Trying to be mature & convince myself that I can stay off site...

[JMLBrats]

But I think we'll be miserable if we do. There are soooo many lovely properties off site but we really love to be in the middle of the action. Please convince me that it's worth the $ now to stay on site. The prices have gone through the roof-even at the value resorts (which I really don't like). We are a larger group of 7 (all over 18) so we would need 2 rooms at a minimum. I know about the suites etc. I would stay at AofA in a suite for 5 of us and then a reg room for the other 2 people or something like that BUT the quote I'm seeing for a suite at AofA is over $500 a night!-maybe if all 7 of us could comfortably stay there I could justify it but to me as things stand with 7 of us, it seems crazy. We also know about renting points and have done that many times for DVC but again, the price per point is so high now too that even that seems ridiculous.
BUT, all this said, I know I am probably going to break down & end up doing it...
Please tell me your thoughts, ideas, etc.
We were originally all set to stay at WBC which we have stayed at before but of course they have changed their policies now & our dates are during their "blackout" dates next summer. Yes, I realize that WBC is not an actual disney resort but the location is amazing & the amenities are great.
Anyway, I am really struggling with this. Also seeing that you can no longer depend on the fact that Disney will come out with some kind of discount like they used to almost always do. it's all very unknown.
Help! I'm driving myself & the fam crazy trying to figure this out!
perhaps I should've listed this on the orlando hotels forum?

 

[gottalovepluto]

I was very reluctant to leave the bubble. I LOVED the bubble. But the prices finally drove me out of the bubble this year. I stayed JW Marriott Bonnet Creek for half of what a deluxe was charging and rideshared everywhere. No regrets. Room was a lot nicer, food options were expensive but my Marriott status got me free breakfast.

Swolphin is a good stepping stone out of the Disney bubble. Yes you’ll be dropped off at TTC for MK, no you can’t charge to your MB. But you’ll get early entry like a Disney guest and boat transit to EP and DHS.

There are a number of hotels in the bonnet creek area that only feel like you’re leaving the Disney bubble when you go for the hotel shuttle at a set time instead of a Disney bus with a continuous schedule. And that can be fixed with rideshares. It’s a pretty convenient location.

 

[Praying Colonel]

But I think we'll be miserable if we do. There are soooo many lovely properties off site but we really love to be in the middle of the action. Please convince me that it's worth the $ now to stay on site. The prices have gone through the roof-even at the value resorts (which I really don't like). We are a larger group of 7 (all over 18) so we would need 2 rooms at a minimum. I know about the suites etc. I would stay at AofA in a suite for 5 of us and then a reg room for the other 2 people or something like that BUT the quote I'm seeing for a suite at AofA is over $500 a night!-maybe if all 7 of us could comfortably stay there I could justify it but to me as things stand with 7 of us, it seems crazy. We also know about renting points and have done that many times for DVC but again, the price per point is so high now too that even that seems ridiculous.
BUT, all this said, I know I am probably going to break down & end up doing it...
Please tell me your thoughts, ideas, etc.
We were originally all set to stay at WBC which we have stayed at before but of course they have changed their policies now & our dates are during their "blackout" dates next summer. Yes, I realize that WBC is not an actual disney resort but the location is amazing & the amenities are great.
Anyway, I am really struggling with this. Also seeing that you can no longer depend on the fact that Disney will come out with some kind of discount like they used to almost always do. it's all very unknown.
Help! I'm driving myself & the fam crazy trying to figure this out!
perhaps I should've listed this on the orlando hotels forum?

IMHO staying offsite gets a bad rap sometimes, and your situation is one of those. 7 adults? That's 2 rooms minimum, and you're not going to be very comfortable if you're staying more than a couple of days. Is it more magical to cram into 2 WDW rooms (and the cost involved), or get an offsite condo rental within 15 minutes or so of the parks and have a lot more room (and $ saved)? I know what I would vote for--our onsite stays were fewer and fewer as our family got older. YMMV.

 

[tinkerjo]

I have stayed offsite a few times when we were doing value trips. It works, and we still enjoyed our trips, but it isn’t the same. We drive so transportation wasn’t an issue at all, we just drove to the parks daily. The places we stayed were nicer than the Disney resorts we stayed at and offered most the same amenities. Where my problem laid was that my DH is DONE with the parks by 2pm or so. He loves them, but by 2 he is ready to head back and relax the rest of the day. This made it difficult for me because I don’t love driving in the traffic to go back, and the hassle of loading up, driving back, and getting back in the park was just too much. If you are staying at the park all day and just going back long enough to sleep or take a quick swim, go for it!! You save tons and tons of money, but as long as I can afford to, I will stay onsite

 

[SleeplessInTO]

I think you should try off site. Then you’ll know if you like it or not.

That’s what we did - we stayed off site for a week and rented a car. Now we know we want to always be on-site. And I have that certainty and no lingering “what ifs” or regrets about potential money savings.

