is a villa better than a hotel??

[Diesel_Staffie]

would you recommend a villa or a hotel - we are thinking of going april 2008 - there will be 5 adults, 6 kids ~ does it work out cheaper for a villa???

[LizzyBear]

For that size of group i'd say yes it would work out cheaper and probably be more practical too because the kids can go to bed early and the adults will be able to have a drink in another room or by the pool, in a hotel this would be much harder. Also you'd have your own kitchen which could be handy for any quick breakfasts (I know a lot of kids wouldn't eat a restaurant breakfast every day)

[Theigoes]

Hi

we have done all the variations on site hotel, offsite hotel and Villa, my best was definately the villa, we are a family of four and it just suited us. For us personally it was slightly cheaper then an onsite hotel two weeks inc villa and car with My Travel in june £1600.00 two weeks in All stars inc car flying TCD was £1850.00.

Good luck choosing

[carys]

I would love to be spoiled in a hotel but with 3 kids it is much more hard work. I don't really want to spend 3 weeks in one room with my kids as much as i love them ! Our kids have a pool to themselves , a bedroom each , whatever food they want from the fridge , room to play etc We also get to relax by the pool without following them around and wondering where they are all the time . I also don't have to take 3 weeks worth of clothes as i can wash it all and come back with a clean suitcase of clothes. It will work out alot cheaper than a hotel imo.

[essexmick]

i would say yes probably cheaper too. we always get a villa we like the privacy, quiet and a private pool

[Diesel_Staffie]

thanks - just been trying to find flight prices it came out for 3 adults 3 kids £3000 - that sounds really expensive

[essexmick]

thanks - just been trying to find flight prices it came out for 3 adults 3 kids £3000 - that sounds really expensive


who was that with?

[BevS97]

for 6 people I don't think that's particularly expensive (it's not particularly cheap either).

We are paying over £2000 for 4 of us. I've had flights for a lot less than that but bargains are getting harder to find.

[Diesel_Staffie]

that was with thomson fly.

[_tinkerbell_]

Hi

we are a group of 10 this year so are doing the Villa thing. I love staying n Disney property but because of the amount we think the Villa is best. Kids can crash out, we can laze around pool, we have a games room and it has worked out cheaper.

Villa just over £1000 and Flights, car insurance and 14 day disney passes and Universal Passses, Extra leg room seats, pre seating and extra baggage comes to under £5000.

For ten thats good as last year i was £4200 for 4 of us !

[ScottishSweety]

It would probably work out cheaper to book flights seperate then get a villa from here on the dibb. We've priced up first choice £1990 for 3 adults and 2 kids flights only..throw in a villa and they want £3540.

[DonnaD]

Staying in a villa makes the logistics of travelling with a large party much easier. When you are in hotel in numerous rooms which might not even be on the same floor it is very difficult to arrange meeting times etc. Not having to always agree a time for breakfast etc the night before is great. The savings on breakfast, pool drinks, laundry etc for a large group will be huge.

If anyone is an early riser, being able to go and make a coffee and sit by the pool is also great.

Even if you were going to cram everyone into 3 inexpensive hotel rooms, a villa would work out cheaper with alot more space.

The only potential downside I can think of is driving. If possible avoid having only 1 or 2 drivers to give everyone some flexability and choose your location carefully.

[WindwardGal]

I am biased of course but it has to be much nicer to have a whole house and your own pool than being squashed it a hotel room!
As the others have said the savings on meals laundry drinks etc are great!

[TH1]

In Hotel in 1997, villas in 2002, 2005 and 2006. Back in 2008 and going for a villa....much better....so relaxing...IMHO

[susieb]

Ive just come back from a first time trip staying at ASM 2 adults 2 kids (both 4) and I wouldnt stay in a hotel again with young kids. Its just too limiting, not enough space, when theyre alseep you sit in the dark.

Im dfeo going for a villa next time.

[crid]

I'd definately always go for a villa or, if i can throw something else in, an apartment. I've stayed at Bahama Bay Resort just of the 27 in a 3 bedroom apartment and it's just like having a villa just without the private pool. It's sometimes nice to be a hotel kind of environment but with villa luxuries. Hopefully going back in June but will only be two of us so will definately be getting an apartment as a villa will work out too much.

[Sweeney_Todd]

IMO a group your size would get much more out of being in a villa than in a hotel.

We would go for a villa every time - we stay at our friends place and it is like a home from home for us.
That said, the next trip we are pushing the boat out a bit for my 40th so doing a combination of villa first week, WDW & US hotels second week and Gulf Coast last few days. (Just gotta get a bit more overtime in first!;))

.

