I love Windsor Hills!!!!
The resort is gorgeous. Large pool with slide, game room, etc.
We always rent from the same folks - Storytime Orlando. The rates are great! We've stayed with them before so they discounted the normal $105 per night rate to somewhere in the $90-range for our upcoming May stay. If you stay for at least 7 nights, they throw in the cleaning fee for free (fewer than 7 nights and it's $80). If you go off-season you can have the small splash pool on the screen-in patio heated for around $10 a day. If you don't use it (say it's really warm that week) you're refunded the pool heat deposit.
We have a 3 bedroom townhouse with a full kitchen and the Disney decorated room upstairs is just beautiful!
Here's a website for Storytime Orlando:
http://storytimeorlandorental.com/
Btw...it's been an interesting morning in our house today! My oldest was all excited about staying on-site next August (we've never done that before) and going with the Finding Nemo suite at the AOA resort. Today, she came to me and pointed out that, for less money, we could stay at Windsor Hills again and take our 13 year old son's best friend. They've known each other since they were 6 years old and his family doesn't have a lot of money and could never afford to take him to Disney...so she now wants to stay off-site at Windsor Hills again and take him with us.
So our location may change to Windsor Hills for the 3rd year in a row -- we'll see!
Yum! I would save desserts for maybe one meal a day. That could help?
I also think CRT would be fun with boys - the princesses would love them!
My food plans... (these days are not in order - waiting for crowd calendars/hours/etc!)
Arrival: Dinner at DTD's T-Rex Cafe
MK #1: Breakfast at Crystal Palace (8:05), Later lunch at Be Our Guest, dinner at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe
AK: Cereal at hotel, Lunch at Flame Tree BBQ, Dinner at Sanaa (Kidani Village)
Epcot #1 (Future World Day): Cereal at hotel, Lunch at Sunshine Seasons, Dinner at Via Napoli
MK #2: Cereal at hotel, Lunch at Columbia Harbour House, Dinner at Be Our Guest
DHS: Cereal at hotel, Lunch at Sci-Fi Drive-In Theater, Dinner at CS near Fantasmic!
Epcot #2 (World Showcase Day): No breakfast/sleep in, Lunch at Les Chefs de France, Dinner at Lotus Blossom Cafe (subject to change)
Departure: Breakfast at Cape May Cafe
Eight ADRs, seven CSs, and four "cheap" breakfasts!
Any suggestions? Would hiking to Via Napoli on Future World day be a bad idea if we don't want to yet explore the WS?
We are officially going Feb22-Mar8 ...sooooo excited. . We will be celebrating our kids 5th birthday there
We are officially going Feb22-Mar8 ...sooooo excited. . We will be celebrating our kids 5th birthday there
to the group! Glad you decided to join us! Any idea where you'll be staying?
hsmamainva said:Have you seen this?
http:/www.seeyareelsoon.wix.com/seeyareelsoon
I found it on the disboards restaurant section under "dining plan"
It's a free spreadsheet. You put in how many people are going, how many nights you're staying, and the restaurants you plan to eat at.
It then calculates the cost of all the dining plans...and what's covered and what's not...or how much you'd spend out of pocket with no dining plan at all.
I put mine in for our May 2014 trip and it's cheaper for us to pay out of pocket than to get a dining plan. That surprised me because I had 3 character meals! Thought for sure we'd end up saving money with the DP. I stand corrected.
It's a really cool spreadsheet!
hsmamainva said:Have you seen this?
http:/www.seeyareelsoon.wix.com/seeyareelsoon
I found it on the disboards restaurant section under "dining plan"
It's a free spreadsheet. You put in how many people are going, how many nights you're staying, and the restaurants you plan to eat at.
It then calculates the cost of all the dining plans...and what's covered and what's not...or how much you'd spend out of pocket with no dining plan at all.
I put mine in for our May 2014 trip and it's cheaper for us to pay out of pocket than to get a dining plan. That surprised me because I had 3 character meals! Thought for sure we'd end up saving money with the DP. I stand corrected.
It's a really cool spreadsheet!
Have you seen this?
http:/www.seeyareelsoon.wix.com/seeyareelsoon
I found it on the disboards restaurant section under "dining plan"
It's a free spreadsheet. You put in how many people are going, how many nights you're staying, and the restaurants you plan to eat at.
It then calculates the cost of all the dining plans...and what's covered and what's not...or how much you'd spend out of pocket with no dining plan at all.
I put mine in for our May 2014 trip and it's cheaper for us to pay out of pocket than to get a dining plan. That surprised me because I had 3 character meals! Thought for sure we'd end up saving money with the DP. I stand corrected.
It's a really cool spreadsheet!
for the link and information - I added it to Post #2! There is also another link there from our very own Cafeen for his spreadsheet system: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2957235
Think I caught up now!Congrats!!!!! How incredibly cool! We looked into go this year for a quick trip, but it just wasn't in the budget...Branson here we come!Check out my new ticker!
Just wanted to let everyone know I've been busily working on the informational post at the beginning of this thread. I added a bunch of stuff yesterday and this morning, so if you haven't checked it in a while, you might want to.
Mousellaneous Information
As always, if you can think of other information that would be useful, please don't hesitate to let me know.
Have you seen this?
http:/www.seeyareelsoon.wix.com/seeyareelsoon
I found it on the disboards restaurant section under "dining plan"
It's a free spreadsheet. You put in how many people are going, how many nights you're staying, and the restaurants you plan to eat at.
It then calculates the cost of all the dining plans...and what's covered and what's not...or how much you'd spend out of pocket with no dining plan at all.
I put mine in for our May 2014 trip and it's cheaper for us to pay out of pocket than to get a dining plan. That surprised me because I had 3 character meals! Thought for sure we'd end up saving money with the DP. I stand corrected.
It's a really cool spreadsheet!
I'll get you added to the list. Feel free to jump on in to the conversation!
Wow, I haven't checked the thread in a couple days, and it took off!!
Congrats!!!!! How incredibly cool! We looked into go this year for a quick trip, but it just wasn't in the budget...Branson here we come!
<snip>
We are busy planning a trip to Branson for this summer. We haven't been in years, and never with the kids. Closer to home and a little cheaper for us. We looked into WDW, but it was just too pricey. We are trying to really do our trip in Oct 2014 up as good as we can since it is a graduation present for DH (he is currently in year 2 of veterinary school!), so we decided to wait and save a bit so it can be even better then!
BTW, I love to see what everyone is planning. We want to do 2 character meals while we are there. CP is a must for me first thing one day...I want those nearly empty main street pictures!! We have done CM and Tusker House. Any recommendations?? Thanks!
Thanks!! super excited to be here!!
We are strongly leaning towards Windsor Hills
I'll write you in for WH on the list for now - if it changes just let me know!
Sadly, the spreadsheet didn't work for me. There was no drop down for the dinner menu.
