Insisting on staying a hotel when we go to Disney World. Sister wants a holiday rental

[Moru]

My sister and I are best friends. We have young children who are similar ages. We are taking them to Disney World as a very special holiday next year. But we are sort of at an impasse. I do t want to stay in a holiday let as I can’t be arsed to sort out meals and don’t want to tidy up. Our husbands are hands on but it just seems too much. Sister thinks it would be more fun and easier to stay in a holiday let. She doesn’t want to eat out for every meal. I also know I will miss simpler, home cooked meals on day 7 but we can find work arounds ie making salads/sandwiches. I prefer the idea of hotel which is so much less hassle. Sister says she will find it claustrophobic. The hotels are family rooms with suites. We would get separate rooms. We could also play socialising in the evenings by ear. Spend time together and have a drink when we felt like it. Spend time away from each other if we are exhausted for e.g.

Who has the right idea?

I want a break too. I don’t want to even have to think about meals after 8 hours in the park.

We stayed at a Marriott Villa in Orlando when we went last year. Serviced and facilities like a hotel but freedom to eat in at a dining table with living room and kitchen, pool etc so you get a hybrid of hotel/villa

Hotel in Lake Buena Vista, FL | Courtyard Orlando Lake Buena Vista

We stayed in a huge villa, so much better, one child could nap ,while others could use the pool . We put the children to bed and then relaxed downstairs, we definitely weren't on top of each other.
There was a massive washing machine and tumble dryer so did all our washing before we came home.

Not sure that'll go down well. Personally I love coming home from holiday with clean washing to put away, but the OP wasn't even wanting to prepare meals on holiday and now you're suggesting doing laundry too?!

Neither of you have the right it wrong idea, it's just a difference of preference. We much prefer staying off-site and having more space. I couldn't stand all being in one hotel room for weeks and having to eat out for every meal.

We went for 3 weeks in July and had a 3 bedroom apartment in a hotel like complex and it was ideal. Ubers were cheap and you had space to chill. We didn't cook proper meals, mainly had lunch or dinner at the parks and then had something very simple for dinner or a take away.

I couldn't imagine after a full day of being at the parks, then having to all be in a hotel room together, but that's just me 🤣🤦🏼‍♀️

We did a villa.

you can pick up fruit and pastries etc for breakfast, eat lunch out and get takeout to take home.

no cooking required.
also gave sone downtime for the little ones.

Villa with a pool, near restaurants preferably

Everyone I know who’s been have done the villa option. Because who just wants to sit in a hotel room all night once toddlers are tired.

Now a villa inside Disney yes or a villa outside. Just a bog standard hotel room however young children tire fast as Disney lots of walking. Eveyone l cramming in for the food at the same time.

With a villa you can still socialise once a dc or two start dropping like flies from grumpy tiredness.

A week in each option?

A holiday let would be far more comfortable. I think your sis has the right idea

With children that age I think a villa would be better. Get one with a pool then you can have relaxing days in between parks. It also means you can put the kids to bed and relax together rather than both families going to separate rooms and the adults not spending time together in the evenings.
I would just eat out for your meals , maybe not breakfast as that’s easy.

This holiday will be EXTREMELY HARD WORK. It’s Disney with Americans. Constant logistics, queues, decisions, working round kids schedules. It is not a break.
So I’d give away any sense that you will be getting a break and just choose what is most fun. I think that’s a holiday let where you can have space and choose restaurants.

Villa in Florida is a way better in my experience. They are huge and luxurious with private pools, some have games rooms and cinema rooms. I'd much rather that environment with young kids.

We are out loads in the evenings so was really just breakfast at home which was fine. We also had a private chef come to the villa one evening.

Do Americans make a holiday harder work?

Hotel. We stayed in a villa with my in laws (who i get on great with) and just never felt i could fully relax, my husband felt the same, your just always a group.
We now do hotels and it’s much easier, we can meet up for drinks some nights and others have time just us as and our daughter.

Villa for me , ideally with a pool - eat main meal earlier in the day and just stick to snacks in the evening when everyone will be tired anyway

It’s a frustrating country to navigate, public transport blows, queues are poorly observed, airports are the seventh circle of hell.

So yes. I’d take kids that young to Paris Disney to be honest. Less travel, less drama, less jet lag!

Yes!!

I would never have considered a hotel when my children were that age wherever we were holidaying. Too claustrophobic with little people,garden and space priority.
Eating out and simple breakfast,snacks at the villa plus pool would be a no brainer.
Pool will have safety railings.

We did villa & cars with 6 adults and 4 kids and it 1) Saved a fortune 2) Saved our sanity!

It was really nice to go off to the villa 10 mins away and jump in the pool after a day of the park. Made it much more chill, I think we would have got sensory overload otherwise! It also meant we ate a breakfast at the villa, packed sarnies for the lunches, and you still have the option of eating in the parks if you really want too… or getting a much cheaper meal elsewhere.

Villa all the way. More space. I wouldnt want to be confined to sitting on a bed when I want down time. I also couldn't do 2 weeks with parks every day, and having a Villa where you can relax and spread out on a day off is so much better. I buy breakfast snacks but don't do any other cooking apart from that- also means that we don't have hungry kids whilst waiting for everyone to be ready to go down to breakfast.

I returned from Orlando and a couple of other places last week and didn’t find this. I found the Americans a friendly bunch and the level of service from every member of staff at Disney was exceptional.

I’ve always found American people to be into queues as much as us Brits and the airports were far superior to ours.

You need to take into account driving back and forward, especially with young children. If you stay in a Disney/Universal resort going back during the day for a swim or a rest is much easier. Most rentals are at least a 40 min drive away, and that’s after you’ve made your way to your car - which you’ve paid to rent and have to pay $30 dollars to park!

You can get takeaways delivered to your resort or get some cooked food in the supermarkets.

I’ve been many times to Orlando and would only go now if staying on site.

As an American the only part of this I can agree with you on is that public transport isn't good. It's great in some places, but not in Florida.
But the rest? It's a frustrating country to navigate? I think that's a you problem. Queues are observed here just as well as in the UK, and for the most part people are much politer and more pleasant to boot.
Your complaint about the airports is ridiculous! Have you been to Heathrow recently? Orlando airport is much more pleasant and easy to get around. Tampa even more so.

We went earlier this year (again) and stayed in a 3-bed apartment at a nearby resort, literally a 10 minute drive from Magic Kingdom. It had a kitchen which we never used other than to make drinks as we ate out every day. The laundry room was very useful. There are so many places to eat around Kissimmee (and International Drive if you're out that way) which are much better value/quality than eating at the hotels. We never queued for dining once.
Personally, since your children are aged 5,4 and 2, I would leave it a few more years before you go. They will have no memory of this visit in years to come. We did Disneyland Paris a couple of times until our youngest child was 7 before going to Florida and have been several times since.