I am going to disney in may with my husband and 10 yr old daughter. I am so confused on where to stay. I was told that you can not get into the park early anymore or stay late if you stay on the property since 9/11/01, so why would i pay the extra money to stay there. If anyone has a good reason plesae help me. Also I want to spend about $80 a night so i wold like something nice put not so plush and outrageous.
I need some advice, i appreciate all advice and comments.
nicole

We have stayed off property once, and on twice. On was much more convenient. We didn't have to drive anywhere, just used the Disney transportation system. If we wanted to go back to the room for any reason we had easy access back to the parks. I was amazed at the traffic and highway system there on our last visit. Every time we rode to another attraction on the bus I was thankful I wasn't driving my car.

Other than convenience I can't think of a good reason.

Nicole,
Definetly stay in the park. The transportation system is great. We've done both and in the park is better. Try the Carribean Beach Resort. The price is reasonable and you don't have to leave there to have fun. It is a cluster of houses surrounded by beautiful gardens. Actually it
is the the hotel but set up like pastel and white houses. Each house has about 50 rooms and surrounds a lake. The rooms are spacious. Each "house" has it's own pool and beach front with hammacks and umbrellas. You can't swim in the lake, but there are sailboats, paddle boats, and row boats. There is also biking and a walking path around the lake. Across the lake is the "Center of Town" gift shop and food court. In the am each food store sells different types of breakfast food and during the rest of the day, each has it's own type of food. Pizza, chicken, hamburgers, etc. There is also a sit down restaurant and a very large pool and hot tub.

We liked it there because we did some boating and biking in the am after breakfast. When we tired of the park, we went back to the pool and changed into warmer clothes for the night. Very nice and convenient. It's been about 3 years since we've been there, so I am sure there are newer reasonably priced accomodations since then.

Also, Dixie Landings and Port Orleans were about the same price.

I too am planning a trip to Disney and asked the same questions. We ended up booking a 4 bdrm house for a week in November(we're going with another family) off VRBO.com (Vacation rentals by owner) in a development that's only 3 miles from WDW (less than 10 minutes which is less than you might wait to get a shuttle from an on-site place). All the homes are fully furnished and have their own pools (ours even has a jacuzzi) The cost was substantially less expensive than even the cheapest on-site properties. Post back if I can help you with more info!

E-nights have returned. You can check the official Disney site for park hours (I didn't see mention of e-nights). Or www.disboards.com they did give the nights which were/are designated as e-nights. We've always stayed on-grounds. Enjoyed both Wilderness Lodge and Boardwalk.

I'm always amused by statements like, "we're only 10 minutes away". Maybe the drive to the entrance is 10 minutes (if the traffic isn't a snarl which it often is), but then count the time in line to go through the parking booths, find your place in the lot, either walk or wait for a tram then ride to the entrance of the park and actually enter. You may be closer to an hour by the time you're done. Give me a place on Disney property anyday.

thanks everyone i appreciate the feedback.

We have been three times and havenever stayed in the park. At the end of the day we,ve all had enough and the change of scene is welcome. I recommend the Vistana or the Marriott ( the one with the glass elevator ). Much cheaper and spacious.

I agree with off-property parking hassles. Those Disney shuttle busses may sound like a pain in the behind, but it's so convenient. No parking lines, no parking fees, and you get dropped off right at the park entrance. No long trek to the entrance from the parking area, and no searching for your car when you want to leave.

When we stay on property we are free to go where we want. For example, we can go to the Magic Kingdom early, leave via boat for a nice lunch at the Wilderness Lodge, return to our hotel for a rest, and then go to one of the Epcot restaurants for dinner.

If you truly want the Disney experience 24/7, then by all means stay on site. I don't know what the current rates are, but for $80 per night you will probably only be able to afford the All Stars, which are basically motels.

We go every other year and have only stayed on site once. I much prefer to stay off. We aren't Disney captives (which is what they want - especially all of your vacation dollars). We enjoy leaving the park, eating at a non-Disney restaurant for dinner, and enjoying some of the other attractions that the Kissimmee area has to offer (putt putt golf is always a MUST).

The traffic is congested to and from the parks, but the signage is very tourist-friendly and we've never experienced any significant delays.

Personally, I would recommend the US192 area (Irlo Bronson). There is a great Publix grocery store at one end and the amount we spend on breakfast food for one week would equal what we would pay inside the park.

There are fantastic deals to be had. Some friends just recently booked a Best Western for $29 per night. We're going over spring break and are staying at the Sierra Suites for $65 a night, complete with kitchenette and room to sleep 6.

