A family of 6 staying at a Disney resort - these are my options - what do you think?

[disneymom1313]

Hi all, my family and I will be taking our first trip (with kids) to disney world in September/October.

My DH and I have 4 kids
DD7 (will be 8) - Savannah
DD3 & DS3 (will be 4 in September) - Addison & Cooper
DD (almost 1) - Grace

Luckily money is not too much of a worry for this trip but we still have no idea where to stay! We really want to stay at a disney resort to get the whole experience and immersion in the disney bubble! Haha

We will be going for 2 weeks.

I am hoping you could all help me in this process of elimination to get it down to the resort we will stay at.

All opinions welcome

The campsites at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort Tent or pop up campsite - $52 per night
Preferred campsite - $77.71 per night

The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge
2 bedroom Villa - $932 per night

Disney's beach club Villas
2 bedroom Villa - $924 per night
The Villas at Grand Floridian Deluxe Studio - $522 per night

Bay Lake Tower at Contemporary
1 bedroom Villa lake view - $631 per night
2 bedroom Villa lake view - $972.86 per night

Old Key West Resort
1 bedroom Villa - $499.14 per night
2 bedroom Villa - $723.43 per night

The cabins at fort wilderness resort
Wilderness cabin - $354 per night

All star music resort
Family suite - $234 per night

Yacht club resort
Lagoon or pool view - $511.29 per night
Standard view club level - $589.86

Disney's boardwalk inn
Standard view - $436.86 per night
Water view - $527.14 per night
Standard view club level - $596.29 per night
Deluxe room club level - $742.14 per night

Saratoga springs resort
2 bedroom villa - $723.43 per night
Treehouse villa - $831.57 per night

Art of animation resort
The Lion King Family Suites - $292.57 per night
Cars Family Suites - $292.57 per night
Finding Nemo Family suite - $292.57 per night

Contemporary resort
Tower - Bay Lake View - $526.86 per night
Tower - theme park view - $576 per night
Standard Room - Atrium Club Level $723.86 per night
Theme Park View - Atrium Club Level - $779.29 per night
Garden Wing - 1 Bedroom Suite - $1195.71 per night
Garden Wing - Hospitality Suite - 1224.43 per night

Grand Floridian resort
Outer Bldg - Garden View - $529.14 per night
Outer Bldg - Lagoon View - $614.71 per night
Outer Bldg - Theme Park View - $666.14 per night
Outer Bldg - Standard Room - Club Level - $691 per night
Main Bldg - Standard Room - Club Level - $900.29 per night
Main Bldg - Theme Park View - Club Level - 971.71 per night
Outer Bldg - 2 Bedroom Suite - Club Level $2177.14 per night

Beach club resort
Lagoon or Pool View - $520.71 per night
Standard View - Club Level - $589.86 per night
Deluxe Room - Club Level - 663.14 per night

Polynesian resort
Garden View - Club Level - $650.57 per night
Lagoon View - Club Level - $807.14
Theme Park View - Club Level - $853.57

Wilderness lodge
Deluxe Room - Club Level - $714.57 per night
Animal kingdom villas - jambo house
1 Bedroom Villa - Standard View - $588.86 per night
1 Bedroom Villa - Savanna View - $643.73 per night

Port Orleans riverside
Various view rooms between $186.71 - $216.86 per night

Coronado springs resort
Junior suite - $427.57 per night

Animal kingdom villas - kidani village
1 Bedroom Villa - Standard View - $603.86 per night
1 Bedroom Villa - Savanna View - $689.29 per night
2 Bedroom Villa - Standard View - $939.14 per night
2 Bedroom Villa - Savanna View - $1024.57 per night

Animal kingdom lodge
2 Bedroom Suite - Club Level - $1645.57 per night

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

You really didn't need to waste your time listing all the resorts and prices; this is irrelevant if cost isn't an issue.

I suggest you do some basic research on each resort (get a good guidebook and look at the resorts board), decide what amenities are important, narrow your choices, check availability for your dates, then come back with specific questions about these.

