2 weeks at disney v 1 week + villa

[Jules32]

Hi Guys

I'm looking to visit next august school hols and I can't decide whether it will be cheaper to do 1 week at Disney with the dining plan and 1 week in a villa or 2 weeks at Disney with dining plan. We are a family of 2 adults 3 girls who will be 12,10 and 8. I quite like the idea of having a week at both with some time to enjoy some downtime at the villa, but also trying to factor in cost as at the minute my pricing is coming in at around 8k booking it all ourselves not through a TA for 2 weeks onsite at Disney upgrading to the Disney dining plan as we do want to do some character meals whilst the kids are still fairly young.
This is our first time to Florida as we are currently annual pass holders for Paris and have been going here for the past few years but feel like we have outgrown it a little bit now .

Also any tips on best time to book flights ?

thanks in advance

[arial]

We have been a few times before as a couple but next May will be taking our then 2 year old for the first time and I had the same dilemma as you. I compromised at 1 week on site and 1 week in a condo or something similar.

We stayed on site as a couple with DDP a few years ago and loved it so definitely wanted to do that but didn't think we could cope with 2 weeks all in one room so have split it up. It has also ended up being a bit cheaper that way but we aren't looking at a whole villa like you would be so I'm not sure if it would be the same.

[Wigan Lass]

We did 1 week onsite at Saratoga Springs in a 1 bed villa with ddp, followed by 1 week in a villa at Terra Verde. The cost of the offsite week when we factored in food costs, travel costs, parking costs was $200 cheaper. That was quite a cheap villa too...if I'd compared it to the villa we had the year before when we stayed in Windsor Hills we would've broken even! Obviously not the cheapest Disney accommodation either. We were party of 2 adults and 2 children. I was also gutted to be leaving Disney when it was villa move day..and there's the hassle of moving mid holiday. Needless to say this year we are doing 2 weeks onsite...

[duchy]

With three kids a lot will depend how you eat in the heat. If you are three full meals a day regardless of the heat people and don't want to do any food prep or cooking at all then on site may be better value.

For me the heat kills my appetite and after a week of DDP moving to a villa and simpler food with less chips and more green stuff for daytime works better. Evenings will be steak, ribs etc some evenings and pizza and salad others mixing in and out (some evenings I can't be bothered getting changed to go out and am happy to stay relaxed by our pool)

[Jules32]

Originally Posted by arial

We have been a few times before as a couple but next May will be taking our then 2 year old for the first time and I had the same dilemma as you. I compromised at 1 week on site and 1 week in a condo or something similar.

We stayed on site as a couple with DDP a few years ago and loved it so definitely wanted to do that but didn't think we could cope with 2 weeks all in one room so have split it up. It has also ended up being a bit cheaper that way but we aren't looking at a whole villa like you would be so I'm not sure if it would be the same.

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That's what i'm thinking 2 weeks in 1 room with 3 girls may prove more than I can handle

[papasmurf]

This is the first trip we've stayed onsite. First two times we visited we stayed off site.

This time we did the first week at akl then the remaining time at the villa.

I personally thought the week was enough onsite.

Reasons being

Sharing a room with the kids was a bit cramped after a while

The dining plan costs do start wracking up. With tips, a couple of drinks and a side the costs were as much as a cheapish meal off site.

The costs of other things really add up. A beer by the pool, bottled water etc

That said we really enjoyed it, and I'm not saying the costs annoyed me. It was just a load more than I expected. In total it was about $550.

I could have said no to the extras. But that's not really the point of a holiday

[Jules32]

I think id probably feel the same but also look forward to maybe a bit more relaxed feel in the villa and thinking we would know our way a bit better by then. Id like to do it the other way round and save onsite for the last week but I think with us being newbies it would make sense to do the villa part last.

[Jules32]

Originally Posted by duchy

With three kids a lot will depend how you eat in the heat. If you are three full meals a day regardless of the heat people and don't want to do any food prep or cooking at all then on site may be better value.

For me the heat kills my appetite and after a week of DDP moving to a villa and simpler food with less chips and more green stuff for daytime works better. Evenings will be steak, ribs etc some evenings and pizza and salad others mixing in and out (some evenings I can't be bothered getting changed to go out and am happy to stay relaxed by our pool)

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yep me too and as much as I love the American food ( we've done Vegas a few times) I find I am craving greenery by the end of it.
I quite like the idea of just being able to stay in the villa and relax at night rather than feeling forced to go out and any excuse to shop at walmart

[Jules32]

Originally Posted by papasmurf

This is the first trip we've stayed onsite. First two times we visited we stayed off site.

This time we did the first week at akl then the remaining time at the villa.

I personally thought the week was enough onsite.

Reasons being

Sharing a room with the kids was a bit cramped after a while

The dining plan costs do start wracking up. With tips, a couple of drinks and a side the costs were as much as a cheapish meal off site.

The costs of other things really add up. A beer by the pool, bottled water etc

That said we really enjoyed it, and I'm not saying the costs annoyed me. It was just a load more than I expected. In total it was about $550.

I could have said no to the extras. But that's not really the point of a holiday

See more...

thanks for that yeah we wouldn't want to be saying no either so worth considering that. we do definitely want to stay onsite with the kids being the age that they are but I think a split stay might be worthwhile for us.

[NewtoOrlando]

We went last year for the first time & did 5 nights onsite and 11 in a 3 bed condo, with a night in Miami at the start & a night at Universal in the middle.

We loved onsite for the buses, the ddp, the extra house for onsite guests, no parking and Caribbean beach was amazing but I think a week maximum is all I could do with 4 of us in one room! A split stay works perfectly for us as a family, and we're doing the same n x year but at OKW instead of Caribbean beach! This was last August and are booked for nex August.