[andyhayley]

Again, we are biased, but would definately do the villa!

You can put the kids to bed, and still sit round the pool and have a nightcap, try doing that in a hotel!

You get more room, you can feed the kids when you want, they can be locked in the games room..... (no only joking - no locks on the games room, but they tend to spend a lot of time there!)

[wombat]

I would love to be spoiled in a hotel but with 3 kids it is much more hard work. I don't really want to spend 3 weeks in one room with my kids as much as i love them ! Our kids have a pool to themselves , a bedroom each , whatever food they want from the fridge , room to play etc We also get to relax by the pool without following them around and wondering where they are all the time . I also don't have to take 3 weeks worth of clothes as i can wash it all and come back with a clean suitcase of clothes. It will work out alot cheaper than a hotel imo.

Hi,

I think that Carys has hit the nail on the head. The flexibility you get with a villa is worth its weight in gold.

Go for it.

[fintywalker]

there's only three of us but I like the space of a villa, plus own pool, jacuzzi, games room is a bonus too.

[georgemac]

We prefer a villa, but I am disappointed we never did onsite at Disney when our kids were younger

[das c]

For the amount of people going it would make sense to book a villa you can all share the cost of the villa (per villa not per person).

There's nothing like have had a hard day in the parks to come back to your own villa and chill by the pool and watch the sun set, ahh happy days.

[Fiona]

We have stayed in hotels in the past, but always stay in villas now and have done this for many years. We love the space and freedom and with two teenage sons we really need all of that!! DH and I have said that in years to come when it is just the two of us going, we would still stay in a villa rather than a hotel.

[Jay66UK]

I prefer staying in a hotel - you just have to make sure you have enough room(s).

And I prefer staying on site at WDW because you have the most flexibility about where to go, when to go there and how to do it. You don't all have to go to the same places for the same length of time because of one car. And no one has to tidy the Villa if you have Mousekeeping ;)

[Rebelrebel]

Well I try to get the best of both worlds by staying at DVC, I can get up early (which I always do and watch tv whilst having a cup of coffee without disturbing the rest of the family. DH stays up late so he can watch a movie while I'm asleep in bed :).

[redjack]

With a group that size it has to be a villa we have stayed in villas and hotels both on site and off site we always have really enjoyed our villa holidays especially having your own pool the only down side is we found once we got back from the parks we was always too tired to get changed and go out again to eat because where we stayed on the US27 it was quite a distance from the restaurants so we chose to eat on the way back from the parks or made something at the villa when we go on holiday in a hotel we tend to eat at as many diferant restaurants as we can but the freedom and room that a villa gives you more than makes up for this i am sure there are villas situated nearer the 192 area so if you like eating out at night and dont want to be travelling back and forth look into the location of your chosen villa

Jackie

[Disneybunny]

I like being in a hotel, we don't hire a car and the kids are that tired they fall asleep while we have hot choc watching tv.

[nattyk]

before kids, dh and I use to stay in hotel, just the 2 of us perfect...but we now have 3 kids, so a hotel is not really an option - the last couple of times we have been with the kids we have always got a villa - just makes sense when there are 5 of us, at least at night time dh and I can have a swim, etc without having to worry about the kids....

Having said that I would LOVE to stay onsite at Disney - but maybe when they are older...

Nat

[Jay66UK]

Nattyk - you could get two adjoining rooms at a Disney resort. Book it as one adult per room, split the kids. In reality you have one, the kids the other. And you control the door imbetween.

[LizzyBear]

I'd definately always go for a villa or, if i can throw something else in, an apartment. I've stayed at Bahama Bay Resort just of the 27 in a 3 bedroom apartment and it's just like having a villa just without the private pool. It's sometimes nice to be a hotel kind of environment but with villa luxuries. Hopefully going back in June but will only be two of us so will definately be getting an apartment as a villa will work out too much.

I agree: I think the apartment/condo is a good idea if you want a compromise between the freedom and space of a villa and the nice touches of staying in a hotel like having the room cleaned. Windsor Hills seems to get good reviews on here and i've heard Cypress Pointe is nice too (we will probably stay there for a future trip as there are often really good bargains on hotelkingdom =)

[Muppet1980]

We have tried hotels, motels and villas and the villas win hands-down every time. Nothing beats eating breakfast round the pool watching the Florida morning breaking, having all the facilities you need at your fingertips (washing, drying, ironing, ice making etc) and being able to soak your tootsies in the heated jacuzzi at midnight with a brandy and coke after spending the day at MK! BLISS!

