Need a lot of help on staying offsite

[sersee05]

Ok so we originally had our stay ready for Disney onsite with free dining. However circumstances have changed due to family health issue. We will have to make some trips and now need to get our cost down for the Disney thing.

So I started wondering about staying a shorter time because our hotel was very expensive(poly). But then I started looking at hotels offsite and some seemed even nice than the deluxe's for a lot less money.

So I have never stayed anywhere off Disney property. It looks like we are driving unless we can get a package through Southwest. So I have been checking into Windsor Hills ..saw some back and forth reviews about it.

Then moved onto hotels. The only one I stayed in as a kid is a Marriott one. I just remember it had one heckuva pool with a cave.


I have three kids 16, 11, and 9. We will be heading down in November...

I started looking at Marriott Cypress, Harbor Lake, Bonnet creek(although that one was a little pricier and I liked the beds better at the Marriots), Villas of Grand cypress, Jw marriot grande lakes, Hilton Orlando, Marriott Grand vista...

I need to hear what you guys think of these or if there are others I should consider. I personally am very anal about a hotel room. I am all about clean..haha. Oh and I just read some great reviews about the Radisson Hotel Orlando...anyone been there that can give me some advice?


Thank you so much for any advice/help!!!

 

[Keacc]

I have spent my time in hotel rooms with 3 children. That is not a vacation. I would suggest renting a condo or pool home with 3 bedrooms. We have stayed at Emerald Island Resort several times in condos, townhomes and pool homes. They are all individually owned. We stayed at a great condo vrbo.com/54243
with great owners in the UK. The condo was spotless, had TV's in all bedrooms and living room and was cheaper than most hotel rooms. You can find a lot of good deals on VRBO.com.

 

[Detailor]

...I started looking at Marriott Cypress, Harbor Lake, Bonnet creek(although that one was a little pricier and I liked the beds better at the Marriots), Villas of Grand cypress, Jw marriot grande lakes, Hilton Orlando, Marriott Grand vista...

Perhaps a mixed bag of types of properties listed above - some are indeed hotels, some are timeshare resorts - worlds apart, in my opinion.

Marriott Cypress Harbour, Marriott Harbour Lake, Wyndham Bonnet Creek, Marriott Grande Vista are all timeshare resorts - if the Hilton that you're referring to is Hilton HGVC at Seaworld International, HGVC Parc Soleil or HGVC International Drive, then that's a timeshare resort, too. The Hilton Grand Vacation Club resorts are pretty nice, WBC looks like it's nice but we haven't stayed there so I don't have first hand knowledge of the place (great location for Disney theme park visiting, though). My Orlando preference, though, is for the Marriotts. Cypress Harbour and Grande Vista, in particular, are great timeshare resorts. Generally, you get more with one of these resorts when compared with a hotel. Most villas have at least one bedroom, one bathroom, a living room/dining room and a kitchen. Two bedroom villas generally have a washer and dryer. The on-site amenities are also fairly impressive at these upper-end timeshare resorts: multiple pool areas, resort stores, planned childrens' activities, fitness centers, various recreational features, some have spas, resort stores, bar and grill food options, etc.

For us, after experiencing timeshare resort vacationing, it's difficult to stay in a hotel for more than one night.

Dick Taylor

 

[badiggio]

Look into a 3 or 4 bedroom Presidential at"Wyndham" Bonnet Creek through Vacation Strategy .The units are gorgeous and better equipped than the villas at Kidani or wilderness,from my own experience.If you were booked for Poly,you'zd probably be saving thousands.I've been there now my last 4 trips,always in a Presidential.

 

[Ametista]

With kids those ages I would choose Marriott Cypress Harbour. It has gorgeous pools and the units are excellent and high end. I would definitely not go into it thinking they are "hotel rooms" because it is so much nicer than that!

I would stay away from Harbour Lake as your kids are probably too old to appreciate the pirate pools and there are no "adult" type pools at the resort. Also, Grande Vista is ok but not as nice as Cypress Harbour. JMO.

