? for those who stay offsite

[aec]

We have two kids who will be 4 and 7 at the time of our trip in November. We are staying at the Hilton Grand Vacations Club (HGVC)near seaworld, and will have a rental car.

I need help planning my itinerary. Do you take afternoon breaks when staying offsite? If so, do you go back to your hotel/villa? Is a 3 hour break enough time to get to the hotel, rest and/or swim and get back to the parks? Does anyone have any suggestions for places to take a nice long break either in the parks or at the nearby disney resorts so we can cut down on all of the transportation time?

 

[jdm]

When my daughter was that age we went to Disneyland, a couple of times. It was a lifesaver to go back to our hotel for the afternoon and swim and nap. Then we would head back to the park and be refreshed. I think 3 hours would be plenty of time to get back to your hotel (off site at WDW) and take a break. The kids will probably need it.. and so might you! Only thing, I think the parks will close a little earlier at the time you are going so you might want to get an early morning start. Have fun!

 

[sandyneck]

We just got back and stayed at Sheraton Vistana Villages right down the road from where you will be. We had kids with us 2,5 and 6. We tried to take breaks, but the problem was we never made it back to the park after the breaks!! We ended up staying by the pool and going out to dinner. It was OK if you want only a half day at the parks. On the last day we stayed by the pool until 11 and then headed to the park and stayed until it closed. This seemed to work out for us. THis would be OK for you also because you will not be there during the busy season. It took us about 15 minutes to get to the Magic Kingdom from the area we stayed. It did seem the days we left and tried to come back that it just took up too much time. Try it once and see what works for you, everyone is different. Good Luck

 

[tinaluis]

We sometimes take breaks in the car because we usually visit in off-season when the parks close early. We crank up the a/c and just relax. Hubby and I have even fallen asleep once or twice. We tried once to go back to the hotel, but we never made it back to the park as a previous poster stated. And when you've paid about $125/day to be there, you harldy want to stay at the hotel, or at least I don't.

 

[Margie J]

The parks tend to close earlier in the evening during "off" seasons. So, if you decide to go back to your hotel it may not leave you much time to return to the park later.

Do try the drive once ... your own car will be key here. Most hotel shuttles have very limited service. See how the timing goes with traffic. I-4 gets pretty busy by mid-afternoon. Remember, there are locals that commute to/from work too.

You might think about taking a break over at Downtown Disney or the BoardWalk Resort (close to Epcot) if there isn't much time to get back to the hotel.

 

[Princess Dot]

Regardless of whether we stay on or offsite, I find that once we return to the resort we rarely make it back to the parks! My advice would be to decide whether you want to get up early and head to the parks(my choice usually) or relax at the resort then head to the parks later.
I would check out the hours that the parks close when you are going to be there. I agree with the post that said it is harder to come and go from the parks when the hours are shorter. This works better during the summer hours when the parks stay open to 10 or 11.
Have fun! I'd love to hear your impressions of your villa. I've seen pictures of them and they look beautiful!

Dot

 

[pstepka]

We were there in September (when the parks closed early) and we stayed until they closed (with our 11, 3-1/2 and 1-1/2 y/o). BUT...we did not get there when the parks opened. We let the kids sleep until their regular wake up times, had a nice big breakfast at the hotel (we stayed off-site at HIFS), then got to the parks about 10:00-11:00ish. It worked out great...we felt we had plenty of time at the parks (MK closed at 7:00 so we spent at least 8 hrs there). The day we went to AK, though, we got out a little earlier because they closed at 5:00. We then went over to Epcot until (9:00ish).

So my suggestion would be (since you don't have little little kids that HAVE to have a nap), is to not get up at the crack of dawn to get to the parks when they open. Relax more in the morning and let everyone get enough sleep. Then you'll be able to spend the day at the park. You'll actually probably spend more time there that way, than leaving for 3 hours during the day.

 

[jh123]

I would agree with the opinions posted already. You could leave and take a break but the parks close earlier than in the summer so it might be better to get to the park a little later in the morning or even plan for a long lunch at a sit-down restaurant as a mini-break. The weather shouldn't be too hot in November and the lines won't be too long so I doubt the kids will get really cranky. My family went to Disney last October for a week. My kids were 2 and 6 and they were fine without a break.

