any one stayed off Disney property and saved?

[tractorm3]

my gf and I are planning our next trip and here is what we usually do, fly in, magical express, meal plan, at the carribean beach.

does any one save that much money by staying offsite? we dont want to have to rent a car.

just thinking we would loose the EMH, magical express, meal plan, and the buses.

 

[darthspielberg]

I've only stayed on property once, and I was a wee lad then, so I have no idea how much was paid. I do know that when we head down next (this coming Friday!) we will be staying off property, because we have an RCI Timeshare that we have traded with one in Kissimee.

We are only paying 60 bucks total (well, aside from the yearly RCI rates) to tranfer our week to the Kissimee resort. All things considering, that's going to save us a lot of $$$. While I agree you loose out on some of the magic, it's not the worst thing you could do. I personally will be quite happy to just experience the parks, which I haven't done in ages.

 

[dave&di]

ive stayed off site twice in the 90s and on site at the GF in 2008,have to say that staying on site added a whole new dimension to the holiday experience.neither of us drive so the transportation was a big plus,i think on site does add "the magic".we also stayed on site at universal(portofino bay)for 7 nights when we left the GF,which i have to say was even better than the GF.returning this september for 7 nights at the poly then portofino again.dont think i would stay off site again.

 

[Lisalyn]

Maybe it's just me but I don't feel like I'm doing a WDW vacation unless I'm AT WDW! That includes staying on property. Is it a bit more expensive? Maybe and it depends on discounts, pins, etc. as mentioned previously...but staying onsite is part of the Magic! Everything is Disney motivated and themed...the CM's are usually the best in terms of the happy factor and such (lol), the ambiance, EMH, just the overall feel for me is "magic" and it includes staying on property. IMO obviously LOL

 

[SuperSaint]

If you want to stay at one of the closest and cheapest off-site hotels, this place is where to go.

But, it's not exactly the nicest place. Good enough to go back to and fall asleep in after a long day at Disney, but nothing else is all that amazing about it.

I think we paid $55-65 a night. No fridge, so our ice bucket doubled as a fridge. But we made due and saved a bundle. But for what we paid for a rental car (especially being under 25 years old), the annoying neighbors, and the pot smoke that wafted through our vent one night, it was hardly worth the savings.

http://www.ramada.com/Ramada/contro...&force_nostay=false&bmInSession=true&tab=tab1

 

[cabihler]

my 2 cents worth

we have been to disney over 100 separate times. for a good many of those first years we stayed off property. back then at first, the choices of on property were the contemporary, the poly or the campgrounds... so we HAD TO stay off site at a motel on 192 and we were always very happy to be there because it was a vacation and it was disney. we always had a car too. then when 192 started to become extremely congested we would stay on international drive. a little further drive but not bad.

then one year we got to orlando about 4 hours early so we decide to just drive the disney property. we drove past the caribbean beach hotel, which had just opened several months earlier, and decided to drive in and see if we could get a room and for how much. AH YES things were much different back then, no security gates and you could actually work a deal with the front desk. in any case we decided to stay there and cancelled our other reservations. WHAT A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE. we were hooked on the convience and the extra disney magic experience of staying on property.

in the years since we have always stayed on disney property. note... there was one trip 3 years ago where i stayed on property then left and came back for 2 more days and stayed at the roadway on 192. it was just a room and i was there just to sleep and at 30 bucks a night it was fine. but to be sure there was no extra disney magic like there is staying on property.

now in other threads you may have seen remarks about the disney bus service etc. i have had my moments of bad bus experiences but very few in number when you consider how many hundreds of bus trips i have been on. as a comparison driving to 192 from magic kingdom at closing in the summer or christmas time is no picnic either and you will experience LONG delays which might make you wish you were staying on property and on a disney bus.

bottom line.... will you/could you save money staying off property.... YES OF COURSE YOU MIGHT............. but sometimes the added cost means so much more thus it could be a much greater value to stay on property.

final word on this..... if your choice is either 1) to stay off property due to affordability or 2) not to go at all.... then by all means stay off property and enjoy your disney trip but aside from that then the decision to stay on property to me always the best choice :wave:

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

You save money, but lose the magic.

NO YOU DON'T.

