Looking for advice for big family.....HIFS?

[jfranklyn]

I am trying to help my sister put together an affordable trip to Disney. They have 4 children, for a total of 6 people. I REALLY want them to stay on site, but realize that they may not be able to afford that.

Has anyone stayed in Holiday Inn Family Suites? Is it nice? How does it compare to disney resorts?

 

[jel0511]

Well, I've never stayed there, but I have had a friend who has. She said she'd rather stay at the All-Stars than at HIFS. Now, that's her opinion. What about two rooms at the All-Stars? They can be VERY affordable with codes, and also with the FT package. With young children, you can be guaranteed connecting rooms, so no worry about being in different parts of the resort. Maybe look into that for your sister.

 

[toystorymom]

We are a family of 5 and have stayed at the HIFS. The kids loved it and it was great for a large family. The free food saved us a lot of money. We had our own car though, so did not have to spend money to rent or rely on the hotel shuttle. Those things should definitely be factors in their decision. Next time though, we will definitely stay at the All Stars as we want to experience being on site - see what all the buzz is about.

If you go over to the Orlando Hotels board there are tons of posts and reviews (most of them positive) about HIFS.

Good luck, Hope they can make it work!

 

[taylor1293]

We've stayed at HIFS and are returning there this month.

It's very affordable. You can get rates as low as $75 a night if you use the Entertainment Card rate. (if available, book early!). Our rate this month is only $86 a night.

The hotel provides a free breakfast buffet, free kids activities, and kids eat free with their parents for lunch/dinner.

It's so close it's practically on-site. Driving their car to the parks will be quicker than waiting for the buses from the value or moderate resorts.

www.hifamilysuites.com

Hope this helps,

Teresa

 

[soccermom22]

I would recommend the HIFS over the All Stars any time. Especially if they are trying to save money. The free breakfast alone is worthwhile and the kids eat free all day long.

The HIFS is actually closer to many of the parks and Downtown Disney then the All Stars resort is.

I would recommend having a car though, I won't rely on the HIFS shuttle.

The HIFS has a terrific pool, a smaller baby pool, huge climb through playground, pino pong, table tennis and mini golf. At night they have free entertainment (bingo, magic shows, karaoke). They even have a clown who does the most wonderful face painting. Last year she made my daughter into a butterfly (all over her face) - this is the kind of face painting they charge $10.00 for in the WDW parks.

I don't think they will be dissappointed in this hotel.

 

[MrsMud]

I also think HIFS would be great. We loved it two years ago, and are going back in Oct. Another BIG plus over AllStars, mom and dad have their OWN bedroom! It is so easy to put the kids to bed and be able to stay up watching TV (or doing other things )
without having to worry about waking the kids. And it would definitely be cheaper than two rooms at the AllStars.

 

[fritzi]

I agree on the private bedroom with locking doors for the parents. That was our deciding factor. This vacation is for everyone one of us, not just the kids!!! I think HIFS does have a lot of Disney Magic too, and what they don't have I can make myself.

Hint: I have boxes of Mickey Mouse cookies and I will leave a cookie on everybody's pillow every night. Plus, we shipped a package with presents from Mickey and Minnie and there will be one every night they come back to the Hotel.

Oh, and my kids get bunk beds and I think that is incredibly exciting for them.

 

[tmli]

I'm curious to know why people choose HIFS over renting a condo if staying off site? I always think I'm going to give it a try but when I crunch numbers it never works in my favor. Am I missing something?

 

[fritzi]

For me the reasons to not get the condo in Orlando. I am assuming this is someone else's home:

Kid's programs at the hotel
Hotel is closer to where I want to be
Room Service
Breakfast is already made
No need to make your bed or clean the dishes
The ability to get lots of opinions on the exact place we are staying
Magical feeling of HIFS
Don't have to worry about invading someone else's privacy or destroying their stuff.
Having a management staff to complain to in case of any problems.


Now I am not above renting a condo or a home, which is cheaper but not on my trip to Disney world. I would do so in another country or on a more relaxing vacation like a beach trip.

 

[jcemom]

I did MUCH comparing of hotels/resorts...though I admit I have no first-hand experience yet...
HIFS came out WAY ahead of all-stars in my book (hope I don't get flamed for this)...
the All-Stars just looked too "cheap" to me, no other way to put it.

For roughly the same price:
All-Stars=
one (rather small) room with 2 double beds - nothing special
2 rather basic, run-of-the-mill pools
NO hot tub
exterior entry
mini fridge for $10 extra PER NIGHT

HIFS=
two bedrooms with KING and bunk beds (themed!), + living area
2 pools -one really cool zero entry!- with other activities poolside
hot tub
interior entry
mini fridge and microwave and coffee maker INCLUDED
organized children's/family activities
mini golf
FREE breakfast
fitness center
3 tv's in the suite (no fighting during downtime-if there is any!)
goody bags for the kids at check-in
etc.

 

[maninthebox]

I have to agree with jcemom. I really wanted to stay on-site, but even with the Fairytale package we come out ahead staying at HIFS. I just hope that it lives up to the hype!

 

[hawt1]

Condo can also mean staying at a timeshare resort.

You can get a 2 bedroom at Orange Lake or other five star resorts for under $250 for the week. Then you have two separate bedrooms, washer and dryer, dishes and dishwasher...

In my opinion, that is about $300 less than HIFS and much better in terms of amenities, etc.

There is a lot of "magic" in having that extra money in your pocket!!

 

[MrsMud]

I realize that everyone has different needs and expectations in their lodging, and in fact a condo might be the best for some, but:

You can get a 2 bedroom at Orange Lake or other five star resorts for under $250 for the week. Then you have two separate bedrooms, washer and dryer, dishes and dishwasher...

