Vacation Home vs. Disney Resort

[golfgirl3613]

I've booked my airfare and my rental car, not I'm trying to decide between POR, or a vacation home, which we have never tried before. Having a hard time with my DH, trying to convince him to stay on site again! Guess he's not feel the Disney magic! Can any one help refer me to a decent vacation home property. I've been on cyberrentals and found a few possibilities. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

 

[bvc314]

We recently stayed here www.romancingthemouse.com, in the 4BR Windsor Hills pool home and it was wonderful. The house is lovely, even better than the pictures and the couple who own the home were fantastic! They own 4 rental homes, 2 in WH and 2in Windsor Palms. I researched ALOT before choosing this home and I don't think I could have made a better choice!!
Mark and Holly are wonderful and so are their homes. We love having the extra space and privacy that a home provides.
Good luck in your search. PM me if you have any questions.
Betty

 

[crjack]

How many people are going or what size home do you need? There are lots of wonderful homes to choose from in every size. The closer you are to the parks the higher the price, typically, but honestly you'll still probably get a 4-brdm/ 3bath house for the same nightly rate as POR and you can be right outside the AKL entrance.

Most resorts also offer condos and townhouses ranging from 2-4 bdrms as well as another alternative to a pool home.

 

[Brian Noble]

Advantages: much more space for the money. A pool just outside the door, rather than a 5-10 minute walk away. A hot tub you don't have to share with strangers. A full kitchen and your own washer/dryer.

Disadvantages: no maid service, concierge, or room service. Usually no restaurant/food court within easy walking distance. You have to be willing to drive yourself. None of the various on-site perks (EMH, package delivery, etc.) Not as immersive as an on-site stay.

We find that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages by a fair margin, but my wife's family has been renting private vacation homes in the outer banks for years now, so it wasn't a foreign concept for us.

 

[djm99]

My DH is the same - he is not crazy about Disney - and after 6 Disney Trips (both WDW and DL) in a row - this year was like pulling teeth to get him to go. He's only going because his brother's family decided to go. We've only stayed on site twice he didn't like the hotels, hated the Disney transportation, and complained about how little space we had. He would only be willing to onsite in a suite. When I showed him the price - he just looked at me. During our last WDW trip we rented a house. He loved the house and the wonderful things it had to offer. This trip convincing him to stay onsite was not going to happen so I found a wonderfully inexpensive townhouse.

Below is the property my family and I will rent this month. Its a 4 bedroom 3.5 bath townhouse in Emerald Island. Its a really nice rental community off of Formosa Gardens Blvd. Its really close to Disney (if traffic was clear - it will take like 5 or 6 minutes). It's maybe 1 or 2 miles off the Highway and Disney is the very next exit. Right Now the owner is running a wonderful $99 a night special - which is perfectly priced. I could type all the details but I'll let your read for yourself HERE

 

[PattiPB]

We've done both. Actually, next month we're doing both again---some off-site and some on-site (at UO and WDW!)

If Disney isn't your DH's fave place, please him with staying off-site! He agreed to go, and if this is his one request, I'd keep peace, personally!!! You're renting a car, anyway, so ME and transport to the parks isn't an issue. The biggest loss will be EMH.

 

[Brian Noble]

And, if you really want to attend an EMH or two, there's nothing that prevents you from booking a campsite for a day...

 

[ClanHarrison]

Here are the links to the sites I have in my Orlando Info. These have been shared here at Dis. often with great recommendations:

http://www.orlandovillas.com/

http://www.disneypremiervillas.com/

http://www.floridapremiumvillas.com/

http://www.vacationhomes.com/

http://www.vacationrentals.com/

The one in my signature is where we stayed last year. VERY pricey (and worth every penny ), and the Mgmt. Co. was excellent to work with (no extra deposits required, only to hold the home) and the home was AAA+ high quality. We felt like Royalty!

 

[golfgirl3613]

Thank you everyone for responding. I am unable to respond to the Private Messages because I do not have enough URL's yet. Sorry for the inconvenience. I am very interested in the Villa/Home rental now, you have convinced me, and hopefully it will make my DH a much happier Disney visitor this trip!

 

[isla bonita]

I have to say that if all it will take to get your DH to florida is staying off site getr him what ever he wants in a home and you are on your way to a fun filled holiday and who knows it might be a really great experience even for yourself. There are great places to stay and let him help in the choosing or just ask what his priorities are? You will find a home that he will love and you can live with cuz guess what? Your going to Disney. LOL

 

[golfgirl3613]

Well, in my DH's defense we have been there 6 times and we have always stayed on site at least 2 nights, but... He does like to vacation solo, to to Daytona for Bike Week, etc, so I think another Disney Vacation wouldn't kill him. He hates crowds, (unless they are biker crowds!)