Pop versus Off-Site

[Seacarol3]

We are going to be at WDW next June. If the price increase is alot for the value resorts, we're thinking about staying off-site. Any suggestions about hotels, motels, renting a home close to WDW that are very nice? Also, has anyone had any trouble with staying off-site? Any hotels, motels, or homes that we should stay away from?

 

[CoralCayTownhome]

Hi

There are plenty of very good home rental resorts within a max of 15 mins from Disney. Try www.vrbo.com and search under Kissimmee.

There is another thread which discusses rental homes - http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1483044 and there are quite a few DISers with homes that will be able to answer any questions or queries you may have.

The rooms at the Value resorts are really quite small for a family and you will be sure to get a lot more value for money off-site - you just have to weigh up whether you want to have Disney 24/7 or not

Good luck with your decision

 

[wayneg]

For every one that says stay offsite another will say stay onsite.
We have done ASM once and thought Basic, overpriced, way too small, Hated Disney buses (It was Xmas and packed solid), food court not our sort of thing. Absolutley no reason for us to stay at a value resort again.
We like the Courtyard By Marriott 2 mins from Downtown Disney, very comfy beds, good sized rooms, free wireless internet. $50/night incl tax, one third the price we paid for ASM.
We love Disney and Disney Cruise line but Value resorts are not for us.

 

[nala-h]

try windsorhillsrent.com only 2 miles from disney.

 

[Gillian]

Can I tell you that it's almost killing me to be planning a stay at POP for December? If it weren't for the dining plan (which I believe will not be a good value for our family after 2007), and wanting to try a value resort, we'd be staying offsite. And also we're at the age where our small family sometimes splits up and we want onsite transportation. When our youngest is a little older, this won't happen as much.

A townhome or pool home is so much more spacious and makes for a very relaxing vacation. I think having a full kitchen is great, especially for breakfast.

Anyway, Windsor Hills seems to be the hot place to rent these days, and I'm sure it's for a good reason. We've stayed in Windsor Palms 2 times and enjoyed it very much. The area is very convenient for driving to the parks.

I think that a condo or townhome is your best deal. I wouldn't go with a regular hotel offsite if you can afford a condo or townhouse.

 

[GrumpyFamilyof5]

Will let you know in a few weeks, we're staying at the Best Western Lakeside. I'll be honest and say I'm a little picky, so I will give you my honest opinion when we stay!

 

[4eyedbuzzard]

My recent review of a Windsor Hill's villa http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1487625

There is no way at roughly the same price that TWO WDW value rooms, family suite, or a FW cabin can compare to a villa with private pool at a close in resort like Windsor Hills, Windsor Palms, Emerald Isle, etc.

 

[ncbyrne]

I stayed at Windsor once, but the great price did not include maid service or any type of housekeeping. I was on vacation and hated having to make the bed, clean the bathroom, and take out garbage. (I never used the kitchen, hey, I was on vacation!) If I ever stay offsite again, I will definitely choose a hotel with the amenities I prefer.

 

[4eyedbuzzard]

I stayed at Windsor once, but the great price did not include maid service or any type of housekeeping. I was on vacation and hated having to make the bed, clean the bathroom, and take out garbage. (I never used the kitchen, hey, I was on vacation!) If I ever stay offsite again, I will definitely choose a hotel with the amenities I prefer.

Hmm, we recently stayed in a villa for a week. Let's see, we did a load of pool towels every evening, that took a good five minutes between loading towels, adding detergent, transferring to dryer, and folding when done. We put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher each night and ran it, and then put the clean dishes back in the cupboard in the morning. I think it took a minute or so each morning to tuck in the sheets and bedcovers(when we were so inclined). And we did have to deposit a garbage bag once each evening in the bench outside our door. Then again, we cleaned up as we went, but I do that in a normal hotel room anyway. I'll rinse the sink after shaving and wipe the counter if it's dirty.

Other than the above 10 minutes of work per day divided between our party of 5 people I don't remember getting anything including the bathrooms dirty enough in a weeks time to actually have to thoroughly clean anything. Yeah, the place needed a vacuuming and cleaning just around the time we checked out, but if I were staying longer I would request a weekly cleaning as part of the rental fee. Most bookings are for one week and the owners budget the weekly cleaning cost as part of the rental anyway.

To me the < 5minutes per day "inconvenience" of not having daily maid service is minor compared to having comfortable furniture, kitchen and dining area, private pool, en-suite bathrooms, etc.

As the thread was originally entitled POP vs off-site, even comparing apples to apples(POP vs off-site hotels) I can only pity and question the taste of anyone who would consider POP nicer than the off-site accomodations available at the same price. To me, WDW value resort rooms are basically on-site Motel 8's with overpriced Pixie dust trim.

