Another justifying the money post...

[TammiMcMan]

OP mentioned that youngest DD is only 2 and sleeps with mom & dad. Would she still be required to book a deluxe room?

 

[joliesmom]

I know how you feel, in Jan we at the last minute booked a "short, cheap" trip to Disney. Well by the time we were done in 1 month we went from POP to AKL from 5 nights to 8 nights. It's very easy to get caught up in the pixie dust. I stayed Poly last Jan, and while the monrail was nice INMO it wasn't make it or break it. I would definately stay in 2 moderates if the price was comparable. You really won't be in your room as much as you think so I wouldn't blow your budget on a room. Good luck and remember you can always ride the monorail.

 

[soccer mom]

Family vacations are as important to us as any other part of our lives. If you can afford it without going into debt, stay where you want to. Remember, you can't take it with you!

 

[stingmom]

I would choose CR any day over the Poly. The CR rooms are bigger than Poly and CHEAPER. CR just seems more kid friendly to me. And if it's hot out, the monorail loading station is indoors at CR (not at Poly). Also, if you enjoy relaxing in a hot tub at the end of the day, the Poly can't help you there either. The hot tubs are within the pool at CR, not tucked away, so kids are always in sight. We are going to try WL for our next trip.

Here's a list of the deluxw room sizes/square footage:
Wilderness Lodge - 340
Animal Kingdom Lodge - 344
Beach Club - 380
Yacht Club - 380
BoardWalk Inn - 380
Grand Floridian - 400
Polynesian - 409
Contemporary - 422

Have fun!!

 

[k_k_100]

IMHO........

Step back...take a deep breath.
I love the Poly and have stayed for many years...till DVC!!

Once you've stayed @ a DVC "villa" with at home ammenities...you will never stay in a "hotel room" again..either OKW, SSR, BWV, WL, BC..

No you wont have the monorail..but you can ride it anytime...right??

I would first look at the rent/trade board here on the DIS !!
You can rent points (very cheaply..compare it with the Disney web site) for your stay and have plenty of room and still live in "style"!!

Its the best kept secret...Shuuuuush..

I have to agree... If you can find somebody to rent points at $10/pp you can get a 2 br. @ OKW for $2180 for the week. That is less then 1 room at the poly. @ $315/nt.

Theme... might not be your thing

Location... not nearly as good as Poly.

Having not one... but 3 rooms! 3 TV's, Kitchen, your OWN washer & dryer (for a 2 yr old!), a private whirlpool tub - I think that is SO worth giving up the monorail & a theme you are not head over heals for anyways...

Another route is 2 studios @ boardwalk. Probably not great w/ young children - there are no connecting rooms & can't guarantee close location.

The boardwalk theme is nothing like a "modern" beach setting - It is like taking a step back in time to what we all wish the boardwalk was like

 

[DisOrBust]

If your staying at the Poly for mostly the monorail its not worth the cost IMHO. We have been going the past 7 years and my DDs have "grown up " going to WDW. At the ages of 2&4 the only thing they gave ahoot about at the resort was the pool.Period. The volcano pool's slide at the Poly is dark and pretty intense for a 4yo,imho. Another drawnback is no hot tub which can be a big deal in December. We have gone swimming when it's in the 40s but alway "warm" up in the hot tubs.

We enjoyed WL. The boat ride to Mk is fun but can be QUITE cold! The "fast food" are is very poorly designed and very meager IMHO.

I will play devil's advocate. IMHO for your families "special" trip I would go with a deluxe room at AKL.

1. Great pool with zero entry..perfect for a 2yo. Slide is doable for your 4yo.
2. Theme as no other resort. There is nothing llike seeing your kids reaction to the "horseys (my 2yo version of Zerbra's) outside the balcony.
3. IMHO...WL standard view with an AP rate is hard to get. I would rather pay an AP rate on a AKL deluxe room( larger with a daybed) then on a courtyard room at WL.
4. Great kid activities..cookie decorating, storyteller, night vision goggles etc...
5. Transpotation. Yes its by bus but its a dedicated bus it stops at no other resorts unlike the monrail resorts or Epcot resorts. When we were at YBC it took us longer to get to MK then from AKL bbecause of this. Yes the monrail is nice to MK if you aren't to far away but you have to transfer monorails to get to epcot or walk to your room at the Poly from the TTC.
6. Mara also IMHO the best to the fast food at the deluxes.

We have been to most of the resorts and the only reason my mother comes along every year is AKL. My 8yo is planning her wedding there( she better marry well,lol 0

Now that all being said we spung for an extra trip ast Jan as a surprise and i couldn't justify AKL for a short "we'll be in the parks a lot trip,
" so we stayed at PO-R. I was surprise how much we really enjopyed it. The boat to DTD, the carriage rides, the pool. I

 

[califred]

Last year we rented a two houses a 4 bdr and a 5 bdr (there were 20 of us) and the kids had a great time for 8 night the two houses combined cost around 1700 dollars.

