ADVICE: Sending Parents to WDW for Xmas Present: 2005

[ScottNBecky]

OK I am planning on sending my parents (65 and 62) to WDW for their Christmas Present in December 2005. They went last summer with us (family of four) and we stayed at Pop. They loved Pop! But that was their first time at WDW and they were kind of on the go all the time. We want to give them a special WDW vacation where they can just walk around at their own pace and see the sites. At POP, they would get up early get their coffee, and go out back by the lake. They saw our Christmas pics this year and would love to go see the decorations.

My tentative date to send them would be right after Thanksgiving, which is when VALUE season beings for room rates. Our budget is somewhat limited (ie: cant pay $250 a night) but using general public codes, or AAA rates during value season could be doable. THe plan is for 5 nights, thus giving them a chance to see every park again, and one night to do other things.

So my question is where to send them. They love POP and are familiar with the way it works and runs. But this may be their last trip they take to WDW, so I was thinking bigger, something like AKL or WL. So to anyone who has sent their parents for a trip, any advice on where I should make a ressie for them is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[LSUDis]

We took my parents in 03. They did wear out before we did. We stayed at the Contemporary, which was good for them because they could use the monorail to MK and be back in their room for a nap in a matter of minutes. They really enjoyed Epcot best, I think, and since it's on the monorail, the Contemporary worked for that, too--saves them a lot of walking and waiting on buses.
Maybe you could swing the Contemporary if codes come out. The lake behind the Contemporary is often overlooked, too. The views from the 4th floor concourse are really nice and the boat ride to the WL is wonderful, too, for dinner at WC.

What a wonderful gift! They'll enjoy, really, whatever you choose.

 

[Bugsmom73]

I would vote WL. The resort is beautiful and it is gorgeous at Christmas. My daughter who is 3 loves staying at the Castle(what she calls WL). I think if you could swing at least a woods view that would be great too. CM were very helpful and the boat is neat too. IF this is too much, I think for a mod maybe POFQ. Hope this helps. Have fun planning for them. You are a great child to be doing this for your parents.

 

[ScottNBecky]

Bugs mom, well it kind of got old getting them sweater after sweater for christmas gifts LOL! So my brother and I decided on this gift, so they can go down on their own and really see what WDW has to offer. They loved their trip with us, and we showed them a ton of stuff, but I want them by theirselves to experience WDW at their own pace, and really see that there is so much more than just the rides at WDW> Any other advice is great too. Keep it coming.

 

[pw2pp]

I first want to say..... what a kind and thoughtful thing for you to do for your parents.
If I were you, I would keep checking here and at Mousesavers.com for "room only" rates. We got $84 per night (for Moderates) with the "BDP" code during value season.

 

[erinz]

What a wonderful gift!

I would DEFINITELY keep them away from any value resorts during that time due to Pop Warner. There may be a moderate resort or two you will want to avoid also.

I think they would LOVE WL!!!!! Especially during that time!

 

[ScottNBecky]

yeah obviously using the price this year, value season at POP was $9, and AKL and WL were each $150 range. So for 5 nights, there is a big difference in cost for us. But if we could WL for $120 or so that would be doable, or AKL standard for around the same would be ok.

IF anyone else has info about their ideas post them here.

THanks, Scott

 

[riopooh]

How about renting points and getting a DVC Villa- studio or if you can swing it, a one bedroom. Then they would have the living area to relax in and the kitchen for quick bites.

 

[carol1231]

Congrats to Mom and Dad for receiving such a great gift! I don't know how it fits into your budget, but my suggestion is to look at BW as an option. We take the inlaws each year and they love it there. The dining options are endless, which is a very big plus. They love having coffee and a sweet roll from the bakery in the morning down by the lake and watching the boats come and go. Where ever they are, they will have a marvelous time.

 

[Brier Rose]

We did this exact thing for my Grandparents last year, and they LOVED it!
We really wanted to make it special for them, so we went with AKL.
We were lucky enough to get a great code...about $135.00 per night for pool view I believe, and then even luckier to get upgraded to Savannah view when we checked in!
I can't tell you how much my Grandmother enjoyed just the quiet time sitting on the balcony watching the animals. She would even go out in the middle of the night!
Then there were the nights we spent just sitting around in the lobby listening to the music of the CM's from Boma, or sitting around the fire outside. It was SOOOO magical.
The best money we've ever spent!

 

[DAWGPOUNDAJ]

That is so nice of your brother and you! Kudos to you guys for doing this for them!

Have you considered going with a moderate resort? Even right now standard view at the AKL with the AP rates is $135/night before tax so the $120/night you want to aim for might not happen. However that is doable for the moderate resorts if codes come out. Expect about a 10% savings with AAA at a value resort, and a 10-15% at the moderate and deluxe resorts for them. Also, I suggest the moderate resorts b/c of my own family's preference. My parents are 55 and 54 and LOVE the Caribbean Beach resort. In fact it's their favorite place to stay on site and for the past several years its the only place that they even consider. My grandmothers both loved the Caribbean as well and when they stayed there they were in their early to mid-70s. Many say that it is spread out but if they had a rental car or their own it would not be spread out at all. Even without a rental car it is not too spread out in my opinion, or my now 81 year old grandmother who has had both hips replaced! She just loves walking though, and I know many others disagree with her and I about the CB being not spread out.

There are also the POFQ and the POR for moderates. I won't recommend the Coronado Springs resort b/c I have never stayed there and cannot be honest about what it is like since I have not been there. BUt from other posts it too sounds incredible.

Also, would your parents prefer a value resort with a car or a deluxe and no car? I know my parents, in the same situation, would chose value with a car hands down 100% of the time.

Good luck! They'll have a fabulous time no matter where you send them!

 

[vernon]

I would give some consideration to the following options. If you can get a code from Disney for BWI, Y+B club look at the access to Epcot, MGM and the Boardwalk area restaurants. They could stroll from their resort around the lake to the restaurants on BW and have their breakfast overlooking the lake then walk into Epcot or take the watertaxi to MGM. If the prices are a bit steep for that you could check out the deals on the Swan/Dolphin hotel. This again has walking access to Epcot and Boardwalkareas but is usually much cheaper. Your final option would be to rent points from a DVC member and book them into BWI or the Beach Club Villas. If they are retired and dates are not an over riding issue by having them stay Sunday night to Thursday night (check out Friday) , you should be able to get a studio at BWI or BCV from about $ 130 a night by renting points, Old Key West reost is the cheapest DVC resort for points and is another option, they run a water taxi service through to DTD that may be a lot of fun for your parents. But do be aware this is a private deal between you and the owner of steps that are advisable just to protect yourself. I haven't heard of any deals that have gone sour in all my time on these boards, but that doesn't mean they haven't or won't happen. Here's a link to the points calculator on this site http://www.wdwinfo.com/resort/dvcpoint.cfm , points currently rent for about $10 per point. Put in the resort, size of unit ( a studio is basically the same as a hotel room and the dates you plan and it will give you a total points for that trip as well as a day by day breakdown ( you'll quickly see how much more weekends cost)

 

[meuseman]

I would suggest having them stay at POFQ. I think that resort is perfect for older and/or childless couples. It is really a beautiful resort. It is very compact - maybe 200 yards from the floatworks (food) to the river. It's quiet, quaint, and centrally located on property. Plus, as a mod, it's less expensive.