Need quite a bit of help!

[sersee05]

We have been to Disney in the past and stayed at the Polynesian. It was wonderful and on the monorail. It made things so easy.

This year we get to come back. Part of the trip is for a lacrosse recruiting tournament my daughter is involved in. So this has put a little bit of where to stay up in the air.

I have three kids (16, 11 and 8). Originally we were thinking back to the poly and dining plan. We are unsure about flying or driving at this point and are going the week before Thanksgiving.

If we fly, we would need to rent a car for the tournament since it is at Wide World of sports. So we are still debating since it will be a haul to drive.

We are wondering if it might be a better idea to stay at a hotel or condo facility? I have seen Windsor hills mentioned and some have pools. Although that late in November, I am not sure if we will be able to swim.

The convenience of the monorail is great and we are thinking of purchasing hopper tickets this time just in case my daughter only has one game and we can go to a park.

I also want to make sure I get to go to Seaworld this time as I didn't get to the last visit.

I have seen a ton of hotels and don't know where to start. I definitely still want that Disney vacationy feel. A condo is enticing due to being able to spread out.

Sorry I am babbling. I am just at a loss. It doesn't seem wide world is all that far from the disney hotels. Also, I have been told that I could find a really really nice hotel for the same price as the Poly?

Do you guys have any suggestions?

 

[winterwhite]

I see you haven't gotten any replies so I will chime in, but I will preface this: my preference is for staying offsite, especially since you have 2 kids that are older.

There are only 3 Disney properties that offer direct transportation to WWOS. All Star Sports, Caribbean Beach, and Pop Century. None of these are in the same class as the Polynesian, with the Caribbean Beach being the nicest.

That said, you're talking about a busier time of the year, and with 5 people, 3 of whom are adult sized, 1 room at the polynesian would be a bit tight. Were you planning on just one room?

Windsor Hills is a good option. There are a lot of rentals there with theming in the kids bedrooms, so your 8 year old will still get the disney experience. Here is one suggestion:
http://storytimeorlandorental.com/ as you can see, even the 6br with pool heat is going to be much cheaper than 1 room at the Poly.

For a more upscale place, Bonnet Creek has 3-br suites all the way up to presidential class, for less than you'd pay at the polynesian. This doesn't include transportation, though there is a shuttle for $4/person/day (I think). You would also need to provide your own transport from Windsor Hills.

We have also stayed further afield at the Holiday Inn Resort at Orange Lake, and really liked it, also very affordable.

We are very used to staying at top notch hotels, so we often split our stay. The swan/dolphin may also be a good choice for you, but you would need 2 rooms I think and the price is higher than the others listed here. For the cost of a Poly room and dining plan for 5, I am quite sure you could come out ahead doing one of these options, renting a car, and paying OOP for food.

 

[a1970model]

I have stayed at the Poly before and it was heaven, no doubt. I'm a bit of a resort snob, as you can tell by my signature below. I loved all of the Disney conveniences, from Magical Express to using my room key to charge in the parks.

However, that said, Windsor Hills has won me and my family over. We were heavy into Disney and the deluxes until my daughter transferred to the university and those bills began to eat up any extra vacation funds we had. To save some money and still make it to Disney, I booked a home with a pool for a Christmas trip (which we shared with some friends) and we drove for the first time. We were stunned by how much we liked Windsor Hills, having our own car instead of Disney buses, and having access to a kitchen and washer/dryer. We visited Universal too, so our vacations were no longer "just about Disney" anymore.

This past June, we finally made it back to Orlando after 2.5 years. I didn't want to spend a ton because we still have a son in college. However, I left it up to the kids... which would they prefer.... the Poly or Wilderness Lodge or a house/condo at Windsor Hills. They both preferred a condo. Their reasons? They got their own room and bathroom. There is definitely something to be said for the extra space for older kids. So, we rented a 3-bedroom condo and all of us were more than satisfied. We still went to the Poly one morning for Tonga Toast and strolled through the grounds and lobby (before riding the Monorail to Magic Kingdom) and honestly, I think that was enough of a fix for us. We really do enjoy Windsor Hills and don't feel we're missing the magic. If anything, we're experiencing more luxury for a better price.

That's just my opinion, though. Both of our rentals were with www.floridasunvacationhomes.com. Excellent service and homes for both trips.

 

[sersee05]

Thank you so much !!!

Is Bonnett Creek condo type resort also? I tend to prefer renting a place rather than staying in a hotel normally . We were just at a lax tourney in Mass and all five went because we stayed three extra days for a camp thing. So we rented a house for the same price it would have cost for the hotel and we were just so much happier. Different rooms, different tvs, more bathrooms, etc. Just a much better experience . I know most people say that you only need a room to lay your head...But we like to wind down watching a little tv after going to the parks.

Last time we did go to the Poly. The Poly allows 5 so we only had one room. They had two queen beds(I think?) and then a little couch thing that my older daughter slept on, but she was 13 at the time. We managed and loved the resort. We loved the feel of it.

I am extremely anxious and picky when it comes to cleanliness too...so that is a very important factor for me.

I am thinking some place like you described would be a good fit if we drive. We are still torn but the air prices are very high right now it seems. And then we would have to rent a car for a couple days anyhow to get my daughter to her games.

Wow do the storytime townhomes truly look like that? That really seems to have a Disney feel!

A lot to think about . I think you are right . If I do something like this, I would still get the pool(Can you swim at this time of year?), get the Disney feel and eat out of pocket for less.