 

[maxiesmom]

Try the Swan or Dolphin. Whichever is cheaper for your dates. I love them both. You can typically get them for around the cost of a Disney moderate resort. But they really feel like deluxe resorts. They share multiple pools and restaurants. Plus you are right by the boardwalk, and can boat or walk to both Epcot and the Disney Studios.

I have stayed off site before, and it was fine. But--I would never do it without a rental car. And your group would need a large van or suv. Off site shuttles are limited and some resorts charge for them. Being able to split up ( some people want to sleep in, some want to hit the parks early, someone wants to go back for a nap) is much much easier staying on site.

 

[JMLBrats]

Thank you for all the replies so far. This is making me feel more like I need to stay on site because I know how we are & we do a lot of park time but also being that the kids are now all over 18, they will be wanting to do their own thing a lot & so will we and tinkerjo made a good point about how some people want to do all day at the park while others want to go back to the room to relax in the middle of the day etc. Also I have been thinking about the transportation issue & how annoying it's going to be to get an uber for 7 and all of that. I really don't want to bother doing a rental either and the driving to and from is a BIG hassle at Disney as we have all experienced.

 

[Mrs~Incredible]

Thank you for all the replies so far. This is making me feel more like I need to stay on site because I know how we are & we do a lot of park time but also being that the kids are now all over 18, they will be wanting to do their own thing a lot & so will we and tinkerjo made a good point about how some people want to do all day at the park while others want to go back to the room to relax in the middle of the day etc. Also I have been thinking about the transportation issue & how annoying it's going to be to get an uber for 7 and all of that. I really don't want to bother doing a rental either and the driving to and from is a BIG hassle at Disney as we have all experienced.

It sounds like you have your answer. Just wanted to chime in- we stay off site, always. Usually rent a car but considering Uber this trip. We love having a 2 or 3 bedroom unit with full kitchen, dining table and living room. Plus the cost savings helps me to convince my DH to go longer and more frequently than we otherwise would!

 

[JMLBrats]

It sounds like you have your answer. Just wanted to chime in- we stay off site, always. Usually rent a car but considering Uber this trip. We love having a 2 or 3 bedroom unit with full kitchen, dining table and living room. Plus the cost savings helps me to convince my DH to go longer and more frequently than we otherwise would!

Ha, yes I guess I prob do. We have stayed off site before and it was ok. (loved WBC but that is not an option this time) Having the xtra room was def a huge plus and a real kitchen. I think the biggest issue is the travel to/from the parks which is just annoying when you are off site. I suppose there is just good and bad to both.
Obviously a lot of it comes down to money too. We can technically afford to stay on site but do we really WANT to spend that much money? That's the big question. LOL isn't it always about money (sigh)
But I do have to consider the uber/lyft cost & the time wasted getting to/from. We haven't been in a few years and we do want this trip to be special. If we try to cut cost too much, we might regret it and then feel like we didn't "do" the trip the way we really wanted to. On the other hand, if we spend a Sh** ton of money we might feel like we spent too much and it wasn't really "worth" it.
sorry y'all-not trying to be depressing. I would imagine that I'm not the only one who struggles with this decision though. Especially those of us with larger families.

 

[Brian Noble]

Try it---but do it with an open mind. There are things I like better about being onsite, and things I like better about being offsite. The biggest advantage to me of being offsite is that it is easy to get a lot of space for a very modest cost--and that's especially important with a larger party. It would not be hard to get a 4BR/4BA pool home for about the cost of a single Disney Moderate room. You can mix drinks and make the nachos within spitting distance of your own private pool.

 

[SleepyDeb]

You could stay an extra few nights or have another trip with what you'll save offsite.

 

[Aprilshack]

I’m looking into staying off site for 2024. I need longer than a week and I’ve been looking at the Rosen inn, Lake buena vista. I bet the price I pay there for 14 days is cheaper than 7 on-site at Disney. If it’s a little dearer with some sort of dining credits offer to offset some of the extra cost, I may consider staying at Disney. It just depends on Disney’s prices when they come out.

 

[tinkerjo]

Try the Swan or Dolphin. Whichever is cheaper for your dates. I love them both. You can typically get them for around the cost of a Disney moderate resort. But they really feel like deluxe resorts. They share multiple pools and restaurants. Plus you are right by the boardwalk, and can boat or walk to both Epcot and the Disney Studios.

I have stayed off site before, and it was fine. But--I would never do it without a rental car. And your group would need a large van or suv. Off site shuttles are limited and some resorts charge for them. Being able to split up ( some people want to sleep in, some want to hit the parks early, someone wants to go back for a nap) is much much easier staying on site.

