Disney alone with my 3 year old - onsite or not?

[CloudBee]

I'm about to book a 4 night trip to Orlando with my almost 4 year old. DH isn't coming with us.

I'm weighing staying offsite so I can get more for my money with lodging - a 2 bedroom unit vs. a single room at the All Star Sports resort.

Disney property:
- easy transportation to / from parks (no rental car is also a con)
- everything is run by Disney, which is comforting knowing I'll be alone with DS
- would do 2 days in Magic Kingdom, and 1 day in Downtown Disney / hanging around at hotel or explore other resorts

Pros to staying offsite:
- better room for the money
- would have a rental car so I could do one day in Universal (Dr. Seuss area would blow DS's mind)
- could get away with spending less on food because I'm not stuck with Disney food prices (rental car)
- would do 1 day in Magic Kingdom, 1 day in Universal for Dr. Seuss, and 1 day doing other random Orlando stuff... Downton Disney or whatever

If I stay on a Disney property I wouldn't get a rental car because I would be spending more to stay on their property.

Tell me what I should do.

[bex]

You've been to Disney before with him, right? And I'm assuming you'll probably take him again at some point?

If the answer to both of those is yes, then I think I would stay off-site. And I'm usually pretty pro "stay at Disney." I think you'll like having extra room to relax, and I think you'll like having a car if you want to make a quick getaway or leave stuff in your car during the day while you're at the park (like a cooler or something.) Then you could do breakfast in your room, do lunch at the park, and do whatever for dinner.

I do think in some ways it would be easier to stay on property, but I think having the extra space and having a rental car would sway me towards staying offsite in your situation.

[lala]

Onsite, no question. But I wouldn't care about Universal. I think w only one adult you can totally get away w/ a value room w/o issue. But my family of 5 just stayed in hotel rooms for 12 nights.

[CloudBee]

He's already been on a Disney cruise (1st birthday) and Disney World (2nd) birthday. I expect we'll probably go every 2ish years throughout his childhood.

I'm so torn. I love the convenience of a rental car, and would really like to do Universal with him. DH keeps saying "stay onsite, it's known to be safe and convenient". But I also feel like there are restrictions.

I've also not shared a room with him like this before. Not since he was still in a pack and play and we could cover one side with a blanket so he couldn't see us. I would be so frustrated if he's up until 10pm and I get no down time as a single parent.

The Disney convenience and known customer service is appealing. But, but...

[CloudBee]

Jan 17, 2017 9:09:07 GMT -5 lala said:

Onsite, no question. But I wouldn't care about Universal. I think w only one adult you can totally get away w/ a value room w/o issue. But my family of 5 just stayed in hotel rooms for 12 nights.

How do you keep your sanity at the end of the day? What's the kids' normal bedtime, and what time do they go to sleep when you share a room?SaveSave

[bex]

I imagine some of the offsite locations are also going to be safe and convenient. I looked at the doubletree in Disney Springs last year when we were planning our trip and that seemed really nice. I think it has a bus to the parks as well. The extra space since you'll be by yourself is what would push me to go offsite. If I was on vacation with DS for several days by myself, I would want to be able to put him to bed and then veg out and decompress by myself for a bit.

Keep in mind though if you drive to the parks you have to pay for parking if you aren't onsite, so that's an added expense.

What about an AOA suite, or did you not want to spend that much? I think they're usually around 300/night when its not a busy time.

[CloudBee]

I can stay at any of the All Star resorts for 5 days / 4 nights for a total of $883 round trip. Flying out of a small local airport, non-stop, and hotel included. Can't really peat that. Less than $1k for the two of us total.

[lala]

I wouldn't be concerned about safety at all, on or off site. I just think onsite is the most "vacation like," since you don't have to think about driving, car seats, etc. I like the bubble.

RE: staying in the same hotel room - at home they're in bed by 7. On vacation that's pushed some + they're exhausted so it's not too bad once they're 3+. It's the toddlers that are a pain. I just put them to bed w/ an abbreviated routine (less books or no books if it's late) and depending on their mood, I can stay in the other bed while they're falling asleep. If not, I just hole up in the bathroom for a bit. Which isn't the end of the world - I still need to shower, re pack the bag for the next day, make plans, etc. Or just drink a glass of wine & take a bath. I will say, we almost always have a balcony and that helps a lot. But doable without. I'm not saying it's alway perfect but for the way we travel and how much it costs, spending the extra expense is not worth it to us.

