Stay on site or off?

[FantasiaBish]

I'm going to WDW in October and am dead set on staying at ASMu. We have friends who are planning on going also and they're trying to convince me to go the cheaper way and stay at a "maingate" hotel. I have tried to convince them that staying on site is worth the extra money but they won't hear it. Any suggestions?

 

[Claire L]

FantasiaBish,
Just seen you comment and yes The Grosvenor does have same perks as Wyndham, as do The Hilton, Courtyard by Marriott etc as they are all Disney Village Plaza hotels. Went to The Grosvenor last year in June for my honeymoon and we had a lovely room with great view, could even see Seaworld's roller coaster Kraken!! Claire L

 

[Tenn Disney Dad]

Originally posted by Maria
In case the majority goes for the other option, let me suggest you to stay around SR.535, or Hotel Plaza Blvd. which in my opinion are the closest ones to Downtown Disney and the parks.

I tend to agree with Maria. We've stayed on-site and off-site. Quality can be had in both environments. While I love the "magic," pixie dust can evaporate rather quickly at $495 per night x 14 days. "Hotel Row" near Downtown Disney offers good places to stay with most of the transportation conveniences available.

The benefits of staying on-site have been mentioned before in earlier posts so I won't repeat them again. If early park entry by on-site guests becomes a standard perk again, that is certainly something to consider in staying inside or outside.

In the end, you'll be guided by your vacation budget and available days. Certainly, you should try staying the inside...at least once.

 

[Maria]

Originally posted by FantasiaBish
My friends have gound a good rate at Grosvenor and I am wondering if you get the same perks there that you do at Wyndham.

The hotels on Hotel Plaza Blvd. (near Downtown Disney), are also included on the shipping of merchandise to your room. At least, when I worked there, they were considered just as like the ones on property and the Swan and Dolphin. I´m not sure about the transportation on Disney buses to and from them, though...

 

[Chas&Company]

Wyndham & Hyatt share buses that run every 1/2 hour . They're not official WDW buses but r identical. They also don't share with other resorts so they r faster to get back and forth from destinations.In 98 i was staying on-site.I was at DD and needed to go back to MK. I used disneys bus service and i took an 1-1/2hrs to get there.Last year while at wyndham the same trip only took 15 minutes. But now-a-day i use my van to go everywhere at WDW---Its faster but i have to pay parking fees. And people out there, please remember that the all-star hotels r 2 star rated. Dont get me wrong they r decent rooms, thay just remind me of motel 6.

 

[Chas&Company]

Originally posted by Maria


The hotels on Hotel Plaza Blvd. (near Downtown Disney), are also included on the shipping of merchandise to your room. At least, when I worked there, they were considered just as like the ones on property and the Swan and Dolphin. I´m not sure about the transportation on Disney buses to and from them, though...

Hey Maria---Does the shipping of merchandise from parks to hotel plaza hotels generally take 1 day? P.s--U r great at helping everyone!

 

[Maria]

Originally posted by Chas&Company
Hey Maria---Does the shipping of merchandise from parks to hotel plaza hotels generally take 1 day? P.s--U r great at helping everyone!

Glad I can help a little!

I´m not sure of the shipping times anymore! :brick: it´s hard to remember! I think, but I´m not sure, it depends on the time of the day. If it was after certain hour, it takes until the next day. I seem to remember that delivery to those hotels takes one day because we had to ask the departure date everytime we did a shipping service and if it was the next day, in some cases, we had to cancel it and offer the "package pick up" to IG or the shop at the entrance of the park. Sorry... I am not sure of this anymmore! Can somebody confirm?

 

[EnSkywalker]

When we used it last year it was as follows:

If the transaction is completed before X:XX in the afternoon/early evening (sorry I don't remember the time but we had missed it) the package would be delivered to the gift shop of your hotel the next day. If after that time it would be the following day.

I don't believe that they will actually deliver it to your room anymore. I don't know if this is due to cutback or guest comments.

 

[ToTBellHop]

that's how it is now...we wanted to send a package to our room the day before we left but it was "too late" in the day and would not have gotten there for two days...so we just carried it.

