Has the value of staying onsite diminished, or are our kids just no longer seeing as much value in staying onsite

[rickandcindy23]

Turns out that my kids don't care one bit about staying onsite. I still am enamored with the idea of being on Disney property, and I cannot explain it, except that I worked hard and spent money to acquire that ability to get Disney and by golly by gosh, I am going to stay at Disney.

Even when I have offered a 2 bedroom at OKW, our son and his wife are, "Meh," on staying at Disney. Our son didn't love the bus service after standing in line for almost an hour at the end of the night for a bus last year on 5/2. It was our granddaughter's birthday celebration with fireworks and dessert party. We said, "Oh, take the bus to Magic Kingdom, it will be easier than parking and driving." People in the line were irate as bus after bus came for other resorts, but OKW's line was very long and no buses.

When I tried to tell the kids that early admission was a good value, they dismissed it as, "We cannot get out of the unit that early." No more dining plan, not that it's a value. What other benefits of staying onsite for our kids and their little ones? Staying up late is not in the cards for them, either, not with babies who will only be 17 months old on the next trip.

 

[heathpack]

I think the value is in proximity for some resorts like Boardwalk, or theming for others like Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Im a rope dropper so for sure the early entry holds value for me. At Disneyland we can usually get two premier rides in, like Space Mountain + Rise (with Rise, we are just getting the jump on the other rope droppers actually because our start point is closer than the off site guests’). But for us this translates into not needing Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lanes).

At WDW, I would for sure make use of the Extended Evening hours, but understand why they cannot.

I pretty much loathe the bus system at WDW, so I get their perspective.

Without early entry or late hours being beneficial, I can’t see the value in DVC. Ironic that its families (who ostensibly are the exact group that DVC caters to) benefits the least from being on property. Maybe DVC needs to rethink things a tad.

 

[noreenkate]

Turns out that my kids don't care one bit about staying onsite. I still am enamored with the idea of being on Disney property, and I cannot explain it, except that I worked hard and spent money to acquire that ability to get Disney and by golly by gosh, I am going to stay at Disney.

Even when I have offered a 2 bedroom at OKW, our son and his wife are, "Meh," on staying at Disney. Our son didn't love the bus service after standing in line for almost an hour at the end of the night for a bus last year on 5/2. It was our granddaughter's birthday celebration with fireworks and dessert party. We said, "Oh, take the bus to Magic Kingdom, it will be easier than parking and driving." People in the line were irate as bus after bus came for other resorts, but OKW's line was very long and no buses.

When I tried to tell the kids that early admission was a good value, they dismissed it as, "We cannot get out of the unit that early." No more dining plan, not that it's a value. What other benefits of staying onsite for our kids and their little ones? Staying up late is not in the cards for them, either, not with babies who will only be 17 months old on the next trip.

Like you I am very much still much to enamored with disney and the memories past present and future that it holds for my family but that said onsite does not offer the privileges it once had, at least for us. although don’t get me wrong I am holding onto my DVC for as long as I can but I am definitely not adding on the way I thought I would.

I have a trip planned in September for the D23 event & OKW is booked - but i find myself searching out getaways and trades because at this point most of that trip will be spent at outside the bubble locations. The fact that only 2 of us outta 6 were allowed tickets to destination D means the others will need to find something else over those 3 days. only 3 out of 6 of us traveling have annual passes means so that means the parks are out those days and trying to finagle park reservations with APs and day tickets was chaos last month even with the on site advantage, we spent most of our time at sea world and universal.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Rick and I have a tough time with rope drop because we live in Denver, and that two-hour difference makes it tough to get out of bed early. The parks are all open 30 minutes early for Disney guests. That can be a benefit for most. Spreading it out over all of the parks is kind of nice because one park is not inundated with guests first thing in the AM.

Dining reservations are a big thing for our DIL. She loves to eat at 220. As long as we are at Disney, she can get dining reservations earlier than if we all stay at Marriott. They just love Marriott, and I know they will love Bonnet Creek in May. They have never stayed at BC. I was able to get them a 3 bedroom for the first week, a 2 bedroom for the second week. I wish I could find a 3 bedroom for both weeks, so they don't have to move.