I know offsite is cheaper for the bigger unit, so to me it's less about the space and more about the kind of trip you want to have.

[CloudBee]

Jan 17, 2017 9:21:13 GMT -5 bex said:

I imagine some of the offsite locations are also going to be safe and convenient. I looked at the doubletree in Disney Springs last year when we were planning our trip and that seemed really nice. I think it has a bus to the parks as well. The extra space since you'll be by yourself is what would push me to go offsite. If I was on vacation with DS for several days by myself, I would want to be able to put him to bed and then veg out and decompress by myself for a bit.

Keep in mind though if you drive to the parks you have to pay for parking if you aren't onsite, so that's an added expense.

What about an AOA suite, or did you not want to spend that much? I think they're usually around 300/night when its not a busy time.

AOA is more than I want to spend because this isn't a family trip, just the 2 of us.

I just called DH and he's really pushing for onsite. So that's what I'll do.

If solo trips with DS become common I'll have more leverage in the future. He really wants me to do something 100% familiar this time. Boo! But hey, we're still taking a vacation.SaveSave

[lala]

Jan 17, 2017 9:25:06 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

I can stay at any of the All Star resorts for 5 days / 4 nights for a total of $883 round trip. Flying out of a small local airport, non-stop, and hotel included. Can't really peat that. Less than $1k for the two of us total.

Is that w/ tickets? Still a great deal. Disney magic can't be beat...

[CloudBee]

Jan 17, 2017 9:29:03 GMT -5 lala said:

I wouldn't be concerned about safety at all, on or off site. I just think onsite is the most "vacation like," since you don't have to think about driving, car seats, etc. I like the bubble.

RE: staying in the same hotel room - at home they're in bed by 7. On vacation that's pushed some + they're exhausted so it's not too bad once they're 3+. It's the toddlers that are a pain. I just put them to bed w/ an abbreviated routine (less books or no books if it's late) and depending on their mood, I can stay in the other bed while they're falling asleep. If not, I just hole up in the bathroom for a bit. Which isn't the end of the world - I still need to shower, re pack the bag for the next day, make plans, etc. Or just drink a glass of wine & take a bath. I will say, we almost always have a balcony and that helps a lot. But doable without. I'm not saying it's alway perfect but for the way we travel and how much it costs, spending the extra expense is not worth it to us.

I know offsite is cheaper for the bigger unit, so to me it's less about the space and more about the kind of trip you want to have.

Hearing this, I think it's probably a good idea to trial a vacation with DS where we share a room. We won't always have the luxury of a second room depending on where we travel. You're right - I can just put him to bed then take a long shower so he's in the bedroom by himself. That's totally doable. SaveSave

[CloudBee]

Jan 17, 2017 9:29:44 GMT -5 lala said:

Jan 17, 2017 9:25:06 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

I can stay at any of the All Star resorts for 5 days / 4 nights for a total of $883 round trip. Flying out of a small local airport, non-stop, and hotel included. Can't really peat that. Less than $1k for the two of us total.

Is that w/ tickets? Still a great deal. Disney magic can't be beat...

Nope. Not with tickets. There's some deal on those right now which ends the day we leave, actually. So I need to dig around and find it. They had it advertised on their FB page this week.SaveSave

[arch01]

Jan 17, 2017 9:31:23 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

Jan 17, 2017 9:29:03 GMT -5 lala said:

I wouldn't be concerned about safety at all, on or off site. I just think onsite is the most "vacation like," since you don't have to think about driving, car seats, etc. I like the bubble.

RE: staying in the same hotel room - at home they're in bed by 7. On vacation that's pushed some + they're exhausted so it's not too bad once they're 3+. It's the toddlers that are a pain. I just put them to bed w/ an abbreviated routine (less books or no books if it's late) and depending on their mood, I can stay in the other bed while they're falling asleep. If not, I just hole up in the bathroom for a bit. Which isn't the end of the world - I still need to shower, re pack the bag for the next day, make plans, etc. Or just drink a glass of wine & take a bath. I will say, we almost always have a balcony and that helps a lot. But doable without. I'm not saying it's alway perfect but for the way we travel and how much it costs, spending the extra expense is not worth it to us.

