Pain arguing facts with onsite only people...

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I'm sure price will drive me offsite at some point but location and transportation is worth it to me so far. I put a lot of value in not driving or parking for a week. Epcot resorts especially have spoiled me. I can go from lounging by the pool to dinner in world showcase in 30 minutes and not worry about a duipirate:

And yeah I could uber but a quick walk is so much better.
 
Whats affordable to one person isn't to another. I'm paying $4200 for 9 nights at a Value for 4 adults, 10 day park hoppers and regular dining plan. I'd love to see any offsite deal touch that (With equivalent food since DDP isn't available off-site). Offsite may also require expense of airport transfer or rental car and parking fees.
First of all, I would say that you have an outstanding bargain! Bravo!

It's true that offsite folks do have those additional expenses of airport transfers/car rental/parking fees, that's why I always recommend that people add up all their expenses and compare. I would like to point out that you have 4 adults in a 260 square foot room for 9 nights. I would say that most of the people on the DIS who stay offsite do so not only save money but to also have more space. You mentioned "equivalent food" but I'd like to counter with "equivalent amount of room" ;).
 
I just never get why on earth people care so much about where somebody stays? If I want to splash out on a Disney hotel that's my lookout. I don't care if I could have got Marriot's Super Wonderful Fun Time Deluxe Hotel for half the price. I wanted to stay onsite, so that's what I choose. Sorry for the rant, it just drives me mad how almost judgemental people are about where you stay when it really doesn't matter.
 
I just never get why on earth people care so much about where somebody stays? If I want to splash out on a Disney hotel that's my lookout. I don't care if I could have got Marriot's Super Wonderful Fun Time Deluxe Hotel for half the price. I wanted to stay onsite, so that's what I choose. Sorry for the rant, it just drives me mad how almost judgemental people are about where you stay when it really doesn't matter.
I totally agree. What drives me nuts, though, is the people who complain about how horribly expensive Disney is and that they'd love to go more often but can't pay those prices (meaning onsite). But when I try to explain to them that we go regularly and spend a fraction of what they've spent, they aren't interested at all. They'd rather keep complaining that it's too expensive.
 


I just never get why on earth people care so much about where somebody stays? If I want to splash out on a Disney hotel that's my lookout. I don't care if I could have got Marriot's Super Wonderful Fun Time Deluxe Hotel for half the price. I wanted to stay onsite, so that's what I choose. Sorry for the rant, it just drives me mad how almost judgemental people are about where you stay when it really doesn't matter.
Thank you. What difference does it make to anyone what I do and why I do it?

The perks that I use are simply not available to me if I am off site.
 
I totally agree. What drives me nuts, though, is the people who complain about how horribly expensive Disney is and that they'd love to go more often but can't pay those prices (meaning onsite). But when I try to explain to them that we go regularly and spend a fraction of what they've spent, they aren't interested at all. They'd rather keep complaining that it's too expensive.

Maybe they find being on site is necessary for them. Why sing the praises of off site to someone who simply isn't interested?
 
Maybe they find being on site is necessary for them. Why sing the praises of off site to someone who simply isn't interested?
It isn't a matter of singing the praises but if someone says, "We had a really good time but can't afford to go back" then I'll at least try to tell them that there are much cheaper ways to do it. A lot of people simply aren't aware of the offsite options. Some people really appreciate that information. Some don't.
 


First of all, I would say that you have an outstanding bargain! Bravo!

It's true that offsite folks do have those additional expenses of airport transfers/car rental/parking fees, that's why I always recommend that people add up all their expenses and compare. I would like to point out that you have 4 adults in a 260 square foot room for 9 nights. I would say that most of the people on the DIS who stay offsite do so not only save money but to also have more space. You mentioned "equivalent food" but I'd like to counter with "equivalent amount of room" ;).

True, for some people the resort itself is a large part of their vacation. For us its just a bed. We are at the parks, or dining somewhere the entire day. For us I'm unwilling to pay for a large room I spend so little time in.
 
I crunched numbers for quite some time and the best value I found was for 2999 at AllStar Movies for 11 nights standard room using disney transportation. I looked into offsite stays but resorts fees and then parking or uber/lyft charges to get us to the parks and from/to the airport.....ended up being about the same of not a few bucks more. Mind you I am also getting Park Hopper Plus tix 2@10 days 1@7 days thru my work perks. We would have to see significant savings elsewhere to move us from All Star Movies....and away from EMH and DME. If there is I would be glad to hear about it.
 
I think some of the ire that this topic draws is due to people expressing opinions without explaining why the feel the way they do. It's not unusual to see comments like this:

The DoubleTree Suites by Disney Springs is my favorite hotel for my Disney World trips. It's great.​

While all of that is true, it's not particularly helpful unless you know someone about me. That's why I try to write things like this:

The DoubleTree Suites by Disney Springs is a solid hotel. Every room is a suite of at least 540 square feet. That's twice the size of a Disney Value Resort room. More often than not, the DoubleTree Suites is about the same price and it has interior hallways. That fact is important to me. Also, the way the suites are designed, the bedroom is not directly connected to the hall. That means it's very quiet. Finally, I like the fact that you're one of only 229 rooms and not one of 1,920 rooms. After a day or two, the staff will recognize you. That makes me feel more like a guest and not just a room number.​

It's a lot more work to write responses like that. But, for me, I think it significantly adds to the value of these boards.
 
Tough call as I LOVE AKL and WL for the imagineering and other things .... but never feel we are able to get away from people, the pool crowds etc. WBC allows for relaxation while being minutes from the parks.

I have not stayed at AKL but have at WL and it is a beautiful resort. One of my favorite disney memories happened there. But I still cannot get over the price for the size of the room one gets. At the time, my kids were still young and it worked out okay. Now they are adults and there is no way we could stay onsite in one room. And I see no sense in paying for two rooms when I can rent a timeshare condo for less than one room onsite. When we went 4 years ago, I priced the cost of two rooms at ASMu vs WBC through VS. I didn’t even get those “rock bottom” prices that everyone talks about and still saved over $800! Yes, we rented a van but would have done so if we stayed onsite. I paid for that with credit card points. I considered it a wash either way. So after parking at the parks, we still saved $700. There was room for the four of us to stretch out, have privacy, no fighting over the tv, washer/dryer, full size kitchen, lots of pools, etc. And yes, it didn’t seem so crowded there.

I guess our bottom line is money and space. It works for us. It may not work for others, but that’s okay too. :)
 
This is one of those things where the OP wants to be right, and there is not really anyone who is right on this subject. On site is not always right, off site is not always right, what it cheapest isn't always right. Sooo many other things go into picking a resort, on or off site, besides price. I can find hotels by WDW for $44 a night. But I wouldn't stay in one.
 
On another site, I get argued with when I tell them I get offsite accommodations for 90% off of Disney's best prices for equivalent accommodations. They blindly argue different season, different this or that. They even argue when you prove them wrong.

To give them the benefit of the doubt, I gathered the best possible price for room availability for 7-nights. It was a 2BR at SSR resort for Sept 15-22. With Disney discount, the cost was $4,944. My 3BR/3BA at Reunion resort is $550. I have gotten 2BR at WBC for $550 and a 2BR at OLR for $710. Then running points calculations for DVC renters @$12 per points nets the lowest price at $just under $3,000 and those rooms are extremely limited. The next set would be $3444. They still want to argue that I am not saving 80+% ($550/$3444).

It is sad they simply do not face the facts that I am saving at least 80% for equivalent accommodations.

In the end, none of the facts you just posted matter to me. I like on-site better. :p
 
The OP is right when it comes to his own trips. Everyone is different though.

Personally I've enjoyed both onsite and off-site stays. There are fabulous pools at many resorts, not just at the Four Seasons so that's not really a factor. I can understand convenience but other that that I see nothing better about onsite. But that is only true for ME.
 
On another site, I get argued with when I tell them I get offsite accommodations for 90% off of Disney's best prices for equivalent accommodations. They blindly argue different season, different this or that. They even argue when you prove them wrong.

To give them the benefit of the doubt, I gathered the best possible price for room availability for 7-nights. It was a 2BR at SSR resort for Sept 15-22. With Disney discount, the cost was $4,944. My 3BR/3BA at Reunion resort is $550. I have gotten 2BR at WBC for $550 and a 2BR at OLR for $710. Then running points calculations for DVC renters @$12 per points nets the lowest price at $just under $3,000 and those rooms are extremely limited. The next set would be $3444. They still want to argue that I am not saving 80+% ($550/$3444).

It is sad they simply do not face the facts that I am saving at least 80% for equivalent accommodations.

Well, I wouldn't care where others choose to stay. I'd like to stay at WBC someday. We have BWV points and are thinking of selling--shrinking family size now that the kids are grown-- DH and I could stay comfortably at Swan/Dolphin as we no longer need a 2BR. Maybe SSR and WBC are equivalent, I don't know, but I sure know BWV is more convenient than WBC. For us, it's location, location, location. For you, maybe other things matter more.
 
