First Time EVER Staying off Property (Scared)

[IslandAdventure4]

Hi everyone, we just booked our trip with my Sister and Brother in Law. We are staying at the Fountains Resort off property. All we are staying for a week for next to nothing. While this trip is going to be very affordable, I am having issues not being on property. We always do Magic express, this trip we are renting a car and driving to the parks. We are not able to use extra Magic hours and all the magic that comes along with staying on property. Now if it wasn't the affordability of the time share we most likely would not be going. So I'm not being an ingrate, just nervous. So if anyone could reply with some reassurance this trip will be just as magical, or experiences staying off property, that would be great!! I know it shouldn't matter to me, our kids will just be excited to go with their cousins. It will be epic for them to travel to the airport and fly to Disney together. Sorry for the rant. Merry Christmas all

 

[PulsarIII]

Off Site & Getting to the parks:
Not sure if your issues have more to do being off site or touring the parks without the onsite perks. Neither one should something to worry about. If the resort location and amenities meet or exceed your needs; don’t worry – Be happy. If you thank about, there are a lot more vacationers from offsite than onsite visiting central Florida theme parks and both groups are probably having great vacations. The new twist will be... TheDrive2TheParks. The first day maybe an “adventure” getting to WDW but the next few days should more like; Been there – Done that. Once on site Disney has the parks and other destinations well marked to help get you where you wish to go. If you haven’t driven around on site previously some help from a navigator (Human or GPS) can keep you from going on an onsite “adventure”.

The Parks:
MK offers offsite guest a special Magical Experience. From the parking lot you arrive at the TTC, not the park entrance. Choose your own adventure – Pick Boat or Monorail to carry you to the MK. OBTW: it’s not as Magical after a day in the park going back to the TTC and then your vehicle. All other parks the parking is located at the park, but you will be not be as close as the bus or boat areas.

Showing up at “Rope Drop” to a park with morning early entry will not get you the walk-on feeling for the first hour or two for the non-headline attractions. (headline attractions never seem to be a walk-on)

Hopefully the 30 day pick your FP+ did not keep you from getting all of your must do attractions times reserved.

G’day,
III

 

[Happyinwonerland]

I love staying off site. I can get a I certainly place for less money. We always have a magical vacation. We have never been disappointed to miss out on EMH and we always get the Fast passes that we want. Driving yourself to and from the parks is so much more convenient for us, rather than hoping for a seat on a crowded bus.

The biggest pain has been riding the tram from parking lot to the TTC or park gates. We stopped using the trams after our first day, because the walk isn't that bad, and folding the strollers and trying to cram on and off the tram is a pain.

You'll have a great trip, and you'll have a few extra bucks for souvenir or alcohol. It will be fine. You night even find you prefer it to onsite.

 

[dashofsunshine]

We always stay offsite. I haven't stayed on Disney property since I was a senior in high school, almost 10 years ago. We go to Disney almost every year. We have no kids, but even if we did, I still think we'd stay offsite, honestly. The price difference is astronomical. It truly is. We go to Disney for the parks. That's what is important to us. We love being able to drive our own car and not have to wait 30 minutes at the end of each long park day for a bus. We always get all the fast passes we want, no issues there. And with those thousands of dollars we save from not staying on site, we can add an extra park day, extra meals, or even put it towards our next vacation. You will have an amazing time. I promise!

 

[sdsatl]

We stayed offsite in October and had a grrreat time! My kids were happy to see a simple good neighbor sticker at our hotel and Disney billboards everywhere. And the drive to the parks was seriously no big deal. We were there the week parking prices increased, and to be honest, $20 is not cool, but we still couldn't complain. Every time I saw $47/night on our trip budget, I thought never staying at Disney again (jk... AKL this May). Also, holy food options outside the parks! The Disney bubble is no joke, but I appreciated the experience of being in Orlando (Kissimmee? whatever). I'm sure you'll have a magical time!

 

[NH-to-FL]

After many adult trips staying on site we switched to an off site villa three years ago. Overall we are happy with our off site experience. Driving to the parks isn't that much different. (We used to drive to AK even when we stayed on site.) Except for MK. The extra step of the ferry or monorail adds a few more minutes to our MK rope drop mornings. But then I also enjoy the ride on the ferry.

I will confess that we do miss one advantage. We used to stay at the Boardwalk and did enjoy the ability to walk over to Epcot in the evening.

But then we also enjoy the relaxing off site villa experience.

I am sure you will have a wonderful time.