I know offsite is cheaper for the bigger unit, so to me it's less about the space and more about the kind of trip you want to have.

Hearing this, I think it's probably a good idea to trial a vacation with DS where we share a room. We won't always have the luxury of a second room depending on where we travel. You're right - I can just put him to bed then take a long shower so he's in the bedroom by himself. That's totally doable. SaveSave

I have traveled solo with DS before and shared a room-the downside is I can't watch TV because he'll stay awake and keep talking. I can usually get away with reading on my kindle or messing around in my iPad. It's much easier with just me/DS than it is with DH/me/DS because he tries to play us.

[revolution]

Another vote for onsite. I don't mind sharing a room with my kids, but we pretty much always do when we go away. When it is bedtime, DH and I had a drink and sit bed and put our headphones on and play on our electronics. I can unwind while the kids try to fall asleep.

I'd hate to deal with carseat, rental car and using my phone for directions to get anywhere and it just seems like it would be more stressful. I like the Disney bubble. They do it all for me and I just have to show up.

[Deleted]

I'm itching to stay at the Cabana Bay Resort at Universal sometime soon. They have family suites and the theming is cute. Plus you are "on site" just at Universal not Disney.

www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g34515-d3932244-Reviews-Universal_s_Cabana_Bay_Beach_Resort-Orlando_Florida.html

ETA: There's a free airport shuttle too.

[CloudBee]

All booked. We're staying onsite. I'll just shower at bedtime.

I hardly watch TV. I assume there's free wifi so I'll just watch YouTube and read.

Is it generally pretty easy to take the free hotel shuttles from the airport?

The selling point at the end was just reading a testimonial of a family who stayed at our resort this week, and 2 of their kids came down with the stomach flu. The Disney staff brought them Lysol wipes, bottled water, and kept checking on them to see if they needed anything while they were stuck in their room.

I can also have any gift shop purchases at the Disney parks sent directly to our room, I think? Which means I don't have to carry that stuff back at the end of the day without DH.

[CloudBee]

Jan 17, 2017 9:40:26 GMT -5 revolution said:

Another vote for onsite. I don't mind sharing a room with my kids, but we pretty much always do when we go away. When it is bedtime, DH and I had a drink and sit bed and put our headphones on and play on our electronics. I can unwind while the kids try to fall asleep.

I'd hate to deal with carseat, rental car and using my phone for directions to get anywhere and it just seems like it would be more stressful. I like the Disney bubble. They do it all for me and I just have to show up.

You're right. One less thing to carry through an airport by myself.

When I posted earlier this morning I thought I was definitely going to walk away booking an offsite resort.

Joke's on me!SaveSave

[lala]

Yes, bring books, tablet/computer and I think you'll be fine. I really think people don't give room sharing a chance or they have one bad trip and never do it again. We'd never go anywhere if we could only do trips w/ a suite or bigger unit. Not ever trip is conducive to AirBNB, which we do a lot for certain travels.

We often have luck with stroller naps or sleep after fireworks, etc, but that's tricky when you have to bus and then walk up steps. It was awesome in Disneyland b/c you walk everywhere & we had an elevator.

[lala]

Jan 17, 2017 9:42:55 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

All booked. We're staying onsite. I'll just shower at bedtime.

I hardly watch TV. I assume there's free wifi so I'll just watch YouTube and read.

Is it generally pretty easy to take the free hotel shuttles from the airport?

The selling point at the end was just reading a testimonial of a family who stayed at our resort this week, and 2 of their kids came down with the stomach flu. The Disney staff brought them Lysol wipes, bottled water, and kept checking on them to see if they needed anything while they were stuck in their room.

I can also have any gift shop purchases at the Disney parks sent directly to our room, I think? Which means I don't have to carry that stuff back at the end of the day without DH.

We always do magical express (obviously we are onsite for lyfe!) and never have an issue. 

You can have purchases delivered as long as it isn't your last day. 

You can also set up a grocery delivery or have some stuff primed to you. 

[CloudBee]

Jan 17, 2017 9:47:18 GMT -5 lala said:

Jan 17, 2017 9:42:55 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

We always do magical express (obviously we are onsite for lyfe!) and never have an issue. 

You can have purchases delivered as long as it isn't your last day. 

You can also set up a grocery delivery or have some stuff primed to you. 

