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Old 23 Jul 20, 10:57 PM  
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#31
vampiress88
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Originally Posted by mick View Post
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
Do you keep this somewhere to copy and paste when this question gets asked?

Think it was the same one I got over a year ago and it’s a damn good list too 😎
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Old 23 Jul 20, 11:16 PM  
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#32
vampiress88
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Originally Posted by Duwsh View Post
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!
We’ve only ever done offside but it was always hotel manager before. We got a villa last year and it was amazing.
We have young kids and that villa was one part of the holiday they still talk about, plus food and rides.
I think mick and gryff have covered most of it.

I loved the pool. My kids were always in it. It was brilliant not having the I’m bored argument with them. I usually get up first and just sitting out there in a morning or last thing at night with hubby was a god send. I wouldn’t have been able to do this in a hotel.
We also went for dinner where we fancied, offsite usually cheaper. Disney dinner places aren’t really for us.
Parking right next to the door, going food shopping now I hate it at home but love it over there. So much so We have been eating some s’mores fishes this evening that we had to get shipped in. I love going to the fridge and just having all the new flavours drinks. Silly but my holiday wouldn’t be the same without these things. I’d hate to not have a fridge. Surprisingly we also did a lot of washing. Was great didn’t have an issue with it at all and meant we hadn’t have needed to take so much either. I also liked the privacy. I don’t think we would have spent as much time in the pool had it been shared. On site wouldn’t never appeal to me even though there are perks. And now I’ve had a villa I could never go back to a hotel.

Oh and I like the Krispy Kreme not dunkin for breakfast mmmmmmm 🍩
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Old 24 Jul 20, 08:31 AM  
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#33
mick
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Originally Posted by vampiress88 View Post
Do you keep this somewhere to copy and paste when this question gets asked?

Think it was the same one I got over a year ago and it’s a damn good list too 😎
Because I've been on the DIBB for over 16 years there's a handful of questions that keep recurring that I often post on. Such as villa v hotel, restaurants and shops near Highgate Park, why we always hire a car, parking at DS to visit WDW resorts and a couple of others.

Got them saved as Word documents in the cloud and edit them now and again. Just copy and paste into the post. Saves me composing a new reply every time.

You won't see me anywhere near questions about Fast Passes or the DDP though.

Mick
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Old 24 Jul 20, 09:48 AM  
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Wobbles
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Big benfits for us - space that is real value for money

We are a childless couple and we love our villa space and it still works out at about the same price as somewhere like Cabana Bay per person per night for 2 people for the villa we always still in.

We always eat breakfast by the pool, (before and after a dip) and have a few snacky evening meals with save us a couple of $100s over the course of three weeks.

And you can't under estimate the value of a quiet private pool

What about housework? This is something I see a lot on the dibb, when it comes to villa. First off, most if not all, Dibb owners take great pride in their homes and it shows, you walk into a show home which is spotless. As you have on tap washing facilities, you can take less clothes, less mess. The clothes line in the villa we rent is in the garage, out if the way, so once done we don't think about it. Many have dish washers which deals with the washing up element. We use one of the spare rooms as a luggage store so most of the mess and things like our snorkel masks, which we only use a couple of times get shut away.
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Old 24 Jul 20, 11:03 AM  
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Elmhurst 5
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Just thought I'd add my little bit to this post. However, never stayed on site, (beyon my budget) and I could not do the queuing for buses etc. We always rent a car.
Villa for me is quite specific, private pool not overlooked with view of a lake or conservation are. Early morning cuppa by the pool absolute luxury with a view to go with it. Nothing better than getting back from the parks or a day out and slipping into your own private pool, drinks and nibbles by the pool and wonderful accommodation. As said, most villa owners are very proud of their accommodation and are spotlessly clean and any issues promptly dealt with (in my experience).

Of course price varies on what you are looking for and location but thats no different on most accommodation.
Villa not too far away from supermarkets, ie: a 5ish minute car ride.
Getting to the parks, again varies on traffic flow. The sheer luxury of having your own private pool, wonderful accommodation and the choice of eating in if you want or eating out, whatever you fancy. Villa every time for me.
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Old 25 Jul 20, 01:58 PM  
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tonymc
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Originally Posted by Duwsh View Post
I've never even looked into a villa holiday before, so any tips at all would be great. Thanks!
Last November, for the first time we rented a villa. Although on previous visits we had stayed on-site for the full duration of the holiday, we couldn't get free DDP at OKW or SSR (as we wanted a one bed apartment), so we had a split stay - 6 nights at All Stars Music (2 rooms), followed by 9 nights at a villa.

We put a request on the dibb villa boards, and chose one at Emerald Island Resort. This was a very short drive to AK (around 10 minutes), about 15 mins to Disney Springs and 20 mins to the other Disney parks. Really glad we chose the one we did - great size for 4 of us (with 4 beds) and really nice to come back and have a dip in the pool in the afternoon/evening.

The villa was spotless, and the couple of minor problems we had were very quickly dealt with by the company dealing with repairs. We paid about £85/night including pool heating, very competitive against the £100/night/room for All Stars.

Another benefit was being able to reduce our spend on food. As we decided late on to book a Disney hotel, we paid for DDP for our 6 nights as we knew we would get good value, but used the villa for most breakfasts and dinners. I think we spend around $200 for the 9 nights, which also included sandwiches/snacks for our park visits, so very little expenditure in the parks.
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Old 25 Jul 20, 02:51 PM  
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Another couple of reasons why we love the villa
If DH wants to go to the golf he can I’m not stuck in one room waiting for him to returning I can sit by the pool or drop him off go shopping
And pick him back up often having lunch at the golf course if it’s southern dunes he’s been playing at love the french dip there or we’ve maybe been out early in the day I can be at home and he can get a twilight tee time and bring dinner in if I’m not cooking
If I’m having an off day due to a long standing health issue I can faff
About at the villa and he or the family can go to the parks and neither of us feel guilty or resentful because they know I’m as happy at home
Doing my thing or doing nothing
If we were on site they would feel they have to keep popped back to see I was ok wanted to join them etc
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Old 3 Aug 20, 10:59 AM  
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OP Pixie Dust
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Hi

We have always stayed at Emerald Isle just off Formosa gardens really convenient location

We have used Debbies villas to book this Not sure with the current situation if there still operating, also sure there are many other good booking websites But this Is the one we have used as it’s worked well in the past for us
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Old 3 Aug 20, 11:44 AM  
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JanetteP
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We absolutely love our villa holidays. Sometimes stay onsite for 5 days, but always ready to get to the space and privacy of a villa. We had 2 Dibb villas booked this year, and both owners have been absolutely wonderful considering the situation.
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