 

[happymommy]

So I have never stayed anywhere off Disney property. It looks like we are driving unless we can get a package through Southwest. So I have been checking into Windsor Hills ..saw some back and forth reviews about it.

Then moved onto hotels. The only one I stayed in as a kid is a Marriott one. I just remember it had one heckuva pool with a cave.


I have three kids 16, 11, and 9. We will be heading down in November...

I'm with Detailor - we are Marriott owners (not in Orlando) and have a preference for Marriott. I think the one you stayed at was the Marriott Orlando World Center perhaps. Attached to that are 3 Marriott timeshare properties also (I think they were the first ones - so they are older but remodeled and very large, and you get to use the facilities, like the huge super pool and restaurants, at the Marriott hotel portion). Of those, Sabal Palms is all 2 bedroom villas (and Royal Palms are as well) and Imperial Palms are all 3 bedroom villas. I would avoid Royal Palms only because I believe the second bedroom only has one bed - the Sabal Palms has a double bed and a twin bed in the second bedroom (and a sofa sleeper). These are the closest to Disney (not that it's a bad drive from Harbour Lake or Cypress Harbor, or Grande Vista). I'd also caution that Cypress Harbor, although I've heard is great, only has one bed in the second bedroom also.

You can look for rentals on redweek - see what's available at all the Orlando condos. You'll definitely spend less than at a Disney deluxe resort! Of course, if you rent from an owner, you won't get daily maid service included (not a factor for me - I am super clean and often even when they come just get some extra paper towels or whatever we need and have them just not clean for me).

If you're going over Thanksgiving, I'd get something booked pretty soon!

 

[sersee05]

Ohhh Thank you for the clarification!!! Apparently I am interested in the timeshare resorts lol. I have looked them all up and they are very beautiful. I am getting them all confused though.

I have stayed in plenty of hotels with all my kids.. It's nice to be spread out. That is why I tend to prefer suite type hotels. So I think the timeshare places are ideal. It sounds like from what you all have said...that it would be perfect. Do some of these have food options?

Do you have to listen to speech though? I was just going on their websites and it seemed I could book from there.

I also saw villas of Grand Cypress which I thought was beautiful. I haven't checked out Grand Vista yet. I also see that Sheraton Vistana gets some decent reviews .




The Hilton Orlando that I am taking about is on Destination drive or parkway?

 

[BadgerGirl84]

I would book a two or three bedroom at Wyndham Bonnet Creek--we stayed there last year and it was awesome. Since you are new to this, one plus is that there are a ton of people on this board who have stayed there...check out the Bonnet Creek thread that is frequently updated on this board.

If you book a timeshare, I recommend not booking directly through the timeshare property....but rather Redweek, a broker, or eBay. Lower prices.


Also, staying at a timeshare does not mean you have to take a tour or meet with a sales person. I can only speak for WBC, but the only annoying this is getting your parking pass--they have you fill out a form and try to get you to sign up for a tour. I just say NO.

 

[jeff968]

Go with the name brand like Marriott and Hilton and you know you'll get a first class location which will meet you high standards.

If you do it right you'll save money and enjoy room that you never thought possible with your timeshare rental. Bring less clothes as you'll have a in-room laundry. Buy your food when down there. We do breakfast, lunch, drinks, and snacks out of our resort after a visit to the Publix. Take a day or two off from the parks and stay at your fantastic resort. they have many first class activities, most of which are free and you can always hang by the pool and enjoy the sun. We are sworn offsiters now. We usually only do a day or two at the parks.

