Hotel v villa with kids?

[Ladymuck]

As we pack to leave we're already planning our next trip!

This time we stayed at the Polynesian and a villa at Solana (H27). I have to say that the mood of our holiday changed for the better on switchover - 4 of us in the same room for 3 nights wasn't that much fun!

However I see many people opting for hotels, so was just wondering what swings it for you? I could see free DDP would be a draw, but otherwise?

[Cal and Dave]

We have not stayed in a hotel since we first went to Florida in 2000. All in one room, with the boys asleep, and dh and I trying to watch some TV, not much fun :confused2 The next visit we booked a villa privatley, as it was much cheaper than booking a villa through a package, and that was it, never looked at staying in a hotel, no matter where we go on holiday. We always book DIY as well. :)

[Eagle88]

I am a bit biased as we have a disabled son (37) who likes to swim but does get embarrased about having to be lifted in and out of the pools. So we have found a villa with pool hoist etc and now use that. Plus of course you have the freedom of being able to just chill with a cheap beer and a takeaway pizza around your own private pool.

[BevS97]

We just like being in the center of the action, and find a villa too quiet and isolating. We don't worry about bedtimes on holiday, so we don't have the problem of sitting in the dark watching telly-normally we all get home late, climb into bed and put the telly on, then the kids fall asleep when they are ready.

We have tried villa's a few times, but everytime we have found we preferred a hotel; This time we are going to try a dvc villa so will have 2 rooms and a kitchen, but I still expect we will all go to bed at the same time.

[scobie15]

We have tried almost every combination over the years-hotel,condo,villa and I think the deciding factor would be cost- i.e. a hotel on International Drive is so much cheaper than a villa and a car is not always necessary making it even cheaper-and position-a villa usually means we are out from early morning to late evening as it is too inconvenient to go back and then come out again.By the end of 2 weeks this becomes an issue with us .Also when our children were teenagers it meant they did not have the option of either staying by the pool at the villa for a couple of hours because once we were out we were out for the day.I suppose you eventually finds what works for your family

[forever florida]

Always a villa for us. Space, freedom, home from home. However, it can work out expensive if there is only a few of you and I can see why some opt for a hotel, but to me being able to relax by my own pool with a drink or have a BBQ and also keeping everyone entertained with either a game of pool or on the PS2 far outweighs the restrictions of only having 1 room for everyone

[carys]

Villa every time ! It would be hard enough keeping the kids in one room without adding us too ! We like our own pool , being able to do the washing so it is done when we get home . The kids are so easy to watch around the pool , we don't have to follow them everywhere , so we can relax more . Loads of space to spread out .

[Happy Hammer]

Villa every time ! It would be hard enough keeping the kids in one room without adding us too ! We like our own pool , being able to do the washing so it is done when we get home . The kids are so easy to watch around the pool , we don't have to follow them everywhere , so we can relax more . Loads of space to spread out .

exactly the same reasons for us.we stayed in a hotel once,never again.

[Elsie]

Everyone is different but if I had a choice of visiting Orlando and staying in a hotel or staying at home, I'd stay in dear old Blighty!

We have 3 kids (12, 10 and 8) and to be in a hotel room for them would be an absolute nightmare; the chaos would be unbearable. Besides, I persoanlly think the benefits of a villa outweigh those of a hotel. In a villa you (probably) have your own pool so you're not worried about where your children are. You don't have to go to restaurants all the time, you can cook beans & toast or have your cornflakes in your underwear! I like being able to come "back home" to a villa after a day at the parks / shopping and feel as though I am at home.

A friend of mine spent 2 weeks in a Disney hotel (his wife thought they needed to be "close to the magic") and told me that their room didn't even have tea & coffee facilities and that they shared a single room with their two teenage daughters. He told me by the end of the first week they were fed up with having to eat out at every meal and that he had to go for a walk each morning / evening while his girls got themselves ready. The whole thing has put him off going back to Orlando period!

A villa wins everytime!