I am still trying to figure out if we sholud do that again and be happy to have our own space and pool or if since there are just 5 of us now get two hotel rooms.

Wherever you stay your kids will have fun

 

[Anthony1971]

My feeling is if you can afford the POLY then by all means.... you may not be in the same boat next time you go.
I love the POLY and would pay
but there are years i did not stay there
we know have DVC so.... but we do rent sometimes
Is there is a reason to save money like you are putting off a repair on your house then i would reconsider but if not
I think you will love it there
and yes it is a lot of money but next time you go and don't stay there you will understand why

 

[Darian]

Hi BeccaGrace!

You've got quite the decision to make! A lot of posters have given you some really great advice. But at the risk of sounding selfish, I would like to encourage you to remember your vacation isn't solely about the kids - the adults need to have fun, get rest and relaxation as well. You've worked hard all year, planned the vacation, so you should book the hotel where you would get the most enjoyment. (with input from your disney hubby of course.)

As one poster pointed out, the kids may not remember the hotel, but you and your DH will. Remember, if you leave the deluxe level of hotels think about all the services, like room service, you will lose. There are a lot of "intangibles" to consider.

Some posters have described the All Stars hotels as "ant hills" with extreemly high noise levels and paper thin walls making it very difficult for them to sleep. I have not personally stayed at one, but I have stayed at the Poly for my honeymoon and again 2 years ago when we stayed concierge there. Those rooms were very well appointed and quiet. I found the Poly to be just wonderful! The new volcano pool is nice, though the bar out there could use some work. I'd had a heart attack on the plane during the flight out to Florida and the concierge folks lent me a wheelchair for my entire stay - no charge. Wonderful, wonderful people! Not to mention that the food in the concierge lounge was superb as well. We have also stayed concierge at AKL (super!), the BC and YC.

I've heard the moderates can be nice, but again, no room service or restaurants... just food courts which are often a madhouse.

Life is short. Too short. So pamper yourself and those you love. Money is a commodity that is replacable. Live richly BeccaGrace! Don't stress over your trip.

Darian

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

..........I LOVE the WL, but for our family, we would not want three adults and two children in one room. We did it with two adults and two children(7 & 4) and it was fine (ofcourse now that we've stayed offsite at 2 bedroom condos, DH doesn't want to do the hotel room thing again with all 5 of us), but I wouldn't want to push it with more than that. I mean, you only have one bathroom.

You have gotten some great advice here.........I'm not sure what I would do either. (I know, a lot of help I am) But the two rooms at a moderate sounds good, or the two bedroom DVC also. What would the price be for two rooms at WL with a discount code or something? Could you get that for less than $315 a night? Ofcourse there is no guarantee you would get the discount...........and I can tell you.......having the kitchen, even if you don't cook, is really nice to have. Just to keep drinks cold, bagels or cereal in the morning.......you can't beat it. Hey.....and if you ate breakfast in most mornings, make sure you calculate that into your savings and put it toward the price that a DVC unit is going to cost. In other words, if the DVC unit is $20 more a night but you're saving 20 bucks on breakfast each day, you are coming out even.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[torismom]

BeccaGrace have you considered renting points from a dvc member and staying at VWL? That way you would get the best of both worlds. I would seriously consider this. One bathroom and 300-400 sq feet for 3 adults and 2 kids is not enough.

 

[Mousemom]

I love the idea of All Star Resorts with two rooms. We did this when we had a friend of my sons come with us one year and had 5 people. It was great to have enough beds for everyone and 2 bathrooms. I also think that the All Stars feel really Disney. We are going to be staying at WL in December and are really excited. It looks like a really beautiful place. If you end up staying at the WL you might get a goom with bunk beds for the kids and try to get one with a day bed for Mom. We stayed at AKL one year and although we did not ask for a room with a day bed we ended up with it. It was handy to have for sitting and relaxing or putting packages. No matter where you stay you will have fun!!

 

[wdwgirls2]

Beccagrace - I agree with torismom about checking with a DVC member on renting points at VWL. The going rate seems to be $10 per point. Since WL is really where you want to stay I would look into it. I think things would be pretty cramped for 3 adults and 2 kids for a std room. But the theming at the time of year you are going is outstanding. Nothing better than WL at Christmastime - huge tree, great decorations. If you want WL during this time don't wait too long to book since its very popular at this time. If I remember correctly - AP rates for std rooms at WL are around 129 - does anyone know if you can get 2 connecting std rooms at WL? Anyway - good luck with your decision - I know how hard it is to choose. I am the worst flip flopper when it comes to making up my mind!

