englanddg
One Little Spark...
I really can't top this post. It's pretty much the exact same reasons I stay on site (though, I take the bus, not the monorail home at night)
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The reason you stay on property is?
- Thread starter mergatroid
- Start date
I really can't top this post. It's pretty much the exact same reasons I stay on site (though, I take the bus, not the monorail home at night)
jlsHouston
Well-Known Member
I can relate to the last minute reservation dilemma especially if you like character dining as much as we do! I don't know why but we have always been able to get reservations fairly easily for every place but Chef Mickey, the dinner event Mickey's bbq and Rose & Crown for 8 pm dinner. This visit I did book 3 months in advance instead of 3 weeks and I got the first two on my schedule.
jlsHouston
Well-Known Member
And those are all my reasons too plus that encapsulation feel mentioned above!!
NWDMD
Active Member
Hmm, interesting answers. I grew up staying only 'on-property' but a couple of years ago, we stayed off-property when my in-laws wanted to take the whole family and rent out a large home. I always thought that the buses were a huge plus for staying on property... but now that I've driven, I won't go back to only buses. I really dislike waiting 20 minutes for a bus, then going to multiple stops or another resort, possibly stopping off at a water-park before I get to my destination. It's so easy to drive around WDW and parking is pretty convenient. We get free parking because we're annual passholders so the cost doesn't bother me.
I don't utilize EMH because we find those parks are generally the busiest of the day.
The only things that kept me staying on property on our current trip is that sometimes I do enjoy the convenience of the resort dining when I'm too worn out to go anywhere else (I really enjoy eating off-property because I grow tired of overpriced park food...)
Also, we have a young child and sometimes she naps, and one of us can take the bus to a park, and the other can drive our child over when she wakes up.
Every time I visit WDW, I go in happy about staying on-property, but leave thinking, let's stay off-property next time. This is the last day of our current trip and I'm partially writing this to remind me to stay off-property when we go again in December.
I don't utilize EMH because we find those parks are generally the busiest of the day.
The only things that kept me staying on property on our current trip is that sometimes I do enjoy the convenience of the resort dining when I'm too worn out to go anywhere else (I really enjoy eating off-property because I grow tired of overpriced park food...)
Also, we have a young child and sometimes she naps, and one of us can take the bus to a park, and the other can drive our child over when she wakes up.
Every time I visit WDW, I go in happy about staying on-property, but leave thinking, let's stay off-property next time. This is the last day of our current trip and I'm partially writing this to remind me to stay off-property when we go again in December.
allgiggles
Well-Known Member
That pretty much sums it up for me, too.
We drive 1000+ miles to get to Disney so we love being able to park the car when we arrive and not have to do any driving until the day we leave. We've never really had to wait more than 10 minutes for a bus other than at peak times (like leaving MK after Wishes or DHS after Fantasmic...and we expect to wait longer at those times). Usually by the time we leave the parks, we're so tired that we don't care how long we have to wait for a bus, we're just happy we don't have to drive.
One of the other things we like about staying on property is that we're comfortable letting our older kids (mid to late teens) either sleep in and join us at the parks later in the morning or they can stay at the parks later than we do and just come back to the hotel when they're ready and sometimes they want to go back to the hotel for a swim in the afternoon when the rest of us want to stay at the park. I know they're capable of finding the correct bus stop for our resort or the park they want to get to. I wouldn't feel as comfortable if they were traveling off property on a non-Disney bus.
And of course, as others have said, that 100% escape from the "real world" that staying on property provides. As soon as we pass under that arch, I feel like a weight is lifted off my shoulders and I'm a kid again (DH & I say it feels like we're kids going to camp for a week). As soon as we head off property I know that it's back to reality for all of us. :-(
Figment632x2
New Member
I'm a DVC member!
Pooh Lover
Well-Known Member
Yes, put me in the group that is afraid of not feeling The Magic by not staying on property. Part of going to WDW (for me) is the complete escape.....taking the bus or boat here and there, having Mickey and Stitch wake me up every morning, food courts and refillable mugs...the whole package. I've considered a rental or an off property hotel but just can't do it. We only get to WDW once a year and, if it didn't feel right for whatever reason, I'd feel as though I'd wasted a year and made a big mistake. Geez, I hope Disney doesn't read this!
