lodging for a family of 6

[momuv4]

anyone have input regarding lodging for a family of 6? Doesn't look like we can (reasonably, at least) stay on-site. At this point I'm leaning toward Holiday Inn Family Suites Resort in the Lake Buena Vista area. Anyone been there?

TIA
Melody

 

[R4Suns]

Momuv4...We also have 4 kids and came to the same conclusion you did. We looked into HIFS but when I saw the pic of the room I realized how small it really was. Our children are 5-13 so they are older and I read posts about people literally having to climb over whom ever was sleeping on the pull out in the living room.
I did a lot of looking around at hotels and timeshares (only the ones who dont push the sales pitch) and found MANY alternatives for the same price at HIFS and each one had 2 REAL bedrooms, 2 baths and a REAL kitchen.
Go to HOTLEKINGDOM.COM and look there for some. I also called many myself and got just as good of rates.
If you have AAA, are an airline employee are a government employee you can get even better discounts. We got Cypress Harbour at 50% off with airline discount. $120 a night!!! (compared to $300 per night for 6 of us to stay at CBR...)
IMHO I would just look around a bit more, you can always make reservations at several places and then make your final decision after you have compared.

Sorry so long,
good luck

 

[catwho]

We found All Star Resort Homes that you can get in the off-season at $129 for a town house or home that sleeps 10. A real *home* with 2 or 3 full bathrooms, washer, dryer and full kitchen. It was a great deal and fairly close to the main gate. We are going there again in January when we go with my parents. It is cheaper than what it would cost for 2 hotels. Peak times they run at about $169 a night and high times around $139. Their website is:
http://www.allstarvacationhomes.com/ Hope that helps and enjoy your trip!

 

[R4Suns]

I forgot to add if you look over on the Orlando hotels board you will get many ideas and help.

 

[OhMickey]

We too are a family of six. My children's ages are 12, 10, 7 and 7. When we go to Disney, we usually stay in two adjoining rooms at the All Stars. Last time my rate was $59 + tax per room per night. I now understand you can (depending upon when you travel) could get the rooms for $49/night.

This works out really well for us. We get the benefit of having two bathrooms, and two tvs. The kids get one room & we get the other.

 

[LKS]

The rooms at the HIFS are much smaller than they look in the pictures, but are still an excellent choice for large families who want a regular resort hotel. Yes, once you open the pull out sofa, it is hard to get in and out of the door of the room, but we just didn't pull it out until bedtime and then closed it up first thing in the am.

My kids love the kid suite with the nintendo (rent games from the desk in the arcade.)

The full hot breakfast buffet is included and the zero depth entry pool is wonderful for little and big kids. The quiet pool has a hot tub where parents (usually one, cause the other was in the room w/ the sleeping kids) congregated at the end of the day and compared touring notes. We also used their bus transportation one day and that worked pretty well.

We stayed when they were brand new, and again about a year later. My only concern would be that even after one year, the suite we had was a little run-down. I don't think they were constructed with the highest quality fixtures and furniture and the suite we had was already showing wear. If I went again, I would check out the room and if anything was broken, I'd ask to move.

For the record, we stay on-site for the convenience and ususally just stay at HIFS if we are going to SeaWorld and not WDW.

I have stayed in a Wilderness home (the old ones) and it was OK too and you can fit a family of 6 there. The new Wilderness Cabins look much nicer. We avoided most of the transportation problems by driving to all of the parks on that trip. I know my kids would LOVE to be there if we rented a golf cart for the week to get around.