By Guest Blogger Chris.

Hi! My name is Chris and this is my blog about staying off-site when visiting Walt Disney World. I should probably explain a little about myself in case you are wondering why I am writing this blog.

I have visited Walt Disney World (WDW) 5 times and for various reasons have always stayed off-site, racking up the numbers of various hotels and resorts around the Orlando area and beyond. Also through immediate and extended family members also visiting the Mouse (and continuing the trend of staying off-site) I have amassed a bit of knowledge on the various lodgings in the I-Drive area (which I’ll explain about a little later).

As I’ve two younger siblings (the youngest is 6 years younger than me) I also have first-hand experience of holidays with children under 8, teenagers, young adults and “old” adults travelling with family and as a couple with my girlfriend.

Now that you know my story, I’ll start with the blog…

When travelling to WDW I have people often ask me why have I never stayed in Disney? There is only one answer to this and that is cost. While obviously off-site resorts will unlikely offer the same standard of theming, and they won’t have the Disney magic, it’s not too difficult to find a clean, well-maintained room at less than half the cost of WDW’s least expensive resorts which makes up for the sacrifice. As we were a family of 5 when we started going we would have had to go for a moderate resort for the extra room, or a suite, which would have increased the cost further. Thus staying off-site can be the perfect option for anyone travelling with a small budget.

When selecting your resort my first bit of advice is always decide what you want to do on your holiday. One of my worst experiences visiting Orlando was leaving Magic Kingdom at closing time after a 14 hour day, only to have to travel back to my hotel which was the far end of I-Drive. The combination of the large crowds leaving en-masse, Magic Kingdom’s location at the back of WDW, getting back to the car and then the long distance to travel through heavy traffic meant it took almost 2 hours to get back. While other parks won’t offer as difficult a journey it can be a rush to get out at closing time, and a long journey is not what you need at the end of a tiring day.

Therefore, if you can have an itinerary planned before you travel, or even a rough idea of what you want to do, you can locate yourself closer to the attractions which you plan to frequent. This can and will save a lot of travel time which is especially welcome after a long day in the sun.

When trying to decide on a location, I always advise to familiarise yourself with a map of the International Drive area. I-Drive (which stretches for over 11 miles) is the unofficial tourist centre of Orlando, with Walt Disney World near the Southern End, and Universal Resort near to the Northern end. Many other attractions are either on, or not far from this road. Other major roads in the area or the I-4 Interstate (the quickest route from Universal to Disney World) and Universal Boulevard (which leads directly to Universal Resort), which both run roughly parallel to I-Drive. There are also 3 roads running East to West which create junctions which can be used as both landmarks for finding your bearings, but also help us separate and identify the various areas along I-Drive.

The first Road is the West Sand Lake Road (482). This road creates a major junction towards the Northerly end of I-Drive where there are numerous restaurants, hotels and easy easy access to both the I-4 and Universal studios. Heading West brings you the both the Florida Mall and the International Airport (where the 482 merges which the Beachline Express Way (528). Other Malls in the area are the Prime Outlets, Mall at Millenia and Festival Bay.

The 528 crosses I-Drive near SeaWorld and the Convention Centre and this road heads towards the East Coast giving you access to the Airport and the Kennedy Space Center. You are also about the same distance to Universal and Disney World from here. Pointe Orlando is also in this area.

Finally we have the 536 World Center Drive which meets I-Drive at its Southern tip and heads straight into Walt Disney World, becoming Epcot Center Drive in the process. This area is usually called the Lake Buena Vista area and has the easiest access to Disney, and also offers large grocery stores in the area, which can be useful if you plan to cook to save money. For shopping, head to Premium Outlets.

Once you have decided on your plan for the holiday, use the above roads to decide on a rough location of where you want to stay. Universal visitors should look more towards Sand Lake Road and further North, and Disney Visitors look more towards the Lake Buena Vista area. Those with a good mix look in the more central areas around 528.

The next thing to consider is the type of accommodation you want. Generally there are four types of accommodation to consider: Rooms, Suites, Apartments and Villas.

I consider rooms to be the typical accommodation available in a hotel, and the most common type available in Disney Resorts. They consist of a bedroom with a king-size or two queen-size beds and an en-suite bathroom. Generally rooms are the cheapest option available and are perfect if all you want is a place to sleep. A typical example would be Four Points by Sheraton Orlando Studio City.

A suite is similar to a hotel room, but also offers a kitchenette and dining area, a separate bedroom and they often have a living area as well. If you plan to spend some time at the hotel, or are considering doing some of your own cooking then a suite is a must. A good example is the Enclave Suites.

Apartments (often wrongly referred to as Villas and Suites, so make sure to read descriptions carefully!) are a larger version of a suite. They often have more than one bedroom and are good for larger parties looking for a suite. Another trait, typical of an apartment, is that they are usually located in larger resorts made up of several blocks, rather than one large hotel building. The Sheraton Vistana Resort is a standard apartment resort.

The final accommodation type is villas. Generally they are parties of 6 or more, and can often hold as many as 12 (although there are smaller and larger villas available) and contain everything you would expect to find at home such as a full kitchen and several bedrooms. Villas also usually have their own private pool. They also are generally located in quieter areas away from the hustle and bustle of I-Drive. Here are some examples of villas.

The next thing to consider is transport. Regardless of where you stay you have to make sure you can get to the attractions. The more expensive option is to hire a car, which can easily be obtained at the airport from the various hire-car companies. With a car there is no restriction on your travel times as you can follow your own schedule. You also don’t have to worry about being away from public transport, as you don’t need it.

The other option is to use public transport. Many off-site resorts offer free public transport to the various parks, and they pick you up at the resort lobby. Also, for visitors staying on I-Drive the I-Ride Trolley is available. It stops at over 40 locations between Prime Outlets at the Northern tip of I-Drive all the way to Premium Outlets on Vineland Avenue. The service runs from 8.00am to 10.30pm every day, and there are trolleys approximately every 20 minutes. While it is a much easier way to travel, and there’s no directions to worry about. However you are restricted to the times of the various services, and a lot of time can be lost waiting or travelling, especially if you are the first stop of a long route.

My final piece of advice is to always read the reviews. Never stay anywhere without reading sites like Tripadvisor and searching the many forums such as Magical Kingdoms that are located on the web. Not only do reviews reveal more about the hotels than the brochures, but they sometimes point out some features that may be overlooked, but could tip the balance when choosing your destination (such as free breakfast, or the amount of restaurants within 30 seconds of your hotel).

Hopefully this blog has made it a bit easier for you when choosing where to stay. The amount of hotels and resorts available in the area can be daunting. Locations can often be exaggerated with understated travel times that don’t take into account traffic (and that usually don’t reveal the long distances that need to be travelled), and photos can be edited to make anywhere look good.

To finish, there’s no such thing as too much research, and at the end of the day people’s opinions on where to stay are exactly that, so don’t worry if you end up with several suggested places to stay. Having more options will probably allow to find a better deal, and should also allow you to find accommodation that suits your travel dates and needs.