Is there an advantage to stay onsite anymore?

[mamaofsix]

This shows the difference in people's situation, as you said. For someone like you, it is a better "deal" to drive, but you are not the average family. You are double the average family size so your situation is out of the "norm". I don't think it's fair to compare extremes like yours to the "average" family group. You will always be double of what the majority is in this situation. I wouldn't take what is said here personally, since people are speaking to the average family.

The original poster was a group of 7. Hence, I was giving advice for a similar sized family to our's. The OP was not asking for options based on a family of 4...

 

[skullsplitter]

15ish trips to WDW and all on site. After the upcoming June 2021 trip we will most likely move to offsite in 2022. The 2 things that were keeping us onsite is EMH and DME. I doubt the 30 minute EMH replacement will keep us onsite.

 

[shawthorne44]

Another big variable is can you drive straight through? Or, if not, find something fun to stop so it is still vacationing?

For us, we are a family of 3 and much prefer to drive. DFW to MCO, we get the same amount of vacation time whether we drive or fly. And driving is on our schedule. If we leave the house mid-day Friday we will start vacationing Sat morning either way. That is because driving, we drive straight through with lots of restroom breaks. So, we arrive early on Sat. Flying we arrive really late on Friday check into a hotel and ready to do stuff Sat morning.

If we couldn't share the driving or if we had one more kid, that might change things. DD gets the backseat to herself with pillows and blankets. Two kids back there, I could see being a problem.

Last trip we stopped in Destin for a couple of days. This trip we stop in Vicksburg for two days and Pensacola for a day.

 

[Heather07438]

30 minutes early for resort guests is completely ridiculous - isn't this already happening? When we went to WDW in December, we were at the parks 45 minutes to an hour before official park opening and we always went straight into the park and onto a ride so I don't see how this "incentive" is actually a benefit. The greatly reduced onsite experience is "okay" for right now during these uncertain times. But what about next year when they take away the Magical Express?

I think the difference will matter when capacity expands. If they kept the early open available to everybody as attendance increases, wait times would build very quickly as would the front gates. If it’s only onsite guests and across all 4 parks, wait times should stay reasonable enough to get a few easy rides in before they start peaking. We’ll have to see how many rides onsite/offsite get done by 10-11am.

I’m expecting this perk to roll out once capacity restrictions are lightened. It will help stagger the crowds. Even as the virus becomes less of a concern it’s still going to need some consideration.

 

[nkereina]

The original poster was a group of 7. Hence, I was giving advice for a similar sized family to our's. The OP was not asking for options based on a family of 4...

We are on page 8 of the thread now. As is typical, conversation evolves from what the OP was initially seeking advice on to others' general opinions on the matter and on related items. I'm sure your advice was well-received by OP, but for purposes of the current discussion, its worth noting that your party is large so on-site vs off-site and driving vs flying factors will be drastically different than the average sized group. Just something to note for the benefit of others reading this thread that may be considering the same things.

 

[loves to dive]

As to the driving from Atlanta. We live in Athens, which is about a hour north of Atlanta and, for us, driving is the better option. It would take at least a hour to drive to Atlanta, maybe more depending on traffic on 75. Past experience for us is it usually takes 2 1/2 to 3 hours from our door to the gate. You have to park your car so there is the cost of that. Then however long the flight is. Then deplanning, etc. For us, it is cheaper and less time to drive. We usually leave around 5 or 6 am and get there between 1 and 3 (depending on if I drive or my son drives) and go to a park. We stop once for potty, once more for gas. We take snack foods in the car with us and switch off drivers about halfway there. We take the turnpike so there is no I4 traffic to deal with. It's between a 7 or 8 hour drive, cost of tolls, fill the tank once going down, once going home. I'll be driving down solo this Sunday so I'll probably take 3 breaks but still, rather drive than fly.

 

[mamaofsix]

*

 

[joedplumber]

We are off site people. Wyndham Bonnet Creek is our go to and we never leave the gates of WDW. We drive to FL so we have a car. Love being able to remote start the car on our way out of the parks so the car is nice and cold when we get in. I had no idea most of the perks were gone. So sad to hear. Having tons of room and a kitchen for breakfast was always important to us. The savings are tremendous when you compare rates though. I just priced WBC for August and they have rates as low as $1,200 for a week in a 2 bedroom 2 bath unit. Crazy!

 

[bryanb]

I also enjoyed using the “free” Magical Express airport shuttle, instead of using a rental car or paying out of pocket for a Mears shuttle. Even though I know DME is operated by Mears, they are trained like Disney cast members and it felt like Disney was taking care of me from the moment I arrived at the airport.