 

[noreenkate]

Rick and I have a tough time with rope drop because we live in Denver, and that two-hour difference makes it tough to get out of bed early. The parks are all open 30 minutes early for Disney guests. That can be a benefit for most. Spreading it out over all of the parks is kind of nice because one park is not inundated with guests first thing in the AM.

Dining reservations are a big thing for our DIL. She loves to eat at 220. As long as we are at Disney, she can get dining reservations earlier than if we all stay at Marriott. They just love Marriott, and I know they will love Bonnet Creek in May. They have never stayed at BC. I was able to get them a 3 bedroom for the first week, a 2 bedroom for the second week. I wish I could find a 3 bedroom for both weeks, so they don't have to move.

Can I ask which Marriott is it that they prefer? We are semi new to outside the bubble, we did 2 long weekends at BC and it was fine ( we had a good laugh when they told us it was a fireworks view ) but i am looking to see what else is out there…

 

[rickandcindy23]

They love Lakeshore Reserve, I do too, but they also really love Grande Vista as well for the unit size. The dedicated three bedroom is a very nice size. I can get them a 3 bedroom at GV easily enough.

The townhouses are incredible at Lakeshore. The 3 bedroom is very much like the Grande Villas at Disney for size. Two-stories on the interior, master on main level, two full bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs, bigger kitchen, huge dining room. Lakeshore seems far from Disney but really isn't via the highway and I-4. I personally love Marriott's Cypress Harbour for us. I didn't love any of the Marriott Palms (Sabal, Royal or Imperial). Royal was next to the highway and a lot of noise but we have white noise in our room, so no big deal. The unit was nice enough. I haven't actually tried Imperial, but I am going to book it for the kids sometime, to see what they think. The Palms are close to Hollywood Studios and Epcot, especially compared to Lakeshore.

 

[DaveNV]

I wonder if the fascination with all things Disney is because of how we were raised? Younger generations have had a lot more options to pick from, and may not be as directly connected to Disney.

Dave

 

[rickandcindy23]

I wonder if the fascination with all things Disney is because of how we were raised? Younger generations have had a lot more options to pick from, and may not be as directly connected to Disney.

Dave

That's a great point! When our kids were young, we took whatever II and RCI gave us for exchanges because no online searches, no internet (think before 1997 or so). We stayed at some pretty so-so resorts in Orlando, including Westgate, High Point and a few others I consider to be way below the quality we get today.

We drove our van to get to Orlando, and even when I requested places like Marriott, we never once got Marriott in those years, not even once, and we were at Disney a lot from 1991-2000 with the kids.

It wasn't until our first granddaughter was born that I made sure we could stay at Disney. That was when I found TUG and investigated ways to get the Disney. I think our daughter still appreciates the Disney experience for the memories of when he kids were young. They are 16 and 13. The other two kids and their families just love Marriott and will enjoy Bonnet Creek for future trips. I will stay at Disney because I can.

 

[ljmiii]

The value of staying onsite has diminished...somewhat. 'Back in the day' the service at DVC resorts was exemplary. Then after online fastpasses were introduced, 60 days + length of stay was worlds better than trying to book each and every day, 30 days out. Now the ride advantage you get for staying onsite is a realistic chance to buy ILLs to the hottest rides. A benefit to be sure...but a pittance in comparison.

That said, we are very much looking forward to our upcoming trip. We are once again doing a split stay between BWV and BLT so we will be walking to the park every day but our one day at AK. Our 'kids' are too old to get up for early admission, but we'll be enjoying the extra late hours at EPCOT until 11PM on Monday and MK until 1AM on Wednesday.

But honestly I can't imagine *not* going to early admission with younger kids. Our kids were so excited to be at Disney we never needed an alarm clock.

 

[AnnaS]

We returned this morning. We stayed at the Beach Club Villas (one of our home resorts). Cannot say it enough how convenient the location is (and some other resorts). If we fly (which we did this trip), we do not rent a car (we did years ago). 10 days and we lucked out with busses. We waited only one time 15 minutes for a bus. We visited Kidani (where my son and family was staying) three times. Could not believe our luck - bus to AK park, walked across to take bus to Jambo (it was early/no stopping at Kidani/we walked the path). Same for our return to our resort.

