idea of staying off site.
 
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jlsHouston

jlsHouston

Well-Known Member
DiSnEyF@n said:
Honestly, that's really what we're leaning towards and not just because we'd save the money but bc of the space we'd have... I just hate the idea of staying off site.
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Honestly the one time I stayed offsite last October for like a 3 day trip was pretty peaceful and the 2 bedroom condo was nice...that being said, I go to Orlando for Disney and I prefer the bubble. I prefer the bubble over any convenience or cost savings offsite would offer. I think offsite is probably a good thing for you though considering not like you are choosing between a convenient monorail resort and offsite. I mean Disney buses with strollers suck. I avoid AKL and SSR when babies are with us because I just can't handle breaking that stroller down and then fighting the 2 year old when it's time to go back in it. Stay offsite, have space, save money, avoid the buses.
And have a wonderful trip!
 
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correcaminos

correcaminos

Well-Known Member
BigRedDad said:
I saw the article as well and it is riddled with bad information, at least for Disney veterans. For people going their first time, it is good general information.

#1 is if you are flying. If you drive, you don't need to rent a car either.
#2 I have never had any issue with parking at any park or resort.
#3 All my luggage is in my car.
#4 You can do this with little wait offsite as well. If you simply take what they assign you, then great. If they don't/can't accommodate requests, then it is more time.
#5 I avoid EMH parks unless I am on site.
#6 Yes, the FP window is 60 + 10 days for onsite guests. Offsite can do it too by dummy booking a campsite.
#7 Anyone and everyone can visit any resort. It is not restricted to those paying for a room.
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That's not entirely fair to compare some of your stuff.

#1 no way we'll drive - too far and we don't have vacation time to do so. 2 hour non-stop flight is worth it. So your point isn't valid for anyone who does fly
#2 I sure as heck have had issues parking at a resort that wasn't my own. They've really cracked down on that especially with MB use. But we stay at DVC resorts and know that people try to use those parking lots all the time.
#3 nice to not have to lug it through the airport and check it yourself. Time saver. However we do carry on only now so it's pointless for us, for those sans car no issues.
#4 little wait does not equal no wait. However Disney's system is not perfect. We had issues but had little wait when we were there in March
#5 it works for you, but not for others. We avoid it too but for some it really helps. When we have gone to morning EMH hours it really is less crowded and you can get more done
#6 if you are canceling your dummy reservation I really say shame on you. If you feel good about it then go ahead. If you are keeping it, why not just stay onsite? Because if you don't then it makes no sense at all to me why you book it in the first place and stay offsite.
#7 this is the only fair answer you have given.

Glad you are proud of your ways of booking, but to me it is like those who lie about kids' ages to not pay for park admission. Not lessons I feel like teaching my kid. Yes judgmental but it's the truth and honestly I'm proud of how good my kid is teaching him to be an honest kid.

Off site vs onsite is a personal preference. There isn't a right or wrong answer, just right for the family and situation at the time.
 
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HRHPrincessAriel

HRHPrincessAriel

Well-Known Member
Why the meal plan
DiSnEyF@n said:
We would eat breakfast before we left, pack lunches (like uncrustables) and either come back to the condo for dinner (order pizza a couple nights) or eat QS in the parks (maybe like 2 nights). The place we're staying at does not charge extra for parking... I just checked.
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then why the QS meal plan then if staying on site? Couldn't you do this exact same thing in the cabins? Don't they have a decent fridge that you could store legit groceries in?
 
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jlsHouston

jlsHouston

Well-Known Member
HRHPrincessAriel said:
Why the meal plan

then why the QS meal plan then if staying on site? Couldn't you do this exact same thing in the cabins? Don't they have a decent fridge that you could store legit groceries in?
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I think their dates include free dining , or at least they do if you are a Disney Visa card holder... that's why I am thinking they took the QS plan because their dates offered it for free under a current promo.
 
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DiSnEyF@n

DiSnEyF@n

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
jlsHouston said:
I think their dates include free dining , or at least they do if you are a Disney Visa card holder... that's why I am thinking they took the QS plan because their dates offered it for free under a current promo.
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Yes it's free dining that we have. However, with the deal for dining you pay full price for the room. I think what the other person meant was I could probably stay cheaper without the dining plan and just use the kitchen in the Cabin for most of our meals... Which is definitely a good idea and would save us like $800 for the week. You're literally paying for convenience of not having to take your wallet out lol
 
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