Windsor Hills or Value Resort Onsite?????

[absmom2]

djm99, thank you for that. Even though I do believe we may have to go off-sitre, you put into words some of my worst fears. My kids are early risers and I want to put that to use by beating some of the not so early risers into the parks and then getting out. However, I'm sure the grandparents, who are big breakfast eaters, will want to cook. I just told my dh yesterday that I was afraid a kitchen could comprise my planning but I know this trip is about more than just me. I agree with you and cooking while on vacation. In my opinion, the time it takes to shop for the food, cook it, and then clean up is more time than just going somewhere and letting someone else do it.

As for the car, we will have two regardless so that isn't really an issue. We rented last time and I just can't see going without one. It was soooo nice at the end of a long day to be able to walk a short distance and take off instead of waiting for a bus.

You are in the minority on this post but I really appreciate your insight. It is always great to hear all the different perspectives.

 

[tami82]

Just because you have the kitchen doesnt necessarily mean you have to cook. We stayed in a condo in south carolina for a week and my husband cooked one time that was it. I never cook on vacation. We bought hamburgers and cooked them on the grill outside. For breakfasts the rest of the time i went mainly to McD's for egg mcmuffins (ate breakfast on the beach a few mornings) or went to krispy kremes for a box of donuts. These were two inexpensive ways to eat (i know not very healthy but i only go on a big vacation yearly so eating this way for just a week was ok with me im not a big breakfast eater but can stomach these things). We would then just snack for lunch and go for early dinner around 4:00 before the mad rush. What we did worked out great as far as dinners. We would alternate between getting carryout to bring back to the condo, food delivery, and the next night going out to a restaurant to eat. We got carryout at California Pizza Kitchen, Chic-fil-a, Subway, etc... (all the places I love so it worked out great - saved a bit on the carryout versus the restaurants, all in all dinner was our bigger meal so that was the bulk of the expense every day. You should go to the store at least once to pick up drinks, chips, candy, paper plates, paper cups, plastic utensils, bottled water, gatorade, etc....... We did this on the day we arrived on a Friday and that was it until we left the following Saturday.

 

[Doogan]

Our experience staying off-site was that it's usually faster and easier to get to the parks than using Disney's transportation because we didn't have to wait for buses.

We did minimal cooking on our trip and found it a relief from eating out. I guess we're homebodies, but we get tired of eating out pretty quickly. We just made sure we had a plan for breakfast so we could get out on time. We did things like use pre-cooked bacon/sausage, instant oatmeal, cold cereal, etc. Then we just put the dishes in the dishwasher and took off. All-in-all, I don't think it was any worse than trekking up to the food court and back to our room and then back to the bus stop.

Don't get me wrong, we love staying on-site but they are two totally different experiences. For us, we like the extra space and the savings that staying off-site provides vs. the "experience" of staying on-site.

 

[Cruz91]

Like everyone else has said - it's tough to go wrong at WH. I've stayed in 2 condos previously (one of them I've been to about 3 times), and I'm leaving Tuesday to stay in yet another owner's place. We love being able to spread out. We're 2A and 2 kids, but still do the 3 BR because it's a great price.

 

[momlady]

We just got back from WH with 2 kids (13 and 10) and I can't say enough about it!! I am another who would rather not cook/clean on vacation but honestly, when the kids are excited about heading to the parks I would rather sit them down at the kitchen table and let them help themselves to cereal, fruit, OJ, or toaster waffles while I have my coffee, bagel and pack a snack bag. Mine hate sitting in restaurants waiting for food! It worked beautifully for us, the kids loved the games room and basketball courts, enjoyed the pool well enough and we were extra grateful for the tons of room inside the condo!

 

[DisneyTigers]

We stayed in WH in a 3 bedroom in Jan w/ our 4 kids.
PLENTY of room to spread out!!
Best thing was being able to grab a quick breakfast, brew our own starbucks coffee using the timer on the coffee pot so it was ready when we got up... we were ready so fast in the mornings!!! Took our own small snacks and water bottles into the parks.
AND...
I didn't cook one meal!!!
We ate at the parks for lunch and somewhere on property for dinners... had the same disney dining experience as those on property w/ the SPACE our family needed.
OTOH, if we WERE travelling w/ other people, I think staying onsite would be ideal, esp. w/ the grandparents; then, everyone could come and go as they pleased more easily.

