Onsite versus Offsite?

[real mad hatter]

What would you say is the best reason for staying onsite for a WDW vacation.I know there's plenty of perks,but I've read on these threads that some people say that it's way too expensive and would rather stay offsite.So what is the biggest perk in your opinion for splashing out the extra bucks and staying in WDW. The number one reason for staying at a Disney resort ?:wave:

 

[real mad hatter]

Grumpy Rules.

awww man... why the hate for grumpy? :lol:

grumpy dwarf rocks!!! it's just not a disney vacation unless i get a grumpy dwarf t-shirt!....

don't worry about the naysayers... keep posting... i don't have a problem with your posts...

and to answer your original question....

i prefer to stay onsite... just the immersion into disney... if i have to really budget to make a trip happen then i'll stay offsite...

Thats it,Iam getting a Grumpy t-shirt this year.cheers for your support.:wave:

 

[patricia27]

For us--staying on site is being part of the MAGIC!! Also you don`t have to use your car if you don`t want to. Our group this year will all be adults, so we can all come and go as we please without having to all get in the car to go to a specific place. When you are in the middle of everything you feel so much more involved, there are the early mornings and late nights, which all add to the excitement.

 

[real mad hatter]

Wow!

I'm glad you posted a new thread because I am new and I would have never gone that far back into threads to read it. So kudo's to you.

I have done both on site and off site and I really don't think it is cheaper off site or any more convenient and this is why:


*You get free transportation to and from airport. Your cost could be $50-$100
*They handle your bags and deliver them to your room. I would pay $50-$100 to not have to worry about this. It is so convenient.
*Free transportation to all the resorts, DTD, and all the parks. And no matter where you are you can be where you want to be within 15-20 minutes. for FREE and it can actually be fun and is part of the magic. Where else can you ride a monorail, ferry boat, train, or bus all in one day?
*The rooms are very nice. Disney keeps them clean, updated, the room staff does a great job cleaning and adding special touches for you and your family. And you can spend around $100 for a value resort per night. Getting a good deal offsite will cost about $79. Is it really worth saving $21 to have all the hassle you get with being offsite.
*Each hotel has a unique theme so it never gets boring. There is always Disney magic around every corner. The resorts offsite don't have that magic and you aren't getting the FULL Disney experience when you leave the magical world to go back to a dull boring hotel/condo.
*Then getting to the park isn't easy. I once took a taxi to get to breakfast at Chef Mickey’s when staying offsite. The taxi ride if I remember correctly was about $40 plus tip. Then I had to pay for the taxi guy to get into the resort which I think was another $20. No one told me that you have to pay to get into the resort. So this was an added expense I hadn't planned for. All in all it took a lot of money just to get to breakfast.
*Yes most offsite resorts have a shuttle bus. Usually it just brings you to the Ticket & Transportation Center where ALL the offsite buses bring their guests. So you’re dealing with extra people and hassle that you wouldn’t need to if on site. Plus most offsite resorts charge an extra fee for this shuttle. Disney doesn't let them in for free and I’m sure charges them a pretty penny to have access. You are paying for it even if it's not a separate fee you are paying up front. It is in the room charge, or resort fee. Trust me it is built into the cost somehow.
*Offsite shuttles are very limited. Usually one or two in the morning and one or two in the evening. So you have to plan YOUR vacation on THEIR time. To me that isn't a vacation. When onsite you get come and go as you please. Usually buses, monorails, ferry’s, trains are running every 10-15 minutes. All day every day. From a few hours before the park opens to a few hours after they close. It isn't hard to get around on the massive Disney property.

So all of this is why I choose to stay on Disney property. If you are smart it actually saves you money in the long run. Bring some food with you in your suite case for breakfasts, Cereal, Snack bars, and refillable Brita water bottles. Small bowls and utensils. Buy pints of milk and you can store them in your fridge in your room. That’s right you get a FREE fridge in your room. Even with the value resorts now. Something you usually pay extra for or is stocked with useless stuff they charge you for at offsite resorts.

It is convenient, I do think it comes out to be the same cost as staying offsite, it is part of the magic and it keeps you immersed in the magic from the time you get there until the time you leave.

Don't sell yourself short... Stay onsite. You will be glad you did.

Many thanks for your brilliant answers,they are awesome,and also your nice comment.:wave:

 

[Sharkreef11]

real mad hatter - you keep posting and I will keep responding. You shouldn't have to be afraid every time you start a thread that you will get your head ripped off by people with an attitudes who seem to fail at the ever so simple "ignore this thread" and "move on with their lives" mentality because it is hurting nobody!

For me it makes a huge difference staying on site. As I have said, and other as well, staying on site just puts you in a Disney "Bubble." I feel like we are completely separate from the outside world and I would hate the thought of staying off site. I know that it works for some but we just love it. I have heard a lot of people mentioning expense for staying on property, but I feel that Disney has done well with tailoring to all budgets. Plus not having to worry about transportation is huge.

 

[real mad hatter]

That Bubble!

real mad hatter - you keep posting and I will keep responding. You shouldn't have to be afraid every time you start a thread that you will get your head ripped off by people with an attitudes who seem to fail at the ever so simple "ignore this thread" and "move on with their lives" mentality because it is hurting nobody!

For me it makes a huge difference staying on site. As I have said, and other as well, staying on site just puts you in a Disney "Bubble." I feel like we are completely separate from the outside world and I would hate the thought of staying off site. I know that it works for some but we just love it. I have heard a lot of people mentioning expense for staying on property, but I feel that Disney has done well with tailoring to all budgets. Plus not having to worry about transportation is huge.

Amazing so many responses have this magic bubble theme,like it's another world from the real one we all know.Inside this bubble we are in a safe place where magic is around every corner.Yes agree that it's more expensive but Disney has done a great job of three resort categories that can suit everyones pocket.Oh and thank you for your very nice comment.:wave:

 

[pixargal]

We vacation differently at WDW than we did 10+ years ago. Back then the parks were the highlight of our trips. Now we look forward to the resorts and the amenities they have to offer. We love hanging out by the pool, riding around in the surrey bikes, and sampling different foods, for example, Dole Whips and the Kitchen sink. We love scavenger hunts at various resorts, looking for hidden Mickeys, or finding the pressed penny machines. The resorts are a destination by themselves.

 

[dave&di]

I like staying on site as I feel I'm in a bubble, I'm not in the real world!

 

[Sharkreef11]

Amazing so many responses have this magic bubble theme,like it's another world from the real one we all know.Inside this bubble we are in a safe place where magic is around every corner.Yes agree that it's more expensive but Disney has done a great job of three resort categories that can suit everyones pocket.Oh and thank you for your very nice comment.:wave:

Anytime! :wave: I enjoy your post and when I log in in the mornings I look to see what you have posted. The main reason I joined this forum was to find people like me who share a passion for WDW. I could careless about similar threads. Heck I will post to ones that are similar just because I love talking about my love for the World. I makes me happy sharing my experiences and furthermore, not everyone catches all the threads so you get different responses. Keep 'em comin!

 

[HM Spectre]

It's incredibly convenient, it adds to the magic, it's immersive, and with discounts/free dining plan/free services you'd otherwise pay for, it's not THAT much more expensive.

Think of how much you're paying for the trip between plane tickets/gas money, park tickets, food, merch, extras, etc. Now think of how much you'll save by staying off-site. Unless you plan on using an off-site location to do the entire vacation on the cheap (eating outside the park), it's probably a drop in the bucket compared to the total cost of the trip... yet it's one of the best things you can do to improve the convenience and quality of the vacation.

No brainer IMO, no matter what your price point is... I've stayed off-site before but never again.

 

[LuLaSue]

Anytime! :wave: I enjoy your post and when I log in in the mornings I look to see what you have posted. The main reason I joined this forum was to find people like me who share a passion for WDW. I could careless about similar threads. Heck I will post to ones that are similar just because I love talking about my love for the World. I makes me happy sharing my experiences and furthermore, not everyone catches all the threads so you get different responses. Keep 'em comin!

Ditto :wave:

 

[Emma2603]

Personally, I enjoy your threads and always look forward to reading the responses from other members.

My answer is going to be a bit different from the others as we always choose to stay offsite. We stayed onsite once back in 2000 and really enjoyed it, however we find staying offsite suits us better.

We are from Scotland, so usually spend 2 weeks in Florida and want to make the most of the time we have there. We normally spend a week visiting the parks and a week relaxing and doing other things, therefore it is more convenient to rent a villa or apartment. For us, it is nice to have the extra space you get with a villa. It's also nice to have a private pool and space to chill out after a busy day in the parks. We also like to have a car as we do travel about a lot on non Disney days. My partner also has some mobility problems so having access to a car is convenient for us.

It's really interesting to read the other comments about the advantages of staying onsite, so it might be something for us to consider for a future trip.

