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Old 15 May 19, 10:21 AM  
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#1
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Mobile Sell me on a villa

Looking at villa maybe for next year.

What are the best and worst things about staying in a villa?

Do you have any tips on things to take that we wouldn’t think of.
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Old 15 May 19, 10:38 AM  
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cornishfrogboy
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I guess that for the budget conscious family its like comparing living in a Shoebox with living in a palace. Whilst I love my family dearly, I have no intention of living in a 20' by 8' room with a pokey bathroom at the back and a couple of queen beds within for a fortnight.

A typical villa gives you loads of space, privacy, a games room, a pool, individual bedrooms for the boys and the ability to live a normal home life whilst dipping in and out of the frenzy of Orlando and its theme parks as and when you wish. It also gives you catering facilities, a fridge and freezer etc, cool drinks, packed lunches for the parks, self made breakfasts, washing machine and tumble dryer etc. The only disadvantage is that you almost invariably have to drive to restaurants, parks, supermarkets and therefore one of the two adults is not drinking (alcohol).

A Hotel gives you cramped accommodation (dependant on budget), strangers, lack of privacy and a larger, but communal pool. it may also give you a complimentary breakfast and complimentary shuttle buses to the parks.

The only thing in Orlando that has approached covering the best of both worlds was a 3 bedroom suite in Lake Buena Vista Village Resort and Spa with a decent balcony, bar and pool.

On site... done it once, but never again.

Things to take...

Dishwasher tablets.
Teabags
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Old 15 May 19, 10:42 AM  
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RickT
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Originally Posted by DisneygirlsSG View Post
Looking at villa maybe for next year.

What are the best and worst things about staying in a villa?
Best
- More Space
- Private Pool
- Multiple Bedrooms (all not in 1 room)
- Games Room
- Washing Facility
- Own Full size kitchen
- Relaxing Location with the sun on the door step
- BBQ
- Social element with friends
- Cost effective
- Relaxing environment over hotel rush
- No resort fees
- No hotel parking costs


Worst -
None for us,
but some may say.

- Having to rent a car and pay to park v uber or onsite transport
- No social element other than with own family.
- Pool is smaller than a resort
- No prepared meals.
- Driving time v commercial locations.



Originally Posted by DisneygirlsSG View Post
Do you have any tips on things to take that we wouldn’t think of.
Things we take which over the years have realised save us a little money as you can never buy small packs

-Washing up sponges and cloth's
- Bin liners
- Dishwasher tablets (though had a case searched once, not sure if for them or not
- Robinsons Squeeze small drinks
- Kids Slippers if hard floors
- Water Bottles for parks
- 6 way extension lead
- Amazon Fire stick


Thats it for the moment..
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Old 15 May 19, 11:16 AM  
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bex85chelt
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Pros:

Older kids - can have their own space
Younger kids - have separate bedroom so adults can watch tv / sit out with a drink once their in bed
hot tub at 10 o'clock after a long day at the parks
kids can get up and get straight in the pool / jump straight in when they get home
more relaxing for a chill out day
can choose to eat in villa - cereal at the very least saves eating out but sandwiches etc takes no effort or shoving something in the over etc
more than one bathroom
feels more like your own space i feel
Ordering takeout from outback and eating it in your pjs / swimming stuff whatever lol - our kids loved being able to have a meal out without leaving the villa

Cons;
if your usually onsite then there's the lack of perks 60 day fp and free parking but i would always choose villa over an off-site hotel

We always take our own tea bags and i would say take sugar / sweetener if you use it as again you end up buying a big bag of sugar and not using it, other than that i think dishwasher tabs was only other thing we took. the villas we've stayed in have always been well equipped with kitchen stuff, sponges, towels all sorts
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Old 15 May 19, 12:20 PM  
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Originally Posted by bex85chelt View Post
Pros:

Older kids - can have their own space
Younger kids - have separate bedroom so adults can watch tv / sit out with a drink once their in bed
hot tub at 10 o'clock after a long day at the parks
kids can get up and get straight in the pool / jump straight in when they get home
more relaxing for a chill out day
can choose to eat in villa - cereal at the very least saves eating out but sandwiches etc takes no effort or shoving something in the over etc
more than one bathroom
feels more like your own space i feel
Ordering takeout from outback and eating it in your pjs / swimming stuff whatever lol - our kids loved being able to have a meal out without leaving the villa