 

[blessedby3]

We have 4 kids (now 5 since DD got married) and we stayed at Bonnet Creek for our last trip and have it booked for next June for 2 weeks. We were a family of 6 and the 2BR was plenty of room for us. There is a big price jump when you go from 2 to 3 bedrooms. If you need the room, thats fine, but if you dont...you will save even more money on a 2BR. We got a Deluxe (not Presidential) and it was great. I dont need granite and high end finishes. The Deluxe was still very nice.
I would suggest getting quotes for BC. You can go through Vacation Strategy (thats who we book through) or Vacation Upgrades. Check out the prices and you will be very surprised at the prices.
BC is right next to the Caribbean Beach Resort so very close to everything without paying WDW prices.

 

[Disney Crew Of 5]

The last few years we have rented houses. Everyone can spread out, theres almost always a private pool, game room, all the stuff you have at home. AND much cheaper than a disney hotel.
These are some companys we have used:

http://www.themagicorlandorental.com/

http://www.vrbo.com/

http://www.emeraldislandprivaterentals.com/houses/


http://www.windsorhillsprivaterentals.com/houses.php

 

[akadada]

Detailor to me is the expert in my opinion of reading reviews on offsite - he helped us a lot (whether he knows it or not) in the past, but here's my two cents:

It's very difficult for us to imagine staying on site again after booking condo/timeshare resorts. And if a hotel is choice for someone, why not Dolphin/Swan? I do like the Disney experience of hotels, but not at what they charge...it wears off quickly.

We now stay offsite all of the time because we could probably buy another trip for what we save. Plus I think the accommodations, flexibility, kitchen, space, and the fact you have a car are huge pluses (it's cake to drive in Orlando).

Here's where we've stayed:

Floridays 2BR top floor overlooking pool. Great experience in every way, no complaints.
Marriott Harbour 2BR second floor overlooking marina area. Super peaceful and nice unit. Great outdoor area, nice nature trails.
Windsor Hills 3BR townhome... meh. Boring, felt like someone's home in a super boring neighborhood. But super nice accommodations. The owner was easy to work with although the management company wasn't that great.
Dolphin - hotel room just as nice if not nicer than Grand Floridian and Poly, which we stayed at many years ago before discovering how great offsite was. Awesome location and half the price of any of the Boardwalk hotels with fireworks view.

We're staying at WBC on our next trip and then may try Sheraton Vistana Villages after that one.

Best of luck.

 

[2girlsmom]

We have stayed at the Sheraton Vistana and also at a couple places in Davenport, as well as a house rental in Windsor Palms. What I don't like about townhouse/home rentals is losing the daily housekeeping. What I love is the space. For us, we love Caribe Royale, the 2 bedroom "villa" is aout $200 a night. They call them villas, they are really a suite, but all the 2bedroom suites are in a different group of buildings than the 1 bedrooms. 2 bedrooms have 1 king bed in the master bed and a 2 person jacuzzi tub + walk in shower in master, 2 queen beds in the 2nd bedroom and a full second bath, washer/dryer, full kitchen, pullout couch in the living room. 2 pools (a quiet pool near the 2bed buildings plus a large pool with waterfall, etc near the main building), coffee shop, QS restaurant and TS restaurant on property. It's 5-10 minutes drive from any of the disney parks, and I still get daily housekeeping without paying a seperate fee for it.

 

[mieuxmew]

We have stayed at Wyndham Bonnet Creek, Marriott Cypress Harbour, and Marriott Grande Vista. WBC was just ok in my opinion. We have no interest in returning there. Much too crowded!! Too hard to find a parking space. Unit was ok, but not nearly as nice either of the two Marriotts. WBC is closer to Disney, but only about 10 minutes.

For your family, I would choose the Grande Vista. Cypress Harbour is very nice, but the 2nd bedroom is very small. There is one bed and when the sofa bed is open in the 2nd bedroom, the room is way too crowded. At Grande Vista, the 2nd bedroom can have either a king bed plus a queen sofa bed (with very decent floor space) or two beds (2 queens or 2 doubles). Your kids are older and I think they would be much more comfortable on a real bed. The pools at Grande Vista are awesome and there are a lot of activities for all ages. There is a snack bar, a poolside bar/grill, an ice cream/candy store and a full restaurant. We have never had a problem parking. Marriott staff is awesome.

