I need to convince someone...

[Skipper Dan]

Hey everybody,

I need some help. For those of you who don’t know me, my family and I have been visiting Disney World since day one. Disney is my home.

Though my latest enjoyment has been accompanying people who have never been before. My last vacation, I went with a family friend, and we had a blast! The best Disney vacation ever. Now, she’s been bit by the mouse, and is counting the milliseconds until we return. :king:

We have two friends - a grandmother, and granddaughter - who live not far from us, and we want to take them sometime around February. Well Virginia - the grandmother - is “one of those people” who thinks that staying within the resort, is unnecessary, and would rather stay in a Motel 6 down the road. Talking about a pain. :brick:

Anyway, as passionate of a persuasive promoter I am of the Walt Disney World resort, there is nothing I can say that can persuade her from her descion. My point, I am a writer, but the words won’t come. Does anyone know of a convincing article, that will explain to Ms. V the importance of staying inside a Disney resort? :veryconfu

Thank you guys so much! I know you’ll be a great help!

PS. I apologize, but I need only positive responses. If you yourself do not believe it is necessary, please do not intervene. :fork:

 

[Chape19714]

Well....

Quite an issue, I'd tell her that Disney is a 27/7 show, and in order to fully be surrounded by the show, you have to stay in a Disney Resort. It's simply the only way to get the full effect. Transportation, Magical Express, and unsurpassed guest service seem to work best.

 

[OneLuckyMom]

I presume her desire to stay at Motel 6 is financially driven. I would run the numbers, and show her how staying at a Value resort compares to a Motel 6. Will you need a rental car and then have to pay for parking? Include those costs. What about transfers to/from the hotel? Include what you'll have to pay for those vs. DME being free. You get the picture. You may come up with a pretty convincing set of numbers.

Or not.

 

[slappy magoo]

You have some good responses already. Depending on how old the grandmother is, and what hardships she may have endured (granted I have no clue) she might really be hyper-sensitive to the idea of extravagance or self-indulgence.

You may have to bite the bullet on this one, in a way. Work out the numbers for staying in a basic motel (plus transportation costs), and then work out the cost of staying at WDW, PER PERSON. Determine the diff between the 2 numbers. THEN make a bet w/ Grandma: You love staying @ WDW so much, the three young uns are willing to pay the difference for her. BUT, if she recognizes it to be "worth it" while there, she'll then pony up the differenc. You won't ask for it, you'll never bring it up again. You're just that confident, but if you're wrong, at least she's paid no more than she would have for a bare bones motel.

 

[NOLADisneyFan]

I say you leave her...tell her if she isn't going to do it right...she should not go!:fork:


Just kidding...I think the posts so far have really said a lot...I would maybe push the dining plan idea too (I don't recall if that has been mentioned). The CONVENIENCE alone...she is a grandmother, presumably older (no offense to older folks. I'm young and still need a break during the day where I head back to the resort) and can use the convenience of the transportation system to go to her on site accomodations.

Disney is more than a park...it is an experience...I guess If I had to, I would stay offsite (I only get to go once every 1 and a half or so years) but it just isn't the same without the disney hotels.

Anyhow, good luck on convincing her... I think that you should invite her to view this site or other similar fan oriented sites...one particularly comes to mind that has great reviews of restarurants, hotels, etc....it doesn't have the interaction that this site has (so we're better! ), but I'd rather not post the name in violation of forum rules.

Best of luck!

 

[spgale]

Why to stay on property

I read this 7 years ago:wave:
Walt Disney World - stay on Disney property!!
Jan 14 '00 (Updated May 04 '00)



I consider myself an expert on Walt Disney World. After all, I have visited 16 times, during every season of the year, stayed in 3 of the resort hotels, been on every single ride and attraction to date, and I'm only 19! There is so much to do at "the happiest place on earth," that I am only going to concentrate on one aspect of your vacation: choosing a resort to stay at.

For anyone who is planning on taking a vacation to Disney World, I'm sure you already know how expensive it can be. Hotel costs are incredible in Orlando, Fl. I know you have all seen commericals on TV for Kissimmee and other such vacation spots, promising to let you see Disney cheap. But, I promise you, in the end it is not worth it. I truly recommend that you stay on Disney property!!!

Although many of the Disney resorts are extremely expensive, there are many moderately priced hotels on property. Disney's All-Star Sports, All-Star Music, and All-Star Movies as well as Disney's Caribbean Beach all offer many more activities and features than you would find at any of the nearby hotels. Staying at a Disney resort not only will offer a much better experience for both you and your children, but the stay is definitely worth the money. Additionally, there are many advantages to being so close to the action:

A) Bus Transportation: If you stay on Disney property, there is no need for a rental car. Disney provides *free*, reliable transportation to and from all of the attractions, including each of the four theme parks, the three water parks, and the Downtown Disney shopping area and night attractions. There's no need to drive to the park, park many miles away from the entrance, wait on a long line and then hop on a 10 minute tram ride before you can even get close to the action. The Disney buses drop you off only feet from the actual park entrance. Additionally, the buses are rarely crowded (usually only immediately before and after park closing) and run approximately every 15-30 minutes and more often during peak hours.

B) Nap Time: Ooh, this is one of my favorites, because I know how trying it can be traveling with small children. When you stay on Disney property, it is so easy to head home after lunch for a quick nap. You don't have to worry about finding your car, making it out of the parking lot, driving to a far-away hotel, or eventually making it all the way back later. All you have to do is hop on the bus, return to the resort for a few hours, rest, relax, and then head back to the parks later that night the same easy way.