Of course, when I stayed offsite (even without a car) it had its advantages. Without a car, I couldn’t go down to the local supermarket, but I could walk to the 7-11 across from my hotel. I remember being shocked at how “cheap” it was to pick up stuff like a drink and some sunscreen compared to being anywhere in the Disney bubble. In the bubble, you learn to accept some crazy math (like what a “good deal” my resort mug is, when you get used to paying for $4 sodas).

Then there was the availability of food. Arriving after a long flight from the west coast, it was midnight ET, but I was hungry and it was still early for me. When I stayed on-site, I took a 30 minute bus to Disney Springs which was advertised as open until 2am at the time... only to find that I could only buy alcohol and all the kitchens had closed. I ended up eating a cupcake from the vending machine for dinner. Offsite, there were numerous restaurants within a block of my hotel if I wanted, but I was appreciative of even just a late night Burger King meal.

 

[hotblooded]

I'll still stay on site for marathon weekend in January, if that event takes place and if resorts still run event transportation. That's a lot of ifs. Otherwise, I'll stay offsite from now on because the perks are gone but prices are still exploding.

 

[jimmymc]

I think it's still worth it for the location and transportation alone. Using the Skyliner or Monorail is faster than driving yourself.

But, the largest group I've ever stayed with is 4 people, and you can rent some amazing houses for the same price as a single value room. If you were driving anyway, I would probably get an Airbnb house with its own pool and more space.

 

[funantiques]

[it’s making it harder and harder to justify those extreme resort prices. Add parking cost and taking away the magical express.




QUOTE="ShelsGoingToDisney, post: 62826883, member: 99015"]
I have always been a total staying onsite supporter. I couldn't imagine not staying onsite. We are not an early-open-the park-family, but we love to close it down and we love, love, loved the evening EMH. We also used to love coming back to the resorts and swimming late.

I turn 50 in October so I'd like to plan a trip to celebrate my 50th with WDW! Now my kids are older (21, 19, & 16). We will be bringing a girlfriend (20) and a boyfriend (19). So with a large group like this and 6 out of the 7 adults. The room prices are pricey even at the values. I love the theming and the nostalgia of staying on-site, but with no EMH, have to pay for parking, no FP to get to schedule earlier, pools closing early, etc at the resorts... I am really struggling to see why staying onsite would be better than booking an Airbnb with a private pool with tons of space close to the property at a fraction of the cost?

What am I missing? Would I be really missing out by not staying onsite this October? The idea of it seems almost disloyal! LOL!
[/QUOTE]

 

[SydneyFalco]

I think the difference will matter when capacity expands. If they kept the early open available to everybody as attendance increases, wait times would build very quickly as would the front gates. If it’s only onsite guests and across all 4 parks, wait times should stay reasonable enough to get a few easy rides in before they start peaking. We’ll have to see how many rides onsite/offsite get done by 10-11am.

I’m expecting this perk to roll out once capacity restrictions are lightened. It will help stagger the crowds. Even as the virus becomes less of a concern it’s still going to need some consideration.

I'm surprised it's not considered more of a perk by more people on this thread. Right now I know it's pretty unimpressive being onsite, but it's special circumstances. I've always assumed filling hotels is definitely the priority for Disney moving forward and that it's offsite guests who'll get it worst. Very probably onsite will get you what it used to: EMH on nights in between parties, plus the thirty minutes head start in the morning (possibly to become an hour), plus the 60 day window for fastpasses. If they really get cuthroat, onsite will be the only way to get Fastpasses, or at least the only was to get them without paying a heavy premium. Somebody's probably brought all this up before, but I probably missed it jumping around on the pages...

I'll be staying offsite for the first time next year, and I'm a bit worried about being shut out and stuck wandering around a crowded park where I can't do very much (that'll still be great after the quarantine, though...!)

 

[Rusty2rules]

I'm surprised it's not considered more of a perk by more people on this thread. Right now I know it's pretty unimpressive being onsite, but it's special circumstances. I've always assumed filling hotels is definitely the priority for Disney moving forward and that it's offsite guests who'll get it worst. Very probably onsite will get you what it used to: EMH on nights in between parties, plus the thirty minutes head start in the morning (possibly to become an hour), plus the 60 day window for fastpasses. If they really get cuthroat, onsite will be the only way to get Fastpasses, or at least the only was to get them without paying a heavy premium. Somebody's probably brought all this up before, but I probably missed it jumping around on the pages...

