Reasons to stay on-site?

L

LGND

New Member
My wife and I are starting to plan our next trip for this October (we're already getting excited!) and this time we're planning on going with my wife's sister and her husband - it will be the first trip for them.

DW and I stayed at Poly last time and loved it, and were planning to stay onsite again, but now my sister-in-law has mentioned that her husband's co-worker's mom apparently has a condo that we can rent when we are down there that is apparently "down the street from Disney World" (not sure where it is...) and will cost "a lot less".

DW and I would prefer to stay on-site even though it will cost more but we are trying to figure out how best to present our case. The cost isn't really an issue for either us or the in-laws.

So, what reasons can we give to a couple who has never been to WDW to justify spending more $ to stay on-site?

Thanks!
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
Master Yoda

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
Reasons to stay on site

1. Disney transportation so there is no need to rent a car.
2. Free parking if you do bring your car.
3. Extra Magic hours. A select park is open an hour early and another park is open 3 hours later for resort guests only.
4. If you are traveling during holidays where capacity closures are common you can still get into parks all the way up to a phase 4 closure (no one comes in)
5. The resorts provide a complete separation from reality. The outside world never intrudes on the Disney experience.
6. Room quality and high level of service. At other resorts, condos etc you never really know what you are going to get in terms of quality or how the staff will handle a problem. At Disney the standards are very high and if there is a problem the staff will bend over backwards to fix it.
7. Package delivery. When shopping in the parks you do not have to carry your purchases with you. Your packages can be delivered to your resort at no charge.
 
Upvote 0
sleepybear

sleepybear

New Member
Master Yoda pretty much covered everything. The only thing I can add is that staying at a Disney resort is kind of like expanding your vacation. All of the resorts and their accompanying restaurants, shops, bars and swimming pools are meticulously themed. So when you leave the parks, you don't leave the Disney magic. It's still there in your room, in your hotel lobby, etc. It's like being in a 24/7, nonstop Disney attraction.
 
Upvote 0
Nemo14

Nemo14

Well-Known Member
I've stayed on site and off, and I actually enjoy both. There are many advantages to having a condo - food and laundry savings, escape from the crowds,etc. Why not give it a try or at least consider it?
 
Upvote 0
MichWolv

MichWolv

Born Modest. Wore Off.
Premium Member
LGND said:
My wife and I are starting to plan our next trip for this October (we're already getting excited!) and this time we're planning on going with my wife's sister and her husband - it will be the first trip for them.

DW and I stayed at Poly last time and loved it, and were planning to stay onsite again, but now my sister-in-law has mentioned that her husband's co-worker's mom apparently has a condo that we can rent when we are down there that is apparently "down the street from Disney World" (not sure where it is...) and will cost "a lot less".

DW and I would prefer to stay on-site even though it will cost more but we are trying to figure out how best to present our case. The cost isn't really an issue for either us or the in-laws.

So, what reasons can we give to a couple who has never been to WDW to justify spending more $ to stay on-site?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Yoda has given a good list of reasons to stay on-site. I'll chime in with a couple more that build on his.

1. Should you decide to partake of adult beverages, no need to worry about a designated driver, as you can use Disney transportation.
2. If you decide to split up at any point, no need to figure out how to get back to your hotel separately, as Disney transport takes care of it.
3. All but a handful of the off-site places will take substantively more travel time to and from the parks (there are a very few that are as close to some parks as some of the Disney hotels, but only a few). And if you stay in a deluxe resort, you'll likely be walking or monorailing or boating from one or more parks, which is a much more pleasant way to travel then by car.
4. For a first-time visitor, staying on-site is truly a joy.

Even with all of the benefits of staying on site, I do stay off-site on some trips. The benefits of staying off-site in a condo are two. Money and space. When I travel with my wife, parents, and son, that makes 5 of us, and we'd prefer three separate sleeping spaces. Getting that on site is expensive. Off-site, a 2-bedroom condo can often be had for a song, saving a lot of money, getting a lot more space, and giving us a kitchen to boot.

But when it's just couples, I'd certainly recommend staying on-site if you can afford it.
 
Upvote 0
sbkline

sbkline

Well-Known Member
I sometimes have trouble putting into words what I am thinking, so I hope what I am about to say will make sense to those reading it.

In addition to all the other points already made, I find that staying on site makes me feel like "part of the club" so to speak. In order to have more money to spend on our vacations in 2003 and 2004, we stayed in a Super 8 motel in Kissimmee for less than 40 bucks a night. We had a blast and don't regret that we did it that way, as it allowed us to stay for 10 or 11 days, and experience other things such as Sea World, Busch Gardens and Universal. However, there was something kind of odd about chatting with someone at Epcot one night and having him ask "so where are you guys staying?", to which my reply was "oh, we're just staying in a Super 8 motel in Kissimmee". Kind of like it's expected that you're a fellow on site guest, only to have to break it to him that you're an "outsider". I'm sure he didn't take it that way, and he probably thought nothing of it. But for me, staying offsite kind of gives that "outside looking in" feeling, whereas staying onsite makes me feel like I'm truly part of the gang.

