I cant decide!

[maymcg]

Hiya

Okay we ARE going to Disney this year but i am just finding it so hard to decide what to do!

Its me, DH, DS1 (10), DD (7) and DS2 (3) who will be going and i cant decide whether to go on or off site.

My problem is that when DH and I went to Chicago 2 years ago i was awake at 3am every morning and trying to find something to do without waking him was a nightmare being stuck in a hotel room. This time with the kids i certainly cant risk waking them at that time of the morning. With all of us in one room @ POR for 3 weeks puts me off and i think a villa off site would be better but then you cant get the full Disney experience and with the free DP it will probably cost the same.

Oh and we cant really book anything til June but i want to try and get as much "organised" as i can before then. And i cant decide whether to go in Oct or Dec!!!!!!

Any feedback about what to do would be really appreciated as we dont really know that many people who have been.

 

[oceanscape]

Why don't you consider a 2 bedroom villa at a Disney Vacation Club resort? You'll then get two separate bedrooms and a lounge area. You'll then get the magical on-site experience with the extra space of an off-site villa. There are also some pretty good deals at the moment for OKW and SSR.

 

[lexie32]

I read somewhere POR has now changed it's room allocation to 4 people + 1 infant with your party size you would need to consider a DVC condo or a Delux hotel if you wanted to stay onsite at Disney.

Personally i looking at your party size and ages i would go for the villa, the holiday would be far more harmonious!

 

[eeyorefanuk]

We have gone for saratoga springs ... mainly because of price and free dining but also because will have kitchen/lounge etc ... at least this way you will get the best of both ... on site but with more room

 

[scottish mum]

We have stayed at the cabins at Fort Wilderness. It was great as you get a bedroom with double bed and bunk beds and then in the living room there is a pull down bed. My self and dh slept on the pull down bed and it was really comfy. It also meant the kids could go to bed early and we could stay up. Also there is a big decking area outside the cabin with a bbq and table which is lovely for sitting out on early morning or late evening. The kitchen area is handy too for breakfast and snacks.
All this and the disney experience, the campground is sooooo peaceful but has loads going on as well. Our stay here was our best disney holiday ever

 

[tttessa]

Hi -
we have the same trouble -I just cannot share a room with the kids for more than maybe a night. We book off site in a villa - there is so much room, so many facilities - pool, laundry room, fridge, freezer, play space... You also see more wildlife out there too - we saw racoons, vultures, wild stick insects, frogs, the ubiquitous gecko all between the road and the yard... nothing in the house though (thank goodness!)

You can also eat off site for healthier food choices too. I don't cook a lot on holiday, but a box of cereal , fruit juice for breakfast, then something healthy for tea - pasta/rice/potatoes with a jar of sauce and some veggies is our usual home-cooked food - it is dead cheap, so I wouldn't go on the cost of "free dining". Also, we eat out on the 192 too - you can get "kids eat free" vouchers in the information offices - food is cheap over there. You can buy snacks and stuff to take to the parks at the local supermarkets too.

As for the Disney "experience" mmmm 3 weeks I'd be going nuts! You could always book a night or 2 mid break on a Disney property, make sure it is a day that gives you the EMH - maybe the money you save being off site would pay for a great room for a couple of nights of full "immersion" in Disney. (We book a night at Universal - keep the villa but stay away for a night- gives us 2 days of front of line passes for the Universal parks!).

As for timing - well, we are going in October - everyone has said the weather has a chance of being ideal, crowds are not too heavy and you get the special events at MNSSHP for Halloween all month. Also have the Food and wine festival at Epcot. If you went over the October/November month change , a week or so into November you might get them setting up for the Christmas stuff too.. I think MVMCP started on the 10th Nov in 2009??

I sooooooooooooooooo want to be there right now....

Tessa

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Our son is a very early riser every day of the year, and on holiday especially the first few days can be as early as 1 or 2 am.

I do agree partly with some of the other opinions about DVC, for staying on-site you definitely get more room and that invaluable kitchen too.
It can be expensive depending on where you stay, but again Saratoga Springs and Old Key West Resorts are well priced at the moment.

Bearing in mind you will have so much extra room, the fact that we have been staying in off-site villa's for years and also you won't have to worry about being up very early and possibly disturbing anyone next door (always our concern with Joshua!), then I would advocate an off-site villa.

You could do a few nights DVC, then rent an off-site villa for the rest of the holiday = best of both worlds? You get the Disney experience and a private villa too.
That's what I would do.

 

[torsie24]

I think a DVC stay is a great idea!!

Also go in October!! We went last October and it was amazing! We will definitely be back during that time of year. MNSSHP is awesome, the weather is perfect and the crowds are low!

 

[maymcg]

thank you all.

I think we have decided to stay off site (great more decisions to make ) and what a great idea of getting a villa but 1 or two nights in disney i would never have even thought of that!

Looked at prices for OKW and SSR but it was at the top end of our budget without tix prices if we stay off site its the same price including tix and even though we have to pay for our meals i think the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. I shall just save a special food fund.

Once again thank you so much for the invaluable advice.

May

 

[Dimplenose]

We stayed at All Star Music last year and had two interconnecting rooms. I don't know how the prices compare to other accommodation but it worked well for us.

 

[Disney owl]

I agree with all Tessa says (except we've never been in Oct) We are trying September this year.

We've never stayed on-site & one day I'd love to.

We love the space & freedom a villa gives us. To be honest it was never my idea of an holiday sharing a bedroom with our 3 kids!