 

[kim52265]

how does one get a place at winsor hills i am new to this

 

[scrapbookmom5174]

I haven't stayed there yet, but have reservations for August. I went to their website, found the unit I wanted, checked the calendar for the appropriate dates, contacted the seller, and then sent them my deposit. It was very, very easy... We got a themed 3br townhome, for only $120 a night.

http://www.windsorhillsrent.com/windsorhills.html

Have fun looking through all of the different units.

Clea

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

I have stayed there 3 times now - last over Christmas for 3 weeks. I think the pool area is ok - it was a bit crowded a few days (as it was quite warm over Christmas) - but nice.

We have stayed in a 3br TH and I love the extra space and laundry facilities - we don't need to pack as much! We had a mid stay clean as well - when they came in and did a full house clean and towel/bed wash.

We had cereals and bagels for breakfast and ordered pizza a couple of times to be delivered. There is a Publix not far away for groceries and they were also building a Target close by. Otherwise, we ate out.

Are you looking for a home with a pool or considering a condo or TH. The WH website lets you do an enquiry and owners with availability will reply with their prices. Units are also listed on VRBO.

 

[lbklyn]

Book directly with the owners. Much cheaper. www.windsorhillsrent or VRBO are good sites to find a condo, townhouse or villa. We had a 5 bedroom house with private pool out back and it was great!!! After looking at other houses that were just as beautiful I think we overpaid. So compare and remember some have taxes included in the price and some don't. Windsor Hills though was fantastic!

 

[bdink921]

My 0.02--
We stayed off site at WH last year for our WDW/US trip. The TH was lovely and we loved the splash pool--it was our saving grace. It was really nice to wake up and have real coffee in my pj's. We cooked a few breakfasts but ate out alot too. Loved the washer and dryer. We did save alot of money. I would love this TH for a beach trip. Unfortunately--for us--it all ended up being the worst vacation I've ever been on--I wanted to go home after 2 days. The problem was my DH--even though a park vacation was his idea. DS and I like to get up early and stay at the parks--take a break whenever and then go back. DH has only so much tolerance for crowds and would want to leave when we would want to stay. We had a rental car so we couldn't split up--so either we were disappointed or he was . I found we spent way too much time in the TH. With onsite he could have taken his grumpy butt on the bus back to the resort (he's really a great guy ). What is all boils down to is your family's preferences when it comes to WDW. For us, on site works because we can split up--it would have made the vacation so much better at WDW and at US too. The money we saved wasn't worth it. Good luck with your choice.

 

[Disney*Dreamer]

We have stayed at both Windsor Hills and Pop. At Windsor there were 5 adults and 5 children(2,5,4,7,9). At Pop it was 2A2C. I can tell you that I much perferred Pop. There was so much fun there for the kids. Yes, the pool at WH is nice, but it is not Disney. Staying onsite has so much magic. To us it just felt more Disney, more like a Disney vacation. Windsor is nice though, so whichever you choose you will be very happy.

 

[suebedo]

I didn't catch when you are going, but they just announced free dining in Spet. That is a HUGE savings for a group of 7. Just keep that in mind.

I would love to stay at WH someday. I'm not against off site at all. But if Disney if offering a great discount like free dining, I think onsite is a better choice.

 

[mareed]

My 0.02--
We stayed off site at WH last year for our WDW/US trip. The TH was lovely and we loved the splash pool--it was our saving grace. It was really nice to wake up and have real coffee in my pj's. We cooked a few breakfasts but ate out alot too. Loved the washer and dryer. We did save alot of money. I would love this TH for a beach trip. Unfortunately--for us--it all ended up being the worst vacation I've ever been on--I wanted to go home after 2 days. The problem was my DH--even though a park vacation was his idea. DS and I like to get up early and stay at the parks--take a break whenever and then go back. DH has only so much tolerance for crowds and would want to leave when we would want to stay. We had a rental car so we couldn't split up--so either we were disappointed or he was . I found we spent way too much time in the TH. With onsite he could have taken his grumpy butt on the bus back to the resort (he's really a great guy ). What is all boils down to is your family's preferences when it comes to WDW. For us, on site works because we can split up--it would have made the vacation so much better at WDW and at US too. The money we saved wasn't worth it. Good luck with your choice.

