Where to stay? - The DIS Discussion Forums

jamjar · 09-16-2009, 05:55 AM

Hi we are looking to book a disney hotel next year for family of 4. We have never stayed in a disney hotel before and were thinking of going without car/auto rental. do some resorts have better transport links to the parks than others ie. direct or monorail/bus only. Any information would be grately accepted as we are a little overwhelmed at present!

MidgeD79 · 09-16-2009, 06:13 AM

There are a few things you can do to narrow your search? How much money do you want to spend? How old are your kids? How many days are you staying? Do you want "in your face" decor or quiet and relaxing? Value resorts have amazing food courts, but no slides in the pools.
That being said, our favorite hotel is Pop Century. If you time it right, the food court isn't too busy, lots of families, 3 pools, great theming, priced right.
We don't plan on relaxing during vacation - we do that when we get home (we go during the summer). This past July we stayed in the 70's bldg,first floor, close to the parking lot and bus stop, not too far from the food court, took FOREVER to get to the laundry. It was preferred, but we stayed 2 weeks (paid for one week and got free upgrade for the 2nd week). We also stayed during the buy 4 get 3 free offer. The rooms are small, but manageable. We aren't bothered by any noise (we live across from railroad tracks) and everyone sleeps fine. We love it!

bellemeeko1 · 09-16-2009, 06:17 AM

All the resorts on Disney property have transportation to the parks....there are 3 that have direct access to the monorails....they are Polynesian/Contemporary/Grand Floridian(these are some of Disneys Deluxe reosrts) this monorail will take you to theTicketTransportation Center (TTC). Then some of the buses take you to the (TTC) where you can hop on the monorail for EPCOT and Magic Kingdom. You can also take your resort buses to all 4 parks. Some of the resorts have a ferry you can also take to the TTC.....this is where you can hop on a monorail to take you to EPCOT or Magic Kingdom or take a ferry to MK.

It all depends on your budget and how much you either can or want to spend for lodging.

fla4fun · 09-16-2009, 06:46 AM

I suggest you work out your budget first, and make a list of the hotels that fit in your budget.

Once you have your budget set, then make a list of what you want out of a resort. Do you want room service? Interior or exterior corridors? Kitchen/kitchenette? Hot tub? Spa? Food Court? Table service restaurant? Marina with boats to rent? Bicycles to rent? Do you want accommodations with a separate sleeping area for adults and children?

When you have your list of must have amenities, then look at your budget list to see which of those resorts meets the most things on the list. For example, if separate sleeping areas is important, but your budget is on the small side, consider a family suite at the All Star resort. If your budget is in the medium range, then a FW cabin might be the better choice. If you can spend a little more, you may want to look into renting points or booking a cash reservation for a DVC villa.

Keep in mind a few generalities, such as the value resorts do not have hot tubs or table service restaurants, and that the values and moderates all have exterior corridors. Although the deluxe resorts have interior corridors, some of them are contained in one building, and some are in separate buildings that you must walk between outdoors.

It gets much easier to make your selection once the budget is set and you know what you want out of your resort experience. Only you know what works best for your family.

DVC~OKW~96 · 09-16-2009, 07:05 AM

The Polynesian, the Grand Floridian and the Contemporary Resort (which includes Bay Lake Towers) all have monorail access to the MK and the Ticket and Transportation Center.

They also have ferry transport too.

You can walk from the MK to the Contemporary with ease.

The Yacht Club, the Beach Club, the Boardwalk Inn, The Swan, The Dolphin (and the Beach Club Villas and the Boardwalk Villas) all are within walking distance of EPCOT and MGM. There are ferry boats to both parks too.

The remaining resorts have bus transports to all parks and Downtown Disney, with some resorts offering ferry boats to DTD, as well as the ability to walk.

The moderate and value resorts will all require a bus to the parks, and DTD with the exception of Port Orleans which has a ferry to DTD.

Hope that helps a bit.

Princess Disney Mom · 09-16-2009, 07:13 AM

I agree with the above posters. You can get a Disney DVD for free and they show a blurb on each resort and you can see them on their website:
www.waltdisneyworld.com

Will this be a 1 and only trip? How much do you want to spend? What time of year? Does Disney have any deals?