We drive half the time and we still do not touch the car unless we make a run to Publix.

We don't normally rope drop - but if we are up early - we go for it (we usually are). My son was able to get us on Guardian of the Galaxy and TRON. We had low boarding number for both. Called us and we were on our way.

Each day my son left the park around noon so my grandson could take his nap. The convenience is there.

If it's just my husband and I, we don't spend a lot of time at the parks. We spend time at the pool and resort hop. We checked out the Easter chocolate displays. Hop on monorail, etc. We still enjoy being in the bubble. It's not for everyone and that's okay. It's great to have choices.

 

[rickandcindy23]

@AnnaS Beach Club now has access via the skyliner, which is amazing. That makes those points even more valuable.

 

[bnoble]

Most of the tangible perks have never been all that important. Extra time in the parks can be helpful but it does require getting up early and/or staying out late. The transportation service is usually fine, except when it isn't, and anyone who's visited more than a few times has at least one horror story about waiting far too long for a bus. It doesn't happen very often, but the fact that it can happen means I am leaving earlier than I would otherwise. I personally prefer to drive, but I get not everyone likes that. We do rely on transport when folks want to split up, which does happen.

Add to that the fact that the units themselves are often not great, and I can see why someone might not love them.

I suspect for me the answer comes down to whether or not The Bubble resonates with them. For some people, staying in The Bubble just feels different. There's no particular tangible way of putting it, and you either get it or you don't. My wife, my daughter, and I all get it. My son doesn't.

Even then, Bonnet Creek is pretty close to capturing that feeling, because you never really see the "outside world."

 

[littlestar]

I suspect for me the answer comes down to whether or not The Bubble resonates with them. For some people, staying in The Bubble just feels different. There's no particular tangible way of putting it, and you either get it or you don't.

Even then, Bonnet Creek is pretty close to capturing that feeling, because you never really see the "outside world."

Yes, Wyndham Bonnet Creek captures that feeling. We are headed there soon and excited we were able to book it two months out. Good luck doing that with DVC! We paid way less for the resale Wyndham points than we did our DVC points.

 

[nomoretslt]

@noreenkate Who told you about a fireworks view at Beach Club? They were very mistaken. You can maybe see Epcot’s over the treetops and you can see Magic Kingdoms in the distance from certain areas. We sold our Beach Club points to purchase Bay Lake Tower…we stayed there once and found ourselves comparing it to Boardwalk (cheaper room points and 3 views to choose from And walk to Hollywood).

@rickandcindy23 if that’s the way they feel, I wouldn’t spend my time and energy trying to get DVC rooms. If they can afford to buy Genie and Lightening Lane, then getting there early is not important (I am assuming that you can get guaranteed spots on the best rides….don’t know because I refuse to give them any more money). That being said, with little ones Bay Lake Tower is the best by far. I’m able to get standard view since I own 300 +/- points there. We do split stays (2 nights in a studio at one resort then 6 or so nights in a one bedroom at another). When we brought our sons family down, it was ideal for our granddaughter (3 at the time). Close to elevators, walk to MK early, back for a nap. Monorail to Epcot. We will drive to Hollywood and AK from BLT. I think the Minnie Vans have also returned and they will pick up and drop off close to the MK entrance….not so for Uber.
I despise the bus system. Even during a slow afternoon, we have waited 30 minutes. So now, no bus for us, unless we are going to Disney Springs. When we stay at our 3rd resort, Riviera, we will take the bus to MK because it’s not shared with other resorts. When staying at Boardwalk, we don’t go to MK, only if we are there for extra Magic night hours. Insanity in the morning.
I get that being in the bubble isn’t for everyone. It used to be relatively easy to get around with a car for a trip to Winn Dixie and Publix…..but the gridlock on Apopeka-Vineland Blvd. has become unbearable. We luckily know some back ways and can avoid it, but timing is everything. Changing of the guard for Disney….you don’t want to be on Apopeka or Sherbeth (?) road by AK lodge. Yikes!!!
@AnnaS how was Tron? Hoping to get on in May….but worried about husbands vertigo. He will never do Guardians again. I can’t wait to try Tron.