 

[iradi8]

We have been going to WDW with our kids since 2003. We have been more than 20 times and have never stayed off-site until...a few weeks ago. It was a last minute trip and all hotels and the campground were full. I tried and tried to get a reservation and just couldn't. I know all the tricks.
So, after getting info from here, we decided to try an off-site property. We were very worried, wondering if we would like it. I have to say...we loved it! It wasn't Disney, of course, but for over $1000 less for the week and a two-bedroom suite with 3 beds, 2 bathrooms, washer/dryer, full kitchen, living room and a screened in balcony area, it was very nice. I honestly think we may do it again next time.

 

[kathy884]

My extended family just stayed at the Fountains this year over the Thanksgiving week and had a wonderful time. They had two condos there. I've been down a good 30+ times since 1971 and with 24+ times offsite and six onsite. // With a large group especially offsite is just so much more economical. It's really a great value. Onsite can't even come close. And time spent with extended family and cousins is priceless. // I think that the Disney magic people talk about being onsite is just great marketing (There are plenty of people who disagree with me, but many others who would agree with that statement too.) I prefer going to the parks in my own car vs. taking Disney buses. I can get there faster and with less planning. // If you are opposed to getting a rental car, onsite is the way to go. For me personally, I like the freedom that a rental car offers and think it's pretty easy to get around in Orlando.

Being at a lovely resort in a condo is heavenly and I like that so much better than a value or moderate at Disney. Even renting a condo at Disney with points when I've done the math has always for our travel dates come out at least three times as expensive as a comparable offsite place (making that a budget buster and not even an option for my vacation budget. Makes the decision pretty easy.).

Hey relax and give it a try. It's certainly worth that and you may end up being an offsite stay fan for life like many of us here. If you end up not liking it, that's always a great excuse to plan a future onsite trip.

 

[quagmire0]

Offsiter here. Haven't stayed at Fountains, we usually do Windsor Hills. I've never taken the ME, but I've taken similar shuttles when going on cruises. Grabbing a car at Orlando Airport is a breeze, assuming you are using one of the companies that are in the terminal. (I recommend Alamo). The nice thing about having your own car is that you aren't ever waiting on public transit. If you want to go, you can go. The nice thing about staying offsite is that you also escape the insanity a bit. I know WH is a very laid-back resort and quiet. You are not going to run into the same crowds you will on-property. It's nice to escape the parks for a little bit and rest up. You also get a MUCH bigger space for the money - everyone can have their own room. And you also usually get use of amenities like pools, parks, etc.

 

[msb578]

We always stay offsite. I haven't stayed on Disney property since I was a senior in high school, almost 10 years ago. We go to Disney almost every year. We have no kids, but even if we did, I still think we'd stay offsite, honestly. The price difference is astronomical. It truly is. We go to Disney for the parks. That's what is important to us. We love being able to drive our own car and not have to wait 30 minutes at the end of each long park day for a bus. We always get all the fast passes we want, no issues there. And with those thousands of dollars we save from not staying on site, we can add an extra park day, extra meals, or even put it towards our next vacation. You will have an amazing time. I promise!

The "thousands of dollars" jumped out at me

When do you go, and which resorts are you comparing?

Last late-summer, we stayed at All Star Sports for $72 a night. We had our car- included in that rate you get "free" parking everyday at the parks. I would have had a hard time beating that rate off-site. The Values can work great for park-heavy visits (and we're actually not even park-heavy people).

 

[quagmire0]

Price difference is astronomical for comparable accommodations. You can always stay at the value resorts on the cheap. But if you factor in multiple bedrooms, pools, amenities, etc. etc., offsite blows onsite away. We're getting a 3 bedroom townhome with a private splash pool at Windsor Hills Resort (which includes a pool, park, theatre, etc. etc.) for $800 for 7 nights. Even if I toss in the $300 for the rental car, that's $1100 for the week or $157/night after all taxes. That's June pricing. Even in a lower-level resort like Caribbean Beach, you're talking $198/nt before tax and that's for a single suite, not a multiple room suite. Also, if I went to a 1 bed or 2 bed resort room offsite, I'm sure it would be much cheaper and more comparable to the Value resort pricing.

 

[dashofsunshine]

The "thousands of dollars" jumped out at me

When do you go, and which resorts are you comparing?

Last late-summer, we stayed at All Star Sports for $72 a night. We had our car- included in that rate you get "free" parking everyday at the parks. I would have had a hard time beating that rate off-site. The Values can work great for park-heavy visits (and we're actually not even park-heavy people).