At HIFS you also get two separate bedrooms; washers and dryers are readily available if needed; who wants to cook and do dishes on vacation? Not me! and:

In my opinion, that is about $300 less than HIFS and much better in terms of amenities, etc.

When you subtract the cost of a full breakfast every day (which is made FOR you, and you DON'T have to do the dishes), you have cut that $300 in savings considerably. To feed my family of 5 a breakfast like that everyday would cost at least $35. To feed the kids dinner every night (they eat free at HIFS) would cost another $20 minimum. Multiply that by 7, and you haven't saved anything by staying at a condo.

 

[hawt1]

MrsMud,

Not trying to start a fight over this but your math is fuzzy.

My cost is $250 for the week for accomodations.

At the $75 that is quoted above, your cost is $525 and I would presume that normal lodging tax of 12 or 13% is on top of that (correct me if I am wrong) so that is another $60 for you but my cost includes these taxes.

I am ahead by $335 at this point and we have not even compared the quality of the resorts.

There are tons of kids eat free buffets along this stretch of the road so you can be done breakfast for $15 for the family if you eat out or you can do like you do at home and have cereal and toast for about the same price for everyone. So we both have to eat and we both have to pay...no advantage in my mind.

Then we get to supper and I know that at Pizzeria Uno, kids pay what they weigh. So, our daughters have a cobined weight of about 80 lbs. That means we pay 80 cents for them to have a full kids meal each. A little cheaper than the $20 that you quote.

Then let's look at amenities. I'll use Orange Lake for example. It has at least 6 pools plus 2 separate kids pools plus an interactive water park and kids programs and kids play areas and a movie theatre and .... Oh, and it has 90 holes of golf on site too. Hot tubs too.

I know that HIFS may be great but I find it hard to believe that it would outdo Orange Lake or another timeshare resort. But, to each their own...

 

[taylor1293]

I agree with everything Mrs. Mud said, but would also like to add one of the reasons we picked HIFS over an off-site condo last year. (We had Vistana Villages booked first)

The theming! HIFS is 100% geared towards children! The bunkbeds, the theme of the room, the free children's activites ect. The look on my girls face when we opened the door and they saw their room! You won't find that at a condo.

For our family, the only advantage a condo has over HIFS is the in-room washer/dryer. This would definitely be a plus, however, it's not that difficult to go to the laundry room and do it.

There is NO WAY I'm going to cook anything on vacation! So the frig and microwave that are provided is all the kitchen facilities we need.

Our neighbors own at Orange Lake and I hear it is a beautiful resort, it just doesn't interest our family.

Teresa

 

[hawt1]

Sorry I forgot that everyone gets breakfast free at HIFS so you get a bit of a savings there.

Either way may be good but I think for a family of six, there are two kids that don't have a bed at HIFS unless they are in the living room.

Many of the second bedrooms at Orange Lake have two queen beds instead of single bunk beds. And you still have the king in the master and a whirlpool and large TV, etc.

I doubt you can go wrong with either but looking at the Ready Set Go auctions on skyauction may be a good idea for larger families.

We do breakfast in and eat all other meals out, either on site or along the strip.

 

[disneymom3]

We looked into HIFS as an option for this trip and ended up doing the condo/villa route again. HIFS looks really fun and I think when our kids are a bit older we will probably try it out, but for right now, the littlest cannot go to sleep in the same room as the older two--well, okay, he probably COULD, but it's my vacation too and I don't want to deal with him.

I do think that the free meals at HIFS help out, but right now, my kids just eat frozen waffles or cereal so going to a restaurant would be a waste for us and we just eat in the villa. And I bring easy food to prepare and we do eat dinner in the villa. Overall we spend very little more on food while at WDW than we do at home. With the ages of my kids, eating in a restaurant is not fun anyway. MUch more relaxing to stay "home."

The space for the price at either one can't be beat. If your relatives do want to check out villas make sure to check out www.skyauction.com for some great deals.

 

[jcemom]

I guess if money is the bottom line, a condo would be the best way to go. But, personally, I do not want to cook, do dishes, laundry, make beds, etc. on vacation. My mother did that for years when I was young and now she says it was a mistake. The whole family -- except her -- got a vacation. For her it was the same routine, but in another location.

I enjoy having someone else cook for me and make my bed.

Heaven knows vacation is the ONLY time that happens!

 

[Gillian]

When we stay in a condo it's not so much for the laundry & cooking facilities as it is for the space! And if we do those things, I am not doing them alone. Just like at home, DH helps out with everything. Just because I am the mom does not mean that I am responsible for all of the work!

We do make beds, kind of. Not like housekeeping would.

We sometimes do laundry at a hotel, so no real difference there, except that in a condo, it's at your convenience & doesn't use quarters.

While I don't like to cook on vacation, it's nice to have the option. Also, with a toddler who's up with the sun, it's great to be able to feed him breakfast in his pjs. f I waited until everyone was ready to go to breakfast, he would be miserable. So no matter where we stay, he's got to eat something. And it's wonderful to have a full size refrigerator for water, ice cream, cheese, etc.

All of the places have dishwashers, so we throw any dirty dishes in there and run it on our way out the door. It takes under a minute. When we get home it takes about another minute to unload them. No pots to scrub or anything.

I like to be pampered on vacation as much as anyone, but a condo can be a treat as well. Maybe the kids aren't excited about the room, but that's what the parks are for. There is plenty to do at WDW. And after they go to sleep, I can enjoy my space! And maybe even the jacuzzi.

 

[jcemom]

Must admit...ice cream for midnight snacks would be nice! lol