We were at Disney in January. We got cheap tickets on Frontier Airlines out of GRR. I have found that the prices to stay in the Disney resorts are similar to getting a multi-bedroom villa. We stayed at a Sheraton resort about 20 minutes drive from the parks. We had 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a living room with a sleeper sofa, full kitchen, and a washer and dryer in the unit (which made it easier to pack lightly and save money on baggage fees). The cost was the same as a Disney travel specialist quoted me for all 4 of us in 2 queen beds and one bath, in one room. No thanks. I'd much rather have the space and amenities of the villa. Plus, I got a ton of Marriott points. We could see the gorgeous heated pool from our windows. The resort has 3 pools.
Thanks for sharing! There are some amazing hotels in the Orlando area and some of the vacation rentals are unreal. I’ve seen some with theatre rooms and all kinds of crazy amenities. Did you have any issues booking Genie + or getting Lightning Lane passes staying off Disney property? The resort was so busy over spring break that I would have had a much different experience if we hadn’t paid for the expedited rides. Thanks again for sharing. I think that was our last Disney stay so I’ll be looking for new accommodations next time we’re in the area as there are still a lot of parks we haven’t seen.
I didn't have any trouble getting genie+. I never tried to book a lightning lane because I wasn't willing to pay extra for one ride. But they were available if I had wanted to. We were there from January 7-9, and things were much better than if we had gone earlier in the week. Our genie+ passes were $17 per day. I felt they were worth the money. But like you said, it comes at other people's expense. There were a few rides with longish waits that would've moved a lot faster if they didn't let 20+ genie pass holders through for every 2-4 normal people.
We were at Disney in January. We got cheap tickets on Frontier Airlines out of GRR. I have found that the prices to stay in the Disney resorts are similar to getting a multi-bedroom villa. We stayed at a Sheraton resort about 20 minutes drive from the parks. We had 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a living room with a sleeper sofa, full kitchen, and a washer and dryer in the unit (which made it easier to pack lightly and save money on baggage fees). The cost was the same as a Disney travel specialist quoted me for all 4 of us in 2 queen beds and one bath, in one room. No thanks. I'd much rather have the space and amenities of the villa. Plus, I got a ton of Marriott points. We could see the gorgeous heated pool from our windows. The resort has 3 pools.
Thanks for sharing! There are some amazing hotels in the Orlando area and some of the vacation rentals are unreal. I’ve seen some with theatre rooms and all kinds of crazy amenities. Did you have any issues booking Genie + or getting Lightning Lane passes staying off Disney property? The resort was so busy over spring break that I would have had a much different experience if we hadn’t paid for the expedited rides. Thanks again for sharing. I think that was our last Disney stay so I’ll be looking for new accommodations next time we’re in the area as there are still a lot of parks we haven’t seen.
I didn't have any trouble getting genie+. I never tried to book a lightning lane because I wasn't willing to pay extra for one ride. But they were available if I had wanted to. We were there from January 7-9, and things were much better than if we had gone earlier in the week. Our genie+ passes were $17 per day. I felt they were worth the money. But like you said, it comes at other people's expense. There were a few rides with longish waits that would've moved a lot faster if they didn't let 20+ genie pass holders through for every 2-4 normal people.