 

[real mad hatter]

Totally Agree.

Anytime! :wave: I enjoy your post and when I log in in the mornings I look to see what you have posted. The main reason I joined this forum was to find people like me who share a passion for WDW. I could careless about similar threads. Heck I will post to ones that are similar just because I love talking about my love for the World. I makes me happy sharing my experiences and furthermore, not everyone catches all the threads so you get different responses. Keep 'em comin!

Me too.I love this site,there's so much to learn about WDW and I pass it on to friends and they ask me to blog there questions as there shy?:shrugon't know why,anyway I feel like it's one big Disney family.I have this passion for Disney that even my DW thinks I've gone overboard.Maybe I have,but it's my escape from the real world and into the world of Disney.Long may it continue.:wave:

 

[Grumps]

One of these days we are going to try on site, to see what we are missing.

I enjoy offsite. We can stay at a great condo (3 bedrooms, full kitchen, wash/dryer, patio), park tix, plane tix, and car for a lot less than a comparable Disney hotel. At the end of the day, the kid can crash in her own room, while wife and I relax and get some time to unwind. You definitely get a lot of bang for your buck. Disney rooms look so Motel 6ish.

Downsides: parking, missing magic hours, this bubble-thing everyone talks about. We also feel like we are in our own little world offsite though.

I almost had wife talked into staying at the French Quarters for our Oct visit. Had to settle for agreeing to offsite this time to get onsite next time.

 

[flynnibus]

Disney rooms look so Motel 6ish.

Values - yes

Others, not really. Plus Disney is getting more and more into the themed rooms. Most Disney resort 'theming' traditional is outside the room. Like staying in the Poly really is transformational...

 

[Annielkd]

Simple to who? Not everyone spends as much time on the internet as others and know all the different lingo. Seriously, who cares? You remind me of Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory.

Thank you for the laugh!!!!!!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Until 2010, all of my trips had involved offsite stays. In the early days...it was my parents way of economizing and making it more than just a trip to WDW (i.e. we'd go to other parks, drive to do the NASA tour, spend several days in places like Sanibel, etc.). Then came the Florida years...many of my friends were anti Disney...so it was even a challenge just to get them there. The few I did know who were WDW fans were ultra frugal and liked to practice questionable methods to cheat the system. Finally, DH and I went early on when we were dating and while we stayed at an offsite place that I'd been to before and liked- we had a nightmare experience with their free shuttle.

We waited for around 2.5 hours for that shuttle. During that time, I saw TONS of Disney buses going back and forth between the various onsite hotels. We couldn't tell how on or off schedule they were, but we started keeping track of how many we saw for each hotel and realized they were far more efficient than the shuttle our hotel was offering. We also saw how nice the drivers were and how happy most of the people were...i.e. that 24/7 magic bubble you're in when you stay onsite. So, we vowed if we ever returned as a couple- we'd stay onsite.

It wasn't until we had kids that we decided to return, and while we didn't love where we stayed and we had some transportation woes...we realized that staying onsite was worth the extra cost for all of the convenience and elevated customer service. I think I may have even convinced my parents that onsite is the way to go! Hey, they're at least FL residents still so it can be a lot cheaper for them.

 

[Sharkreef11]

Until 2010, all of my trips had involved offsite stays. In the early days...it was my parents way of economizing and making it more than just a trip to WDW (i.e. we'd go to other parks, drive to do the NASA tour, spend several days in places like Sanibel, etc.). Then came the Florida years...many of my friends were anti Disney...so it was even a challenge just to get them there. The few I did know who were WDW fans were ultra frugal and liked to practice questionable methods to cheat the system. Finally, DH and I went early on when we were dating and while we stayed at an offsite place that I'd been to before and liked- we had a nightmare experience with their free shuttle.

We waited for around 2.5 hours for that shuttle. During that time, I saw TONS of Disney buses going back and forth between the various onsite hotels. We couldn't tell how on or off schedule they were, but we started keeping track of how many we saw for each hotel and realized they were far more efficient than the shuttle our hotel was offering. We also saw how nice the drivers were and how happy most of the people were...i.e. that 24/7 magic bubble you're in when you stay onsite. So, we vowed if we ever returned as a couple- we'd stay onsite.

It wasn't until we had kids that we decided to return, and while we didn't love where we stayed and we had some transportation woes...we realized that staying onsite was worth the extra cost for all of the convenience and elevated customer service. I think I may have even convinced my parents that onsite is the way to go! Hey, they're at least FL residents still so it can be a lot cheaper for them.