 

[caribear]

I will also say....rent from a DVC member for a 2-br at VWL!! You will have so much more room! The rooms a VWL are booked pretty far in advance, so if this is an option that you are considering please look into it right away.

 

[robinb]

Once you've stayed @ a DVC "villa" with at home ammenities...you will never stay in a "hotel room" again..either OKW, SSR, BWV, WL, BC..

No you wont have the monorail..but you can ride it anytime...right??

I would first look at the rent/trade board here on the DIS !!
You can rent points (very cheaply..compare it with the Disney web site) for your stay and have plenty of room and still live in "style"!!

Its the best kept secret...Shuuuuush..

ITA with this. You can stay in a 1 bedroom at VWL for 200 points for 1 week in early December. The bedroom has a King bed and the living room has a Double fold-out couch. You'll have a full kitchen and your own private laundry room. The only minus is that there is no daily maid service, but I usually don't miss it.

Here are some photos:
http://www.allearsnet.com/acc/g_wlv.htm

You'll also save money over your current reservation. 200 points would cost $2000 with no additional taxes. Factor in a 11.9% tax rate and you're paying about $255 per night.

 

[undertow00]

We just finished our first trip to Disney. We stayed at the All Star Movies Resort. It was ok..... but... Next time I will spend the extra money. We ate at the polysnesian one night and the Cntemporary one night. Soooo nice to ride the monorail and be in the hotel in a couple of minutes. No lines, very quiet. If the kids want a break or need a nap, your there and when they wake up your right back at the park. I saved money on the hotel, but the bus ride is hell. If the kids need a break its a 15 minute ride to the room and a nice hike from where the bus drops you off. Also at park closing we waited through 5 buses before we could get on one, and then we had to stand, holding a sleeping 5 year old all the way back. It was not fun.
Some people think its just a room and you dont spend any time there so why pay extra. Im saying whatever extra it cost... it worth it, esp, if you have kids, because its hard to put a price on time and conviniece. Next time Im staying on the monorail line!

 

[step4now]

The Wilderness Lodge in December is beautiful. A huge decorated tree in the lobby. I think your crazy to stay at the Poly for that price. It will be nice, but I still think you're better off staying in PORT ORLEANS or an ALL STAR (MOVIES) and getting two rooms. On the other hand, the best idea I've heard here is to buy points and get a nice studio or 2BR at Beach Club or Boardwalk. I understand you want to be "near" MK, but it's a hop-skip-and-a-jump to MK from these resorts..via Monorail if you choose. With two little kids, you will spend more time than you think at the hotel. Imagine their eyes when they see the amazing sites at the All Stars resorts. Trust me, they'll remember more about these themed hotels than the grown-up themed Poly.

 

[BeccaGrace]

Wow--I never expected so much of a response to my dilemma!!! Thanks everyone! I am now totally leaning against sharing a room and really like the idea of getting 2 rooms but at WL. Of course, unless there are codes--which I know are hard for WL--I would be spending more than I am now. The trade off would be more space though and I think the WL is the best mix of what we all like--kids and adults.

Then I thought about downgrading to two rooms at POFQ but really have my heart set on a deluxe and am worried about Pop Warner noise/crowds. We really saved to do a Deluxe and can afford doing it without it being a hardship, so I think we want to stick with that plan.

We had knocked around renting DVC points and decided against it because at that point we were still in the under-$200/night frame of mind and because it seemed more stressful to find someone to rent points from and hope they are honest. But now reading all these posts it seems like many of you have done it with no issues and I think I want to revisit that idea...here's my dilemma--we already have a room-only ressie with a TA; would there be a penalty to cancel and get my deposit back? And is it hard to break up with your TA? It sounds silly but I wouldn't want to hurt his feelings

I guess I have lots to think about again! I am also curious about dh's view of AKL because I know the girls would love it...and I really hadn't thought about the fact that they don't share busses with other resorts; that sounds kind of tempting too but we'd have to do two standards; couldn't swing two savannah views

Better go do my homework and visit the DVC rental board and crunch some more numbers...thanks for helping me find the best bang for my buck I'm sure I'll be back with more questions! Thanks again, you've all been wonderfully helpful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Tinkaroo]

here's my dilemma--we already have a room-only ressie with a TA; would there be a penalty to cancel and get my deposit back? And is it hard to break up with your TA? It sounds silly but I wouldn't want to hurt his feelings

You'll need to read the fine print with your TA. I know some charge a cancellation fee (the TA I used for my last trip did), and others don't charge anything at all (DU, the sponsor of these boards, is one of these).

Good luck, you do have a lot to think about!

 

[BeccaGrace]

We are with DU, so that makes me feel a bit better...

Was just checking the DVC boards and we would need 180 points for a 1-bedroom at VWL...

So much to think about...better get back to work though so the money is in the bank for when we decide what we are doing!