help, Help, HELP....me decide...

[bjlc57]

Okay.. we can stay at the Pop Century.. and its about the same price as staying off base.. if we stay off base, its easier to go to restaurants that we can afford.. but its $15 per day parking at Disney..

we get free breakfest off base.. on base we get a small room..
off base a suite..

we have never stayed on base.. we "could survive " with out a weeks worth of rent a car on base..

its price versus convienience versus on base versus car versus affordable food..

help, Help, HELP...

don't be shy, bashfull or any of the other dwarfs.. Say what you think..
SPEAK YOUR MIND.

Give your opinion..

lay it on the line..

DON'T HOLD BACK ANY SECRETS OR TRUTHS...


I need help.. by the 30th..

 

[Crush Dude!]

Okay.. we can stay at the Pop Century.. and its about the same price as staying off base.. if we stay off base, its easier to go to restaurants that we can afford.. but its $15 per day parking at Disney..

we get free breakfest off base.. on base we get a small room..
off base a suite..

we have never stayed on base.. we "could survive " with out a weeks worth of rent a car on base..

its price versus convienience versus on base versus car versus affordable food..

help, Help, HELP...

don't be shy, bashfull or any of the other dwarfs.. Say what you think..
SPEAK YOUR MIND.

Give your opinion..

lay it on the line..

DON'T HOLD BACK ANY SECRETS OR TRUTHS...


I need help.. by the 30th..

WOW a little dramatic :lookaroun

But on property all the way for me!!!

Immersed in Disney, EMH, Free transport :sohappy:

Pop all the way I love it there :sohappy:

 

[lilclerk]

If you're okay with being "stuck" on property your whole trip (no going off-site to go to a cheaper restaurant, etc) and having a smaller room, I'd stay on-property and use Disney transportation. Pop Century is great and I just love not having to drive while on vacation :lol:

That's just my opinion, though. Yes, you can definitely save money by staying off property and eating outside the parks but if I'm on vacation, I want that total Disney immersion, buses and all. The free breakfasts and wi-fi do tempt me though.

 

[DisneyDreamer08]

On site always makes the most sense to me. You don't have to worry about traffic/parking/etc.
And by the time you add up the cost of the rental car, gas, parking etc, it probably evens out anyway.
I would much rather stay on site and enjoy Disney transportation.

 

[Crush Dude!]

On site always makes the most sense to me. You don't have to worry about traffic/parking/etc.
And by the time you add up the cost of the rental car, gas, parking etc, it probably evens out anyway.
I would much rather stay on site and enjoy Disney transportation.

Agreed :sohappy:

 

[Lee]

Eh...for me? I'd stay off-property.
For less than the price of an All-Star you can get wonderful, huge, well appointed rooms all over the area via Hotwire, etc.
Parking? Nah. Not if you know how to work the system.
And you don't have to wait on a bus, you can come and go on your own schedule.

(Bottom line: with the way they have jacked up the prices for on-property, you get more value for your money off-property. Usually. Sure, you miss out on all the "pixie dust" at the hotel, but....eh...I am past the point of paying an extra $50/night for that.)

 

[Danielle Shay]

I'd stay on property. I've only stayed off property once, and it's just not the same.

I mean sure, you're stuck in Disney if you opt for the bus system over a rental car, and the food there is more expensive. But you're saving money by not getting a car and not parking (which not only costs money, but is also really annoying), which would probably make up for the more expensive food.

As for the size of hotel rooms, I like a suite as much as the next person, but I think the atmosphere of staying on property makes up for having a smaller room. Plus you get the benefit of extra magic hours.

So, my vote is for on property!

 

[LoriMistress]

For DH and I, we always stay on property. We don't like the idea of renting a car--especially after being the parks all day, and you're dead tired. You don't have to worry about paying for parking. If you're spending $15 a day, you could use that for other things. Before arriving at the parks, stop at a Wal-Mart and pick up some breakfast items and other snacks. Using Disney Transportation gets you closer to your resorts/parks. We enjoy staying at POP, and will be staying there again.

 

[Microcell]

Yeah.. another vote for onsite. I like letting them do all the driving on the trip.

I would sell some junk laying around the house on Craigslist or something to get the extra money to eat where I want too!

 

[DizneyPryncess]

As someone who stays off-site pretty frequently due to a family time share, I can say that I strongly before staying on-site. Staying off-site feels like a great Florida vacation, that includes some time at Disney. Staying on-site feels like a Disney vacation.

You are surrounded by Disney all time. You eat, sleep and breathe Disney. When I go to Florida, that's just how I prefer things. If you really want the full Disney experience, I feel like you get that more staying on-site. If there are other things important to you (i.e outside restaurants, outside activities, etc.) then staying off-site might work great for you. It would also save you some money in seems.

 

[Skylinecar1982]

If your main concern is money then off-site will almost always be better. You can get rooms close to Disney for $40 a night with breakfast. You just have to know where to look. Use discount sites and you can get way more bang for the buck but, NO MAGIC... So off-site places even offer complimentary service to and from Disney.

The price of a rental car plus gas and parking is not going to equal out to the same as on Disney property. As long as you know where to look for the deals. If you pay retail then it may come out to be the same.

Ask about discounts Disney as for many off-site properties has them AAA is probably your best bet for saving money without spending alot.