[WindwardGal]

With a group that size it has to be a villa we have stayed in villas and hotels both on site and off site we always have really enjoyed our villa holidays especially having your own pool the only down side is we found once we got back from the parks we was always too tired to get changed and go out again to eat because where we stayed on the US27 it was quite a distance from the restaurants so we chose to eat on the way back from the parks or made something at the villa when we go on holiday in a hotel we tend to eat at as many diferant restaurants as we can but the freedom and room that a villa gives you more than makes up for this i am sure there are villas situated nearer the 192 area so if you like eating out at night and dont want to be travelling back and forth look into the location of your chosen villa

Jackie
We are situated 2 mins off 192. Very close to LOADS of restaurants.So close to the nearest one you could walk! Not that anyone does!!

[orlandosgr8]

We have had a villa on our last 2 visits and will have one again this year as DS can play happily in the pool, we are able to sit by the pool and relax once he is in bed :thumbs-up

[Happy Hammer]

i would opt for the villa every time.if you are sharing a villa that will work out cheaper.

[solo]

We used to stay on site at a Disney hotel! that was before we decided to try a villa!!! Absolutely brill, loads of room, private pool, peace and relaxation at the end of a long day! The kids loved the pool, they were in it every chance they got, even before breakfast! Last year there was 6 of us and we paid £3800, that included flights, car hire, villa, travel insurance, pre booked seats, and 14 day Disney tickets! that was with Travel city direct!

[edie_w]

would you recommend a villa or a hotel - we are thinking of going april 2008 - there will be 5 adults, 6 kids ~ does it work out cheaper for a villa???

For a 6 bed villa for a fortnight you're looking at something in the region of £2K - about £200 per person. And you have all the space, a private pool and a huge American fridge!

[rhondaridge]

Yes definately a villa. Ideal if a large group of you is going. BBQ's, drinks by the pool etc all part of the holiday.

Having said that we are looking at staying onsite this year as we are not going with another family and find the kids are more 'entertained' at a hotel. When we were in our villa on our own last year for the last week (our friends only came for 2 weeks) the kids were more likely to get bored and argue.

[KimberlyKirsty]

i liked the villa becuse you can do your own thing and had a washing machine but what isn't a nice thing is you can get located very far away from al parks and the traffic is chose at night but some people have had better stays in villa's!!!!!

[esteeds]

If there are only 2 travelling then a hotel room is fine. If it is a WDW hotel then it is smashing. However we are travelling with 2 children this time and the thought of spending 14 nights in a room with DD 6 and DS 3 is too much to bear... I have stayed in a villa before and it was great. Having a cold bud at 10 pm in the pool or hot tub on a warm evenings is something to look forward to :d: :d: .

We will also have a great kitchen, fridge freezer etc so breakfast is really easy. We also have a DVD player so we do not have to suffer the adverts on US TV :zzz: .

Overall now we have children we will plump for a villa, unless we win the Lotto then we may go for a suite at Grand Floridian, well we can dream!!

LOL

Mr Ed

[Jedi_Angie]

We've always stayed in villas in Florida, although we've stayed with the kids (I have three) in hotels elsewhere (New York, Boston, Europe, London), and I have to say, we love the freedom of a villa. This is especially true for us, as two of our kids are autistic and don't cope well in communal pools. I just love the freedom of a villa - in the evening, the kids can play in the pool or games room, or veg in front of a TV in their room, while we lounge about with a glass of wine or two and a bowl of nibbles. Early risers fix themselves breakfast and watch TV or DVDs until the rest of us get up - and you can't beat sunrise that first (early!) morning with a cup of tea beside the pool! :grin:

I have to admit I was very nervous about driving in Florida the first year we visited, but I find it easier than driving in the UK. I would say, get 2 or 3 cars for a bigger group, in case you don't all want to go to the same place at the same time. And a car is a must for a villa holiday, IMO.

As for cleaning, you can always request a cleaner from the Villa Management (at a price), but I've never needed one. It's not like in a hotel room, where if the place isn't tidy you rapidly run out of room; in a villa you just have a quick tidy now and then ... and don't look in the kids' rooms! Besides, you're going to be out most of the day (and evenings). I also love having my own fridge - constant supply of chilled drinks and ice lollies. We never cook, as it's so cheap to eat out.

And price - we've just booked a 4-bedroom, 3-bathroom villa for two weeks in October for £990, including pool heating. There will be 8 of us staying, so that works out at less than £124 per person for the whole fortnight, less than £9 each per night - tell me where you can get a hotel anywhere near as cheap! I'd rather spend my money in the malls... :cool2:

[redjack]

We are situated 2 mins off 192. Very close to LOADS of restaurants.So close to the nearest one you could walk! Not that anyone does!!


I knew somebody would know where there are better locations this site is just tops for information

Jackie