You may lose SOME of the magic, but MOST of the Disney Magic is to be found in the parks. You don't experience ANY magic while asleep so it doesn't matter where your bed is, although it is nice to wake up in one of Disneys themed rooms / hotels.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

You don't experience ANY magic while asleep

Depends on what you're dreaming about. :lookaroun




(But seriously, I agree with you completely.) :lol:

 

[roaddogg6420]

Staying off-site

There is a lot of money to be saved off-site if you do your homework.

1. If you know how to use priceline.com use it. Bid for your hotel and car rental. Do your homework by using the biddingfortravel.com website, before you bid on priceline.

2. Search all the ticket website for the best deal on Disney tickets. Don't just check Disney there our better deal if you look for them.

3. Stay on site if the price is with-in one hundred dollars the extra money is worth the extra magic you get at Disney World.

 

[Susan Savia]

Yesterday we booked our offsite for 10 nights for a little over $400! Its very close to the parks, clean and comfortable. We are AP holders and we drive from Virginia. Park parking is free and we always spend all day in the parks, never in 27 years have taken breaks, so going back to the room never enters in. We are not missing the 'extra' hours because after being in the parks all day we prefer to return to our room for rest. Sometimes we eat lunch in the parks, but other times just a snack and eat a nice dinner offsite for more savings. We feel we are not losing any of the magic by being offsite. After a full day in the parks it doesn't matter if the bedspread has Mickey on it or not. We are just in the room for sleep. The free mini fridge and internet is nice too. Also, we always go during winter months and so there is no traffic to and from the parks and our trip might take all of 15 minutes. We like to be able to look around the area, pick up supplies as needed (water, sodas, etc.) at Walmart.

 

[fosse76]

But informative.

Having stayed at Pop Century, I absolutely agree that there's nothing inherently magical about the lower end Disney resorts. Your story is a good example of how an off-property (if barely) hotel can provide most of the same tangible benefits as a Disney resort, as well as some that Disney isn't so good at.

There's nothing inherently magical about the "upscale" Disney resorts either. You'd get more amenities for cheaper at a better-quality off-site upscale hotel.

There are only two valuable on-site benefits that is of real value: (1) free parking and (2) free transportation. Do the calculations to determine whether or not any money is being saved. Also look at the time of year, since Disney charges more based on their own season designations (off-site hotels/motels won't have as many variable rates).

 

[lovepooh]

. Also look at the time of year, since Disney charges more based on their own season designations (off-site hotels/motels won't have as many variable rates).[/QUOTE]


That I don't agree with. The hotels/motels might be less, but they all do their pricing by seasonal. They wouldnt make any money if they didnt. Just like car rental and airline tickets all do their pricing depending on the time of the year.

I am sure you can cheaper hotels depending on the property but they still have seasons just like disney.

 

[RiversideBunny]

You save money, but lose the magic.
.....

Yes, correct.
The magic is why people go to WDW in the first place.

I stayed home last year and saved $3,000.
Disney Magic was zero.

 

[plaz10]

You save money, but lose the magic.

Couldn't have said it better.
The transportation to the airport - fee
Rental Car - fee
Eating off site - will save you money, but I can eat at a TGIFridays at home, I can't have Mickey serve me breakfast or eat in the 50's or enjoy a massive turkey leg or eat in a castle at home.

If you strictly want to save money, yes offsite may be your best bet. But the Disney magic is priceless.

 

[matt_taylor1985]

After staying on site last year and staying in a villa this year, I would agree that the magic is lost slightly, and I do think it's a bit ridiculous to charge $14 per for parking.

However as that villa I was staying in now belongs to my parents and I no longer have to pay for accomodation, I will be staying there now. I would however like to stay in another Disney resort in the future.

 

[JWH]

A Disney vacation is only a Disney vacation staying on property for our family. Will never do it any other way.

