Villas at the Disney Institute
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Reviewer's Name:
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Tim Perrott |
Reviewer's Email Address:
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tim.perrott@ccrs.nrcan.gc.ca |
Rate / Night (for your stay):
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$204.00 |
Date(s) of Stay:
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November 13 - 18, 2000 |
Accommodation Used:
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Please Select From This List |
Accommodations Review:
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My son (aged 13) and I stayed in a bungalow unit, which was basically
a one-bedroom suite. Even with just the two of us, having an extra
room made our stay much more enjoyable - I could take a nap in the
bedroom while my son watched TV in the living room, or I could let
him sleep in while I got up early and read the paper (delivered free
of charge each morning!). I think that the extra room would be particularly
welcome for two parents traveling with children - my wife and I normally
try to stay in an all-suite hotel when we travel as a family. The
bedroom contained two queen-sized beds which were very comfortable
(I often have trouble sleeping in hotel beds, but not here), plus
the couch in the living room is a day bed (not a pull-out) which is
large enough for one person (preferably less than 6' tall). The kitchen
facilities were minimal - a sink, small refrigerator, microwave, and
coffee maker (with regular and decaf coffee provided) - but were certainly
adequate for a light breakfast (cereal, muffins, yogurt, juice, coffee,
etc...) or a snack. One complaint that I did have was that the ice
maker in our refrigerator was quite noisy at night, which was a problem
if the bedroom door was left open. There was not a lot of dresser
space - 2 regular sized drawers, one half height drawer, plus one
small drawer in the bedside table (this actually had two drawers,
but the top drawer was pretty much filled up by the telephone directory
and Gideon bible, which tells you how big it was). This was not a
problem for the two of us, but might be a concern for a party of 4
or 5. There was a double closet which also contained an iron and ironing
board. The living room area had a couch/day bed and an armchair, plus
a kitchen/dining table with two chairs. Sliding glass doors led out
to the patio area (balcony for upper units) which had two chairs and
a side table. There was one TV in the living room (approx. 20" screen),
and another (maybe 16") in the bedroom. The room was very clean and
in good condition - i.e., no broken or damaged fixtures, etc... Apart
from the room facilities, which were quite nice if not especially
luxurious, the best thing about staying at the Institute was the sense
of space and quiet. The accommodations are surrounded by lawns and
trees, and there are paths around the lake and along the river for
strolling or jogging. During our five days there, I might have seen
one or two other people in our 'block' of 20 bungalows - overall,
I probably saw as many birds and rabbits as other people. As noted
in other sections below, neither the pools nor the transportation
were crowded, which was a wonderful relief after being in the parks
for several hours. The Disney Institute provides all the conveniences
of staying on-site (excellent transportation, early entry and E-ride
night admission, charging meals and purchases to your resort account),
but really lets you relax when you get back to your room. For my taste,
this is what staying at a resort should be about - not fighting crowds
at a food court, or sharing a balcony with every other guest on the
same floor. I'm surprised that this resort isn't more popular (based
on the Internet reviews - in fact, I believe that they're always fully
booked); perhaps those who know about it want to keep it a secret.
While the cost is certainly higher than the Value and Moderate resorts,
it's definitely cheaper than the Deluxe resorts (I didn't see any
of the other Home Away from Home resorts, so I'm not sure how they
compare in terms of amenities and value). |
Why Did you Select This Resort for your Stay?
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We ended up at the Disney Institute by chance, although I would
definitely stay here by choice if and when I go back to Disney World.
Unlike some people who plan their trips months or years in advance,
we only decided to go 4 weeks before we went. As I quickly discovered,
getting on-site accommodation with such short notice limits your options.
I was also trying to find discount airfares, and it was a juggling
act finding dates for travel and accommodation which coincided. For
a short while, it looked as if we could get a room at Port Orleans
for the dates we wanted, and I was impressed by the reviews I had
read about this resort (as well as the price). However, by the time
we booked the flights, only the Disney Institute was available. Although
it cost more than I had originally wanted to spend, I am very glad
that we stayed where we did, and I am satisfied that we got good value
for our money. |
Room # and Location Description:
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We stayed in Bungalow #860, which is an end unit near the south
end of Willow Lake (close to the Townhouses, and between Bus Stops
#6 and #7). This had a window and patio looking out over the lake.
