Visiting DisneyWorld is on many parents and kids bucket lists. We are fortunate enough to have been twice now and I am starting to consider our next trip. We have done two different approaches to visiting Disney. Here I am going to share the advantages and disadvantages of Villa Vs Hotel Inside Disney World. The first time we went we stayed off site and travelled into Disney each time. The second time we split the weeks and had one week in a Disney Hotel and one week in a villa.
Advantages of Villas.
The biggest advantage by far of staying in a villa rental in Florida is the price. It is significantly cheaper to arrange a villa yourself and they can cost as little as £500 + when using Clickstay.
Villa’s offer more space which is great if you are going in a large group. Both times I have been we have been with my parents too. A Villa can offer more space and some have games rooms which can be a fun way to relax. They typically have a couple of bathrooms, a laundry room, and even splash pools.
Cooking or eating in the villa after a full on day in the parks is enjoyable. If you have younger children they are likely to be exhausted after a full day of seeing their favourite characters and going to the rides. Having a villa means that you can pop them to bed and then the adults can still carry on being sociable. In a hotel room, there is more tiptoeing around once they are asleep.
Advantages of a Hotel Inside Disney World
The biggest advantage is the convenience as you are situated within the Disneyworld area. The complimentary transport makes it easy to move between the parks. You also then don’t have the additional car parking costs. With teens this can give them more freedom. One day Chloe and Sam got up early to make use of the extra hours and headed into a park whilst the rest of us had a lazy morning.
Free Disney Dining is offered as part of the Disneyworld package. This is such a bonus if you stay onsite. The meal credits are added to your Disney wristband and can be used across the parks. We really utilised this when we stayed on site and it helps to plan your meals out before you go as they can be used for character meals too.
The Disney hotels feel so special and many are themed and they also give you special perks. Staying onsite affords you the luxury of extra park hours. Each day one of the parks opens earlier or stays open later for onsite guests. The extra hours means that the park is quieter and it can be a great way to be able to do your favourite rides without such huge queues.
As I have shown there are advantages to both staying onsite or off site. I’d like to know if you have been what is your preferred option, let me know in the comments.
One Response
I would personally always opt for the villa simply because its cost effective and we usually go in large groups. Hotels have their perks and ways of spoiling you, but everything feels much more close knit within the villa. Great article and love the pictures!