kentuckymom Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 So we've just about settled on going to Disney sometime in October. When we went six years ago we stayed at a Fort Wilderness Cabin and loved it, but we're open to other experiences as well. The really high priced deluxe ones are out of our budget range, but the lower priced deluxe (like Wilderness Lodge) are doable. We have a 10 year old boy and a 4 year old girl. The 4 year old is a night owl and does not nap. The 10 year old is actually more into Disney characters than the 4 year old, but she does love princesses in general. Where would you stay if you were us? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Our favorites are- Fort Wilderness (either cabin or trailer), Wilderness Lodge and Old Key West. If you look at a moderate- check out Coronado Springs. It is one of the nicest moderates and very nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 With a 10 year old boy and 4 year old girl, I'd stay at one of the resorts with bunk beds. I know Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge have them. Not sure which others do. We love AKL for the atmosphere and it is a lower priced deluxe. I haven't stayed at Port Orleans Riverside, but its theming is relaxing and beautiful. We didn't love POFQ the time we stayed there, but it was right before renovations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnIslandGirl Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 We love the Polynesian for it's vibe, larger rooms, watching wishes on the beach, and the monorail convenience. If you get a discount code and stay in a "garden view" room, it might be doable with your budget. Otherwise I'd rent points form a DVC member and try for a room at Bay Lake Towers. Have fun planning! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kentuckymom Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 Thanks for the ideas so far! Keep them coming! A bunk bed room at the Wilderness Lodge is high on my list at this point, and the Royal themed rooms at Port Orleans Riverside would thrill DD and not kill our budget. I'll keep a lookout for discount codes with the Polynesian in mind. It's gorgeous and so convenient being on the monorail line. When we went six years ago DH and I dropped Squirrelboy (then 4) off for a Pirate Cruise at the Grand Floridian and then went over to the Polynesian for brunch. The whole place was lovely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kroe1 Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 An impossible question for me. I like them all. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 It's not one you're considering for financial reasons, but the only place we'll stay anymore is the Polynesian. We've been spoiled. If I were in your shoes and couldn't do the Polynesian I would probably pick the Wilderness Lodge. When we go there to Whispering Canyon Cafe (to eat) it always looks interesting - moreso than the other resorts. We have stayed at the campground before and enjoyed it too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plateau Mama Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 I would rent points from a DVC member and stay in a one bedroom. Then you'd have a pull out sofa and a pull out chair (in most resorts) for the kids. Mom and dad would have their own room and you'd have a kitchen for quick breakfast and snacks. Sine October is only 6 months out Wilderness Lodge or Boardwalk would be my top two choices with DVC points. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowbeltmom Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 The Boardwalk is my family's favorite. It is great being able to walk into Epcot from the hotel. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 I would rent points from a DVC member and stay in a one bedroom. Then you'd have a pull out sofa and a pull out chair (in most resorts) for the kids. Mom and dad would have their own room and you'd have a kitchen for quick breakfast and snacks. Sine October is only 6 months out Wilderness Lodge or Boardwalk would be my top two choices with DVC points. Renting points is a good idea. I don't think she will be able to get Boardwalk or any of the Epcot area resorts during Food & Wine though. :) The DVC 1 BR that sleep 5 will have a pullout couch and chair. AKL Kidani, BLT, OKW, and the new ones at GF have both, but I think the other resorts only have a pullout couch. You can request a rollaway cot, but I don't know where you'd fit it because the regular chair in the living room would still be there. I think they're supposed to replace those chairs with sleeper chairs as they refurb the resorts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 We've stayed at: Contemporary - pool was too deep for then 3yo. Monorail, walk to MK. (kids 3,6,9) Ft Wilderness cabin - pool still too deep. Bus just about everywhere. (Kids 4,7,10) Family suites at Music - great! Kids were also finally tall enough that other would not have been a problem. But everywhere, but separate rooms for adults and kids. two bathrooms! Good food court. (kids 6,10,12) Poly - nice pools. Monorail. Only one quick service place. (kids ???) There were pluses and minus to every place, honestly. And having 3 kids limits where you can stay in one room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daria Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 We've stayed at a bunch of places. I'd suggest The Swan (loved this, more than the Beach Club, and it cost a LOT less. The pool with the water fall and the slide is awesome, being walking distance to 2 parks and lots of restaurants is awesome. The room was spacious and very clean. If you can swing it this would be my suggestion). Animal Kingdom (was like being in a museum. I could have spent a whole vacation wandering the halls, but the location and the room size and the food and the pool weren't as good as the Swan. It was a great choice for a couple days at the end of a trip, but I don't know that I'd do it for the whole trip). The values: Are really fine. We've done them twice and spent both trips saying "why did we spend so much more for the more expensive hotels?" We're 1 adult 1 kid, so a value room is fine for us. I'd think about whether 2 bathrooms, 2 rooms and a kitchenette in one of the value suites is a better fit for your family, vs. a single room in a more expensive hotel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 We've stayed a few times, and in your price range, I would say Coronado! We have stayed there twice adn we are going back at the end of the month. The price is reasonable. We really love AKL but too expensive!