Please note - most time shares do not provide daily housekeeping. It can usually be added for an additional fee if you want. We straighten up after ourselves, so it is no big deal for us, but it is a deal breaker for some people.

Enjoy your vacation planning!

 

[davedmaine]

Check out Hilton's Parc Soleil. It's in a great location right outside the gate. Across the street is the Hilton Garden Inn (free breakfast).
Also, don't be fooled into thinking that Disney's deluxe resorts are 'deluxe.' They're basically a Comfort/Hampton Inn type room - no frills. You're paying for the convenience, location, etc.
Also, did you check to see if a room discount is available? You'd do better with that than free dining anyway.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

We had a fabulous experience at Sheraton Vistana Resort this past August (so much so, we bought two timeshare weeks there when we came home). Our two bedroom, two bathroom villa was beautiful, spacious, and had every comfort we could have wanted. The location was perfect.....so close to DTD. And the resort? It was gorgeous. 7 pools (two with waterfalls, one with a slide, 3 open until 1 am nightly), tons of daily activities for every age, basketball, 13 tennis courts, sand volleyball, mini golf, you name it. You could have a full day of family fun and never even leave the property.

Best of all, we paid $120 per night (taxes included) as part of our JetBlue Getaways package. And that included daily housekeeping .

Parking was free. Internet was free. No timeshare presentation required.

 

[sersee05]

Thank you so much for all the replies. So basically I am going to cancel the "deluxe" resort ressie I have. I am kind of sad because I did like staying onsite. We have stayed before on a room discount, but we spent so much on food(family of 5) so we decided we were better off with the free dining. I am sad not to be able to try all these good restaurants. My oldest (16) believe it or not is the most upset because she wants that "disney feel".

I don't know, Im sad but am looking forward to getting a really nice resorty type room. I will buy mickey mouses at our disney store and sneak them into the kids rooms in a gift basket or something to give them the "feel". haha

I keep seeing the onsite vs offsite argument and I see a lot of onsiters talking about safety . Is safety an issue offsite?



I am getting a tad confused though with all the different websites. For Wyndham bonnet creek..use vacation strategies ? Don't go on their website?

Also what about The marriotts? Can I used their website?

Is Hilton bonnet creek nice?

I have looked into windsor hills before but only through windsorhillsrents. Is there another option?


Normally when I stay in hotels..I always tend to find the nicest one I can. Im picky with the cleanliness..very important to me. And where we stay is part of our vacation. I know a lot say it's just a place to lay your head, but not for me. When the parks close..It will be great to come back someplace where we can sit and wind down with tv and a few cocktails! My kids can go to sleep, watch a little tv, swim..whatever. I won't cook but it will be nice to be able to have doughnuts , bagels , cereal..whatever in the morning. We are not giant breakfast eaters so we prefer a quick bagel and a big coffee!!

So as a refresher..my kids are 16, 11, 8. My 11 year old was very sick when we went last time(spent most of time in bed) and she was about 8. So my 8 year old son would have been 5 and doesn't remember it so much. They are looking forward to this trip like none other so I do feel kind of bad by not giving them the Disney experience everyone talks about...but I guess I can make my own experience. So knowing this....

Of all the offsite resorts out there...Which do you all think are the nicest and luxurious? Which do you think gives you a fantastic experience? I see there are soo many options, and I only listed a few I was considering.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

I think Wyndham Bonnet Creek would be best for what you're looking for. It is spacious, modern, clean accommodations and is the most similar to staying onsite at WDW IMHO.

 

[jeff968]

Check out Hilton's Parc Soleil.

Agreed, Hilton Parc Soleil.

 

[bananasplitkids]

Also check out Cheaptickets.com they have great prices and here lately they have had promo codes for additional 20%. I was able to book the Hilton Grand Vacation Seaworld for 71/night + the 20% discount.