Off-site pool home or FW Cabin????

[BarbWB]

We are looking at winter/spring next year ... I would LOVE to stay on-site if I can make the numbers work, but it just isn't happening. We are a family of 6 -- kids will be 4, 6, 8, 10 next year.
FW cabins are appealing b/c they are on-site -- on-site is worth a lot, but how much??
A pool home in Windsor Hills or somewhere seems so much more practical. And we can get a 6 bedroom for about the same price as a FW cabin!!!
We will get a car whether we stay on-site or off-site b/c we will want to do Universal and some other things next time.

I suppose we could stay at one of the values and get 2 rooms or stay at the ASMu family suites, but really, we aren't loving the value thing. Too crowded (in Pop, you have to manuever to close the bathroom door ... really not my idea of a nice place!!!) And I HATED the Pop buses and will never do that again.

So, thoughts on FW Cabins vs. Off-site pool home??? I LOVE the Disney Magic, but I like some breathing room,too.

Thanks!!

 

[5mins2disney]

Hmm....what's so appealing about a cabin exactly versus a high end pool home? We've been to Fort Wilderness and it looks like a log cabin stuck in campground...I'm just not sure why you would choose that over a 5* pool home in an incredibly nice resort? Now granted, I will tell you I'm biased...we had the best vacation I think I've spent anywhere EVER when we stayed in Windsor Hills in 05...then we came back in 06 (as guests)..and we loved it so much we bought a place!

We say all the time that we can't understand why anyone would ever stay onsite at those prices with such an incredible resort close by... and we've had numerous guests from the DIS come back and say the same thing! Now if I were rich and I could afford the suites at the Grand Floridian after winning the lotto..no doubt I'd live like a king and go stay there! hehe..but the pool homes are pretty darn close!

Log cabin!? /scratches head..... Question...do you know if they're air conditioned? Do they have bathrooms in them? (I'm serious .. we saw them and we were wondering). Florida seems like a rough place to go camping if you're not in a high end Winnebago...we kept saying "those poor people!" LOL...bugs..humid..hot..raining...no A/C (the people in tents I'm referring to)...

Here's the rate chart by the way...you can get a totally high end pool home / villa for a lot less than a cabin...with 3-6 bedrooms..your own pool.. resort amenities...many homes have HDTVs...video games..themed rooms..and more... that's why I'm wondering why people go this route? I just don't get it... I'd go for offsite having done it..is it just that people don't know what they're missing? Are they sold on the "marketing" of the place by Disney?

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/resorts/seasonalityChart?id=SeasonalityChartPage2&bhcp=1

We were driving around the area and DW and I were saying that people just must not know. Then I read articles in the Orlando Sentinel that American's haven't really discovered vacation homes yet like Europeans have...and that there' s a whole offsite "world" that's relatively undiscovered near WDW they think will "explode" in the next 5-10 years.

You don't really need a 6 bedroom home for a family that size...although the 6 br homes in WHR are absolutely GORGEOUS...but why not get a 3/4/5 bedroom place....get a nicer place for less $$...and spend the $$ on something fun..like dining..or better yet... save it and take a 2nd whole TRIP to WDW with all the $$ you save! (That's what we did!).

Other onsite perks like EMH we don't really use ourselves...it's just 1 hour.....the WDW buses? NO thanks...I'm not on vacation to sit on a bus! And wait for one... Be in a tiny, cramped..overpriced motel room? No thanks... Dining plan? Umm...I guess you get slight advantages on reservations but it's just as easy to make them yourself, and you save $$ not eating onsite for every single meal.

 

[allyn]

i looked at fort wilderness compared to an offsite villa last year. fort wilderness was a lot more expensive for a much smaller place. sure you're onsite but fort wilderness is pretty inconveniently located to anything but the magic kingdom.

even a really expensive 4BR home (we stayed in one that was $160/night including tax) will be much cheaper than fort wilderness. and you'll have a lot more room and a private pool. many homes or a small condo will be much less than $160/night. if i recall correctly, fort wilderness is more like $260/night.

