Why do you stay offsite?

[ntsammy5]

Neat word - snarky!

I like both - depends on what we're doing. Both have advantages/disadvantages.

I wish I had done DVC back in the 90s though. Doesn't make sense for us now though. None of the kids are wild about Disney -

 

[two*little*birds]

Last year we stayed off-site, and although initially we planned to stay on-site this year at the Poly we changed our minds.

• more privacy and space
• generally quieter than a hotel
• your own washer and dryer
• full kitchen
• your own pool
• your own spa
• more than one bathroom
• each child has their own bedroom
• parents can have their own private time after the kids go to bed
• can invite the grandparents to stay with us
• close to the parks, 10 -15 minutes (we go during the slow season)
• can bring my laptop and use free internet
• cheaper

I'm sure I'm forgetting to mention something, but overall we really love staying off-site and don't feel we loose any "magic" by doing so.

 

[rangerxenos]

We stay offsite for these reasons -- cost, convenience of having my own vehicle so that I can go to other parks besides Disney, and flexibility of being able to eat where we want without paying exhorbitant Disney prices for food.

Because there are usually only 2 of us going, we don't get the savings that Disney always advertises, which are based on a family of four. It's costing us $77 a night for a suite with free breakfast at the Marriott Village, I get points for staying there from Marriott that I can use for future free stays, and I don't have to wait for Disney transportation to get anywhere.

Yes, I have to rent a car, but I can usually do that for less than $200 for a week. I figure I'm saving close to that on food costs. We sometimes eat in the park, but oftentimes will just get a snack and eat when we leave the park if we're not staying too late.

 

[ruthfamilyvacationer]

I dont think there is a *right* or *wrong* reason to stay onsite/offsite. It is just a matter of personal preference. I dont look at people that stay onsite any different than those that dont.

When I first started planning our Disney trip it was our intention to stay onsite but after pricing the rooms out at Deluxe and Deluxe villas it just didn't make sense for us. Mostly because of the space issue and having two toddlers who dont so well at all sharing a room (read previous post on page 1). At bare minimum for me to actually enjoy the trip we had to get at least a 2 bedroom villa or 2 hotel rooms. So I made the decision that was best for us. So we are staying offsite in a condo with three bedrooms so everyone has their own room.

In the future when our two youngest gets older we will def. stay onsite, no doubt. I look foward to it but for now it just doesnt work for us.

BTW, can someone fill me in on how to "rent" DVC??

 

[Tirapapas]

Removed.

 

[Brian Noble]

This has long been an underlying tone on the Orlando boards. There's an underlying sort of snarkiness towards those of us that flatly prefer onsite by many here on these boards. I don't get it ?

While this is sometimes true, you've been around the block enough times to know perfectly well why it tends to happen here---this is the one "safe harbor" for those who don't find sufficient value in the Disney resorts to pay their prices. Try having this conversation on the Disney resort board, or (even worse) the DVC boards. It will be a lot more one-sided, snarky, and pejorative than this one is. I guarantee it.

More broadly, there's a phenomenon in any discussion setting where people aren't really trying to share information so much as they want everyone to agree that the decisions that they've made have been the right decisions---people seek validation. That's true in any of the common "this or that" discussions that recur on DIS---should I use EMH? Should I drive or take the bus? Should I stay Moderate or Deluxe? TGM, UG, or neither?

Personally, I don't care if anyone agrees with me or not---I'm not an offsite evangelist. In fact, I rather wish that more people disagreed with me on this question, because it would make it easier for me to obtain my preferred lodging at an even lower price.

Finally, in my completely biased but clearly correct opinion (), the regular posters on the Orlando board (and that includes you, Maria) are better than most of the other corners of the DIS in offering the facts and letting people make up their own minds. None of us are perfect, but much like Avis, We Try Harder.

 

[ruthfamilyvacationer]

Tirapapas-I have read your post twice and I have no clue what you are talking about. Is that post supposed to be a joke or something?