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Room Location Pros & Cons:
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Pros: the lake view was a big plus, and I would definitely recommend
this; our unit was no more than a 2 minute walk to either bus stop,
and probably 5 minutes to the main resort facilities (check-in, restaurant,
store, and recreation center); it was also close to Downtown Disney
- about a 10 minute walk, although there is also bus and boat transportation
available; I am also glad that we had an end unit, since this provided
more space around the patio area. Cons: an upper unit may have been
quieter (actually, we didn't notice any noise from upstairs until
our last night there - I suspect that new guests had moved in who
had a much heavier step); bungalows on the other side of the lake
(e.g., between Bus Stops #7 and #8) would have been slightly closer
to the resort facilities, although this was not a problem from our
location; the one time we bought groceries from the store, the bell
services people gave us a lift to our bungalow in an electric cart.
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Check-In / Check-Out Comments:
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Fast, friendly and efficient - we arrived early (around 9:30 a.m.,
so our room wasn't ready, but this was not a problem. We went off
to the parks, and called back later in the afternoon to find our room
number (and which bus stop to get off at). The woman who checked us
in was very knowledgeable, and upgraded our 5-day Park Hopper Plus
passes to 5-day Unlimited Magic passes. This was a good deal for us
since my son wanted to go to Disney Quest, which was not included
in the Park Hopper Plus passes - the upgrade only cost us about $3
each, compared to an entrance fee of about $25 per person into Disney
Quest (and we went here twice!). We were set up for express checkout,
which was very convenient since we had an early morning departure
(6:00 a.m. flight!). |
WDW Transportation Comments:
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There were busses every 20 minutes to and from all of the theme
parks and Downtown Disney (I believe this is the same as the other
resorts). Actually, we were extremely lucky, as we usually only waited
5 minutes or less to catch the bus we wanted. Most of the time, there
were fewer than 10 people on any of the busses, the only exceptions
being returning from the Illuminations fireworks at Epcot (where some
people had to stand) and after the Fantasmic show at Disney MGM (when
the seats were full). Boat transportation to and from Downtown Disney
is supposed to be scheduled every 20 - 30 minutes, but in practice
someone usually called the boat by radio whenever we needed one, and
it came within 5 - 10 minutes (there's someone at the dock on the
Downtown Disney side, while the recreation center staff will call
from the Institute). The boat will take you either to the Market Place
or the West Side docks, and coming back will drop you off either at
the Reflections dock (by the recreation center) or at the Seasons
dock (on the river, behind the tennis courts). |
Restaurant / Lounge Review:
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The Seasons dining room is no longer open, except for special bookings
(so I heard). The Gathering Place is a bar/lounge which does serve
meals - we ate there once, and while the menu was somewhat limited,
the food was quite good and reasonably priced (by Disney standards).
They also have some nice desserts and specialty (i.e., alcoholic)
coffees. It's small - perhaps 4 tables with chairs, and a half-dozen
or so couch and armchair groupings around coffee tables - but certainly
wasn't crowded when we went (around 8:00 p.m.). There's also Reflections,
which we didn't try, but which I understand sells pastries and snacks.
We went past it a number of times (it's beside the recreation center),
and it wasn't crowded, although there were people eating there. |
Pool Description / Comments:
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We didn't use any of the pools (there are six altogether), although
we did walk past a couple of them a few times (the one by the recreation
center and the larger pool in the townhouse area). They seemed to
be fairly basic, but perhaps most importantly, they were not crowded
(mind you, it was warm but not hot when we were there). |
What Suggestions Would you Give Anyone that is Considering This
Resort?
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I'm not sure how the Bungalows compare to the Townhouses and Villas
(which have more space and amenities, but are not as conveniently
located). As noted in the earlier sections, I was very pleased with
our location, although any of the bungalows are reasonably close to
the main resort facilities. The south end of the lake is a plus if
you are thinking about walking to Downtown Disney, but I would put
more emphasis on getting a lake view, and preferably an end unit (although
this is probably less important). It is a matter of personal choice
whether one wants to be very close to a pool or not - however, I doubt
that noise will be a problem if you are. The bungalows are ideal for
couples with up to one or two children; while there is room for a
fifth person on the day bed (assuming that both beds are occupied
by two people each), I suspect this could seem rather crowded for
more than one or two nights. You're not going to be able to cook any
meals in a bungalow, but being able to have coffee and cereal in the
morning without having to get dressed and leave your room is a big
plus in my books. The store in the Welcome Center has a limited supply
of groceries, but you can also have groceries delivered for a relatively
modest fee (there's a list provided). |
Other Comments:
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Not having stayed at any other Disney resort (this was our first
trip to WDW), I can't really compare it, except for the impressions
I had passing by the monorail resorts, or watching the line-ups for
busses and boats going to the other resorts. That being said, I would
strongly encourage anyone to stay at the Disney Institute (personally,
I think they should change the name - it sounds awful). It is very
relaxing and peaceful, which is what I wanted after visiting the parks
or other facilities, which are almost always noisy and crowded. |
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