Stay at Pop? or switch to a vacation home?

[kitten818]

OK, I don't usually post - I just lurk around... but I've just discovered the idea of staying in a rented home, like a 5-6 bedroom home at Windsor Hills.

I (along with 3 other adults) am taking a girl scout troop of eight 14-year-old girls to WDW for a total of 13 days and I booked 4 rooms at Pop for the 12 nights. I did the whole package deal with AAA, including the dining plan.

Now, I learned about these villas and am thinking that might be a better way to go. It looks like there are places where I could save about $100 (or more) per person just in hotel accommodations (and that includes getting two rental cars and paying for parking).

What do you all think? Which do you think the young teenage girls would like better? Will we lose the magic by staying off site? I, personally, have only stayed on-site so I don't have anything to compare to.

Please help! Thanks in advance!!

 

[EnnEss]

That many people, and if its still cheaper with a car, you could save even more via cooking dinners if you wanted to. I'd rent the house, I always wish we had more people to go with so this was viable for us. I love staying onsite, but if you're with a group there is a lot of money to be saved.

 

[Sinderelli]

I think staying on site is worth the extra $. You will have more to keep them entertained at POP during down time- like the arcade, food court, hanging around the pool, etc. You could all technically be in the same area, but they may want to branch off into different sections.

 

[PiperGirlInWondrland]

We've done both and personally I'd stay at POP. The convenience of being on site, using the bus transportation, etc is worth it to me

 

[I'mNoPrince]

I have stayed offsight many time with that many people ( Playing Paintball at WWoS) and it's a nightmare getting everyone into the cars to get to the parks.

I would stick with POP.

 

[alldiz]

I too would stick with pop....

the house will be boring....at pop they could just walk around and
soak up the disney magic

Also easier to tell a bunch of teens to meet you at the pop bus as opposed
to the car.
Kerri

 

[Friendly Frog]

I enjoy both on site and staying at homes or condos, but with the teens, I would recommend staying with Pop. Like the others have said, just so much more to to keep the kids occupied.

 

[pedrobogus]

I recently stayed off site at the Emerald Isle Resort (about 10 minutes from any parks) with my wife's family - there was 19 of us. It was nice and relaxing but I really missed the Disney magic of staying on site. The themed pools, the cool decor, the arcade and service of Disney staff make it all worth staying on site.

 

[kitten818]

Thank you for all of your help! I'm going to discuss it further with the girls and bring up your ideas to them.

If we decided to go with a villa, we'd stick to eating at restaurants for the most parts, with just snacks and simple breakfasts at the house. So, we'd pretty much stick to the restaurants we already picked out on the dining plan.

The good thing is - there is still plenty of time - and either way we choose, I'm certain they will have a great time.

I think the cost difference is the biggest reason to go with the villa for me... Staying at Pop means selling about 3,000 more boxes of cookies!

 

[Friendly Frog]

I probably should have read your post better the first time. ( I am a bit under the weather) but if your savings is 800.00 even after a rental car and parking, that IS a LOT of money. They will have a good time either way you go and you can always bring games with you for the evenings.

One thing not mentioned before. If one of the kids should feel ill and need to stay in the room one day,...if you are on site it would make it easier for the adults to switch out room sitting duties if you are on the Disney bus service.

I am not sure that is worth 800.00 though!

 

[CanadianGuy]

Remember - if you stay offsite, you can't enjoy the dining plan.

And it's so much easier when the food court is a 3 to 5 minute walk away.. the kids can go grab a bite quickly without piling everyone into the vans.

Knox

 

[Princess_Belle]

OK, I don't usually post - I just lurk around... but I've just discovered the idea of staying in a rented home, like a 5-6 bedroom home at Windsor Hills.

I (along with 3 other adults) am taking a girl scout troop of eight 14-year-old girls to WDW for a total of 13 days and I booked 4 rooms at Pop for the 12 nights. I did the whole package deal with AAA, including the dining plan.

Now, I learned about these villas and am thinking that might be a better way to go. It looks like there are places where I could save about $100 (or more) per person just in hotel accommodations (and that includes getting two rental cars and paying for parking).

What do you all think? Which do you think the young teenage girls would like better? Will we lose the magic by staying off site? I, personally, have only stayed on-site so I don't have anything to compare to.

Please help! Thanks in advance!!

I would keep my on site reservations. Because if you still keep all your ADR's with 11 people the money you saved by staying off site will probably get used for food. So I would stay with POP.

 

[Atotty]

As a family we've stayed at POP and at Windsor Hills. In fact we did both last trip and we're doing it again this trip. POP with me and my dds and then when dh comes move to the house.

If it was just your family, I'd say stay at WH. It is a wonderful retreat and really great for families to be able to spread out.

But as a GS leader, if I was taking one of my troops, we'd def stay onsite. The logistics are easier if a girl suddenly gets sick and needs to go back to the hotel with an adult, they just hop on a bus. No worries of having to arrange for transportation for the rest of the girls. If one group is running late, the rest can go ahead and the late group can meet up later. With that many girls it's going to be hard for them to all to be ready at the exact same time and want to be doing the exact same things for that many days. Staying onsite, the bus system will give you and the chaperones more flexibility and savle a lot of quarelling among the girls.

Plus there are lifeguards at the pool at POP and there won't be at the house so *officially* unless one of your chaperones is a lifeguard, your troop can't use the pool at the house due to Safetywise policy.

Hey, BTW, did you check out the special youth plans? There used to be a program for GS at Disney. They got meal vouchers, room discounts, etc. just like they were part of Pop Warner or Cheerleading competition, etc. so it would make it easier to budget for everything and you can make sure the girls are using their money for food (cause they have a voucher) and not skipping meals and spending it on souveniers (seen a lot of kids do this if they have cash on group trips).


JMHO,