What will push you offsite?

[Mom2Stitch]

Every year we go to Disney and stay onsite. By the end of the vacation I'm suffering from what I call the Disney hangover-I'm just done with it. Of course it's not long before that itch starts. When it does, I almost always start looking at ways to make it cheaper. So I look at vacation homes, offsite hotels, etc. and yes it's a cheaper price. Then we start talking about rental cars and parking fees and DME. We talk about how we love the dining plan, but staying offsite you can't get that. Before you know it we are booked onsite. Never, ever has it failed to turn that way.

The rampant rumors of changes in fast passes and other perks, I'm not going to lie, that would definitely push us the wrong way. We love Disney, we've seen it change over the years and we have rolled with those changes and still go. Paying for fast passes, if that comes to be, might be where they lose us. Unless of course they drop some prices in other areas-rooms and tickets-but in reality we know that won't happen.

Guess we'll have to see.

 

[KenHutch]

We go every 2 to 3 years (because of the cost). I could save a lot by staying off site but being close and the few perks we still get keep me going back. Now if they were to cut or start charging for the fast pass's I would probably cut length of the trip in 2 and stay off site. Paying for parking has already made me change plans. Anyone going must pay for their own airline tickets because we are flying now instead of driving.

 

[scrappinginontario]

At this time I can't see what would cause us to stay offsite. We might go less often or for a shorter amount of time but if we go, our plans are to stay onsite.

That being said, we have done an Orlando trip (not gone to the parks at all) and stayed offsite and we enjoyed that because it was not a 'Disney' trip. If we're going to Disney, I can't think of what would cause us to stay offsite.

 

[3threebabies]

I have always been an onsite person, I love the perks and the convenience, especially when I can walk to a park. However with all the cuts to perks I’m debating becoming an offsite person!

For my August trip I would save almost $1500 if I move offsite... I’m really debating it...

Having two kids, and one still in a car seat it’s a hard sell, but I’m still thinking about it.

If you're an onsite person will something push you to move offsite? If so what?

If I don’t want to spend the money to stay onsite for any reason (for my husband he will only stay deluxe), I would choose another location for vacation. To me, a WDW vacation is onsite. However, I would consider adding 1 day at WDW to a vacation with a different theme (ie beach).

 

[shystalips]

Making me pay for fastpasses would definitely put me over the edge. Considering I could already stay offsite with ultimate reward points that would definitely push me to the downtown disney hotels!

 

[Magical2017]

We have moved to one bedroom units now, so staying offsite can save thousands and pay for a second vacation elsewhere. If evening EMH are actually eliminated (and it is not just a rumor), the value of staying onsite is diminished for our family.

 

[Sue M]

I’ve slowly been pushed me from not taking WDW vacays. It’s been a steady downhill. We used to go 2x a year. January in POR, then August in a Deluxe.
A few yrs ago cut out January trips. Last August trip was last year, 2018. No trip planned this year. For the first time ever, not going to WDW.
From crazy room increases, ticket increases, food increases. Just no! I haven’t drunk that much Koolaid. It’s not that I can’t, but I’m not going to pay rip off prices. $200+ for a motel style moderate?
This year I’m going to Universal.

 

[Megsmachine]

I'll give you the opposing opinion to most, OP. Give offsite a try and see if you like it.

We're a family of 5, and we feel just as strongly about being offsite as others here do about being onsite. It's the only way to go for us. We wouldn't stay onsite if it were free. Heck, we tried to stay onsite for one night...for free...twice...just to see what it was like and we didn't even make it. We went back to our offsite rental before bed. For us, we'd see having to stay onsite as a deal breaker, it would be awful in so many ways.

Doesn't mean you're going to feel that way, you may not. You may find it 50/50 or anywhere in between. But you won't know until you try.

We have done almost equal stays offsite as on sight. We love it both ways. It ends up being a different feel. We love the in the “Disney bubble” feel when staying onsite. But we equally love the offsite visiting Disney feel. We have pretty much always stayed at Bonnet Creek. We are looking into using airbnb for a house next time. I love that we can drive everywhere (we rent a vehicle) and drive around the Disney area. We go at our own pace where on property using their transportation is nice, it is at their pace. We do enjoy that too though. When our whole family goes we stay offsite. We are a family of 9 so its just cheaper. We could afford staying on property but I just cannot justify the cost of it anymore. I’d rather spend our money somewhere else then $500 plus a night on a room we only sleep in.

 

[MidgeD79]

I would stay offsite if WDW took away morning EMH. We go exclusively during the summer and the best way for us to beat the heat is to rope drop every park that does morning EMH.

