2 adults and 3 children are going to Florida next June. We are going for 2 weeks. Should we book a villa or go with a hotel? We have been to Disneyland Paris and stayed at a Disney hotel which was very beneficial because of the magic hours. We are also on a budget, so money is important and so is comfort. I have done research but I still can't weigh out the pros and cons. Can you help?
The big advantage of an on site hotel is as you say, magic hours/ free transport to parks. The big advantages of a villa are space, comfort, private pool and if, as you say, you are on a budget, the opportunity to self cater rather than eating out all the time.
To be honest if I wanted to spend all my holiday in the parks and just sleep in a room I would consider a Disney hotel but if you want to spend some R and R time then a villa gives you so much more space and comfort. I would not want to spend a day in a hotel room but a villa is a great place to spend a day around you own private pool with a BBQ. For the evenings most villas have games rooms and many have upgraded cable TV/ DVD library etc and watching a film on a comfortable sofa does not compare with sitting on a bed in a cramped hotel room. If you have children they can sleep in their own room in a villa while the adults enjoy their evening without tip toeing around sleeping children.
A disadvantage of a villa is that you do need a hire car but that also means that you can get out and about to see a little more of Florida or have a day on the coast etc
Most villas are well equipped for self catering - from a quick snack around the pool to a full Christmas lunch etc, and shopping in Florida is easy and can be a fun part of your holiday. On the occasions you don't wont to cook you can always order a take away.
Sue
Gerry and Sue
I would agree with Gerry with everything she has pointed out where there are pros and cons. i am not sure how long you stayed in Paris but 2 weeks in one room with 3 children might be stretching peoples tempers a little? Of course although it would mean packing there is always the option of doing both, a week at the hotel followed b a week in a villa. The hotels often seem ceap but by the time you add on the food (although they may still be doing the dining plans I'm not sure), that way you could just hire a car for 1 week. We have on countless occasions been told by our Guests that they almost wish they hadnt bought Disney passes as they were trying to get the best value for money and using them every day but they kept having to drag the children out of the pool/villa where they would have happliy stayed. I think personally you can get so much more quality family time in a villa because you arent all having to watch the same tv channel,etc. like many villa owners we provide some family board games etc. and as Gerry says the adults can get some time to themselves in the evening when the children are in bed. In June it should be warm most evenings so you can have a relaxing meal on the deck or take a late night swim. I know some people say they prefer an hotel because of the maid service etc as it can feel just like being at home to Mum but many owners can arrange a mid stay clean etc if you really want to and there are so many options for delivery , take out or BBq that it doesnt have to be a busmans holiday.
Personally the villa would win hands down for me but hopefully by the time you see other peopls pros and cons you can at least make the choice that will suit your family best.
Babblin Boo
From someone who has stayed in a Hotel & Villa before, as I am sure 99% of those who use this forum have. I can say Villa is definitely the number one option to go for.
Pros for me staying in Rosen Inn @ Pointe Orlando on Int Drive the first year;
Walking distance to shops and restaurants during day/night
Always in a busy area (I like busy places)
Could walk to Universal/IOA (Not a short walk, but I loved walking the bridge over to Universal!)
I Trolley (I loved this bus! So convenient to get to certain parks and different ends of I Drive)
Pros for me staying in a Villa;
Trips to WalMart for Villa food/essentials! (I only first started going to WalMarts when we stayed in a Villa)
Car Hire which meant we got to see a lot more of Florida as has been mentioned above
Own Pool, which is a big plus
Local gym within walking distance, local golf courses around the Villa area which are a short drive away
BBQs, drinks on the pool decking! Great fun
Felt more homely, like a home away from home
Why don't you do both. Stay in a Disney Hotel for say 4 nights and do the parks and then move to a villa for say 10 nights and do the other parks and shopping, relaxation etc.
I agree with the sentiment of the others. The benefits of a villa are tremendous. Mine has, for example, a pool, a games room, board games, an Xbox 360 + Kinnect, books, DVDs, magazines; I mean, that's great stuff, right? Plenty to keep everyone occupied.
Having said that ... If there's a hotel that's really worth staying at, it's a Disney hotel. Being surrounded by Disney 24/7 is kind of awesome! If you haven't done it, I recommend you try it at least once. Perhaps a split, as others have suggested, is the way to go.
Mike
As soon as you mention being on a budget I think you need to start looking at a villa. You are likely to need 2 hotel rooms, or be very cramped in one, when you can have the run of a 3 or 4 bedroom villa at possibly at a lower price.
I know you miss out on the Magic hours but you are not restricted to eating in restaurants all the time. You can have a nice cheap relaxed breakfast and on days when you dont visit the theme parks you can self cater.
We stayed at the beach for 2 nights before going onto our villa a couple of years ago. It drove me mad being in such a confined space.
Christine
I always say no matter how much you spend on a 5 star Luxury Hotel, its only a room and you have to be out that room by 10am for cleaners to come knocking at your door every day to clean it.
With a villa you can sleep in as long as you like and do your own thing, our kids are grown up now but before we bought are villa we use to stay in hotels and once we rented a villa the kids wanted to just play in the pool all day and watch tv and eat plenty of ice cream, so it works out cheaper than what you would spend in parks for a full 14 days.
Regards,
Mark.
I've done both and much prefer a villa (once in a hotel was enough compared to 13 times in a villa).
The main thing is space, ie not being confined to one room altogether when you get back at night from your day out.
Being able to go and have a dip in the pool at the night is another advantage as hotel pools close whereas your own private pool in a villa does not.
Our first trip to Florida we stayed in a hotel, never again! Two weeks of having to go out for every meal. Next two trips we rented a villa and it was great, so much so that we bought our own villa in 1994 and have never regretted it.
Andrena
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