Wanna Join My "Offsite Support Group"?

[FayeW]

Believe it or not, I think I fall in the "middle of the road" group myself, despite the tone of my posts. I've never stayed onsite because I think to do so would compromise the quality of accomodations. I'm not willing to stay in less than a 2 bdrm, and I can't afford that onsite. I could only afford smaller accomodations so for now we stay offsite, since I'm not willing to pay more to have smaller rooms. HOWEVER, if there was ever a time when all four of us were not going together (i.e a mother/daughter trip, etc) then I would be quite willing to give onsite a whirl, since we would only need room for 2 people. KWIM?

 

[Popsicle]

WWHHHOOOOOO!!!! I LOVE this thread. I want to be a charter member of the club.

Being rather cheap, no, make that frugal, we've never stayed onsite. The first year we went, 1992, they didn't have the Value Resorts, so we opted for Holiday Inn Main Gate East. (Still remember Holiday Hound.) Heck, we didn't think could afford Florida, period, at the time.

If we were a party of five, we'd have to get two rooms, and with itty-bitty kids, we wanted to be together. Don't know how we discovered the condos and villas, but we were hooked. With five of us (a couple of years we were eight) those onsite rooms just wouldn't work. Now, we wouldn't dream of the Value, or Moderate or the Luxury. The DVC properties would be perfect, but nobody is willing to give up a kidney just yet. We're August people and even renting points, it's just too much.

About five years ago, my DSIL was determined we'd stay onsite at least once, so she called and asked about the accommodations. She asked what the rooms were like, to which she was given the answer "2 beds, a door, and a bathroom." She hasn't mentioned onsite again.

People talk about the transportation system. I take a bus every day to get to and from work. THIS IS VACATION. I DON'T WANT TO STAND ON A BUS. Granted, my brother whom we now call Christopher Columbus, has taken a wrong turn now and again, but we're flexible. You find some of the most interesting places when you get lost.

We have no problem renting cars. We have freedom. We travel all over the place. (Kennedy, Orlando proper, Sea World, Universal (every year), Busch Gardens, not to mention the Disney discount stores. We feel like natives. And the resorts.... Celebrity, Celebration, Westgate, the Palms, Lindfields, Calypso Cay and places I don't even remember any more.

All I can say is, there is nothing better than getting back from the parks, pulling a couple of cold brewskis out of our FREE refrigerator, sitting on a screened porch, and taking in a Kissimmee or Orlando evening while the clothes are washing or drying IN OUR UNIT.

I love Disney World, but being a grizzled old city dweller, I have to have some contact with something like reality that I get from being able to REALLY enjoy all that the area has to offer.

As for the Magic.... I'm immersed in it when when we pass through that wonderful arch welcoming us to Disney World.

 

[dgaston]

We stay everywhere. Just back from a week long stay in a 2 bedroom 2 bath condo at Windsor Palms for less than $500. When the kids were little we camped at Fort Wilderness to be on property and to afford Disney. For short weekends, we have stayed at Pop Century to get the free dining (and totally enjoyed DH's birthday at California Grill). We have also stayed at AK and WL on weekends when DVC points were too high for our lean point budget. I also love Cypress Pointe thru hotelkingdom.com

I am a firm believer in the mantra that Disney Magic is what you make for your family. I have been known to bring down Mickey soaps and shampoos for the off-site locations

 

[DonnaLeah]

Just popping in to say good morning before I head off to work. Have to pay for those Disney vacations, no matter where I decide to stay!!
Also wanted to thank everyone for their insite and suggestions about the poolhomes and villas. They all look terrific!!

 

[Evans Family]

I really don't think you are missing much. I've stayed both on property and off. I've stayed at the Beach Club 4 times.

I really don't think the extra money is really worth it unless it's money that you will not miss. I get sick of eating out all the time! It is so unhealthy!

 

[sweetpeakaris]

Count us in! Totally know what you mean. We stayed onsite once, and it was nothing special to us, the room seemed dated and worn too. We perfer to rent a home or condo, much nicer and more room when traveling with 4 kiddos. If it were just me and DH, I'd prolly still want to stay offsite.

