Staying on site or off site?

Staying on site or off site?

  • Total voters
    114
  • Poll closed .
P

paige1217

New Member
I have always stayed onsite...... but to be honest with you I would be alittle nervous staying off site.......... It seems like everytime I am at WDW there are a few incidents with tourist getting robbed ........ I usually go down twice a year and it seems to be getting worse..........
:lookaroun
 
C

catne

New Member
Stayed off-site twice, first in nice hotel with just me & 10 yr. old son, then once in large family-sized suite w/full kitchen. both just had the normal hotel-style plain rectangle pool...both places were mid-range off-site hotel prices. We thought both places were great...until on our 3rd trip, when we stayed on-site WDW, and discovered the total Disney-experience package.:sohappy: That was it. Never again off site. Have since stayed at FW (in cabin) & Polynesian. (We flew the first & 3rd time and rented a car; we drove the 2nd & 4th times so had our own car; got the DDP the 3rd time only; so we've hade a range of experiences and additional expense comparisons. We are headed for POFQ in May, using the DDP again for the convenience/savings.

Yes, you can do Disney cheaper, and we have, but our decision was it is worth every extra penny for the extra magic fun of staying on site.
 
3

3fordisney

New Member
We only stay on-site for our WDW trips. I went to Orlando a year ago with a family member and we stayed off property at one of the Downtown Disney Resorts. She was there on business and I tagged along. We weren't going to WDW but did head to Downtown Disney. We took the hotel charter there and it took forever. We could've walked back to the hotel faster. It stopped at all the other off-site hotels and took forever. I love the "Disney" magic at the hotels. We've stayed at all the values and I've stayed at Fort Wilderness once. There is no hotel on 192 I'd rather stay at than a hotel on property. It is worth the money and adds so much to the vacation if you are staying on property.
 
RussJT

RussJT

Member
I was always told that once you stay on-site you will never want to stay off-site again. I didn't understand this until I stayed on-site.

I will never stay off-site again.
 
B

bruiser659

Member
Always,Always,Always stay on-site,there is no excuse since they have the value resorts.If you cant afford that you should not go to Disney in the first place.
 
T

Tiggersgreat

New Member
My family has stayed in several off site hotels, Pop, WL, and Poly. Of course, the Poly was awesome, and IMO the best. However, I think the Hilton in downtown Disney is a close second.

First, we get to stay there for free because of hotel points. Free is always good. They have transportation and EMH. Also, it's within walking distance to DTD, so no long wait on a bus at night.
The size of the room at the Hilton was MUCH larger than any Disney room.

Unless there is a chance for free dining, I will stay off site at the Disney Hilton.
 
WTBAD

WTBAD

Active Member
Until last year I would never think about staying off-site. But with AP discounts are getting hardier to get and rates going up on the weekends, I will consider staying off-site for extended stays. We usually spend 6 to 7 days each trip. We generally don't go back & forth to our rooms but tend to stay in the parks from opening to closing. And with an AP ticket I wouldn't have to worry about paying for parking. Off-site is starting to look like a good deal. However, I would miss those EMH's.
 
imamouse

imamouse

Well-Known Member
I know that this is a WDW forum, but what about staying on or off site at DL? With only 3 onsite resorts, are reservations hard to come by or are prices too high? Are the hotels on Harbor Blvd good deals? Does supply and demand dictate a different model for price, perks and convenience than at WDW?

I just wonder if very many folks here have very much DL experience?
 
David

David

Active Member
I really don't have any off-site experience having always stayed on property, but I can't imagine staying anywhere else. When I am at Disney, and I want to be totally immersed in Disney. We only watch the weather channel and the resort or Disney channels on TV, no newspapers or magazines. I guess this is overkill to some folks, but it makes us happy!

Well, I have to admit, occasionally we slip over to "the other place" in Orlando, but even then I feel like I would if I were cheating on my wife!
 
David

David

Active Member
imamouse said:
I know that this is a WDW forum, but what about staying on or off site at DL? With only 3 onsite resorts, are reservations hard to come by or are prices too high? Are the hotels on Harbor Blvd good deals? Does supply and demand dictate a different model for price, perks and convenience than at WDW?

I just wonder if very many folks here have very much DL experience?
Click to expand...

We have only been to DL once, but then, as at WDW, we stayed on property. Of course, there are a lot more hotels right at DL, but the benefits of staying onsite outweighed the price reduction of non-Disney hotels.
 
Tiggerfanatic

Tiggerfanatic

Well-Known Member
I've never stayed off-site, and this past trip to the Contemporary has totally turned me into a resort snob. I don't think I'd ever stay anywhere else.
 
PeoplemoverTTA

PeoplemoverTTA

Well-Known Member
imamouse said:
I know that this is a WDW forum, but what about staying on or off site at DL? With only 3 onsite resorts, are reservations hard to come by or are prices too high? Are the hotels on Harbor Blvd good deals? Does supply and demand dictate a different model for price, perks and convenience than at WDW?

I just wonder if very many folks here have very much DL experience?
Click to expand...

I've stayed at all 3 DL resorts. Grand Californian is the most expensive (I paid like $450 a night), Disneyland Hotel is the next expensive, slightly less, although I won the stay so I don't know. We stayed at Paradise Pier in 2002 and got it for $185 with AAA. I never had a problem booking a room during peak times, and I would guess that is because so many visitors are locals.

I have also stayed off property at an Embassy Suites. I worked for Hampton Inn at the time, so I only paid $39 a night. The regular rate for a 2-bedroom suite is like $159 or so, with free breakfast. Their shuttle was a 5-minute ride, and picked up at the hotels (3 hotels shared a parking lot) on the 20 and at DL on the 50. It was an extremely pleasant stay.

Staying onsite at DL is not the same as WDW, because WDW is so large, being secluded in the magic is part of the allure. Plus, sometimes off property can seem really far. Not so at DL. There are hotels within a 5 minute walk to DL (and that's including waiting for a traffic light - literally steps away).

Still, when I return to DL, I will likely stay at the DL Hotel, my favorite of the 3 onsite. You walk through DTD to get to the hotel, and no waiting for buses. I could see the Matterhorn, Splash, and ToT from my room. You can send your packages to the hotel like at WDW...you are literally right in the thick of it. Staying at the DLH, or the GC (I really didn't care for Paradise Pier much) is a very "Disney" experience, and for me, it's worth the splurge because we only go to DL for 3 nights, possibly 4, instead of 7, so we can afford to spend a little more on the room.

Hope that gives you a little insight :)
 
Laura

Laura

22
Premium Member
I can't vote for any of your options. A lot of times I'll pay MORE to stay OFF property just to have the extra space and amenities.

I'm happy with any option though. We'll either use our time share, pay to stay in some fancy place, or stay on property. I just prefer not to be squished in a little room if we can help it.
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom