Why I like staying OFF of Disney property (and other things)

OK I’m FINALLY writing this post about staying off property… it’s not because I don’t like writing, it’s simply because the amount of free time that I have, compared to the times I actually REMEMBER that I have a post to write, don’t coincide that frequently. However, here we are. Marshall is contentedly playing ‘school’ with his stuffed animals, and I thought I’d sit with my coffee and attempt some productivity.

STAYING OFFSITE VS. ONSITE

Nah, this isn’t gonna be a pros/cons type of post. Honestly, I haven’t stayed at more than a handful of the Disney resorts yet- I mean, come on, I have only been ‘going’ to Disney World for about 2 1/2 years now. Gimme some time! I’ve stayed at all 3 tiers though- Deluxe, Moderate, and Value. SO I at least have that going for me, with my opinions.

Here’s the thing- I LOVE staying onsite. I love the ‘Disney feel’ of the WDW Resorts. I love when they say ‘Welcome Home’ as you pull in to the parking lots. I love how helpful they are at valet/bell service. I LOVE being able to drop my luggage at the door, check in, and hit the parks without even really having to miss a beat.

However- my wallet doesn’t always comply. I’m a single mom, and I’m on a mean budget. I try to pull in extra income by selling stuff online, doing as many receipt/shopping cash saving/making apps that I can possibly wrap my head around, and I even plan on getting a couple of extra ‘jobs’ that I can use to make some extra cash….. but the majority of the time, spending $200+ per night on the hotel just isn’t plausible. Not when I can spend $70-100 per night offsite.

There are hundreds of offsite hotels. I looked on the WDW website for the ‘Good Neighbor’ hotels. I also cross checked with Marriott properties, b/c I’m a Marriott rewards member. There are a few million choices, so I based off of reviews and stars, and settled on the Marriott Village on Vineland. I was NOT disappointed! There’s a Courtyard, a Fairfield, and a Springhill in the Village, and I’ve stayed at both the Courtyard and Fairfield. For less than $100 per night, the rooms were clean, the coffee in the lobby was fantastic, and boy- the rooms were HUGE compared to any of them at the Disney resorts. The Village is easy to find and just one exit down from the Epcot/Disney exits, off of I-4.

I have a very VERY busy toddler, and having the larger room was SO NICE for us- he loved being able to run around. I kinda feel like the Disney rooms are just so small, and add our luggage and a stroller into the mix, there’s hardly room to move around! Plus, there’s a MICROWAVE in the rooms!!!! Talk about handy. The Fairfield has a fantastic continental breakfast that almost makes it my favorite- but the Courtyard has smart tv’s so I can sign into my Netflix and Marshall can watch his favorite shows. The money I save on breakfasts/coffee alone is just wonderful!!!

Next- driving to the parks vs. using Disney transportation.

I love convenience. Pre-kids I LOVED heading to Universal Studios, staying on property- jumping the bus or boat and heading to the parks, without having to think about remembering where I parked, hanging on to car keys, etc. I also used to like having a few drinks, so that came in handy as well- not worrying about driving. When Marshall and I first started going to Disney we always stayed onsite and used the busses/boats. I typically always had my mom along though, and she would grab Marshalls hand and sit with him on the bus- while I would fold up the stroller, grab the backpack, and if the bus was full, I was able to just stand, knowing Marshall was being watched by Grandma. The few times I rode Disney busses with Marshall alone, it was, to be frank- a hot mess. Between keeping watch of him, dealing with the stroller, and all of our bags/things, I was a sweaty wreck by the time we got to the parks! Thankfully each time some kind soul offered to help with either the stroller, or the kid. I was so thankful! When I drive myself to the parks, it’s not nearly as stressful for me. I can park, take my time to gather all of our things, etc. I have things packed up nice and tight at first- I let Marshall walk vs. putting him in the stroller as we head to the tram. Getting on/off the trams is typically easy enough. Folks pitch in to help, and Marshall is now a pro- climbs right in and slides over so I can maneuver getting the stroller in there. When we go to Magic Kingdom, it’s lovely that I can just leave him in the stroller and wheel right on to either the monorail or the ferry. I think that sometimes if the monorails are too full, they will make you fold up your stroller- but I’ve never had that happen to me yet. I kind of prefer the ferry though, maybe b/c I like boats.

Then, when it’s time for us to leave, there is no standing in line for hours upon hours waiting for the bus- only to have it fill up before you can board, and having to wait for the next one. (I say hours upon hours as a MAJOR exaggeration…. I’ve definitely waited for an hour before, but that’s been the absolute exception. Typically it’s no more than 20 minutes.)

I like getting back to the parking lot, unloading and loading up my own car- letting Marshall sit shoe-less and sometimes even pants-less in his car seat, watching videos on the iPad, while I unwind and relax for a minute before hitting the road. It’s maybe not everyone’s favorite, but it works for us. There have been a few times where I have thought ‘oh no now I have to DRIVE BACK TO THE HOTEL’ because I’ve been EXHAUSTED from the parks, but that is definitely not the norm.

I know that some of the Good Neighbor hotels have complimentary shuttles to/from the parks, For those who are traveling long distances, and don’t want to rent a car, they can be VERY convenient! Also, using Uber or Lyft is an option. I have only used Uber when traveling to/from Universal, so I don’t know how convenient the drop off/pick ups from the parks are, plus I don’t know how accessible car seats are. Things to check in to, though, if having your own car isn’t an option, and you’re staying off property.

I guess the main ‘point’ of this post is this: Staying ON property has lots of amazing perks, and I don’t hate it. However, when my budget is tight, staying offsite can help me save some bucks, and potentially allow me to take a trip here or there that otherwise I might not have been able to. It’s not that bad, I promise! For instance, money is TIGHT this time of year, every year. My birthday is also this time of year. Terrible coincidence. However, I promised myself (and my 4 year old) that if I can get him fully potty trained by my birthday, I’d treat us to a mommy/Marshall trip. Just for 2 nights. I found the Fairfield Inn for $70 a night!!!! The value resorts were still gonna be about $150 for the same time. There’s no way that I could’ve afforded $300+ for the hotel, but I’ve already sold enough stuff online/facebook marketplace to pay for one of the nights, and I still have another week and a half left! Marshall doesn’t care where we stay, he just cares about going on It’s A Small World as many times as possible!!! So we’re able to go, and I was able to snag a lunch reservation at Be Our Guest, so he’s gonna FLIP out at being able to eat in the castle again. (He’s on a big Beauty and the Beast kick right now….but that will probably all be a part of another post).

I want to hear your thoughts on staying on/off property…. and this next trip I will take some pictures of the hotel!!!