First Up Hotels

Now if you have already taken a look you will see there are tons and tons of hotels to choose from, and that on it's own is over whelming. But try not to worry, we have you covered.

Now first thing to remember is the set up in most hotels is the same, 2 Queen beds, sleeping 4 people.

Personally Hotels are not my first choice. I love my family dearly but being stuck in one room together for 2 weeks is a nightmare for me, and probably them too. Ha Ha.

However I do believe if you don't want to drive over there then they are great. They offer good locations, most offer shuttles to the park (most are free, but some do charge a small fee.). There is no housework to contend with as such, as who wants to be doing housework on holiday?! Do please remember to tip your housekeeping staff though, they work incredibly hard so you don't have to worry about housework. If your holiday is just to spend time at the parks and only needing a bed at the end of the night. Then hotels are fantastic, a few even offer breakfast for small fee.

Once you have decided that a hotel stay is for you, now it is deciding which works best for you.

Do you stay on-site for a higher price and few perks? Or do you miss out on the perks but save money?

Onsite at Disney

It has some great perks if you stay at the resorts, such as early entrance and any offers such as dining deals they offer. And with All Disney hotels you have access to all the Disney transportation, and have easy access to all of Disney World. If you choose to stay at the higher end resorts you even get extended hours some nights in certain parks. So when everyone else has cleared out you get to experience a quiet park at nigh. It truly is stunning at night. And if the dining offer is on you get better dining options too.

Staying On-site Universal

Again like the Disney hotels you get a few perks. Universal transportation, early access to parks. And the premium On-site resorts include free express passes for the length of your stay at the hotel.

Now in my personal opinion I don't believe the perks out weigh the savings that can be made off-site.

Maybe book a 1 or 2 night stay at a Universal premium hotel for express passes if there is 4 or more of you, as the room will work out cheaper than buying express passes for everyone. But other than that, I believe staying off-site is the better option. I would rather save the money and treat myself to something extra.

Off-site Hotels

Now once you have decided to stay off-site which hotel do you pick?

This all depends on what you want from the stay. Where you will be visiting the most and so on.

Now planning to spend all or most your holiday at Disney, then I would recommend the Lake Buena Vista area. This is probably the closest area to Disney. Again we have to look at your budget and see what works best for you. There are budget hotels, Disney good neighbour hotels and higher end hotels all available in this area.

If Universal is the main point of your visit then the most popular option would be i-Drive. This is an incredibly popular spot for visitors as it is a place were walking to shops is doable. i-Drive is also a popular spot for visitors visiting on tight budgets, as lots of choice for budget hotels.

But just because there are plenty of budget friendly hotels doesn't mean you you can't stay here if you were looking for something a bit more up-market.

My favourite area is Kissimmee area, especially near the 192. This option is great as easy access to Disney and Universal and further a field, such as a trip to Busch Gardens down in Tampa Bay or a trip to Clearwater Beach. Although Kissimmee is still a tourist area, its not as built up or as busy as i-Drive. There is lots of choice of hotels, condos, restaurants and stores.

Next Up We Have Condo's.

I love a condo. A lot of these apartments are bigger than some homes in the UK.

I definitely prefer a condo over a hotel when travelling with my family, due to all the space, having more than one bathroom and having a full kitchen.

Again you have to ask yourself what is it you need during your stay. Where do you want to be located etc.

I say this as although there are a few condo resorts near i-Drive most are located in Kissimmee and Lake Buena Vista (LBV), although recently there seems to be a lot less in LBV than earlier years.

You also need to know that most of these resort DO NOT have shuttles to the parks. So you would be needing to hire a car or be using Uber/Lyft rideshare. So you need to add the cost to your budget. If you hire a car don't forget to also add car parking fees for the parks. Currently $30 per day.

Honestly a condo is brilliant, as we all love our families, otherwise we wouldn't be taking an Orlando trip together, but we do need a little space every now and then.

Plus 4 people fighting to use 1 bathroom and get out early for rope drop is hell. Having at least 1 extra bathroom makes that task more feasible.

Also being able to pop to the supermarket, or even Costco (if you are a UK Costco member you can use your card during your Orlando visit) and buy a crate of water, or lager if that's your choice lol x. Buying snacks, breakfast items, items to make pack lunch for the parks or even something for an evening meal is in my eyes worth it. It helps to keep those costs down a little. $5+ for a singe bottle drink in Disney, that makes me want to dehydrate. So if there is 4 of you in summer and you get to the parks early and only but 5 drinks each all day you've just spent $100+ and you are there for probably 13 more days. so $1400 just on 5 drinks each a day!!!! Then you have to eat, nah that is ridiculous!

Condo's are fantastic if you have young kids, you can pop them down to sleep and the adults can chill in lounge, have a drink, watch some T.V or sit on the balcony and enjoy the peace. A hotel would mean T.V on very low, almost to being pointless. No conversation and having to just sit on your bed.

So a condo for me wins every time over a hotel.

Lastly but by no means least, we have

Villa's

Now this is the priciest option, but for good reason in my opinion.

Why a Villa over a Condo?

Well, a Condo offers a lot and as mentioned before, I love a Condo. Yes a villa has a full kitchen, dining area lounge area, sometimes 2 lounge areas. One for the kids and one for the adults. Some villas come with a games room, sometimes 3+ bathrooms and best of all a pool and in some cases even a spa! So as you can see it does have a few options similar to a condo, but a games room, private pool and spa (i do prefer to book one with a spa) make the added expense worth it.

My favourite thing to do is after returning home after a long day in the parks, is to take a dip in the pool and spa. It helps me relax enough to sleep peacefully. After a dip in the pool out back we love a game of pool in the games room.

I am a really early riser even when on holiday, so I like to get up in the morning alone, make a cuppa and go sit by the pool and sit with my feet in the water. I love the peace before the chaos begins.

Car hire is ideal when hiring a villa as it offers more freedom to come and go as you please with ease.

A villa is a great option especially for larger families/groups as it would actually work out cheaper than separate hotel rooms. A condo works well too but for smaller families/groups. A villa allows everyone space alone.

I hope this has helped you decide on which accommodation works best for you. If you do have any questions, do reach out. Just click to drop me a message, I am always happy to help.