On site or off site

[lccolby]

Went to WDW for the first time last year and stayed at Port Orleans. Loved it!!!! Want to go again next year and am looking at prices. Is it worth staying off site? You get so many more perks staying on site. Also, we're gonna drive this time instead of fly. Do you think having our own car is worth using if we decide to stay on site?

 

[wdisneyaholic]

I have stayed on site and off site, I prefer to stay on site. The convienence of everything is worth the price. We drove on our last trip and it was much easier to drive ourselves to the park, no waiting for buses, making extra stops at other hotels, etc. Having a car is definately a plus, you park for free if you are staying at a Disney resort. I enjoy the Disney experience much more when staying on property.

Hope this helps!!

 

[tink2dw]

I stayed at a value resort and did not enjoy it,it was just a motel 6 room,nothing special..

I bought Ap's so we had Free parking and no worries about moving from park to park!!

I loved staying off site- just barely at Holiday Inn Family Inn it is 1 mile out the Epcot Rd. gates. WE had a Kids suite,the suite was great!!And we had Free Breakfast!

Here is a link for HIFS,check it out!!

http://www.hifamilysuites.com/index.html?

 

[Humpbacks1962]

During my first visits, I stayed off-site. After my first on-site stay, I said to myself that there was no way I was staying off-site again!

Disney's hospitality is unbeatable. The convenience of having the buses take you everywhere is priceless. No rush taking the trams, finding your car, driving, etc.

Disney's buses are comfortable. I recall using the buses provided by Holiday Inn and other hotels. They were pathetic school buses! No AC, uncomfortable seats, thin isles made you wish you could walk on people in front of you!

If you get a good discount, your expenses even out of are even less. Staying on-site really is a great deal.

Wanda

 

[waltdisneyworlddreamer]

Nothing beats staying on site! It makes your trip so much more magical. After my first time staying on site I swore I would never go stay anywhere else. I don't think I would even go to WDW if I couldn't stay on site.

 

[Disneydenise]

I have mostly stayed on-site. If the only way I could go I would stay off-site. I have heard nothing but good things about Holiday Inn FS. GoodLuck

 

[tednvon]

Here is a vote for off site.....There is NO question in my mine that with the new Disney entrances off I-4, 536, and Osceola Parkway that you can get to and from your condo or hotel off site just as quick or EVEN quicker than doing the bus transfers and the packed busses at closing.......If you can afford a monorail hotel then from Epcot and MK you have it made........Last week we stayed at Renannaisnce World Gate for 45.00 a night, regular, 99.00....it was .5 miles to AK on Sherberth road.....we were in hotel within 7 minutes from any park once in the car......I can't beat the on site ambiance, but I know I can go to Disney 3 times a year for 7 days for the same price as staying one week on property.......Just my humble opinion, but a vote for off site...Ted

 

[RamVA]

Ted, can you give some details about this hotel? And how did you get a $45 rate for a $99 room? Is it a new hotel? Thanks for your time!

 

[mainey-mouse]

I just stayed both onsite at PO-RS and offsite at Tropical Palms. While onsite was interesting, I didn't really find it enhanced the "being at Disney" experience in anyway. We aren't planning regular trips to Disney, but if we do go again, we certainly won't be spending our whole vacation in a Disney moderate hotel room! We will definitley use some sort of suite accoms again. DR - nice place to visit, wouldn't want to spend a whole vacation at one.

We were about half an hour from our door to MK when offsite, driving and traversing the parking lots/ttc etc, and half an hour from our door to MK when onsite, waiting for buses and bussing. It must be quicker to get to other places like AK, while driving from offsite. No bus wait, and no TTC to traverse either. Contrary to what I've read here - Disney buses are just ordinary old city - type buses - the furthest thing from comfortable - especially when they are crowed and you have to stand, or sit with children on your lap (we did every single time).

I recommend that you check out some of the suite accomodations offsite, close to Disney. For your money, you can get ALOT that a Disney moderate doesn't give. Not that I found PO-RS to be "just" a hotel - I've never seen one landscaped like that. And I wouldn't recommend that you just get some ordinary hotel room in an ordinary hotel and expect to come up with a favourable comparison. But in the end the PO-RS room was "just" a hotel room - and there is so much more comfort available in the area for your $$.

 

[Biyanna]

are planning to do an off site vacation when the children no longer NEED naps. I would love to see how much money we can save doing this. I love the on-site magic but, I've only stayed at AS because of our budget. I guess I'm spoiled. I've stayed at 3 and 4 star properties for a fraction of what it cost me at the AS's.(via Priceline)
I guess it just depends on what is important to you. Cost and quality are important to me, so I can't wait to jump off site atleast once. But, convience and atmosphere are important to hubby, so until our babies get alittle older, he wins!!!

