Thanks mickeynut! You know how to convince me! Lol
for anyone who books lake view can I ask why you book that versus theme park view? I was pricing out our options and there doesn't seem to be that much difference between the two? Am I wrong on that or missing something?
I think I am back to my original plan of booking garden wing and then if a discount comes up and we can afford to upgrade we will. Everyone's opinions on here helped me decide that I have to do what is right and what works for our family. I know in the end I would end up resenting anyone who changed our plans. Plus this is probably our last visit for a while until our youngest is older. And right now she is free so we should take advantage of that right? Lol. Anything to convince Ourselves! Ha ha
Last year, we stayed at the CR for the 1st time & booked the Bay Lake side. We're staying there again this year, & we again booked the Bay Lake side.
While I would enjoy a nightly fireworks view, we book the Bay Lake side for the following reasons:
1. I request a room on a lower level, overlooking the pool. Our 2 older kids are old enough to go down to the pool by themselves. We'll often send them down to the pool ahead of us if they're changed into swimsuits & ready to go before we are. This way, DH & I can go out on the balcony to make sure they've made it down. Also, if younger DS is napping or goes to bed early, & either DH or I go down to the pool w/ the big kids, the other one of us can sit out on the balcony & watch the swimmers. I got some awesome pics last year of our kids on the pool slide & in the pool from our balcony.
2. DH loves the nightly Electric Boat Parade - one of his favorite things to do is sit out on the balcony, at the end of day, & watch the boat parade. It's one of the longest-running attractions at WDW, & we enjoy the "nostalgia" of it.
3a. The Bay Lake view is a really lovely view - the boats coming & going, the sunrises... it's just nice & peaceful.
3b. To me, the Magic Kingdom view is kind of "interrupted" by the parking lot - that's not to say I wouldn't love seeing the castle all lit up at night, & I'm pretty sure I could ignore the parking lot, given the opportunity. LOL! However, the Bay Lake view is just scenery - no parking lots or anything.
4a. It's less expensive. We can spend the difference somewhere else
4b. When you add up how many times we're actually in the room to see the fireworks, it's really not all that many, so we just don't feel like the extra cost is worth it.
*DISCLAIMER: However, I will say, last year, for our 1st night, we were given a room on the 11th floor (Bay Lake side), closest to Bay Lake Tower - we were 2 rooms from the end. (This was about as opposite as you could get from our requests - lower level, near Chef Mickey's, overlooking the pool - and we were moved down to the 5th floor, overlooking the pool, the next day.) Anyway, that first day, when we walked out of our room, the view of the castle was breathtaking! Since we were 2 rooms from the end, when we walked out of our room, we had this gorgeous view from the windows at the end of the building. I could imagine that rooms on that side of the building w/ a Magic Kingdom view would be wonderful!