 

[noreenkate]

@noreenkate Who told you about a fireworks view at Beach Club? They were very mistaken. You can maybe see Epcot’s over the treetops and you can see Magic Kingdoms in the distance from certain areas. We sol d our Beach Club points to purchase Bay Lake Tower…we stayed there once and found ourselves comparing it to Boardwalk (cheaper room points and 3 views to choose from And walk to Hollywood).

I can’t wait to try Tron.

Lol sorry every forum has different abbreviations that was fireworks view at Bonnet creek- we had a high floor in building 6…I guess were a little spoiled and again not quite used to outside the bubble definition of fireworks view.

- on a side note we were able Tron ride, not sure how your husband reacts to his virago but my sons plus one to the previews has had issues on guardians (California) tower of Terror, incredicoaster ect- she had no issues on Tron.

 

[nomoretslt]

@rickandcindy23 forgot to answer your question. I do think that staying in the bubble is no longer the money saver and convenience it once was. I don’t need to go over the ,it’s….we all know. I’m expecting prices to rise again now that the cast members will be signing their new contract. $18/hour to start …. And you know Disney will not absorb that, they will pass it along to us. We are fortunate to have annual passes and we don’t mind cooking in our unit or using the outdoor barbecues (except for Riviera…we’ve spoken to the manager about this…we shall see).
Pop Century is no longer the affordable place it once was due to their own skyliner stop. I guess the All Stars are now lower cost. I honestly don’t know how the average family can afford it any more.

 

[nomoretslt]

Lol sorry every forum has different abbreviations that was fireworks view at Bonnet creek- we had a high floor in building 6…I guess were a little spoiled and again not quite used to outside the bubble definition of fireworks view.

- on a side note we were able Tron ride, not sure how your husband reacts to his virago but my sons plus one to the previews has had issues on guardians (California) tower of Terror, incredicoaster ect- she had no issues on Tron.

. My fault …. I thought you had stayed at the Beach Club and then were trying Bonnet Creek. I have said if I ran out of points I’d like to try there.
and thanks for the Tron info…I figured we’d get on line together but I would try first and text him if I think it’s okay. Vertigo can ruin an entire day

 

[noreenkate]

Yes, Wyndham Bonnet Creek captures that feeling. We are headed there soon and excited we were able to book it two months out. Good luck doing that with DVC! We paid way less for the resale Wyndham points than we did our DVC points.

- we are looking into options for Disneyland honestly i really thought I would be jumping on the new tower - but dang talk about a major missing perk…the best part of DVC at Villas at Grand California is the
“resort guest " entry, that seems to be missing from the new tower.

 

[noreenkate]

. My fault …. I thought you had stayed at the Beach Club and then were trying Bonnet Creek. I have said if I ran out of points I’d like to try there.

Exactly what happened - we used all our DVC for Grand Californian and I needed a spot for moonlight magic, another was impromptu stay on the way home from west Palm beach

 

[Janann]

My husband and I still get plenty of value out of our Saratoga Springs resale unit. My husband usually spends two or three half-days at the parks, while I'm usually there all day every day. It is great that my husband can just leave the park and take the bus back to the resort whenever he wants. He likes to go to the golf range at the resort on his "days off," and take the boat to Disney Springs to wander around. We each get exactly what we want out of the vacation. I can't think of any off-site timeshares with a similar transportation system, plus easy access to endless food and entertainment options.

 

[AnnaS]

@noreenkate Who told you about a fireworks view at Beach Club? They were very mistaken. You can maybe see Epcot’s over the treetops and you can see Magic Kingdoms in the distance from certain areas. We sold our Beach Club points to purchase Bay Lake Tower…we stayed there once and found ourselves comparing it to Boardwalk (cheaper room points and 3 views to choose from And walk to Hollywood).