[solo]

We stayed in a Disney hotel everytime we've been, up untill last year when we stayed in a villa! and I have to say, our holiday was a whole new experience! The whole experience was much more relaxing, being able to eat in the morning or evening without leaving the villa, the children having their own room, myself and DH being able to relax while the children were in the pool, which they were all the time!! Being able to go for a swim in the evening, then jump straight in the shower and then relax with a drink, all without leaving your accomadation! We'd never go back to staying in a hotel, it's a villa everytime from now on! Southern dunes this year, for the peace and quiet!!

[Claire44]

We just like being in the center of the action, and find a villa too quiet and isolating.

I agree with Bev, we have been 9 times and stayed in a villa for the first time last year. To me it was too much like home and call me idle but I like nothing more than coming back to the hotel after a day at the parks to find my bed nicely made and clean towels hanging in the bathroom. I know it's no big deal to make a bed and wash a few towels but for me I do that 50 weeks of the year at home and it's just nice for 2 weeks to have it done for you.

We have never had any problems in hotels with DS who has been going since he was 5, like Bev we never had set bedtimes on holiday when he was little and have normally all flaked out at the same time.

[jfk]

Villa Villla Villa Villa :thumbs-up

We stayed in a hotel when we went in 2005 with a then 20 month and 3 year old and it was a nightmare. The kids wouldn't go to sleep with the TV on so we'd have to lie in the dark waiting for them to drop off :angry:

After about a week the shopping and kids toys etc built up and with the suitcases, it felt like we were living in an ever decreasing space.

We never really used the pool as much as we'd have liked either as the walk from the room to the pool was about 7 minutes and by the time we'd got the kids changed, got their toys and towels etc it simply wasn't worth bothering. With the Villa, we could get in, open the doors and let them jump in for a splash before bed; no messing about :thumbs-up The kids really enjoyed having their own bedrooms as well and obviously we got far more privacy.

It's always a matter of choice and I can well understand why some people wouldn't consider switching from a hotel; however, for us, it'll always be a villa.

[wrpac00]

Haven't stayed in a hotel since we first went in 93. It too cramped, inferior facilities, no privacy, too restricted etc, etc.

Villa or similar every time for me.

[BevS97]

To me it was too much like home and call me idle but I like nothing more than coming back to the hotel after a day at the parks to find my bed nicely made and clean towels hanging in the bathroom. I know it's no big deal to make a bed and wash a few towels but for me I do that 50 weeks of the year at home and it's just nice for 2 weeks to have it done for you.

If your idle then so am I, I felt like in the villa i was tidying up, cooking, doing dishes or laundry all the time - I know others say they don't find it a chore, but for me it most definitely was. Also once we came home in the evening that was our 'holiday' over for the night and it was like being at home, I can't imagine spending the day in the villa - I would be demented, and having a pool attached scares me so I don't see that as an advantage at all.

In a hotel, I like that we are all together in a room, we snuggle up on the bed and chat about our day.

We have always had coffee making facilities and the last few years we've had a fridge and a microwave. I do agree there are some night we don't want to eat out, but we keep stuff in the room to make some sandwiches etc.

[andi30]

We have always stayed in a hotel as DH refuses point blank to drive over there so it has to be a hotel:( , to be honest by the end of the first day i am crawling the walls....far too cramped, can't put the tv on as it wakes the kids, hate not being able to get up on a morning without waking everyone up, horrid all trying to get ready at the same time....it is like a production line! No space to hang your clothes or put your shoes anywhere, last time we stayed at pop century and it was a fair hike to get a coffee:( , sick to the back teeth of going for a swim and yet not being able to as some kid has had an 'accident' in the pool:mad2: .
I would just love to have some privacy for myself let alone as a family, as DH said last time after 3 days....'gosh you don't half get crabby when you don't have your own space':pgig:

[Villainlover]

Villa for me too ... private pool and jacuzzi .. huge fridgefreezer full of beer and icecream .. usually two lounges with two tvs so kids can watch their programmes or play on the playstation ..

you can have a lovely jacuzzi when your kids are fast asleep and you can sit by the pool eating your brekkie drinking a lovely coffee with your hair like rats nest and no makeup on ...

I could list a million reasons for wanting a villa ... we had one night in a hotel (rpr) and though it was nice I was glad to get back to our villa ...

