B. Staying Off-Site
Staying off-site provides you with an endless amount of options for accommodations. One of the biggest factors I like to consider when staying off-site is the distance from Disney property. If you plan to go to the parks for most of the days of your vacation, then you will want to make sure you are within reasonable distance to make the commute easier. Sometimes you may want to take a mid-day break at your hotel before returning for the evening, and the further away you stay, the more difficult it makes to do that.
I have previously stayed at a condo that I rented that was about 20 minutes away from the Disney gates. While the condo was nice, I would not recommend it as it felt like we were so far once we left the parks and we did not have enough motivation to return for the evenings.
Now when I want to stay off-site, my go to place is the Wyndham Bonnet Creek. It is a timeshare condo resort property and it is within the gates of the Disney property. It is actually right next door to some Disney resorts. The commute to the parks is very easy if you have your own car and if not, they also have a shuttle ($) that you can use. The units are very spacious and the amenities on the property are great. You can search for prices for this property on VRBO or Airbnb. I’ve used this company in the past and it went very smoothly.
There are also a wide range of hotels that are in the Disney Springs area. These are not Disney hotels, but they are within the Disney gates and oftentimes they do provide shuttles to the parks. Most of these hotels are on Hotel Plaza Blvd. between Buena Vista Drive and S Apopka Vineland Road. Here is a list of sites that you can use to find a hotel that is off-site:
If you are a large group, then you may want to consider renting a full home. There are many options available in the Orlando area and if space is important to you, then this will be your best option. Most homes also have a pool, so having your own private swimming pool is also a plus. One of the other things I like about renting either a home or pool is that you have easy access to your own laundry facilities. It means that I can get away with packing less clothes and then return home with a clean suitcase. Here is a list of sites that you can use if you would prefer to rent a full home: