Accommodating Grandparents

[DISfirstTimer]

My family of 4 is planning our first Disney Vacation and we wish to include grandparents. Our original plan was to travel for 10 days and have my parents stay with us the first 3 nights and my inlaws the last 3 nights. The remaining time would be quality family time for the just the 4 of us. We had planned to get a suite at Art of Animation and have grandparents come and go and we’d enjoy the extra space in between. However, I was recently told that everyone that stays in the room must have identical ticket/dining packages so that Grandparents would have to have their own rooms. Is there any way around this? Does anyone have suggestions as to how to include everyone without breaking the bank? Thanks in advance.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Book room only. Buy tickets separately. Don't do the dining plan.

 

[Hopefully]

Welcome to the DIS

If you are doing the Dining Plan, then yes, everybody has to have the same package elements-room, tickets all nights on the DDP. That is what the offer is and there is no way around it and still have the DDP
Alternatively what you can do is not purchase a package at all. With a room only booking you can do what you want: Suite for your LOS with Grandparents coming & going, everyone buys tickets for just the days they need separately and paying for meals OOP as you eat.
You could all purchase Disney Gift cards over time and use those to pay for your meals if you would like
Good Luck

 

[Babsy]

Are there any mobility issues? Would it be possible to get the grandparents a room in the LM section of AoA? Personally, I would rather have a separate space for GP's from the rest of the family, especially at night. It gives everyone a little bit of time and space to themselves. (Don't forget the extra fees for additional adults staying in the room.)
Also,
There is only one real bed in an AoA suite, would the DGP's even be comfortble on the fold down beds in with the kids? Or were you planning to give up the bedroom and bed to the GP while they were 'visiting'?

we are grandparents and I love going to WDW with my children and their families, but we prefer to have separate living spaces. We don't find that we need to be at the same resort, even, although the same resort is nice, just in different areas.

 

[Little E]

Welcome to the DIS!!

Here's my two cents, as my family of four (DH and two DSs) has stayed at AoA, and we have done Disney with my parents too. We loved AoA, but we stayed at this resort in a Cars suite with just the four of us. I cannot imagine staying in an AoA suite with grandparents too. While there are two bathrooms and a small kitchenette (which were awesome) for us, there would not have been enough private space for all the adults and kids. Plus, it would have been difficult to ask my parents to sleep on a murphy style fold down bed. My kids loved the fold down bed and pull out couch, but I think would have been a hard sell for adults.

When we did Disney with my folks, the six of us stayed in a two bedroom villa at Old Key West. Everyone thought it was marvelous! We had a full kitchen, and had groceries ordered in from WeGoShop so we could have breakfast in the villa every morning and we had snacks on hand. My folks took the master bedroom with an attached bathroom and king sized bed, and my DH and kids and I took the other bedroom also with an attached bathroom and two queen sized beds. There was a pullout couch in the family room area, but we didn't need to use that. When I booked, the CM recommended OKW because the villas are the largest of any Disney resort on property and he was right! We had tons of space, and we had a lovely balcony looking out over the golf course...a great place to have coffee in the am! Plus, we had a full sized washer and dryer, which was a terrific asset.

While an OKW villa is definitely more pricey than an AoA suite, they are typically less pricey than other resort villas. My folks helped us cover the cost of the villa, which made it manageable and it definitely paid off, as we all had our own spaces to sleep and decompress, yet we were able to be together. We have amazing memories of our multigenerational WDW vacation!

Whatever you decide, have a magical vacation with your family!!!

 

[DISfirstTimer]

Thank you. I haven’t researched this resort but I will.

 

[DISfirstTimer]

Are there any mobility issues? Would it be possible to get the grandparents a room in the LM section of AoA? Personally, I would rather have a separate space for GP's from the rest of the family, especially at night. It gives everyone a little bit of time and space to themselves. (Don't forget the extra fees for additional adults staying in the room.)
Also,
There is only one real bed in an AoA suite, would the DGP's even be comfortble on the fold down beds in with the kids? Or were you planning to give up the bedroom and bed to the GP while they were 'visiting'?

we are grandparents and I love going to WDW with my children and their families, but we prefer to have separate living spaces. We don't find that we need to be at the same resort, even, although the same resort is nice, just in different areas.

I would give up the bed for sure! I haven’t asked them yet about their thoughts on room. I was just trying to think of cost but perhaps they won’t want to share a room anyway, lol!!!

 

[MimiOfTwo]

As a grandparent myself I'd recommend everyone having their own space. I take dd and my grands every year and stay Poly or GF but on the couple of occasions that DH & DSIL have made the trip (they aren't Disney fans) I've booked 2 rooms at POFQ. It's worked well. It's a small resort. One bus stop. Cheaper than a villa and has a boat to Disney Springs. Also has a neat pool & splash pad. I always ask for building 4 as it's right by the bus stop & food court. It'll be a bit more for 2 rooms as opposed to getting a suite at AOA but it's not that much more & I think it'd make your trip much more enjoyable!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Yeah. I think 2 rooms at a Value would be better than, and maybe even cheaper than, one suite. Plus, everyone would get real beds. The AOA Suites have (1) actual bed, then a bunch of chair beds/murphy beds/etc.

