Yet another "where would you stay" thread

[iheartdisney]

So... background. We are looking at going to WDW next summer. We are a family of 5. Dh and I, kids will be 8,7,5. We live on the west coast, this is a once in 5 years kind of trip. i did the Dining Plan back in '08 and LOVEd it, it was awesome having everything prepaid. Being a family of 5 limits our choices, so here is what I came up with... I apoligize in advance for any mindless ramblings.

Choice 1: Shades of Green
Pros: lowest price. HUGE rooms. Location, location, location! Buses run on a schedule.
cons: No dining plan.

Choice 2: Cabins @ Fort Wilderness
Pros: We get our own room seperate from the kids. Full kitchen, so we can have a hot breakfast. can do all of the campground activities, without having to vacation without an air conditioner.
cons: ummm, can't think of any cons.

Choice 3: Beach Club
Pros: In 08, we were upgraded to the yacht club because Coronado was overbooked. The weather wasn't good, so we only got to Stormalong Bay once. That pool was AWESOME, and i would love to stay there again. Boats to Epcot and MGM. Pirate Adventure for the kids.
Cons: Higest price. No Counter Service place. We felt VERY underdressed when we were upgraded.

 

[tinkbyday]

I would pick BC out of those choices. I've stayed at YC - but absolutely love the Epcot area. The convenience of being within walking distance to two parks, the boardwalk at night, the pool - great dining options either at the resort or right next door at Epcot - completely makes it and easy choice.

Not sure why you felt under dressed though - t-shirts and shorts were what we wore everyday and felt completely at home with everyone else wearing pretty much the same thing.

 

[tlbwriter]

BC fan here - now that my DD is old enough that the MK isn't our favorite park, I absolutely love the easy access to Epcot and Studios. And I don't know why you felt underdressed there? Also, while there isn't a typical counter service place on site, they do have meals in the gift shop that can be purchased on the dining plan. Sandwiches and the like.

 

[ciera321]

Another BC vote. We loved the location - walking over to Boardwalk for dinners, the entertainers that your kiddos would love, grabbing breakfast in the morning at Boardwalk Bakery, and renting a surrey and riding all around the area (watch out for heart attack hill...) So much to do right around your resort....Have a great stay wherever you end up!

 

[Alli76]

Hmmmm - reading your post - and it looks like Fort Wilderness is what you want... That was the only place you couldn't find a con for. It would not be my favorite choice but that is a decision for me. Every resort you are going to find people who love it and people who don't... Try to listen to what you want!! And remember - it is still Disney! I hope you have a great time no matter what you choose.

 

[sharadoc]

With kids, I think the Fort would be awesome. Having the separate sleeping area is awesome too.

Have you considered an All-Star Family Suite? We love it there, and the activities and fun around the pool are great for kids. You could have cereal and sandwiches in the room, and have a nice food court.

 

[honeydiane1953]

Hmmmm - reading your post - and it looks like Fort Wilderness is what you want... That was the only place you couldn't find a con for. It would not be my favorite choice but that is a decision for me. Every resort you are going to find people who love it and people who don't... Try to listen to what you want!! And remember - it is still Disney! I hope you have a great time no matter what you choose.

I concur.

 

[Jeanieblue114]

Just keep in mind that you don't get a separate room from the kids in the cabin unless you use the pull down bed.
There is only 1 bedroom there and it has a doble bed plus the bunk beds in it.
There is a pull down murphy in the living room.

I'd definitely do shades of green.
No dining plan but the restaurants there including room service are CHEAP!
Full Dinner buffet is only like $13...who needs the dining plan?

oh and when we were on the dining plan, we pretty much broke even on the out of pocket cost and ended up ordering all kinds of things we didn't even want anyway.

 

[iheartdisney]

Thanks for the input thus far! It is always good to have different perspectives! I think I am definately leaning towards the cabins, the only con I can think of is possibly needing to rent a golf cart to get around the resort. The idea of having to catch a bus to go to wait for the other bus to take you to the parks is a bit crazy!

With kids, I think the Fort would be awesome. Having the separate sleeping area is awesome too.

Have you considered an All-Star Family Suite? We love it there, and the activities and fun around the pool are great for kids. You could have cereal and sandwiches in the room, and have a nice food court.

You know, I have thought about the family suites, but we usually end up at the All Stars. DH has only been once, (back in the pre-kids days0 and we stayed at the AS Sports.