[psharrock]

Villa every time.

OK I'm biased, but we only became villa owners last year.

We stayed in hotels for a few years, the first time we went the kids were 2 and 4 - what a nightmare having to sit in the dark whilst they went to sleep. If the TV was on then they would not settle, and if they were up late one day, the day after we had to do an afternoon sleep for our youngest.

We actually bought into DVC in 2002, as we were completely overwhelmed by the increased space, and stayed there every year until 2005. The problem with a hotel, is you feel you need to be doing something everyday, as you just can't sit in the room.

But just to go to the pool was a chore, you had to pack a bag, (lotion, books, drinks etc). If you wanted shade then you'd be lucky as these sun loungers where always taken first.

Then Xmas 2005 we decided to try a villa, not really expecting to like it as we really thought we would be too far away from the excitement. But all we throught was wow, we really didn't think a florida holiday could be this relaxing. We found driving to the parks really didn't take much longer than driving from the disney hotel, but when we came back from a day at the parks the kids could be in the pool within seconds. When the kids went to bed was what delighted us to the most, as we had so much we could do, that just was not an option in a hotel room. (Pool, Games Room, Lanai etc).
Our kids will go in the pool every single day of the holiday, they really like swimming when its dark.

With regards to the maid service, we thought this would be a problem too, however, it wasn't difficult to make the beds, and we always paid for a mid-stay clean as we didn't want to do any cleaning of washing of bedding or towels.

We bought a villa on the same community the following year, and we now actually come back home feeling relaxed, whereas before we used to come back feeling we actually needed another holiday to recover.

Our kids are now 9 & 8, so they are not old enough to explore themselves, I can see a different problem when they are in their teens and want to explore by themselves, as a disney hotel / hotel with a shuttle service would be ideal for this, but we'll cross that problem when it arises.

We still own DVC and will continue to use this for a couple of days in each holiday.

Paul

[JoS]

Villa for us too, for all of the reasons already stated. We have stayed in hotels but given the choice it would be a villa every time.

[nattyk]

we have 3 kids ( 6, 4, 2)- so it is a villa every time - however I would love to stay onsite at Disney - so may in the future book a couple of nights in one of the resorts close to Magic Kingdom..... and maybe do the same for Universal...

Nat

[Tiggernut]

A DEFINITE vote for a villa here! :thumbs-up

Before DD came along we were quite happy with hotels but we have had 2 Florida holidays with her - both in Villas - and last year we did a touring holiday in California. Although we had a fantastic time last year, I must admit that two weeks in one room is not a good recipe for family harmony!!! :erm:

Come October we'll be back in Florida, in a Dibb owners villa, and I can't wait! We find you save money (and your waistline!) by eating breakfast every other day in the villa. You also don't feel like you have to be 'out' for a certain time in case the maid comes round! With regards to cleaning etc...I think it depends how 'house proud' you are normally. I certainly wouldn't be doing tons of housework... just a quick tidy round, make the beds, chuck the crocks in the dishwasher and out! You can stick a load of washing in before you go out, tumble dry it whilst having a chill by the pool when you get back and its all done. Talking of washing...Having been spoilt in 2004 and 2005 by having our washer in the villa, the nightmare of 2 weeks of washing when we got home haunts me still. When staying in the villa I only had one load of washing to do when I got home - everything else came back clean....Lovely! :thumbs-up

[lindylou2_2002]

Villa everytime for us too. Cantimagine being in a hotel with 2 small children for 2 weeks, would probably jump out of a window or something.

[disneybabe]

Its got to be a villa for me too!!! But there again, I'm going to be biased aren't I?

We have only ever stopped in a hotel once - our honeymoon, then we always had one bed appartments, all over Europe, then onto two bed ones. Then we bought time share (which we still own) and thats how we came to Orlando - swapping our Tenerife weeks for weeks in Orlando.

In 2002, after several visits and stays in various time share around the 192, we went to stay in Rotonda, on the Gulf Coast, in a villa and we were converted, so much so that we bought our first home in 2005.

Just love the freedom and space a villa offers, the icecream, wine chilling, and the children playing happily in the pool or on the PS2. Love to get up and go for an early morning swim, late night swim in our own pool!!!

Washing and drying all the holiday clothes is another plus - only one small load to do when we get home.

Actually the list could go on, on and on.

[grottyrotty]

you can cook beans & toast or have your cornflakes in your underwear!

Why would you want to have cornflakes in your underwear ;)

A villa for us every time too. We stayed in a hotel on our 1st trip. Too claustrophobic being in the one room. The villa gives us our own space, and us adults have time for ourselves too :blush:

Its lovely being able to put the washing machine on, and sit by the pool with a glass of wine while the kids are having fun in the pool. Also, having a moody 14yr old DS is no picnic - we all needed him to find his own space at times :D

Much as I love my DH & kids, 3 weeks in their undiluted company gives me a migraine, so having somewhere to "chill" with a book or watching TV, or even soaking in the bath (without them hammering on the door wanting the loo, coz all the villas we've had have had 2+ toilets).

And we don't mind going back to the villa during the day, either.

Each to his own, eh?

Deb :tinkani:

[toolman1]

VILLA - we went with Sister-in-Law & family - 8 in total. we used a large villa & it worked out really well. The benefits of being able to eat at home, use the pool when you want & relax without the kids in the same room far outweigh the small siadvantage of having to drive back & forth to the parks etc.

We also liked not having to eat out ALL the time, fridge & own kitchen a boon & saves money in the long run.

I agree with the others - villa - or stay at home. A few EMH would not make me stay in one room with four people for two weeks!!

Ah - each to their own i suppose, but i also like a holiday!

[Bardy]

Villa every time for all the reasons above, also there is something about having a pool outside the door that keeps kids entertained for hours and hours...

:d: :d: :d:

[Leanne1977]

On-site hotel for us everytime.:grin:

We have tried both and the hotel far outweighs the villa for us. We love being in the action 24 7. To us the journey back to the villa and then back to the parks became a chore.:(
Yes the space was nice but it was too much like home. I don't want to be filling the dishwasher and making the beds, tidying up etc. I'm on holiday!!!

The kids enjoyed having their own pool but they preferred having the pick of 3 large pools at Pop and they have other children to interact with.
I didnt like the feeling at the end of everynight that we were home. I wanted to go back to the hotel room and look out of the balcony and see illuminations and the top of the Tower of Terror. Much more special.

I wouldnt, however, stay in a hotel on I-Drive. I don't really know why but we just want to be on-site even though we hire a car. If we fancy a break in the afternoon or we forget something it takes 5 mins to drive back.

I don't imagine us using a villa again.:wave:

Incidentally, the kids also prefer the hotel as i have asked them. They constantly ask me when we are going back to Pop.:grin:

Also with regards to bedtime. There is no set bedtime, the kids are on holiday too!! They would normally drop off before us but they sleep well and we certainly didnt need to tiptoe about.

Can't wait to get to ASMO, HRH and Pop in Sept.:spin: :spin:

[TinkTatoo]

We are like Paul and do both. This year we have 3 weeks in a villa and we love the space and your own pool. Florida holidays for us are not all about going commando style from early morning until we drop at night and with DS's autism we need to have days where we just relax, take it easy and enjoy each others company in the villa. We then spend the rest of our holiday in either a 1 or 2 Bed DVC villa which still lets us have our space but puts us right in the heart of the action. That works for us :)

When we are in the villa and staying DVC it still feels like a holiday for me as every one straightens their own bed and apart from breakfast we usually eat out most nights or get a takeaway so there is no cooking. It also only takes a couple of seconds to put the breakfast things in the dishwasher so that's no hardship either.

[susieb]

i stayed at ASM in Feb with two 4 year olds and although being onsite is wonderful and its a fab hotel, I wouldnt do hotel next time. All of us in one room for two weeks is tough, and mine wont fall asleep with TV on.

Defo a villa, or a villa in a hotel type thing - like Wilderness Lodge Villas.

