Marriott Villas vs. Springhill/Towneplace at Flamingo crossing

[Lemur_dad]

We're planning Disney World vacation for next Spring, and are debating between staying at Springhill/Towneplace at Flamingo crossing vs. one of the villa-type locations (which I learned in a sister thread: Vistana, Harbour Lake, Cypress Harbour, Sabal Palms, Royal Palms, Lakeshore, Grande Vista). We will use Marriott points for the stay, and have enough points for either option.

2 adults, 3 children who would just turn 10, 7, and 5 by the time of visit. Plan to spend ~6 days in DW and then another 1-2 days in Legoland.

Questions:

• From your experience, are villas worth 2x the points vs. Springhill, specifically for the Disney World vacation? Understanding all the benefits - more space, full kitchen, full size fridge, pools, slides, kids club - my main hesitation is that we won't have time to enjoy any of these, as the day is going to be "wake up - go to parks - come back - sleep - repeat", at which point it's probably wiser to stay in Springhill and have the free breakfast. Please share what was your experience
• If we go with the villas, what would be your favorite out of the Marriott (+ former SPG) properties for kids this age, who are moderately active, love to swim, etc.?

Many thanks!

 

[Monykalyn]

Our favorite has been Cypress Harbour with older kids. Definitely take some down time to enjoy the resort! 7-8 days of gogogo is extremely exhausting and leads to crank monster travelers. Last time the kids would rather hang at the resort than parks.
But the Palms have added benefit of using Marriott world center pool with slides.

While we liked Grande Vista the villa layout we got wasn’t my favorite. The main pool was great though and separate splash area for smaller kids.

Harbour lake is being remodeled (probably done by next year I’d expect) and has great pools too- your age kids would probably love the pirate ship pool!

Vistana has lots of areas and I think the villas can be quite different depending on the area. There’s a great thread here devoted just to Sheraton Vistana Resort

Remember the villas have in unit laundry too. And never underestimate the power of separate sleeping areas for kids and parents.

While I haven’t stayed at that particular SpringHill suites we have stayed at them when traveling (more sleep surfaces) and if I had a choice it’d be the villas every single time. No contest. Bu we are spoiled with having a timeshare we trade to stay in multi bedroom units

 

[Lemur_dad]

Definitely take some down time to enjoy the resort! 7-8 days of gogogo is extremely exhausting and leads to crank monster travelers. Last time the kids would rather hang at the resort than parks.

So, would you stay at the resort for 7 nights but only go to DW 4 or 5 days?

And never underestimate the power of separate sleeping areas for kids and parents.

That will be my new go-to phrase in hotel discussions!

 

[Lemur_dad]

What do others think? Would really appreciate any advice on staying near DisneyWorld with kids this age and on villas vs. suites

Many thanks!

 

[JaxDad]

We have stayed at Harbour Lake 4-5 times, 2-3 years ago, during a period when my kids were similar ages as your two oldest. We loved it! I always considered trying other Marriott properties, but we almost always ended up back at HL. Like you, I used points or got some other deal to make it more affordable. We've stayed in the standard room, 1BR, and the 2BR. They are all great. It is definitely worth getting at least the 1BR for privacy AND the full kitchen and laundry. I always felt very relaxed there, and had no problem letting the kids go off to explore. There were lots of scheduled activities, and they always made new friends. The splash area is great, as is the pirate pool for little ones. There is also a water slide. There is a nice huge hot tub at one pool, and a more standard-sized one at the other. My son really liked the basketball court, they both liked the ping pong and pool tables, plus there is a small arcade and a game field. We played lots of miniature golf there as well. The course is fun. There is only one casual restaurant and a snack bar, so food is somewhat limited, but it always seemed like enough variety for our resort days. I never travelled to the Disney parks from there, only Disney Springs, plus SeaWorld, Universal, and I-Drive stuff, which was all easy. I definitely recommend it, but it is good to explore what the other properties have (e.g., I believe Lakeshore Reserve has a nice lazy river). Good luck!

 

[arminnie]

I don't have children so am not giving a recommendation - but doesn't Towneplace Suites have full kitchens? Springhill does not.

 

[Lemur_dad]

I don't have children so am not giving a recommendation - but doesn't Towneplace Suites have full kitchens? Springhill does not.

