Category — d. Where to Stay at Walt Disney World

SUMMARY: THE TREEHOUSES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

We visited Disney’s Treehouses at Saratoga Springs shortly after they opened in August 2009.

These units are great for returning visitors who could really use three bedrooms (and who don’t want to pay for a Grand Villa), but, because of their isolation, are not recommended for first time visitors.

(Note: for a review of the rest of Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa, which is where the Treehouses are located, see this.)

POSITIVES OF THE TREEHOUSES

Long ago guest facilities, in recent years these spaces have been used to house Disney World cast members. After extensive reconstruction, they re-opened to Walt Disney World Guests in the summer of 2009 as part of Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa.

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OVERVIEW

Disney Vacation Club members often rent the “points” which they are granted as members of DVC to non-vacation club members.

At a going rate of around $12 per point, this perfectly legitimate and Disney-approved approach can greatly reduce the cost of a Walt Disney World visit.

It can make sense for those either looking for a 4-person deluxe room (who would target a DVC Studio—see this for more on the DVC resorts and their room types).

It also makes sense for large families targeting an 8, 9 or 12 person DVC room to fit their family at bargain prices. (See both this and this for more on large families.)

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DVC RESORT ROOM OPTIONS, CONTINUED

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One Bedroom Villas also mostly sleep 4.

However, most One Bedrooms at the Villas at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and Bay Lake Towers  sleep 5.  All these One Bedroom Villas have a private bedroom with a king bed; one bathroom (5 person AK and Bay Lake Villas have two bathrooms), a washer and dryer, and a combined full kitchen/dining/living room.

The couch in the living room folds out into a bed for two more, and in the 5 person villas, a chair unfolds into a bed for another person. For first time visitors the value of the kitchen and extra space is small, as you will be spending little time in your room, and eating few meals other than breakfasts there.

Moreover, in all the villas except for those at Disney’s Old Key West Resort, the living room area is so small that it becomes essentially unusable when the chairs are turned into beds.

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OVERVIEW

The Disney Vacation Club Resorts at Walt Disney World are time-share resorts whose rooms can also be reserved like any other Disney World resort hotel rooms.

Moreover, the rooms at these resorts can also be gained (usually at a huge cost saving) by privately renting “points” from Disney Vacation Club members. See this for how.

For most first time family visitors, the Disney Vacation Club Resorts are worth considering only under a few circumstances:

• Large families—especially those aimed at a Deluxe property—who are not willing to bet on actually getting connecting rooms. (You can request connecting rooms at WDW, but getting them is not guaranteed.) See both this and this for more on large families. “Villas” which can sleep 8, 9 and 12 people are available.
• Families aimed at a deluxe hotel, but who can only pull it off through the cost savings of renting DVC points. See this for more on renting DVC points
• Families who for one reason or another have targeted a resort with which a DVC property is paired, can’t get into it, but can get into the DVC resort

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RECOMMENDATIONS BY FAMILY/PARTY SIZE, CONTINUED

9 people: Some interesting new options emerge at this party size. You can still try for two connecting rooms at the Poly (not guaranteed)–$89/person per night.

The Two Bedroom Villas at the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge will not fit 9, but two DVC properties have Two Bedroom Villas that will.

The ones at the Villas at the Animal Kingdom Lodge will fit 9, and so will those at Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. The extra spot comes from a convertible chair added to the kitchen/dining/living room area.

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OVERVIEW

This page recommends Walt Disney World accommodations for large families seeking deluxe accommodations, sorted by family size. See this page for an introduction to Large Families at Walt Disney World.

Click on the thumbnail above (when open, click again once or twice to enlarge) to see the recommendations below in chart form; the chart also includes additional information—for example, number of bathrooms, kitchen facilities, total square feet.

As always, when more than one similar option is available, recommendations are made based on appeal to kids and transportation convenience.

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