Change resorts or not?

[oceanwave]

This is our third attempt since Covid planning our trip, fingers crossed this one goes ahead! There will be 3 of us (2 adults, 1 kid - 6yrs). The last time we were at Disney kiddo was 3.

We are currently booked in a 1 bedroom villa at Old Key West for 10 nights in August. I like that it's 1 bedroom, has a washer/dryer and a kitchen. But OKW is large and only bus transport to the parks. When kiddo was younger 1 bedrooms were ideal for early bedtimes, eating in etc, but we are starting to think we don't necessarily need one this trip. As this is our first holiday in 3 years we also have no desire to cook meals (bring on the restaurants!!) so will be dining out a lot. Also as kiddo is now 6, not sure what will be the best resort for that age?

Other options we are thinking about

1) The Poly - Standard room
- On Monorail
- Husband loves the Poly
- Nice theming
- Most expensive (by about $1,200)

2) Contemporary Garden Wing - Standard room
-On Monorail
- Walk to Magic Kingdom
- Never stayed here, husband doesn't really have an interest staying here but will do as i've always wanted to stay here
- Theming is underwhelming

3) Beach Club - Standard Room
- We love this resort but have never stayed with a 6 year old who is not a strong swimmer yet and probably won't be interested in the slide. One of us is always in the pool with kiddo but it may be overwhelming
- Walk to Epcot and Hollywood Studios
- Bus to Magic Kingdom

So should I keep the OKW reservation or change it? Would love to hear others thoughts!

 

[Marionnette]

This is our third attempt since Covid planning our trip, fingers crossed this one goes ahead! There will be 3 of us (2 adults, 1 kid - 6yrs). The last time we were at Disney kiddo was 3.

We are currently booked in a 1 bedroom villa at Old Key West for 10 nights in August. I like that it's 1 bedroom, has a washer/dryer and a kitchen. But OKW is large and only bus transport to the parks. When kiddo was younger 1 bedrooms were ideal for early bedtimes, eating in etc, but we are starting to think we don't necessarily need one this trip. As this is our first holiday in 3 years we also have no desire to cook meals (bring on the restaurants!!) so will be dining out a lot. Also as kiddo is now 6, not sure what will be the best resort for that age?

Other options we are thinking about

1) The Poly - Standard room
- On Monorail
- Husband loves the Poly
- Nice theming
- Most expensive (by about $1,200)

2) Contemporary Garden Wing - Standard room
-On Monorail
- Walk to Magic Kingdom
- Never stayed here, husband doesn't really have an interest staying here but will do as i've always wanted to stay here
- Theming is underwhelming

3) Beach Club - Standard Room
- We love this resort but have never stayed with a 6 year old who is not a strong swimmer yet and probably won't be interested in the slide. One of us is always in the pool with kiddo but it may be overwhelming
- Walk to Epcot and Hollywood Studios
- Bus to Magic Kingdom

So should I keep the OKW reservation or change it? Would love to hear others thoughts!

I can't imagine spending 10 nights in a hotel room. I would choose the OKW 1BR over the others but if I did change resorts, I would choose the Poly because it's close to the MK and you can easily walk to the TTC to grab the Epcot monorail, plus I like the tropical setting and the rooms were just redone.

 

[DisneyDillyDally]

I have a six year old too. If it were me I would wait on Beach club - our 6 year old is still happy with a regular pool. Of your options I would stay at the Poly.

 

[Schneewittchen37]

In your case, I'd think about switching to the Contemporary. With a little transfer at the TTC you can Monorail to Epcot. With a little kid, I assume you'll be spending a lot of time at MK.....

 

[Micca]

I'd stick with the 1 br at OKW. With the washer/dryer you can pack fewer clothes and simply wash & re-use. And though you don't plan to cook, having a full size fridge is nice for drinks & snacks. The only downside to OKW (for us) is the lack of elevators.

 

[Bostonjetset]

Poly is my fave of any resort in terms of theming but $1200 is considerable. Contemporary is probably what I would pick in your situation. You can walk to MK and take the monorail to Epcot.

 

[1GoldenSun]

I'd go anywhere but OKW. That is by far my least favorite resort. But that's just my opinion.

 

[Toolulu22]

Is Wilderness Lodge/VWL not an option? Close to MK, tends to run less price wise than Poly/CR.