[Elsie]

Why would you want to have cornflakes in your underwear ;)Because the custard won't stay in :d:

[Cal and Dave]

Because the custard won't stay in :d:

:pgig: :pgig: :pgig: :pgig: lol

[Manatee]

Having three kids, hotels are a problem as the rooms are designed for four, we have stayed in both, to be honest i think a lot depends on how long you spend in the parks, we tend to go for ten days so we spend most of the time on the go so kids are out like a light at nights telly on or not, on shorter trips we have stayed at FW cabins as it gives us a seperate bedroom, this time we will be at the ASM suites for three nights FW cabins for four and a villa for seven nights, we are determined we will not be going to any parks during the time at the villa because if not, to me its a waste of time stopping in one, hotels are for us just a place to get our heads down. So in answer to the question for us we are on the fence as we use both depending on how long we are out there for.

[jolloyd81]

We have stayed at hotels and villas, and much much prefer staying in a villa. The room to get away from each other if you need to, along with a private pool, really swings it for me. You are never far away from supermarkets, and the fully equipped kitchens can really cut down on food costs as opposed to staying in a hotel. Unless it was just two of us, I think it would only ever be a villa in Florida.

[cmpjdp]

Villa!!!! Have done hotels when the boys were really little and I not over struck.
What we have decided to do next time is order less park tickets, the boys don't really like universal (still quite little) and buy our disney tickets at the park(with exchange rate works out cheaper) then with the money we saved we have been able to get a 3 bed villa for £259per week...:)

[BevS97]

Somewhat off-topic but:

Buying US tickets may work out cheaper, but don't buy them at the park, order them from a US based website before you go. Somewhere like Mapleleaf (http://www.mapleleaftickets.com/disney_tickets.htm) will let you benefit from the exhange rate and offer you a better price than Disney. (although I think the 14 day premiums are a great price if you need water parks or hopping, but if you can manage with no hopping then the 10 day MYW is a good buy)

[AlisonB]

Another here for on site hotel every time! Have tried both and just love the hotels! We always hire a car as well. We've been staying in hotels since the kids were 5 and 3 (they're now 13 and 11) and we've never had a problem with all being in together, or bed times or anything!

Alison

[cmpjdp]

Somewhat off-topic but:

Buying US tickets may work out cheaper, but don't buy them at the park, order them from a US based website before you go. Somewhere like Mapleleaf (http://www.mapleleaftickets.com/disney_tickets.htm) will let you benefit from the exhange rate and offer you a better price than Disney. (although I think the 14 day premiums are a great price if you need water parks or hopping, but if you can manage with no hopping then the 10 day MYW is a good buy)

Thanks for that, with the exchange rate at the moment it makes sense.;)

[BONZO]

If your idle then so am I, I felt like in the villa i was tidying up, cooking, doing dishes or laundry all the time - I know others say they don't find it a chore, but for me it most definitely was. Also once we came home in the evening that was our 'holiday' over for the night and it was like being at home, I can't imagine spending the day in the villa - I would be demented, and having a pool attached scares me so I don't see that as an advantage at all.

In a hotel, I like that we are all together in a room, we snuggle up on the bed and chat about our day.

We have always had coffee making facilities and the last few years we've had a fridge and a microwave. I do agree there are some night we don't want to eat out, but we keep stuff in the room to make some sandwiches etc.

Absolutely agree with Bev here!

We've tried all of the options but it's on site Hotels all the way for us too.

The villa / condo was too much "home from home" - cooking, cleaning, shopping, making beds etc - when I go on holiday I really want to "get away from it all" and not carry on as usual.

Things may change in the future as the girls get older and want their own space

[*Lauren*]

Got to be villa, we went in 2000 to a villa it's so good to be able to crash by your own pool, do your own washing cook your own food if you want. The kids are happier to have there own pool without the crowds.

[The Smith Clan]

Couldn't do a hotel now we have done a villa, it's just so convinient and layed back, as for being more expensive, well yes it is a bit, but well worth it for a nice relaxing chill when you come back from a busy day at the theme parks.

[Elsie]

...as for being more expensive, well yes it is a bitIMHO I think it's cheaper to stay in a villa rather than a hotel, mainly because you're not eating in restaurants all the time.

However, I do admire those that can stay in a hotel room with their kids for the duration of a holiday; it reminds me that the spirit shown during the Blitz (and the good old British Stiff Upper Lip) is alive and kicking!

