5 plus an infant at POR...insane or just crazy?

[mjamm]

So with all this chatter about POSSIBLE free dining coming soon I was just curious to know what everyone would say about a family my size trying to stay at POR?

It is obviously the best price for our family with free dining, that or the cabins at FW, but I think I might loose what sanity I have left by the end of the week. I mean, I love my family and all.......I just don't like tripping over them!

So if you were me....would you do two rooms at a value and upgrade the dining, POR or cabins, or go for a deluxe?

I am trying to convince my husband a 10 year anniversary trip with the kids would be fun...the idea of us packed into one hotel room for our 10th anniversary sounds like a blast doesn't it?

 

[mjamm]

sorry this thread is more for the resorts board...i got little jumpy when posting!

 

[Gr8t Fan]

We've done 5 plus an infant for 9 nights and we were just fine. There's not a ton of room to move around and you have to "plan" bathroom time, but we managed. That said, however, we do the same at home. We don't live in a McMansion so we're used to tight quarters. If you're used to spreading out at home, you may feel a little claustrophobic.

 

[5boyz]

So with all this chatter about POSSIBLE free dining coming soon I was just curious to know what everyone would say about a family my size trying to stay at POR?

It is obviously the best price for our family with free dining, that or the cabins at FW, but I think I might loose what sanity I have left by the end of the week. I mean, I love my family and all.......I just don't like tripping over them!

So if you were me....would you do two rooms at a value and upgrade the dining, POR or cabins, or go for a deluxe?

I am trying to convince my husband a 10 year anniversary trip with the kids would be fun...the idea of us packed into one hotel room for our 10th anniversary sounds like a blast doesn't it?

I only read your first sentence....my friend stayed there a few years ago with her 4 kids and her and dh .... 3 kids 1 infant....she said it was just fine. They had no issues what so ever!!!

 

[Jill Schwartz]

If you decide one room is not going to cut it, remember that two rooms at POR is still LESS than one deluxe room, but you space and privacy plus double the bathrooms, etc. I enjoy the theming at POR as much as Poly so we went with two rooms there for our 5 instead of deluxe. I think there might be Garden rooms at CR that would be less for one room, but those are hard to come by.
Can't remember did you mention the family suites at ASMu? We considered that but the theming just isn't relaxing to me. But many others say those suites are great.

 

[North7]

This would be a no-brainer for me... the Cabins at Fort Wilderness. Having a bed for everyone, a seperate bedroom so the kids can go to bed while the adults stay up later, a deck outside, full size refrigerator, kitchen facilities, room for the kids to roam, all the kid activities at the Fort, the new kid spash zone at the pool, etc.

I have stayed at both FW and POR more than once. If the price difference is not an issue, then I would choose the Cabins without a doubt.

 

[JenniJ]

I am thinking about the same thing.... but for different reasons and smaller group (4).

We are going on a familymoon and would like some "privacy" plus I am sure my 17 year old would like that as well.

Not sure how the price would be in comparison but there are deluxe rooms at the POP (correct me if I am wrong) that provides more square footage for the one room. there is also a one beroom suite available at CSR.

My mom stayed at the FW cabins a year or two ago with 2 teenage boys, my adult sis and her boyfriend. They said it was managable and glad they didn't do a one room.

 

[ADisneyQueen]

The only thing about the cabins is ( somebody correct me if I'm wrong) you have to take an internal bus to get to the bus stop to go to the parks. That's a lot of riding and getting off and on buses with 4 kids.
I think I would pick the family suites at ASM or two rooms at POP.

 

[jdd]

We're only a family of five, but I felt a little cramped at POR. I also wasn't thrilled with my youngest sleeping on the trundle - just too much like sleeping on the floor.

We loved the cabin at FW - but yes, the bus situation could be a factor. We drive to DW, so it's great for us (you can park your car right at your cabin), and we only used the internal transport to MK. Took an internal bus to the boat dock and a boat to MK. IMHO, the free dining would be wasted on us there - with a full kitchen we actually did all our breakfasts there and several lunches/dinners too. It was just so much more convenient and my kids are kind of picky.

I'm thinking we might do two rooms at ASMo this year if we can't get a room discount, but not sure we'll even go. My wish is for a 35% discount for FW!

Good luck with your decision!

 

[TnTWalter]

This is when offsite makes so much sense to me....price it out with free dining vs. staying at say Windsor Hills...we got a 3 bedroom condo there for $450 for the week...it would be great for you.

 

[mjamm]

I agree staying off site would make sense. We just love to stay within the parks. Last time we went we stayed two rooms at Pop, but we had people traveling with us, so it worked out well. I was just curious to know if many people have tried to stay with that size of party in POR. I wish we could just get the 20/30/40 PIN and maybe we could swing a deluxe, and I wouldn't even have to think about it!

