What is the mix of Disney / non-Disney Guests?

[Westcoastwild]

Yeah -- With the large group the offsite condo or house saves so much, and there are really nice choices (huge dollar savings). When you only need one room I agree with what you are saying. You really can't beat the convenience of onsite Disney with the shuttles if you are planning on doing Disney the whole time and don't want to get a car. It really is a wash financially too. I'd say that the Disney Springs places would be possibilities too if you like the feel of those better than the Disney values and are willing to sacrifice the EMH and go with slightly less frequent shuttles.

Now if you are doing other Orlando stuff besides Disney that has a big play in what you might decide to do with just one or two people also -- putting offsite more in the running. Was just helping DS 21 plan a mini budget trip (he and his significant other) in Sept. Being under 25 they are skipping the rental car (Rental car companies don't consider you to be an adult or want to rent to you till you're 25 lol -- actually statistically just think you are too high a driving risk). They will be using Uber, Lyft, shuttles (if available). Anyway for their dates (something going on at Disney perhaps -- the values were running $136 a night -- least expensive options are sold out at the two values DS looked at with me), they are only doing Disney for one of their three days: plans are SeaWorld one day, Titanic attraction - pool time -- visiting cousin who lives in Orlando one day, and the Magic Kingdom one day. What appealed to DS most at the price point he was looking at and what he booked was a studio at the Hilton Grand Vacation Club at SeaWorld -- price of $98 per night (special rate with no resort fee). They can walk to SeaWorld for their SeaWorld day from here too. There were some walk to SeaWorld hotel rooms around the same price too that could have even included breakfast (a $92 a night place and a $108 a night place with breakfast - that second was choice number two). Disney values, hotels/motels walking distance to SeaWorld, and this condo walking distance to SeaWorld were the finalists. For DS the condo studio place just had the nicest vibe and the most upscale feel of these choices and is what he went with. It looks like it even has a balcony. Anyway I thought he really made a good choice and am delighted that he's really excited about where he is staying. DH and I are forking over some of the money for DS's mini trip as a birthday present. (September is a low cost time -- school still in session, still hot and humid in Orlando, etc.) Wouldn't be my pick of a time to go, but both crowds and prices are really good I have to say (looks like Sept. week days have some of the lowest crowds all year at Disney and that's kind of nice).

The trouble was that the Disney Spring places were a wash before airport transport, and airport transport then made it significantly more expensive for me. That's where I wanted to stay in the first place- I'm not an onsite girl at DL. But in the end, I was happy to be staying on property; the property itself is so large that it still requires a chunk of transit time. On property I could head straight to my park choice of the day, and I didn't have to waste time going to the main transportation center and then catching the bus. I did rent a car for one day at Universal, and I considered keeping it for a day or two after. But although driving in the Orlando area was a cinch (compared to Seattle, I mean), I just didn't find the car as convenient as I expected. I really don't mind the buses, and driving meant that I had less mental "down time".

Obviously there are a lot of people who don't feel the same, but I would stay on property again primarily for the buses.

Your DS's trip sounds like a lot of fun! The condo sounds awesome, and if I was going to see more of Florida next time, I'd definitely consider something like that. The trouble is that all the other things I want to see in florida are so far away from Orlando!

 

[nicolej92]

We will only ever stay on property as we are purchasing DVC after our wedding next year.

However, I was shocked at how many of our wedding guests are staying off property. I would say that the split is probably 80/20 in our crowd of people, with 80% staying off site and still vacationing at Disney (doing parks). I'm sure the general population numbers would be with more staying on property, though.

 

[mom2rtk]

We will only ever stay on property as we are purchasing DVC after our wedding next year.

However, I was shocked at how many of our wedding guests are staying off property. I would say that the split is probably 80/20 in our crowd of people, with 80% staying off site and still vacationing at Disney (doing parks). I'm sure the general population numbers would be with more staying on property, though.

Not sure if anyone knows the real figure, but I don't think the majority of guests are on property. I thought I'd heard onsite was maybe around 30%?

 

[goofyernmost]

Not sure if anyone knows the real figure, but I don't think the majority of guests are on property. I thought I'd heard onsite was maybe around 30%?

That makes more sense. There are a lot more hotels offsite then onsite and they are much, much cheaper. It is easier to get food and most of the hotels are within a very close distance from WDW. Car rentals can be expensive, but, from what I have seen, it only takes a couple of days to make up the cost by staying offsite, most do not have resort fees or parking fees and even if you factor in the parking lot charges it is still hugely cheaper to stay offsite. What you won't have is the 24/7 Mouse exposure. To me that is a plus, but, to many it is not. That really is the deciding factor. If paying that much extra is worth it to you to be that immersed, then by all means that is the way to go.

 

[Disney_and_Wine]

I'm sure the general population numbers would be with more staying on property, though.

