Is it worth staying at disney?

[ILuvDisney]

We Drive down to Disney about every other year and have always stayed someplace else. Last year we walked through a few of the resorts to see what they were like. The moderate priced resorts are a lit nicer than the Holiday Inn we stayed in last year but we can stay for 2 more days including food and ticket prices if we stay at the Holiday Inn again compared to the cost of the Disney hotels. I have heard from a lot of places that the rooms at the all star hotels aren't very nice but I have never been to them myself. Just wondering if anybody who has stayed there before could offer some advice. We are planning to go around spring next year for the 100 year party.

 

[Ariel]

I personally have never stayed off property, but staying right in Disney is wonderful! Everything is very easily accessed and staying on property just adds to the magic of the whole trip!! I would definitly recommend it. I have never stayed at the All Star before, but I know one of our members - Jay-Rod - is leaving today to head down there and that is where he is staying so I am sure he'll have some advice for you!!!

 

[DisneyFreak]

Originally posted by ILuvDisney
We Drive down to Disney about every other year and have always stayed someplace else. Last year we walked through a few of the resorts to see what they were like. The moderate priced resorts are a lit nicer than the Holiday Inn we stayed in last year but we can stay for 2 more days including food and ticket prices if we stay at the Holiday Inn again compared to the cost of the Disney hotels. I have heard from a lot of places that the rooms at the all star hotels aren't very nice but I have never been to them myself. Just wondering if anybody who has stayed there before could offer some advice. We are planning to go around spring next year for the 100 year party.

I've stayed at the Grovesnor once and I'll never do it again. Although it is technically on Disney property it just wasn't the same. While staying at the Holiday Inn you may get two extra days but what is it costing you in parking and gasoline NTM the time spent trying to get out of the Disney parking lots. Plus staying at a Disney resort you get into the parks early on certain days which you could count toward those two extra days.

IMO, I would rather not go to Disney than stay off property.

 

[The Mom]

Iluv disney, you just missed 2 forum members (from 2 different continents) who are staying at the All Stars Resort starting today & tomorrow. Check for future posts by Jay-Rod, he said he would try to post while there. I know there are other people who have stayed at the value resorts, so keep checking. Sometimes it takes a while to get a response.

 

[DisJosh]

If its your first time staying at a Disney hotel then you'll love any of the All star resorts, but after staying at a moderate or deluxe resort you'll never wanna go back to the all stars. The first time I went to WDW I stayed at Carribean Beach. The year after I stayed at All Star Sports, we were very disapointed. The treatment wasnt very disney like and the hotel doesnt give you the magic feeling you get at the other resorts. The cheesy theming doesnt imerse you in anything except for giant sports equipment, instruments and cartoon charactors. If you can afford one of the moderate hotels then I highly sugest either of the Port Orleans resorts or the Carribean Beach resort.

 

[The Mom]

Other benefits to on site:
E-Nights
reservations can be made from room for park & resort restaurants

Dinner/Fantasmic reserved packages

Can packages still be delivered to your room from the park gift shops? I haven't done it in a while.

Unless the company is picking up the tab, we never stay off site anymore.

 

[DisneyFreak]

Originally posted by marciahahn
Other benefits to on site:

Can packages still be delivered to your room from the park gift shops? I haven't done it in a while.

Yes they are marcia.

 

[WDW-Imagineer]

I believe that if you take the trouble of going to Disney... then you are just cheating yourself by not staying on-site. Sure its a bit more expensive, but you are guaranteed that it will be better then any 4 or 5 star resort any where else. You also get transportation to anywhere on the property, and if you stay at one of the monorail resorts... you can take a monorail to MK or Epcot!! Although I think the best part about staying on-site is the atmosphere... just the fact that you know you are at Disney World & any one of the parks are right in your backyard!

 

[mightyduck]

I would stay on-site.

When we first started staying thereover 15 years ago (!), we stayed at the Grosvenor. Back then, there were few perks not extended to those in the "village." The hotel was nice and we had fun.

Then we stayed at Caribbean Beach and were disappointed--the room was small in comparison and the walls to thin for our taste (we heard everything the people next to us said--they had their alarm set for 4:30 am at which time they commenced a pre-breakfast sing-a-long of Disney songs....). But the landscape was beautiful and my dad explaining he returned to the room covered in sand because he fell out of the hammock is priceless...

Now we own a timeshare just across from downtown disney--cab fare $4 but dad'll drive if you ask nicely--and it doesn't feel like a disney vacation. It's one of the parts of the vacation, but we're not "in Disney."

This past trip I stayed off site at a hotel, and while I spent less on cab fare than I would have in car rental fees and parking fees, I missed being in the WDW atmosphere (and using their transportation!).

Check out mousesavers.com for great info on saving cash at the Disney resorts! You may be able to afford a room at Disney for the same as you're paying off-site.

 

[EnSkywalker]

I've stayed off-site once and have vowed never to do it again unless I'm picking up free nights from some hotel. My wife never stayed on site until 96 with my family. She now highly recommends to stay on site.

