When staying in Orlando, you really do have a lot of choices ... sort of. One of the big decisions that the travel sites and the travel books will alert you to is whether to stay on property or off.
And to be perfectly honest, Disney hospitality can be very nice. We like the hidden Mickeys and the themed swimming pools, but on our last trip to Disney World, my wife and I looked at each other and asked, "We paid $250 a night for that?"
A Little Perspective
Did you know that you can get a room at the The Waldorf-Astoria? for less than $250 a night? It comes with neato robes, too!
Florida Lemons
The fact of the matter is, you have many choices, and not all of them put you into 250 sq feet or so of living space.
I compiled this chart for a 1st week in March stay for a family of six ...
Price/night Sq. feet Sleeps Doubletree $ 168 608 4-6 Holiday Inn $ 190 485 6 Caribe Royale $ 166 500 4-6 Caribe Royale (big suite) $ 316 1,260 8 Sheraton Vistana $ 218 497-910 8 Disney Value Resort $ 218 (2 rooms) 260 8 Disney Moderate $ 338 (2 rooms) 314 8 Disney Deluxe $ 578 (2 rooms) 400 8 Beach Club Villas $ 350 1,080 8 3 BD/2 BA Vacation Home $ 150 1,600 8
When you look at how much you pay, the hotel option leaves you wondering what the differences are.
Hotels - Tried and True
Hotels offer a standard quality of accomodation. They're centrally located - and this is especially true in Orlando. Disney's hotels are right on their property, and therefore the closest you can get to the "Magic." However, they're small, don't offer cooking facilities, and it can be difficult to get off of Disney property easily (say, to visit another park).
The Vacation Home Alternative
Orlando boasts an amazing number of vacation homes. These are detached homes that are individually owned. They have full size kitchens, several bedrooms and bathrooms, and many have private pools and/or hot tubs.
You do need to have a rental car. The homes in Orlando are between 10 to 15 minutes away from the parks at Disney World. My vote is that it's nice to get away in the evening to your own private home and pool, but some people prefer to be surrounded by the theme parks 24/7.
In addition, there is no room service at a vacation home. However, most homes are within several blocks of a grocery store, so stocking up on your favorite foods (both fast and not-so-fast) is easy.
For a family of six, these two differences add up to serious savings, both in terms of time and money. Having a car means we have choices in terms of getting to and leaving the parks. On a busy evening, we may choose to have dinner at one of the resort restaurants and pay for valet parking (or skip dinner and just pay for parking anyway). At the close of day, we can then skip the long monorail/bus/boat lines, and take the much shorter resort monorail.
In the morning, having a ready supply of breakfast foods means the younger members of our family don't have to wait until everyone is showered and ready to go before being able to eat breakfast.
Conclusion
If you're looking to take a group or a family larger than five people on a Disney vacation, and if having a rental car and a full size kitchen appeals to you, then you owe it to yourself to try a vacation home.
Steve Black is a Disney nut and owner of Fezziwigs, a luxury, golf-course Orlando Vacation Home.
See a 360? virtual tour of the home at http://www.4kidsnus.com/orlando/tour/tour.shtml
Or get more information, pictures, and rates at: http://www.4kidsnus.com/orlando/tour/tour.shtml
Ashton group transportation logistics management ..I had always been told that if you wanted to... Read More
When vacation time rolls around, some people choose to stay... Read More
As beautiful and modern as Cozumel is, visitors must remember... Read More
Most of us take vacations for the express purpose of... Read More
Disneyland became the very definition of a theme park and... Read More
It has been said that in real estate there are... Read More
Maui is one of the islands found in Hawaii. It... Read More
The demand for a stay in an ice hotel has... Read More
At the heart of Central Florida lies one of the... Read More
Planning a family beach vacation? Looking for destinations with family... Read More
Florida beachfront rentals are a great way to enjoy a... Read More
What kind of traveler are you? Do you want everything... Read More
Lodging Hotels in Davenport, FLThere are numerous choices for lodging... Read More
The Algarve, and particularly the areas around Carvoeiro, Albufeira, Praia... Read More
The Amazonat Jungle Lodge is offering in addition to her... Read More
For most of us, the basis of a car rental... Read More
Today, we as travelers have a ton of options to... Read More
Hospitable to all of our visitors, rental agencies on Hilton... Read More
It is a common assumption for most Americans that they... Read More
I am in my yearly snit. Now my wife would... Read More
Bahamas vacation villas are the way to go if you... Read More
Gloucestershire, pronounced Glostershire, is a pretty English county located south... Read More
Shropshire is England's forgotten county, but it is well worth... Read More
Before finding the answer to this dilemma, let's take an... Read More
Have you ever done something spontaneous? Are you in love... Read More
group transportation logistics management Highland ..The southern English county of Hampshire is only two hours... Read More
Stand by the shores of Casco Bay on the coast... Read More
Many vacationers on Hilton Head Island have discovered a simple... Read More
Florida beachfront rentals are a great way to enjoy a... Read More
When it comes to shopping for something on-line, we tend... Read More
Five Affordable World Travel Destinations Locations That Offer... Read More
I am in my yearly snit. Now my wife would... Read More
If you're thinking about planning a great winter vacation, think... Read More
What is a villa? Come to Orlando, Florida to find... Read More
Hotels are a large component of Pigeon Forge lodging. As... Read More
When you travel abroad, especially far away from home you... Read More
Vancouver will receive a lot of attention as the 2010... Read More
Gloucestershire, pronounced Glostershire, is a pretty English county located south... Read More
Made famous by Revolutionary events, infamous by cold winters, and... Read More
The demand for a stay in an ice hotel has... Read More
Miraflores is the turistic district of Lima. The main hotels... Read More
There are many wonderful resorts with tons of activity in... Read More
Have you ever done something spontaneous? Are you in love... Read More
Just drive out to one of these delightful wine estates... Read More
Aphrodite's Hot SpotEuropean Road Trip AdventuresCyprus. Yes, it is a... Read More
You are the owner of a timeshare and have decided... Read More
Cairns Rainforest Retreat is ideally located for your unique rainforest... Read More
Seasoned travelers often tire of the standard routine of airplane,... Read More
Because many people want to live in or near Lake... Read More
Many vacation spots purport to offer true relaxation, but upon... Read More
Vacation Rental |