 

[sersee05]

Thank you a1970 model!

That was my concern..the whole Disney feel missing. Even with my oldest, she loved the Poly...and honestly I am a tad bit of a hotel/resort snob also. But it looks like I could do well with a condo. Did you end up driving everywhere? Are you still allowed to use monorail even if you aren't staying at the resort? One of the things my oldest and I did was have breakfast at OHana and we would really loved to do that again. Am I allowed to park at the Poly?

Also when you go the condo route...where do you get your tickets? Do you just go ahead and purchase from undercover tourist?

That is a good point about other parks too. We were considering only buying a 3 day hopper for Disney. I want to go to seaworld in the worst way. I love it and we couldn't go when we went last time, because my other daughter was very sick . So we took turns going to the parks. That trip was really for her and she missed most of it. But then I could go ahead and add Seaworld and possibly a Universal trip!

 

[Familytradition]

Yes Bonnet Creek is the same idea as the others mentioned. The only difference being is that you actually are inside of Disney property. We've been there the last 4 years and our boys love it ! Lots of space for everyone to unwind, 7 pools (I think) and you're still close enough to Disney that it shouldn't take you longer than 10 mins or so.

 

[a1970model]

I'm glad I could help.

1. We did drive everywhere and I never had a problem. Disney has signs everywhere, which makes it fairly easy to get wherever you're going. I had familiarized myself with the roads before with google maps, as well. As far as parking at the parks, we never had any problems. It is $15 a day to park, to include if you leave and come back or park at a different park that day. I just used my disney dollars from my Disney VISA to pay for it.

2. It is my understanding that if you have park hoppers, you are allowed to use Disney transportation. We did have park hoppers, but no one ever asked to see them.

3. I'm not certain, but I believe that you are allowed to park at the Poly if you have reservations for Ohana. We didn't have reservations and planned to leave straight from the Poly for the park, so we parked at the Transportation & Ticket Center. The Poly resort is right next to it located to the left. We parked at the TTC and then walked through the Poly grounds to the main building. It was not a long walk at all and we enjoyed the grounds. We didn't eat at OHanas... we just grabbed our Tonga Toast from Captain Cook's!

4. My husband is retired military, so we were eligible for the military promotion for tickets. We had bought them a few months earlier from our base ticket office at the discounted rate. I've never used Undercover Tourist, but people on the DIS seem to like it.

5. Since you've already rented a vacation home, you know what to expect. It was nice for us to escape back to the condo for dinner where there weren't any lines or crowds and everyone could wind down in their own space. The resort pool at Windsor Hills is nice, too. Since our vacations involve more than just Disney now (DD is a huge Harry Potter fan), it just makes sense stay somewhere more convenient to all of it instead of stranding ourselves on Disney property (which isn't a bad thing! *laugh*)

Hope that helps. For the record, I'm intrigued by Bonnet Creek. It looks like a fabulous place to try.

 

[ParkHopperFan]

We always stay at a private villa in Windsor Hills. Most have a heated pool and spa so regardless of the time of year, you will have a warm pool to yourself. Our kids love the game rooms too. Most owners have converted the garage with a pool table and video games for the kids. The private bedrooms and bathrooms are nice as well. We always book through windsorhillsrent.com. You submit your dates and the owners reply with availability and quote.

The resort is very close to WDW and ESPN Sports Resort. Plus you'll save a bunch of money by getting groceries and making food in your own place as opposed to dining out every meal.

 

[sersee05]

Forgive me for being completely clueless when it comes to offsite!


So if I understand it is $15/day to park at Disney parks. But lets say I go to MK and then decide to go to Epcot...the $15/day is for all Disney parks correct? I don't have to pay $15 a day for each park right?


So if I drive to MK and park. ...I wait and a tram car will come get me and take me to the entrance? Or does it take me to a TTC where then I have to ride the monorail to get to the entrance? I am very confused on this part.


I cannot make reservations for dinner in Disney when staying offsite? There is no way of adding a Disney dining plan with the tickets if you are not staying at a Disney resort correct?

Thanks so much guys

 

[a1970model]

Forgive me for being completely clueless when it comes to offsite!

I was the same way. I was so used to being on site that I didn't know how to function any other way.

So if I understand it is $15/day to park at Disney parks. But lets say I go to MK and then decide to go to Epcot...the $15/day is for all Disney parks correct? I don't have to pay $15 a day for each park right?

No. It is $15 a day to park (it changed from $14 while we were there on June 1). It is $15 for the whole day... you can come and go as much as you want and it works even if you pay at Epcot and then drive to Animal Kingdom. You just have to show your receipt for that day when you pass through the gate.

So if I drive to MK and park. ...I wait and a tram car will come get me and take me to the entrance? Or does it take me to a TTC where then I have to ride the monorail to get to the entrance? I am very confused on this part.

The parking for Magic Kingdom is at the Transportation & Ticket center. Once you park, you can wait for a tram if you're very far out. Once you get to the TTC, you can either take the Monorail or you can ride the ferry to the entrance of the Magic Kingdom. (We realized this past June that we had never ridden the ferry! It was actually quite a relaxing boat ride.)

I cannot make reservations for dinner in Disney when staying offsite? There is no way of adding a Disney dining plan with the tickets if you are not staying at a Disney resort correct?

Yes, you can make all the dinner reservations you want at the Disney restaurants when you stay off-site. But, you are correct... you cannot buy a Disney dining plan because you're not staying at a Disney resort.