Remember you can always get a transfer from the airport (either shuttle @ $25 per person or Tiffany's Towncar for $80 roundtrip) and save a lot over the rented car. Once on property, you really don't need to see your transportation again until you plan on leaving. Not to mention no parking costs or gasoline being used or tolls to be paid.

The theming alone is worth the extra cost. (Note I'm not talking about the Value resorts. That isn't theming it is an abomination on par with the birthday cake castle.) We've stayed in Dixie Landings (Now Port Orleans: Riverside) the last three times and have loved every minute of it. This year we are staying at the Wilderness Lodge just for a change of pace. One way to minimize the mouse is to join the Disney Club. It costs $40 to join but due to the 20% discount on the hotel room we have saved $250 off of the room plus roughly an additional $20 off of stuff from the catalog and the Disney Store.

 

[ILuvDisney]

Thanks for all the info, everyone. Transportation to and from anywhere isn't that big of a deal because we drive down. We live in a, believe it or not, tourist town in North Carolina called Highlands. When we go to Disney it a small family reunion of sorts. We meet up with family that lives in Atlanta and near Pensacola on our way down. It's like a small train of hillbilly gypsies heading down there. Most of us are usually there for about two weeks give or take depending on how closely we can all schedule the time off from work. In total, there are 15 of us. Some people wouldn't really miss the extra days since they won't be able to stay for it anyway but it might be tough to convince the others. You have all convinced me though! Thanks for all the help!

 

[The Mom]

Ahhh, Highlands! An oasis in the midst of dry counties! It's a lovely town, as long as I don't look down. (I'm afraid of heights)

 

[ILuvDisney]

What? You don't like seeing noting but air out the passenger side of your window when driving? It's funny because people always complain that there are no guard rails on the roads that run along the sides of the mountains but you would be amazed at how few accidents really happen and when they do, it always happens on the road. I can't think of ever hearing about anyone falling off the mountain... Though, I have to admit that I was scared to death driving it for the first time at night when I first got my license. You must be from Florida because nobody north of us seems to know we exist!

 

[The Mom]

My sadistic children will trick me into looking out the window if it's especially steep! What makes you think I was not driving?

 

[ILuvDisney]

I didn't think you weren't but coming from Franklin isn't all that bad and when you go up the mountain on the Georgia side it's only the passenger side that faces the open mountain and on the way down, you are in the lane closest to the wall of rock and or trees

 

[The Mom]

Just teasing! Once we hit the foothills, I make my husband do all the driving, unless I'm positive there are no steep areas.


And yes, it is absolutely worth it to stay on site! (just to stay on topic )

 

[DisneyGal]

On my last trip to Disney in March I stayed at the All Star Movies. I have always stayed on property at a moderately priced hotel. I was not at all impressed with the All Star resorts. I didn't like the room. Since we had requested a king bed we got a handicapped shower which meant that we had no tub. It was almost like a locker room set up, where the shampoo is in a dispenser on the wall in the shower. This also meant that the bathroom floor was always soaked. On more than one occasion we wanted to use the pool after a long day out at the parks. This was always impossible because the pools were always packed to capacity. There were some competitions going on there at this time, but the hotel CMs told me that the pools are always crowded whether there is a competion going on or not. The worst thing to happen to us was that on our last night there, we decided to go to Downtown Disney. We waited an hour and a half for a bus, and on top of that we missed our dinner reservations. The Manager of the hotel didn't even seem to care that she had about 60 people in line for Downtown Disney and that everyone was really upset. The bus system for the All Star resorts is horrible because no matter where you are going, all three resorts share the same buses. The Movies resort is always the last one to be picked up. Figures huh? I don't want to totally bash these resorts since it was only my first time staying there, but it taught me that I will always stay where I have before. Sure these resorts are great if you want a cheap stay, but there are downsides that come with the price you pay. I also booked a trip to go in October and I am staying at Coronado Springs and found that this trip is only $100.00 more a person than the one we just took in March. Hope this has been somewhat helpful.

 

[DisJosh]

Thats the great thing about Port Orleans and Dixie Landings, no long waits or even longer bus rides to downtown disney. You can just take the sasagoula(spelling?) boats, and its a very relaxing quiet ride.....no bus fumes or crying babies!

 

[Tink]

I'm glad you have such a high opinion of Dixie Landings (PORS - as it is now called). We're staying there in August for the first time and I can't wait.

 

[DanStat]

AWESOME!

Originally posted by ILuvDisney
We live in a, believe it or not, tourist town in North Carolina called Highlands.

I'm from Charlotte, and I've never heard of it! I'm sure I've been through it, just haven't noticed...anyway, in April we went down and stayed at Dixie Landings, or Port Orleans: Riverside (they change the name so much, I don't even know what it is now!), and IT WAS AWESOME! It was our 1st time staying on Disney Property, and it was great! And the hotel was HUGE!

Here's the DL logo...