Real Bed > Hide A Bed

 

[Kaytie]

Think your best option is, yes, an AoA Suite. Grandparents get the bedroom the nights they're there, and OP and her husband move into it the four nights in between.

These suites have three sleeping surfaces: the queen bed in the bedroom, the fold out couch, and the table/Murphy bed.

What _auroraborealis_ said about everybody on a package needing to be on the same package for the entire stay. Yup. Buy your tickets now from an authorized ticket reseller, like Undercover Tourist, while they still have the don't-start-expiring-until-you-use-them tickets available. If you really do want the Dining Plan, you can call and book a ticketless package for six people for ten nights.

 

[DizneyLizzy]

We've taken my parents twice - once we rented dvc points and stayed at old key west. Another time we got connecting rooms at Caribbean beach during free dining. My parents preferred old key west - they loved the resort as well as the highly underrated ability to do laundry in our own unit

At old key west we put our toddler and ourselves in the bedroom since our toddler went to bed early, and my parents slept on the pull out queen. We offered them the king sized bed in the bedroom but they would have had to share it with our son, and they said the Queen sleeper sofa was comfortable.

 

[TML2012]

Two rooms at a value or moderate will give everyone more space. When my parents came with us to Disney, we got 2 connecting rooms at POP. It worked out great.

 

[happymommy]

If I were the grandparent, I would want my own room completely. I would neither share a suite, nor need (or want) a connecting room.

If you keep the suite at AOA, they could also look at booking Pop. It's a short walk over to meet up.

 

[Babsy]

I would give up the bed for sure! I haven’t asked them yet about their thoughts on room. I was just trying to think of cost but perhaps they won’t want to share a room anyway, lol!!!

 

[jo-jo]

Grandma here....we have traveled with kids and grand kids a bunch of times. We had done two separate rooms, two separate resorts, (that was planned so a room would almost always be nearby for baby's nap) and a two bedrooms DVC. The most important thing to us is a door that we can close between us and everyone else. We love our grandkids, but 24/7 is too much.

Have you looked into renting DVC points? This may not be your idea of a vacation, but you can save a lot of money with doing breakfast in room and maybe a few other meals. There are many threads with quick meals that can be done with a bit of planning.

 

[happymommy]

Grandma here....we have traveled with kids and grand kids a bunch of times. We had done two separate rooms, two separate resorts, (that was planned so a room would almost always be nearby for baby's nap) and a two bedrooms DVC. The most important thing to us is a door that we can close between us and everyone else. We love our grandkids, but 24/7 is too much.

Have you looked into renting DVC points? This may not be your idea of a vacation, but you can save a lot of money with doing breakfast in room and maybe a few other meals. There are many threads with quick meals that can be done with a bit of planning.

I had looked into it for spring break (we have early one, so discounts are there, but it's still mid March), and my sister got a BWV through Disney less than renting points would be. So, honestly, two rooms is still cheaper than doing this!

And I still agree with you. If I go with my kids and their family, I'd want at minimum, my own room with a door and my own bathroom and privacy.

I have two rooms at All Star Sports for me and my DD (special circumstances), and she decided last week to bring a friend. So, they get their own room with two beds, and I get my own connecting room (it's guaranteed with our room type). I'm not even sharing a room with my kid and her friend for 8 nights. I like my privacy and quiet, and they are also the type that like to sleep in!

It's not a vacation if I have to share a bedroom with others.

 

[DISfirstTimer]

Grandma here....we have traveled with kids and grand kids a bunch of times. We had done two separate rooms, two separate resorts, (that was planned so a room would almost always be nearby for baby's nap) and a two bedrooms DVC. The most important thing to us is a door that we can close between us and everyone else. We love our grandkids, but 24/7 is too much.

Have you looked into renting DVC points? This may not be your idea of a vacation, but you can save a lot of money with doing breakfast in room and maybe a few other meals. There are many threads with quick meals that can be done with a bit of planning.

I have been researching renting DVC points. I just worry about the option of not being able to cancel should something unexpected occur.

 

[DISfirstTimer]

Thank you everyone. I appreciate the suggestions. I've been trying to do all the research and then present the best options to grandparents. So many choices!!!

 

[DizneyLizzy]

My parents are kind enough to babysit one night of our trip so my husband and I can go out alone - this has only been possible through connecting rooms or the sharing a villa. Just something else to consider. Since connecting rooms aren't guaranteed, a villa is your best bet if you are looking to have your parents babysit at all. The old key west villas are big enough that we didn't feel cramped for space. 4 adults and a child in a one bedroom villa seemed much roomier than the same group in connecting Caribbean beach rooms just bc of the layout.

 

[jo-jo]

My parents are kind enough to babysit one night of our trip so my husband and I can go out alone - this has only been possible through connecting rooms or the sharing a villa. Just something else to consider. Since connecting rooms aren't guaranteed, a villa is your best bet if you are looking to have your parents babysit at all. The old key west villas are big enough that we didn't feel cramped for space. 4 adults and a child in a one bedroom villa seemed much roomier than the same group in connecting Caribbean beach rooms just bc of the layout.

But why couldn't the grandparents just go to the parents room to do the babysitting? I've made once trip where my DD and family were three doors away at POP. A few times, I got the early riser baby and took her back to my room, so the rest could still sleep.