 

[tednvon]

We got the Rennaisance World gate through Priceline for 45.00....It was just two us and it worked out great....I would not use priceline for a trip with grandkids, or family, I would always use vrbo.com (vacation rentals by owner).......This does not guarantee you the Renaissance, but all the 3 star are very nice......I have had very good luck with pricel hotels at the 3 or 4 level....Ted

 

[ZachnElli]

I've only stayed off site and had rental cars. We are staying off site again in July at Holiday Inn Family Suites. I'm very happy to hear good reviews from there! My dh travels a ton, so he saved his points from Holiday Inn and 4 of our nights our free, so we weren't passing it up! (we spent 2 other nights in NYC, love the frequent-stayer bonus points!)

 

[CarolynNC]

I've been going to Disney World since it opened. I've stayed at all hotel levels and plenty of off-site motels/ hotels. I think any trip can be enjoyable. I let my budget dictate.

My son and I are planning a budget trip in less than two weeks. We got a room at the Grovesnor thru Priceline for 10 nights for about $40/night (includes taxes & fees). This Downtown Disney hotel participates in early entry and e-night. I will still be able to use the Disney buses or my car. We both have annual passes. Even if we'd gotten another of the 3* properties without the perks, I'm sure we'd have a wonderful trip.

In less than 24 months I've been able to take my son on 2 two-week trips and 2 one week trips not counting our upcoming trip. I've taken his friend on 2 of these trips (at my expense) and my sister on another. I've spent some time off-site, some nights at the All Stars, some nights at the campground, and some nights at the Contemporary. To me it doesn't matter where I'm staying, it just matters if I get to go!

If I was making the trip of a lifetime, I'd want to stay on site and experience the total magic. If I had to break the bank and make too many sacrifices, I'd opt for off-site.

I guess what I'm trying to say is you can find the magic anywhere. All you have to do is look. With proper planning you can have a great trip without early entry, e-nights, or Disney transportation.

Carolyn

 

[goofymom/pop]

and while off site cant give you mickey waffles at the food court, or maybe the constant mickey everywhere. You can get your own room, and one for the kids, breakfast buffets free, lunch and dinner for the kids free. Three tvs, a micro, a coffee maker, a safe, a fridge, and a HUGE bathroom. Plus a living room.....so you have to decide which is what you want. HIFS is closer to most parks with the exception being AK than say ALL STARS is. The service was incredible, never had a grouchy resort person ever!!!! We loved the HIFS and will stay there again in the future. Now theres the Ohio rate for fall that I am getting that makes All stars a bargain....49 a night is worth staying on site for.


cindy

 

[Lisa P.]

We've also enjoyed both and will likely return to both. They're different and either could be favored.

When we stay onsite, we like to camp at Fort Wilderness in a pop-up camper. In a hotel room, we prefer the deluxes for their wonderful pool areas and convenience to the parks. The moderates are nice too, but too small for our family of 5 (DH disliked DxL). AS are fine for sleeping or very young children, if one reeeeally wants onsite. Didn't care for them otherwise.

Offsite, we have had fabulous stays in 2-BR/2-bath luxury timeshare villas: Great pools, organized activities, screened balconies, full kitchen, inroom washer/dryer, spacious DR/LR, several TVs and king MBR suites with jacuzzi tubs... loads of comfort & privacy with kids! Who could ask for more?!?

Budget is really the issue, though, because Disney Vacation Club resorts offer the same thing... really beautiful, best-of-both villas onsite... at a premium that's beyond our means unless we wanted to limit our annual travel to about 5 nights/year. Since THAT's not happening, we spend most of our stays offsite in top notch digs (sometimes ending with a short, discounted, deluxe stay onsite) or onsite camping. If you spend most of your time at the parks, you'll have fun no matter where you stay, so long as it's fairly nearby! Enjoy!

 

[challada]

We just got back and would definitely recommend the route we went. We rented a HOUSE and had way more ammenities than any hotel or suite could have. We had 8 mo old house with 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen. living areas, 2 car garage, our own inground pool and jacuzzi, cable, washer/dryer, etc. Lots of new neighborhoods down there just for short-term rentals and prices are equivalent to cheapest on-site hotels. Drives were not bad at all and we saw lots of other stuff in Kissimee that we wouldn't have otherwise. Having our own pool was a big hit with the kids for sure!

 

[faith]

Have to vote for onsite! Especially the moderates. Can't beat the bus transportation. Love getting on and not worrying about wrong turns, etc.
Also, the mid day break is so much easier to do onsite. That small rest can make a world of difference no matter what your age.
One other thing. We like Mears shuttle service. I hear a lot of bad comments on the boards about them. Maybe we have just been lucky. But, getting off the plane and letting them get you to the resorts is a rest too.