We almost always go in the spring during F&G. The cheapest I have seen even a value room is well over $100 per night - last year when we went it was $130 per night to stay in a value for our dates (I think it was sports...or movies. Not pop, though). We got a completely renovated room at Mystic Dunes resort for $60 per night. Full kitchen with granite countertops, all brand new appliances including oven, living room, lovely bedroom with king size bed, full bathroom with separate shower and jacuzzi tub. They had a gorgeous pool, as well. 7 nights saved us $490, plus taxes it was over $500 just for not staying in a Disney room. We don't do the dining plan and I eat barely anything (gastric surgery) so we saved massive money on that as well. We drove our car a few days but we also took the shuttle from the resort a few days as well, so that saved money on parking. All together we saved almost 1k this past trip

Once again, we have no kids, so it's pretty easy for us.

EDIT: people tell me all the time that they get under $100 rates for values. We must be going at the wrong time every single year, because I've never seen it on the website it always says "from $90" or whatever, and then when I put our dates in, it skyrockets.

 

[msb578]

We almost always go in the spring during F&G. The cheapest I have seen even a value room is well over $100 per night - last year when we went it was $130 per night to stay in a value for our dates (I think it was sports...or movies. Not pop, though). We got a completely renovated room at Mystic Dunes resort for $60 per night. Full kitchen with granite countertops, all brand new appliances including oven, living room, lovely bedroom with king size bed, full bathroom with separate shower and jacuzzi tub. They had a gorgeous pool, as well. 7 nights saved us $490, plus taxes it was over $500 just for not staying in a Disney room. We don't do the dining plan and I eat barely anything (gastric surgery) so we saved massive money on that as well. We drove our car a few days but we also took the shuttle from the resort a few days as well, so that saved money on parking. All together we saved almost 1k this past trip

Once again, we have no kids, so it's pretty easy for us.

EDIT: people tell me all the time that they get under $100 rates for values. We must be going at the wrong time every single year, because I've never seen it on the website it always says "from $90" or whatever, and then when I put our dates in, it skyrockets.

Thanks for explaining it- it was very informative.

And yes, time of year matters tremendously at Disney resorts. We've gone late August and in January- these are some of the cheapest times of the year. Plus we were able to stack a 15% Orbitz discount on top of Disney's 20%.

I have to concede that the Value resorts essentially give you a closet to sleep in For space per $, they definitely lose the head-to head comparison.

 

[dashofsunshine]

Thanks for explaining it- it was very informative.

And yes, time of year matters tremendously at Disney resorts. We've gone late August and in January- these are some of the cheapest times of the year. Plus we were able to stack a 15% Orbitz discount on top of Disney's 20%.

I have to concede that the Value resorts essentially give you a closet to sleep in For space per $, they definitely lose the head-to head comparison.

That's another thing - people always talk about discounts from orbitz or other sites, and I guess we don't ever take advantage of that. Our Disney trips are often planned 5 months in advance (haha!) and spring always seems to work out for us because of spring break/our wedding anniversary. I'm an art teacher, my husband and I don't make tons of money, so it just hasn't ever really been worth it to us to pay the extra $$ per night to stay on property. We like to take lots of trips to different places, and saving the money by staying off property helps with that It doesn't inconvenience us to stay 15 minutes away, we've always just sort of done it that way.

Now, if we had 3 kids, it might be worth the convenience! Lol. Maybe one day!!

 

[kj2mom]

I remember your fear soo well! Initially we were staying off site with another family and then they decided to stay on site which left me with my two children in our time share. I was nervous about renting a car for the first time, staying with just the children at the resort, driving to the parks....all of the ins and outs. I did quite a bit of research to try to make myself comfortable with what would be my surroundings and it really worked. To top it all off, our first day in the parks was the 4th of July so I was freaking out a little about the crowds in addition to everything else. Everything went soo, sooo smoothly. Ironically, one of my children's favorite part of the entire trip was going to Steak N Shake which was right across the street from us. I had plans to go there right after checking in because I have always wanted to but but little did I know how infatuated my children would become. We went every other day, sometimes for a shake for breakfast and sometimes for a midnight snack (we were on vacation after all). We also went to the outlets on our last day because we had an evening flight home. We would not have done these things if we were in the bubble. Seriously, my children talk the most about Steak N Shake lol!!! We loved our time share, we each ended up with our own rooms, our own bathrooms, I would toss in a load of wash before we left then dry it while we slept so we went home with just the clothes on our backs dirty which was absolutely fabulous for me! We had a grocery store right next door so we went there a couple of times to get random things too. All in all I have absolutely no complaints (except the traffic light at the end of our street seemed like it was never green and we joked about that being the longest wait of our vacation) but I am really glad I took the time to familiarize myself with the area and try to make myself as comfortable as possible. We had no trouble getting the FP we wanted, we even changed a bit on the fly and had no trouble. We had a fabulous time!