Seemed like OP's point was that the price is 90% less.
However as I pointed out yeah sure the price of where you lay your head may be less but there are usually hidden costs that add up. (add up to as much as staying onsite? probably not but don't make your overall vacation 90% less due to the things I had previously mentioned)
Hope you aren't taking offense as that's not at all my intention. We can all have our own opinions. As someone else said different strokes.

No offense at all. I like the different views.

I think offsite vs onsite extra costs can vary widely, even for the same family. Driving is probably the biggest factor impacting costs (own car, rental car, Disney/other transit). Our last trip, we had a rental car because we were also in Clear Water for part of the time, and when we went to WDW, we stayed on points offsite. Since we had the car already and the resort was free, our only incurred cost was parking at Disney. As a family of 5, if we stay on site, we need two rooms or to upgrade to at least a moderate (which, while technically possible, would be cramped). That trip, we saved a ton staying offsite, and enjoyed spreading out. This trip, we're just going to Disney, so no other reason for a car, and only 3 of the 5 of us are going, so we can easily stay in a single room. After crunching numbers, I was having a hard time finding anything better than an onsite value, so I booked that.

Because the other factors are so variable, the savings can be variable, too. Someone who drives their own vehicle and has an AP can probably save the 90% OP claimed. Does it mean the whole vacation is 90% cheaper? No, because you still have to factor in tickets, still have to eat, etc. We don't have AP, so park tickets are usually our biggest costs, followed by transportation because we fly down. I see the accommodations as one of the places I can choose to save or splurge because the other costs are relatively fixed (not a lot of sales on park tickets).
 
Not that it matters, but I'll bet even WDW loves having such a mix of guests. They wouldn't want EVERYONE staying onsite because they simply wouldn't have enough accommodations for everyone. So they're happy to have lots of offsite people. Hence why they have 2 of the 3 largest parking lots in the entire United States (MK and Epcot, second only to Mall of America...at least that's what CMs say).

Whatever value you hold dear is the right one...because it works for you. As I type this, I'm sitting in the family room of our 4 bedroom rental condo just outside of WDW. My 3 kids are all in their own bedrooms, on a different floor than I am, sleeping. I'm relaxing and drinking my cup of coffee. This is precisely how I want to vacation and that's why it's the right way...for us. No, I don't want to be sitting here typing this, I'd rather be in the parks. But I have to work until 3:30pm today...we have FP+ for PP at 3:45, so I'll be bolting out the door at 3:30pm sharp!! :D

For someone else, this way is completely the wrong way...and that's the right answer for them.
 
Whats affordable to one person isn't to another. I'm paying $4200 for 9 nights at a Value for 4 adults, 10 day park hoppers and regular dining plan. I'd love to see any offsite deal touch that (With equivalent food since DDP isn't available off-site). Offsite may also require expense of airport transfer or rental car and parking fees.

Is that with free dining? It has to be...That's a very good deal.

Though I don't think I would enjoy a vacation much if I had to share one toilet with 3 other adults. In fact, I know I wouldn't enjoy it.
 
Whats affordable to one person isn't to another. I'm paying $4200 for 9 nights at a Value for 4 adults, 10 day park hoppers and regular dining plan. I'd love to see any offsite deal touch that (With equivalent food since DDP isn't available off-site). Offsite may also require expense of airport transfer or rental car and parking fees.

Just because it sounds like a challenge, here's my similar offsite vacation:
$890.00 1 week at Sheraton Vistana Resort - 2BR townhome villa (more like a 3BR with the sleeping loft)
$360.00 2 additional nights at Vistana booked through Sheraton (with common discount code)
$2,022.28 4*10 day hoppers (tax and shipping incl, UT)
$600.00 food (based on my records for last 6 trips, I've never spent over C$500 for our family of 4 for a week. I think US$600 would be doable - combo of onsite, offsite, breakfast is usually in the villa)
$450.00 rental (although we actually drive so I wouldn't pay this, but I should be able to get a 9 day for this price with discount code). Driving down saves me about $2,500 over flying 4 from Canada.
$180.00 parking at the parks.
$4,502.28 Total, about $300 more than your onsite, but close. It's lower than your onsite without the rental car.

That's actually quite a bit more than what my one week vacations actually cost, but I'm being pretty liberal in my estimates.

Again, not trying to convince anyone to stay offsite, I think the Disney bubble lovers need to do their thing. Just adding more "math" to the conversation.
 
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