If you read through this entire thread you will see numerous posts that show analytically that the onsite number is NEVER in the majority and is closer to 35%-37%.

 

[Coral Reef Diver]

This thread is very interesting. I definitely assumed the percentage of onsite guests to be higher!

OP here:

Me, too. I had no idea my original posting would spark such speculation. To continue on with my original purpose (and in the process, risk hijacking my own thread), I am going to settle with 25% because the math works, and it seems representative of the well supported responses I got. Now I can perceive a mix of park admission as three off-site guests for every one on-site guest. There is a touring strategy that says to tour the other parks on an EMH morning, because the EMH park will be swamped. [pause for denial from DIS members].

But then answer me this... If 25% of park admission (the on-site guests) are going to attend one of the 4 major parks (25%), have we really gained anything? Mix in adding off-site guests after an hours time, and I envision the EMH park admission rising to 25-30%, maybe more.

Seems like it would be ideal to spend the first hour at the EMH park and the rest of the day at the other parks. What do you think? Seems so logical.

 

[Legendteri]

I'm now a local but when I had to book rooms I would use sites like Hotwire often and as I was doing 12 or more trips a year you get to know exactly what hotel you would get based on all the amenities,so even though they don't tell you the name until you book I was 99% certain what hotel it would be.Deals like $240 hotels for $80,$160 for $55 were common,sometimes if you used the app instead of the website the prices would be even cheaper.With as many trips as I would do sometimes I just wanted the cheapest hotel that I knew was good,and like I said since I used the site so often you knew exactly what hotel it would be based on location,stars and amenities.I probably stayed at this one hotel dozens of time for $32-$48 based on how busy the season was.That particular hotel booked for next week is $97 on their website and $80 on hotels.com,on Hotwire its $44 ,it has a free hot breakfast,clean and a nice place overall,every time I stayed there I was satisfied.That's the thing about Orlando and hotels,with the abundance of offsite hotels the prices are usually kept in check,making it easier to get a decent place for a low price.In other cities a $50 is almost assured to be a dump,even getting it on hotwire.

We have always had good luck with Hotwire too. Not in Orlando but other cities. One thing I did notice on Orlando hotwire, if a hotel/resort charges a resort fee, hotwire has to list it and once they do it is easy to Google that location ( i.e. lake buena vista) and fee price to see what comes up and then narrow it down using the amenities listed.

 

[Shanti]

OP here:

Me, too. I had no idea my original posting would spark such speculation. To continue on with my original purpose (and in the process, risk hijacking my own thread), I am going to settle with 25% because the math works, and it seems representative of the well supported responses I got. Now I can perceive a mix of park admission as three off-site guests for every one on-site guest. There is a touring strategy that says to tour the other parks on an EMH morning, because the EMH park will be swamped. [pause for denial from DIS members].

But then answer me this... If 25% of park admission (the on-site guests) are going to attend one of the 4 major parks (25%), have we really gained anything? Mix in adding off-site guests after an hours time, and I envision the EMH park admission rising to 25-30%, maybe more.

Seems like it would be ideal to spend the first hour at the EMH park and the rest of the day at the other parks. What do you think? Seems so logical.

We have always had good experiences attending Extra Magic Hours.

 

[kagmypts]

We have a family of 5, and we need two rooms (my middle child wakes up at the crack dawn). If everyone is tired and cranky, it's not a vacation for anyone. We stay in a 2-bedroom condo with a pirate-themed pool in the community. It is one exit from Disney property. It usually runs about $200 per night. A comparable unit at Disney (with a kitchen and full-size refrigerator, which saves $$$) is almost $800 per night. It's simply cost prohibitive to stay on-site. Plus I like leaving the Disney bubble each day. We definitely prefer staying off-site.

 

[StuckInKS]

Our "commute" times to WDW run around 10-15 minutes.

Now calculate how long it takes you to get from the parking gates of the TTC to the front of MK, and add that on to your 15 minute drive. That is your true commute time, since a Disney bus would have dropped you off at the front.

 

[kagmypts]

Now calculate how long it takes you to get from the parking gates of the TTC to the front of MK, and add that on to your 15 minute drive. That is your true commute time, since a Disney bus would have dropped you off at the front.

Our commute time from the end of HS's Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular to inside our condo was exactly 23 minutes. My brother, who is a diehard fan of staying on-site, came with us on our last trip. I always told him that it was less than 30 minutes until we back in our room, and he did not believe me. We timed it. We started the clock as soon as the lights came on after the show. In other words, the clock began ticking inside the park as soon as we stood up (for reference we were in the very front row but to the far left). We walked to front of the park, caught the tram, walked to our car, and then drove to the hotel. 23 minutes later we were all in our condo. My brother could hardly believe it. The times are extremely similar for Epcot and AK. MK is probably closer to 40 or 45 minutes.... 20 minutes to the TTC, another 10 minutes to our car, and then 10 to 15 minutes back to the hotel.