 

[mickey&minniealways]

Have you considered renting dvc points. It would cost you about the same as a moderate this way depending on where you stay. AKV, BLT and the renevated rooms at OKW sleep 5. A king in the master. A pull out sleeper sofa and a sleeper chair in the living room. Not only would you have a full sized kitchen but a washer and dryer also. It is our favorite dvc. DD loves the sandcastle slide at the main pool. The bus service is great there or you can take a boat to other locations. I love the boatride to DTD. There is a full marina. Another favorite is it the fact that when you come back at the end of a busy day at the parks it is easy to unwind as you feel like to are in another world altogher but you really are so close. Now that DSs are older they like it because it is one of the few resorts where they can find a basketball court and there is always someone who wants to play a game. BLT is great for the proximity to MK. We havn't done BWV my sons say that clown is just to freaky. BCV is nice but SAB can get very loud and very busy. My sister had trouble keeping track of her kids there last year. Hers are young mine are not any more. So that is not an issue for us but it might be for you. Make a list of the pros and cons of each resort and go from there. If you have a specfic question about a certain dvc go to the dvc boards. You will get lots of answers there. Our favorite is OKW but take a look at your families likes and dislikes.

 

[We_love_WDW]

What about a 1 or 2 bedroom villa at a DVC resort? If you wait for a summer discount you could get a 1 bedroom at AKL for around $288 or a 2 bedroom at Saratoga Springs for around $333 a night. These are just example prices of this summer's late room offer, but they could possibly have some discount for next summer. Just something to think about.

 

[Princess&CowboyMommy]

Both of my kids loved the cabin when we stayed there a couple of years ago. Granted, it was only one night because we wanted to try it out, but I agree with you - the biggest negative is the golf cart fee add on - that adds up FAST and can take you into deluxe range pricing if you add it on a daily basis.

I agree that maybe renting DVC may the the best choice if you like the idea of a kitchen. We LOVE, or I should say that I love, having a washer/dryer while we're there too. If you got a 1BR at Kidani at AKV or at BLT, you'd have 2 bathrooms and the living room sleeps 3 because of the extra fold-out chair.

 

[Disney"5"]

What about Port Orleans Riverside? In the Alligator Bayou section, they allow 5 people with a trundle bed for the 5th person. That is where we are staying on our next trip, and stayed on our last trip.

 

[nurse.darcy]

I personally dislike the dining plan just because I feel forced to eat more food than I normally would. Shades of Green is a "deluxe" feel hotel at a GREAT price. Bus options are good from there and you would really have the space you need. My next best choice for you is renting points from a DVC member for a one bedroom that sleeps 5. I believe your choices are Kidani Village, BLT and OKW. In the living room these have a full sized sleeper sofa and a fold out chair. When renting points, you can get the dining plan as an add on if you really want it. If you want great food court choices, among these three DVC properties, BLT has the best food court choices.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Your kids will love BC and you will love the ease of transportation. Being able to walk or take the ferry over to EPCOT and DHS is sooo convenient. Adding in the price of the golf cart I would definitely pick BC!

 

[abline]

Listen to me. With the ages of your kids you will be spending most of your time at MK. Do some research get a discount and stay at the Poly. You will thank me. When you read about going to a park early then taking a break at the hotel it is VERY hard with little ones unless your on the monorail loop. Also keep in mind you can walk to the TTC from the Poly thus use the monorail to get to Epcot in addition to the MK. The pool is wonderful and they have a great Counter Service option. We just stayed there for a week in August and loved it. If your considering the BC go for the Poly. It's worth the extra money.

 

[iheartdisney]

Listen to me. With the ages of your kids you will be spending most of your time at MK. Do some research get a discount and stay at the Poly. You will thank me. When you read about going to a park early then taking a break at the hotel it is VERY hard with little ones unless your on the monorail loop. Also keep in mind you can walk to the TTC from the Poly thus use the monorail to get to Epcot in addition to the MK. The pool is wonderful and they have a great Counter Service option. We just stayed there for a week in August and loved it. If your considering the BC go for the Poly. It's worth the extra money.

I should have mentioned...we go to Disneyland at least once a month, so Magic Kingdom is probably going to be our least visited...(wdw doesn't have much that we don't have the better version of. With the exception of the Country Bear Jamboree!)
I love walking through the Poly, it is beautiful. The two times we stayed at SOG we walk over the Poly to catch the monorail a few times. It is just hard to justify the price difference staying across the street at SOG.