According to the pictures at Marriott webpage, Towneplace Suites has kitchenettes in Studios and full kitchens in Suites, but not sure that's the actual case for all the rooms.

 

[ClapYourHands]

Does it have to be all one or the other? I agree with most everyone here that the timeshare resorts are going to make for a more pleasant experience, but I also understand that points have value and it's nice not to blow them all if there's another viable alternative.

What if you spent the first few days at Flamingo Crossing while you do some commando park days, and then you move over to a villa for a more mellow second half? That way you get the cheaper price and the ease of free breakfast when you're still fresh and hitting the parks hard, but get the space to unwind when you're worn out from the parks (and probably starting to grate on each other's nerves from all that togetherness).

I took my two older kids (10 and almost 9) to WDW last fall. It was only a 5 day trip, but we hit the parks hard, and by day 3 they were exhausted. By day 4, we cut our morning plans short to go back to the hotel and relax, and by day 5, I was rescheduling fast passes for later so they could have more time at the pool.

As the vacation goes on, it becomes more and more important to have down time. Especially in a place like WDW that is hot and crowded, full of noises and lines and bodies jammed together. It's an amazing place, but it can also be a very intense place. It's really important to have an antidote to the sensory overload of the parks.

Not to say that Flamingo Crossing isn't perfectly adequate, and I'm sure your family could have a great time there, but if you have the means to stay in a villa, I think you'll appreciate it.

 

[Lemur_dad]

Does it have to be all one or the other?

Thank you, this is a very helpful perspective! I was initially considering this, but then thought that moving hotels in the middle of the stay is a major pain in the back, and now I start thinking that hmm, maybe it isn't. I like your logic of hitting it hard on days 1-3 and then chilling on days 4-6. It also always helps the experience to start at a more "basic" place and then move to a more "upscale" place

We're also using points, so there's a bit of a "funny money" aspect to it, but hey, a point saved is a point earned!

 

[ClapYourHands]

Thank you, this is a very helpful perspective! I was initially considering this, but then thought that moving hotels in the middle of the stay is a major pain in the back, and now I start thinking that hmm, maybe it isn't. I like your logic of hitting it hard on days 1-3 and then chilling on days 4-6. It also always helps the experience to start at a more "basic" place and then move to a more "upscale" place

We're also using points, so there's a bit of a "funny money" aspect to it, but hey, a point saved is a point earned!

Moving hotels shouldn't be that hard. I assume if you are staying offsite that you have a car. So the night before, you pack your suitcases, except for what you need for the morning (clothes, toiletries, etc.). You get up, get dressed, pack your PJs, and put your luggage in the trunk. Go to the park for the day. Leave the park, drive to the new resort, move in.

Also, since most villas will have a washer/dryer in the unit, you can pack for 3-4 days. Just bring your dirty clothes to the villa, do wash that evening, and put the wet clothes in the dryer before bed. When you wake up, you'll have fresh clothes waiting for you.

 

[Monykalyn]

We often do split stays-it really isn't that big of a deal, but when we do it is for a long trip (10-14 days) where we do 3-6 days onsite and then move to our villa. My DH puts up with the moving but he isn't really a fan. He prefers to start with the space to spread out to start with, and stay there lol!

Personally-I'd just choose the villa to start and plan 2 hard core park days, day off, couple more hard days etc.
Legoland a must? Have you been to disney before? That can make a difference on how many days as well.

 

[Lemur_dad]

We often do split stays-it really isn't that big of a deal, but when we do it is for a long trip (10-14 days) where we do 3-6 days onsite and then move to our villa.

Yeah, we might end up doing that, although our trip will likely be shorter

Legoland a must? Have you been to disney before? That can make a difference on how many days as well.

It would be good to go. Our youngest will be 5, our oldest will be 10 - probably last year when they all can already enjoy it and not yet be bored with it

 

[georgina]

Doesn't Marriott still give you 5 nights for the price of 4 if you stay at one place on points? A split stay could end up costing you more.

We have stayed at the Flamingo Crossing hotels and they were fine for 2 of us, but might want more space with 3 kids. Although we did stay many trips with our 3 in one room, it was tight.

 

[jmpurdy]

Stayed at Cypress Harbour in December (first time off site in many years), and it was gorgeous. Asked for and got water view, top floor. Huge villa, so relaxing. Pools are beautiful, and would be perfect for some away from the park down time to rejuvenate. Highly recommend.