 

[KimBean]

There are a few of the higher end hotels on I Drive that can be had for $50

Could you share names? My dh is going to area for business soon and there are so many hotels there hard to know which ones are nice.

 

[KimBean]

Our commute time from the end of HS's Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular to inside our condo was exactly 23 minutes. My brother, who is a diehard fan of staying on-site, came with us on our last trip. I always told him that it was less than 30 minutes until we back in our room, and he did not believe me. We timed it. We started the clock as soon as the lights came on after the show. In other words, the clock began ticking inside the park as soon as we stood up (for reference we were in the very front row but to the far left). We walked to front of the park, caught the tram, walked to our car, and then drove to the hotel. 23 minutes later we were all in our condo. My brother could hardly believe it. The times are extremely similar for Epcot and AK. MK is probably closer to 40 or 45 minutes.... 20 minutes to the TTC, another 10 minutes to our car, and then 10 to 15 minutes back to the hotel.

Yep. We've stayed off site every time but our last trip. Never took very long at all. Just stay close to disney.

 

[KimBean]

OP here:

Me, too. I had no idea my original posting would spark such speculation. To continue on with my original purpose (and in the process, risk hijacking my own thread), I am going to settle with 25% because the math works, and it seems representative of the well supported responses I got. Now I can perceive a mix of park admission as three off-site guests for every one on-site guest. There is a touring strategy that says to tour the other parks on an EMH morning, because the EMH park will be swamped. [pause for denial from DIS members].

But then answer me this... If 25% of park admission (the on-site guests) are going to attend one of the 4 major parks (25%), have we really gained anything? Mix in adding off-site guests after an hours time, and I envision the EMH park admission rising to 25-30%, maybe more.

Seems like it would be ideal to spend the first hour at the EMH park and the rest of the day at the other parks. What do you think? Seems so logical.

I liked staying onsite last time and never went to an EMH though. There is something about staying in the bubble that is so nice.

 

[tlmadden73]

I would say offsite is much greater than onsite guests.

1) Disney hotels are really expensive for your average families. (especially when most families just probably want an affordable place to rest their head for the night before the next busy day at a theme park).
2) Disney hotels don't accommodate large families or large groups very affordably
3) A LOT of people come to Orlando to do other things besides Disney (Universal, SeaWorld, LEGOLAND, etc.)
4) We are a vocal minority on the boards that do the "every year" long trip at a Disney resort .. so it feels like there are more of us than them.
5) I am also sure there a lot of locals with Season Passes. If I lived within an hour or two of WDW .. I would probably go at least once a month.
6) I've heard of people (DVC members) that don't go to the parks at all (or don't go every day of their stay).

Personally I've done both and both times I've stayed offsite it was vastly more affordable to get a giant vacation home to share with 3-4 other families, drive the 15 minutes to the parks and pay for parking (though there are ways to offset that cost (like Throwaway rooms). When I am in the mood for perks like EMH, and free transportation, I'll stay at the parks again. It is nice to just take buses everywhere.

... on a side note .. considering the prices of Pop Century and Art of Animation will likely skyrocket after the Gondola finishes, I don't even know if you can consider those "Value" resorts anymore from a price standpoint.

 

[randumb0]

Could you share names? My dh is going to area for business soon and there are so many hotels there hard to know which ones are nice.

You have to use Hotwire or Priceline

 

[KimBean]

You have to use Hotwire or Priceline

Ok thanks. Just hard to know which $50 ones are good but I guess I'll just look for good names. Thanks!

 

[jsmla]

Ok thanks. Just hard to know which $50 ones are good but I guess I'll just look for good names. Thanks!

I can get some of the chains (Fairfield, Hampton, etc) in the $50 range fairly regularly in the off season but it does take a bit of effort. You have to run a Hotwire search and then cross check the results against betterbidding and Tripadvisor. It helps to be familiar with the hotels in the area.

 

[dreiwhit]

Now calculate how long it takes you to get from the parking gates of the TTC to the front of MK, and add that on to your 15 minute drive. That is your true commute time, since a Disney bus would have dropped you off at the front.

Its about an additional 10-15 minutes from the car to the TTC.

I'll gladly trade 10-15 more minutes for saving $2000!

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Car rentals can be expensive, but.

We tend to get a car ourselves, but - and I almost cringe to say this- I'm starting to wonder how many folks are trying uber instead these days.

In the past- like before Me- we sometimes used one of the towncar services, and those were fine for getting to/from the airport or Universal (back then.)

If one was staying at one of the places with a hotel shuttle, and you put up with the free-shuttle one way, using uber/taxi the other way would probabl cost quite a bit less than car + parking fees, and you wouldn't have to deal with the parking trams/walk to your car.

Ideally, Orlando should just add a subway/train transit system along the whole I-4 corridor. Someday.