ON or OFF Site

[phenom1307]

which one is preferred? i personally like staying on-site cause you don't have to worry about driving to the park and paying for the ticket and when youre done walking for the past 12 hours and its time to go back to the hotel the last thing id want to do is drive. on-site you get the perks of going into the parks earlier or later depending on the day and park, transportation to and from the parks...plus it just feels more exciting and fun to me to stay on-site

 

[doop]

I've only stayed onsite once, and it was awesome. It really felt like I was in a "Disney World" for the entire length of my stay. There is something about not leaving the property the entire time that is just amazing. I can't wait to stay onsite again, whenever that may be.

 

[LudwigVonDrake]

You gotta stay in the middle of the Magic!

 

[DisneyGigi]

I stayed offsite my first 3 trips at some pretty nice places, this time we stayed onsite and I will never ever ever stay offsite again!~

 

[MicheleK]

Don't get me wrong, staying on site is terrific and we love it. However, for the past few years, we've been getting a three bedroom pool home right off of 192. We love the convenience of the kids having their own rooms, a kitchen, our own pool, etc and still paying what a value resort costs. The drawbacks, of course, is not being in the center of the magic for our entire stay :shrug: I've timed our drive, and we actually arrive back at our "home" in ten minutes from the time we get in the car. I've stayed at several on site resorts, from the Allstars to Carribean Beach and in no way are we able to return that quick, especially waiting for the buses. The only way to do it in a timely fashion is by taking our car in and out, which we have done. Anyway, I'm babbling........sorry . Maybe when the kids are grown and gone, hubby and I will treat ourselves to WL, POLY, Contemporary or the like.

Just my two cents. :wave:

 

[Tiggerfanatic]

If I was given a choice of going to WDW every year, but staying off-site, or going every 3 years, and staying on site, I'd wait the 3 years.

 

[3fordisney]

For us, it is on-site. I wouldn't feel like I was having a complete Disney experience if I stayed off site. We stay at the values and love going through the lobby of Pop Century and the food court during "The Hustle". The employees really get into it and it adds a little bit of magic to the vacation. I like not having to get in the car, unless we choose to, after arriving and using Disney transportation. We've never considered staying off site. Actually, we never leave Disney Property while on a Disney Vacation.

On-site all the way!!!

 

[LeeSeeBabe]

No question about it. ON.

 

[phenom1307]

i would've thought there would have been a few more people that said off-site because of the price differences, but i guess the "magic" is too strong to stay off-site lol

 

[NewfieFan]

For us, it is on-site. I wouldn't feel like I was having a complete Disney experience if I stayed off site. We stay at the values and love going through the lobby of Pop Century and the food court during "The Hustle". The employees really get into it and it adds a little bit of magic to the vacation. I like not having to get in the car, unless we choose to, after arriving and using Disney transportation. We've never considered staying off site. Actually, we never leave Disney Property while on a Disney Vacation.

On-site all the way!!!

We do the same thing! We don't see the outside world while on a Disney vacation and that's the way we like it!!! If you're going to do Disney then gotta do it all the way!

 

[RayLaVeau]

On.
Definate must to feel like you are in the magic.
Plus I get lost real easy in strange places so driving is better off left to someone else

 

[MotoDisney]

Don't get me wrong, staying on site is terrific and we love it. However, for the past few years, we've been getting a three bedroom pool home right off of 192. We love the convenience of the kids having their own rooms, a kitchen, our own pool, etc and still paying what a value resort costs. The drawbacks, of course, is not being in the center of the magic for our entire stay :shrug: I've timed our drive, and we actually arrive back at our "home" in ten minutes from the time we get in the car. I've stayed at several on site resorts, from the Allstars to Carribean Beach and in no way are we able to return that quick, especially waiting for the buses. The only way to do it in a timely fashion is by taking our car in and out, which we have done. Anyway, I'm babbling........sorry . Maybe when the kids are grown and gone, hubby and I will treat ourselves to WL, POLY, Contemporary or the like.

Just my two cents. :wave:

That's us as well! We would love to stay on site and have but we are Marriot timeshare owners so we stay at a 3 bedroom when we go so to give up all the space doens't make sense for us. Mabye a DVC is in our future?