 

[ellbell]

The only onsite benefits left are DME, the DDP and being able to charge to your room. For me, only one out of the three is any kind of benefit. Anyone can use the Disney transportation, so I don't consider that an onsite benefit.

It is if you first have to get to Disney property to use it. I would have to pay to get on property before I could use the buses.

 

[scjo68]

Resort parking fees.

I have a few more onsite reservations that were made before the parking fee started. Once I have used those, we will be staying offsite for all road trips to WDW. Occasionally we fly- if it's only two of us- but with the whole family we drive.
We have only stayed on site so far. We love it- I suppose we are "bubble" people. Or were.

I have found so many nice off site options without fees that cost so much less. Once we are "out of the bubble," we will probably start eating meals off site and start doing more non-Disney activities.

I will not pay to park at my own hotel.

 

[eco-muse]

Most likely cost, if anything (and that's if they keep jacking up the prices and removing perks). However, we did a split stay a couple years ago (partially off-site and partially on-site). Factoring in how long transportation took from the off-site hotel (so much time wasted driving around, looking for parking, etc.), I'm sticking with on-site options.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

I haven't totally given up staying onsite, but it's gotten to where some of my trips are entirely offsite, and some are a split stay between onsite and offsite. Factors which have led me to spend much more time staying offsite than I used to:

• Allowing pet dogs at some resorts where I otherwise would have stayed.
  
• Dispensers in the shower for shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, instead of individual containers and soap.
• Overnight parking fees.
• Room checks.
• In my experience, rooms sometimes not as clean as I'd like, at some onsite properties.
• De-theming of resort rooms as each resort is refurbished.
• Cost increases and really high prices. (There are offsite places with more amenities and more space, for less money. Previously the in-room theming was an incentive to stay onsite, but with that being gradually removed or toned way down, offsite often seems like a better value).

 

[Patches Lee]

A large factor for us is overall cost and probably a bit complicated. Whether we fly down for 6 nights or 9 the flight alone has very little price difference in seat cost. Figure if we do 2 trips instead of 1 we have already doubled our transportation cost. Then DH insists on a rental car, so less than 7 days we end up with a higher daily rate than if we stay longer with parking figured in. Ticket price/day goes up as well. The biggest factor is hotel cost for the benefits we do use. We don't do early EMH but love late EMH so getting rid of those would be a bigger impact for our family. The other part is we planned out June vacation to visit before SW opens, then DH doesn't want to go for a good 4-5 years after because he doesn't want to deal with the crowds with so much being done. We still will plan vacation, just not Disney for a bit.

 

[gratefulfred]

It sounds like they are getting rid of the evening emh at the MK in October and switching them out for paid events. We sleep in on vacation and loved the late night MK hours if those are gone and the parks are closing somewhere between 8 and 10 (earlier when they hold those events) there is no benefit to staying onsite for us, that was the last one. I have at least two trips worth of non expiring tickets left, without those I don’t think it would be worth it at all to go with the rising prices and reduced hours

 

[DisLiss]

The only thing I can think of that might push off off-site would be the removal of the free transport from the resorts to the parks, which seems unlikely, but these days they are monetizing everything else, so who knows! Because while we do rent a car, we don't want to drive it more than absolutely necessary. And once we arrive at WDW, we really just want it to sit in the parking lot (and rack up fees!). So if they made us start having drive all over the World, (or pay for them to drive) then for us that would be a reason to stay off-site if the financial end of it made more sense that way.

 

[Captainkidd76]

Bottom line, price. I can stay for 2 weeks in a 2 bedroom at Bonnet Creek for less money than a standard room at a Moderate. Much less in fact. I love the feel of Disney resorts, but if you can get a good rate on a rental car, it's kind of a no brainer.

That being said, Bonnet Creek is basically on site. I would never stay "off site" at either Disney or especially, Universal.

 

[Cornish Lad]

We like to have a break from driving so onsite transportation is great for us, and just being "in the bubble" is worth it as well - so the only thing that will stop us from staying onsite is when we just can't afford or are physically unable to go anymore and then it will be a full stop.

 

[ktate82]

We have also ventured off site already. Last year, six of us stayed five nights in two rooms in a moderate, then moved off site to a three bedroom at Silver Lake (just off property) for two weeks. We paid less for a three bedroom for two weeks than we paid for one room for five nights at a moderate. Add in the parking fees, that is a bit too much for us. Unless we are staying on our DVC points, we stay off property.

 

[Buzzsgramma]

Hmm let me see.....if I was deceased then I would be staying off site....other than that it's on site forever...staying mostly at BWV (DVC)....since 2000...