Any villa tips?

[Duwsh]

Hey guys, so I'll be going on-site in September next year and am already planning my 2022 trip, I'm thinking going off-site this time just to save a bit of money and I'm wanting to merge relaxation and fun holiday.

I'm thinking two weeks in September, and this trip I'm wanting to get tickets for universal as well as Disney.

I've never even looked into a villa holiday before, so any tips at all would be great. Thanks!

[mick]

Not tips as such but I've answered villa -v- hotel threads a few times so here goes. :grin

I’d like to clarify this list though by saying that we’re both 74 and have visited over 35 times but haven’t been to a park since 2010 (apart from MVMCP in 2014). Also there’s only two of us in a 4 bed villa and our cancelled April trip would have been the 12th in the same villa. Fingers crossed for November.

Our needs and holiday plans however are highly unlikely to be typical of other Dibbers.

1. Park at your front door not a mile away.
2. Lots of space to spread out
3. Own private pool within 20’ of lounge and use it any time of day.
4. Own spa to watch the sun rise and set.
5. Pop back inside any time for drinks – hot or cold.
6. Spare bedroom to store shopping.
7. Spare bedroom for family occasionally joining us (after notifying owner obviously).
8. Choice of bathrooms if one engaged – including one on the pool deck.
9. Eat meals and snacks whenever you like prepared in the full kitchen.
10. Listen to your own music without offending fellow guests and neighbours.
11. Watch TV in the lounge or bedroom (s).
12. Separate walk in shower in the master bathroom plus a large tub.
13. Ability to keep on top of the clothes washing.
14. The lanai at the villa we use allows shade and sunbathing easily.
15. Freedom of access without wondering if housekeeping are there or have been.

If I had any tips though they would be to choose a villa based on your own personal criteria not just based on the distance to the theme parks. Ten minutes quicker to WDW from Villa A could easily be 10 minutes longer if the traffic is against you. Do you want a lake or nature view? Do you want the garage converted to a games room? Do you want a spa next to the pool? Do you want a lanai to get some shade?


Mick

[disney332]

Originally Posted by mick

Not tips as such but I've answered villa -v- hotel threads a few times so here goes. :grin

I’d like to clarify this list though by saying that we’re both 74 and have visited over 35 times but haven’t been to a park since 2010 (apart from MVMCP in 2014). Also there’s only two of us in a 4 bed villa and our cancelled April trip would have been the 12th in the same villa. Fingers crossed for November.

Our needs and holiday plans however are highly unlikely to be typical of other Dibbers.

1. Park at your front door not a mile away.
2. Lots of space to spread out
3. Own private pool within 20’ of lounge and use it any time of day.
4. Own spa to watch the sun rise and set.
5. Pop back inside any time for drinks – hot or cold.
6. Spare bedroom to store shopping.
7. Spare bedroom for family occasionally joining us (after notifying owner obviously).
8. Choice of bathrooms if one engaged – including one on the pool deck.
9. Eat meals and snacks whenever you like prepared in the full kitchen.
10. Listen to your own music without offending fellow guests and neighbours.
11. Watch TV in the lounge or bedroom (s).
12. Separate walk in shower in the master bathroom plus a large tub.
13. Ability to keep on top of the clothes washing.
14. The lanai at the villa we use allows shade and sunbathing easily.
15. Freedom of access without wondering if housekeeping are there or have been.

If I had any tips though they would be to choose a villa based on your own personal criteria not just based on the distance to the theme parks. Ten minutes quicker to WDW from Villa A could easily be 10 minutes longer if the traffic is against you. Do you want a lake or nature view? Do you want the garage converted to a games room? Do you want a spa next to the pool? Do you want a lanai to get some shade?


Mick

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Post of the week 👍

Disney332

[mick]

Originally Posted by disney332

Post of the week 👍

Disney332

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Thanks D332 Might be my only post of the week - not many Dibbers asking about Alamo skip the counter and toll plazas these days.

Even the Visitor Toll Pass is still suspended.

