Thursday, August 14, 2008

Disney Tip Thursday

So today I am covering that you can stay "off Property" as well and get that Disney magic and save on your budget! There are several options for "off property" resorts. The recommended are: All Star Vacation Homes, Gaylord Palms Resort, Radisson Resort Orlando-Celebration, DoubleTree Guest Suites, the Sheraton's Vistana Resort Villas and the Sheraton Vistana Villages. Check out Allears.net for some specials they get on booking at these resorts. This is a listing of all hotels in the WDW area. http://www.kayak.com/h/destinations/info/US/FL/Orlando?ai=linkshare&p=VHkiEPRvL8Y-WJvLzplT3MZ7A6a.BeZK7g We have used this website once. http://www.orlandovacation.com/ We have stayed off busy Hwy 192 at Encantada. Terre Verde was our first pick but booked. They are homes that people buy as vacation homes and then for 2 years rent out to the management company that builds the homes. We rented in April 2007, a 4 bedroom with a private pool when we stayed with my two best friends and their families. It gave us plenty of space for all and we could come back from the parks and swim anytime. It was clean and the people were friendly. Great community pool and playground area! Dining was all up and down Hwy 192 for plenty of options if you choose not to cook in the full kitchen they have. We did dinners in the house for 3 nights. Now when they say "only 2 miles from WDW" they mean 2 miles from the exit off Hwy 192 for the WDW exit. It is still a couple of miles to the parks and the parking lot. Do not be fooled! Even some Disney resorts "on property" are a few miles away from the parks. The price per night $110.00-135.00 for a 4 bedroom with pool (Sept 08) is good but you have to pay for parking each day (5 days x $11) and you have to have a car (no shuttle buses) to get to the parks and pay for that gas too. Another problem we ran into was Hwy 192...it is under construction all the time and can get backed up at peak hours. Hubby took 35 min to go 3 miles on a Saturday morning! My tip would be to map the resort you are planning to book. Find out where it is located in the Buena Vista area and how far WDW is from it. So when deciding on a resort to stay at, here are some things to keep in mind: 1. Number of guests (need a larger room...look at family suites) 2. Room size comparison ( need two beds or a pull out couch) 3. Price ( what is your budget ) 4. Transportation options (shuttle to parks or driving yourself) 5. Other services you may desire or require (continental breakfast, dining, spa, etc) 6. Location ( distance to parks) Have a magical day! Cindy

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