Stinky_Pete
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2000
Just got back from WDW and a stay at Caribbean Beach....here are my thoughts.
I have been to WDW 14 times in the last 11 years and for the majority of those, stayed offsite due to cost. We stayed at Shades of Green during our second trip, the Polynesian last January, and just got back from Caribbean Beach yesterday. The 10 trips other trips, we either stayed at offsite resorts or rented a house near Disney.
As of this moment, I can not see us ever staying on property again to be honest. We "qualified" for free dining on this trip and that was what convinced us to stay on property again but it isn't free. It's simply absorbed into the much higher price of staying onsite. Although the resort grounds were beautiful, the room was small and dated. The food court area was crazy crowded, the service was less than spectacular (no coffee available several times at food court, coffee pods not replaced in room until I asked for them). And I apologize to everyone who loves Disney transportation, but it is terrible. One day we waited for 40 minutes to get on a bus from the resort to Hollywood Studios. Most trips from the resort to a park or back were between 40 minutes to an hour because the bus needs to stop at a dozen places around the resort on it's loop. And they can keep the "Magical Express" too as we sat on the bus at the airport for 25 minutes before it even departed only to stop at 3 other resorts before ours. From the time we got on the bus at the airport until it dropped us off at Caribbean Beach, it took over an hour and 15 minutes.
So, for me, a trip to Disney can be relaxing offsite or a perpetual bus ride onsite. I don't enjoy sitting on the bus so I'll rent a car from now on. And since I'm renting a car, I'll save money and stay offsite. To me, there's nothing "magical" with riding a bus.
You sound like me. I haven't quite yet cancelled my room at All Stars, or my Magical Express reservation, but I probably will soon. I keep thinking back to the last time I visited Disney without a car, about a decade ago, and vowed then I would never do it again. I stayed at Old Key West which also has a lot of internal bus stops.
I crack up when I read on here where people post how they so much loooove Disney buses and not driving at Disney. Really?!? I don't find waiting 20 minutes for even a Disney bus, only to cram on with 50 of your new closest sweaty friends, then make stop after stop before getting to your destination very magical. I love having a car.
And, like you, since I have a car I might as well go 15 minutes down the road where I will spend half the money for my hotel, and that includes free breakfast! And it's not some 1,900 room behemoth with thousands and thousands of other guests.