On or Off Park?

[JaimeLombana]

How better is it to stay inside DW as opposed to the main strip there in Orlando? Looking for some advice from frequent visitors, hopefully some who have done both and can give an informed opinion.

Hugs,

Jaime

 

[JaimeLombana]

Oh, and I am looking ot go in March of next year, if that makes any difference.

Hugs,

Jaime

 

[Raenstoirm]

WDW is not in orlando, so if you stay in the city it will be long drive to get to a park. WDW is the size of San Francisco (so HUGE). There are some good offsite resorts, but we personally would never stay offsite. Head on over to the resorts board and read up on all of them. (there are detailed reviews of al the hotels)

 

[A Belle Among Beasts]

I'm far from experienced, but we really enjoyed staying on property in May. We stayed at POP and yes the rooms were small. They were clean, cool and comfortable. We literally parked our car and only moved it when we spent a day at Seaworld. The bus service was fine and we only waited a semi-long time once...after Wishes one night. We didn't have to fool with traffic, parking fees or remembering where we parked. Price wise, for 2 adults, we had a hard time coming up with reasons *not to do it. Sure, lots of places appeared cheaper until you factored in resort fees, parking fees and whatever other fees they tacked on to the rate. We also took advantage of AM EMH as we are naturally early risers. And, we could hear Illuminations each night as we settled down to sleep...probably could have seen the higher bits of it had we wanted to go outside.

Now, if you're a larger family or bristle at the idea of a "value" resort, your experience and needs may be different. If you need 2 rooms or a suite, cost is going to go way up for you and an offsite hotel or condo may make more sense financially. Honestly, it all boils down to what works for you, your family and your budget. For us, on site is where we want to be.

 

[Luvchefmic]

How better is it to stay inside DW as opposed to the main strip there in Orlando? Looking for some advice from frequent visitors, hopefully some who have done both and can give an informed opinion.

Hugs,

Jaime

Jaime when you refer to the main strip are you talking about International Drive ? If so, not close to WDW and not such a safe area I live here now BUT when I didn't I have stayed on-site, off site at several extended stay hotels, and rented a private home There are many benefits to all those options

It will come down to individual needs & preferences for example budget, will you have or rent a car, planning to go other places besides WDW, how long staying, how many people in your party, the list to consider goes on & on

There is a drop box for the different threads, there's an area for discussions about the WDW resorts and also area hotels/resorts ( scroll all the way down to the bottom of this page you will see Forum Jump right hand side there's your different areas of the board )

I have also had great success with www.booking.com search for Lake Buena Vista or even Orlando Which has given me hotels right outside the WDW entrance Hotel Plaza Blvd & 535 ( which technically IS Lake Buena Vista)

What I really like about this site is NO deposit required & NO fees booking through them ( even when you cancel) Good Luck

Ruthie

Oh and to the Dis !

 

[TiggerBouncy]

Having done both, I love staying on property. The perks are small, but I enjoy them. For example, I love having my hotel key, park tickets, food and credit card all in one. I like to just take the buses and not worry about driving, and I frequently take advantage of the shopping items delivered to my resort. The only perk I don't often use is extra magic hours as those parks are often the busy ones.

But I never stay off property anymore. I'm a convert!

 

[alc571]

If you're talking about the strip on the 192, it just depends on what you're looking for. We have done both. We rent a house in Kissimmee just south of the 192, and share it with my inlaws. It's close to WDW, as well as most everything else. We stay here when looking to do other things besides WDW, and because my inlaws have a very limited budget. We enjoy the extra space, and having our own pool. We choose POR at WDW when it's just our family, and we are doing an exclusively Disney trip. We love being immersed in the Disney bubble 24/7 for the whole trip. And you can't beat the cleanliness of Disney hotels and grounds!

 

[CTDisneyfan816]

Last year I stayed off-site and had some bad experiences (witnessed a drug deal). I did it to save money. I did save money but the $15 to park each day narrowed the savings. Another thing is if you are only going to Disney, you would save money on a rental car as well. When all is said and done, the amount of savings didn't make up for the loss of enjoyment of staying in a bland hotel.

 

[ShayBells]

Honestly to me nothing beats staying on disney property. When I was a kid we always stayed off site. Once we stayed on site the first time we never went back. I love having the magic with me 24/7 and it's not only that. Disney transportation just makes everything so much easier. You don't have to worry about paying for parking. Finding parking remembering where your car was. And after a long day of walking it is easier to catch the bus than to have to walk all the way to your car and than drive a half hour to a hotel that is second rate. I've stayed in a lot of hotels in my short life and none of them touch disneys even the value resorts. I will always pick staying on property. I feel much safer and I have no worries because everything is taken care of.

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[DOOM1001]

The areas that are considered the tourist strips with hotels,restaurants and attractions are International Drive which would also include the areas by the convention center,nearby streets like Turkey lake rd,Universal blvd and Sand Lake rd which is also known as Restaurant Row in the area between I-4 and Apopka Vineland Rd.International Drive is a bit more convenient to Universal and Sea World but is no more than a 15-20 minute drive to Disney World.