 

[Mainebound]

LOL There are 3 distinct groups I've picked up on this board :
1) "onsite or die" group
2) "offsite or die" group
3) "middle-of-the-road" group

I'm the latter....I think there's plenty of room for everybody

We're in the last group, too. When we have stayed onsite, I have been just as frazzled as everyone else on the Resorts Board. Changing ressies 20 times, (Pop! no POFQ! No! AKL! no wait! POP!) putting in room requests, waiting on codes, worrying about various things (do we have the bedrails? the fridge? etc.). So I do think there's a level of stress ONsite that gets overlooked. That said, I think you do get a very high level of service at WDW resorts, esp. deluxe ones, which makes it feel like a real "vacation" in some ways. But in other ways, i.e. constantly worrying about the kids "escaping", having to entertain the kids in the tiny room, trying to juggle breakfast and getting dressed in tiny room, no space apart, having to watch cartoons when the TV is on, no down time with DH ... etc. ... the onsite is less of a "vacation".

Anyway, thanks for starting this thread!!!

 

[kimisabella]

I'm so glad this thread was started. I always feel when reading other threads that in order to have a disney vacation, you need to stay onsite. We've stayed onsite most of the time, with the last time being at the AKL this past october. I do love the disney resorts, and would LOVE to stay at the poly this summer, but since we are in the process of selling our home, and buying a new one, I'm trying to keep expenses down. I found a great deal on the doubletree suites in dtd, and it seems like a perfect fit. I don't feel so bad now that I'm not staying in a disney hotel. For the money we would pay to spend 5 nights at the poly, room only, I can pay for the doubletree hotel, park tickets & airfare!!!!

 

[MICOL]

We have stayed in Disney twice and the last two times in Kissimmee, once a 3 bed Condo at Somerset Villas and this past week a nice 5 bedroom pool home. We will never stay inside again. Not for a motel 6 type room in Disney with two double beds and a bath. Even Animal Kingdom Lodge had small rooms. In the rental home we had a washer and dryer so we only packed 4 days of clothes instead of 8 or finding a wash room. Plus a private pool with no P in the pool. Plus we had two other families and had plenty of room and an area to visit at night to relax and not on the edge of a bed. I did enyoy the Magic in Disney but it not worth the trade off.

 

[traciedee]

I'm in.

I have 3 teens and it is wonderful to have a second bathroom and for the us to have our own space.

Benefits of offsite-

Incredibly affordable
Space-privacy-sanity
Washer/dryer-yippee
fridge-left overs(especially pizza), snacks, beverages, milk for coffee
microwave-left overs, snacks, popcorn!
3 tvs-dvd-vcr-stereo
2 bathrooms-they won't start the day by fighting over the bathroom and I won't start the day by yelling at them to quit fighting.
Toaster-being able to pop in a bagel or pop tart or english muffin to start the day
Coffee maker-Beverage of the gods, nothing better than starting the day with a cup of Starbucks House Blend sitting on your own patio overlooking the pool.
Room Choice-I know where my room is and I know that it directly faces the pool. Don't have to worry about where you might get stuck and what your view will be.

97 days to go and Windsor Hills here we come!

 

[Danyell]

I'm in too! I've been to Disney World 2x and stayed off site. It was fun, I just wished we had more room (both times were in small, cheap hotels). After discovering info about pool homes though, I don't think I'd ever consider staying onsite now! Just seeing pics of the beautiful homes has totally spoiled me and I'll now have a hard time imagining my family in any cramped hotel room anywhere!

 

[grammynelliebelle]

Count us in. When the kids were small we used to tent/van camp at Fort Wilderness and had stays at the Poly, old Dixie Landings and the trailer/cabins at the Fort. Now I wouldn't even think about anything other than the pool home. If it were just my DH and I perhaps a condo offsite. It is the best!

 

[babiesX2]

DH and I are timeshare members for several locations. We have never stayed on site and never will. We can not imagine staying in a hotel room with all the kids, and not having at our fingertips all the luxuries that we have with a time share, i.e. washer and dryer. We just don't go to the park that has EMH that day. Thanks for the laugh.

 

[mrsgus06]

I would do either one, but I do stay on site for every visit. I love the thought of having 5 or 6 bedrooms and a private pool. However, at one time, I had one that was 9 months, 3, 4, 5 and 6 years old and I don't think I could have stayed anywhere except on site. Now they are ages 4 through 11 and things are getting easier every year. I stay on site now because we bought our fifth wheel and camp at Ft. Wilderness. Yes, the kids all sleep on the floor (because that is where they prefer). Our last camper had a quad bunk and not one kid slept in the bunk. Our fifth wheel has dual a/c's, central vac, washer/dryer and 2 bathrooms. You need 2 bathrooms when you have 4 daughters. I also have my own private bedroom where I can stay up later and not bother the kids. Plus, if more bathrooms are needed, they just head to the nearest comfort station. If I did not own my camper, you bet I would be staying offsite. There is no way we could afford a suite for the length of time we camp. Checking in June 1 and staying till Aug 5. Although I don't stay offsite, I totally agree and understand why some do. Camping is not for everyone. When you leave the parks, it still has the magic, but not the crowded feeling of staying in a hotel room. I love to sit outside and watch people as they ride by on their golf carts. The campground is a much lower pace than the hotels. Oh yea, I drive to every park except the MK. There is only so much Disney magic I can take on the bus!