[Fiona]

We go twice a year and always stay in a villa. We have done this for very many years now as we have two sons (they are now 16 and almost 15) and we have needed the space. We always like to stay in a villa that has no other villas behind it and a pool table in the garage and tv`s in the bedrooms keeps the lads happy. It keeps DH and I happy too as if they`re not in the swimming pool or sunning themselves, they`re in the games room playing pool or glued to the TV (especially if "Girls of the Playboy Mansion" is on!!) ;-)

[rhondaridge]

We like both. If we go with another family then a villa cannot be beaten but on our own we find it a bit lonely. Our first trip was 3 weeks with our best friends so stayed in a villa the whole time and loved every minute.

Our second trip we did 2 nights at GF then 3 weeks in the villa and then finished up with 2 nights at AKL. It was all great except for the one week we spent on our own in the villa as our friends couldn't stay for all three weeks. We found we were too far out and spent every minute in parks. (We are a sociable bunch!!)

I am hoping to squeeze in a week this year after we have moved house in June. As it is just a week and we are going just ourselves and 2 kids so we will stay onsite so as to pack as much in as possible.

For our non florida hols we ALWAYS stay in a hotel and book 2 rooms. It is often not that much more expensive and then we get the best of both worlds.

[Fiona]

We like both. If we go with another family then a villa cannot be beaten but on our own we find it a bit lonely.

We have never found staying in a villa lonely!! :confused2 Too much going on with our lads and DH for any of us to feel lonely. :) However, each to their own and all that.

[rusty30]

We have done nearly all combos - hotels (cheap ones and expensive ones on site and off ), condos, suites and villas .

After trying them all out I have to say villas come out tops for us, followed by the Polynesian :D. We stayed at AKL and didnt like it at all.

I found with the hotel rooms (even with the huge room we had at the Poly) we were tripping over our stuff and you just couldnt have even 5 minutes peace at any point during your holiday. With 3 small children having a villa is a total God send!

These days we are MUCH more choosy about our location though and we found staying at Windsor Hills we were precisely 8 minutes from Animal Kingdom which is less time than it took to drive from the Poly to AK! DH isnt keen on trekking down the 192 and US27 anymore as he found it tiring after long days out so we try to choose something close to the SHerberth Rd back road off of the 192 now.

Funny enough the kids DO prefer the hotels as they like to mix with the other kids but saying that they dont get out of the pool when we have a villa and they get much more pool time as we can sit and watch them in comfort!

My advice is try everything - what suits one family wont suit another so maybe try a week onsite and a weeks villa hire to see what suits YOU!

We will stay at Disney again, but only as a small part of our holiday - next year we might do a week at the Yacht Club or the Poly followed by a villa.

[tinacooper]

we stayed in a hotel last year and after much deliberation over villa vs hotel we have opted to go back to the same hotel. mainly due to cost,it was so much more expensive for the 4 of us to go in a villa, even booking privately once you add on the pool heat and the flights it was a lot more expensive. i personnally would rather spend the money on doing something extra ie a dining experince /show etc
also we found all the locations of the villas to be to far, our kids love islands of adventure./ universal so we would rather be nearer them.
we summed it all up and decided we are not really in our room much and opted for a hotel.also i would have to keep cleaning the villa so it would not be a break for me but thats just me lol
each to there own on this but its a hotel for us,if there were more of you in your party a villa may work out cheaper but i like my own space, the hotel rooms are very large .we were so tired form a day round the theme parks we all went to bed at the same time any way .

[Flo]

On site hotels for me, we don't go that often so its go go go when we are there and you can't beat the convenience of onsite hotels (plus I love Disney).

[daviewat]

Personal choice really.


We love the villa/townhouses as I can think of nothing better than just relaxing after a hard day with a few drinks outside and the kids all tucked up in thier own rooms :-)))

[sam diss]

We have only done hotels so far and have always had the same problem of kids needing to get to sleep but all being in the same room means it has to be your bed time too. So this time we are trying hawthorn suites in lbv still near all the action but we have the option of a a separate living area and kitchen. So i am hoping this will suit our family better.:mickey: