Pamela1635
Cathlete
Another Floridian chiming in to agree that you should avoid March, and also early April. "Spring" break begins as early as the last week in February in some parts of Florida, and ends somewhere in mid to late April. During those breaks it's unbelievably crowded.
As far as the cost of your trip, it really depends on how you want to travel. It's cheaper to stay outside the park, but I find it more convenient to stay at one of the resorts. If it's your plan to do more than Disney, maybe you might want to consider staying outside the park. There's a Marriott just outside the resort which is nice, and which also has a shuttle (or at least it had a shuttle last year when we stayed there for one of dh's conferences) to take you to area attractions. If you stay inside the resort, I recommend avoiding the All Star Hotels. They're the most economical (i.e. cheapest) pricewise, but the rooms are extremely tiny and overpriced. We stayed there once when dd was 4 because we went during spring break, and it was the only room available besides a room at the Animal Kingdom Lodge which was just too pricey for a three day, two night trip.
My sis goes every year with her friends, and they rent a house for a week. She says the houses she rents are beautiful and spacious, but it's really all about your preferences. It doesn't appeal to me because daily housekeeping is not included. My sis is single with no kids, so that's not as important to her. I, however, am married with two kids, and they all (dh included) appear to have severe allergies to picking up behind themselves.
Since making beds and cleaning just aren't part of vacation for me , my vote is for staying at the resort or at a nearby hotel which offers free shuttles so you won't have to worry about a car and getting around in an unfamiliar area. Whatever you decide, I hope you and your family have a great time!
Pamela
As far as the cost of your trip, it really depends on how you want to travel. It's cheaper to stay outside the park, but I find it more convenient to stay at one of the resorts. If it's your plan to do more than Disney, maybe you might want to consider staying outside the park. There's a Marriott just outside the resort which is nice, and which also has a shuttle (or at least it had a shuttle last year when we stayed there for one of dh's conferences) to take you to area attractions. If you stay inside the resort, I recommend avoiding the All Star Hotels. They're the most economical (i.e. cheapest) pricewise, but the rooms are extremely tiny and overpriced. We stayed there once when dd was 4 because we went during spring break, and it was the only room available besides a room at the Animal Kingdom Lodge which was just too pricey for a three day, two night trip.
My sis goes every year with her friends, and they rent a house for a week. She says the houses she rents are beautiful and spacious, but it's really all about your preferences. It doesn't appeal to me because daily housekeeping is not included. My sis is single with no kids, so that's not as important to her. I, however, am married with two kids, and they all (dh included) appear to have severe allergies to picking up behind themselves.
Since making beds and cleaning just aren't part of vacation for me , my vote is for staying at the resort or at a nearby hotel which offers free shuttles so you won't have to worry about a car and getting around in an unfamiliar area. Whatever you decide, I hope you and your family have a great time! Pamela
