On Site vs. Off Site

I'm not going to lie, I'm a Disney Resort snob.  After one very failed trip to Orlando in 2004 where my husband, son, and I stayed at a hotel (that shall remain nameless) on International Drive, I swore, never, ever again.  And, I was a geek back then too, people... I did hours of research and read hotel reviews.  Was it cheaper than if we'd stayed at a Disney Value Resort?  Um... yes and no.  The room was cheaper.  But the cost of cab fare more than made up the difference in cost.  And if we had driven ourselves, we would have had parking fees at the parks ($14 a DAY).  And the room... I still gag thinking about the smell.  Have you ever left a load of towels sitting in the washer for way too long then dried them and tried to use them?  Yeah, that smell.  I cannot stand that smell.  And our entire room smelled like that.  The curtains, the bedding, the towels.  EVERYTHING.  We ended up changing rooms three times, and all of them smelled like that.  Maybe it's the humidity in Florida or something... But, oh my... that smell!

That's not to say there aren't great resort hotels outside of Walt Disney World.  And touringplans.com has a much less biased opinion than mine :). 

But, when friends ask me if they should stay in the Walt Disney Resort or outside, I say DISNEY every time because:

1. You are surrounded by all things Disney, 24/7!
2. You do not ever have to worry about how you are going to get around.  Our family has had repeated luck with the Disney Bus system.  Never waited more than 15 minutes for a bus and we were to the parks in no more than 20 minutes, even when we stayed at one of the All Star Resorts.  And the Disney Magical Express is amazing.  Skipping baggage claim and walking to the DME area where Cast Members await to greet us with Mickey hands...  LOVE IT!
3. If you purchase a souvenir in the park, but don't want to carry it around all day, you can have it sent to your resort to pick up later.  SO convenient!
4. Key to the World Card... one card to get you into your room, into the park, and for dining or purchases if you choose to add that option to your card.  And soon, everyone will get to experience MyMagic+! (If you've gotten to test out MyMagic+ in the parks, let me know in the comments!)
5. Disney Dining Plan... SO NICE! (Look for a post soon on when you should purchase the DDP, and how to get the most out of it!)
6. The resorts are AMAZING!  I've stayed in almost every resort category (Pop Century to Polynesian) except the DVC resorts, and I can honestly say I have LOVED every hotel we've stayed at.  Some more than others, of course, but each resort has it's own unique charm.  Each resort had a flurry of fun activities going on around the pool for the kids, and the food was wonderful! 

I could go on and on... the point is, I say stay at a Disney Resort if your main reason for going to Orlando are the Disney Parks. 

ONE EXCEPTION: If you are wanting to just do one day at Disney and then venture over to Universal or Sea World, then it's probably wise to stay off-property somewhere that's a little more centrally located.

*GEEK TIP: Ask around! Sometimes I've gotten the most useful information about hotels from friends who've actually stayed there.  They can tell you not only their experience, but how to get around, rooms or buildings you might want to request, food to try in the restaurant, etc.