 

[disneymom1313]

You really didn't need to waste your time listing all the resorts and prices; this is irrelevant if cost isn't an issue. I suggest you do some basic research on each resort (get a good guidebook and look at the resorts board), decide what amenities are important, narrow your choices, check availability for your dates, then come back with specific questions about these.

Okay thank you, I just thought it might help to list all the details and information. I will look on some sites like all ears for reviews to see what other families have thought of the resorts. Thanks

 

[amym2]

I'd go with a 1bdrm at OKW. You'll have a full kitchen and laundry (so much easier for a 2wk trip), the 1bdrms are HUGE, and the resort is centrally located. The only downside is the CS restaurant only has outdoor seating, but with a kitchen, you can cook some simple meals. Our kids loved the pool and the pool activities at the main pool.

 

[snoopy5386]

If you are looking at Villas look at renting DVC points from an owner. Huge cost savings. We are DVCers and love the villas.

 

[cel_disney]

Will you have a car?

I would skip BCV - your kids are too little for that big pool...
I think that 2 weeks is a long time to have a camper bathroom for 6 people...so for that - I would cross off fort wilderness
I think that for a family of 6 including a baby, having an in room washer and dryer would be a HUGE plus over 2 weeks - so I would cross off anything that's not a villa (if money is no object!)

I believe you would fit well in a BLT or OKW 1 bedroom - putting the twins on the pull out sofa and your oldest in the sleeper chair, the pack n play fits well in the master bedroom (although at OKW it also fits in the laundry room and in the master bathroom jacuzzi room for more privacy!)...but if you are relying on busses, I would go with BLT over OKW - plus the walk to MK is awesome and you will surely be there a lot!

You could always go with a larger unit, but I think you would fit comfortably in BLT or OKW and our family has enjoyed both several times!

Definitely check out photos online to see if one of the resorts styling speaks to you more!!!

 

[ali in wonderland]

We are also a family of six, and have traveled to WDW many times. IMHO I think you should stay at Bay Lake Tower and look into renting DVC points. We have stayed in a one brm there many times when my youngest was under 3. I chose BLT over the other resorts because a one bedroom will give you two full bathrooms and a full kitchen. You can order groceries from Garden Grocer, and cut down on your dinning bill. Also with young kids it's nice to have a full fridge for milk and stuff. BLT has a perfect size pool, not too big but a good slide for the kids. You can not beat the walk to MK. Plus you have the monorail. With such young kids most of your trip will be spent in MK. It's nice to be close.

 

[nadira36]

Hi all, my family and I will be taking our first trip (with kids) to disney world in September/October.

My DH and I have 4 kids
DD7 (will be 8) - Savannah
DD3 & DS3 (will be 4 in September) - Addison & Cooper
DD (almost 1) - Grace

Luckily money is not too much of a worry for this trip but we still have no idea where to stay! We really want to stay at a disney resort to get the whole experience and immersion in the disney bubble! Haha

We will be going for 2 weeks.

You're taking our trip But this year is budget for us.

Our families are similar, 4 children ages 7, 5, 3, and 6 mos - add 6 months for time of travel ages

SOOOO our family is planning to squish into POR - sleeps 5. But if money were not an issue given the ages of your children, I'd stay in a 1 or 2 bdrm at AKV (Jambo house is my preferred, then walk/shuttle to the big pool at Kidani), or beach club. We like beach club because of proximity to parks - with a park hopper it'd be ideal for our family since EPCOT has our preferred dining locations, but we don't spend many days there.

I would not suggest The Poly - under construction - for a shorter trip it might be okay, but for 2 weeks, I'd say stay away from that much room for potential upset.

We've stayed in a suite at AoA and loved it - younger children especially would enjoy it - theres no water slide in the pool though - and the playground is rather dull compared to AKL. However the theme is fabulous. If your children are good with just a small splash park and a pool vs a big splash zone and waterside, a small playground vs a full playground, then AoA is great and possibly the better bet for your family.

AKV has the animals. This was HUGE for our family waking up to see the giraffes outside our window each morning, it was the highlight of our children's trip.

As a PP said, take a look and decide what theme and amenities suit you best.

Have fun planning!

 

[disneymom1313]

Thanks everyone for the great advice!! It has been so helpful!

Have now gotten it down to six choices!


1. Bay Lake Tower at Contemporary
1 bedroom Villa lake view OR
2 bedroom Villa lake view

2. Old Key West Resort
1 bedroom Villa OR
2 bedroom Villa

3. Art of animation resort
The Lion King Family Suites OR
Cars Family Suites OR
Finding Nemo Family suite

4. Wilderness lodge
Deluxe Room - Club Level

5. Animal kingdom villas - jambo house
1 Bedroom Villa - Standard View OR
1 Bedroom Villa - Savanna View

6. Animal kingdom villas - kidani village
1 Bedroom Villa - Standard View OR
1 Bedroom Villa - Savanna View OR
2 Bedroom Villa - Standard View

Will keep doing research to try and make a decision!

 

[teacup princess]

I know you said money were no issue but if it were me I would stay at the Art of Animation. Your kids are the right ages for the wonderful theming at that resort, you still get a separate bedroom, and for the cost savings over the other resorts you've listed you could get the deluxe dining plan, book a ton excursions and tours, buy your kids every souvenier their hearts desired, or go to the water parks every day if you wanted to.

 

[eliz603]

Family of five here!

You are on the track I would suggest. Here's my thoughts at this point:

*Since budget isn't an issue, go for the 2 bedroom instead of stuffing into a 1 bedroom. I would have loved doing a 2 bedroom myself;

*Go for BLT. We stayed there last year and LOVED it. We like the CR area anyway, and we like walking to the MK. We are staying at OKW this year in part b/c BLT was sold out by the time we started planning;

*Art of Animation looks awesome. We are driving to FL this time and are spending our first night there before our vacation really starts. We got sucked in to the Cars theme. However, I know it would be way too small for us to handle for a week. There's also just a tiny kitchenette, and I prefer a full fridge. So definitely consider the room size. Also, the AoA suites for our dates were only $60 a night cheaper than our 1 bedroom at OKW (but I acutually booked AoA through Orbitz last weekend when they offered Disney's spring discount plus an extra 15% off).

*If you haven't already, go to allears.net and check out the resort video tours. There's also good ones on YouTube. I find them quite helpful!

*A lot of people talk about doing DVC on rented points. It's great when it works. But do your homework - when I looked this year, buying direct was basically the same price as renting due to my PIN discount. Plus, I get housekeeping daily included when I go direct. Depending on date and resort, what you want may not be available via renting but is available direct. Just do your homework.

 

[SweetMissy]

We've always stayed at value resorts...not because we can't stay at other higher level resorts but because we refuse to pay a ridiculous amount of money to sleep. We love the value resorts, they're fun....the theming really makes you feel like you're at disney! We recently discovered renting DVC points, so we're trying out AKL. Beautiful resort (fun is more important for us) but we'll see how it goes. IMO it's crazy to spend that kind of money but if you can get a good deal, such as renting the points, then go for it. I would never in my right mind spend $300+/night anywhere, especially for a 2 week trip, wow. Do what others have said...there's plenty of videos on youtube on every resort out there, watch them and decide what's right for your family.

 

[Tonyslady]

We are also a family of 6 although mine are older (18,12,8 and 5) and we love staying in the animal kingdom villas 2br savanah view. Some people dont like them because the feel a bit remote but that is one of the reasons we like it. I Love that the 2 br has 3 full bathrooms...makes getting ready in the morning a ton easier and the there really is nothing like waking up in the morning and being able to walk out onto the balcony with my cup of coffee and watching the animals on the Savannah. So if money isn't an option and you don't mind being a little further away from the action then animal kingdom is the way to go.

