Pondering over next trip... triple centre stay??

[ROBEAR84]

So... I'm on a night shift with nothing to do... this is never good, I have our DLP trip as planned out as is possible and so just out of interest... relooked at our next Florida trip (2017 doesn't seem quite as far away as it did, now it's the year after next!)

Now, I don't know if the hotel prices are just really good at the moment but I seem to have shaved off £2000 since the last time I priced up (funnily enough within a week or so from coming back last time!)... confused but in a good way! I know it's all theoretical right now and prices could change but would that be because free dining isn't on right now? does that alter the prices alot?

Oh I so need to stop looking... I know I'm asking the wrong people here!... even sat here wondering if late next year would be possible rather than the year after?!

Anyway... as a few of you might remember our last trip with family wasn't quite what we'd have hoped... we knew it wouldn't be before we went to be fair to them though. So next trip will be OUR trip!

We've already decided to go for 3 weeks instead of 2, had originally looked at 14 nights at WDW and then 7 near Universal. Now wondering if 11 at WDW, 3 at Universal and then a week at a villa (not aoa this time though!) would work well?

I know DH would worry about moving between hotels/villa but I think it would maximise our time as well as giving us a more relaxing last week - we'll need it by then. We're forgoing any other trips (bar the already booked DLP trip) until then to make sure we can save for it.

Has anyone done similar??

 

[Elise79]

Disney are currently offering a free nights promotion which is probably why your price is coming up less but there is no free dining at the moment so you'd need food on top. I assume by the savings you are looking at a deluxe hotel? In which case a discount can sometimes work better than free dining anyway

As for the triple split stay - that would not be for me I hate moving I am a get unpacked and stay put kind of girl - if we do anything it's an overnight whilst still checked in to our main resort.

 

[chmurf]

if we do anything it's an overnight whilst still checked in to our main resort.

we're the same.

for example we stay put at a disney hotel, and book one night at universal whilst we're still checked in at disney

benefits of that :
- no need to pack
- universal gives 2 days of unlimited express for one night, so over a period of 3 weeks we do 2 one-nighters for 4 days of unlimited express, saving at least one night at universal for the same amount of onsite perks, and minimal packing

we also do an overnight stay on the coast, such as clearwater, for a quick getaway, still checked in at our main resort.

OP, if you don't mind wasting a lot of time packing, and moving to new accomodations, then changing resorts is a nice way to experience new things, but, as far as I'm concerned, it's too much hassle
2 resorts over 3 weeks, I can manage, but 3 is one or two too many

 

[Minniesgal]

We are the opposite we like to experience as much as we can and I like moving as we do a no parks day on moving day ad sleep in and do some Orlando stuff so I find it relaxing. Our last trip we did 3 nights OKW, 6 nights treehouse villas during which we also had two nights at hard rock hotel then 2 nights AKV and 5 nights BLT. Our next trip we are doing 4 nights VGC, 3 nights AKV, a 3 night cruise then 4 nights VGF. It all depends what you want but the moving can be done and I dot find it that much of a chore.

 

[wilma-bride]

Personally, I wouldn't even bother doing a villa if you are planning to stay in teh Orland area as I don't see the point - unless, of course, you didn't plan to do any parks the week you were at the villa.

We have done a couple of trips now that were longer than 2 weeks but used the longer time to experience more of what Florida has to offer.

For example, we have done a trip where we stayed in the florida Keys, Bradenstoke on the West coast, St Augustine on the East coast and then Orlando (both Universal and Disney). We had a total of 6 hotels that trip and it really wasn't that much of a hassle.

We nearly always do split stays now when we do purely Orlando holidays but that is partly down to necessity (we are DVC members but don't have enough points for a full 2 weeks at Disney) and partly because we like to spend at least 2 or 3 nights at Universal for the convenience of early entry/Express pass.

I think if you are going to spend 3 weeks and want to do some non-park activities, it makes sense to move offsite for that time but, if you are going to visit the parks still, the money you'd save by moving offsite, you'd fork out in parking and fuel.

 

[bex7583]

its u to you but i agree it really isnt that much of a hassle moving

we had a 3 week trip with 5 different stays! 7 night disney 7 night orlando and other parks then 7 nights road trip ( these hotels were not even booked before we left)

 

[Elise79]

I think part of our issue is that we have a few Owners Lockers and that we turn our villa into our home for the time we are there.

I love it though and am quite happy to overnight elsewhere but love coming back home!

 

[pickers1982]

We re doing our first split stay this year (villa and wdw). We re hoping the villa will be relaxing (not going to do many parks when in the villa)

 

[Kath2003]

If I were there for 3 weeks, I would definitely look beyond Orlando.
I would also book the villa in the middle to get the laundry done and reduce packing
Have done split stays before - and will be on our next trip - but don't really see the point if just staying in Orlando (though we have done a night at a Umiversal hotel for the fast passes - didn't bother to check out of our hotel though).

 

[jothp]

We have done split stays before on other holidays and must say that I feel we end up wasting time packing/unpacking/checking in and out etc. Still we are doing a split stay this time as it was quite a bit cheaper to do a few nights at universal at the beginning of our holiday rather that booking OKW right through and then booking a night or two at universal within that.

 

[married2mm]

Last August we had a villa base-

Also incorporated lots of onsite fun.
had stays at okw,aoa,contemporary,movies and hrh.

 

[ROBEAR84]

Wow, thanks all, lots to think about definitely and I greatly appreciate all your points of view.

We aren't planning to do many park days at all during our last week, hence why it makes more economical sense to base ourselves offsite. We would use that time to revisit KSC and Legoland and maybe see a bit more of Florida. We did enjoy the villa last time, just didn't have time to make it worthwhile, only used the pool twice! and driving to the parks each day just seemed like such a chore so staying offsite for the whole time again just doesn't appeal. I suppose splitting the stay gives us the best of both, but perhaps just 2 centre would be better?

The best way I've worked it out so far is to do Universal first and then WDW as then our 14 day passes would overlap into our time at the villa and allow for one last visit to MK a few days before we come home (it wouldn't feel right not to!)

I hadn't thought about doing the villa in the middle. Great idea re: washing! but from experience it takes far longer to pack up from a villa when everythings far more spread out.

Definitely lots to think about... not least whether it's possible to do it next year...

 

[london75]

We finished last year with three nights in Disney's Vero Beach and I can't recommend it enough. We hope to go back for longer some time.