I haven't even checked. Do most / all rooms have a fridge and / or microwave?SaveSave

[lala]

Mini fridge, yes. No microwave.

[bex]

Jan 17, 2017 9:42:55 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

All booked. We're staying onsite. I'll just shower at bedtime.

I hardly watch TV. I assume there's free wifi so I'll just watch YouTube and read.

Is it generally pretty easy to take the free hotel shuttles from the airport?

The selling point at the end was just reading a testimonial of a family who stayed at our resort this week, and 2 of their kids came down with the stomach flu. The Disney staff brought them Lysol wipes, bottled water, and kept checking on them to see if they needed anything while they were stuck in their room.

I can also have any gift shop purchases at the Disney parks sent directly to our room, I think? Which means I don't have to carry that stuff back at the end of the day without DH.

The Magical Express is SO EASY. Check as much luggage as you can and minimize your carry ons. They will pick up your luggage for you at baggage claim and bring it to your room (it may take a few hours though, so bring necessities on the plane with you.)  You can also check in at the resort when leaving so you don't have to deal with your luggage again until you land back home.   You just go to the ME spot in the airport (it's kind of a walk depending on your airline but you cant miss it once you're in the vicinity) and check in there and board the bus.

And yes, you can send all purchases back to your room, but it has to be within a certain time frame of your check out date (maybe two days prior?  I can't quite remember.)

[minniemouse]

You will love it!! One thing I found out last trip is if you want to check your luggage for the trip home at your resort, you have to do it before noon. On prior trips we always had really early flights so it wasn't an issue. This time we had to take all the luggage to the airport on the ME. Not a big deal since we had 2 adults, but that would have sucked if I was alone.

[ilikedonuts]

On site will be so easy! You guys are going to have a ton of fun!!

[CloudBee]

Jan 17, 2017 10:13:56 GMT -5 minniemouse said:

You will love it!! One thing I found out last trip is if you want to check your luggage for the trip home at your resort, you have to do it before noon. On prior trips we always had really early flights so it wasn't an issue. This time we had to take all the luggage to the airport on the ME. Not a big deal since we had 2 adults, but that would have sucked if I was alone.

Good to know! Our departuring flight is at 5pm. So we may do Downtown Disney for the day then the airport.

[jezebel]

I went alone with L in May when she was 3. We stayed at AoA and I was really glad I did. It was so convenient. There were tons of kids at the pool to play with, food on site and of course easy transportation.

[CloudBee]

The app is even better than it was 2 yrs ago. As I'm solo I went ahead and made a few reservations and FP selections so I know we'll at least have a few timeframes where we don't have to deal with lines.

I appreciate your help today!

[bronxgirl]

Have a great trip! Which hotel did you pick? When are you going?

[krystee]

Jan 17, 2017 9:25:06 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

I can stay at any of the All Star resorts for 5 days / 4 nights for a total of $883 round trip. Flying out of a small local airport, non-stop, and hotel included. Can't really peat that. Less than $1k for the two of us total.

It's more than $200/night for All Star? That is usually what we pay for the moderate hotels onsite. I would have a hard time paying $200/night there when I could get a great offsite hotel with privacy and a great pool for less.

That said, if he will need to rest or nap mid-day, I would stay onsite.

Wait, I change my vote. Try renting points. We booked through David's, I think, and got an amazing Wilderness Lodge villa for the equivalent of $200/night.

ETA: Oops, never mind! I missed the post where you said you were booked.

[lala]

Jan 18, 2017 6:48:52 GMT -5 krystee said:

Jan 17, 2017 9:25:06 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

I can stay at any of the All Star resorts for 5 days / 4 nights for a total of $883 round trip. Flying out of a small local airport, non-stop, and hotel included. Can't really peat that. Less than $1k for the two of us total.

It's more than $200/night for All Star? That is usually what we pay for the moderate hotels onsite. I would have a hard time paying $200/night there when I could get a great offsite hotel with privacy and a great pool for less.

That said, if he will need to rest or nap mid-day, I would stay onsite.

Wait, I change my vote. Try renting points. We booked through David's, I think, and got an amazing Wilderness Lodge villa for the equivalent of $200/night.

ETA: Oops, never mind! I missed the post where you said you were booked.

That includes her airfare. If it was just the room it would be a bad deal. 

I am pro renting points, too, it's the best.