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kentuckymom Posted April 14, 2015 Author Share Posted April 14, 2015 I'm loving all the suggestions! The Swan is convenient and a good deal I have to agree, but it just doesn't have enough of a Disney theme to satisfy me, I'm sorry to say. Coronado Springs calls out to the former Spanish teacher in me, so that's on my list of potentials now. I'm also looking into DVC points rentals, though the chances of availability matching our exact dates is anybody's guess. We're just looking around now and will probably book something when the deals for the fall are advertised (the currently advertised deals go through August), unless we hit a gold mine with vacation points rentals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieA97 Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 Love love love Wilderness Lodge and refuse to stay anywhere else-which explains why we don't go very often ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeannpal Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 We love the Port Orleans resorts-both of them. They are so pretty, and the boat ride to Downtown Disney is nice. It is also nice to be able to share pools because you can use either pool at the Port Orleans Resorts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 We love Port Orleans. It helps that DD's favorite Disney movie is the Princess and the Frog, and Tiana often hangs out there :). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 We stayed at POR in Feb 2014 and enjoyed it. As a family of 5, it was a budget-friendly option for us since we could have 5 in a room. I would consider DVC points for a future trip. We opted to drive to the parks vs. take buses, and were happy with that option, although I know many don't enjoy driving on site. I hadn't been to WDW since early childhood, so it was somewhat difficult to decide how to weigh convenience vs. price vs. time we'd spend in the room and resort itself. While we were there, the Poly, Contemporary, etc. were impacted by scheduled maintenance on the monorail the whole time we were there. We had debated staying at a monorail resort, and I would have been upset to have shelled out for that, only to lose the convenience of the monorail. When I was planning and reading the disboards, a lot of folks were really unhappy about having paid for the convenience of the Poly and Contemporary, only to lose access to the monorail for a large portion of the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kentuckymom Posted April 14, 2015 Author Share Posted April 14, 2015 We love Port Orleans. It helps that DD's favorite Disney movie is the Princess and the Frog, and Tiana often hangs out there :). We'll, that's another point for ME wanting to stay there, since I love that movie. Neither of the kids has seen it. I'll have to show it to them before we go, whether or not we stay at POR. I might have to skip over some of the potentially scary voodoo scenes with the 4 year old, however. eta: Kittygirl is also obsessed with frogs at the moment, so she would probably love the movie. Maybe I should change her nickname on here to Froggirl :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kentuckymom Posted April 14, 2015 Author Share Posted April 14, 2015 New question: If you've been to a resort you DIDN'T like, what didn't you like about it? For instance, even if a monorail resort were something we wanted to pay for I wouldn't choose Grand Floridian. When we walked around before the pirate cruise (last time we were at WDW) I just felt it had too much of a "retirement community" vibe. I can picture my Dad sitting in the lobby with a glass of wine talking with other grandfathers. My kids enjoying the stay, not so much. And please don't flame me if you love Grand Floridian :). I'm sure it has its charms, it's just not to my taste. The Caribbean resort also doesn't attract me. I've never had much desire to go to an actual Caribbean island, so a Disney imitation of one doesn't sound great either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 we hated the low-end ones--we stayed at two and transferred both times to Coronado. It was just too motel-y for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine72 Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 Wilderness Lodge is our favorite. Coronado Springs is ok. I don't like that it is a convention hotel though, it had a different vibe than other Disney hotels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 I admit the Swan and Dolphin don't appeal to me. The resort fee is way too high, IMO. We have walked around them and it just feels very un-disney to us. The rooms just seem like any hotel to us. Nothing special. Animal Kingdom Lodge is very dark to me. The lighting in the rooms is dark to me and it just feels off. As for the Grand Floridian- the old timers at Wilderness Lodge call it the "Red Roof Inn". DH now refers to it a over priced Red Roof Inn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 We always prefer fort wilderness. I have not considered other resorts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bensmom Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 I would be happy to stay at any resort because it means we are at Disney, but Bay Lake Tower was not all that we hoped it to be. Location was nice, but it was too sterile and cold. If I could only afford a value, I'd be happiest at Pop Century, but the value food courts and transportation is much less desirable than any moderate or deluxe. My favorite moderate is Port Orleans French Quarter because it is smaller thus easier to walk to everything and quieter, and has a boat to Downtown. (We have never stayed in the theme rooms at Caribbean Beach but they look awesome). My favorites overall are Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 Well, I grew up in Africa, so...... ANIMAL KINGDOM!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murmer Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 I love the Poly!! but if not poly then our second favorite is Animal Kingdom Lodge (but long bus rides to everything). We just stayed at Beach Club and if our kids were older we might have liked it better but the food choices were very limited and the pools were way to deep for a novice swimmer like my 5 year old (who is capable of swimming but isn't confident in his abilities). If you will have a car I love Old Key West (which is DVC) but haven't taken my kids there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestHoustonMom Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 I loved my stay at Port Orleans Riverside. We stayed in the Alligator Bayou section, and everything was perfectly themed. I especially loved the wood log posts of the beds, and the beds were the most comfortable beds I have ever slept in at a hotel. Tons of Hidden Mickeys to find for the kids, but the room is really rustic themed. Plus, there was a trundle bed if you needed an extra bed. The food court had quite a selection, the restaurant was very good, and the pool was awesome. Edited to add: Also, there are rabbits and ducks roaming the property, and there is a fishing pond (I think it's catch and release). You can also rent surrey bikes to ride around the property. I really wanted to do that, but XH thought it was a waste of money. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.