Not sure whether you should stay at an onsite Disney resort or off property? The decision can be a difficult one because there are many cons and pros to both. Even if you decide to stay off property, it can be overwhelming to figure out where to stay near Disney World because there are so many options. If you are staying with a large family and need extra space, or just want to spread out, then you’ll love Magic Village Resort, located only minutes away from Animal Kingdom. Find out why the Fabulously Frugal Traveling Mom has decided that staying off property at this resort near Disney World is the best bang for your buck.
Hotel Review: Magic Village Resort
The Magic Village Resort is by far the best place I have ever stayed during a trip to Disney World. I’ve stayed on Disney property several times and have even stayed at the Disney Vacation Club villas at the Boardwalk, and I have to say that this was ten times better then staying on property.
It’s a very big deal for me to admit this! When I was growing up my family had a timeshare with Disney Vacation Club so we always stayed in the park. I grew up with the mentality that staying at the park is the best option. Let me make myself clear, staying in the park is still an enjoyable experience for me. We love to stay in the park when we can afford it, but it’s not always feasible. It’s definitely not a realistic possibility for us now that our family keeps growing.
Now that I know about Magic Village Resort, I’m so spoiled that I don’t know if I can pay the same price to stay in a smaller hotel in the park. For roughly the same price as a standard hotel room with two beds in Disney World, you can stay in a 4 bedroom condo with a complete kitchen. It’s a steal of a deal!
What Works for Families:
Easy Access to Disney World
The resort is near the entrance to Animal Kingdom, right down the road from the Animal Kingdom resorts. From there the amount of time to the different Disney World parks is about the same as it would be from an Animal Kingdom resort. It took us about 10 minutes to get to the entrance to Magic Kingdom, the park furthest away from the resort.
If you don’t want to drive yourself, you can take the free shuttles to Disney. In my opinion this is just as good as staying in a resort on property and taking the shuttle. It’s taken us over 20 minutes to get from an onsite resort to a park before.
The Space
We stayed in a 4 bedroom condo that accommodates up to 8 adults. There is also an option to rent a 3 bedroom condo for up to 6 adults. Each bedroom has its own bathroom and there is an additional half bath downstairs near the laundry room.
The kitchen is a dream, complete with plates, silverware and pretty much everything you could ever need to cook a complete dinner. We had no problem making dinner during our stay, but also loved the take out option from the onsite restaurant.
Even the outdoor patio area is amazing. My family enjoyed sitting outside during the day, and then again at night to watch the fireworks from Animal Kingdom. The resort is so close that you can see the Disney fireworks!
We never got a chance to use the grill, but it looks like a great option for feeding a large group.
The Clubhouse
The clubhouse is no ordinary clubhouse. The thing that really makes it stand out is the kids playroom. My kiddos loved playing in it during our check-in. I was staying in Orlando for a conference while the kids stayed with my mom at the resort during the day. I loved that they had an indoor play option if they got tired of the pool.
Cribs
Pack and plays are provided at no extra charge.
The Price
I don’t think I can stress enough just how great of a deal it is to stay at the Magic Village Resort. The 3 bedroom condos start around $290 a night and the 4 bedrooms are around $300. The prices go up during busy seasons and depending on the view from your condo.
Just for fun, I want to compare a recent stay I had at the Grand Floridian. It was my first time staying there and I enjoyed it; however, the hotel rooms were nothing special. The best part was walking through the lobby, which anyone at Disney can do for free. I stayed at the Magic Village Resort the very next weekend and the rate was HALF as much as it was at the Grand Floridian. That’s right, the rate for a one bedroom with two queen beds standard room was twice as much as a 4 bedroom condo complete with a kitchen only 10 minutes away.
Lots and Lots of Storage
There are empty bookshelves, storage bins and locker-like cubbies all over the condos. This was great for traveling with kids who have a lot of stuff.
Amenities
- Free wifi
- Work out room
- Heated outdoor pool
- Onsite restaurant with extended hours
- Room service
- Free shuttle to Disney World
Phenomenal Concierge
The concierge can handle everything for you, from private parties to stocking up the pantry before you arrive. There really isn’t anything that the 24 hour staff can’t handle.
What You Need to Know:
Clean Up After Yourself
When you check in, the staff will give you a detailed list of the condition the condo must be in when you leave in order to avoid a cleaning fee. You do have the option to pay for someone to clean for you if you’d rather go that route.
The condo doesn’t have to be spotless but they do expect towels to be put in the shower and dishes to be cleaned.
Fireworks are Loud
We loved being able to see the fireworks; however, they are so close that they aren’t much of a match for a sound machine near a sleeping baby. My kids usually go to bed early, but we decided to let them stay up for fireworks after the fireworks woke them up and scared them the first night. If you do want to see the fireworks, then you’ll love this seating outside one of the bedrooms on the second story of the condo.
Trash is Emptied Outside Your Condo
The trash cans in the condo are very small, so you can empty them outside your condo each day for pick up. I found this to be very nice since I was traveling with a baby in diapers. Placing poop diapers outside kept our condo smelling very fresh.
Bring/ Buy Extra Cleaning Products
The resort provides you with sample sizes of dishwashing and washing machine detergent. This was perfect for our weekend stay, but you would definitely need more if staying for a week. There is a Target and lots of other stores right down the road.
Rooms
Condos start at $290 a night and include all the amenities.
Each room has either a king size bed or two twins. All room have an on suite bathroom and TVs.
The rooms with the twin beds are perfect for kids.
The full kitchen was a definite plus for us even though we didn’t cook every meal in the condo. It was great to be able to make breakfast easily. A breakfast area is located next to the kitchen to give even more options for sitting down for meals as a family.
Nearby Attractions and Dining Options
All of Orlando and Disney are at your fingertips here! Not only were we able to go to Disney, we were also able to go into Orlando for a few other family attractions. It took us about 25 minutes to get to the mall.
Overall
When it comes to finding a resort near Disney World, the Magic Village Resort exceeds all expectations. If you are are trying to figure out where to stay near Disney World, look no further! This is a great family friendly affordable option that’s perfect for a large family.
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We visited Disney in 2015 off site and had to pay $25 a day to enter parks . The free shuttle to parks would be a huge bonus.
It’s a huge bonus for us too!
We always have stayed at Boardwalk Villas and used Magical Express and park transportation in our past four visits but we may consider these for our trip in October. We got spoiled being able to walk or take the boats to Epcot and Hollywood Studios but this next visit there will be 9 of us and we would save so much money staying here (even with the discounts I would get on hotel rooms on property). Do you know how often the shuttle runs to the parks and how often? One family is driving down from VA but we prefer not to rent a car. (We always use Magical Express so not sure how we would get from MCO to this resort). Sorry for all of the questions!