Opinions on windsor hills…traveling in september…have reservations at AoA for family suite. the price difference is just huge so i keep going back to it…we drive to parks (dont take buses)…we arent all day people…leave for breaks…and wouldnt open and close a park for emh …am i missing another benefit that i would miss while staying off property…opinions on windsor hill also appreciate - looks like a 10-15 min drive?
I am staying there in a week and a half. I’d like to hear answers too. I’ll let you know after my visit.
Look forward to hearing about your stay … Have fun!
I don’t know about that resort specifically, but we stayed off site with no problems taking midday breaks. We took at least 2 hours a day, with about a ten minute commute each way. The road signs were very clear for driving directions and the parking lots easy to get in and out of. Keep in mind, you’ll pay for parking, so add in $20/day to your budget. Even with that, it was cheaper for us to stay off-site in a villa with kitchen and washer/dryer, than if we’d stayed in a Disney value resort. Totally worth it.
I stayed at the wyndham lake Buena vista in December. It was in the Disney Springs hotel area. It was clean, it was nice, it was paid for by others, so I did not choose it. It did not take long to drive to the parks 10-20 mins.
There were additional parking fees per night at the resort as well, and unless you hold an AP you will be paying for parking at Disney daily.
I have no details specifically on the Windsor Hills, but here are a few general observations…
Although I have stayed off-site, 90% of the time I stay on-site. My primary reasons are not “having” to drive if I don’t want to (which is most of the time), EMH (which I do almost every day it’s offered), and being able to book FPPs at 60 days vice 30 days. You also get the “length of stay” benefit for booking ADRs (assuming that you are booking at the 180 day mark). If you’re going to drive anyway, and you don’t plan on using EMH, then the only real “tangible” factor is the 60 vs. 30 day FPP window. And of course there’s the intangible difference of Disney theming vice “cooperate modern” at most off-site hotels.
A few potentially “hidden” costs to consider (if you haven’t already)…If you’re not an AP holder, then you’ll also have to figure in the $20/day parking fee to go to the parks. Off-site hotels typically do not include “resort fees/taxes” in their room quotes; when comparing rates, make sure you ask what it will actually cost per night including fees and taxes (at any hotel/resort, including Disney, that you are considering). Does the hotel charge a nightly parking fee? Some do, some don’t. Is internet access free, or is there a surcharge? If you plan on eating any meals at the hotel, do they provide the dining options that you are looking for? I mention all of these because at one off-site hotel (that I stayed in as part of a conference), my “$139/night” rate actually ended up costing $187/night - not counting WDW parking.
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One other thing I forgot to mention - you won’t get MBs unless you buy them, and if you do, you won’t be able to use them for purchases.
Thank you so much for the helpful information. We are looking at a condo - it is a huge difference cost why primarily because we are traveling with extended family so it is either a family suite or two rooms and i can get a condo with more bedrooms then we need. i hadn’t thought about the mbs but even if i bought those and paid for parking i am still a crazy amount less than a family suite. i love art of animation - i just dont think i can justify the extra cost when i think little ones will do better if they have separate space to nap, etc.
Thank you so much! I dont know why i am being sooooo indecisive …
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Stayed there in July 2015. It was fantastic.
Highly recommended. We stayed there through AirBNB.
We took a three hour break each day from 11–2 and had no issues with travel time in the morning, during the break, or after park close.
Also, we saved something like 4x the cost of staying on property staying there. Choice should be pretty easy.
Hope you are having a fabulous time! cant wait to hear reviews…
We go every year in September and have stayed at Windsor Hills every time. Nothing but good things to say about it. The units are great (3 br condo for us). The facilities are great and the pool/hotub area is fantastic. If you are price sensitive for the trip as we are. … this is really a no brainer IMO. In fact im sure there are lots of places down there to stay that are great, but Windor Hills has been awesome for us.
We drive down so we have our car and drive to the parks … no problems there. 6 or 7 minutes to the TTC or directly to the AK or HS parking lots. You get stuck in the 30 day group with respect to FP+ but while it can be a little annoying, it in no way will hurt your vacation. You’ll have to pay for parking each day too … but that is still just a bit cheaper than staying on site 
We are having a fantastic time. This resort community is very nice. We are right near the pool and so it is an easy walk. The owner we are dealing with seems super nice and responsible.
There are advantages to staying on a Disney property. The transportation from a Disney property bypasses the tram and the monorail/ferry - and so might be quicker. If you have a large group - you could easily break up and have some go back to a Disney property via Disney transportation.
However - Windsor Hills is very nice - very cost effective - our unit is large (3 bedrooms and 2 baths) - and has all the amenities of home. It is only 10 to 15 minutes to any Disney park - and the route is very direct. The grandkids love the pool - and it is as much a part of the vacation as the parks.
If you have any questions that I haven’t answered - please ask.
Jan
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Hi, I don’t know if you have booked your stay or if you are still considering Windsor Hills. I own a townhome there that I rent to liners at a discount. Our personal site is www.parkhopperparadise.com. we have owned there for over 5 years. If you have any questions just let me know.
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Personally - I think at the VALUE resorts - you are better off staying offsite. You can usually get a really great place for the same price. We started go to WDW when there was only the Contemporary and the POLY (good God I’m old). So you always had to stay off site. At the larger resorts the buses can sometimes be a mess. But if you are not taking advantage of EMH anyway - I would save the money, stay at a nicer place and stay off site.
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