I don't know if that made any sense or not, or if I explained it very well. But, as petty as that is, that's one way that I look at it. And for the rest of you who stay offsite, you may not get that feeling at all. But there was a whole different "feel" to our 2007 trip when we stayed onsite than there was to our previous trips. There was the obvious fact that we were staying in a much higher quality hotel, but just the thought that even in our hotel, we were still at Disney, it made us feel like more than "visitors" when we went to the theme parks.
 
Upvote 0
Mystic

Mystic

Well-Known Member
The Walt Disney World Resort covers 47 square miles of property. Which part of it is the condo "just down the street" from?:shrug:
 
Upvote 0
Nemo14

Nemo14

Well-Known Member
Mystic said:
The Walt Disney World Resort covers 47 square miles of property. Which part of it is the condo "just down the street" from?:shrug:
Click to expand...
We often rent villas in Kissimmee which are a 15-20 minute drive to WDW. We've waited longer for busses at some of the resorts.
 
Upvote 0
Mystic

Mystic

Well-Known Member
Nemo14 said:
We often rent villas in Kissimmee which are a 15-20 minute drive to WDW. We've waited longer for busses at some of the resorts.
Click to expand...

I've only ever had a long wait for a bus on my last trip this past October when I was visiting the World with a friend and we stayed at Pop. Normally when I visit with my mom we stay at WL and we never have that long a wait for a bus. Personally I prefer to stay on property so I can prolong my visit to Fantasyland and vacation from reality.
 
Upvote 0
Nemo14

Nemo14

Well-Known Member
Mystic said:
I've only ever had a long wait for a bus on my last trip this past October when I was visiting the World with a friend and we stayed at Pop. Normally when I visit with my mom we stay at WL and we never have that long a wait for a bus. Personally I prefer to stay on property so I can prolong my visit to Fantasyland and vacation from reality.
Click to expand...
I understand that, and I enjoy staying on site too. I'm just saying that off-site has its advantages too, so don't rule it out.
 
Upvote 0
L

LGND

New Member
Original Poster
I appreciate all the responses so far...

For the most part you're preaching to the choir...

I have no idea where the condo actually is... and I kind of laughed to myself when I heard it was right down the road...

@ Nemo14 Thanks for the alternate view, I see the advantages of staying off-site, I've done it before in earlier trips myself... Our last trip was the first time I'd stayed on-site actually!

I totally feel that maintaining the magic is worth the added expense, and I know a lot of reasons why -I'd- rather stay on property... What I'm really looking for is a compelling argument to give to my sister(in-law) and her husband - who have never been to Disney...

Added amunition... Sis is a huge Disney fan (like my wife) loves the movies loves the music, I don't think it will take a whole lot to convince her with the right 'Disney magic' argument...

Her husband will take a bit more convincing, he's a fun guy but I think he sees this as 'kids stuff'... Help! (I don't get it, he seems like a big kid to me)

We're all in our late twenties, no kids, plenty of disposable income... Our last trip was Oct. 06 (my wife's first) for our honeymoon... Sis and her hubby got married this past October, so the trip will almost be on their anniversary...

Again... looking for good reasons I can give them as first timers to stay on-site... and maybe some ideas to get Sis's hubby in the spirit...
 
Upvote 0
New2WDW

New2WDW

New Member
My family (2 adults and 2 girls 10, 7) love the All Star Movies Resort because of the Movies overlay! Have you thought about doing this type of Value Resort instead of the Deluxe Resorts? Really depends on your time in resort and using all resort benefits.

Either way, maybe showing them some pics of the resorts to get them in the mood! Check out www.Allears.net and look into the resort pics.

Good Luck!
 
Upvote 0
Mystic

Mystic

Well-Known Member
How about the ability to come and go as you please between the parks and your hotel without ever having to get into your car and drive thanks to Disney's own transportation? Or how about not having to waste money on a rental car and gas instead putting that money towards a hotel on property. What about the ability to take advantage of things like Extra Magic Hours that are only open to Resort guests?
 
Upvote 0
Master Yoda

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
CAPTAIN HOOK said:
Convince your sister - her hubby will have to come along then :ROFLOL:
Click to expand...
I was thinking the same thing. There is a line from My big fat Greek wedding that really applies here.

"The man might be the head of the household but the woman is the neck and the neck can make the head turn which ever way it wants"
 
Upvote 0

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom