I have a big family. How can I find reasonably-priced accommodations for us at Walt Disney World?

Disney's Resorts

A family of 5 or larger can be surprisingly expensive to accommodate at a Walt Disney World resort, because Disney's hotels aren't geared toward large families! Ironic for a "family" destination, but true.

The Value resort rooms sleep 4. Most Moderate rooms also sleep 4; the only exception is the Alligator Bayou section of Port Orleans Riverside, where you can get rooms with a trundle bed that will sleep a 5th (small) person. Some, but not all, Deluxe rooms sleep 5; at the Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge, you'll have to pay an upgrade to get a room that sleeps 5.

One thing to bear in mind: Disney doesn't count a child under 3 who sleeps in a crib in its room occupancy limits. You can add one baby to the room without additional charge. So if your family includes a baby, you can subtract one person from your count.

I'm occasionally asked if Disney is "strict" about room limits. The answer is yes. Disney didn't invent these limits; they are dictated by the Fire Marshal, based on the square footage of the room. The limits are for your own safety and comfort.

If you want to stay on Disney property with a family larger than 5, you will need either two rooms, a cabin at the Ft. Wilderness Campground (sleeps 6) or a 2-bedroom villa at one of the Home-Away-From-Home resorts (sleeps 8 and has a full kitchen, but this is very expensive).

If you have a big family, want to stay at a Disney resort, but need to keep your costs down, I would recommend getting two connecting standard rooms at a Value resort. That will give you beds enough for up to 8 people (2 per bed). It is also the least expensive way to go (less expensive than a cabin or 2-bedroom villa), and has a major advantage because you will have two bathrooms.

Non-Disney Hotels

There are a couple of nice options that are on Disney property (in the Downtown Disney area), but not operated by Disney:

• Even the standard rooms at the Hotel Royal Plaza will sleep 5 on two double beds plus a single-sized loveseat that pulls out.
  
  
• Only one hotel has reasonably priced 1-bedroom suites that will accommodate 6 people: DoubleTree Guest Suites, which is one of the Downtown Disney hotels. These suites also include a mini-fridge and microwave.

Off-site, your options increase and the rates are very tempting:

• The upscale Caribe Royale Resort and its less expensive sister property Buena Vista Suites both offer 1-bedroom suites that sleep 6, and you get a mini-fridge and microwave. The Caribe Royale also offers fabulous 2-bedroom villas that sleep 8 and beat Disney's prices by a mile.
  
  
• Sometimes the beautiful Radisson Resort Parkway offers my readers a "buy one, get one half-price" deal on connecting rooms (a king bed room connecting with a room that has two double beds), which can give you space for up to 6 people at really exceptional prices -- and you'll have 2 bathrooms.
  
  
• If you have small children, another option is Nickelodeon Family Suites -- the "kidsuites" have beds enough for 6 (king bed in the master bedroom, double pullout sofa in living room, kids area with bunk beds or twin beds).

Are vacation homes or "villas" a good bet when visiting Walt Disney World?

There are dozens of companies and hundreds of individual homeowners out there on the Internet offering rental vacation homes (also called "villas") in the Orlando area. I get many questions about this option, which on the surface sounds like an appealing way for families (particularly larger families) to save some money on accommodation.

This is a controversial subject and I have received a ton of e-mail from people who have rented vacation homes. Overall, I don't see much of a pattern: e-mails regarding vacation homes tend to run 50-50 pro and con. Some people are extremely enthusiastic about their experiences with vacation home rentals and have reported to me that they were very happy with this option. (Sadly, when I've followed up on some of the glowing letters I've received on the subject, I learned a few were sent by "shills" who own or manage such homes.) I've received about an equal number of letters from renters who have been extremely disappointed with the experience.

I have decided not to feature rental vacation homes on MouseSavers.com. That's partly because of the mixed reports I've had from readers, but it's mainly because I have done considerable in-person research on vacation homes. Without identifying myself or revealing my connection with MouseSavers.com, I have viewed a lot of homes and had extensive conversations with property managers and individual owners. Some of the homes were much nicer than others. However, I came away from my research feeling uncomfortable with recommending any particular company or individual.

A little background: There are hundreds (perhaps thousands) of vacation homes in the Orlando area. In fact, I think it's safe to say the market is flooded with such properties, which is why the rentals are often relatively cheap. A lot of the owners are residents of the UK, though some Americans also own rental homes. The homeowners typically vacation in Florida for one month per year and let a property management firm rent out the home for the rest of the year. A lot of the property management companies that service vacation home rentals are also real estate agencies that are in the business of selling vacation homes.

The majority of vacation homes are located in Kissimmee, a town neighboring Orlando, where you will find rows and rows of tract homes that are mostly used as rentals. While there are significant exceptions, on the whole the Kissimmee homes tend to be cheaply furnished and a little tattered around the edges. Most of them are pretty ordinary and don't offer much in the way of luxury, other than (usually) a pool.

There are some luxury homes in other areas of Orlando, which charge much higher rents. You may end up paying as much per night as you would for a luxury hotel. If you really want extra space, these may be worth looking into. Personally at that price level I'd prefer the services of a fine hotel, but others feel differently.

Don't count on the "10 minute" drives to Walt Disney World that all of the vacation home rental companies seem to advertise. The drives are usually more like 20-30 minutes in normal traffic. (You might be able to get to Disney World in 10 minutes from some of the homes in the middle of the night, if you hit all the lights.)

While I'm sure there are many honorable people who rent out their own homes, renting directly from the homeowners is something you must carefully research. Homeowners are usually not professional property managers and in some cases they are also not local residents. Unfortunately, if anything goes wrong, it can be difficult to get any problems fixed and/or money refunded, particularly if the owner lives out of the area.

If you'd like to rent a vacation home, my advice is to proceed with extreme caution and get plenty of references. If you luck into an exceptional vacation home rental, I'm sure it can be a great value.

I get many e-mails from vacation home owners and management companies who want me to promote their properties on MouseSavers.com. Sorry, but at this time I don't have the time or inclination to check out any more vacation homes. I wish you good luck with your rental business.