Planning a family trip to Disney World is one of those things that starts off feeling magical… and very quickly turns into spreadsheets, tabs open everywhere, and a lot of late-night comparing of options.
One of the biggest decisions we had to make was where we were going to stay.
Disney hotels look incredible. The theming, the convenience, the magic of being “in the bubble” the entire time. But in the end, we chose something different.
For our trip to Florida, we decided to stay in a villa in near Disney instead of a Disney resort.
Here’s why.
Space Matters When You’re a Family of Six
Disney hotel rooms are designed brilliantly, but they’re still hotel rooms.
With four children, we quickly realised that one room (or even two connecting rooms) might feel a little… intense after a long park day.
A villa gives us:
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Multiple bedrooms
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A living room to relax in
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A kitchen
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Outdoor space
Basically, somewhere we can all spread out a bit.
After a full day of walking around the parks, having somewhere to collapse that doesn’t involve six people sharing one room feels like a very good idea.
The Private Pool Was a Big Selling Point
If you have children, you’ll understand the power of a swimming pool.
The villa we chose has its own private pool, which means the kids can swim whenever they like without us having to pack a bag, find towels, and head to a busy hotel pool.
It also gives us a chance to have slow mornings or relaxed evenings on days when we’re not racing around a park.
Honestly, I suspect the pool might end up being one of the highlights of the trip.
Cost Per Night
Disney hotels can be amazing, but when we priced everything up for two weeks for six people, the numbers got very big very quickly.
When we compared the cost of:
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Two Disney hotel rooms
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Versus a full villa
…the villa simply worked out better value for the space we’d get.
Instead of paying hotel prices for a single room, we’re getting an entire house.
A Kitchen Is Surprisingly Useful
Eating every meal in the parks or restaurants can get expensive fast, especially with a family.
Having a kitchen means we can:
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Make quick breakfasts before heading out
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Keep snacks and drinks in the fridge
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Cook simple meals on quieter days
I’m sure we’ll still eat plenty of theme park snacks (that’s part of the experience after all), but having the option to cook makes things feel a bit easier.
Quiet Time After Busy Park Days
Disney parks are incredible, but they’re also loud, busy, and full of excitement.
Sometimes it’s nice to step away from all that and have a calm space to recharge.
A villa gives us somewhere to:
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Sit outside in the evening
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Let the kids unwind
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Escape the crowds for a while
It feels like the best of both worlds.
We Still Get All the Disney Magic
Staying off-site doesn’t mean missing out on the magic.
We’ll still spend our days in the parks, watching the fireworks, meeting characters, and doing everything Disney has to offer.
The only difference is that at the end of the day we’ll head back to a quiet villa with a pool and a bit more space.
Right now we’re still in the planning and countdown stage, so we’ll have to see how it all works out once we’re actually there.
But for our family, the villa felt like the option that gave us the most space, flexibility, and value.
Ask me again after two weeks of Disney and I might have even more thoughts!
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