While writing an opinion column, one often finds oneself dancing awfully close to the precipice. To put it a bit differently, you should always try to avoid that proverbial “can of worms.” I’ve come dangerously close a few times with topics such as whether or not to bring small children to Walt Disney World. Of course, I never learn a lesson so… for this week’s column, I’m dusting off and updating something I wrote some time ago for my book. It concerns one of the biggest questions you’ll face when planning a trip to Walt Disney World—where do we stay? Similar to the myriad ways of getting yourself from airport to resort, the hotel/motel alternatives are seemingly endless.
Many of you might say that the hotel room is unimportant because all you do is sleep and shower there. Practically speaking, that’s certainly an understatement of fact but I catch the drift—I just think it’s wrong. If you’re not enjoying the amenities of your hotel, you’re missing out on a considerable component of your vacation. Of course, that presumes your resort actually has amenities and you haven’t rented the equivalent of a refrigerator box on I-Drive.
On- or off-site?
Before selecting the specific hotel, you need to answer a single, critical question: Do we stay on Walt Disney World property or off-site? The facts are that most hotel rooms will offer telephones whose buttons have the appropriate measure of springiness; beds that provide an acceptable level of bounciness; pillows with just enough fluffiness; and, typically, all will have indoor plumbing and hot and cold running water—well, most of them anyway. Beyond that, there may be significant differences in size, décor, location and amenities.
The on-site versus off-site question typically inspires some very spirited debate among Disney fans who can agree on almost everything else. Both camps are passionate about their preference and won’t hesitate to tell you why they’re right or threaten to beat the tar out of you if you disagree.
Why off-site is best
