To Villa or not to Villa

[KFriedhoff]

I'm racking my brains here. I will be going to Orlando mid November for a conference so my wife and I have decided that this will be our family vacation. So.....I have found on expedia that I can get my airfare for five (Me, wife, and three kids), lodging at Fantasy World Club Villas and a rental car for November 7-19 for $2300. I was also looking at Magical Memories and that cost would be $2230. I've read the reviews and tend to be leaning towards the Fantasy World. Any thoughts on the two would be greatly appreciated. This will be our first time and I want to make sure I don't screw it up. Conference is the 14-17 so we have plenty of time. I was planning on 5 days at Disney. Thanks.

 

[Brian Noble]

I'm interested in hearing about both of these properties as well.

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

It gets VERY mixed reviews on tripadvisor.com..............not that I totally count on that site.

My friends own there. When they were there staying for the timeshare shpiel?, they stayed in the newer part. They were due to go back but had only bought enough points or something to be in the old section. Well, because of a mistake made by the timeshare lady, (she basically lied to my friends about a place they could trade to in Ireland, so my friends had to cancel a trip to Ireland that they had been planning for 5 years, but don't even get me started) they were given the new section again. They said it was fine. I don't think they were interested in staying in the older section though.

I don't think it is a "bad" place, but so many other better places are out there. I know I see it on Skyauction all of the time. I think you would probably be happier at a place like Cypress Pointe Grand Villas or Vistana or Silver Lake Resort, etc.

do you know how much you would be paying for just the condo?? I don't think I would pay more than $70 a night.

Maybe I'm wrong................I just think you could do better, but I've never stayed there.

Sorry, I've never heard anything on the other place.

 

[KFriedhoff]

I not really sure about the villa cost. When I price airfare from Cedar Rapids to Orlando on Expedia the cost is $1700 for air alone. That leaves a difference of about $600 for the 14 days of villa and car rental.

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

$1700!!!!! Wow!! But we don't fly, we drive, so maybe that is a good price.

Maybe you should ask on this thread(it's on the budget board) to see if that is in the right ballpark.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=811726

If that is as good as it gets for the air tickets, and the remainder is for 14 nights of lodging and a rental car, that sounds like a good deal. I've always been told that booking everything separate is usually better, but maybe not in this case.

 

[hercamore]

That sounds pretty cheap.

Are your sure you are getting a 2 br villa, which you would need iwth 5 people.

herc.

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

I think FW only has two bedrooms...............no one bedrooms or three bedrooms...........at least I think.

 

[Brian Noble]

If you are looking at the right property, and flying either american or (sometimes) spirit, expedia is presently discounting both the lodging and the airfare. You can get some pretty astounding deals this way.

For example, I have a quote for a one-week stay at Caribe Royale, four round trip saturday-to-saturday tickets on AA in late Feb from Toledo to MCO (a pretty busy time for Florida trips) that prices out at under $1700. The mousesavers rate (about the best you can do) for Caribe is $165/night, and the cheapest flight on those days from/to TOL is $272. If you add that all up (plus 11.5% room tax), the expedia package is about $675 under what you could do putting it together yourself.

If we knew for sure what our school vacation dates were in Feb 06 (teacher contract not finalized yet) I'd book that in a heartbeat.

 

[tednvon]

Hi...sounds like a great time...Her is a little quick math from grandpa Ted who has taken kids and grandkids to Disney 30 plus times in the last 30 years...

Airfare for 5 at $250 RT...$1200...should not be hard to do in November...with a little luck $215.00
Two weeks in a 3-4 bedroom 3 bath home or condo...low season...within 10 minutes of Disney....$1100.00 (Lots more room and bathrooms galore) and even your own pool...this could be $100 less with a little shopping around. Yes you can find them this inexpensive!

Rental Car ( at the airport)...two week midsize...$220

So for about $2550 or less you get lots more room, your choice of airlines and seats and a rental at the airport for less. My concerns with this trip...

1. Small condo/ 2 bed 2 bath cramped, older section and far from the pool

2. Car Rental at off site rental agency...wastes 2 hours getting to and from.

3. Airfares that time of year to Orlando are pretty good if you shop ahead and you can get the flights and times you want...


just a thought...Remember a package deal always puts money in someone elses pockets!!!

Ted

PS..I am from Iowa City, fares in CR will go down a bit, but we always fly out of Moline for at least 30-40 less...

 

[KFriedhoff]

Thanks Grandpa Ted - I wasn't reading your post right to begin with. Thanks for the info. Youthink now is too early to be buying the package stuff?

 

[tednvon]

OOPs see my last post...I did figure two weeks...I know several nice condo that would be available with 3 beds/3 baths for about 85-100 for your 11 nights...This is a low season at Disney if you avoid Thanksgiving, so rates are down and owners want to rent...check out www.villas2000.com and look just at the condos in the Disney area...also www.vrbo.com has hundreds of homes and condos...Small world. I just had lunch with a woman here at UIHC who is headed for Disney in August...we spent lunch just going over all her options and choices...

Since we are neighbors, feel free to call Von or I at 351 4801 if you want to talk about any of these questions...Ted

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

No, I believe that WAS for two weeks.

 

[Brian Noble]

Ted's right: you do have to take season into account. I figure my low-end costs for our week-long February trip are $850 for RT flights and $650 for a pool home (with heated pool) about 20 minutes from a parked car in the TTC lot at $1500. But, as I've been wanting to try the Caribe, and it's less than 10 minutes to the TTC, I'm still interested.

 

[KFriedhoff]

THANKS TED! - Wow I'm finding homes for 70-90 bucks a night.

 

[tednvon]

It is really fun...doing your own shopping and planning...Good Luck...Ted

 

[tednvon]

Hi, one final thought. If you would like to ask us about the location of the homes let us know. We are pretty familiar with all of them and would be happy to let you know location, distance to Disney, amenities, restauants in the area and so on...

basic Rule...newest closest homes are in Formosa Gardens/Old Lake Wilson Rd. area off hwy 192.

Other homes are farther out on 192 and homes on Hwy 27 are the farthest out...figure 20 minutes to Disney from most hwy 27 homes...

Ted

 

[KFriedhoff]

Thanks again ted. One thought - How will traffic be on International Drive during the weekday. A couple of the places I have inquired into say the drive is about 25 minutes to Wyndham Orlando (where my conference is). I don't mind leaving early to be there by 8 am but was just wondering about the traffic in general.

 

[tednvon]

Hi..there are really no rental homes anywhere near the I-drive area, so the people were honest in telling you at least 20 minutes...It is still well worth the drive to have a really neat home.

To get to I-drive from most any of the rental homes west and south of Disney you will get on I-4 East (Orlando, NOT Tampa on the signs) and go about 5-8 miles on I-4 and exit onto International Drive. International Drive can be very busy and there are several exits, so you want to get the directions from Wyndam as to which I-Drive exit to take off I-4...It is a very simple and easy drive that can get congested with traffic once in a while. If you plan to be at the hotel by 8 AM you will miss most all the Disney traffic by leaving your home at 7:15 or so.

Should work out well for you.

Just out of curiosity, what professional convention are you attending.

And....for a great meal at a great price, don't miss Boma's at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.



Ted

 

[KFriedhoff]

I will be attending the International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection. It is for the Museum of Art.