 

[Mainebound]

I helped a family of 6 plan a trip last MArch. They stayed at FW and loved it. But it was their first time to WDW.

Since you have been to WDW, why not try offsite. We are staying in MArch at WH for the first time, but we have stayed offsite the previous two trips. the home we are staying in is at www.valhallavillas.com. We got it for an excellent price. The owner is very nice, responds quickly to any question. I will post a trip report about the actual home when I return next month.

In 2005, we split our stay, staying at Emerald Island then Wilderness Lodge. I was afraid to make it all offsite. Well, when we left our lovely home in EI and checked out our adjoining rooms at WL, we were very let down. WE kept saying we wished we had not left Emerald Island.

We found the drive from offsite to be easy as pie. I actually felt that the parking lot and trams were more fun and festive than the bus stops and busses! I actually like having my own car now. Even if we were back onsite I woudl want my own car.

On the other hand, there are some people who feel it is not a WDW vacation if they are not onsite. Most folks on the resorts board are like that. If you are one of those people, you should stay onsite, otherwise your heart will be broken every time you step onto WDW property.

Have a great trip whatever you decide!

 

[Tissa]

I've only stayed on-site but this June we have 5 going and decided to try a pool home in Windsor Palms. I'm a little nervous that I will miss being on-site but we are willing to give it a try.

You have to decide if the the extras of staying on-site make the cost worth it to you.

Extra magic hours, morning and evenings, Disney Transportation, charging privileges, Mickey wake up calls, housekeeping. Free Magic Express.

For us we avoid EMH, we drive down so no need for ME this trip or use of the busses. That plus being able to rent a 4 bedroom/3 bath house with our own pool for the same cost of two value rooms was enough to make me give off-site a try.

We looked at staying at Ft Wilderness last year and my mom took one look at them and said " I'm not spending 2 grand to stay in a trailer!" Plus FT Wilderness is so spread out that you really need to rent a golf cart to get around which cost about $30 a day to use. You can only use your car to drive in and out of the place.

Whatever you choose good luck and I hope some of this helped.

 

[Brian Noble]

The "spread" of rates between different rate seasons offsite seems to me to be narrower than the "spread" of rates at Disney resorts. During the low season, the price differential between onsite and off is often low enough that the additional on-site perks can be compelling. So, if you're going to be there before the Disney rate seasons change from Value to Peak, the FW cabins might well be competitive and worth considering, especially once Disney releases whatever promotions that might apply during that time.

For my money, though, once you switch over to Peak Disney season, there's really no contest; the off-site home is a much better bargain, even considering the necessary rental car, etc. Our school break is late February, and while the cabins *are* very nice, I don't think that they're $340/night nice.

 

[5mins2disney]

Are the cabins nice though? I honestly don't know... from the outside they don't look like much but that doesn't really mean anything, for $340 a night they had better be! LOL

The other poster's comment was in reference to FW Lodge...which as I understand it is a traditional hotel type of setup, not the cabins.

I'm curious what the cabins are like inside...like I said..from the outside they look like campground cabins...or the kind of place I went to summer camp when I was a kid, but looks can be deceiving, they might be super nice inside!

Here's a link to the cabin descriptions on mouseplanet... doesn't sound like it's worth $340 a night to me versus being in high end pool home... 1 bathroom..1 bedroom.. remote from the Settlement and Meadow area of FW.

http://www.mouseplanet.com/dtp/wdwguide/4_Accommodations/FWCn.htm

Here's another link with interior pics...keep in mind the whole cabin is 12 feet x 42 feet...so that would be 504 sq feet of total living space. I don't see any mention of air conditioning... ( I saw a fan in the pictures though...and the windows appear to open...)
http://www.mouseplanet.com/sue_holland/sh030328.htm

The posts refer to the main reason to stay at FW as saving $$, I think you're going to be FAR better off staying offsite where you'll save a lot MORE $$ and be in a place that's a lot nicer as well, that pretty much sums it up!

 

[crjack]

On our very first family trip back in 1998 we stayed in the FW cabins.....the pictures from the link posted look exactly like our cabin did back then! Basically it has one bedroom with a queen and a set of bunk beds, one full bath and then a small kitchen, dining and living area. The living area has a pull down murphy bed.