 

[andiraye]

Your trip will be magical!!! We stayed offsite on our last trip and I had the same concerns. But driving really wasn't an issue. I actually liked it better than taking the bus because I felt like I could breathe once we were in our own car. It made going to Disney Springs a lot more enjoyable too.

We didn't miss EMH.

And to make the Disney Magic carry though to our room for our kids, I bought a bunch of Disney themed supplies at the dollar store and the drug store (straws, cups, napkins, soap, shampoo, tooth paste, tooth brush). I also considered buying Mickey and friends wall decals for my kids' bedroom but restrained myself. ;-P

 

[chekhovgirl]

I'd say your only fear should be not wanting to stay onsite again! The first time we stayed offsite was when we went with my parents a few years ago. We stayed at Bonnet Creek and loved it. So much that last time I went with my boys we did more days just at the resort than we did at the parks. They love the resort. It has its own magic and community and it just adds to the trip in a different way. They don't ask when we're going back to Disney, they ask when we're going back to Bonnet Creek.

Being from Massachusetts and loving water, we want to take advantage of swimming when we're down there, and paying $85 a night for an entire condo with numerous pools, hot tubs, lazy rivers, free mini golf, pool, and other activities for the kids, we love it. Also, you can certainly eat out all the time just like you would staying in a hotel, but I tend to not like to eat out for an entire trip and I love cooking, so we save a ton on food by utilizing the kitchen and the outdoor grills, where we've gotten to meet and socialize with other families.

I hope you like your place as much as we do WBC! I think you'll find that the benefits and cost will overall outweigh being onsite. We never had a problem with fast passes, and we always seem to go to the parks that don't have EMH because they are the less crowded ones that day. Have fun!

 

[sarahrdh]

We are staying off site in May for our 2nd Disney trip, but 1st off site. It was purely a financial move bc I lost my job and my new job is only part time, so we are adjusting our lifestyle still. We got a condo at Windsor Hills for $67 a night. It is a 2 bedroom & sleeps 6 (we are a family of 5, so on site options are limited). I chose a condo that decorated the kids room in a Disney theme, and there are other Disney touches throughout, so we still get some of that Disney feel. We will have our own vehicle. Of course we'll have to pay for parking, so my goal was to find something under $100 a night with parking factored in. I am going to have some groceries delivered- cold/frozen breakfast items; I will bring snacks that don't need to stay cold myself. I'm not "nervous" about staying off site, but NOT staying at a Disney resort makes my heart ache a little, only bc there's so many I want to try! But it's ok, we get to go, we are going for the parks & to have a great time as a family which we will easily do off site as well!

 

[SunnyKYLake]

I've stayed off property every time, except exactly one night at Art of Animation in a Little Mermaid room. Back in November my sister and I did a Disney and Cruise Trip. We stayed 4 nights at an off site hotel (less than 60/night) that we were very happy with. Then a 5 night cruise. Then we went back to Disney for the Christmas party and decided we would stay on property so it would be "easy" to get back to our room after the party.

The only thing we liked about the experience was the theming. We didn't feel relaxed the whole time. And we had a long walk anywhere we needed to go. We are used to walking a few steps from the car to the house or hotel. A short walk from the car to a tram (or ferry or monorail). Which is never a long wait - there is always one coming. Well, we usually take the ferry instead of the monorail, it's more reliable.

And the $50 something beds we slept in were WAY more comfortable than the beds in the Little Mermaid room. Heck, even the cruise ship beds were better. And our off site room at least had something more than 2 plastic chairs to sit in.

We figured out that we didn't enjoy taking the bus to and from the park. It was a long walk to wait to catch the crowded bus to the park and then a REALLY long walk to catch the REALLY crowded bus back to the resort. And then holding on for dear life as the driver must have been trying to make a time schedule. Which by the way-it was faster for us to get to our hotel than the AOA. It wasn't magical for us. But we are glad we did it so now we know we aren't missing out.

I can't speak to EMH but we go to the park we want when we want for however long we want, so I don't know we would take advantage of it anyway. Maybe because I always use FP and a park touring strategy to avoid long waits.

Parking cost is a bummer if you don't have an AP. We do, but even if we didn't, the cost of the hotel plus parking was still cheaper than what we paid for AoA in November.

All in all, I will gladly give up an uncomfortable bed in a really cute room and an uncomfortable ride in a crowded bus for our cheap hotel and more money for souviners and food and maybe another trip sooner rather than later.

Of course, all of this is our humble opinion. I have many friends that LOVE staying on property. I feel pity for them as I will have been 3 times since their last visit, but different strokes and all that. No one is right and no one is wrong.

 

[Cash_UK]

Stayed offsite twice now, i-drive both times, good experience. Great choices of places to eat, and i-ride trolley very convenient. But staying onsite is convenient in other ways.