On-site value or offsite hotel better for MS

[Momtoapug]

Hello!
I’m hoping to get advice from this great group.
I have MS. It is an “active” RRMS and I’m symptomatic all the time. Fatigue and stamina are a huge issue. No walking devices yet. I have a five year old who I work to make life as normal as possible for. So far I avoid wheelchair and - am hoping to ask, without judgment- for help in choosing a resort or option that will help me be able do Disney without a wheelchair. I’m just not ready to with my daughter yet. Not looking for commenting on my level of denial (I’m aware) just help in choosing the place with the shortest distances to bus etc.
2 yr ago, on our first trip to Disney, we went in August (how?!? How did I survive with ms! Was a miracle)...anyway at that time we stayed at grand Floridian villas (splurge!) we chose that because i was scared with mobility issues of busses. A big problem for me is standing and waiting. Obviously that is part of Disney but my thought was if I can cut the bus part out that might help.
Well, now I’m on a budget and GF is insanely expensive. I have looked around and based on my budget and desire for garish and excessive theming for my princess fanatic, I have boiled it down to:
-Little mermaid room $2000 for five days without a meal plan yikes!
-Stay off site at Sheraton Vistana villages for $1900 for a VILLA and shuttle to and from parks. No meal plan but does include tickets to park.
- finding Nemo suite for 3500...also no meal plan.
I KNOW little mermaid is a far walk...but is it that bad?! Hoping y’all can help me...
Also- are the buses awful? Is it crowded sweaty and packed like sardines? Are they cool inside?
Is the proximity of the suite at Art of animation worth an extra thousand?! (Is it thaaaaat far of a walk?) I don’t mind the extra grand that much because I figure we can prepare meals there etc...I don’t know.
I’m also wondering if it’s easier overall to stay offsite, shuttle (and wait in the AC of the hotel lobby)...but with no meal plan will I spend a fortune on-site and negate my savings for the cheaper offsite hotel? Also...do the shuttles take you right to the ticket counter or is it a huge walk from the shuttle drop off..
If you have advice and or a favorite, super convenient place to stay let me know!
Hopefully this makes SOME sense.
I’d love to do little mermaid room because it’s cheaper and adorable..but don’t want to zap all my energy going from room to the center of resort for a pretzel...

 

[redberyl]

Little mermaid is the farthest room possible from the bus stop. Also farthest from check-n and the dining area. My daughter has stamina issues and could not make the walk. I really can' see you coming back from a long day at the parks and then coming back and walking clear to the other side of the resort. Also with the buses, without a wheelchair you are not guaranteed a seat on the bus. So its possible you will leave the parks, have to stand on a crowded bus, then have to walk to little mermaid. We stayed in little mermaid and rented a car, if you can afford we have found renting the car much easier than using the buses

 

[Momtoapug]

Little mermaid is the farthest room possible from the bus stop. Also farthest from check-n and the dining area. My daughter has stamina issues and could not make the walk. I really can' see you coming back from a long day at the parks and then coming back and walking clear to the other side of the resort. Also with the buses, without a wheelchair you are not guaranteed a seat on the bus. So its possible you will leave the parks, have to stand on a crowded bus, then have to walk to little mermaid. We stayed in little mermaid and rented a car, if you can afford we have found renting the car much easier than using the buses

Oh I should have added we are driving to WDW so we will have a car! However, do you think driving from our room to whatever resort each day is easier or more inconvenient than using the bus? (If the walk was irrelevant). We just have not ever used the buses so I have no idea

 

[Momtoapug]

Little mermaid is the farthest room possible from the bus stop. Also farthest from check-n and the dining area. My daughter has stamina issues and could not make the walk. I really can' see you coming back from a long day at the parks and then coming back and walking clear to the other side of the resort. Also with the buses, without a wheelchair you are not guaranteed a seat on the bus. So its possible you will leave the parks, have to stand on a crowded bus, then have to walk to little mermaid. We stayed in little mermaid and rented a car, if you can afford we have found renting the car much easier than using the buses

Also- thank you. I will probably not do little mermaid then because just going to the main resort area sounds like it would be impossible....what do you think about a suite that is closer to the center of the resort? Or- do you recommend any other resorts that might be better? Thank u again!

