I'm taking the entire family to Disney & SeaWorld (Orlando) in December and I need some recommendations for a place to stay.  I'd prefer to get a condo, suite or time share to make room for everyone.  Does anyone have suggestions or recommendations?

TIA

It's not a condo, suite, or timeshare, but Mrs B and I honeymooned there, and we stayed at the Polynesian Resort.

It's about as close as you can get to everything you could want to get to (i.e. the best overall combination of transportation options and availability, IMHO).  It's expensive, but one does not go to WDW to save money.

Quoted: It's not a condo, suite, or timeshare, but Mrs B and I honeymooned there, and we stayed at the Polynesian Resort. It's about as close as you can get to everything you could want to get to (i.e. the best overall combination of transportation options and availability, IMHO).  It's expensive, but one does not go to WDW to save money.

Thanks, I'll look it up!  

I would not ever go to Disney again and not stay "on property" as they say.  Staying at the Disney hotels is/can be expensive, but the headaches you save are well worth it in my opinion.  Not having to drive into the park everyday, deal with the giant football field parking lots, etc. is worth hundreds of dollars to me.  The last time I was there we stayed at their rock & roll hotel and it was one of the cheapest of all the on-property hotels.

It really depends on your budget.  You can stay on the WDW property (and that is worthwhile if you can afford it) in anything from All-Star Resorts ($60/night) up to the Grand Floridian ($300/night).  They also have cabins at Ft. Wilderness as well as condos (time share) in various places around the property.  That's iff you can afford it.  I always try to stay on the property but you can save a little $$$ but staying off property the evening you arrive and the evening you leave Orlando.  This means additional moving of hotel rooms which can be a hassle.  

Staying on the property have some advantages including early entry into the parks and park passes which are a little better (length of stay, and you can hit whatever park or water park you like while you are there).  Some of the resorts are really hooked into the Disney transportation system (monorails and ferrys) but they all have decent bus service to all the parks.  It is sometimes easier to take the transit rather than drive, park and walk all the way thru the lot.  Resorts on the property I like are Wilderness Lodge and Port Orleans (the River Landings portion).  Animal Lodge is also supposed to be nice and generally all of the WDW hotels are excellent.  They have customer service down pretty well.  

Otherwise houses are for rent in the Orlando/Kissimmee area for $500-700 a week and I would be tempted to go that route if I had a big family and a limited budget.

I'd check these sites to begin with:

www.waltdisneyworld.com
www.wdwig.com
www.mousesavers.com

GunLvr

If you want to stay on property, then check the Disney World website and look for a hotel in your price range.

If you want a bigger place and don't mind using a car while you're there, then check with Marriott.  They have Vacation Clubs - which are timeshares.  They're beautiful and you get these huge 2br suites with hottubs and french doors and real kitchens for as low as $99.

My wife and I just came back from Orlando. (10-15-04 thru 10-22-04)

Marriot Cypress Harbour resort (condo)

We have stayed at:

Westgate Lakes, Marriott Sabal Palms, all about the same. (condo)

IF you have $$$ I'd stay at Disney's Dolphin or Swan...walking distance to EPCOT...

Have fun and POST PIC's!!!!

Stay on property.  For the money you spend per hight, you probably get a better hotel experience than for a similar amount spent off property, plus you get special early access to parks, free transportation to the various parks, and often some real nice amenities like the ability to send purchases back to your room, theme pools at the hotels to entertain the kids when they don't want to be in the parks, etc.

I'm going to Disney in April 05 with the family.  We're staying at Port Orleans.  It's a mid-priced hotel at Disney.  Check it out.

If ANY of your kids are old enough to be on their own, I DEFINITELY recommend staying "on property" - I still have fond memories of being 13 years old and having a few days of near total independance to take Disney's mass transit to whatever park I wanted to go to, including back "home."  I just had to link up with the family at a specified place for dinner.  

Edit - for stupidity....driving to Seaworld in Orlando from Newport Coast is not recommended.

Stay at the Marriott World Center