My favorite resorts:

POP Century - for Value
Port Orleans French quarter - for Moderate
Contemporary - for Deluxe

jamjar · 09-16-2009, 09:05 AM

Hi we are looking at going last week in may first week in june. Kids will be 8 and 9. Looking to pay moderate accomodation, and yes a once only trip. We are not bothered for things like bike hire. seperate bedrooms would be great but not essential.

fla4fun · 09-16-2009, 10:46 AM

In the Moderate category you can choose from

FW Cabins
POFQ
POR
CSR
CBR

CSR is the only moderate with queen size beds, so that may increase your sleeping comfort.

All of the mod rooms, except FW Cabins, are very similar in size and layout. CBR rooms are slightly larger.

FW Cabins have a double bed and bunk beds in the bedroom and a double Murphy bed in the living room.

There are a lot of activities at FW that your kids might be interested in. Before making a decision, I suggest going to the camping board here at the DIS (go to the main Disney Planning forum page and scroll down near the bottom). There is lots of info there that you won't see on the resorts boards.

If I were choosing from the mods other than FW, I would probably select POFQ. It's smaller than the other mod resorts in overall size, and it's the first bus stop for pick up and drop off at the PO resorts. You also have a boat to DTD, and you have access to all the pools and restaurants at both PO resorts, so it adds some variety. But I really prefer FW to the other mods, for privacy, accommodation, and peace.

09-16-2009, 05:55 AM	#1
jamjar Earning My Ears Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 2	Where to stay? Hi we are looking to book a disney hotel next year for family of 4. We have never stayed in a disney hotel before and were thinking of going without car/auto rental. do some resorts have better transport links to the parks than others ie. direct or monorail/bus only. Any information would be grately accepted as we are a little overwhelmed at present!

09-16-2009, 06:17 AM	#3
bellemeeko1 SHADES of GREEN Know it ALL Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Buffalo NY Posts: 176	All the resorts on Disney property have transportation to the parks....there are 3 that have direct access to the monorails....they are Polynesian/Contemporary/Grand Floridian(these are some of Disneys Deluxe reosrts) this monorail will take you to theTicketTransportation Center (TTC). Then some of the buses take you to the (TTC) where you can hop on the monorail for EPCOT and Magic Kingdom. You can also take your resort buses to all 4 parks. Some of the resorts have a ferry you can also take to the TTC.....this is where you can hop on a monorail to take you to EPCOT or Magic Kingdom or take a ferry to MK. It all depends on your budget and how much you either can or want to spend for lodging. __________________ DH MEDS(22) DS(20) DS(18) DS(15 1/2) off property 86, 90, 92, 93 SOG 94,96,98,2000,2004,2006,2008,2009 Contemporary Oct 2002 Caribbean Beach May 2009

09-16-2009, 07:05 AM	#5
DVC~OKW~96 I'm not big on gold as a color. As a metal...that's another story Spreading the word is an important thing! Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: 20 Minutes North Posts: 5,270	The Polynesian, the Grand Floridian and the Contemporary Resort (which includes Bay Lake Towers) all have monorail access to the MK and the Ticket and Transportation Center. They also have ferry transport too. You can walk from the MK to the Contemporary with ease. The Yacht Club, the Beach Club, the Boardwalk Inn, The Swan, The Dolphin (and the Beach Club Villas and the Boardwalk Villas) all are within walking distance of EPCOT and MGM. There are ferry boats to both parks too. The remaining resorts have bus transports to all parks and Downtown Disney, with some resorts offering ferry boats to DTD, as well as the ability to walk. The moderate and value resorts will all require a bus to the parks, and DTD with the exception of Port Orleans which has a ferry to DTD. Hope that helps a bit. __________________ I look into the window of my mind Reflections of the fears I know I've left behind I step out of the ordinary I can feel my soul ascending I am on my way Can't stop me now And you can do the same What have you done today to make you feel proud? It's never too late to try What have you done today to make you feel proud? Heather Small

