Need Advice Asap Please !

[kingdomkeeper]

Cruise payment due in full this week and we are rethinking wheather we should go or not as the cost is ASTRONOMICAL for 1 week , have looked at land packages instead but would really like somewhere with a small kitchen for our family of 4 . Can anyone recommend a good villa/suite type hotel not too far from disney. Just looking at our options before parting with all that money !

 

[samily]

As a family of 5, when we are doing WDW for the week, we rent a house. There are many new gated communities in the area which include clubhouses with a games room, movie theatre, playground, nice pools/slides, etc. Most houses also include a private pool and many homes also have their own game rooms. The prices are comparable to hotel pricing.

If you haven't already, you may want to check out the "Orlando Hotels and Attractions" board here on the DIS for more info on lodging in the area.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[MommyTo5]

I'm so sorry to see that you're rethinking your cruise. If you decide not to go at this time, you should definitely consider cruising DCL in the future. Although our family enjoys our WDW vacations immensely, we feel that the money we've spent cruising has been very well spent! There is absolutely NOTHING like it!!!

As far as suite hotels with a kitchen, the Hawthorn Suites Lake Buena Vista is nice and very well located!
http://www.hawthorn.com/Hawthorn/control/Booking/property_info?propertyId=30839&brandInfo=BH

You may want to check the Orlando Hotels Board here on the DIS for more options!

 

[MommyTo5]

As a family of 5, when we are doing WDW for the week, we rent a house. There are many new gated communities in the area which include clubhouses with a games room, movie theatre, playground, nice pools/slides, etc. Most houses also include a private pool and many homes also have their own game rooms. The prices are comparable to hotel pricing.

If you haven't already, you may want to check out the "Orlando Hotels and Attractions" board here on the DIS for more info on lodging in the area.

Enjoy your vacation!

I don't know why I didn't think to mention this option!

We've done this as well... twice in a home and once in a townhome at Windsor Hills. Both of the websites that I went through, www.orlandovillas.com and www.windsorhillsrent.com, are really nice since they allow you to enter your dates and the owners with availability will then email you with info and prices!

Good luck in your search and enjoy your vacation whatever you decide!

 

[karibritt01]

Sorry to hear that you are reconsidering your cruise. For what its worth... we worried about the money we were spending, too. In the end, we decided that we REALLY needed a relaxing vacation, and it was worth the splurge. The cruise exceeded my wildest expectations. We are currently planning a week in WDW for next Oct, so I asked the kids what their favorite thing was from our other WDW trips... they both said the cruise! They would rather go on another cruise than back to the parks! Wish we could afford it.

BUT... if you do decide to cancel and do WDW... you might want to consider renting DVC points. You can get a studio at Old Key West for the same price as a value resort. You can still get the perks of staying on property, and have the kitchenette. I have also had good luck finding vacation homes on www.homeaway.com.

 

[itutorfortravel]

Cruise payment due in full this week and we are rethinking wheather we should go or not as the cost is ASTRONOMICAL for 1 week , have looked at land packages instead but would really like somewhere with a small kitchen for our family of 4 . Can anyone recommend a good villa/suite type hotel not too far from disney. Just looking at our options before parting with all that money !

We have stayed at Sheraton Vistana Villages, Marriott's Grande Vista Resort, and Floridays. These are all over on the quiet side of International Drive, near Sea World. We were able to be inside the Disney park gate in about 15-20 minutes after leaving our condo. We stayed in 2 bdr / 2 bath units each time and loved them!

Good luck with your decision!

 

[kcashner]

Have you considered renting DVC points? If you check the DVC rent/trade section of these boards, you'll find lots of people with points to rent (can't use all their points this year). The number of points needed depends on season of the year and size of the unit you want (studio, one bedroom with full kitchen, 2 bedroom). It gives you all the advantages of staying on property at a significant discount over many rentals.

 

[natale1980]

Another vote for renting DVC points!

-nat

 

[lucyddr]

You might consider booking a cruise for a week in May (the 2nd, 16th, and 30th). There are several deeply discounted Cat. 12s, which would save tons of money. You'd still be on the boat, but at a much cheaper cost! (That's what we've decided to do. 2 adults for $1387 for the week!) Just another option...