We've always been big fans of staying onsite, but this trip we had extended family along for the ride so it only made sense to rent a house offsite. We chose a 5-bedroom house in Windsor Palms. Here's what we thought:
PROS:
LOVED the location. We honestly got to the parks just as quick (if not quicker) then if we'd been onsite riding the buses. We could get onto Disney property in under 10 minutes without having to go onto any major highways (I detest I-4). I'm sure it would take longer during peak season, but off season the drive time was nothing.
Loved being able to eat breakfast and dinners at the house. We had one great meal a day (including places like Le Cellier, Biergarten, Kona Cafe, and Boma) but still spent well under $100/day for the 4 of us. Haven't done the exact math, but we were able to splurge when we went out without feeling guilty. Also helped with my weight mgmt--last trip I gained 7 pounds in a week, this trip I lost 1
Loved being able to put the kids to sleep in their own bedroom vs. trying to get them down while we're all in the same room, then having to be quiet the rest of the night. The privacy was great, and 8 people had plenty of room.
Liked the amenities (large screen TV, great master bath, washer/dryer) that you don't normally get with a hotel room.
Price! The cost of the house was split 4 ways and ended up being under $350/wk for each family.
CONS:
We paid extra for the pool and hot tub to be heated, but they never got truly warm. We had the mgmt co. come out and everything was in working order. Apparently the hot tub only gets about 10 degrees above air temp. (and that's what heats the pool) and it just wasn't warm enough this time of year. Just something to think about if you're planning a trip during cold months. If I had it to do over, I wouldn't have paid for the warming and just done without. As it was, they were unusable half the week anyway.
This wasn't a dealbreaker, but sometimes being in the house reminded me a little too much of being at home in that we had to keep the kitchen clean, do some laundry, sweep, etc. I really like escaping all that stuff when we're on vacation. I think that's where I lost a little of the magic that being onsite provides!
Overall, it was a great experience and I'd definitely stay offsite again in the future (especially during these years where my kids are small and our budget is tight). Hope this helps someone else who's debating between on/offsite!
PROS:
LOVED the location. We honestly got to the parks just as quick (if not quicker) then if we'd been onsite riding the buses. We could get onto Disney property in under 10 minutes without having to go onto any major highways (I detest I-4). I'm sure it would take longer during peak season, but off season the drive time was nothing.
Loved being able to eat breakfast and dinners at the house. We had one great meal a day (including places like Le Cellier, Biergarten, Kona Cafe, and Boma) but still spent well under $100/day for the 4 of us. Haven't done the exact math, but we were able to splurge when we went out without feeling guilty. Also helped with my weight mgmt--last trip I gained 7 pounds in a week, this trip I lost 1
Loved being able to put the kids to sleep in their own bedroom vs. trying to get them down while we're all in the same room, then having to be quiet the rest of the night. The privacy was great, and 8 people had plenty of room.
Liked the amenities (large screen TV, great master bath, washer/dryer) that you don't normally get with a hotel room.
Price! The cost of the house was split 4 ways and ended up being under $350/wk for each family.
CONS:
We paid extra for the pool and hot tub to be heated, but they never got truly warm. We had the mgmt co. come out and everything was in working order. Apparently the hot tub only gets about 10 degrees above air temp. (and that's what heats the pool) and it just wasn't warm enough this time of year. Just something to think about if you're planning a trip during cold months. If I had it to do over, I wouldn't have paid for the warming and just done without. As it was, they were unusable half the week anyway.
This wasn't a dealbreaker, but sometimes being in the house reminded me a little too much of being at home in that we had to keep the kitchen clean, do some laundry, sweep, etc. I really like escaping all that stuff when we're on vacation. I think that's where I lost a little of the magic that being onsite provides!
Overall, it was a great experience and I'd definitely stay offsite again in the future (especially during these years where my kids are small and our budget is tight). Hope this helps someone else who's debating between on/offsite!
. As for the laundry, there wasn't enough towels not to wash them mid-week (even though we shared and used them multiple days). At the stage of life we're in, I have to do so much housework and laundry that I like to escape it and feel a little pampered when we're on vacation (I'm sure other moms can relate). However, like I said it's not a dealbreaker for staying offsite for us, just an observation. As a matter of fact, we're going back early next year (squeezing in one more trip before my youngest turns 3) and I've already been checking out skyauction. I'm leaning towards Silver Lake, since it's even closer to Disney then WP. Looks like we could get it pretty cheaply. Since we have 5 days left on our tickets, I think we can do this trip for around $1,000 pretty easily (we drive down). Heck, we couldn't go to a beach for that. I'm thrilled that we liked staying offsite enough to do it again--it means we can go to Disney more often!