I'll be staying offsite for the first time next year, and I'm a bit worried about being shut out and stuck wandering around a crowded park where I can't do very much (that'll still be great after the quarantine, though...!)

The question was "Is there an advantage to stay onsite anymore?" Everything you mentioned was in the past and possibly in the future. I emphasize "possibly". There's no guarantee any of it's coming back. The 30 minutes early entry they're offering now isn't a perk. They were usually letting crowds in early as it was. This is nothing new, they just want you to think it is.

So, let's try this again. Right now, as we sit here today, is there an advantage to staying onsite anymore?

I just want to add something here. People say the transportation is an incentive for staying onsite. I'm going mid-September. Pop is going for $192/night for that week (plus the parking fee, which aggravates me to no end). I'm staying in a 2 bed/2 bath suite with a full kitchen at a Disney good neighbor hotel for $108/night (parking included) and renting a BMW SUV for $300 for 6 days. If staying in a tiny hotel room (that's exactly what Pop is, an average hotel room with theming - and not even a decent pool area), riding on a crowded bus, being a slave to their schedule and routes, with no other perks, is worth $50+/day extra to you...I don't know what to tell you.

 

[blabadie]

The question was "Is there an advantage to stay onsite anymore?" Everything you mentioned was in the past and possibly in the future. I emphasize "possibly". There's no guarantee any of it's coming back. The 30 minutes early entry they're offering now isn't a perk. They were usually letting crowds in early as it was. This is nothing new, they just want you to think it is.

So, let's try this again. Right now, as we sit here today, is there an advantage to staying onsite anymore?

I just want to add something here. People say the transportation is an incentive for staying onsite. I'm going mid-September. Pop is going for $192/night for that week (plus the parking fee, which aggravates me to no end). I'm staying in a 2 bed/2 bath suite with a full kitchen at a Disney good neighbor hotel for $108/night (parking included) and renting a BMW SUV for $300 for 6 days. If staying in a tiny hotel room (that's exactly what Pop is, an average hotel room with theming - and not even a decent pool area), riding on a crowded bus, being a slave to their schedule and routes, with no other perks, is worth $50+/day extra to you...I don't know what to tell you.

When Disney starts offering the 30 minutes early in every park for resort guests, non-resort guests will no longer be able to enter early. IF rope-dropping is a priority, you will have to stay onsite. Not an issue if your trip is right now or very soon----but almost certainly going to happen this year and IMO before Oct 1.

I agree that as of today the only significant advantage for onsite is the advantage getting the ADRs you want (big deal to my family but not a perk if you prefer QS). Transportation has always been a pretty good perk for our family, but I do think that's largely dependent on your specific resort and touring style.

 

[Rusty2rules]

When Disney starts offering the 30 minutes early in every park for resort guests, non-resort guests will no longer be able to enter early. IF rope-dropping is a priority, you will have to stay onsite. Not an issue if your trip is right now or very soon----but almost certainly going to happen this year and IMO before Oct 1.

I agree that as of today the only significant advantage for onsite is the advantage getting the ADRs you want (big deal to my family but not a perk if you prefer QS). Transportation has always been a pretty good perk for our family, but I do think that's largely dependent on your specific resort and touring style.

I'll go back to my original premise and add rope-drop. Is staying in an average hotel room, being a slave to their bus schedules, and an extra 30 minutes park time (whoo hoo), worth $50+/day ($350+/week). Or save that money, stay at a WAY nicer resort, have the freedom to go where you want, when you want, and eat better and cheaper? You know my answer.

Look, I've always stayed in the bubble. But Disney took all the perks away. They "gave" us 30 extra minutes at each park (again, whoo hoo). And, as long as people keep saying "I'm good with that, I'm still going to pay these crazy prices for far less product and services", they have no incentive to bring them back. Look at everything they've taken away over the last five years, and have already announced they're going to take away in the not so distant future. It's not going to change, folks, until people start hitting them where it hurts - their pocket books.

 

[Scalemaster34]

Right now it's hard to see the "value" in staying on site...

Extra Magic Hours had already lost their appeal... years ago that meant you an few hundred people got in early or stayed late... not it's 10K people at rope drop.

When they return, FastPass and Dining Plans are the key perks that might drive me to keep booking on property. Staying on the Boardwalk, Skyway Line and Monorail Loop all have some advantages as well.

But it's hard to ignore the value in staying off site, especially if you have a large group. And off site dining has it's own advantages as well.