 

[sparky68]

Also- thank you. I will probably not do little mermaid then because just going to the main resort area sounds like it would be impossible....what do you think about a suite that is closer to the center of the resort? Or- do you recommend any other resorts that might be better? Thank u again!

If you have a car stay offsite. You will save money, and can get a room with a kitchenette. Disney resorts are HUGE, you will use up so many of your steps for the day just walking from your room to the bus stops.
Take the money you save on the room and spend it on a princess meal, or that bibbidy boppidy place people seem to like so much.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I KNOW little mermaid is a far walk...but is it that bad?! Hoping y’all can help me...

Relatively, not really. Without measuring, I'd estimate it's a shorter walk to/from OK than from the bus area to The Hub.

don’t mind the extra grand that much because I figure we can prepare meals there etc.

You're going to have to do all "cooking" in a microwave.

 

[DisneyOma]

We found staying onsite and using buses to be very handy, but none of us have MS. We do a lot of walking each day, 8 to 10 miles on average. If you drive to the parks, just note that at MK you have to wait for the boat/monorail to get to the park. If you stay onsite and go to MK, I'd suggest taking the bus that day.

 

[gap2368]

Ok, a few things and I know you do not want to hear this, but I would really look into getting some type of mobility device.( or at least have some phone numbers in your pocket. I understand you have a 5 YOD But she more than likely knows something is up with mommy. I would just tell her that Mommy has MS and Mom get tired when walking and so Mommy might use something like a wheelchair ( or whatever) so that they can enjoy the park.

on one of my previous trips ( I go a few times a year so it was within 5 months) I meet up with a friend at HS we were waiting on our return time for a ride when her back started to have a problem, she asked someone if she could have there set they said no, She walked very slowly to the front asking I think everyone set if she could sit ever the last person said no or acted hey did not understand. by the time we got to the front she is crying in pain and had to take the next day off. WHat I am saying is disney is taking away places to sit and rest, so if you do not have something with you to sit on do not place on sitting at the psrk.


As far as hotels if you do stay on site book a preferred room they are closer to the food/ buss area also when staying off site add in $20 for parking fees a day, and if you do take the bus from the hotel most busses drop you are pretty fair away and some times you then have to take a Disney bs to the park of your chose ( I think most off-site busses drop you off at EPCOT)

 

[Bete]

I'm for onsite. Get a preferred room location which costs a little more, but you will be closer to the buses and food court. You can drive your car to get closer to the resort bus stop, too. This is a little awkward, but can be done. You can be dropped off at bell services.

Offsite shuttles suck; they don't have the frequency of the Disney buses. Most have multiple stops at multiple resorts.

We are scooter people, now. We find our energy and endurance to be so much better. We can last longer in the parks. We figure the cost of the scooter is offset by us having more time in the parks. We actually enjoy it more, too; because, it doesn't hurt so much. We rent from an offsite vendor, then we can have it around the resort. Getting scooters on and off the bus is not fun, but maybe someone else can do that part for you.

 

[redberyl]

Oh I should have added we are driving to WDW so we will have a car! However, do you think driving from our room to whatever resort each day is easier or more inconvenient than using the bus? (If the walk was irrelevant). We just have not ever used the buses so I have no idea

for us it' easier to take the car, although as someone else said it' a pain to drive to MK, so the bus for MK is less hassle. But we leave everyday to take a rest, and it stinks when we are leaving the park with 2 exhausted kids ready for their nap, and the bus pulls away just as we are getting close to the stop, and midday it' 20 minutes before the next one pulls up. So I've found with our naps it saves time driving ourselves. Both my girls absolutely must sit on the bus, which isn' always easy on a full bus, so we avoid that by driving ourselves. I still prefer to stay onsite even though we drive ourselves, because of returning for the nap. Traffic on the main roads where most of the offsite hotels can be pretty bad; we once rented a house that was a 20 minute drive to main gate in good traffic but 45 minutes when it was bad. Plus, staying onsite is more fun! You could always keep your mermaid room, and if the hike to the bus stop is too much for you, you have the option to just drive yourself.