Disney Love, Where To Stay

I get emails every now and then asking when I am going to start my travel section of this blog. I've debated on where to start and when to publish. Traveling is what I love. It makes me happy. I love the fact that we don't live in a bubble. I want my kids to experience different cultures and know that the world is not composed of people just like them. I've been traveling long before Todd and I met. I just got lucky and married an airline pilot so it makes it easier for us to visit different places.

So where to start? Let's start with Disney. I'll break these posts into different sections so it won't be overhwhelming.

Let me start by saying there's no "right way to do Disney." You'll have a great time no matter what. I'm no Disney expert and don't want to come across as one. We love trying new places, new rides, new schedules, etc. It's just fun to learn from other people.

WHERE TO STAY:

Oh the fabulous debate of staying on or off property. You can't go wrong. There are so many factors to think of, budget being a big one. We've done both many many times. I prefer off property, gasp I know! But there are reasons to my thinking. There is nothing wrong with on property hotels. They are great, Disney themed, have constant transportation, etc but given the time of the year we visit, the room we want, etc we typically go with off property.

So where to stay? We keep going back to Buena Vista Suites. 

http://www.buenavistasuites.com/

WHY WE LOVE BUENA VISTA SUITES:

Big room that allows the kids to have their own separate space

Free parking

Free transportation to the parks but in a nice coach bus

When taking a stroller, you don't have to haul that thing on the on-property hotel buses, you load that big thing under the nice coach bus

Disney themed movies on the bus

Close location to the parks

HUGE free breakfast. Think eggs, bacon, waffles, etc.

Fabulous and I mean fabulous price 
There's a 7-11 across the street and a CVS, a pizza place, and a doctor's office. If you forget something at home, you're covered. This was such a blessing for milk. Lauren LOVED milk as a little one. Just walk right over and you are there.
Kitchen area = fabulous

***by going to mousesavers.com, you can see the discount rates. For instance, we are getting ready to go again and the rate is $92/night***

PERKS OF STAYING ON PROPERTY (CARIBBEAN BEACH)

We've stayed at Caribbean Beach 2 times. It's a lovely place. There are different categories of Disney hotels. I think it's easiest to just narrow down using your budget. I would never in 500 years take my kids to stay at the Grand Floridian. I'm sure it's fancy shamancy and beautiful but I really don't think my kids need to stay in a way expensive hotel in their young lives. We just don't spend enough time in the room to make it worth it. Now if it's free, let's chat.

Beautiful hotel

Incredible pool and I mean incredible - fabulous if you go when it's hot

Constant transportation to parks. Great great perk if you know you need to go back and forth from the park to your hotel

Great food options at the "food court." Of course it's not free but there are definite choices

Free transportation to and from the airport if you're flying

Cute themed rooms

You can participate in Magic Hours. Love this, love love. We aren't morning people so there's no way in the entire world we'd get to the park super early but we love the nighttime hours :)

NEGATIVES TO STAYING ON PROPERTY

Buses are often crowded, especially after the parks close

Price. Yes, you can stay at the budget hotels but you still get more room for your buck elsewhere

No free breakfast. You will pay for your food, at a premium on property. However, you can totally bring your own food for breakfast, etc. 

WHERE ELSE HAVE WE STAYED?

We've only stayed at one other place, Holiday Inn Resort Lake Buena Vista.

This is a great hotel as well, especially if you are bringing your pet along. There are 3 main reasons we won't stay here again: 1) not a fan of their bus schedule 2) no free breakfast and 3) not a suite style hotel.

Overall, this hotel is totally fine. They have a kids eat free program at the Applebees that's part of the hotel. This was pointless to us. We were in the parks all day and never really had the chance to use that restaurant. On vacation, we don't really think of eating at chains like that too. We did end up getting food to go from there one night. The kids DO NOT get their food free when you order to go. You have to eat in the restaurant.

***Im sure there are other fabulous hotels. These are just ones that we've stayed at. Mousesavers.com is AWESOME and such a resource of information.*** 

This little guy loved his first trip to Disneyworld - November 2012