Penmac
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2017
I am starting to think about plans for our upcoming trip this summer, and yet again I am agonizing over the property vs. off-property stay. For previous trips we have always stayed offsite in a nice condo. We have 5 kids under 9 so can't fit in a standard hotel room, or even a room for 5. We have done Sheraton Vistana, Royal Palms and Bonnet Creek. It is so nice to have a full kitchen, multiple bedrooms and most importantly- a washer and dryer just off the kitchen! Can't be beat during Florida summer heat. And we have always managed to get a very good nightly rate (between $130-$160). These places have been great and I haven't had any complaints (besides the parking at Bonnet Creek).
I am tempted to pay a few dollars more and go with two connecting value rooms on property. The thought of using a hop on, hop off bus and taking advantage of EMH sounds great! We tend to do rope drop in the AM, take a mid-day break, and then go back to park for the evening hours. So, making it easier to get back to the hotel mid-day is appealing. However, we would not do the meal plan since it would not be cost effective for us. So, not having a kitchen could be a problem for us. We rarely do ADR (five kids under 9 in a sit down restaurant is not my idea of a vacation and it's astronomically expensive at WDW). And, NO washer/dryer in unit scares me. We generate 1-2 loads of laundry a day.
We almost booked into the Fort Wilderness Cabins last summer, but the sheer size of the place intimidated me. The internal bus system sounds like a drag. So, I am looking more at a hotel scenario- Pop, or All Stars..
I am looking for feedback from larger families who have done 2 connecting rooms and have not done the meal plan. How did you manage meals, and how did you find time to get laundry done? Or did you? How is navigating the bus system from these value resorts? Would we really save time from driving? We will have a car. We also have strollers to drag with us and I am worried about that on the bus. I have read horror stories about people waiting 45 min for a bus, or being in line for 1.5 hours at night to get bus back to resort. This suddenly makes the tram to the car not seem so bad. We will be there in early July so it will be very busy at the parks.
We would be looking to do about 4 nights. We are staying off property for an event in Orlando for a couple nights and then will be doing a few days at the parks.
Thanks!
I am tempted to pay a few dollars more and go with two connecting value rooms on property. The thought of using a hop on, hop off bus and taking advantage of EMH sounds great! We tend to do rope drop in the AM, take a mid-day break, and then go back to park for the evening hours. So, making it easier to get back to the hotel mid-day is appealing. However, we would not do the meal plan since it would not be cost effective for us. So, not having a kitchen could be a problem for us. We rarely do ADR (five kids under 9 in a sit down restaurant is not my idea of a vacation and it's astronomically expensive at WDW). And, NO washer/dryer in unit scares me. We generate 1-2 loads of laundry a day.
We almost booked into the Fort Wilderness Cabins last summer, but the sheer size of the place intimidated me. The internal bus system sounds like a drag. So, I am looking more at a hotel scenario- Pop, or All Stars..
I am looking for feedback from larger families who have done 2 connecting rooms and have not done the meal plan. How did you manage meals, and how did you find time to get laundry done? Or did you? How is navigating the bus system from these value resorts? Would we really save time from driving? We will have a car. We also have strollers to drag with us and I am worried about that on the bus. I have read horror stories about people waiting 45 min for a bus, or being in line for 1.5 hours at night to get bus back to resort. This suddenly makes the tram to the car not seem so bad. We will be there in early July so it will be very busy at the parks.
We would be looking to do about 4 nights. We are staying off property for an event in Orlando for a couple nights and then will be doing a few days at the parks.
Thanks!