amy g. Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I haven't had a vacation in five years. We used to be free to travel with my husband 5 or 6 times each year. Then we moved, and I had 2 more children, and my oldest got a barn full of animals that need hours of care each day. Now I'm just tired. I'm trying to wrap up the loose ends of my dad's estate, and the next couple of months feel just plain depressing. So I decided that I'm taking a vacation at the beginning of September. We will be finished with all of the kids' summer camps, and Walt Disney World might not be too crowded. The last time we went I was pregnant with my now 12 year old. We stayed off of the property and had a good time. This time, I'd like to stay on the property. My oldest will be 17, and she has volunteered to stay at the hotel with my youngest daughters after dinner so we can go out at night. She likes to go to bed early. I need you guys to tell me which resort is the best. I thought about the Polynesian because of the location, but I read some pretty awful reviews about how old and dirty it is now. Dh said the Animal Kingdom Resort looked nice, but I read some pretty bad reviews about that one as well. I hate spending money, so If I'm going to blow a great big wad of cash on myself, I don't want to waste it. Where is the nicest place to stay at WDW with teenagers, a preschooler and a 1 year old? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2boys Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 The Beach Club. The pool is like a water park, and there is a cute little ice cream shop. Also, the boardwalk area is nearby, as is Epcot World showcase, for your date nights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarfoot Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 We always stay at the Grand Floridian, the Animal Kingdom Lodge, or the Bay Lake Towers at the Contemporary. We love the Animal Kingdom Lodge! IMO, it has one of the best pool areas at Disney, Boma is a fantastic restaurant, and it's fun to have the animals right there. Have fun planning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*lifeoftheparty* Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I agree with the Beach Club, pool area is awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paintedlady Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 If I had littles with me and my older dd was watching them, I'd want them close by and that would probably rule the out Animal Kingdom Lodge for me. It's one of the farthest resorts and you have to take a bus back and forth to the parks, unless you have a car with you. It is beautiful though, and has the animals right there and Boma restaurant is wonderful! I'd stay there if I wasn't bringing little kids. I love the idea of the Beach Club or the Grand Floridian. The nice thing about the GF is that it is right next to the Magic Kingdom and you can use the monorail to get back and forth. That would be a big plus to me in your situation. Have fun! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Honestly, you can't go wrong at any of the Disney resorts. I've stayed in quite a few of them and I've visited nearly all of them. I definitely would not describe any of them as dirty or run down or anything even remotely close to that. And for us, location doesn't really matter. Disney has buses and monorails to shuttle you where you need to go. The Polynesian is on the monorail loop.....so is the Grand Floridian and The Contemporary. Wilderness Lodge has a very nice theme. The pool at the Beach Club is awesome. We enjoy the themes of the value resorts. You really just can't go wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 All 7 of you are going? How many rooms are you planning on getting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I'm trying to figure out which ones have rooms that will sleep 7 and I can't remember any without going to a villa. Now if you are willing to get 2 rooms, that's a different story! The Cabins are out (for me with 7) cause there is no way they would connect. We stayed at the Contemporary when ds was 3. Did not like the pool. There was no kiddie pool so if he was in, he was on me. Pool at the Cabins was the same way when he was 4. We stayed at the All Star Music in the family suites when I did my marathon. Those were nice rooms. Small, small kitchen not big enough, really, do to a meal. But enough for snacks, heavy snacks. Pools were great for ds. He's the youngest and therefore shortest. He was 6 or 7 then. The last time we went we stayed at the Poly. It had just been redone and was nice. It was a nice room. Loved being on the monorail. Pool was good. DS was 8. They also had quiet pools. It was January so we didn't go to the pool much. We did go one day. Well, I went one day. I think everyone else went more than one. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 We've never stayed at the deluxe resorts at WDW. But, if I had to choose one, I'd go with the Grand Floridian. I love the location and the theme. I have no idea about the pool though. We usually stay at Port Orleans Riverside. I love the remote feel and the pools are fantastic! We either get two rooms or have my sister and her family come and officially put one of the kids in her room. Have fun planning! Let us know what you choose! Oh - and hopefully by then, they'll announce free dining for September. It's a great deal - especially for a large family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 (edited) Once you need space for more than four, it gets pricey. You can try to get adjoining rooms somwhere, which is usually cheaper than one giant room or an apartment. If money is an object, you might consider adjoiing rooms at one of the 'value' resorts. We stayed at the music one, and I was totally surprised at how nice it was. The rooms are bigger than standard ones at Contemporary, fi. The rooms at the Poly are particularly large. I haven't stayed there is about 5 years, but I don't remember anything that wasn't wonderful. I love it there. If you could get ground floor rooms a a value resort overlooking the pool, you would buy yourself some extra ease. :) Although it would be a little louder. Maybe rooms on the thrid floor? ;) Edited January 28, 2011 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amy g. Posted January 28, 2011 Author Share Posted January 28, 2011 My youngest doesn't count in the room occupancy, and I think most of them have rooms with a sleeper sofa that work for 6 people. The Grand Floridian does sound nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 (edited) Standard rooms, even with two queens, won't allow the 7 of you, even with one being a baby. They are capped at 4, with a baby being ok. You will need a room that allows 6. What is your budget? One year we did the wilderness cabins, which I also enjoyed. We got two cabins with my sisters, and my dad. We did a boy cabin and a girl cabin. We were evenly divided, so it worked. :) lol My youngest doesn't count in the room occupancy, and I think most of them have rooms with a sleeper sofa that work for 6 people. The Grand Floridian does sound nice. Edited January 28, 2011 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amy g. Posted January 28, 2011 Author Share Posted January 28, 2011 (edited) I know that a standard room won't work, but all of the deluxe resorts I've looked at have had some rooms that sleep 6. As far as a budget, I expect to spend about $10,000 in all. If I splurge in one area, like the resort, I'll cut back in another area like driving instead of flying. Edited January 28, 2011 by amy g. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beach Mom Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 We stayed in a lodge tower room at the Grand Floridian and it was fabulous. The room had two large beds and a sleeper sofa as well as some other seating and a great balcony that overlooked the garden/pool area. We loved being so close to the Magic Kingdom, it was easy to come back on the monorail for rest time and return in the evening. There are several terrific night out restaurants there, the cafe is great for breakfast and the service was outstanding. It is by far our favorite Disney accomodation. You will be going at a great time of year crowd and weather wise. The GF has a couple of nice pools and one of them is zero entry which makes it great for little guys to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I know that a standard room won't work, but all of the deluxe resorts I've looked at have had some rooms that sleep 6. As far as a budget, I expect to spend about $10,000 in all. If I splurge in one area, like the resort, I'll cut back in another area like driving instead of flying. I haven't looked recently, but I think they only sleep 5. And having done 5 in a deluxe room twice, I wouldn't want to put more than 5 in there. The flip out couch only sleeps one. You are right, the baby shouldn't count in the number for the room. They do have bed rails, at least they did when we needed one. We put ds in the flip out and only one rail. It worked out well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disney Dreaming Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 We too have stayed at many of the resorts inside WDW. My favorites BY FAR are The Contemporary and The Polynesian. We stayed at The Polynesian in July and it *was not* dirty or run down. And let me say that I am *VERY* picky where I stay. The monorails just make the trip much easier(we spend the most time at the Magic Kingdom). I will say that about 4 yrs ago we stayed at the All Star Movies resort, *it* was dirty, I won't stay there again. The moderate resorts are nice, we have stayed at all but the Coronado I believe. I like the food courts at the moderate resorts the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 That's a great budget. You'll find something wonderful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anita in NC Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 It all depends on how much time you plan on spending at the hotel. I loved the "Pop Century" resort. It had lots of swimming pools and since we really didn't spend that much time at the hotel suited us really well. I've also stayed at "Port Orleans, Riverside" and that was very nice too. The kids especially loved the water slide at the French Quarter pool. The "Wilderness Lodge" was also very nice and just a boat ride to Magic Kingdom. I wish we had spent more time just hanging out at the resort and enjoying the pool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 You need to look into renting points from a DVC member. you could get a 1 bdrm villa at Old Key West (full kitchen, master bedroom, sleeper sofa and chair in front room, wonderfull patio or balcony, your own washer and dryer) for hardly anything compared to the Grand Floridian. There are DVC's at: Old Key West Boardwalk Beach Club Wilderness Lodge Animal Kingdom Contemporary Saratoga Springs Tree House Villas at Saratoga Springs generally speaking a renter would pay $10-$12 per point. Point values depend on season (with the off seasons being lowest). On average, I would say a 1 bedroom villa would be less that $300 a night. Old Key West is the least expensive, has the largest rooms, and my kids adore it. The pool area ROCKS! I rent points all the time to others - it works wonderfully. There are some great renters on this board -look for people with large post counts. www.mouseowners.com Also, Daddio is wonderful to work with - he is a little pricier, but takes all the worry and guesswork out of it: http://www.dvcrequest.com/default.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGK Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 My family LOVES the Polynesian. We have stayed there several times. All the rooms have been upgraded, so I don't think you will find them to be old or dirty. The Poly feels like a tropical "get-away-from-it-all" resort, and it's super convenient to the parks. You can watch nightly fireworks from the beach or pool; there's a great coffee bar in the lobby next to the monorail station,and the staff is just wonderful. The Grand Floridian also looks nice. We've never stayed there, but have visited. The feel is totally different-more formal and luxurious. There's a band playing in the lobby at times. It's really a beautiful place and sort of feels like you have stepped back in time. I'm sure you will have a wonderful time wherever you decide to stay. Have fun planning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I would suggest this as well, although the $10-$12 per point is for Sun-Thur nights only and weekends are MUCH more, so keep that in mind. We have stayed at OKW before renting points. Now that we are a family of 5 we stay off site and get a 2 bedroom condo, so the cost is MUCH cheaper than staying on-site. Dawn You need to look into renting points from a DVC member. you could get a 1 bdrm villa at Old Key West (full kitchen, master bedroom, sleeper sofa and chair in front room, wonderfull patio or balcony, your own washer and dryer) for hardly anything compared to the Grand Floridian.There are DVC's at: Old Key West Boardwalk Beach Club Wilderness Lodge Animal Kingdom Contemporary Saratoga Springs Tree House Villas at Saratoga Springs generally speaking a renter would pay $10-$12 per point. Point values depend on season (with the off seasons being lowest). On average, I would say a 1 bedroom villa would be less that $300 a night. Old Key West is the least expensive, has the largest rooms, and my kids adore it. The pool area ROCKS! I rent points all the time to others - it works wonderfully. There are some great renters on this board -look for people with large post counts. www.mouseowners.com Also, Daddio is wonderful to work with - he is a little pricier, but takes all the worry and guesswork out of it: http://www.dvcrequest.com/default.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amy g. Posted January 28, 2011 Author Share Posted January 28, 2011 Y'all have been so helpful. I'm narrowing down my search. The Polynesian does not have rooms for 6. The Grand Floridian is more than I want to spend, but the Wilderness Lodge looks pretty good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krista in LA Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 The Beach Club. The pool is like a water park, and there is a cute little ice cream shop. Also, the boardwalk area is nearby, as is Epcot World showcase, for your date nights. :iagree: We stayed at the Beach Club and loved it! The pool is great, enjoyed the boardwalk, being able to walk to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, and it was just lovely. I can't imagine staying anywhere else now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imprimis Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Y'all have been so helpful. I'm narrowing down my search. The Polynesian does not have rooms for 6. The Grand Floridian is more than I want to spend, but the Wilderness Lodge looks pretty good. The Wilderness Lodge is awesome. The Villas there would be perfect for your family. You would need a 2 bedroom villa (which can be pricey), but there is a full kitchen, washer/dryer, and, of course, the ambience of the Wilderness Lodge. It's a gorgeous resort! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan in SC Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 If you can go in mid November, I know a group you can go with for half of that, even if you have to get two rooms at the Contemporary. It includes free behind the scenes classes for homeschoolers. I'm on my phone now, but pm me if you want more info! (this is not a sales pitch, just information!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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