Resort or house rental

[Poptakesthefamily]

We are going to Disneyworld in May but can't decide on whether to stay in one of the resorts or rent a house. There will be six of us - 2 adults, 4 kids, 18, 13, 12, and 12.

MUCH cheaper to rent a house, but what are the tradeoffs? We are driving if that makes a difference.

 

[disneydiz]

Probably almost all of the people on these boards would agree that it is better to stay at one of the resorts. You can take advantage of extra morning hour (parks open early for on-site guests) and extra evening hours (parks stay open 3-hours for on-site guests). The resorts are top-notch! Keep watching this board to see if discount codes comes out soon for May. There really is no comparison between off/on site. You will also be paying $8 day to park your car. Stay on site and use the transportation provided. Your kids would also love going to Disney Quest.

 

[dgaston]

We rented a house in Windsor Palms for Christmas 2003. My brother and his family joined four of us, and the house was fantastic. It was only 15 minutes from MK turnstiles to the driveway, and we were able to relax in our own pool. We saved a lot of money by cooking some meals.

 

[MNSusan]

I posted a reply on the Tips Board, where I also saw this question. We're trying to make the same decision, and I'm thinking we may opt for offsite house rental next time. As much as I love staying onsite, there are ways to keep the magic going while not blowing the budget.

 

[Minky]

I personally vote for the house, dont get me wrong i LOVE the resorts, before staying on site, we only rented houses, now I am doing my "tour of the world" and trying all the different resorts, only a few left and then I will go back to renting a home. It is so wonderful, everyone I stayed at was GORGEOUS and much cheaper...would compare to Value rates. And at the end of the day you are in a home, relaxing in your own private pool and jacuzzi, you each have a room, so you can have some breathing space, theres 2 or 3 bathrooms, you can whip up whatever you want whenever you want in the kitchen....we have stayed in about 7 or 8 homes and each one was so beautiful and well appointed, I hated to leave!! Just my 2 cents, whatever you decide you will have a great time!!

 

[ducklite]

I vote for the resort. Do you really think with your kids being those ages that you are all going to want to stay together and do everything together as a group during the entire stay?

My guess is that your younger kids might want to swim as much as go to the parks. You're older child might want to spend time at Pleasure Island or DisneyQuest, and not keep to everyone else's schedule all the time. You and your wife might want a nice dinner out alone. If you stay on property this can all be easily accomplished without much ado. If you stay off site you've got one car and lots of people wanting to go in different directions, causing disappointment and frustration.

If it were me I'd look at renting DVC points for a 2BR villa. You could have breakfasts and possibly some lunches in the villa, which with your gang would likely save quite a bit of cash.

Anne

 

[DemoBri1]

The previous poster raises some good points. Where the varying ages of your kids, you probably will be faced with the dilemma of who want to go where and when. Although, DW has family friends that swear by renting the homes. In fact, this last trip my In-Laws went to visit them in their rented home as it turned out they were down there at the same time. My In-Laws came back raving about how nice the house was with the pool and private back yard.

It's a tough choice, but I still enjoy the hustle and bustle of the resorts.

Have fun.

 

[Disneycrazymom]

I was all ready to go off site for the first time this year and Disney announced the 3 extra hours at night. That changed my mind. I love being in the parks at night. It is cooler and they are so pretty. I also will have a DS 12 and DN17 with me. I will allow them to stay together at a park and ride the bus back to the hotel if we need to leave with our 5 year old. We choose 2 rooms at Pop, not my first choice for luxury but we got the advantages of being on site so it will be great! You might consider the cabins at Ft. Wilderness. They sleep 6 have a kitchen and with a code can be pretty reansonable. (about $165) Good luck with your choice!

 

[micmacmissy]

I think with kids as old as yours, you can totally stay offsite. With younger kids, it's nice to be close so you can get them back for naps, early evenings, etc. But your kids are old enough to spend all day (and late nights) and not mind the ride back to the house. And with the money you save, you can spend more days there.

I love the resorts, but this is one of those situations where a rental house makes a lot more sense. HAve a great trip!