In the end I won't say I'm done either way... Disney is always changing, and who knows what perks will exist to keep the resort full, while trying to keep crowds at the nearing capacity (before COVID) four parks. I doubt they'll bring back free ME or free parking at resorts, but might see some of the current hours become more common for off site guest? Or tweaks with FastPass that gives onsite even bigger advantages - longer booking window or additional passes.

In the end the money is in keeping the resorts, shops and restaurants full.... if they need to they'll adjusts "something", they will.

 

[Heather07438]

The question was "Is there an advantage to stay onsite anymore?" Everything you mentioned was in the past and possibly in the future. I emphasize "possibly". There's no guarantee any of it's coming back. The 30 minutes early entry they're offering now isn't a perk. They were usually letting crowds in early as it was. This is nothing new, they just want you to think it is.

So, let's try this again. Right now, as we sit here today, is there an advantage to staying onsite anymore?

I just want to add something here. People say the transportation is an incentive for staying onsite. I'm going mid-September. Pop is going for $192/night for that week (plus the parking fee, which aggravates me to no end). I'm staying in a 2 bed/2 bath suite with a full kitchen at a Disney good neighbor hotel for $108/night (parking included) and renting a BMW SUV for $300 for 6 days. If staying in a tiny hotel room (that's exactly what Pop is, an average hotel room with theming - and not even a decent pool area), riding on a crowded bus, being a slave to their schedule and routes, with no other perks, is worth $50+/day extra to you...I don't know what to tell you.

Maybe we’ll see each other We’re going Sept 12-18. I feel you on not wanting to over-pay especially now with stuff changing and unknown. We always look but just haven’t found a price offsite that saved us enough to consider. Yet at least.

Rented DVC at Boardwalk $144/night (includes taxes, fees & parking)

Rented car at Sixt (now inside MCO) BMWx7 $423. This is DH’s splurge. I tried to convince him we don’t need it as we can bus to MK, Uber to AK and walk to HS/EP. Makes him happy. Ok.

2rt Flights JetBlue with checked luggage, used 17k points paid $22.40

Our room is only a studio but works fine for us. There’s really nothing else that competes at that price. If we had a larger family then offsite options would be more attractive. Our price is not common but it’s possible. I’d be willing to pay more only if I knew stuff was returning.

Onsite value varies depending on so many different factors. It’s not necessarily a worse value. Guess it comes down to cost difference. Is X amount of dollars going to elevate your experience enough to justify?

 

[Rusty2rules]

Maybe we’ll see each other We’re going Sept 12-18. I feel you on not wanting to over-pay especially now with stuff changing and unknown. We always look but just haven’t found a price offsite that saved us enough to consider. Yet at least.

Rented DVC at Boardwalk $144/night (includes taxes, fees & parking)

Rented car at Sixt (now inside MCO) BMWx7 $423. This is DH’s splurge. I tried to convince him we don’t need it as we can bus to MK, Uber to AK and walk to HS/EP. Makes him happy. Ok.

2rt Flights JetBlue with checked luggage, used 17k points paid $22.40

Our room is only a studio but works fine for us. There’s really nothing else that competes at that price. If we had a larger family then offsite options would be more attractive. Our price is not common but it’s possible. I’d be willing to pay more only if I knew stuff was returning.

Onsite value varies depending on so many different factors. It’s not necessarily a worse value. Guess it comes down to cost difference. Is X amount of dollars going to elevate your experience enough to justify?

I pretty much agree with almost everything you said. I have no problem paying more. But, as you said, those extra dollars need to equal "elevate your experience". Right now there's no elevated experience to justify the added dollars.

We rented through SixT, too!

Our first park day is the 12th! LOL DHS Sunday, AK Monday, DHS Tuesday. At least, that's the plan right now. Then 3 days at Universal.

 

[Dis703]

We don’t find the perks worthwhile at the price these days. Although if you are a passholder it may help with your ability to get park reservations. But outside of that the small numbers of perks that are still available are no longer worth the cost increases for us.

We are headed down in a few days and booked a 2 bedroom/2 bath suite offsite about 15 minutes from the parks for $120 a night. It’s a Hilton Brand hotel which is where we stay most often when traveling and they are clean and comfortable rooms that have a kitchenette with a full size fridge, microwave and dishwasher, and a living room with a pull out couch if needed. Plenty of room for our family of five plus breakfast and it’s $80 a night less than the cheapest value room I’ve seen of late ($100 if you include the parking fee). Which can’t fit the 5 of us anyhow. For five of us we’d have to look at CBR and those room rates were double for a much smaller room, no breakfast, one bath, 1 tv, no microwave, etc. I can’t justify that when it still takes almost as long to get to the parks anyhow.