As for me whenever I go with my fiance we stay on-property but whenever it's with the family we stay off. My moms a travel agent and is a self proclaimed Marriott girl. When we stay off-site we get a full kitchen 3 bedroom 2 bath for around $200 a night. Not bad considering I pay that just for a room at CSR.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

I just don't see what's making this such a hard decision for you. It sounds like financially it's a wash, with off property costing you to rent a car and park and on property costing you more for food and (I assume) the value resort.

Assuming that's the case, you just have to decide what matters more to you: freedom to drive around, or being surrounded by "the magic" 24/7.

For me, there is nothing special about the Disney resorts...especially the values. But I'm not like a lot of people around here. To me, the areas around Disney are just as cool as being on property. As long as I'm in or near WDW, I really don't care where my room is. Other people really feel strongly that they want to be on Disney soil all the time.

So what matters to you?

If having "the magic" around you matters to you a great deal, then that would be an argument for on property.

If you think you'd want to get out and explore Orlando a little (just going to cheaper restaurants is probably not a big deal, since you'll be paying for gas/parking/car rental for those "cheaper" meals), then that would be an argument for off property.

If neither of those factors matters much to you, then it sounds like there's not enough to separate the two for you, and it probably doesn't matter which you pick.

 

[armyfamilyof5]

Because we are military we usually stay at Shades of Green which is next to the Poly but is not Disney, huge rooms! We've stayed in an All Star family suite once and it was okay, we didn't really spend enough time at the resort or in the room to justify the additional expense so we probably won't do it again. We stayed at a grand vacation at Seaworld condo once and it was the most wonderful room with a washer and dryer, Fiesta ware, full kitchen and jacuzzi tub for about $100 a night. We'd do that again but it is just so far away from the parks . Our next trip in March will be a week at SOG with a couple nights at Portafino Bay Resort at Universal so we will have the best of both worlds :sohappy:

 

[the-reason14]

Personally on site is the only way to go. I love pop half century, thats the resort we always try to stay at whenever we go. I love the wake up calls from mickey(could do without stitch, but thats for another thread.) I love being able to wake up early either for an extra morning hour or just to get at the parks as soon as it opens to hit the rides and snag fastpasses, and I love being able to go back to the pop for a nap. It really, really helps being able to come back in the afternoon and just rest and relax and escape the crowds and the heat. And I even love waiting in line for busses, it all just adds to the disney vacation experience for me. And you cant forget the extra evening hours.

I can see why staying offsite would be good. If you're vacationing with more than two people than the small rooms at pop are not going to be comfortable. And plus the free breakfast and wifi is a great touch. But for me, I gotta be at the pop. For you, if there's 4 or so of you then maybe off site is best.

 

[daliseurat]

A bunch of us did the math on this very issue. By the time you add in rental car, gas and parking, it an actually cost more off property. Of course, you might have a nicer room.

When it comes to the cheaper restaurants, when would you be leaving the parks to eat in them? I personally never leave the parks until they close, which means I eat in the parks. So consider how many meals you actually WOULD be eating off property. Free breakfast is nice, but you can easily bring your own breakfast items and eat in your room very cheaply.

I never like staying off property, because I like the immersion of Disney. But I am hardcore and don't leave parks until they kick me out. If you are more relaxed and leave the parks early to go eat dinner and relax, you may find it more to your liking off property.

I would advise you to check out online restaurant menus and prices and see where you can get the best value.

Good luck!

 

[Skylinecar1982]

A bunch of us did the math on this very issue. By the time you add in rental car, gas and parking, it an actually cost more off property. Of course, you might have a nicer room.

Everytime I have done the math Disney is more expensive even with AAA or AP discounts.

There is always a better deal you just have to know where and when to look. Never pay retail.

 

[zweltar]

For me, staying on property is the way to go. It allows me to become totally immersed in my vacation. I don't have to worry about a thing - no driving, no parking, no traffic, no deciding where to eat (thanks to ADRs). It is pure Disney fun - 24/7.

I've never done the math to see what's cheaper, but with the few times I get to go on vacation, it's worth it to me.

 

[Mikester71]

Go for the whole Disney vacation experience and stay at Pop. We have stayed there 3 times now and LOVE the whole atmosphere you get from staying on property.

Having spent 18-21 hours driving to get there each time, NOT having to drive the whole 10 day vacation for us is a MAJOR plus too! Take advantage of the Disney transportation system and save yourself the parking fee and hassles of having to find a place to park and find the car when you get out of the park and are all tired from an exhausting day.

POP ALL THE WAY!!!!:wave:

 

[Susan Savia]

We always stay offsite and find accommodations perfect for us with the mini fridge, microwave, free internet and parking at our door and our 1 mile to the parks suits us. We are annual pass holders so parking is free. We spend from opening until dark in the parks, do not believe in 'naps' during the day as their a waste of precious park time and except for a few in park lunches, we eat most all our meals offsite. We too, are totally immersed in the magic - after all we are on vacation, we're just not spending huge amounts of money for it. We have considered staying at the Values, only to read that the 3rd person costs more per day, no fridges in the rooms, no internet service, and the room ends up not being so inexpensive when its over $100 for a night and many trip reports speak of the time spent waiting on busses. In your case, it all depends on the amount of time you have there, if you have a car to get around, if you can afford to eat all your meals in the parks and if you want to look around the area outside of the parks. Everyone has their reasons for on or offsite.

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

On site!

Like others have said, it totally immerses you in the magic of Disney and the costs tend to add up for off-site such as the rental car, gas, parking, etc.

Whatever you chose to do, enjoy your trip!