C) Additional Luxuries: The Disney resorts offer many, many additional features. While all of the resorts have swimming pools, many actually have theme pools with water slides, sandy bottoms, or current pools (depending on the resort). All of the resorts offer babysitting, so that Mommy and Daddy can go out and have some fun of their own. Another special feature of the Disney resorts is that you can buy all of your tickets and passes and make dinner reservations right in the hotel lobby, avoiding long lines.

So, with so many advantages to staying on Disney property, I can't see why anyone would opt not to. Walt Disney World is all about magic, and by staying in a Disney Resort, you guarantee a most magical vacation, the memories of which will last a lifetime.

 

[Skipper Dan]

Thank you so much!

For those who mentioned her age, she's not an elderly grandmother, she can actually out walk me, and would probably ride TOT more than me! :ROFLOL:

Thanks again, if there's anyone with anything else, BRING IT ON! I can use LOADS of refrences, as proof that a larger percentage agree that staying at a resort matters!

 

[Skipper Dan]

By the way... special thanks to "spgale." AWESOME!!!! :wave:

 

[Skipper Dan]

Oh, and there is the slight possibility that she will not go, I just want to destroy the negativite opinions she has towards Disney. :fork: lol

 

[jim1051]

You have already gotten great advice. Stand your ground and insist.
The only people I have ever spoken to who did not like WDW were people whosaved a lot of money and stayed "offsite".

Lucky for me, I booked our first trip in 1983 and I picked a deluxe resort. I have had no trouble convincing family members since then that Disney resorts are the way to go.

 

[Dagger]

Lots of great advice! The number one reason is the experience also. If she has never been and may never go back... she should really DO IT right!

 

[shoppingnut]

The on-property hotels are much safer than other's off property since each resort has a guard gate, unlike the off-property ones where anyone can drive into the parking lot. For instance, last month at the Caribe Royal two police officers were shot in their parking lot by people trying to steal a car http://www.wesh.com/news/13411888/detail.html. Mind you that the Caribe hotel isn't a motel 6, it's somewhere between and moderate and deluxe level hotel.

 

[EMThompsen]

Motel 6????
Good grief! what's the point of going to another "world" ( as in Disney World) if you have to go back & forth to the real ( dull boring same old same old ) world everynight?

No offence to Motel 6 but would you rather stay somewhere where they'll " leave the light on" or somewhere where "dreams come true"

 

[slappy magoo]

This may have been suggested but have you thought about showing her the vacation planning DVD?

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

If you have to convince them I wouldnt be endangering my own vacation enjoyment by taking them in the first place.

 

[nankeldisney821]

I don't think anyone has mentioned this yet but one of the greatest perks I think you get is being able to send anything you buy at a park or DTD back to your hotel. You never have to carry bags around the parks or bring them to your locker or anything like that. That should be enough to make anyone want to stay on property!! :wave:

Plus all the other "magic" you get can not be duplicated anywhere else!!

 

[SUMMERPRINCESS]

not meaning to sound ageist but you said grand mother right! well point out the facts that in the sweltering heat when she cant wait to get back to the air conditioned hotel shell get back to a disney hotel far quicker than any other where she will be waited on hand and foot with all the helpful staff not forgettin the on call doctor you never no when she might need one god that sounded bad! i didnt mean it how it sounded after all i myself needed a paramedic and they had one to my room in 5 mins flashing lights an all.i guess the reason why shes reluctant to stay on disney property is the cost but through checkin prices myself this month i totally disagree that out of resort hotels are any cheaper.i prices up disney first as weve always stayed in disney and just out of interest i then priced up one of the normal hotels and there was only £300 difference and that didnt even include a car so when ive added transportation costs on the price would have been higher than disney.therefore i win were stayin at disney yet again and the mili second thought that my hubby had about an out of disney hotel being cheaper went out the window (mind you i was prepared to lie to him if it had come out cheaper)

 

[MaXXimus]

I stayed outside the World some time back and can honestly say that there is no comparison and that on all future trips I would not even consider going if I wasnt on WDW property. The whole experience in my opinion is lost staying outside, you dont get the awesome theme's that WDW properties can offer and all the other amazing things that you can miss by staying anywhere else.

For example, 9 yrs ago we stayed at the WL and a few nights we were back in our rooms around 10:30 or so because of some little ones and I cant explain in words how much of an experience it was to be able to watch the MK fireworks from our balconies. Its experiences like that, that stay with you forever and it is purely that experience that has driven me to stay at WL again this trip. Also, nothing beats leaving the park at midnight and taking a relaxing boat ride back to your resort.

Now of course either of these experiences I had are not possible all the time nor at all the resorts, all depending on where you stay, where your room is situated and numerous other details but I am sure that all resorts must have at least one thing special to it that could leave a lasting impression on you.

I would wait a little while a let this thread get as large as possible and then print it all out and read it to her... and I say read it to her because you as a WDW lover can put more heart into what is being said versus her reading it and it just being simple words.

 

[themarchhare]

Just another reason to stay on Disney property are the AMAZING extra magic hours. I always get the biggest chills when I walk down main street during extra magic hours and see everyone walk towards the exit while I am just starting my evening.

 

[Craig & Lisa]

Well, the one I can tell you is to make the arrangements for on property and don't tell her, after she see's where they'll be staying I don't think she'll leave to go to another resort for the remainder of the stay. If she did I would let her know that she was being extremly rude.