@rickandcindy23 if that’s the way they feel, I wouldn’t spend my time and energy trying to get DVC rooms. If they can afford to buy Genie and Lightening Lane, then getting there early is not important (I am assuming that you can get guaranteed spots on the best rides….don’t know because I refuse to give them any more money). That being said, with little ones Bay Lake Tower is the best by far. I’m able to get standard view since I own 300 +/- points there. We do split stays (2 nights in a studio at one resort then 6 or so nights in a one bedroom at another). When we brought our sons family down, it was ideal for our granddaughter (3 at the time). Close to elevators, walk to MK early, back for a nap. Monorail to Epcot. We will drive to Hollywood and AK from BLT. I think the Minnie Vans have also returned and they will pick up and drop off close to the MK entrance….not so for Uber.
I despise the bus system. Even during a slow afternoon, we have waited 30 minutes. So now, no bus for us, unless we are going to Disney Springs. When we stay at our 3rd resort, Riviera, we will take the bus to MK because it’s not shared with other resorts. When staying at Boardwalk, we don’t go to MK, only if we are there for extra Magic night hours. Insanity in the morning.
I get that being in the bubble isn’t for everyone. It used to be relatively easy to get around with a car for a trip to Winn Dixie and Publix…..but the gridlock on Apopeka-Vineland Blvd. has become unbearable. We luckily know some back ways and can avoid it, but timing is everything. Changing of the guard for Disney….you don’t want to be on Apopeka or Sherbeth (?) road by AK lodge. Yikes!!!
@AnnaS how was Tron? Hoping to get on in May….but worried about husbands vertigo. He will never do Guardians again. I can’t wait to try Tron.

Loved Tron. Was really nervous - not sure what to expect. I think I enjoyed Guardians of the Galaxy more. I did find TRON a bit short. I had forgotten it was a short ride. When we stopped, I thought, "are we going reverse?" but it was over. Would love to try it in the evening someday.

 

[AwayWeGo]

Our local daughter-in-law & young-adult grandson are still major serious Disney fans. When they go to Orlando, they want to maximize their WDW experience. So far, they have taken advantage of off-WDW resort accommodations sometimes & other times have booked Disney resorts. (Our local adult son is OK with Disney, but he is not the bigtime Disney fan that his spouse & son are. But he is a loving father & husband.)

Meanwhile, our Florida daughter-in-law & granddaughters love the Orlando-Kissimmee resorts, & we take them there any time we can -- the 3 of them plus 2 or 3 of our granddaughters' friends. At some point, they may well want to go to the WDW parks. That's fine, but the picture forming in our minds is of us paying for it & our granddaughters & their mom going. We have nothing against the theme parks other than our advanced ages and physical frailness. We took our sons there when they were kids & we've gone a few times since with them and other friends & extended family members. We were physically up to it back then, but not now. The idea of lots of walking plus lots of standing in line has no appeal.

Fortunately for us, our Florida grandkids & their friends are plenty happy with the features of the timeshare resorts -- nice units, nice pools & waterparks, activities, just enjoying young-teen sleepovers with their friends while papa & grandma make sure they are safe & happy & fed while they enjoy a nice weekend or whole week (depending on school schedule) on a deluxe break with their friends. They live on the Atlantic coast near Cape Canaveral. For them, the Orlando resorts are far enough from home to be semi-exotic, yet not so far they they keep asking whether we're there yet when we're on the toll roads.

Full Disclosure: We are not DVC owners & never have been. We make do mostly with RCI Last Call & Bonus Week bargain timeshare reservations. So far, so good.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[montygz]

What I like:

Transportation: I don't have to drive. Our family doesn't have to leave or go somewhere at the same time like you do when driving. You can get anywhere with Disney transportation if you want. It may not always be the fastest, but you will get there.

No timeshare salespeople: I've never been asked to go a presentation of any kind.

Pools have lifeguards and activities: If you have small kids, this is a nice benefit. Many nice timeshares in Orlando don't have lifeguards, or just a few.

You can just walk there: Depending on where you are staying, you can often just walk to something interesting. I like Saratoga Springs because you can walk to Disney Springs.

Food options: Some timeshare places have no food or limited food. Most of the Disney resorts have a least two or more food options. They are also usually open.