 

[Philo]

Not stayed onsite at WDW yet (will be in April though!) but I've stayed offsite there and onsite at DLP.

I'm not sure what effect the size of WDW will have on this (i.e. needing to get a bus everywhere) but at DLP it was awesome. I got out of the hotel and had either a 30 second walk or a 5 min walk (depending on the hotel) right to the gates. The best thing was that you never left the magic. A big part of it for me was knowing that I could easily get to the parks of the village without lots of effort. I guess its not quite the same at WDW but its better than off-site. There is nothing sadder than having to leave the world each night on a run down bus for almost an hour!

Still, off-site is cheaper and its great for getting to the other parks.

 

[Master Yoda]

Not stayed onsite at WDW yet (will be in April though!) but I've stayed offsite there and onsite at DLP.

I'm not sure what effect the size of WDW will have on this (i.e. needing to get a bus everywhere) but at DLP it was awesome. I got out of the hotel and had either a 30 second walk or a 5 min walk (depending on the hotel) right to the gates. The best thing was that you never left the magic. A big part of it for me was knowing that I could easily get to the parks of the village without lots of effort. I guess its not quite the same at WDW but its better than off-site. There is nothing sadder than having to leave the world each night on a run down bus for almost an hour!

Still, off-site is cheaper and its great for getting to the other parks.

It has a huge effect. The only drawback to WDW's mammoth size is it takes a while to get around from place to place. At WDW that 5 minute walk will get you to the front of your resort and that is about it. If you are using Disney transportation count on anywhere from 1/2 to one hour to get where you are going. If you drive yourself you can shave that down to 15-30 minutes.

 

[JimboJones123]

We stay on-site largely for the safety of it. We love the values because who wants to go there that isn't registered? At the moderates and deluxe people can go to "check it out" or eat, but the only people EVER at the values are the guests staying there. The lots are large and bright and we have no problem walking around at night and letting the kids go at their own pace and even get out of mamma and pappa bears' sights. That and as petty as it sounds, paying for parking is too much trouble. Over 10 days it's another $100.

 

[TTFN-Tiggger]

No doubt in my mind. Stay ON property. I like not having to think about driving, parking and then after 12 hours in the park remember when they rental car is. Too many that look the same. Plus, I like to take advantage of getting in early into the parks on the days it is offered. I did this on spring and we had our own boat on PotC.

 

[lumpydj]

On-site! No doubt for me!:sohappy: It's the closest I'll get to living there. I've stayed off site many times in the early years, but I hate "leaving" Disney even though I'm just going down the street. I also like the convienence of being able to ship my packages to my room, and to run back to the room for a dip in the pool. It always seemed like so much of a hassle to do that if we were offsite and had to come back in and park and take the tram...:brick:

 

[phenom1307]

It has a huge effect. The only drawback to WDW's mammoth size is it takes a while to get around from place to place. At WDW that 5 minute walk will get you to the front of your resort and that is about it. If you are using Disney transportation count on anywhere from 1/2 to one hour to get where you are going. If you drive yourself you can shave that down to 15-30 minutes.

does that time include waiting for the buses, boat, monorail, etc? because if not it really doesnt take that long to get from one park to another...it has never taken that long for me except maybe at park closing. i assume you are accounting for waiting on buses, etc..am i right?

 

[Master Yoda]

does that time include waiting for the buses, boat, monorail, etc? because if not it really doesnt take that long to get from one park to another...it has never taken that long for me except maybe at park closing. i assume you are accounting for waiting on buses, etc..am i right?

Yes it does. The actual drive time seems to always fall around 10-20 minute mark but the big X factor is waiting for the bus to pick you up.

 

[bgraham34]

I stay at the resorts. Here is why.
1. I believe the Magic is enhanced when staying at the resorts.
2. Free Transportation to and from every park to your resort.
3. I don't have to drive a car for the duration of my trip. Thats a vacation enough for me.
4. I don't feel like I am in Florida when I stay at the WL, its not just a hotel.
5. The proximity to the MK from WL lets me enjoy myself more.
6. More time to spend in the parks and EMH.