Disney places to stay
 

I'm looking for suggestions of a nice "family" place to stay while visiting Disney. We will have our grandson (3 years), daughter, sil, and adult sister along. The idea of a condo/villa appeals to us, we would need shuttle service to the parks, as we'll only have one rental car.

We've been to Disney many times and have always stayed at one of the resorts and even a few off sight hotels, but over the years we've heard a villa is the way to go with a family group.....

Suggestions welcome,
Lily

Lilly, We went to Orlando with our daughter/son-in-law and two grandchildren last year. Rented a house in Formosa Gardens and could not have been happier. The four bedroom, with three baths was lovely and had its own enclosed pool. The kids loved that. We were only about a mile from Disney, so the transport was easy. We got a nice deal on a van big enough to hold all. The price for the house was a LOT less than anything "on-site" and absolutely less than hotel rooms for this many. Plus we saved a ton on food by stocking up at the local grocery for breakfast, snacks, etc. The house we rented was "Gardenia" and the owners were wonderful to work with.

http://www.villasatformosagardens.com/

Good map of villa locations:
http://www.thedibb.co.uk/villa-map.php

MouseSavers offers discount codes for cars. We found that the price of a mini-van was nearly the same as a regular car. I guess people don't want to put gas in a van, but we didn't even use one tank of gas, so it was no big deal.
http://www.mousesavers.com/

Lilylace,
When is your vacation planned and what is your price range? From your post, it looks like there will be 6 in your party. Are you looking for a 2 or 3 bedroom villa or condo?

If your rental car is a van that will hold 6, then yes, a villa/condo could be a good choice (more room, ability to cook meals if you choose to, etc.). The Formosa Gardens that TC references have received good reviews here on Fodors - search "orlando villas" and you should be able to pull up several threads including trip reports from people who have stayed there and at several other villas.

Disney has condos on site at the Key West resort. As you mentioned, the benefit of staying on property is use of the transportation system and packaging tickets with rooms.

TC - thank you so much that's the just what I needed to get started!

JapW82, So far we are open for dates any time in the next 6 months actually. I need to find a place available and then book flights accordingly. My husband has promised our grandson a trip on an airplane to see MM - so that's where I start.

Thank you all for your suggestions of a mini van - hadn't thought of that.

LilyLace,
We stayed at Floridays Resort on "I" Drive a couple of years ago. It was in a great location and had shuttle service to the parks. Another idea is the Hilton Grand Vacation Resort on "I" Drive. They don't have a park shuttle but it is a very nice resort. Both of these resorts are across the street from one another and are close to a Publix grocery, an outlet mall, restaurants, and a short distance to Disney, Sea World, Aquatica, and a city bus/trolley stop.

Oh Hilton is a thought too....I've got lots of points - thanks all for your responses!

Lily

We stayed in/on Sunset Lakes about a year ago...VRBO #122358.
The lanai faces east so AM sun but shaded in later day & evening. All the homes on the lake have lanais facing the lake. Which is really nice to sit there and have a "view."
You can fish there too. I think most of the homes there are for rent. Really enjoyed the house. Had good e-mail exchanges with owner in Wales. Will stay there again. Oh, Disneyworld is just a quick zip away.