The Incredible Schmulk
Well-Known Member
Letting Disney be my free designated driver is probably my favorite of the on-site perks. We like to stay out late and take advantage of all of the great restaurants and lounges all over property. Not having to use a car at all is a great thing, and they make it very convenient to rely on that transportation. Add the bag service to and from the airport on the Magical Express, and you've got me sold.
Alternate transportation to and from certain resorts is a big plus for me, too. What can I say, I'm all about convenience and options when I go on vacation. You can't get that kind of service off-site.
Alternate transportation to and from certain resorts is a big plus for me, too. What can I say, I'm all about convenience and options when I go on vacation. You can't get that kind of service off-site.
Pumbas Nakasak
Heading for the great escape.
I dont have to worry how I can get back from World Showcase after a hard worked session of enjoying multi-national culture of the liquid kind.
ellie-badge
Well-Known Member
The magical feeling of being in Disney... and because it's just awesome.
pixiesteno
Well-Known Member
I have to say for me one of the big things is the transportation at the end of a long day/night at the parks. I found first hand on this in 2009 when we moved our son to Winter Park for school. We had tickets to the MNSSHP but our WDW stay did not start until the next day. (I wasn't sure when we booked everything how settled we would have him in his apartment). So at the end of the evening I found myself being the driver from WDW back to Winter Park while everyone else in the car was snoring! It was a very long drive at 11 pm while I was fumbling for change for the tolls on 417! Not again. If I am tired and wore out I do not want to have to drive on unfamiliar roads in the dark. Put me on the bus! We drive down from NY so we are really ready to park the truck and leave it until we want to go to DTD. (That is the exception for us driving on property)
We like being able to just say, hey, I'm ready for a swim let's go back to the resort. We like taking a park day and leaving all our stuff behind and just having our KTTW & AP, it is liberating. We have actually done this with no cameras, just minimal cash in pocket for carts that don't charge to room. All of it in our lanyard around our necks and just freely moving about the parks! We do not do EMH anymore as it is just too busy. We actually track evening EMH and go the next day to the park that stayed open late. We find that it is usually much less crowded. But in the end, when you stay on-property, if you picked the wrong park and it is just too busy, find a bus and go to another park!
Having done a trip to FL to take a friend to see an ailing family member and finding myself as a solo person in the Orlando area I decided as a woman alone that I would rest more comfortably on-property than off-property. So there is some security considerations to the decision.
We like being able to just say, hey, I'm ready for a swim let's go back to the resort. We like taking a park day and leaving all our stuff behind and just having our KTTW & AP, it is liberating. We have actually done this with no cameras, just minimal cash in pocket for carts that don't charge to room. All of it in our lanyard around our necks and just freely moving about the parks! We do not do EMH anymore as it is just too busy. We actually track evening EMH and go the next day to the park that stayed open late. We find that it is usually much less crowded. But in the end, when you stay on-property, if you picked the wrong park and it is just too busy, find a bus and go to another park!
Having done a trip to FL to take a friend to see an ailing family member and finding myself as a solo person in the Orlando area I decided as a woman alone that I would rest more comfortably on-property than off-property. So there is some security considerations to the decision.
copcarguyp71
Well-Known Member
Well mostly the lack of need to plan very much or drive anywhere. I run my own business and most days it feels like it runs me so when we do get away I like not having to drive or work on a schedule. The fact that staying on-site simplifies things and means I can shut my brain down as much as possible is the main reason for me.
tink65
Active Member
We stay on property because it's great knowing that once we get to our resort we don't have to even look at our car for the next week! Not having to fight the traffic coming in or leaving the parks!
Knowing our room with be nice without having to guess.
Just waking up and knowing I'm at Disney!!! The total immersion in the Disney experience!
Getting to experience EMH (especially at night)
Knowing our room with be nice without having to guess.
Just waking up and knowing I'm at Disney!!! The total immersion in the Disney experience!
Getting to experience EMH (especially at night)
