On
Jul 28, 2013
Tanya
Asked
Note: This answer was provided prior to the change to planDisney and may still contain references to Disney Parks Moms Panel.
Experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.
“
Hi, We are a party of 9 (5 adults, 2 x 7 yr olds, 1x4 yr old, 1 x 3 yr old) and coming to Disney for our first time.I need help on deciding between Old Key West 2 bed villa or Yacht Club 2 x hotel rooms. Not planning on car rental.
Thanks in advance,”
Hi Tanya,
Going to Walt Disney World with a larger group can be so much fun! You are considering two very nice resorts, and I can see positives and negatives for each one.
Disney's Yacht Club Resort is a beautiful and elegant resort. From there, you can walk to Epcot quickly, and take a slightly longer walk or boat ride to Disney's Hollywood Studios. The pool area, Stormalong Bay, is amazing. There is a wonderful waterslide, a sandy beach, and a circular lazy river. I think that the drawback here is that the rooms. They are lovely and large for hotel rooms, but they are hotel rooms, which for me means a lack of privacy and lack of room to spread out.
On the other hand, a two-bedroom villa at Disney's Old Key West Resort would give you a lot of space! The two-bedroom villas there are immense. Not only do you get the two bedrooms and two bathrooms as you would with two traditional hotel rooms, but you would also have a living area, full kitchen, and washer and dryer right in your villa! I love the laid-back, relaxing theme at Disney's Old Key West Resort. I like the pool areas here, but they are less extensive than Stormalong Bay. The other drawback would be transportation. You would be taking buses everywhere, except for to Downtown Disney, where you can take a boat. Finally, the resort is large. There are internal bus stops located throughout the resort for further out villas.
I think that you cannot make a bad decision here, Tanya. If I were choosing, I would choose the two-bedroom villa at Disney's Old Key West Resort, because I love the relaxed feeling there, and my family enjoys relaxing in our villa, so we like the extra space. If you are more focused on time in the theme parks and being close to the theme parks, Disney's Yacht Club Resort might be a better choice for you.
Have a great time planning your trip, Tanya, and please do not hesitate to ask if you have any further questions.