[ELyon10431]

Hi everyone,

I have been to Orlando 4 times (this will be my 5th) I have always stayed off site in I-Drive and have always loved it, i:e the choice of restaurants, shopping etc.
I was just wondering what the benefits of staying on-site where? and also which complex would you recommend for my first time staying on site (if I do this next time)?

Liz:D

[trishb]

Good Question! My family does both. Once a year we come strictly to do disney, that is when we stay on property. We love disney for more than the theme parks: we love the resorts, the dining and the recreation. We are fully immersed in the disney experience:) and we do not worry about doing anything outside of 'the world'.
And once a year we come to visit Florida. That is when we plan to do other things, and include some aspect of WDW in our vacation plans. Usually we stay at Downtown Disney, and make that our central location for visiting family, shopping and site-seeing.
So. really it is a matter of vacation priorities.
If you decide to stay on site, I recommend: The Wilderness Lodge, if you are looking for rest and relaxation in a quiet atmosphere and the Boardwalk Inn, if you are looking for dining options and proximity to Epcot.

[MickeyMac]

On-site:

* Full & frequent use of Disney transportation; monorails, frequent busses, boats, you name it.
* Disney immersion 24/7.
* Character busses, at your resort, 2-3 mornings a week. You don't have to battle an entire park for attention, merely other resort guests.
* Admission to the earlier character breakfast priority seatings. You have to be a resort guest to use the transportation system early.
* Admission available to e-ride nights. This has to be the biggest, non-publicized draw right now. It's limited admission, after hours to the top MK rides like Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, etc. It is an additional fee, but the rides are all yours.
* Package delivery to your hotel from the shops and parks. This was so amazing to me, I wanted to buy stuff just to send to my room. :D
* If something should go wrong, you are in Disney's hands. My daughter got horribly sick in January, and Disney provided us private transport back to our on-site hotel, and all ready had her perscription waiting in our room from the pharmacy, charged to our room. All we had to do was relax and tell them what she needed. They took care of the rest, even contacting her doctor.

There's a couple of others that I can't think of right now, but these are the ones that hit me first. I think the last reason I mention is why I doubt we would ever stay offsite again.

[Dawn S]

I used to always stay off-site, too. I did the on-site thing a few times, so I am able to see both sides of the decision. Staying on-site is good if you want to totally submerse yourself in Disney, Disney & Disney & there is nothing wrong with that at all. Transportation within the park is adequate, entertainment is ample, dining options are immense. BUT, if you plan to do non-Disney events (or, if you're an explorer like I am), then you're losing the primary benefit of being on-site...the local convenience. It all depends on what you plan to do on your vacation. I have stayed all over 192 & I drive as well. The hotels are comparable to the on-site hotels, depending on the level.

It seems the Polynesian is a guest favorite on-site. I love it as well.

[mickey]

We have stayed both on-site as well as off. Our first trip, we stayed at Dixie Landings, as we did on our second trip. After that, we stayed at a couple of different Marriotts, both at the Marriott World Center and closer to Sea World. While it was cheaper staying off site, that was the only positive thing we found about it. I didn't like having to hop in the car in the morning and have to drive for 20 minutes to get to the parks, or spend all that time driving back just to take a break.

I love staying on property. We have sinced purchased points at the Disney Vacation Club, and have stayed at Old Key West and Boardwalk. It is so nice to be so close to everything, we never leave except to go to the grocery store. The restaurants are all high quality, the employees are great and there are millions of things to do.

Every time I stay at a non-Disney hotel, unless it is a very high quality hotel, I just feel like they don't care if I am there or not, as long as I pay them. At all Disney hotels, they treat our kids like they are royalty, and treat us like we own the place. I have always had wonderful experiences with Disney resorts, and would stay there without thinking about it twice. Staying off property, I never wanted to be in our room, we might as well have been staying in a tent. On property, I love the resorts, pools, restaurants and all the other amenities.

[ELyon10431]

Hi,

Thanks for all your replies, I am staying at the Sheraton Vistana Resort next time I go, but after reading all your replies I think I will opt for an on-site hotel the time after that (I will start planning right away). I have visited the Boardwalk before and considered buying points. The romms looked really good, however I think I would like to try the Wilderness Lodge first.

Liz:D

[CP17]

We stayed on site our last time to WDW at the Coronado Springs. It was great because it was more than just a hotel (as far as activities and stuff to do at the resort). But usually when I go to WDW I go to be in the park from before it opens to after it closes, so I don't spend that much time actually in my hotel room. So to me it really depends on if you like to spending all your time in the parks or split your time between the hotel and the parks. I wouldn't recommend staying any lower than Moderate if you stay on site. To me at a Value resort you can get the same room at a Days Inn for less than 50% the price. As far as convience of riding Disney transportation, it's ok if you like standing around waiting for your bus.

[disney1230]

I have stayed at On-site properties but have mainly stayed off-site. You'll definitely save money staying off-site. I have always stayed in Lake Buena Vista which is ajacent to WDW. You have a wide selection of hotels to choose from and the time to get to the parks is minimal since you'll avoid the I-4 & 192 congestion:dazed
You would probably look anywhere from a 5-10 minute drive to get to the parks from the Lake Buena Vista area.
HOWEVER, if convienence is a high priority then been by all means my suggestion would be to stay on the property. As others have mentioned, you never have to leave the property, you get the usually Disney Magic Touch and the memories that go along with doing the total Disney vacation.

[jwdj4lfe]

There are endless choices of resorts to stay at Disney World. They got about 20 of them!! If you’re staying at one of the deluxe resorts on the monorail line (the poly, contemporary and Grand Floridian), you get that transportation right in your lobby! No one can beat that access to the parks! The free transportation is another big perk of staying on property. But for me the big reason is that you’re still immersed in the magic! You can be walking thru the lobby and hear “the circle of life” over the P.A., its just a little reminder that you’re still there, in WDW! I agree with what everyone else says about the perks to. For every 100 perks of staying on-site there’s 1 for staying off-site, well to me there is! Since I’ve been addicted to the resorts, I absolutely hate it when we have to stay off property!
Joe:)

[wdwjeff]

To me, there's no decision. I have to stay on-site. I want to be in the magic 24/7. I don't want to deal with renting a car or driving anywhere. Also, the resorts are Disney-themed, and they just seem to care more about you. Little things like Stitch making your wake-up calls. You also get all the Disney info channels on the TV. And, now, with all the discounts, it's not all that much cheaper to stay off-site. So, to me, what's the point?:D :)

[Goofette]

When I stayed offsite, I didn't stay in a "resort" type setting. It was just a hotel. For me staying at AKL was an adventure all on it's own. The hotel was magnificent and I have never been treated any better at any other hotel. Plus, I felt completely safe walking around there at night with my daughter (at the Savannah area), and at the pool. The music they play just starts your day off terrific, and ends your night with that special feeling that you ARE at Disney World. There are so many little things that make it special (like the Mickey soaps), or when you are in your room at night, turning on the tv and listening to "Belle" read a night time story to your children. It's just a great feeling. And with so many specials they're offering right now, there are plenty of choices for the type of resort that would fit along with anyones budget. :) :)

Almost forgot, the Buses for us were terrific too. It was nice just walking outside, catching the bus to where we were going and that was it. No worrying about finding a parking place at the parks.

[jgriff2388]

Why stay on site? Becaused the resorts at WDW are spectacular! I've stayed off site at a Marriott Residence Inn several years ago, and it was nice. However, it does not compare to the convenience of staying on site. Plus you don't have the Disney "magic" that you get when you stay off site. Besides the wonderful hotels, the amenities at the resort hotels are great. You work hard for your money and only live once, so why not stay on site and enjoy yourself. :)

[ilvminnie]

Staying on-site just increases the magic! We discovered several years ago that getting into our car took the magic away. Staying on property you don't even have to think about driving, let alone doing it. The themes in the resorts are great and there seems to be one to match just about anyone's tastes. The service at the resorts generally is better than you'll get anywhere else. The CMs are awesome & sooooo helpful. We refuse to stay off-site ever again!

[mjs1902]

We had stayed onsite for our first four trips and then decided to stay in the DoubleTree Suites this past time. I love staying onsite, however staying in a hotel along Buena Vista Boulevard was fun - and different. We had bus transportation to different parks and we could walk to Downtown Disney and hop a bus. We even received the Disney onsite discount for our passes. Not bad. Still like Fort Wildernes the best - but in a budget crunch this did just fine. By the way, we had a microwave, refrig, and enough beds to sleep 6.

[PiratesFan]

Everyone has basically covered the technical differences between staying on and off-site. I have done both and can vouch that the on-site experience is just that, part of the Disney experience. Part of the Disney Magic is that you don't have to see or be reminded of many off-property distractions. The Disney resorts continue the Magic even when you are just too exhausted to be in the parks. This creates a much more relaxed atmosphere you just can't get anywhere else. Disney's attention to detail contributes to this, whether it be in cheerful CMs, immaculate landscaping, themed environments, etc. I just can't say enough good things on how this is all accomplished but you really must experience it firsthand, regardless of cost. I would rather NOT GO TO WDW if I could not stay on-site. I know this may bother some people, but I am spoiled from my first WDW experiences since 1975 when the Poly, Contemporary, and MK were the only kids on the block. :)