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.