Mick

[Gryff]

All that Mick has said
The ability to eat in if you get fed up eating out any meal
No need to creep about if everyone else is sleeping just enjoy that first
Few minutes on the deck with a coffee or tea in your PJs
A quiet glass of wine while soaking park tired feet in the spa
Actually feeling you don’t have to spend all day eve y day in the parks
Just see some of the real Florida
And so much more

[mick]

Originally Posted by Gryff

All that Mick has said
The ability to eat in if you get fed up eating out any meal
No need to creep about if everyone else is sleeping just enjoy that first
Few minutes on the deck with a coffee or tea in your PJs
A quiet glass of wine while soaking park tired feet in the spa
Actually feeling you don’t have to spend all day eve y day in the parks
Just see some of the real Florida
And so much more

See more...

Helen

And there's a whole new thread there about hiring a car to see the other 65,700 square miles of Florida beyond the theme parks.

A glass of wine in the spa to celebrate our Golden Wedding back in 2017

Mick

[Duwsh]

Originally Posted by mick

Not tips as such but I've answered villa -v- hotel threads a few times so here goes. :grin

I’d like to clarify this list though by saying that we’re both 74 and have visited over 35 times but haven’t been to a park since 2010 (apart from MVMCP in 2014). Also there’s only two of us in a 4 bed villa and our cancelled April trip would have been the 12th in the same villa. Fingers crossed for November.

Our needs and holiday plans however are highly unlikely to be typical of other Dibbers.

1. Park at your front door not a mile away.
2. Lots of space to spread out
3. Own private pool within 20’ of lounge and use it any time of day.
4. Own spa to watch the sun rise and set.
5. Pop back inside any time for drinks – hot or cold.
6. Spare bedroom to store shopping.
7. Spare bedroom for family occasionally joining us (after notifying owner obviously).
8. Choice of bathrooms if one engaged – including one on the pool deck.
9. Eat meals and snacks whenever you like prepared in the full kitchen.
10. Listen to your own music without offending fellow guests and neighbours.
11. Watch TV in the lounge or bedroom (s).
12. Separate walk in shower in the master bathroom plus a large tub.
13. Ability to keep on top of the clothes washing.
14. The lanai at the villa we use allows shade and sunbathing easily.
15. Freedom of access without wondering if housekeeping are there or have been.

If I had any tips though they would be to choose a villa based on your own personal criteria not just based on the distance to the theme parks. Ten minutes quicker to WDW from Villa A could easily be 10 minutes longer if the traffic is against you. Do you want a lake or nature view? Do you want the garage converted to a games room? Do you want a spa next to the pool? Do you want a lanai to get some shade?


Mick

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Wow thank you so much for this, it really shows the benefits, I definitley want to experience on-site but this makes off-site seem so much better.

I'm doing some pricing up, even with parking and car hire the villa works out so much cheaper, of course you lose some benefits but once I've got my fully disney holiday out of my system I won't mind.

[mick]

Originally Posted by Duwsh

Wow thank you so much for this, it really shows the benefits, I definitley want to experience on-site but this makes off-site seem so much better.

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Pleasure. Apart from no park visits recently we've never spent a single night in a WDW hotel so can't help on that I'm afraid.

Sadly our park days are over but we did them loads of times in our "youth"

Mick

[Floridarules]

We have only stayed off site and love the space👍
Also we increasingly loved our ‘villa pool days’ as much as our ‘park days’ . Also being in a villa gives you the perfect excuse to stock up at Walmart/Target as well as popping to Wawa/RaceTrak for coffee and a snack
😊😋😍

[mick]

Originally Posted by Floridarules

We have only stayed off site and love the space👍
Also we increasingly loved our ‘villa pool days’ as much as our ‘park days’ . Also being in a villa gives you the perfect excuse to stock up at Walmart/Target as well as popping to Wawa/RaceTrak for coffee and a snack
😊😋😍

See more...

Our local Wawa is on the corner of 192/Avalon. Always get gas and use the free ATM there.