Disney, FL: Offsite Hotel vs. Disney Resort

Planning at family trip for  April, kids aged 8, 7 and 5.  Younger two are girls.  Seems that the pricing for staying at a Disney Resort is not much more than staying at an offsite hotel. unless I  am missing something (which I probably am, this is would be our first visit to Disney!) 

 I have read previous threads but they focus mostly on Disney Resorts.  Any tips, advice, recos for offsite hotels? 

At this point we are open to either, but any thoughts, experiences would be greatly appreciated.  Dates April 9-13 or 15.

Thanks a million

There's a wide variety of hotel rates on the Disney property. One advantage is that some come with park passes. A lot depends on the number of guests and how much time u think u will actually spend in the room (which is usually not too much). Most of the parks now have their own themed hotels which r very cool. In recent years though we have either rented a house or stayed at one of the resorts in Kissimmee because we usually have so many adults/children with us that it turns out to be cheaper than several hotel rooms. The Disney hotels closest to the magic kingdom (Contemporary, Floridian, and Tahitian )tend to be pricey but are very convenient at the end of a long day.

We just came back from there.  We stayed at a Disney value resort (Pop Century) and would stay onsite again. The busing to all the parks and resorts was very convenient.  Do take in mind that there is usually a 10-20 minute wait for the bus, but it isn't too bad overall.  They have a concierge desk at the hotel to help with fast pass selections if you don't want to do it on your phone.  They also have guest services at the parks so you can get help with this even if you don't stay at a hotel, but the lines there were very long whereas the concierge desk never had more than one person in front of us.  Also, they have busing to and from the airport at no extra charge. They also send special airline tags so your checked luggage gets routed directly to the resort and you don't have to bother at the claim carousal when you arrive.  When you leave you can check your luggage directly at the hotel.  These aren't huge things, but they do make a difference when you add them up.

Another thing about staying on site is that it makes you eligible for the meal plans.  For us the meal plan was worth every penny, but keep in mind the meal plan doesn't include tips and doesn't include alcohol, but that wasn't an issue for us. You'll see advice online about how you can eat cheaper off the plan, and this is true, but it really limits your food choices.  For us paying up front and then letting our six year old order a hummus appetizer ($10) and the  chicken kebab dish ($28) at Spice Road Table in the Moroccan pavilion, or eating at the Biergarten (approx $50 per person IIRC) without blanching at the cost was worth it.  We could have eaten cheaper off the plan, but we couldn't have eaten the same food for cheaper though. However, I do admit that I am all about the food.  If food is secondary to seeing and doing stuff, then you can save money by not buying the plan and then wouldn't need to stay onsite to be eligible for that.  You can find burgers, corn dogs, etc, that will keep you from being hungry and won't break the bank.

Airbnb. Get an entire five bedroom house for half the price of a hotel room a 15 minute drive from the park. 

annielou said:

The Disney hotels closest to the magic kingdom (Contemporary, Floridian, and Tahitian )tend to be pricey but are very convenient at the end of a long day.

My three year old called the Contemporary "The New Jersey Transit Hotel" because the monorail went right inside.  He wanted to stay there.  I looked at the prices and decided that, short of winning the lottery, having easy access to the monorail was not worth the cost.   Of course, everyone's financial situation is different so YMMV.

Also, for us (we went with a 9 month old, a 3 year old, and a 6 year old, using the resort busing and being able to return to the hotel after lunch to chill out for an hour or two and then go back to the park again was also worth it.  

With hotels for every budget (Value typically around $100/nt), there is little cost savings to staying at an off site hotel and you lose free airport transfers, free park transport and a heck of a lot of convenience. Unless an extended family group, why would you even want a 5 bedroom house?

conandrob240 said:

With hotels for every budget (Value typically around $100/nt), there is little cost savings to staying at an off site hotel and you lose free airport transfers, free park transport and a heck of a lot of convenience. Unless an extended family group, why would you even want a 5 bedroom house?

I have to say that when you look at a taxi to and from the airport, taxi, bus, or car rental to and from the parks and your off site hotel, any savings will quickly be gone. OTOH, if you were going to rent a car anyway and plan on doing stuff off site then it might not be so cut and dry.

Also, though we stayed at the lowest priced resort, it was still pretty nice. Everything was clean and well maintained, the staff was great.  It wasn't fancy, but we were only there to sleep at night and to get a break from the heat during the middle of the day.

spontaneous said:

conandrob240 said:

With hotels for every budget (Value typically around $100/nt), there is little cost savings to staying at an off site hotel and you lose free airport transfers, free park transport and a heck of a lot of convenience. Unless an extended family group, why would you even want a 5 bedroom house?

I have to say that when you look at a taxi to and from the airport, taxi, bus, or car rental to and from the parks and your off site hotel, any savings will quickly be gone. OTOH, if you were going to rent a car anyway and plan on doing stuff off site then it might not be so cut and dry.

Also, though we stayed at the lowest priced resort, it was still pretty nice. Everything was clean and well maintained, the staff was great.  It wasn't fancy, but we were only there to sleep at night and to get a break from the heat during the middle of the day.

Thank you both!  I was looking at Disney.com and seems that Port Orleans Riverside would be the only option on our price range anyway.  I;m  all about the convenience but not having been there before the resort seems a bit distant from the parks?  if we are renting a car we can probably save some $$ staying offsite?

It looks like it costs $17 per day to park in the lots.

About the hotels being far from the parks, the longest bus ride we had was maybe 20 minutes, and that was because there was a marathon going on.  Usually bus rides were about 10 minutes long. And that was 10 minutes of just looking out the window instead of navigating traffic in an unfamiliar location after a long tiring day.

Flip side, renting a car will allow you to do stuff besides Disney.  With my kid's ages I wasn't interested in that.  If I had teens I would probably rent a car.  Your kids are somewhere in the middle age wise so going off site to do non-Disney stuff may or may not be something you want to do.

ETA:  It looks as though if you rent a car but decide to stay at a Disney hotel then you get complimentary parking at the parks for the duration of your stay.

i think we stayed in days in kissimmee 30 years ago--it had a pool and kitchen. 2 double beds in bedroom and pull out couch in living room

Because of this. 

ETA: our kids are 3 and 6. And grandparents are coming. The house has a private pool. And we plan to do non Disney things a couple of days so we rented a minivan. 

spontaneous said:

conandrob240 said:

With hotels for every budget (Value typically around $100/nt), there is little cost savings to staying at an off site hotel and you lose free airport transfers, free park transport and a heck of a lot of convenience. Unless an extended family group, why would you even want a 5 bedroom house?

OTOH, if you were going to rent a car anyway and plan on doing stuff off site then it might not be so cut and dry.

One option is renting Disney timeshare points - cost is usually comparable to an onsite hotel room but you get more space plus a kitchen.  It is more relaxed than a hotel room since you get more space and can deal with breakfast on your own terms.

We actually joined the program since we were going to Florida enough to make it worth it.

conandrob240 said:

With hotels for every budget (Value typically around $100/nt), there is little cost savings to staying at an off site hotel and you lose free airport transfers, free park transport and a heck of a lot of convenience. Unless an extended family group, why would you even want a 5 bedroom house?

Which values at that rate?  

With 3 kids, we always prefer to stay in a suite or an apartment.  We haven't gone in a couple of years, but we've stayed multiple times at the WorldQuest Resort (http://www.worldquestorlando.com/suites) and were very happy with it.  For less than $200/night, you get a large 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom apartment (with full kitchen, washer/dryer, etc.) in a multi-building resort that also has a large pool and a small gym.  We would cook our own breakfast and sometimes dinner too.  It's about a 15 minute drive to the Disney parks.  

Staying at the resort also gives you the option of splitting up. There were a couple of times that I took the younger two back to the hotel while my husband stayed at the park with the eldest. If we had stayed off site and rented a car that wouldn't have been a possibility. 

pop century is showing at 111.39/nt and the all star resorts at 102.39/nt. if you want some help booking, feel free to PM me. I'm a TA- no charge for my services and I'll make sure you are getting the best promo rate.

We went a few years ago and stayed off resort at the Sheraton Safari. It was right outside the resort and had free shuttles every 20 min or so. The plus for us was a corporate discount and a huge pool. Also the safari themed decor was cool - and a much needed break from all-things-Disney!

But in the end, it's Disney, you'll enjoy yourselves just about anywhere  

Not sure how pop century is, but the other disney resorts we have stayed at have had large amounts of kids activities each afternoon.  If this is your first time, you probably will be at the parks all day but if you are planning breaks, these activities are great for entertaining kids.

Hahaha said:

We went a few years ago and stayed off resort at the Sheraton Safari. It was right outside the resort and had free shuttles every 20 min or so. The plus for us was a corporate discount and a huge pool. Also the safari themed decor was cool - and a much needed break from all-things-Disney!

But in the end, it's Disney, you'll enjoy yourselves just about anywhere  

yes, they all have an afternoon pool party for a few hours with games, crafts and music. Lots of fun!

I've been to Disney twice, once with my family/kids and just recently with my adult girlfriends. Both times I stayed on Disney property and I highly recommend it! The transportation is convenient and free but more than anything, it's no-hassle. Disney is great at getting people where they need to go, easily and efficiently. Sure, you may have to wait in lines sometimes, but it's not like with renting a car you avoid waits entirely.

We did rent a car on our first trip for a variety of reasons, and honestly I found driving to the parks a little stressful (not all, but Magic Kingdom particularly because you have to park elsewhere). The parking lots are huge and so they have a little shuttle bus that takes you to the park entrance. So trust me, that is not a "quick" option either.

The other huge bonus, IMO, is the Extra Magic Hours. Every day one Disney park either opens an hour early or closes an hour late just for people staying at Disney resorts. This was KEY for us, especially on our family trip. We were able to do so much in that first hour at Magic Kingdom!