I am not being rude, I just cant follow what you are saying.

 

[Tirapapas]

Tirapapas-I have read your post twice and I have no clue what you are talking about. Is that post supposed to be a joke or something?

I am not being rude, I just cant follow what you are saying.

It was supposed to be a joke; though I wanted to make it as absurd as possible to leave no doubt it was a joke, but at the same time not offending anyone. I guess if you have to explain it means it wasn't funny.

One more "no funny" comment and I remove it.

 

[ruthfamilyvacationer]

I just didnt follow. . . I am so sorry, I wasnt trying to make you feel bad about your joke. I am fairly new here and am just getting to know everyone. No worries.

 

[Brian Noble]

In a fit of cosmic coincidence, the Unofficial Guide guys just today released their latest resort survey---presumably, this will be the version that goes into the 2010 edition. Those of you who subscribe to touringplans.com, or own a copy of the 2009 Guide, can go look at the entire thing yourselves:

http://www.touringplans.com/tp2/UG2_index.php?PageID=113

A lot of really interesting data, but here are a few passages from the results relevant to this discussion:

More worrisome for Disney management might be that readers now rate the average off-site hotel about the same as the average Disney resort, and vacation homes as substantially better.

Had vacation homes been a separate category they would have earned the only overall A in the report card, been ranked first in "Would you recommend this hotel to a friend?" and tied for first in "Would you stay at this hotel again?"

 

[7165red]

We love the space that a pool home gives us. We can't go back to a hotel room. We eat on site and really enjoy it.

 

[ntsammy5]

That's interesting Brian. Thanks.

 

[SereneOne]

I thought it was hilarious, Tirapapas.

I was born in Florida (Daytona Beach, with family in St. Augustine, Palm Coast, etc.) and my dad being military we moved a lot, but every time he took leave and inbetween moves we went back to Florida and stayed with family which also meant hitting the park(s).

I stayed on Disney property for the first time ever in 2007 at POR. I loved the theming and being immersed in Disney. We received wonderful service and enjoyed our stay.

This year though, we are trying out the DTD Hilton. We have a junior suite, which means more room, they have room service and they have cable tv with ppv movies and we still may participate in EMH for less than the price of a moderate in Disney. These are things I missed staying on Disney property and I am not paying a few hundred a night to do so.

We will stay on site again and I think it is great to have the option to do either. Just getting to go to Disney as a family is fantastic.

 

[MiaSRN62]

removed

 

[MiaSRN62]

removed

 

[ruthfamilyvacationer]

Interesting you removed your post. I read it and was quite intrigued. I was trying to figure out if you were for real. I did "get" some of what you were trying to say in the clever way you worded it.........


Maria

You didnt have to remove it on my account. . I was just trying to understand. Sorry if I offended you.

 

[*disgal*]

While this is sometimes true, you've been around the block enough times to know perfectly well why it tends to happen here---this is the one "safe harbor" for those who don't find sufficient value in the Disney resorts to pay their prices. Try having this conversation on the Disney resort board, or (even worse) the DVC boards. It will be a lot more one-sided, snarky, and pejorative than this one is. I guarantee it.

More broadly, there's a phenomenon in any discussion setting where people aren't really trying to share information so much as they want everyone to agree that the decisions that they've made have been the right decisions---people seek validation. That's true in any of the common "this or that" discussions that recur on DIS---should I use EMH? Should I drive or take the bus? Should I stay Moderate or Deluxe? TGM, UG, or neither?

Personally, I don't care if anyone agrees with me or not---I'm not an offsite evangelist. In fact, I rather wish that more people disagreed with me on this question, because it would make it easier for me to obtain my preferred lodging at an even lower price.

Finally, in my completely biased but clearly correct opinion (), the regular posters on the Orlando board (and that includes you, Maria) are better than most of the other corners of the DIS in offering the facts and letting people make up their own minds. None of us are perfect, but much like Avis, We Try Harder.