 

[tinkrbel]

we always have our stuff sent to the room, and only once did anything not show up ..it was pictures taken in Mickey's TTF but they mailed them to my home. I never even thought about the fact that staying on-site gives you the added option of room delivery ..but I have to tell you, I know for a fact this causes me to spend more money ..since I am not dragging around bags, it doesnt make me think about what I have already bought

 

[David]

I have never stayed offsite so I admit I can not compare, but whatever the difference (and I can not believe it is that much) stay on site! As the others have mentioned, the transportation alone is worth it. We have stayed at AS and will be there again in October and have always had a good time there.

Another option, let your friends stay where they want and you stay on site. Set up a place to meet in the parks each day, then compare notes on who got the best deal after you return home. I bet next time you will not have any trouble convincing them to stay on Disney.

 

[Tramp]

We've done our share of staying in several of the high-end hotels but this year it's totally OFF-site for 3 weeks...

...2 bedrooms, 2 baths and plenty of space in our timeshare just minutes off property...we're Annual Passholders so parking doesn't cost us anything and we can visit any hotel if we're so inclined to catch the magic.

 

[Disney4648]

Well you get free transportation to all attractions in WDW

 

[Goofette]

If you do stay off site, be extremely careful and ask a lot of questions about the hotel you choose before you go. For our honeymoon we went to WDW. We decided that since we would get there later, we would choose a hotel offsite to save money, then check into CBR the next day. Uggghhh!!!!:hurl: BIG mistake. We went by the AAA book, and thought we had booked a decent hotel. The lobby was beautiful and pictures were nice, but we didn't actually ask anyone about it. I wouldn't even take a shower there because it was so horrible and disgusting. I was feeling so upset, but then we checked into Disney and TaDa.....there was that wonderful, Disney Magic.:sohappy: We didn't save that much on the room and I really regretted not checking in the day before to Disney. I feel as though I lost that day.

I agree with everyone else also. We have to watch our budget this year. We checked with mousesavers.com and found a special for us. We called several times and worked for our rate, but it was well worth it. We're staying at the AKL (standard) for 145 a night. We had a savanah view for 210.00 but I chose to downgrade so I could get a digital video camera for the trip. I have my camera...plus I have a great resort. GoodLuck

 

[ToTBellHop]

depending on when you go, you may get a free upgrade to a savanna view room anyway! Regardless...there are plenty of vantage points over the savannas no matter where you stay!

 

[Goofette]

Originally posted by DogsRule!
depending on when you go, you may get a free upgrade to a savanna view room anyway! Regardless...there are plenty of vantage points over the savannas no matter where you stay!

I have heard about free upgrades. Would we just ask the front desk at check in time if there is any upgrades or do you specify free upgrades? Thanks DogsRule!

 

[ToTBellHop]

you don't ask for free upgrades..they just give them to you if they are in a good mood and if you look nice. So do what I did this year...I mean...I was so happy/amazed to be inside the Lodge, so I skip up to the desk, smile on my face, and we get a MASSIVE upgrade from a standard room with a standard view to a deluxe room with a savanna room!

 

[danamarie27]

Money well spent

God don't do it!!:brick: :veryconfu

The extra money pays for its self in disney transportation, first dibs on golfing, the luxury of being able to take a mid-day break and not take forever getting to and from the parks. Extra money = sanity and a more pleasurable trip for everyone involved.:sohappy:

 

[tinkrbel]

some of us are die-hard on-site fans that will saying staying at All Stars is better then the very best hotel any where in florida but the real thing is the ease of being in the center of it all. no doubt you can take breaks, your treated very very well in all the resorts and you can save gas (anyone notice the increase in gas prices) and the fact is the All stars are pretty dang cheap, if you total all that travel and gas.

 

[Beauty and the]

Originally posted by tinkrbel
(anyone notice the increase in gas prices)

Don't complain you could have to pay British Gas prices:lol:

 

[Beauty and the]

We always stay for three weeks and now always on site, we do lots of other things on our vacation apart from the Disney bits, no amount of money can buy the feeling you get going through the disney Archway for another wonderful day after a good breakfast at Denny's:animwink: