taking family to WDW and don't know where to stay!

[jon831leah]

Is there really a benefit for staying in Disney versus out on town? My husband and our three girls ages 6,4 and 2 will be traveling there with my parents in December. My husband is active duty Navy so we get a discount on the rooms. I was quoted $49 per night for the value resort. $894 for the cabins at fort wilderness $1049 for a moderate level hotel. We will be there for 5 nights. We could stay out on town for $349 in a two bedroom condo so was just wondering what people thought. This is our first time to Disney and I want it to be memerable! HELP!

 

[aurorae]

Did you check Shades of Green? It is for military only.

Advantages of being on site include free parking at the parks, extra magic hours, and the magical express to and from the airport. Most people that stay on site do it because they want that Disney immersion the whole time.

Off site, advantages are larger rooms for less money. A nice two bedroom condo that comes with a full kitchen could save you a lot of money, and many off site locations are actually closer to the Parks than some of the more remote Disney resorts.

 

[Disney grandma]

With the ages of your children there definitely is an advantage to staying on site. Disney buses are very good and if you want to go back to the hotel for resting or pool time, it is very easy to do so. Have you checked out Shades of Green for military personnel. It is a very nice resort and very close to the monorail and Magic Kingdom. Others may disagree, but I know friends who have stayed off site and regretted the time they spent traveling to the parks.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

When you have a large group as you will, I always think it's best to stay on site. When you try to coordinate 7 people getting to/from the parks, it can be trying. You might want to take your 2-yr-old back to the room for a nap, but your husband and older children might want to stay in the park. Or, your parents may not want to stay late for the fireworks, but you do. I just think being on Disney property gives you a lot more flexibility with your planning and allows you to adjust at will. It makes it so that everyone doesn't have to do the same thing at the same time, which I think is a huge benefit.

You could all stay in one Fort Wilderness Cabin together -- occupancy is 6 plus one child under 3. But, you'd only have one bathroom. But, you'd have a full kitchen, which can be nice when you have small children.

Whatever you decide, have a great vacation! Look through the FAQ threads on the different resorts and you'll learn a lot!

 

[Minnie Lor]

I'm military too. When I go by myself I stay at Pop at the $49 rate. I love Pop but I'm not sure that I'd want to stay there with more than 1 or 2 other people. If you choose Pop, you'd have to get two rooms. They have double beds and that just doesn't excite me while on vacation.

When my DH and I go we stay at Shades of Green which is very nice, beautiful, realxing, clean, fridge in the rooms, semi private patio or balcony, huge rooms, large bathrooms, AND TWO QUEEN beds. Also each room has a pull out sleeper sofa.

You are close to the parks and therefore it's easy to split up if the little one wants a nap, etc. Shades has a bus system that goes to the parks that's efficient. It's 10-15 minute walk to the Polynesian resort so sometimes we use the monorail from there. This is ok to do. The Poly even has a specially marked path to Shades.

We like to spend our first night having dinner at the Poly and then we walk out on the beach to view the fireworks at MK. (my favorite spot to watch) then we walk back to Shades.

Off property would be good only if you had a couple of vehicles.

When factoring in costs, you'll need transportion to and from the airport and Shades if you're flying. You can get a towncar service or get a rental car.

 

[JennSaint]

Is there really a benefit for staying in Disney versus out on town? My husband and our three girls ages 6,4 and 2 will be traveling there with my parents in December. My husband is active duty Navy so we get a discount on the rooms. I was quoted $49 per night for the value resort. $894 for the cabins at fort wilderness $1049 for a moderate level hotel. We will be there for 5 nights. We could stay out on town for $349 in a two bedroom condo so was just wondering what people thought. This is our first time to Disney and I want it to be memerable! HELP!

Personally I think it's totally worth it to stay on site! The rates you were quoted seem pretty reasonable. I'd say if you plan on cooking get the cabin. If you'd like to eat out most of the time get two rooms at a value or moderate resort. We think the Extra Magic Hours(disney resort guests get extra time in the parks on specific days etc.) alone are worth staying onsite. You will not need to rent a car when staying on site since transportation is free to and from the airport using Disney's Magical Express. For a most memorable trip I would do onsite so you'll be fully emersed in the magic!

 

[bookwormde]

On site is a significantly different experience. IF you are going during the summer, it is really nice to be able to take a mid day break and still be in WDW.

For $179 per night the cabins would be my choice (remember they have a kitchen), if there is not a better deal at SOG , but check out the camping board to see if they are your “style” . Taking the boats over to MK is really fun.


bookwormde

 

[C&G'sMama]

When you have a large group as you will, I always think it's best to stay on site. When you try to coordinate 7 people getting to/from the parks, it can be trying. You might want to take your 2-yr-old back to the room for a nap, but your husband and older children might want to stay in the park. Or, your parents may not want to stay late for the fireworks, but you do. I just think being on Disney property gives you a lot more flexibility with your planning and allows you to adjust at will. It makes it so that everyone doesn't have to do the same thing at the same time, which I think is a huge benefit.

I'm with this poster on this one as far as staying on site. We have traveled with the 4 of us my in MIL and FIL and BIL and SIL. With this group we have always stayed at All Stars and requested a connecting room with my in-laws. And BIL and SIL get a room on the side of one of us. We usually have our own car and dive to the parks. But if one of the kids needs to go back, one of us can hop on a bus and go back with them. MIL and FIL aren't depending on us to get around. It's worked really well. If you can get SofG and can afford 2 rooms and want the 2 Queens then go for it. If you can live with 2 doubles (we can and we are not small people) then I'd say go for it, at $49 a night.

What ever you decide. Have a blast and happy planning.

 

[sasmmb]

I agree with staying in the cabins for your family size. As 1 poster mentioned there is only 1 bathroom, but the tent campers bathroom facilities are usually only a short walk if you need it. Given the ages of your kids, you will certainly want a mid-day break to nap and/or relax by the pool which has a huge hassle factor if you stay off-site.

Also, with off-site you will have to pay for parking in the theme parks every day, so you need to add that amount to the cost of the condo.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

Is there really a benefit for staying in Disney versus out on town? My husband and our three girls ages 6,4 and 2 will be traveling there with my parents in December. My husband is active duty Navy so we get a discount on the rooms. I was quoted $49 per night for the value resort. $894 for the cabins at fort wilderness $1049 for a moderate level hotel. We will be there for 5 nights. We could stay out on town for $349 in a two bedroom condo so was just wondering what people thought. This is our first time to Disney and I want it to be memerable! HELP!

I don't know what you have planned budget-wise, but we found a MAJOR advantage to staying onsite was not having to pay for parking. We drove everywhere (b/c of the kids 2.5 and 6mo) and saved $60 on parking. By taking our own stroller we saved $124. We sprung for a moderate resort and fell in love!

Shades of Green would be a good place to look.

I would recommend picking up a Passporter book to give you a good detail but not an overwhelming look into Disney. The maps are extremely detailed and the information was really good. Any hanging questions, I asked on here, b/c like you, I wanted our first family trip to be great. I found everything I needed in those 2 places.

Don't forget to book a character breakfast!!!

 

[DISNEYNY]

We stayed off site our first 2 trips. On our 3rd trip a friend talked us into staying on site. I will never stay off site again. It was such a pain driving back and forth from the parks to our hotel. We love Magical Express and Disney transportation... I feel so relaxed when I get to Disney. All I have to do is get to the airport and then no driving for ten days...I love it.

 

[ya librarian]

The advantages are such that we now stay on site every time we visit. Extra Magic Hours, free transportation & the ability to take breaks, and free parking at the parks all make it worthwhile. You also have to stay onsite if you want to use one of the Disney Dining plans.

Cost wise, if you need more space, why not go with two rooms at a value resort (we love AS Music), or see what the cost would be for a Family Suite at Music, which has two bathrooms, a kitchenette, a bedroom with queen bed, pull-out sleepers for four in the living area and two TVs. The price is a little higher than two rooms, but the kitchenette might make it worthwhile.