Agree Brian.

I'm a little bewildered here with some of this thread. I have never gotten the impression that this particular board was anywhere near as "snarky" as the other boards about where you stay. It's more about, "just the facts, ma'am". So I totally agree with the above statements.

And what I find ironically funny after reading your posts Maria, is that you were one of the people instrumental in me choosing offsite. I had won Vistana on Skyauction and I had so many questions. You helped me (as you have SO many times with so many others) and we had an absolutely wonderful time there. We stayed there again and were just as happy as the first time.

I used to be one of those that was "onsite only" until we tried offsite condos. Maybe when it's just me and DH will I be interested in a regular hotel but (and this is just me ) I don't want just a hotel room when I go to WDW. If I can't afford a hotel room at Disney than I want to be rewarded with other things like space, my own pool, more bathrooms, etc.

But Maria, I think it's fine that you like onsite better. In fact, I'm with Brian...I wish more people preferred onsite. What drives me a little nuts are people who've never stayed offsite and give off the attitude that I'm crazy for staying offsite. It's like saying "how can you possibly like the taste of a peach! How horrible! I know I've never tasted one, but I know, I just know it's terrible.".....I actually laugh out loud when I read that kind of stuff.

I think we can also agree that there are those that will NEVER stay offsite no matter what. they won't even consider it.

In a fit of cosmic coincidence, the Unofficial Guide guys just today released their latest resort survey---presumably, this will be the version that goes into the 2010 edition. Those of you who subscribe to touringplans.com, or own a copy of the 2009 Guide, can go look at the entire thing yourselves:

http://www.touringplans.com/tp2/UG2_index.php?PageID=113

A lot of really interesting data, but here are a few passages from the results relevant to this discussion:

Very interesting but not AT ALL surprising. The cost of WDW goes up and the service goes down. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE onsite too, some more than others. We are totally excited for our upcoming trip to the CR. Now, I'm not excited about us all being in one room and one bathroom but every time I think I won't make it, I'll open my door and look at the monorail.

And you know, in different seasons of life, you need/want different things out of your vacation. I think you said that Maria. You're right. For my family, when kids were young, we could squeeze into a WDW value/moderate hotel room and be okay. Now, they need to offer me free dining to put up with that.

Our next trip should be interesting. We are offsite for the first part of the trip at a pool home. Then, we switch to CR. It'll be interesting to hear what my kids have to say about the two.

 

[*disgal*]

You didnt have to remove it on my account. . I was just trying to understand. Sorry if I offended you.

no worries, I don't think you offended them. I "think" I got what they were trying to say.

btw, I love your sig. pic.

 

[CarolA]

I always wonder why folks who are dedicated "you must only stay on propertly" are even on the Orlando board if not to "evangilize" for Disney

I do stay on property and off. But I also have a highly skeptical view of Disney's pricing and product. Perhaps it's because in my "real" life I travel extensively and I find it that Disney fails to measure up. To me the whole "premise" of Disney was to be BETTER then the others, not to provide the bare minium they can get away with. And as the prices go UP, UP and UP it's harder for me to justify what you get for the pricing.


The thing you have to realize with Disney IMHO is that Disney hotels provide good to great location (depending on where you stay) and an outstanding theme. I find the service to be of varying quality often ranging from bad to indifferent. So it's up to each of us to determine if that's worth the price.

 

[littlestar]

Wow, Maria, I can't believe you won't be a Vistana owner anymore. Are you still going to keep an RCI account so you can grab a "Last Call" if you want to take an extra trip beyond DVC? Especially since the whole resort will be totally remodeled by 2011! Those Last Calls are such a bargain. We stayed in the Lakes section in a brand new one bedroom last fall for $243 with tax - I can't even stay one night in a DVC one bedroom for that.

Maria has helped a lot of people when it came to staying at Vistana.