For our family trip we stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter which I would highly recommend. It's a "moderate" resort in terms of their pricing structure, and I think was around $225 a night when we were there. It was very small compared to other Disney resorts, which was nice because we never had to walk far to the bus stop or dining areas or anything. It's also pretty calm and quiet by Disney standards. We really enjoyed it and would absolutely stay again.

conandrob240 said:

pop century is showing at 111.39/nt and the all star resorts at 102.39/nt. if you want some help booking, feel free to PM me. I'm a TA- no charge for my services and I'll make sure you are getting the best promo rate.

Great,thanks.    I will as soon as I determine dates with dh.  I don't want to have to send you an infinite list of possibilities.

I really appreciate all the input

It's been over a decade since we went, but we stayed at the Contemporary Resort, which is VERY close to the Magic Kingdom and on the monorail, and we thought it was well worth it.  I can't speak for current rates, but at that time the Contemporary was not as pricey as the other "on the Monorail" resorts, although it was definitely not in the bargain group either.  

Also, I don't know if this is still true, but at that time at least, you could reserve any Disney property accommodation and then upgrade (on a space-available basis, of course) at check in time.  We did not do this, but had read about it in "The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World".  As I checked in, I watched someone at the next window do it.  He had reserved a room at one of the lowest price resorts and got a room just like mine for a lot less $$$.  If I were traveling at other than peak time, I might try this.  (Or if the budget says to go for the lower priced resort, it might be worth a try at any time ... you never know.)

Also, for those who qualify, there is a high-end quality resort at very low-end prices on the property which is reserved for members of the military and certain other military/DOD employees and retirees. http://www.shadesofgreen.org/

slight sidetrack... has anyone stayed in any of the Universal resorts?  I've been to Disney, always stayed on property (love that you can buy something and not have to carry it around, it gets delivered to your room!)

Thinking about going with Mr Sammi and would be interested in feedback, ie: Harry Potter world, etc.

I've stayed on property and off, and both have their pros & cons.  I really think it all depends on your budget, length of stay, number in your party, if personal space is a priority, and just how important an immersive Disney experience is to you (or, conversely, how important is is to you not be Disneyfied 24/7):

ON PROPERTY PROS

don't need a car, not even to/from the airport

disney theming and "magic" wherever you go

extra magic hours, access to meal plan

ON PROPERTY CONS

rates are expensive for what you get

the Disney bus system can be crowded & slow

unless you pony up the really big bucks, you are squashed into a hotel room with your kids (never my preference for more than a couple of nights)

OFF PROPERTY PROS

so much cheaper, and way more space for your buck: We paid $500 (that is not a typo) for a week in a three bedroom three bath villa with a fully-appointed kitchen, in-unit washer/dryer,  and its own small but private pool as well as a big fancy community pool & other facilities here: http://welcometowindsorhills.com/ .  We also stayed at a big timeshare resort that cost us a bit more -- $1000/week -- but for that we got a luxury two bedroom two bath villa on a golf course in a full-service resort with multiple pools, a "lazy river", golf, and numerous other resort activities: http://www.orangelake.com/

just because you're off property doesn't mean you have to be far away: Windsor Hills is under five minutes to the WDW gates and closer to some of the parks -- Animal Kingdom, for one -- than some of the on-property hotels.  Orange Lake is also close, maybe ten minutes to WDW property? We had no problem heading back to our villa for an afternoon break before returning to the parks for Fun Part Two, often beating our friends staying on property who had to wait for WDW transportation to get them where they wanted to go.

having a car gives you freedom to come & go as you please, no waiting in line for buses, and also frees you from all Disney dining all the time (also a money saver).  

you can find villas with Disney theming (ours at WH had a Disney bedroom and bathroom for the kids and various decor throughout), but for those who don't want all Disney all the time there are plenty of options there as well.

OFF PROPERTY CONS

you need to get yourself & your luggage to/from the airport

you need a car (but rentals can be quite cheap down there)

you need to pay for parking ($20/day (not per park)

you don't get that 24/7 Disney magic & service, including EMH

one of the biggest time wasters at WDW is going off property to eat. You may save a few $ but, mostly, Disney counter service is comparable in price to McDonald's. Maybe $1 or $2 more pp but then you lose hours of time.

One way we save a bit of $ is to order pizza one or two nights- delivery right to the resort from an outside place

One of the biggest pluses for our offsite resort/house rental was morning breakfast. Having a kitchen made it so much more leisurely in the early part of the day and the children weren't looking for food as soon as we hit the park. 

we bring a few boxes of cereal or oatmeal packets, fruit and small apple sauce cups for just this reason. Disney rooms have fridges and the stores sell milk and basics. We never eat breakfast out- another good $ saving tip. But, yes, it's nice to have a kitchen!

conandrob240 said:

we bring a few boxes of cereal or oatmeal packets, fruit and small apple sauce cups for just this reason. Disney rooms have fridges and the stores sell milk and basics. We never eat breakfast out- another good $ saving tip. But, yes, it's nice to have a kitchen!

We did this too and it was great. We ended up renting a car and went to WalMart for groceries, but you can also pack lots of basic snacks like granola bars, string cheese (which will be fine for a few hours on the plane!) and that kind of thing.