[MissDisney]

Alicefan --
We have done a lot of both. We really enjoy the savings of being able to stay in a luxurious and spacious 2-bedroom villa (being able to spread out keeps the peace at the end of the day!!!) and only paying about $180 a night for the privilege. We do it so we can spend all sorts of money on WDW stuff.

But honestly, when we stay offsite, there are many times a day when I have to remind myself "Well, it's OK because we are saving money!" Like at EMH, or when I walk through the lobby of a WDW hotel and I just wnt to stay! Or when the end of the night comes and we are looking for our car in a huge lot so we can drive off property to our condo.

Don't get me wrong -- a budget is a budget and most of the condo properties are absolutely fantastic! And obviously we have done it enough that we are willing to live with the hardship of not having Mickey soap and towel critters.

One of the main reasons we love WDW as a family is because everyone can go do their own thing -- DH woud happily golf every day, DD loves a good manicure, and DS is just plain coaster-happy. Staying on-property means DH can got to the golf course in the rental car and the rest of us can go wherever we want on WDW transportation.

So the answer is yes, being on property has a zillion advantages and that lovely Disney magic. But sometimes staying offsite makes so much sense financially that you can really cram a lot of magic into your day and still stay on budget... like shopping, dining and splurging on special activities!