 

[Marthasor]

This is our third attempt since Covid planning our trip, fingers crossed this one goes ahead! There will be 3 of us (2 adults, 1 kid - 6yrs). The last time we were at Disney kiddo was 3.

We are currently booked in a 1 bedroom villa at Old Key West for 10 nights in August. I like that it's 1 bedroom, has a washer/dryer and a kitchen. But OKW is large and only bus transport to the parks. When kiddo was younger 1 bedrooms were ideal for early bedtimes, eating in etc, but we are starting to think we don't necessarily need one this trip. As this is our first holiday in 3 years we also have no desire to cook meals (bring on the restaurants!!) so will be dining out a lot. Also as kiddo is now 6, not sure what will be the best resort for that age?

Other options we are thinking about

1) The Poly - Standard room
- On Monorail
- Husband loves the Poly
- Nice theming
- Most expensive (by about $1,200)

2) Contemporary Garden Wing - Standard room
-On Monorail
- Walk to Magic Kingdom
- Never stayed here, husband doesn't really have an interest staying here but will do as i've always wanted to stay here
- Theming is underwhelming

3) Beach Club - Standard Room
- We love this resort but have never stayed with a 6 year old who is not a strong swimmer yet and probably won't be interested in the slide. One of us is always in the pool with kiddo but it may be overwhelming
- Walk to Epcot and Hollywood Studios
- Bus to Magic Kingdom

So should I keep the OKW reservation or change it? Would love to hear others thoughts!

I would take CR out of the equation. If DH isn't onboard and you are staying for 10 nights, I would at least pick a resort everyone can agree on. IMHO, CR isn't a great, overall resort and I, personally, would want a resort with some more exciting theming and amenities for such a long stay.

Can you split Poly and BC? That is best of both worlds, IMHO. You can focus on MK and AK from Poly (since you would have to take a bus to AK from any resort) and focus on DHS and EP at BC. You will also have so many dining options both on the monorail and Boardwalk. If you only want to pick one, I would probably consider which parks you will visit most and go from there - if it's MK, go for Poly, if it's DHS/EP, go for BC. I just love that there is so much to do in the Boardwalk area within walking distance. As far as the pool - there is a smaller pool behind the Flying Jib slide that is a bit quieter. But Poly definitely has an easier pool to navigate.

 

[nw6675]

I can't imagine not having a washer and dryer and kitchen for that length. Not to mention a separate living area. But, I am weird like that

 

[Quicklabs]

To me, the extra space in a 1 b.r. villa alone is worth the hassle of a bus ride. After the hustle and bustle of the parks, it's nice to have a very roomy, super comfortable place in which to relax and to get away from it all. Having a full size fridge is great for all kinds of reasons: quick breakfast in the morning, drinks and snacks you enjoy. And the in room washer-dryer is a big plus in my book! Can always wear fresh clothes and pack far less than you would when staying without laundry facilities. I hated using a communal laundry at the Poly. Big hassle. The $1200 upcharge in Poly for just a single room would buy you a whole lot of food in the parks or at other resorts. Or, you could use that money to pay for Ubers and never have to use the bus system at all. The Contemporary has never appealed to me. The Beach Club is the best located of the three, so that would be my second choice.

 

[brockash]

This is our third attempt since Covid planning our trip, fingers crossed this one goes ahead! There will be 3 of us (2 adults, 1 kid - 6yrs). The last time we were at Disney kiddo was 3.

We are currently booked in a 1 bedroom villa at Old Key West for 10 nights in August. I like that it's 1 bedroom, has a washer/dryer and a kitchen. But OKW is large and only bus transport to the parks. When kiddo was younger 1 bedrooms were ideal for early bedtimes, eating in etc, but we are starting to think we don't necessarily need one this trip. As this is our first holiday in 3 years we also have no desire to cook meals (bring on the restaurants!!) so will be dining out a lot. Also as kiddo is now 6, not sure what will be the best resort for that age?