The resorts are nicely themed: Not a huge deal, but it's nice.

I think many visitors go to the parks all day and don't really get to enjoy the DVC resorts for what they bring. Of course, you could say that about any resort, but they do have a lot to offer.

 

[noreenkate]

Food options: Some timeshare places have no food or limited food. Most of the Disney resorts have a least two or more food options. They are also usually open.

I think that's a large part of what's been bugging me.

IMO since the reopening the food options have changed considerably especially with the new 60 day advanced dining and the most recent round of cancelation changes. The policy as it stands now kinda of artificially inflates the demand for the resort restaurants. Of the few resort restaurants that are full table services restaurants at the resorts that we had tried to get into most showed a 1 hour or more wait last month in the app. There is no priority for guests staying on property let alone at the particular resort. I could go on for days on the downgraded menus especially at the resorts, seriously Olivia's at OKW fritters (conch) is no longer on the menu and SSR removed the lobster roll the famous sandwich from Artist Palette .

Then there was the dining plan that was offered to onsite guests only, for us that was a huge benefit that has been lost, and as we all know there is no current dining promotion that is available to DVC owners, their guests and anyone staying on exchange ect. Before the debate starts on if the dining plan is cost effective, for us it worked well and without it I find myself cooking a lot more in the room than ever before. As far as cost effectiveness the loss of Tables in Wonderland changed our dining and lounge habits the most.

now I will say this I am 100% a newbie to non-DVC Orlando area timeshares- we stayed at summer bay in the early 2000s and I vowed never off property again, and while I don't know the the particulars for restaurants onsite at any of the millions of options I will say that the Orlando area has no shortage of restaurants.

So the few benefits that kept us dining in the bubble are gone and although it hasn't been brought up in regards to dining the loss of the Magic Express for onsite guests has at least for us meant the option to head out of the bubble more frequently for dining, shopping ect because now we opting to have a rental car.

 

[montygz]

I think that's a large part of what's been bugging me.

IMO since the reopening the food options have changed considerably especially with the new 60 day advanced dining and the most recent round of cancelation changes. The policy as it stands now kinda of artificially inflates the demand for the resort restaurants. Of the few resort restaurants that are full table services restaurants at the resorts that we had tried to get into most showed a 1 hour or more wait last month in the app. There is no priority for guests staying on property let alone at the particular resort. I could go on for days on the downgraded menus especially at the resorts, seriously Olivia's at OKW fritters (conch) is no longer on the menu and SSR removed the lobster roll the famous sandwich from Artist Palette .

Then there was the dining plan that was offered to onsite guests only, for us that was a huge benefit that has been lost, and as we all know there is no current dining promotion that is available to DVC owners, their guests and anyone staying on exchange ect. Before the debate starts on if the dining plan is cost effective, for us it worked well and without it I find myself cooking a lot more in the room than ever before. As far as cost effectiveness the loss of Tables in Wonderland changed our dining and lounge habits the most.

now I will say this I am 100% a newbie to non-DVC Orlando area timeshares- we stayed at summer bay in the early 2000s and I vowed never off property again, and while I don't know the the particulars for restaurants onsite at any of the millions of options I will say that the Orlando area has no shortage of restaurants.

So the few benefits that kept us dining in the bubble are gone and although it hasn't been brought up in regards to dining the loss of the Magic Express for onsite guests has at least for us meant the option to head out of the bubble more frequently for dining, shopping ect because now we opting to have a rental car.

To me it "feels" like the end of the dining plan has actually made it easier to get into table service restaurants. This is just from my own anecdotal evidence of just a couple of week stays.

It seems now that reservations get canceled a lot more, so you can pick up all kinds of good stuff within 24 hours of eating.

I do know some people liked the dining plan, but I think it boosted demand for table service and made it almost impossible to get a reservation unless you planned way in advance.

If you are on the dining plan you are unlikely to cancel a reservation to eat at a quick service place, but if you are paying out of pocket it is more likely.

There is no question that Disney has made all kinds of decisions to streamline operations and control costs. This has happened all over the food service industry. But there are a lot more places to eat now. Look at Disney Springs, which has so many more places than a decade ago.