Hotels

[sb4k]

We're going to Disney is Jan of '06 with 7 people. 3 adults, 4 kids. I would LOVE recommendations for hotels on site and off site. I know the 7 people really bumps us up into a whole other level of 2 rooms etc. Would love to stay on site but we will be renting a car to visit other places in FL, so off site is truly no big deal. My husband checked out the Holiday Villas Walt Disney Area and I've been checking into the Nick Hotel. Would so appreciate comments, suggestions, discounts, etc. THANKS!

 

[Hoosier Mom]

I've been twice. Once offsite, which was fine for us as adults. The hotel bus dropped us off in the morning and picked us up that night. Not sure if that is normal these days or not. That was 1984. I wish I could remember where we stayed. All I remember is they had a free breakfast buffet!

The other time we stayed at the Carribean Beach Resort. Enjoyed it because we could go back & forth to the parks during the day. Plus we could be lazy and be on the beach for a day. Very enjoyable!

Sorry I'm not more help.

 

[staci]

Well, without knowing your budget, its hard to say.

I would stay on property. I hated getting in and out of hot cars when I was a kid, and I cant imagine doing it with 4 of them each time we left the park. Buses are more convenient.

I wouldnt hesitate to stay at a value with two connecting rooms. We have done this twice and will do it next month and it works very well. The kids would all appreciate the theming.

If you have more money, I would look into renting DVC points to stay at a deluxe resort.

Hope this helps you!

 

[indigoxtreme]

We just returned from POFQ with 2 connecting rooms and 6 people 2 teenagers adn 1 4 year old 1 70 yr old and myself and DH. We absolutely loved the hotel and the Bus service 1st on and 1st off 1 Bus stop at POFQ. Small resort with a nice pool and grounds. We will retun to POFQ

 

[barkley]

i would rec. looking at renting points and staying in one of the vacation club 2 redroom or villas. that way you will get multiple rooms all linked together (great if someone needs a nap), a full kitchen , a washer/dryer in your unit...you may spend more initialy on the room, but the savings could be more than recouped by being able to have breakfast, snacks in the room, being able to do laundry without paying, taking advantage of the resort's activities...you will also get free parking so the rental car would be no problem.

 

[Northstar]

I've never stayed there, but I have a friend who LOVES the villas at Wilderness Lodge. You don't need to buy points to stay there...they will rent to non-DVC if there's availability at the time of your stay. And they will accommodate 7 people! But pricey. Still, if you're looking at Nick, budget isn't your primary concern??

 

[Northstar]

Also check out this place... it's on Allearsnet's list of recommended offsites. Here's the link to Allearsnet's page on it:


Sheraton Vistana Villages: Allearsnet factsheet

Happy hotel hunting!

 

[sb4k]

My family of 6 is going to FL to visit in-laws and then since we are in the area are going to Disney for 3 days 2 at MK 1 at Epcot. Since there are 6 of us to by tickets and feed, I really don't want to spend too much on a room. Especially if we might need two. My husband went on the net and found Holiday Villas Walt Disney Area. Was just curious if anyone had anything to say about that place. Really just looking for a place to sleep for 7 people. Personally I'm thinking 2 adjoining rooms at AllStar resort. Thought about Nick Hotel but I'm guessing from the replies that it's expensive.

 

[JenDaveBrendan]

I would definatly look into renting a timeshare - you can get rooms that accomodate up to 8 or more people. My recommendations are: Hilton Grand Vacation Club (Seaworld), Sheraton Vistana Resort, and Orange Lake Country Club. All of these resorts have tons of ammenities and room for a large group. Plus you would get them at a fraction of the cost of staying onsite.. and since you are renting a car, it would not be a problem. We always stay at a timeshare, IMO we get a lot more for our money.
A couple years ago, we got a 3 bedroom at HGVC seaworld - there was 3 adults, 3 children, plus my mom for a few days and an additional person for a few days, and I never felt a lack of privacy -
Any questions about this, please let me know!

Jen

Edit:
I just wanted to add - we stayed at All-Stars once, and it is INCREDIBLY SMALL- I would not recommend for 7 people in 2 rooms - it would be REALLY tight quarters. I felt squished in there and it was only 2 of us. Also, I have looked into Nick Hotel for off-season (Jan.) and it was still about $160 a night for a KidSuite.
We are going for 2 weeks this Jan. and paying $539/week for OLCC and Vistana through RCI, and there is soooooo much more space!
Good luck!

 

[dixipixi]

I think it totally depends on your both your budget and taste. We have stayed both onsite and off.

As for budget, we usually spend less when we stay offsite (we can get a nice suite in a great hotel for less than a deluxe room at WDW). We also spend less on food when eating offsite. We usually "rotate" where we stay (one trip onsite, next trip offsite). I like to stay onsite, DH prefers offsite. If you do stay offsite, I recommend the Lake Buena Vista area. It seems less crowded and once you learn your way around, you have easy access to all the theme parks.

As for taste, what are you comfortable with? I think this is a very important question. It's easy to get excited about staying at Disney and think you would be happy with less than you are used to, just to stay onsite. We like full service hotels and when it's not in the budget to go deluxe at WDW, we stay offsite. Although I do prefer onsite, I won't blow the budget to do it. A comfortable room is just as important to us as visiting the parks. Be realistic about what you are willing to give up and what you simply can't do without.

Hope you have a great trip!!!!