all stars or FW cabin

[Misty89]

playing with numbers, and since our vacation is not for 8 mths,
i was wondering if anyone here had the choice.....would you save the $$ and stay at al star resort or do the extra $$ FW cabin?
the differnce i see right up front is $750....but then of course we would not be able to make out own dinners, so we would have to dine at the parks lunch and dinner....also the parks close early when we go ( december) and we thought we would enjoy the FW area during no park times......but the saving $$ on a cheaper room seems sorta apeeling.....i guess it will come down to how much we save before we make our ressies( in june hoping) but does anyone have any thoughts?
are there things to do at the all stars after park hours? we are not big swimmers.....so pool time could be 1 night.


thanks

Tina

 

[mbb]

a DVC Member, and get a 1bdr...full kitchen, washer/dryer, and better transportation options than FW... Th Boardwalk Villas are cool for after hour stuff to do, or stay at OKW/SSR and walk to DTD. Or rent at Villas at Wildernes Lodge...then FW fun is just a stroll away...can you tell I'm not a big FW fan...?? Just not a wilderness kind of girl!!

JMHO...we like AllStars too. Can't be beat for onsite fun and affordability.

Have fun planing!!

 

[jcandtjsmommy]

We will be staying in a cabin at FW for the first time next month. I had originally booked ASM, but got a great price on the cabin. We have 2 boys (7&10), and I think they will really love FW. They will be able to ride bikes around and explore, as all boys love to do! We will also eat breakfast and some dinners at the cabin as well. And...having the option of the separate bedroom sounds heavenly!!

Pam

 

[xanman]

We have done both, stayed at FW cabins, and stayed at ALL Stars, during December too. For my money I would stay at the FW cabin, no contest. The extra room is great, the maid will do the dishes, make the beds etc, just like the hotel. There is lots to do there. You can rent bicycles, the play areas have basketball hoops etc. , there is the petting area, the horses are stabled there from the MK, there are trails to walk on, you can see the MK from the beach and watch the fireworks, there is the campfire and movies with Chip & Dale, you can bring your own marshmallows. We just love walking at night up by the beach and listening to the "crickets". There is also the parade on the water, with the lights, can't remember what they call it. But the best part is being able to get up in the morning in your jammies to eat breakfast, no getting dressed to head to the food court, or getting up at night to rummage in the fridge for the leftovers from dinner, since now you can get a box from the restaurant because you have a fridge to put them in. I like not having to eat out every single meal if I don't want to, and not having to clean up after cooking is the biggest luxury I can think of. No doubt about it, go for the cabins!

 

[disneysteve]

I think it depends on what you like. Personally, if I had to make that choice and money wasn't a big object, I'd definitely pick FW. As mentioned, you'll have more space and privacy than at AS. The area is beautiful and there is plenty to do.

Personally, I wouldn't pick either because you can do far better offsite for the money, but given just the 2 options you presented, I'd vote for FW.

Steve

 

[AKASnowWhite]

Given a choice between the two, I'd take Wilderness Cabins every time! We've stayed at both (family of 5.....) and Wilderness Cabins(twice) was a MUCH better choice for us!

 

[pm914]

Question: do the FW cabins have separate bedrooms with actual closing doors or do they just have partial dividers? Also, do the sleeping areas have additional TVs? We've had to stay off-site because our kids will only fall asleep with complete quiet.
So, we either need a suite or dh and I have to cower in a corner and whisper while the little ones nod off. (On-site suites are cost-prohibitive).
Thanks,

 

[AKASnowWhite]

The cabins have 1 bedroom with bunk beds & a double bed....closet, dressers, tv.....and yes, the door closes. Our 3 kids shared the bedroom....Living room has a "murphy bed" , which is a double bed that folds down out of the wall....tv, sofas, closet space.....then the kitchen area is fully equipped....table, chairs, fridge, oven/cooktop, dishwasher....full bathroom....VERY nice, IMO.

 

[Gillian]

No TV in the cabin bedrooms anymore. And the living room has cabinet space but no closet storage. Still lots of space. I guess the privacy thing depends on how you divide up the beds. No door on the living room/murphy bed. So if the kids are in the bedroom, with the door, they will have privacy.

Patty, have you considered 2 connecting rooms at the all stars? It's much more affordable than an onsite suite or DVC and you can stay up after the little ones are asleep. We also like rooms with a balcony like AKL or WL so we have a place to chat.

 

[pm914]

Thanks for the info, everyone.
Gillian, yes, actually, on our last trip (feb '04) we had reserved connecting rooms at the Pop Century but switched to the Holiday Inn Family Suites after hearing raves on the off-site forum. Something about the kids having their own exterior door made us nervous (they're 8, 5, & 2). Also, the rooms have no fridge for cheap and easy breakfasts. (The HIFS has free hot buffet and in-room kitchenette).
So, that made the cost difference quite significant. The 2 PC rooms came to $160 per night + brkfst, HIFS was $103 brkfst incl.
While we'd be willing to pay that difference if we thought the accommodations were better, in this case, that didn't seem to be the case. That said, we're itching to stay on-site next time and are investigating the options. We still might try the connecting rooms idea.
Thanks,

 

[Debbie]

Patty, we've done both-actually all three- with our kids. I personally enjoyed the FW experience, but we had a golf cart (extra $$) to get around. Lots to do-petting farm, movie, playground, etc. The All-Stars was usually a place to lay our heads. But, even after staying at Beach Club and Dixie (POR), while they were little, my kids preferred Holiday Inn Family Suites (and with seven of us, so did I!).

Oh...and while we were at FW---the only dinners we "cooked" was pizza, so it really didn't help to have the full fridge.

 

[AKASnowWhite]

Originally posted by Gillian
No TV in the cabin bedrooms anymore.

When did they change that? Doesn't seem like such a good idea to me!

 

[CheapMom]

$750 is a lot of money. I love AStars but we all like to swim and that is pretty much all there is to do there. I love that article on mousesaver called "free and cheap things to do at WDW" I would stay at AllStars and plan on a few of those activities at other resorts (boat rides, etc.)
The space issue is another story, if you feel you need 2 bedrooms to be comfy, 1 room at the AllStars isn't gonna do it for you.
I wouldn't even worry about the kitchen, you can get easy breakfast stuff for your room to save a few bucks.
I would not want to cook on my vacation. If I had a large family eating out every day would be cost prohibitive though.

 

[Gillian]

Originally posted by pm914
...that made the cost difference quite significant. The 2 PC rooms came to $160 per night + brkfst, HIFS was $103 brkfst incl.

Free breakfast & a fridge do help!

We usually travel during slow times (if we can) so onsite becomes cheaper. Although I've only done it once, I've found the DVC studios (renting points from an owner on the DIS) to be a great value at certain times of year and Sunday through Thursday. Old Key West is the cheapest. The rooms have a balcony or patio, even though it's just one room.