 

[cabihler]

it really comes down to personal preferrence

susan silva wrote in her reply

Yesterday we booked our offsite for 10 nights for a little over $400! Its very close to the parks, clean and comfortable. We are AP holders and we drive from Virginia. Park parking is free and we always spend all day in the parks, never in 27 years have taken breaks, so going back to the room never enters in. We are not missing the 'extra' hours because after being in the parks all day we prefer to return to our room for rest. Sometimes we eat lunch in the parks, but other times just a snack and eat a nice dinner offsite for more savings. We feel we are not losing any of the magic by being offsite. After a full day in the parks it doesn't matter if the bedspread has Mickey on it or not. We are just in the room for sleep. The free mini fridge and internet is nice too. Also, we always go during winter months and so there is no traffic to and from the parks and our trip might take all of 15 minutes. We like to be able to look around the area, pick up supplies as needed (water, sodas, etc.) at Walmart.

we did this in the same exact way as susan and her family for many years. we too are/have been ap holders and would visit HOME 3 or 4 or 5 times a year so the savings were great when you added up individual costs when we use to stay off site. to susan and her family they feel as if they are not missing any of the MAGIC and of course who am i to argue with her and THEIR experience.

and that is what it comes down to. for our family after staying on property all these years having once stayed off property to US we feel as if we are losing some of the magic if we were to stay off site again.... for susan's family they feel they are not.... it really comes down to what your family feels since exeryone's experience will be slightly different. for years we had fun and truly enjoyed going to disney and staying off site.... many, many wonderful memories of those years and the same can be said about staying on property.

its disneyworld how could you not love it either way... welcome to the caribbean love:sohappy:

 

[leckert78]

Yes, but is it worth it?

You can save money staying off Disney grounds (if you have transportation or rental) but you lose the Disney Magic. The second you drive away from Disney highways and parks, you will see a huge difference around you. You may be able to save a few bucks and even sometimes get more spacious rooms, but you will not feel emersesed in the Disney Magic. For me staying at Disney is part of the trip. Staying on Disney grounds with an annual pass can get you great deals.

Personal preference :wave:

 

[matt_taylor1985]

I think sometimes it can be different for families from the UK, because alot of the time, we come on Florida holidays as opposed to just Disney vacations. I know from experience that sometimes it can be a difference of hundreds of dollars to stay on site or off site.

For me anyway, we don't use the dining plan so that doesn't really draw me in. EMH's are good but are not deal makers for me. I do like being able to walk out my front door and into Disney magic, but alot of the time we try to do our holidays for as best prices that we can, so then alot of the time a Disney resort is out of the question...doesn't mean I don't want to stay in one.

 

[fosse76]

.

That I don't agree with. The hotels/motels might be less, but they all do their pricing by seasonal. They wouldnt make any money if they didnt. Just like car rental and airline tickets all do their pricing depending on the time of the year.

I am sure you can cheaper hotels depending on the property but they still have seasons just like disney.

They don't have as many seasonal rates as Disney. That's what I meant. Disney has what, four different designations? And unlike Disney, there are many more variable rates at each individual hotel/motel, including discounts, during those "seasons." I can stay at the Waldorf-Astoria for much less than any of Disney's Deluxe hotels. And during peak season (as designated by Disney), I can stay there for less than what it would cost to stay at a Disney-owned moderate! And the Waldorf is a far superior hotel to anything Disney has to offer.

Of course, there are also hotels that you couldn't PAY me to stay in!

 

[Woozles944]

We used to stay offsite, until Disney started the free dining plan in August several years ago. Now we can not imagine staying offsite. The extra magic hours and freedom of travel to and from the parks are definite bonuses to us. Like others have mentioned you can save money staying offsite, but for us when we look at the additional costs to stay offsite the savings dwindle. We live in Washington state so when we go it is usually for 10 days, have no car and usually go during less busy times, like late August/September or early December.

If we stayed offsite we would need a car, I just checked Alamo and it is $231 for a compact after taxes (Sept 20-30). At $14 per day to park, that's another $140. Now we also stay at the Value resorts which this year are $82/night during the week and $92 on weekends. We would need to find a DECENT hotel for $48/night or less, including taxes, just to break even. Sure you could say that we could save on dining costs, eating offsite, but we usually eat for about $50/day (me, wife and 8yr old son) so I don't expect we would have much savings there. See mousesavers.com for more info. Not to mention we are waiting for the free dining to come out soon and the dining costs will go to almost nothing!

If you need more upscale accomodations then staying offsite will likely quickly increase your savings.