Here is this weeks edition of my "Travel Tip of the Week." I am making this one related to Walt Disney World and will be posting further info in much more detail related to the topic of staying off-site versus on-site at Walt Disney World.
I have stayed both on-site and off-site, and I have sworn to never stay off-site ever again. :-)
For instance, the day I arrived at my off-site hotel, the last shuttle for the parks had already left (they had a few in the morning to take people there, and a few in the evening to take people back), so e ended up having to pay for a cab, since we were not renting a car (we actually chose that hotel precisely because it had a free shuttle).
Time and convenience are things that are hard to put a price on, and with the Value resorts that Disney offers, I honestly see no reason to stay off-site for a Disney vacation.
Thank you so much for the additional feedback. That should really help someone who is trying to make the decision to stay on or off site. It is things like this that so many do not factor in when thinking they are getting a great deal.
The main caveat about staying on-site is the following: it's addictive! :-) Once you stay on-site once and get shuttled for free to your hotel on a nice bus (where they handle all your luggage for you and take it up to your room); get taken to the parks for free at all times during the day without long waits; have the advantage of staying late at some parks (or go in early) on select days; and can even do your airline bag check-in from your hotel (on select airlines), it will be hard to go back to staying off-site. :-)
I guess the main down-side to staying on-site is the "captive audience" condition: you'll be eating at their restaurants, buying their souvenirs, etc. However, most Disney hotels have different levels of dining, so it's possible to get relatively cheap counter service or have a nice sit-down meal, all without leaving your hotel.
I have stayed at the All-Star Movie resort (a Value resort) as well as at the Animal Kingdom Lodge (a Deluxe resort), so I have seen both ends of the spectrum. While of course the AKL was an overall excellent experience (the decor, the savannahs surrounding the hotel, the restaurants (Boma and Jiko), hell, even the scent of the place itself!), I would definitely stay at a Value resort again, too (although I would probably choose the Pop Century resort, since it has fewer stops, and thus a shorter wait when going to the parks, than the All-Star resorts).
And no, I don't work for Disney: I just love it! :-D
3 comments:
I have stayed both on-site and off-site, and I have sworn to never stay off-site ever again. :-)
For instance, the day I arrived at my off-site hotel, the last shuttle for the parks had already left (they had a few in the morning to take people there, and a few in the evening to take people back), so e ended up having to pay for a cab, since we were not renting a car (we actually chose that hotel precisely because it had a free shuttle).
Time and convenience are things that are hard to put a price on, and with the Value resorts that Disney offers, I honestly see no reason to stay off-site for a Disney vacation.
Thank you so much for the additional feedback. That should really help someone who is trying to make the decision to stay on or off site. It is things like this that so many do not factor in when thinking they are getting a great deal.
The main caveat about staying on-site is the following: it's addictive! :-) Once you stay on-site once and get shuttled for free to your hotel on a nice bus (where they handle all your luggage for you and take it up to your room); get taken to the parks for free at all times during the day without long waits; have the advantage of staying late at some parks (or go in early) on select days; and can even do your airline bag check-in from your hotel (on select airlines), it will be hard to go back to staying off-site. :-)
I guess the main down-side to staying on-site is the "captive audience" condition: you'll be eating at their restaurants, buying their souvenirs, etc. However, most Disney hotels have different levels of dining, so it's possible to get relatively cheap counter service or have a nice sit-down meal, all without leaving your hotel.
I have stayed at the All-Star Movie resort (a Value resort) as well as at the Animal Kingdom Lodge (a Deluxe resort), so I have seen both ends of the spectrum. While of course the AKL was an overall excellent experience (the decor, the savannahs surrounding the hotel, the restaurants (Boma and Jiko), hell, even the scent of the place itself!), I would definitely stay at a Value resort again, too (although I would probably choose the Pop Century resort, since it has fewer stops, and thus a shorter wait when going to the parks, than the All-Star resorts).
And no, I don't work for Disney: I just love it! :-D
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