My DD tried the swan and dolphin and really liked it. She’s a nurse and got a great rate! She didn’t have any trouble with transportation and felt the rooms were larger and nicer than the typical Disney room. All the perks without the price

 

[JMLBrats]

My DD tried the swan and dolphin and really liked it. She’s a nurse and got a great rate! She didn’t have any trouble with transportation and felt the rooms were larger and nicer than the typical Disney room. All the perks without the price

Yeah I mean I would love to stay at the swan or dolphin but anytime I’ve tried, it was way out of our price range and especially now with 7 adults-there’s no way that would work for us. I def cannot do a week in a double queen reg hotel room with 3 other adults. Nope. Lol

 

[Wendysofftoneverland]

Would one of the hotels walkable to Disney Springs work for your budget? We stayed at the Hilton across the street from Disney Springs and still felt we were in the middle of the Disney action.

 

[bakerworld]

Assuming you have a car, I am sure there are lots of options within 10 minutes of driving thru the gates of the Parks to park. If you've no car that I would suggest the Dolphin, which we really enjoy and make a point of staying at least every few years.

If you can walk from the Hilton to Disney Springs, the Hilton is very nice. It's a bit of a walk for me but my former director thought the walk was short.

 

[Weeki64]

But I think we'll be miserable if we do. There are soooo many lovely properties off site but we really love to be in the middle of the action. Please convince me that it's worth the $ now to stay on site. The prices have gone through the roof-even at the value resorts (which I really don't like). We are a larger group of 7 (all over 18) so we would need 2 rooms at a minimum. I know about the suites etc. I would stay at AofA in a suite for 5 of us and then a reg room for the other 2 people or something like that BUT the quote I'm seeing for a suite at AofA is over $500 a night!-maybe if all 7 of us could comfortably stay there I could justify it but to me as things stand with 7 of us, it seems crazy. We also know about renting points and have done that many times for DVC but again, the price per point is so high now too that even that seems ridiculous.
BUT, all this said, I know I am probably going to break down & end up doing it...
Please tell me your thoughts, ideas, etc.
We were originally all set to stay at WBC which we have stayed at before but of course they have changed their policies now & our dates are during their "blackout" dates next summer. Yes, I realize that WBC is not an actual disney resort but the location is amazing & the amenities are great.
Anyway, I am really struggling with this. Also seeing that you can no longer depend on the fact that Disney will come out with some kind of discount like they used to almost always do. it's all very unknown.
Help! I'm driving myself & the fam crazy trying to figure this out!
perhaps I should've listed this on the orlando hotels forum?

We just stayed offsite in Flamingo Crossings. We were evacuating from hurricane Ian and could only get one night in Disney. I love being on property the best but the Hilton Home 2 suites was very nice and we liked it.

 

[tinkerjo]

Ok, thinking outside the box here, and I know this doesn’t work for everyone, but have you ever considered ft Wilderness? You can rent a fully stocked camper and get a campsite for the price of a moderate and it can accommodate up to 8-10. ( or make the adult kids sleep in a tent) you have some of the nicest comfort stations you will ever find and the option to make some of your own food. Some reservations even include a golf cart or you can include it for a fee cheaper than Disney’s fee. We actually tent camped once and had a great time with 5 adults and 1 kid. Plus no parking fee if you have/rent a car.

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

Based on what you have been saying:

You will never stay onsite and say " Man I wish I stayed off site "

If you know what you like, regardless of money ( if you can afford it ), do what you like. You are not going to think about the extra money spent while there on site, but you might say to yourself that you wished you spent the money while offsite.

You don't want to be on vacation and think " Man I wish I paid the extra to stay somewhere else "

There are plenty of beautiful hotels offsite, but if you KNOW you want to be in the bubble, stay in the bubble. No amount of beauty will change that when you leave the parks and head back to a place off site, or not getting on those Disney busses.

Again, this is just based on what you are saying. Not what others might think

 

[JMLBrats]

Based on what you have been saying:

You will never stay onsite and say " Man I wish I stayed off site "

If you know what you like, regardless of money ( if you can afford it ), do what you like. You are not going to think about the extra money spent while there on site, but you might say to yourself that you wished you spent the money while offsite.

You don't want to be on vacation and think " Man I wish I paid the extra to stay somewhere else "

There are plenty of beautiful hotels offsite, but if you KNOW you want to be in the bubble, stay in the bubble. No amount of beauty will change that when you leave the parks and head back to a place off site, or not getting on those Disney busses.

Again, this is just based on what you are saying. Not what others might think

Thank you for your insight-as well as everyone else’s. I think this is basically the bottom line for me. We have stayed off site twice before-once at a townhome that had its own mini pool and once at BWC. I would not do the townhome style stay again unless I planned on doing other Orlando activities and not Disney. As I mentioned, we did really enjoy WBC as we are really looking for that “resort” feel if not on an actual Disney hotel. As far as fort wilderness, I don’t know if that would work for us but I do like the idea and I love fort wilderness. The main negative I see with fort wilderness is how spread out it is and not having a “real” private bathroom-might not work for me and the girls. Lol.