Planning Tips

Staying Off Property at Disney World

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Our Experience Staying Off Property at Disney

Would we do it again?

On our last Disney World trip, we had the opportunity to stay off property in nearby Reunion, FL. Reunion is a luxury rental area that’s about 15-20 minutes from all of the Disney parks. The area boasts several beautiful golf courses, restaurants and pools – allowing for a little break from the Disney bubble.

This was our first time staying off property, and I honestly wasn’t sure how I would feel about it. We LOVE staying on property (we’re Disney Vacation Club Members, so we must love it!). I always tell my clients how great it is to stay in the Disney bubble because you feel the magic every step of the way on your trip. 

That being said, I was pleasantly surprised about our off property experience. We were in a two-bedroom condo in the Reunion Grand, which is the large tower (and the only tower) in the area. All around the tower are luxury homes and condos, so this had more of a hotel feel upon entering. We went straight up to our condo on the third floor, facing out onto a beautiful golf course and best of all, facing the DISNEY PARKS! It was easy to spot a few popular landmarks on the horizon: Spaceship Earth at Epcot, Tower of Terror at Hollywood Studios, Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom, and the hot air balloon at Disney Springs. If the fireworks were running, we would have been able to see ALL of them from our balcony. Pretty magical if you ask me!

Check out the Incredible Vacation Home’s Be Our Guest Tower HERE (where we stayed!)

 

My two biggest concerns were 1) missing the Disney magic and 2) driving to the parks. Re: missing the magic, it was different, but given the parks close so early right now, it was nice to have somewhere spacious that felt more “homey” to come back to in the evening. My second concern, driving to the parks, was pretty nonexistent! I think part of it being so easy was due to the low crowds, but driving took the same amount of time as Disney transportation. It was nice having our own car (a little extra mask-free time!) and we definitely took advantage of having one – we went to the grocery store to get some more basics for the condo and explored a little more outside the Disney bubble (we visited Celebration!). 

I love a good pro/con list, so I came up with our top 3 in each category that we felt would be best for clients (they don’t necessarily apply to us!)…

Pros

  1. The value! It’s a fraction of what you’d pay to stay on property – especially for large groups.
  2. Extra amenities! Who doesn’t want their own private pool, Star Wars movie theater, Cars Land arcade or Frozen bunk beds?!
  3. Safety and health during COVID! If you’re uncomfortable with taking Disney transportation or staying on property, this is a great way to maintain your social distance. Having your own vehicles and space is a huge perk.

Cons

  1. Extra costs for rental car & parking at the parks. It’s $25/day to park for non Annual Passholders and DVC Members (we had free rental car days to use and are Annual Passholders, so we were very lucky with this!)
  2. Having to drive everywhere yourself. There is something to be said for the convenience of Disney transportation, and I feel like we have a love/hate relationship with it – we love being able to walk to Epcot from the Beach Club but hate waiting for the bus home after the Magic Kingdom fireworks! On the flip side, with the low capacity and shortened park hours, it was easy and convenient driving everywhere.
  3. Different feel from staying on property in the Disney magic. All of the little things that make up your Disney experience (i.e. for me it’s the Must Do Disney show with Stacey and for Ben it’s the Disney shampoos…lol) feel like they’re missing if you stay on property frequently. BUT, there are different magical touches to the rentals with the themed rooms and movie theaters 🙂

One other Con *IF* FastPasses come back. If you stay off property, you are able to book them 30 days out instead of 60 days (if you were to stay on property). If you have an expert planner helping you though, this isn’t a problem!

So the million dollar question: would we stay off property again? 

The answer is YES. We are lucky enough to travel down to Disney frequently, but we would definitely mix up our stays with some off property rentals (or when we run out of DVC points!).

 

 

 

Is off property the right option for your vacation?

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Reviews

Resort Review: Gran Destino Tower

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Resort Review: Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort

Location:  Animal Kingdom Resort Area

Rating:

Category:  Moderate Resort

What We Like: 

The Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort has the feel of a Deluxe Resort, but the price of a Moderate Resort. Everything felt very fresh and new compared to some of the other Disney properties, which tend to feel a little worn.

The room itself was beautifully decorated – it’s designed to feel like the rest of the resort with a simple, Spanish influenced style. We had a water view room (no balcony) that overlooked the property. Our room had a king bed and a nice sitting area, and it still felt very spacious. This was by far one of the nicest rooms we’ve ever stayed at on property.

 

The tower hosts one of our new favorite resorts on property, Toledo – Tapas, Steak & Seafood. We absolutely loved our dinner here. It was one of the best meals we’ve had at Disney! The price point for this 16th floor dining spot is a little higher, but worth the price for the yummy food and awesome views of Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. The restaurant, like the majority of places at Disney, is incredibly family-friendly and has great options for the little ones. And don’t miss the outdoor terrace at Dahlia Lounge next door to the restaurant!

Coronado Springs has one of the coolest pools on property – everyone loves the Mayan temple here! It’s a great place to spend part of your vacation and enjoy the Florida weather. There are lots of easy options for dining around the property as well – including quick service spots and sit downs. Overall, a great option for your next trip!

 

Things to Note:

We don’t like taking the bus everywhere, so that really was our only complaint about this resort. We ended up taking a Lyft several times (worth it for our weekend getaways), but I would not recommend always going that route, especially with a family – it adds up quickly!

 

WDW Park Planners Tips:

We tried taking the bus home from Magic Kingdom after the fireworks on Saturday night, and the line for Coronado Springs was SO long. We wouldn’t have made it on the second bus and had an early morning the next day. We walked to The Contemporary Resort (5-10 minutes from Magic Kingdom) and had our Lyft driver pick us up there. It’s a little trick we frequently use since the ride share drivers can’t pick you up from Magic Kingdom – they are only able to pick you up from the Ticket and Transportation Center (a monorail ride away).

Reviews

Resort Review: Aulani Resort & Spa

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Location: Ko Olina, Oahu, Hawaii

Rating:

 

Overview

Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, is the perfect blend of Disney and Hawaiian culture that creates a fun, family-friendly vacation spot. We had the most magical time on our family vacation there over New Years Eve. The bar was set very high for the resort – everything I had heard, read and researched before the trip just blew me away. I can safely say everything about the resort and vacation exceeded my expectations!

This Hawaiian resort has touches of magic and provides the level of Disney service you would expect at the parks and resorts, without being “too Disney.” While there are occasional character meet and greets and a character meal, that’s the most Disney that it gets. There is so much to do on property that you could spend your entire trip without leaving, and you’ve never get bored! We did two excursions throughout the week – we visited Pearl Harbor for a day and did surf lessons one morning. Both were so much fun, in different ways.

The beach and pool areas were wonderful. I’m all about a good beach, and the lagoon area was picture perfect. A calm ocean and smooth sand – what more could you want?! We always got chairs at the pool area (facing the ocean) but spent time every day down at the beach and swimming in the ocean. We spent the most time at the water slides and lazy river – there was a water slide that you rode in an inflatable tube AND a body slide. Both were super fun. The lazy river was great, too, but we made sure to go before it got too crowded in the afternoons.

The food options were great at Aulani. As seafood and sushi lovers, everything was incredibly fresh and tasty! We never had something we didn’t like during the trip, so definitely a step up from the Disney park food 🙂

Got to meet my favorite, Moana!

 

Disney Vacation Club Resort

Aulani is a Disney Vacation Club Resort. About 70% of the property is made up of DVC villas, and those accommodations are more spacious and have a kitchen space – great if you want to do some grocery shopping during your stay. Disney Vacation Club members receive the benefit of substantial savings by booking with their points. The villas that don’t fill up with DVC members are open to everyone else, so you do have the opportunity to book them. You can also rent points through the secondary DVC market to use for your stay, without being a full DVC member.  

 

Family Friendly Atmosphere

As you would expect from Disney, the entire resort is designed for families. That being said, as a group of 8 adults, we still loved it and had the best time. There’s something to do for adults, kids, and the kids at heart (our family!). Below are some of the highlights for kids and adults specifically.

Kid Must Dos:

Aunty’s Beach House is the club for kids ages 3-12. All activities, crafts, games and supervision are complimentary. Drop the kids off for some adults time at the beach or spa!

Keiki Cove Splash Zone is a water playground for kids 5 and under. Kids can enjoy this safe and fun space at the pool

Pool Parties can be enjoyed with all of your favorite characters – come dance and play games with Mickey, Minnie and Goofy in the main pool area! 

 

 

Adult Must Dos:

The Laniwai Spa offers relaxing treatments. I went for a traditional Hawaiian massage and had the most luxurious experience enjoying the extra amenities the spa offers. Plan to spend a few hours here so you can enjoy the hydrotherapy garden.

The pool scene is great at Aulani. There are tons of different options for whatever mood you’re in – from an adults only pool, to 2 high-speed water slides, to a lazy river, to whirlpool spas, to an infinity pool – Aulani has it all! And don’t forget to grab your poolside cocktail!

 

The fitness classes offered were great! We did a beach bootcamp one morning (classes cost between $15-$20) and it kicked our butts! It was so peaceful to workout on the beach while enjoying the sites and sounds of the lagoon. The gym was also really nice, even though it had no windows.

 

Dining Options

Ka Wa’a Luau

We went to this on-property (but non-Disney) luau for New Years Eve, and it was SO much fun. The event was extremely well organized from the moment you check-in for the night until the very end. There are tons of activities (temporary tattoos, lei making, photo opportunities, etc.) for the kids until the show begins. The quality of performers was so impressive and fun to watch, and the food was some of our favorite, especially for a buffet. This was worth the money for us!

Ama Ama

This is the “nicer” restaurant on property and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. We enjoyed dinner here our last night and it was delicious. Try to time it right so you can see the sunset while you dine in the open air spot! 

Makahiki

This casual, family friendly meal serves breakfast and dinner, buffet-style. This is the most “Disney” spot on property, as there are characters and a show (the characters are on select nights only for dinner). Great for the kids!

Olelo Room

This upscale cocktail and appetizer lounge was our favorite spot on property. We had dinner here two nights and loved the food (such good sushi!). You can enjoy live music every evening on the outdoor patio – a perfect way to end the day.

Ulu Cafe

Here is your perfect poolside cafe, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can walk up and purchase grab-and-go options as well as hot meals. This spot offers make your own poke bowls, too! We came here every morning for coffee (with our reusable mugs) and breakfast and snacks. Pricey, but very convenient. 

Off the Hook Bar

We spent the most time at this poolside hangout. The food was great, and the drinks were better! We had lunch here most days since we picked pool chairs close by, and we also enjoyed college football bowl games here (they had a few TVs). We loved it here!

 

WDW Park Planners’ Experience, Takeaways and Tips

Take advantage of the ABC Store and restaurants across the street from the resort. 

There’s a great little shopping area across the street from Aulani in Ko Olina, which is a quick five minute walk from the resort. The ABC Store was the perfect convenience shop to get snacks, coffee, toiletries, pool/beach toys, etc., and at a fraction of the price you’d pay at Aulani. There are some really good restaurants too – everyone loves Monkey Pod (get the mai tais!). 

Buy the Refillable Disney Mugs at the resort. 

 For $18.99, you can purchase your refillable mug (same as at Walt Disney World resorts) but with cute Aulani designs! We used our mugs every morning for coffee and other soft drinks and water throughout the day. If not everyone needs their own, just buy a few to share!

Get the pool chairs early!

Since we were jet lagged, we naturally were up very early each morning. We usually went down to the pool around 6/6:30am, and people were already starting to grab the “good” chairs. We quickly found our favorite spot and continued to get those same chairs every morning. Because they were “prime real estate,” we did need to save them early. You can’t leave chairs unattended with your belongings, so we would bring our computers down and do some work while we waited for the sun to rise 🙂

 

Other questions? Send me a message!