Now if you want to save some money i would go with AOA..the themeing here is fantastic the younger ones love how if feels like they stepped into some of their favorite disney movies. And even my oldest loves it she very artistic and could just hang out in the lobby sketching all day. I have not stayed in the family suites here yet but we will be staying for 2 nights in march before switching over to AKV so i will be able to give a better opinion of the rooms in a couple of weeks. Good luck and enjoy your planning...but beware...it can become a bit addicting.

 

[pooh4me]

Don't rule out Fort Wilderness cabins. They are wonderful and will give you plenty of room and have a complete kitchen including a dish washer.The biggest plus is that you don't have to worry about noise either yours or other people because the cabins are separated from each other, no common wall. There are also a lot of activities for children.
Check out www.allearsnet.com for films and more info.

 

[mslhb]

Thanks everyone for the great advice!! It has been so helpful!

Have now gotten it down to six choices!


1. Bay Lake Tower at Contemporary
1 bedroom Villa lake view OR
2 bedroom Villa lake view

2. Old Key West Resort
1 bedroom Villa OR
2 bedroom Villa

3. Art of animation resort
The Lion King Family Suites OR
Cars Family Suites OR
Finding Nemo Family suite

4. Wilderness lodge
Deluxe Room - Club Level

5. Animal kingdom villas - jambo house
1 Bedroom Villa - Standard View OR
1 Bedroom Villa - Savanna View

6. Animal kingdom villas - kidani village
1 Bedroom Villa - Standard View OR
1 Bedroom Villa - Savanna View OR
2 Bedroom Villa - Standard View

Will keep doing research to try and make a decision!

Out of this list I would choose a 2 bedroom at Bay Lake Tower of the Contemporary. With young kids being able to walk to MK/take a quick monorail ride back would be awesome.

 

[cel_disney]

One of the reasons I didn't include AKL in my recommendations is because its far from everything and the savannah views can vary significantly from amazing and full of animals to dried up looking brush...

The kidani pool is great for your family ages though ...

Make sure that you know what you could be getting if you go there..

 

[ArwenMarie]

Thanks everyone for the great advice!! It has been so helpful!

Have now gotten it down to six choices!


1. Bay Lake Tower at Contemporary
1 bedroom Villa lake view OR
2 bedroom Villa lake view

2. Old Key West Resort
1 bedroom Villa OR
2 bedroom Villa

3. Art of animation resort
The Lion King Family Suites OR
Cars Family Suites OR
Finding Nemo Family suite

4. Wilderness lodge
Deluxe Room - Club Level

5. Animal kingdom villas - jambo house
1 Bedroom Villa - Standard View OR
1 Bedroom Villa - Savanna View

6. Animal kingdom villas - kidani village
1 Bedroom Villa - Standard View OR
1 Bedroom Villa - Savanna View OR
2 Bedroom Villa - Standard View

Will keep doing research to try and make a decision!

If those are the choices, my first choice would be a 2 br villa at BLT, then it would be a tie for me between AKV and OKW.

The OKW villas are really nice and spacious. The only thing is the resort is really really sprawling, but overall it's a great place to stay.

 

[cel_disney]

If those are the choices, my first choice would be a 2 br villa at BLT, then it would be a tie for me between AKV and OKW.

The OKW villas are really nice and spacious. The only thing is the resort is really really sprawling, but overall it's a great place to stay.

I agree about OKW - we would recommend it if they had a car but also recommend a room in building 55 or 56 - near the (non-feature) pool and playground and just a short short short walk to the bus stop...but we take the car if we are going to the feature pool!

 

[SweetMissy]

One of the reasons I didn't include AKL in my recommendations is because its far from everything and the savannah views can vary significantly from amazing and full of animals to dried up looking brush...

The kidani pool is great for your family ages though ...

Make sure that you know what you could be getting if you go there..

What do you mean AKL is far from everything? We're staying there for our next trip and I'd like to know you mean.

 

[fabulousfive]

What do you mean AKL is far from everything? We're staying there for our next trip and I'd like to know you mean.

AKL is close to AK, but farther away from the other parks compared to other resorts. So if you plan on going to MK everyday, just be ready for a longer commute on the bus. AKL is a beautiful resort though!