Great response. That is really interesting to read someones transition to onsite and that you are now part of our bubble!:wave:

 

[jlevis]

Okay, we stay off-site. We have only stayed on-site, if the Hilton at DTD counts, once. My wife was at a meeting there and we flew down a few days early and did Disney. I flew home when her meeting started. Anyway, it was a good trip and we commented how convinient the Disney buses were. The hotel was nice and so was the character breakfast. Now we drive down. We enjoy the drive and the changes in scenery during the different seasons and routes. Even with $4 gas and a night at a motel it is cheaper that two plane ticket and a rental car for a week or two. We have timeshares at Marriott's Grand Vista that gives us the option of one or two bedrooms, three if we use points. We have a full kitchen and laundry facilities in the villa. Our annual passes give us free parking. We are older, I'm going to be 70 very soon and EMH is something that does not appeal to us. We get up when we want, have breakfast when we want and go to the parks when we want. A Disney vacation is, for us, really a vacation. We will usually eat one meal in the park then, back at the villa, do something on the grill. Or, maybe, since we bring down a slow cooker, do something in that before we leave for the parks in the morning. We have our choice of pools and many other resort activities as we wish. For us, the Disney bubble is as large as you make it. We go down once and sometimes twice a year. And, we've been doing it for a long time. So, there is no need to be immersed for the duration of the trip. If we don't get to do something we'll do it next time. Now, let me say, the way we travel is the way we travel and it isn't for everone. We usually do take other trips during the year. That is one of the reasons we did the timeshares. They work for us, but they're not for everyone just as driving isn't for everyone. I see the attraction of on-site, but for us it would have to be deluxe. If we did that then we would only be able to do once a year and then we would have to forego the additional trips.

 

[Susan Savia]

Okay, we stay off-site. We have only stayed on-site, if the Hilton at DTD counts, once. My wife was at a meeting there and we flew down a few days early and did Disney. I flew home when her meeting started. Anyway, it was a good trip and we commented how convinient the Disney buses were. The hotel was nice and so was the character breakfast. Now we drive down. We enjoy the drive and the changes in scenery during the different seasons and routes. Even with $4 gas and a night at a motel it is cheaper that two plane ticket and a rental car for a week or two. We have timeshares at Marriott's Grand Vista that gives us the option of one or two bedrooms, three if we use points. We have a full kitchen and laundry facilities in the villa. Our annual passes give us free parking. We are older, I'm going to be 70 very soon and EMH is something that does not appeal to us. We get up when we want, have breakfast when we want and go to the parks when we want. A Disney vacation is, for us, really a vacation. We will usually eat one meal in the park then, back at the villa, do something on the grill. Or, maybe, since we bring down a slow cooker, do something in that before we leave for the parks in the morning. We have our choice of pools and many other resort activities as we wish. For us, the Disney bubble is as large as you make it. We go down once and sometimes twice a year. And, we've been doing it for a long time. So, there is no need to be immersed for the duration of the trip. If we don't get to do something we'll do it next time. Now, let me say, the way we travel is the way we travel and it isn't for everone. We usually do take other trips during the year. That is one of the reasons we did the timeshares. They work for us, but they're not for everyone just as driving isn't for everyone. I see the attraction of on-site, but for us it would have to be deluxe. If we did that then we would only be able to do once a year and then we would have to forego the additional trips.

Yes, yes, yes...We drive down, taking our time, stopping in Daytona and along the way. We spend two weeks at our offsite lodging. We have annual passes so we don't pay parking and we arrive daily at our park of choice at opening and leave usually by dark. We're not pool people so thats no big deal. When we're back to our room it's to rest. We mainly eat offsite but sometimes a CS meal will do. We do several other trips thru the year. I love reading the trip reports from folks who stay onsite and their experiences, but our preference is staying offsite. It's worked for us for some 25+ years!!

 

[Annielkd]

Yes, yes, yes...We drive down, taking our time, stopping in Daytona and along the way. We spend two weeks at our offsite lodging. We have annual passes so we don't pay parking and we arrive daily at our park of choice at opening and leave usually by dark. We're not pool people so thats no big deal. When we're back to our room it's to rest. We mainly eat offsite but sometimes a CS meal will do. We do several other trips thru the year. I love reading the trip reports from folks who stay onsite and their experiences, but our preference is staying offsite. It's worked for us for some 25+ years!!

WAIT... did you say if you have the anual pass you don't pay parking? I never knew that.