09-16-2009, 07:13 AM	#6
Princess Disney Mom DIS Veteran Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Washington DC Posts: 1,505	I agree with the above posters. You can get a Disney DVD for free and they show a blurb on each resort and you can see them on their website: www.waltdisneyworld.com Will this be a 1 and only trip? How much do you want to spend? What time of year? Does Disney have any deals? My favorite resorts: POP Century - for Value Port Orleans French quarter - for Moderate Contemporary - for Deluxe __________________ Disney Dreaming..... 2003 - Contemporary 2004 - Disneyland/Contemporary/Shades of Green 2005 - DoubleTree WDW/ POP/ Shades of Green 2006 - Contemporary/ DoubleTree WDW/ POFQ/ All Stars Music Resort 2007 - POP X 3/ Double Tree WDW 2008 - Disneyland/ BoardWalk / Off Site WDW 2009 - Offsite/Doubletree at WDW/Contemporary/Boardwalk 2010 - Disneyland / Contemporary/ Doubletree at WDW

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09-16-2009, 06:13 AM	#2
MidgeD79 DIS Veteran Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Monroe, MI Posts: 1,589	There are a few things you can do to narrow your search? How much money do you want to spend? How old are your kids? How many days are you staying? Do you want "in your face" decor or quiet and relaxing? Value resorts have amazing food courts, but no slides in the pools. That being said, our favorite hotel is Pop Century. If you time it right, the food court isn't too busy, lots of families, 3 pools, great theming, priced right. We don't plan on relaxing during vacation - we do that when we get home (we go during the summer). This past July we stayed in the 70's bldg,first floor, close to the parking lot and bus stop, not too far from the food court, took FOREVER to get to the laundry. It was preferred, but we stayed 2 weeks (paid for one week and got free upgrade for the 2nd week). We also stayed during the buy 4 get 3 free offer. The rooms are small, but manageable. We aren't bothered by any noise (we live across from railroad tracks) and everyone sleeps fine. We love it!

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09-16-2009, 06:46 AM	#4
fla4fun DIS Veteran Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: near Orlando Posts: 5,042	I suggest you work out your budget first, and make a list of the hotels that fit in your budget. Once you have your budget set, then make a list of what you want out of a resort. Do you want room service? Interior or exterior corridors? Kitchen/kitchenette? Hot tub? Spa? Food Court? Table service restaurant? Marina with boats to rent? Bicycles to rent? Do you want accommodations with a separate sleeping area for adults and children? When you have your list of must have amenities, then look at your budget list to see which of those resorts meets the most things on the list. For example, if separate sleeping areas is important, but your budget is on the small side, consider a family suite at the All Star resort. If your budget is in the medium range, then a FW cabin might be the better choice. If you can spend a little more, you may want to look into renting points or booking a cash reservation for a DVC villa. Keep in mind a few generalities, such as the value resorts do not have hot tubs or table service restaurants, and that the values and moderates all have exterior corridors. Although the deluxe resorts have interior corridors, some of them are contained in one building, and some are in separate buildings that you must walk between outdoors. It gets much easier to make your selection once the budget is set and you know what you want out of your resort experience. Only you know what works best for your family.

09-16-2009, 09:05 AM	#7
jamjar Earning My Ears Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 2	Hi we are looking at going last week in may first week in june. Kids will be 8 and 9. Looking to pay moderate accomodation, and yes a once only trip. We are not bothered for things like bike hire. seperate bedrooms would be great but not essential.

09-16-2009, 10:46 AM	#8
fla4fun DIS Veteran Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: near Orlando Posts: 5,042	In the Moderate category you can choose from FW Cabins POFQ POR CSR CBR CSR is the only moderate with queen size beds, so that may increase your sleeping comfort. All of the mod rooms, except FW Cabins, are very similar in size and layout. CBR rooms are slightly larger. FW Cabins have a double bed and bunk beds in the bedroom and a double Murphy bed in the living room. There are a lot of activities at FW that your kids might be interested in. Before making a decision, I suggest going to the camping board here at the DIS (go to the main Disney Planning forum page and scroll down near the bottom). There is lots of info there that you won't see on the resorts boards. If I were choosing from the mods other than FW, I would probably select POFQ. It's smaller than the other mod resorts in overall size, and it's the first bus stop for pick up and drop off at the PO resorts. You also have a boat to DTD, and you have access to all the pools and restaurants at both PO resorts, so it adds some variety. But I really prefer FW to the other mods, for privacy, accommodation, and peace.