 

[ADisneyQueen]

My neighbor just stayed at POR with 5. Her kids are 8, 5 and 3. She said it was OK, but they were at the parks a lot and didn't hang out in the room other than to sleep and get ready. I think all 3 kids slept in the bed together, they are all small kids.
Have you tried all the tricks on the codes board to try to get a pin?

 

[Crazy4Disney72]

Several years ago my friend and I stayed at POR with 4 kids; her DD was 8, my sons were 9 & 5 and my DD was 2. She slept with her DD, I slept with my 5yr old DS, my 9yr old DS took the trundle and DD slept in the pack n play. It was my friend and her DD's first trip, so we spent the bulk of our time in the parks, only coming back to the room at night to bathe/shower and sleep. We did fine, another bathroom would have been nice to handle all those showers/baths, but for us on a budget, that convenience wasn't worth the extra cost.

 

[gigi1313]

my advice would be to do a package at POR w/FD if it's offered, and do a second room at POR w/room only discount (again if there is one offered)... request and pray for connecting rooms...

or

cabin at fort wilderness... the space to put the little ones to bed will be well worth it!

or

2nd best would be the same at a value resort, but then you would have to have packages at full rack rate for both rooms due to the number of people...

 

[mjamm]

I have considered doing two rooms at a value, never really thought of two at POR, thanks for the advice! I know last time I called to book they told me since there were only two adults and the rest were small children they WOULD guarentee connecting rooms if all booked under the same package. I never thought of doing two rooms, one with FD and the other as room only. GREAT idea, I know I would loose my guarentee then, but it might be worth it if the discount is good.

The last time we stayed with four adults, three kids with two rooms at POP thinking we would spend all day in the parks, and hardly be in the rooms at all...then we all came down with the stomach flu NOTHING could have prepared me for that experience...maybe that is why I am so concerned about the space....

 

[mjamm]

My neighbor just stayed at POR with 5. Her kids are 8, 5 and 3. She said it was OK, but they were at the parks a lot and didn't hang out in the room other than to sleep and get ready. I think all 3 kids slept in the bed together, they are all small kids.
Have you tried all the tricks on the codes board to try to get a pin?

Yes, I have tried the tricks and can thankfully say I have gotten one pin for FD until August. But nothing since then...here's to wishing

 

[gigi1313]

I have considered doing two rooms at a value, never really thought of two at POR, thanks for the advice! I know last time I called to book they told me since there were only two adults and the rest were small children they WOULD guarentee connecting rooms if all booked under the same package. I never thought of doing two rooms, one with FD and the other as room only. GREAT idea, I know I would loose my guarentee then, but it might be worth it if the discount is good.

The last time we stayed with four adults, three kids with two rooms at POP thinking we would spend all day in the parks, and hardly be in the rooms at all...then we all came down with the stomach flu NOTHING could have prepared me for that experience...maybe that is why I am so concerned about the space....

i will tell you that the "two adults, multiple kids, guarantees connecting rooms" line is bunk... we had that "guarantee" at CBR... it was dh/i/four kids... we got rooms next to one another but no door connecting them... because we had TWO adults, we were told tough luck, that's what we've got... we called every day to see if something had opened up and we could move but no dice... it made for a *very* long trip for me and a lonely one for dh... none of the kids wanted to share a room with him (he snores, and i don't commandeer the tv!)... so, while the plan is a good one and we have had no problem with it a half dozen other trips/resorts...

 

[december]

I'll tell you how it goes in 44 days! I'm going with my sister, my ds12, dd10, dd1, and nephew7. We are staying at POR the 1st 5 nights with the $500 giftcard, and at CR the last 2 with the 40% off code. I'm planning on one bed for me and dd1, one for my sister and her son, dd10 in the trundle, and a aerobed for ds12. I just don't see spending more money when we'll be in the parks all day! This is our 3rd trip , but my sister and her son's first (and the baby's 1st).

Of course, our husbands are staying home so that puts a whole different spin on things!

 

[disneymom06]

We have done this when my youngest was under 3. It can be done and with a little planning all will be fine. We slide the bed against the bathroom wall and then slide the nightstand and other bed over a bit as well. The bench got placed in the space between the wall near the door and the bed. It fit nicely and then I would slide the table over to the bench made an area where I could serve the children breakfast. (At night Dad sat here and watched TV)

For the trundle bed, I just slid out the mattress and placed it on the floor where the table and chairs where (I let the table and chairs near the bench, you can also put the chairs near the refrigerator where the bench was.) When she was younger, it was the portacrib.

It was worth it to stay at POR. It is my favorite resort and there is alot to do around the resort. I always ask to be placed near the quiet pool which made it easy to take the children to the pool.

Enjoy, the resort is wonderful!


PS Just remember to return the furniture to its original location.

 

[ADisneyQueen]

gigi1313- We stayed at CBR and found that they were not very helpful with switching rooms, although ours was for a different reason. The other resorts were so helpful- maybe CBR doesn't like to deal with it.