New to Off-Site, please help :)

[lilmape]

Hello!
We (my hubby, myself, and our 3 year old) had planned on staying at a resort on disney property; however, my mom decided to join us and to save money we decided to stay off property.
I have a couple questions.

Who do you rent through?
What areas do you recommend to stay in?

We are traveling in Late September-Early October. We need 3 bedrooms and would love access to a pool and kids playground. I'd prefer that it be included as part of the rental cost. Any suggestions?

 

[Laurie5013]

Wyndham Bonnet Creek. Find the "we looooove bonnet creek 4" thread on this board for lots of info.
Nice pools, lazy river, playground, planned activities and great location.

 

[DisneyCAL]

Our last trip we rented a home in a decent neighborhood that had a small playground and sidewalks. It had its own pool and hot tub screened in. 5 Bedrooms 4 baths. Everybody had their own room! I believe the price was really good too, you could do the house for several weeks for the same price as a couple nights at a deluxe disney hotel. It was about 10minute drive from parks, and you drove past a dunkin donuts and grocery store on your way to the parks every morning. I will have to look it up for you again, been a couple years since staying there.

 

[Ametista]

There are a lot of good communities that have playgrounds and private pools. Our favorite is Paradise Palms, which is really close to the west entrance. There is also Windsor Hills, Windsor Palms, Emerald Island. Look on VRBO , Homeaway, Flipkey, etc. You are going off-season so it should be no problem finding a great place. If you want more of an official name-brand resort then try Marriott Harbour Lake, which has the best pools ever for a 3 year old.

 

[rackerlee92]

The townhouses at Windsor Hills might really work out nice for you. They have a small splash pool that might be just right for a 3 year old and generally have one bedroom down and two bedrooms up.

If you want something all on one level, there are many communities that have very affordable rental homes with pools. We have rented at Sunset Lakes and Indian Creek. Both were very nice and very affordable. My teenagers loved the option of a full sized pool and game room.

All of these are within a 10 minute drive to the Animal Kingdom parking lot.

Agreed that VRBO and Homeaway are great places to start.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

2 bedroom villas at Sheraton Vistana Resort sleep 8.....I don't know if that might work for you. The master has a king bed, the 2nd bedroom has two twins or two doubles (depending on the section to which you are assigned) and then there's a queen pullout in the living room.

Its very close to Downtown Disney, and the amenities for little ones are great.....7 main pools (one with splash fountains, two with waterfalls, one with a small slide), a few separate kiddie pools (adjacent to the main pools), multiple playgrounds, and daily scheduled activities.

Wifi is free, parking is free, the resort is gated, its within minutes of virtually every restaurant you can think of, and some excellent prices can be found at places like Skyauction. Its a beautiful resort if that sleeping configuration would work.

 

[wmson2000]

We stay onsite on Disney properties (usually renting DVC points) but we more commonly rent pool villas in the Kissimmee area. The value is usually great, privacy is wonderful (private pools, etc), and we enjoy the convenience of going outside of the WDW "bubble" occasionally!

Best communities that we have experience with: Windsor Hills (a few times), Rolling Hills (more than once), Formosa Gardens, Windsor Palms, Emerald Island, Sunset Lakes, Indian Creek. All are within 10 minutes of Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, and a few minutes more to Epcot and Magic Kingdom. We've looked (in person) at some very nice newer pool villa rentals in the Solterra neighborhood (but an additional 10 minutes farther away from WDW).

We've always dealt directly with the owners through VRBO or HomeAway (it's usually less expensive to go to the owner directly instead of through an agency). We've always had good luck with honest and caring home owners. But other's "mileage" may vary. Just ask tons of questions prior to sending money. It is also possible to check tax records to make sure home owners keep their finances in order (and that the prospective rental home isn't in foreclosure of something bad like that!).

