Holiday advice

[coggie]

We are all different but for me it has to be a villa. I think the big advantage of a villa is that you can chill out more. If your youngest is tired after a day in the parks then they can sleep whilst the rest of you can enjoy the pool.

I can understand why people stay onsite or in hotels but I prefer the space a villa gives

[Procrastinator]

Looks like free dinning is only applicable on stays that start on or after 18th April.

So if you can go that late it is well worth considering. Food is not cheap at disney, so having all your food sorted would be good value. Like a pp said, you would need a moderate resort to get the qsdp. Which if you have some cereal in your room is then plenty to eat for the holiday.

If you are going before 18th personally i would get a villa. There wont be much difference in cost. One you are on site, easy acces etc, but there will be 5 of you in a hotel room. In a villa you will have a large 4/5 bed house to spread out in - the baby can sleep quietly in one part of the house while the other kids splash around in the pool.

Have a look at the resorts, use the dibb villa search to have a look at a few villas. See what you think.

[clarebearuk]

Personally for us with 2 young kids (5 & 3) staying in a hotel room is a challenge as we are all in the one room, that’s why we are only staying 3 nights and it’ll give us an idea of what it’s like to stay in Disney.

Think what would work best for your family and take it from there.

[Joshie1]

If it were me with three children I would go for a villa. Gives you all lots of space, the novelty of having a pool just outside the door, quiet space for naps without impacting other family members. Also the advantage of not being limited to eating onsite. Lots of great food options off site and often much better value.
Driving in the US is easy, stick the car in drive and just follow the signs.

[Andybear]

Originally Posted by Procrastinator

Looks like free dinning is only applicable on stays that start on or after 18th April.

So if you can go that late it is well worth considering. Food is not cheap at disney, so having all your food sorted would be good value. Like a pp said, you would need a moderate resort to get the qsdp. Which if you have some cereal in your room is then plenty to eat for the holiday.

If you are going before 18th personally i would get a villa. There wont be much difference in cost. One you are on site, easy acces etc, but there will be 5 of you in a hotel room. In a villa you will have a large 4/5 bed house to spread out in - the baby can sleep quietly in one part of the house while the other kids splash around in the pool.

Have a look at the resorts, use the dibb villa search to have a look at a few villas. See what you think.

See more...

Free dining is applicable before 18th April. This is what it says on the Disney website: "This offer is available for selected arrivals 1st January – 29th March 2020 and 19th April – 3rd October 2020."

[Tinkerbell]

This is a very hard question to answer.

Having stayed onsite and in a villa both have pros and cons

WDW resort budget to moderate hotels rooms are not large by any stretch of the imagination and with three children ... However, it does mean you’re u are there, using transport and if you can get the free Disney dining then that could be beneficial to you.


Why International drive? I’m pretty sure there are other hotels that may offer more spacious apartment type accommodation

Villa
Villas give you things that WDW can’t
Space
Freedom
Self catering. Reducing costs

You do have to factor in the need for a hire car and that you will spend time in traffic getting to and from parks etc. Food costs in parks can be reduced by simply taking your own food etc. The other benefit is that on days you don’t want to do anything most villas are equipped with pools, TVs and games allowing real down time out of the Disney chaos

If I was you I would

Look at free Disney dining
Look at Disney site booking accommodation and tickets only or look at attractions tickets direct they give discount for dibb members
Then look at cheap flights depending on where you are

Also the price of a villa and car hire ( Dibb villas at the top can give you an idea of the costs)

Price that up
Then

A few tour operators for package deals


Sit down and budget carefully and then add on some more for all the stuff you don’t know about yet.


Always come back on here and ask, people know on here what’s a good deal and what’s not
Ask away

[Thorpy]

Originally Posted by kthead5

Hello I’m looking for some tips

I am wanting to book to go to Florida next April time.

I have 3 children 8,5,1. Please can you advise me of the best way to book. Am I best if staying in a WDW hotel or on international drive?

Does anyone know which travel agents are offering the best deals at the moment?

See more...

I will stick quite general in my advice, there's certainly enough details to go round later ! Many people will book with a major holiday company, go where they are recommended, pay what they are asked and have no real idea what they are getting. They will do this and have a great holiday.

However as I am sure you are by now realising a Florida holiday is actually an absolute multitude of options. It is not like buying a tin of beans where you get the same thing from the supermarket or the corner shop and it's just a case of who sells it cheapest. They all sell variations, plain beans, beans and sausage, BBQ beans, etc and they all label their tins beans, with the other bits hidden in the detail. Only if you learn about the details can you get the best beans for your family.

I would start with a piece of paper and sketch out the broad options and choices. That way you start to be able to evaluate one package against another for value and convenience, or if you want piece together the parts yourself (many on here book parts themselves and separately, but they have a few trips to learn the ropes under their belts). You should then start to get an idea of where you want your budget to go. For instance some people like nicer flights, some see the flight as purely a way to get there and want that bit as cheap as possible. Some people see their accommodation as a bed and a shower, and couldn't care less, some want it to be nicer, or in a nicer place. Same for the airports you fly to and from, and any inbetween, hire cars, which parks to visit etc etc. All these are things where you have options, and if you understand the options and what matters to you as a family, you can save quite a bit of money not paying for things you don't need, and you make sure you don't get caught because what looks like a saving is cheaper because it involves a hidden compromise. Difference choices, different personal values and different costs.

Whilst it may seem daunting, you are already ahead of the game. You've tapped into the opinions of people that have been there many times, done it all ways up. Anything you want to know, somebody will have been there done it and be able to give you an honest opinion.

It will probably seem expensive (I've no idea of your budget or expectations), but the people on here get their moneys worth. Assuming your april time is during school holidays, the things you will learn on here will probably save 4 figures for a family of 5 against a travel agent price, and get you a better holiday than if you "just booked". Remember that when it seems far too complicated!

[Procrastinator]

Originally Posted by Andybear

Free dining is applicable before 18th April. This is what it says on the Disney website: "This offer is available for selected arrivals 1st January – 29th March 2020 and 19th April – 3rd October 2020."

See more...

True. I was keeping in mind op's aim to go in April. But that is a good point. Arrive 29th Match and free dinning is an option as well as arriving 19th April.

[show_the_magic]

I would go for the villa too. You and her husband can share the driving and the kids have plenty of room to play. In a hotel room you will all be on top of each other, when the kids are asleep you can both relax by the pool / watch some TV etc without disturbing the children etc...

[sparkyweb]

I love the freedom of a villa and works well with the whole family. Especially with our youngest daughter needing more sleep that the eldest.
I’ve never stayed onsite and would love at some point to try a couple of days but for me the pro’s of a villa win every time.

Saying all of that we are not doing any parks this time round so a villa is the best choice.