WDW Hotel or Renting a House
Feb 18th, 2007, 08:32 AM
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WDW Hotel or Renting a House
We are planning a trip to WDW Dec 25 07 - Jan 1 08. We have 4 family's total 14 people. We are looking at a house rental vs. staying in a hotel. Can anyone provide some insight on pro's and con's. We also will need to look at day hopper passes, where is a good place to purchase? Please provide any other information that you will think is of some use.
Feb 18th, 2007, 12:29 PM
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We always stay at an onsite hotel because of the ease of getting around (no parking issues!)and you can take advantage of the surprise mornings. Each park will open to onsite guests an hour early which would be a great advantage because your time frame is extremely busy. You can buy the passes at most hotels or check at Disney's website.
Feb 18th, 2007, 02:33 PM
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On the other hand, we rented a house for 10 of us--about 20minutes from WDW and in a quiet, residential area. we could use the parks in the morning, go back to the house for naps, pool time (we had two small children with us), then back to the parks for the late afternoon, evening. The cost of the six-bedroom house wound up being $100 a night--so it didn't matter that we paid parking twice--we sometimes went to one park in the morning, another in the evening.
Feb 18th, 2007, 02:42 PM
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Hotel on property.
Call Disney's Group Sales Department and make the room block at a hotel and have each family member make their own reservation.
With each having own accommodations, you aren't as tied to each other for meals etc.
It will be next to impossible to get 14 people organized if you are staying at a home.
If you stay on property, the older kids will not have to rely on a driver to get around Disney property.
Call Disney's Group Sales Department and make the room block at a hotel and have each family member make their own reservation.
With each having own accommodations, you aren't as tied to each other for meals etc.
It will be next to impossible to get 14 people organized if you are staying at a home.
If you stay on property, the older kids will not have to rely on a driver to get around Disney property.
Feb 18th, 2007, 03:16 PM
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Hotel on porperty!
Keep in mind you are going during THE busiest most packed days of the year. The parks will actually close due to full capacity and not allow anyone that is not staying on property in. This is not the time of year when you plan to go back for naps - it is wayyyyy to crowded to go back in the middle of the day and return. It is not like the summer crowds,,,it is worse. Also keep in mind that there is the Miclkey's Very Merry Christmas Party and the Magic Kingdom will close early on those nights and all non ticket holders have to leave. There is also the Candlelight Processional in the World Showcase..also a ticketed event. The park does n ot close early for this but the do have a dinner package, so getting an ADR in the park that evening may be difficult. If you were to stay off property at this time, you will spend a lot of time sitting in your car in bumber to bumper traffic just to get into the parks. Expect to wait on line for 30 minutes for a soda and over an hour for attractions. Fast passes are gone by 11am. Sorry, but it is beyond crowded. Even though you make ADR's for dinner, still expect to wait a long time to be seated. If your dates are flexible, there is a window of opportunity in December where the crowds are very low. It is the second week of Dec - arond the 9th or so till the 14th or 15th. The first week of December it is crowded due to different conventions and they also tape the Christmas parade for a few days. The weather is wonderful. Plan on packing layers of clothing. It gets very cold, espically at night so bring a warm jacket, mittens and scarfs.
For lots of info and first hand reports on going to WDW during this time of year go to www.disboards.com
Also since you have a large group a tour plan is a good idea. Try Tour Guide Mike www.tourguidemike.com. It costs $15 to join, but is well worth it.
We always buy our Park hopper tickets at check in when we arrive and they are linked to our room key...which is good - no seperate tickets.
Keep in mind you are going during THE busiest most packed days of the year. The parks will actually close due to full capacity and not allow anyone that is not staying on property in. This is not the time of year when you plan to go back for naps - it is wayyyyy to crowded to go back in the middle of the day and return. It is not like the summer crowds,,,it is worse. Also keep in mind that there is the Miclkey's Very Merry Christmas Party and the Magic Kingdom will close early on those nights and all non ticket holders have to leave. There is also the Candlelight Processional in the World Showcase..also a ticketed event. The park does n ot close early for this but the do have a dinner package, so getting an ADR in the park that evening may be difficult. If you were to stay off property at this time, you will spend a lot of time sitting in your car in bumber to bumper traffic just to get into the parks. Expect to wait on line for 30 minutes for a soda and over an hour for attractions. Fast passes are gone by 11am. Sorry, but it is beyond crowded. Even though you make ADR's for dinner, still expect to wait a long time to be seated. If your dates are flexible, there is a window of opportunity in December where the crowds are very low. It is the second week of Dec - arond the 9th or so till the 14th or 15th. The first week of December it is crowded due to different conventions and they also tape the Christmas parade for a few days. The weather is wonderful. Plan on packing layers of clothing. It gets very cold, espically at night so bring a warm jacket, mittens and scarfs.
For lots of info and first hand reports on going to WDW during this time of year go to www.disboards.com
Also since you have a large group a tour plan is a good idea. Try Tour Guide Mike www.tourguidemike.com. It costs $15 to join, but is well worth it.
We always buy our Park hopper tickets at check in when we arrive and they are linked to our room key...which is good - no seperate tickets.
Feb 24th, 2007, 10:27 AM
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Great site for renting a house is www.windsorhillsrent.com. You put in your dates and the size of your party and you will received emails from the individual property owners w/ houses available. Windsor Hills is a great location.
You are going at a very busy time so I second the recommendation for a good touring plan. We've used www.tourguidemike.com and were very happy with it. You get all the information for putting together your own touring plan. The sheer volume of information can be a bit overwelming at first but the forums there are very helpful.
We used a travel agency called "Build A Better Mouse Trip" that also offers custom itineraries and touring plans for our most recent trip. It was nice to deal with a real person and they did all the planning work. They gave us a schedule that put us in the least crowded park for each day and created custom touring plans for us to take into the parks. The packet also included tips, trivia, and dining information. They even made our dining reservations. We had already made our own reservations and just paid for their touring plan services. If you book hotels or cars etc. through them, I think they apply all the commission towards the planning service costs.
You are going at a very busy time so I second the recommendation for a good touring plan. We've used www.tourguidemike.com and were very happy with it. You get all the information for putting together your own touring plan. The sheer volume of information can be a bit overwelming at first but the forums there are very helpful.
We used a travel agency called "Build A Better Mouse Trip" that also offers custom itineraries and touring plans for our most recent trip. It was nice to deal with a real person and they did all the planning work. They gave us a schedule that put us in the least crowded park for each day and created custom touring plans for us to take into the parks. The packet also included tips, trivia, and dining information. They even made our dining reservations. We had already made our own reservations and just paid for their touring plan services. If you book hotels or cars etc. through them, I think they apply all the commission towards the planning service costs.
Feb 24th, 2007, 03:40 PM
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Agree with those who have recommended staying on site. One alternative to hotels might be the Disney timeshares that have up to 3 BR's and are all inside Disney. With all the amenities and transportation options available, it is hard to beat being on Disney property when visiting.
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