 

[Seacarol3]

4eyed buzzard,

When you stayed at the villa, how was the driving back and forth to WDW? Which villa did you stay at?

 

[wayneg]

I stayed at Windsor once, but the great price did not include maid service or any type of housekeeping. I was on vacation and hated having to make the bed, clean the bathroom, and take out garbage. (I never used the kitchen, hey, I was on vacation!) If I ever stay offsite again, I will definitely choose a hotel with the amenities I prefer.

I am with you on this one, Even 5 minutes a day of anything related to housework is not a vacation to me. Love offsite but a hotel not a villa/condo. We are considering Villa/condo for next Easter as we need 2 rooms, just hoping I find hotel at a really good rate.

 

[FayeW]

I actually prefer the offsite condos and villas partly because there isn't any maid service! I really like knowing that unless there is some sort of emergency in our unit, nobody is going to be in our room when we aren't! I love being able to have breakfast without traipsing off to a food court or restaurant, and being able to throw in a couple of loads of laundry and come home with clean clothes is a big deal for me. Imagining airport security having to go through our dirty knickers would bother me.

Being on vacation at somewhere like WDW is tiring business. I would rather not have to get home and have to rush right into emptying suitcases and doing laundry.

 

[CoralCayTownhome]

Faye - I'm with you on this one

I love to get most of the laundry done before I leave - especially if we are travelling during our winter when the 'Florida' clothes will just be put away for a few months on our return

 

[Christine]

I stayed in a townhome and never made my bed nor did I clean the bathroom.

Alternatively, in a hotel room, I always "straighten" the bed before I leave and pick up the clothes off the floor--basically I declutter--before Housekeeping comes so that they can actually move around the room. With two adults and two teens in one room we get very cramped!

 

[4eyedbuzzard]

4eyed buzzard,

When you stayed at the villa, how was the driving back and forth to WDW? Which villa did you stay at?

Here's my villa review http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1487625

Literally 5 to 6 minutes to AK, and perhaps 11 or 12 to MK(the furthest). We used the Sherberth Rd to Osceola Pky "shortcut" most of the time, especially to AK and when returning.

 

[spiceycat]

if you stay offsite - you need a car.

now some people say you can do it without a car - but then they come back and complaint about the bus service.

do yourself a favor - it you plan on offsite just get a car.

I drive from Al mostly - so this is not a problem for me.

other than needing a car - no EMH, no DME - so if you can live with them and WDW transportation - then offsite.

you get more room, you don't have to eat at Disney - offsite has better and cheaper restuarants (mostly).

 

[Seacarol3]

Pat,

We'll be driving from Cincinnati. How is the traffic if you stay off site?

Carolyn

 

[4eyedbuzzard]

if you stay offsite - you need a car.

now some people say you can do it without a car - but then they come back and complaint about the bus service.

do yourself a favor - it you plan on offsite just get a car.

I drive from Al mostly - so this is not a problem for me.

other than needing a car - no EMH, no DME - so if you can live with them and WDW transportation - then offsite.

you get more room, you don't have to eat at Disney - offsite has better and cheaper restuarants (mostly).

You also have to factor in paying for parking at MK, EP, DS, and AK, if not staying on-site. But even on-site a car is often quicker and more convenient(even on-site guests complain about Disney buses) to and from parks without even considering getting to/from off-site reataurants, shopping, etc. While minivans tend to be pricey, if you don't need one I really think a small car at pays for itself in food and restaurant savings. If you really want EMH's that badly rent a FW campsite and write it off as a "cost of doing business" so to speak. You'll get free parking, EMH's, and a few other extras. You'll still come out ahead on the cost of lodging especially if you're looking at anything above "value resort" rooms.

 

[gasperdam]

I have to say, my family loved POP last August. The kids constantly talk about it! We did go during free
dining though, so it was a GREAT deal.

Having said that, we are going to stay in a villa next week offsite
at Reunion resort. There are 9 of us going and it was a much better
deal. Also, ahving 3 small connecting rooms just seemed more complicated
than the villa for us. And from what I've seen online it seems like a nice
place.

 

[rosiep]

I like staying onsite but here's the rub...a vacation for me HAS to include room service. I love coming back to a room late at night and slipping into my pj's to eat dinner or have breakfast delivered in the morning. Unfortunately, not only don't the value resorts, but except for pizza, the moderate Disney resorts do not offer this. So, I use the DTD hotels. Two years ago we stayed at the Grovsner at it was very nice ( tower room)...though I understand it has become quite run down. This year we'll be at the Royal Plaza and I'm really looking forward to it. The busses run more regularly than off-site (but not as often as Disney)...and since I don't like to drive, busses are a must.
So, that's my take of it all.