I'm sure you'll have a great time no matter what you decide!

Time and time again, people will advise that staying on site will give you the "true Disney" experience. We've stayed on and off site and will only stay on from now on. Unbelievable traffic to and fro was just too aggravating for me.
Agree with above-its nice to hit the park in the AM, back to the hotel for a quick nap in the afternoon, then return to the park before dinner.
Check mousesavers.com for current discounts. Great site.

I've stayed on-property and off-property and would never stay off-property again. Even if the All-Star Resorts are the only ones in your price range, it's SO worth it to stay there rather than out in Kissimmee or somewhere. If you don't stay on-property, you'll waste so much time getting to and from the parks. The traffic outside WDW property is murder, so even if you're only 1 mile or 1/2 mile from the park you will still spend inordinate amounts of your vacation sitting in gridlock.

We always find that the best way to enjoy a trip to WDW is to go to the parks when they open, then leave around lunchtime when it's getting hot and crowded. If you're staying on-property, it's easy to catch the WDW transportation and take a bus or boat back to your hotel for a relaxing lunch and then a dip in the pool or a nap. Then we head back to the park around 5 pm or so when it's cooler and the crowds are much less. I especially love Epcot in the evening when the park is open late because from about 6:00 on you can walk right up to most of the rides without standing in line at all.

If you're staying off-property, even if you're very close, going back to your hotel is almost impossible -- you spend so much time getting back to the hotel that you hardly have time to really relax.

The All-Star resorts are perfectly fine -- not plush, but clean and well-maintained, with good service, a food court, pools, and all the amenities you need. If you're willing to spend a bit more, the Caribbean Beach, Port Orleans, Dixie Landings, etc. are really great.

Staying on-property is a totally different experience. The one time we decided we'd save some money by staying in Kissimmee we spent the whole time wishing we'd paid the extra $40 per night or however much the difference was so we could really enjoy our vacation.

I've stayed on and off Disney property.
If I had to stay at any of the All-Star Resorts I would stay off property at one on the Vistana properties. They are close to the Disney Market Place area and are wonderfull resorts for little money. Disney resorts are over priced but there are the transportation advantages.

Have stayed both on and off site. Above posters ahve listed rasons for staying on. When we have stayed off-site, cost and space has been the consideration. Not just the cost of the room, but we like to have a mini-kitchen so we are not eating out 3 meals/day - sometimes it is nice to sit on the sofa and have a bagel rather than face another restaurant. We also like to spread out a bit and have some decompression time from other family members. So we would get a suite for the cost of an on-site room. We knew the downside was added time to and from park - I agree with above poster, there is no such thing as 10 minutes from WDW, despite what the ads say. In current economy, prices of on-site rooms is way down - but I am not sure $80/night is all that realistic. As with most things, there is no "right" answer - just consider the pros and cons of each and have a good trip.

I appreciate what everyone is telling me and i think i am going to stay on site, but i am also renting a car because i know my husband he has no patience for their transportation. he wants to come and go as he pleases, so i still will be driving to the actual park is that smart to do?

I set up a long weekend a couple of weeks ago for a mom & daughter that was quite reasonable: $79/night at the Grosvenor Resort (on-site) through Hotel Reservations Network. (Obviously rates change.) Transportation was shuttle inbound from MCO and then taxi at the end of the trip (because the shuttle was taking off too early). If you have three people, the per-head price for a taxi becomes very comparable and it is faster. I've rented cars at MCO, but if you're not a member of one of the enhanced service rental car clubs (Hertz #1; Emerald, etc.), then car rentals can involve their own hassles/time. Have fun!

Traffic around Disney makes it difficult to drive to the parks from an off-site hotel. We rented a car last time even though we stayed in a Disney hotel so we had the best of both worlds. I have stayed off site and on site and will NEVER stay off site again. Too much traffic, poor service compared to Disney property.

Nicole, why would you stay on site and still rent a car to get from one park to another? You are going to be in the traffic/parking/walking a mile trap just as you would be if you stayed off site.

You can take boats, the monorail (from certain hotels) and buses. So easy...

We liked having a car so we could venture to the ocean one day, plus being able to come and go without waiting for the buses was worth the money for us. No schedules to think about.

When we went to WDW we stayed at the all-star movies and used their transportation to and from the parks. We had our car with us and were able to have "dinner out" every night. We weren't too crazy about the park food. We also went to the local stores and purchased sunscreen, bottled water, etc. So, having our car there was a definite plus in the evenings.