It wasn't bad...but it wasn't great. It is pretty spread out so you have to use a golf cart or the bus to get around. We had a rental car but you cant drive to the pools, etc. and leave your car.

It was very peaceful though and we commented on how hard it was to believe that we were at WDW with MK so close by.

On a future trip we rented a 4 bdrm/3bath pool home in Windsor Palms and have been hooked on them ever since. It was much more upscale, more t.v's, bathrooms, better beds and to my children's delight our own built in pool right outside our door.

We live in New England and it's not as common to have a pool in our area, especially one so close to the house. We loved it!

Commute wise you are probably about the same to the majority of Disney parks if you stay at a development right outside like Windsor Palms, Windsor Hills or Emerald Island. (I know there are more than that but I am not as familiar with them) The cabins will get you to MK faster but not by that much.

If you are going to visit Universal and other off-site attractions I think the pool home makes even more sense. We don't care about being on-site anymore but we have been enough times now to know what we like, etc. DH doesn't like rushed, crazy vacations and being in a pool home helps us to relax and unwind.

Good luck with your planning.

 

[crjack]

Are the cabins nice though? I honestly don't know... from the outside they don't look like much but that doesn't really mean anything, for $340 a night they had better be! LOL

Sorry.....meant to add in my opinion, no they are not worth $340 per night or anything close to that. (not with all of the other options out there) I know there are codes, discounts, etc. but even bringing that number down would not convince me to choose them over a pool home.

If it was my one big trip I can see the appeal of being on-site and these do give you more space than say a room at a Deluxe but you can get so much more if you look at off-site options. It really depends on the type of trip and the family's preferences.

 

[KayR]

With a family of 6 you will easily fit into a 3 or 4 bed place.

In the W 192 area, the communities there are close enough to get you to the parks quickly. I have heard often that it can take longer on the resort shuttle then it takes to drive from these areas.

If you are truly into the Disney experience, then stay on-site.

I love vacation homes. I hate to stay in a one bedroom hotel room any more. Even those with kitchenettes are not fun to me because you are all still in one room. I like putting the kids to bed and then watching doing something relaxing like a movie, having a quiet drink or (and!) sitting in the spa. I would say give a vacation home a try, enjoy having your own pool for a few days (you can leave all your pool toys out by the pool rather than having to bring them in to your hotel room).

www.windsor-palms-florida.net
www.windsorhillsrent.com
www.indiancreekrentals.com
and the one for Emerald Island which I can't remember. Deb - help...

-Kay

 

[Brian Noble]

George, to be fair, you are a bit biased in your advice.

I can see the advantage of being inside the "Disney cocoon" for a trip; there is some value there. While the cabin itself doesn't compare to the pool home, the fact that it is in the cocoon adds value for many. For me and my family, the added value isn't worth the added price, but for others it may well be.

There are many different ways to visit Central FL, at a variety of different price points. If price were the only thing that mattered, we'd all be staying at the Kissimmee HoJo for $35 a night!

I've stayed in things similar to the WDW cabins; they are generally pre-fabbed structures, and are really quite nice. Our home park (Cedar Point) has a bunch of these in their campground area, and it's our preferred place to stay if we are staying for more than a night or so in the summer.

 

[5mins2disney]

Now granted, I will tell you I'm biased...

Hey I said that early on in this thread!

 

[Brian Noble]

Mmm. Well, there you go!

More seriously, if I were going to stay onsite with my kids, there are only three ways I'd do it: in a Family Suite in the Values, in a FW cabin, or in a DVC 2BR Villa on rented points. Of the three, I think the cabin is definitely the best option in terms of value vs. price.

However, every year I try to talk myself into doing this, and every year I decide that an offsite townhome or condo is a better value.

 

[BarbWB]

Thanks, everyone. I'm really thinking we will go off-site this time ... I'm going to have to do lots more research now! The cabins look cute, but I just don't think the single bathroom is going to work for us!

I'm off to look at some of the websites ....