Cons;
if your usually onsite then there's the lack of perks 60 day fp and free parking but i would always choose villa over an off-site hotel

We always take our own tea bags and i would say take sugar / sweetener if you use it as again you end up buying a big bag of sugar and not using it, other than that i think dishwasher tabs was only other thing we took. the villas we've stayed in have always been well equipped with kitchen stuff, sponges, towels all sorts
Sorry to jump in but what about for washing clothes? Don’t get what could be taken for that. Wouldn’t want to go through with bags of white power
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Old 15 May 19, 01:31 PM  
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It's only in the last 2 years that we have had a villa and I now wouldn't go back to a hotel. My 2 grandsons are 12 and 8 and are ready for bed about 8.00pm - 9.00pm so they can go off and we stay round the pool just chatting, drinking or whatever. The only thing I miss is not being able to book until 30 days before. I love sitting round the pool eating a takeaway and relaxing. The 2 villas we have been in have been absolutely fabulous. So quiet, no problems and would go back in a flash,actually we're waiting for release of its flights to book next year. Formosa Gardens was a brilliant place to stay.
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Old 15 May 19, 01:33 PM  
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Old 15 May 19, 01:40 PM  
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As a couple who haven't stayed in a hotel in Florida since the last millennium (apart from a one night pre-cruise stay in Miami) not sure if I'm really qualified to answer in a comparative way.

Just returned from our 13th visit to the same 4 bed villa with November booked as well. We are just a couple as well.

Too many advantages to list really. Twenty feet from the spa with a coffee to watch the sunrise - just the two of us. Ten feet from the private pool. Ten feet from sunbathing on the pool deck. Five feet from sitting in the shade under the lanai.

Four toilets to choose from with one on the pool deck. Wash and tumble dry when we want to and nobody else to please. One bedroom just for shopping.

The ability and freedom to pop back in for coffee or cold drink whenever we like without asking ourselves whether housekeeping have been.

The ability for one of our daughters to join us for a week and pay no more accommodation costs - yes we do get the owner's approval.

Watching the 10" high mockingbird attack a hawk perched on the screen and twice its size.

Watching Jeopardy either in the lounge or in bed.

Mick
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Old 15 May 19, 01:46 PM  
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Originally Posted by mick View Post
As a couple who haven't stayed in a hotel in Florida since the last millennium (apart from a one night pre-cruise stay in Miami) not sure if I'm really qualified to answer in a comparative way.

Just returned from our 13th visit to the same 4 bed villa with November booked as well. We are just a couple as well.

Too many advantages to list really. Twenty feet from the spa with a coffee to watch the sunrise - just the two of us. Ten feet from the private pool. Ten feet from sunbathing on the pool deck. Five feet from sitting in the shade under the lanai.

Four toilets to choose from with one on the pool deck. Wash and tumble dry when we want to and nobody else to please. One bedroom just for shopping.

The ability and freedom to pop back in for coffee or cold drink whenever we like without asking ourselves whether housekeeping have been.

The ability for one of our daughters to join us for a week and pay no more accommodation costs - yes we do get the owner's approval.

Watching the 10" high mockingbird attack a hawk perched on the screen and twice its size.

Watching Jeopardy either in the lounge or in bed.

Mick
Couldn't have put it better myself Mick
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Old 15 May 19, 01:50 PM  
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My view on it is that I am on holiday and want to be able to relax. I'd love to be in the Disney bubble, but how relaxing would it be to be stuck in the same 4 walls as SWMBO and DD. When DD (who will be 4 when we travel) needs to go to bed, thats the day over for us.

If we are in a villa she can go to bed and we can sit out on the deck playing cards, drink a bottle of wine, go for another swim, watch TV. During the day if it all gets too much and she needs a sleep, thats fine, she can go to bed, we can pop the baby monitor on and we can relax. We don't need to eat out for 21 consecutive nights, we can have relaxing BBQ's, we can have friends come out and stay with us for a few nights. We've balanced this by booking a villa in Solterra so we still have a communal pool, we still have a local bar/restaurant, a playground. It just gives us more freedom to plan our stay and relax!
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