PS: I still love going on line and looking at the vacation homes with the pools. I guess I am just sick like that, but those homes are beautiful!

 

[Robinrs]

LOL There are 3 distinct groups I've picked up on this board :
1) "onsite or die" group
2) "offsite or die" group
3) "middle-of-the-road" group

I'm the latter....I think there's plenty of room for everybody

There are a few more groups:

The onsite but only at particular hotels group
The onsite and and snooty about mugs and pools group
The offsite because it makes good money sense group
The offsite because they cannot be bothered with the onsite snobs group
The offsite I refuse to sleep or watch TV in the same room with a family or non family member group
The I own a villa and will slip in a reference to it as many times as I can get away with group
The offsite at Disney but onsite at Universal group
The onsite Universal Portofino or DIE group
The onsite Universal who know the Royal Pacific is better group
The onsite Universal I just tooo cool to go to anywhere but the Hard Rock group
The I just found the DIS, stay at the Days Inn and will fall into one of these groups after a few good readings group....

 

[FayeW]

There are a few more groups:

The onsite but only at particular hotels group
The onsite and and snooty about mugs and pools group
The offsite because it makes good money sense group
The offsite because they cannot be bothered with the onsite snobs group
The offsite I refuse to sleep or watch TV in the same room with a family or non family member group
The I own a villa and will slip in a reference to it as many times as I can get away with group
The offsite at Disney but onsite at Universal group
The onsite Universal Portofino or DIE group
The onsite Universal who know the Royal Pacific is better group
The onsite Universal I just tooo cool to go to anywhere but the Hard Rock group
The I just found the DIS, stay at the Days Inn and will fall into one of these groups after a few good readings group....

Very,Very true! Some of the onsite groups frighten me...I'm not sure I want to vacation with them!

 

[DonnaLeah]

How about my vacation planning was a lot less stressful before I found the DIS group. (Love the DIS, but now I worry about everthing!!)
I remember when I would make a reservation about a month before we were leaving and just buy the tickets at our hotel. What was I thinking!!! But I do love the vacation planning now.

 

[kikakeko]

I think I can top that- Generally our vacations are planned by my DH calling me from work on a long weekend friday at lunch and saying "if you have the car packed by the time I get home we will go somewhere" I would be packed and in the car when he would pull in. We are "those" type of people. Most of the time we wouldn't even go with reservations and take the luck of the draw. Those were some really fun vacations. Most of the time we would just head south on 77 and decide where as we moved along.

 

[MiaSRN62]

The onsite but only at particular hotels group
The onsite and and snooty about mugs and pools group

You're right Robin ! There are many sub-groups within the main groups....can't deny that.
I have already confessed to enjoying staying onsite but I can firmly deny being a refillable mug or pool-hopping snob I like all the WDW resorts. I don't discriminate. (and I still have nothing against staying offsite either !)
Heck, I'm a DVC Member, and there are even other Members who put down certain DVC resorts and swear they'll never stay there because it's substandard or whatever. There really are some major diehards in some of these subgroups. As you mentioned, I think you can find them anywhere---in the offsite groups, onsite groups and Universal groups etc.........

 

[Coreena]

Love your post!!!! Staying onsite definately has it's perks - but with children and an extended family.... it's so nice to be comfortable! And there is no lack of magic! Once you get the "Lay of the Land" so to speak and get comfortable driving from park to park... it is actually so much easier with small children and all of their gear (strollers, diaper bags). Getting a full size stroller or even a double stroller on the Disney Busses is so difficult... especially with screaming children who don't want to sit still! We found ourselves driving from park to park even though we stayed onsite! Once we started doing that... we realized that there was no difference for us except a more expensive trip. I do like the extra magic hours... but honestly unless grandma comes to watch the child... we can't really take advantage of that either Staying out on 192 in Kissimmee is the way to go! It is so close to the park and there is so much out there!

Have fun!!!