The other Tourist strip areas would be Lake Buena Vista which is the area around I-4 and 535 by the Hotel Plaza blvd Disney entrance.The oldest area would be 192 which is where most of the people stayed back when Disney didn't have two dozen hotels and the I Drive and LBV areas where not as developed.Today 192 still has some decent areas to stay but overall the area has gotten old and run down in areas.For example in the 1980's and 90's there were many more hotels east of 535 on 192,today I wouldn't even consider staying anywhere east of 535,the area has just become run down.As you go west on 192 from Disney and Celebration towards US 27 a lot of new businesses and restaurants have opened up but I don't see a good amount of new hotels that have opened up,a lot of older hotels sprinkled with a few nice new places.Some of the better ones are the Comfort Suites maingate east by Old Town and a brand new Embassy Suites near the 535 and 192 intersection.

As far as what is better,obviously staying at a Disney resort is better as you're bombarded by Disney ambiance as soon as you get up,you can just leave your car at the hotel and take Disney transportation everywhere,go back to your room for a break and not have to worry about driving 20-30 minutes back to your offsite hotel.Disney hotels are obviously more expensive so for someone like me a Florida resident who has APs to Disney,Universal,Sea World and Busch Gardens and that goes to the parks 8-10 times a year I only stay at Disney 2-3 times of the 10 trips.I can get good offsite hotels pretty cheap on sites like Hotwire and since I go to other parks I always have to drive anyways.For some trips like when I run the marathon in January staying at Disney is a must to avoid the driving to and from the race.If I could I would stay at the Poly and Wilderness Lodge on most trips but money wise it just can't be done with the amount of trips I do a year.

 

[DanInMN]

Onsite is nice. If you have 5 or less people, and can get free dining, it may not be too much more total cost than off site (ie: one room at POR AB). Consider the savings of Disney's free bus service from the airport vs cost of a rental car (plus tolls, gas, parking).

If you have a larger group, then off site really shines. You can rent a large condo (2-3 bedrooms, 2-3 bathrooms, kitchen, laundry) for less than a hotel room at WDW. I suggest Bahama Bay Resort or Reunion Resort.

 

[Magpie]

I just talked my husband into staying on-site in April, despite the fact that it'll be peak season with higher prices. (He didn't realize it'd be peak season back when he booked the plane tickets.)

Why did he change his mind? Because when we stay on-site, we don't need to rent a car. Also, you can always get discounted rooms at Disney.

So, between the discount and the added cost of car rental, the difference between staying on and off site is negligible. And on-site is SO much more convenient! Value resorts are small, but they give you everything you need. Plus, some extras, like free outdoor movies at night.

We might be staying at the All-Stars for the first time, though!

But it doesn't matter, because just like with the big chain hotels, you always know the kind of product you're getting with Disney. A clean, basic, room! And staff who smile at you.

 

[Planogirl]

There are lovely safe resorts offsite. I wouldn't let that worry you because not all of central Florida is dangerous.

However, if you are new to the area and want the Disney thing then you might want to stay onsite.

 

[wdw_monster]

The only good thing on international dr is O'shucks pub nickel beer beer night on Wednesdays lol, kids are welcome which is kinda weird lol
We stayed at the motel 6 on 192 in April for 10 nights when looking for a house down here. The rooms were cheap, very cheap $25 a night. Nice clean small, safe area, very close to Disney. But there's a lot of weed being smoked there, and a couple upstairs got in a fight and broke their window. Didn't bother us since we are from a bad area of San Antonio, tx. What sucked was we payed for 2 weeks and checked out 4 days early and we had to wait 4 hours for a refund because they didn't have money in their register, what the funk!

stay onsite!! It's worth it!!

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[Fantasmiss]

Another vote for staying in WDW!

 

[bfamily5]

If I had to stay offsite I would, but if we can do on-site with a dining plan, that's my preferred vacation. It feels like an all-inclusive! We love the Disney Bubble and not having to worry about driving or parking.

 

[epcotty]

It'd be nicer to stay there but if you want to save money you could find a nice chain motel with free shuttle (I see that advertised). I don't stay down there (just day trips)

 

[NancyIL]

In 1999 we stayed off-site for 2 nights (Comfort Inn Lake Buena Vista) and on-site for 2 nights (at the newly-opened All Star Movies Toy Story section). I have been an on-site convert ever since! I have stayed with a friend at her Bonnet Creek timeshare, but I would much rather stay in a hotel room on-site than a larger condo-type unit off-site.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Benefits of staying onsite:

• Free parking or you can leave car at hotel and take Disney transportation.
• Charge room for purchases.
• Have purchases shipped to your room.
• Can be on the dining plan.
• Closer.

Benefit to staying offsite:

• Often times cheaper.
• Easier to find accommodations for larger groups.

Given the option, I will stay onsite.

 

[BeerMe]

It all depends on what you personally are looking for.

This year we have made 3 trips already and 2 were onsite, 1 offsite. Our trip in October is offsite but December is onsite.

If I had to make a decision and live with it for all trips it would be difficult. There are things I like about each experience.

I think at this stage in my life though, I'd choose offsite.