Here's the home we came home from just one week ago. We've stayed there a few times. It's not as fancy as some places we've stayed but it's affordable enough that we can stay more than a month: http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p3015102

 

[andiraye]

This is a perfect thread for me right now, as I'm trying to convince my family that a trip to Disney is more fun and just about as economical than boring old Hershey Park in PA. So off-site is key, but I have soooo many questions. Has anyone stayed at the Holiday Inn Orange Creek? If yes, what kind of condition are the rooms in compared to POFQ?

Also, how long does it take to drive to and from the park, door to door? Is it such a pain that if we leave the park mid-day we won't want to come back for fireworks/Fantasmic, etc.?

Lastly, does anyone have any suggestions on buying tickets other than through Disney? I'm sure there are threads on that, but I'm having trouble finding them.

 

[greenclan67]

Holiday inn orange lake??? Love it!! My favourite out of the ones we have stayed at. We just returned home on March 21 after 14 days here. We left property a total.of 3 days. The rest was all resort. I love the drive up villas in West Village. 2 queens in one room a king in the other and 2 bathrooms. One light and you are on Disney property.

 

[beautyandmouse]

I stayed at Best Western Lake Buena Vista right next to Downtown Disney. You could walk to Downtown Disney in 5-10 min AND they had great shuttle service to and from the parks. Worth it!!
It was quiet (even in July!), easy, affordable etc.

 

[andiraye]

Holiday inn orange lake??? Love it!! My favourite out of the ones we have stayed at. We just returned home on March 21 after 14 days here. We left property a total.of 3 days. The rest was all resort. I love the drive up villas in West Village. 2 queens in one room a king in the other and 2 bathrooms. One light and you are on Disney property.

Wow! Amazing! I'm so encouraged! Thank you!

 

[keats_c]

Following..great info!!

 

[lilmape]

We booked a week in Sept at bonnet creek through vacation strategy. Ended up being 876. Right on Disney property. Lots to do.

 

[andiraye]

What do you prefer, Wyndham Bonnet Creek or Holiday Inn Orange Lake?

 

[lilmape]

This is my first time off-site but I'm liking that WBC is actually right next door to disneys carribean beach resort. So close to all things Disney

 

[Sephora]

Floridays Resort Orlando on S. I Drive. 10 min drive to parks. We are staying for 3rd time this coming Fri. 1st year it was us and another family so 4 adults and 4 kids. We got the 3 BR 2 bath and there is still a pull out couch in LR. Last year and this year same deal but 2 BR 2 Bath. Plenty of room, full kitchen, washer/dryer. Awesome pool with kid area.

Could not ask for more.

 

[quagmire0]

I always go through VRBO and try to find a place with a good amount of reviews. I like going with owner-rented properties vs. company-rented properties, as there is less overhead and you're more likely to get a better deal. You always want to get the address info as well and check with the county website to verify that the owner on the property is the same as the person you're dealing with. I highly recommend Windsor Hills - very close to Disney and a wide variety of rentals available. Nice, quiet, neighborhood with good amenities.

 

[Portugal1000]

Wyndham Bonnet Creek is such a great resort. 7th stay coming up in August for 21 nights. Can't wait. Great location, great rooms and pools are excellent. We wouldn't stay anywhere else now even if Saratoga Springs was the same price(never gonna happen!

 

[andiraye]

So here's my big question. There are six of us. Two parents, two kids and two grandparents. Would you stay in two rooms at a Disney moderate or a two bedroom villa at Wyndham Bonnet Creek? It looks like the costs are about the same for both when you factor in fall discounts at the WDW resorts (which I assume will be comparable to the summer discounts), and the need to rent a car and increased park ticket prices when staying OP. I think we will probably eat cereal in our rooms for breakfast and will eat lunch and dinner out either way so the kitchen at BC is not a huge cost advantage.

 

[Trinity88]

We've gone through vrbo multiple times and rented a house with a private pool. I loved that everyone had their own rooms and it was super cheap.

For tickets, check out undercover tourist.