Other options we are thinking about

1) The Poly - Standard room
- On Monorail
- Husband loves the Poly
- Nice theming
- Most expensive (by about $1,200)

2) Contemporary Garden Wing - Standard room
-On Monorail
- Walk to Magic Kingdom
- Never stayed here, husband doesn't really have an interest staying here but will do as i've always wanted to stay here
- Theming is underwhelming

3) Beach Club - Standard Room
- We love this resort but have never stayed with a 6 year old who is not a strong swimmer yet and probably won't be interested in the slide. One of us is always in the pool with kiddo but it may be overwhelming
- Walk to Epcot and Hollywood Studios
- Bus to Magic Kingdom

So should I keep the OKW reservation or change it? Would love to hear others thoughts!

I'd change it to really any of your other options....they're all pretty great. Yes, a kitchen and washer/dryer is nice, but we're not into cooking and doing laundry on vacation as it is, so it's not worth the hassle of a huge resort and multiple bus stops etc to us.

When the kids were babies we used the washer/dryer some and dishwasher a lot to wash bottles each night, but since then, even when we do stay at a dvc we don't use them much at all. Your other 3 options are some of our top choices.

 

[Jacq7414]

I have a 5 year old (she’ll be 6 in June) and we are doing a Poly/Beach Club split in April . So maybe I’m biased. I’m super excited about the pool at BC. So since Poly is 1200 more, I’d do that.

unless you can do the 1200. Then I’d do the Poly.

 

[CrystalClear82]

I would have to agree with staying at OKW. While it personally not my favorite resort, it gives you enough room to spread out and has the home like amenities. - You can uber eats in. Play a card game in the evenings.-
I love my family but personally would not want to be a hotel room with them for 10 days.

 

[Disneylover99]

I’d stay Poly for the extra $1200 if you can swing it.
On a 10 night stay that’s not too far over $100 per night. So not too unreasonable when you look at it that way.

Main reasons - August is hot. Super hot. Poly has that tropical vibe, so you don’t mind the heat there. We actually love the heat there in the summer. Also the standard rooms are awesome! Many standard room locations are centrally located to the GCH and both pools.

The Contemporary feels like a concrete jungle that time of year. I even find the walk to the MK harsh in August.

The Beach Club location is great, but I don’t love SAB. I find it crowded and stressful trying to keep track of kids there.

 

[_19disnA]

Nothing about Poly is worth an extra $1,200 compared to other monorail resorts. Seems lately that Poly is among the most expensive place to stay. No one resort is closest to every park. Monorail resorts are convenient for MK while other resorts are closer to Epcot/HS. Depends on your budget and where you will be spending the majority of your time.

 

[disny_luvr]

We spent two weeks at Disney last August - 8 nights at the Beach Club and 5 nights at the Poly. Both resorts are our favorite, but if you can swing it, I’d go with the Poly. The rooms are much more spacious for a family of five, plus there is just more room to store your belongings. With the recent room renovations, they thought of everything. The Beach Club storage space is sorely lacking and with the smaller room sizes, I think the room would feel tight with five people. We all agreed we will probably avoid staying at the Beach Club again until it’s renovated and some of the storage features of the Poly and Yacht Club are added. For reference, there were four of us including two 15-year-old boys that stayed in both rooms over the two weeks.

 

[Jacq7414]

We spent two weeks at Disney last August - 8 nights at the Beach Club and 5 nights at the Poly. Both resorts are our favorite, but if you can swing it, I’d go with the Poly. The rooms are much more spacious for a family of five, plus there is just more room to store your belongings. With the recent room renovations, they thought of everything. The Beach Club storage space is sorely lacking and with the smaller room sizes, I think the room would feel tight with five people. We all agreed we will probably avoid staying at the Beach Club again until it’s renovated and some of the storage features of the Poly and Yacht Club are added. For reference, there were four of us including two 15-year-old boys that stayed in both rooms over the two weeks.

They are a family of 3 though I think.

 

[disny_luvr]

They are a family of 3 though I think.

Oops, my mistake. I’d still pick the Poly or Beach Club over OKW, but the Beach Club room won’t seem so tight with only three. The Poly rooms are amazing though!

 

[Jacq7414]

Oops, my mistake. I’d still pick the Poly or Beach Club over OKW, but the Beach Club room won’t seem so tight with only three. The Poly rooms are amazing though!

That makes me feel better too . We are staying for 7 nights at the Beach Club in April with our daughter so I was like oh no! Lol. Nothing else I’d want is available for the week.