 

[aec]

I was afraid if we went all the way back to the villa, it would be difficult to get back to the parks. I like the idea of getting a later start and then staying for the rest of the day, or taking a long lunch for a break. I guess we will just have to see what works when we get there.

 

[pstepka]

I don't think you'll regret not being at the parks the minute they open...it will make for a much more relaxing and less stressful day and not such a LONG day for the little ones. Believe me, 8 hours IS a long time to be in a park!

 

[jeff968]

We stayed at the Vistana Resort in LBV in February. I have a family of five and in-laws. I feel that if you stay on site then you can leave and return easily and it is okay to take a break but if you are off site, with all the time involved to go back to the parking lot, back to resort, and return, it is not worth. Those admission tickets aren't cheap and you want to get your moneys worth. When we decided to go to the parks we would stay there all day. Then we would stay all day at the Vistana the following day and relax and swim. This approach works well for us. Have fun.

 

[leebee]

On our last trip (January 2001) the girls were almost 3 and 7. We didn't get to the parks til around 10 am, and stayed all day. We've found that riding the train around Magic Kingdom makes for a nice break when everyone's getting footsore and cranky, and the kids liked it so much that we actually rode two complete loops around the park! There's also a nice, shaded area right by Ariel's Grotto in Fantasyland, with tables. We sometimes get take-out lunch and eat it here- the grown ups relax after eating and the kids can play in the shade or the fountain. When tiredness hits at MGM, go on the Great Movie Ride- it's about 20 minutes of sitting and looking- or the backlot tour (which is kind of lackluster, but you can relax without feeling like you're wasting time/money by leaving). Also, if you can stand it, the Hunchback show runs about 40 minutes. The kids like it well enough to stay seated and watch (i.e., rest), and the adults usually doze (we're not big Hunchback fans!). We never go back to the hotel. Just remember to stop and relax when the crankies hit- find a shady spot, get a Mickey Bar, and watch the World go by for awhile!

 

[ddickson]

We usually go off season, so it's not a problem. Some days we wouldn't get going til noon, then did parks til they closed. Usually at least one is open til 9.

 

[robsmom]

Since the Hilton Vacation Club is down by sea world, I think that you will find it is a bit of a drive to leave the park and go back. Will take 15 minutes drive time plus the parking lot time etc. The Hilton had shuttles to Universal, but I am not sure about Disney. I do know the Universal shuttle was not that convenient. They are tied to a network and there are 4 or 5 other hotels, so you would have to make stops. The Hilton was really nice and had a great pool area, you might find that you won't want to leave once you get to the pool. Have Fun

offsite Feb, 1975,1976
Dis VacVillas, 1992
Marriott, 1994
Vistana Timeshare 1997
Hilton Grand Vac. 3/01
Vistana Timeshare 12/01

 

[aec]

We will have a car. I'm not the Shuttle bus type. What type of unit did you have. We are in the 2 BR. We've never stayed at a timeshare before but it looked great. (a friend let us use his week). Can you see seaworld from the property?

 

[spiceycat]

if you drive use the International Drive (536) it will be shorter. I4 can get pretty busy. We use I4 once when we stayed there and never again. Took a half-hour to go the 15 minutes on International Drive. (International Drive in WDW is called Epcot Center Drive.)

 

[Lisa P.]

You can't really see any of Sea World from the HGVC due to the trees and foliage. It's about a block away and across the huge Sea World Parking lots. If you happen to get a top floor unit in the first phase and your unit is facing the right direction, you would be able to see some of the fireworks above the trees. Otherwise, you wouldn't know Sea World was so close. That's probably a good thing - not noisy. Have fun. You'll love the MBR's double jacuzzi - wonderful lumbar jets!

 

[aec]

I am really looking forward to that jacuzzi!!!
I can't think of better way to wind down after a day of touring the parks. What route did you take to/from disney? I know about I-4, and international drive, but people keep talking about another route, palm parkway I think, that does not show up on my microsoft streets and trip program.