For others who may have this issue, a fairly inexpensive cab ride for one the groups can easily save the vacation! Earlier this month, we had a situation at WH where part of our group needed to sleep in after getting home at 2:00 a.m. after watching the shuttle launch in Titusville, but I wanted to still be at park opening the next morning. I took our minivan since I was on a set schedule, and the rest of the group followed in a cab to Epcot. The cost was about $24 including tip.

So, I'd say budget $25 per day for a cab if needed for a situation like this and enjoy your WH stay!

 

[Dsnymouse]

I'll throw my two cents in the mix. We did the same on our recent trip to save money. We stayed offsite in a condo rather than staying onsite at a Value. While the offsite option has a plus having a kitchen, we wish now we had stayed onsite. The week we went is was sooo crowded and having stayed at a Disney resort we could have gone back easily and rested and tried again. However being offsite we had to drive back and then lost our steam to jump in the car again. We have always stayed at Value hotel onsite. I also feel with this last trip that some "magic" was lost by not staying onsite. While others may not agree, I will stay onsite next trip. Either way you choose it's Disney and you can't go wrong. With today's economy you have to do what is best for your family. Enjoy your trip!

 

[IDoDis]

I'll chime in since we've done both -- Pop Century and Windsor Hills. If my choice were a value or WH, knowing what I know now, I'd definitely go for WH hands-down. We had a beautiful condo for $85 per night, great pool and club house, room to spread out, and we saved a ton on food.

We ate breakfast at the condo, lunch at the parks and then sometimes ate at an off-site restaurant or in the parks for dinner.

Keep in mind, you never know if someone is going to get sick on the trip. It happened to us when we stayed at WH. DS became sick during the last few days of our trip. When we got back and I took him to the doctor, where he was diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia. It was truly wonderful that he had his own bedroom to sleep in at the condo. I don't know how we'd have managed had we all been in one tiny room at Pop Century (and trust me, the rooms at the values are inky-dinky Motel-6 rooms). One day we didn't even go to the parks because he had no energy. DD and I went to the pool and then DH went with DD to see a movie in the WH clubhouse theater (they are free). We ordered in pizza and played playstation games (that came with the condo) that night while DS rested and slept in his room.

You do have to purchase a clubhouse/pool pass from the WH guest relations for around $8.00. Don't lose it! DD and DS left the pass on their lounge chair and someone took it, so I had to buy another one.

Travel time: It took us 5 minutes to get to the Disney World entrance after pulling out of Windsor Hills, and then another 5 minutes or so to each park. We got there much faster than when we had to wait for and ride the bus from Pop Century.

 

[absmom2]

Thanks everyone! After much deliberation, we just booked WH. We decided that we would probably regret not having the extra space to spread out in. For those that asked, we are going in October so the free dining deal did not apply for us.

Is the $8 resort fee per person?? I hadn't heard about this yet....obviously I still have research to do.

Thanks!

 

[jh123]

Thanks everyone! After much deliberation, we just booked WH. We decided that we would probably regret not having the extra space to spread out in. For those that asked, we are going in October so the free dining deal did not apply for us.

Is the $8 resort fee per person?? I hadn't heard about this yet....obviously I still have research to do.

Thanks!

There's no resort fee. You just have to leave an $8 deposit to get a card that lets you into the pool area. You'll get your $8 back when you return the card.

 

[absmom2]

Thank you. I've done a lot of research on WH but hadn't heard of the fee. I'm still trying to figure it all out.

 

[momlady]

We just got back from WH and you no longer need a card to get into the pool/clubhouse area. We didn't pay anything and the pool gates were never locked. If you borrow any sports equipment like basketballs, tennis raquets or billiard cues/balls you have to leave a deposit, though.