AoA Cars Suite vs Wilderness Lodge

[orangecuse]

Hello all!
We are just starting to look at an October trip. It will be our family of four, and our kids will be 4 and 2 then.
Our boys are OBSESSED with cars. Like, sleep with lightening mcqueen stuffies and we've seen the movies hundreds of times. Obsessed. The suites also have a great deal of space and would give us the ability to stay up after they go to sleep.
That being said, are the values too loud/overcrowded in your opinion? Will getting to MK be a pain? Is the skyliner running? (We loved it when we were at CBR)

Our second choice is Wilderness lodge. It looks like the most fun of the MK resorts for our interests!

Our third choice is doing a split stay, two days at WL followed by two days at AoA. Wed do MK while at WL and then do Epcot/DHS while at AoA.

Any and all opinions would be great!

 

[mrsap]

Definitely do the split, but do it the other way, AoA then WL. Funny, we did that resort split when my DS was 16 months old (for the same exact reason!) He loved the life sized characters and I’m so happy we did it. It was also our first time staying at The Lodge. I’ll be honest though, we were slightly addicted after that stay... the next 4 years of vacations, we only stayed at The Lodge! We loved it so much, we bought DVC there in 2017!! lol Enjoy your stay!!!

 

[JenBush]

Hmm, I’m a big fan of split stays, but with a shorter trip and little kids it might not be worth the effort to switch resorts mid trip. In my opinion the biggest downside to values is the food options. I don’t mind only having a food court and pool bar, but not having a table service restaurant or bar/lounge(other than the pool bar) is a big deal to some people.

 

[JFDIS]

Split stay would be fun! I agree with the poster above, AoA first then WL. AoA is a little wild but it is fun especially for the ages of your kids. WL is so relaxing and beautiful, it’s my new favorite resort.
I did a split stay at CCV for two nights then to AKV for only one night a few weeks ago. I have a 3 (almost 4) and 2 year old girls. I’ve read another post where many posters tired to talk the op out of a split stay on a short trip. Honestly, I didn’t think it was a big deal to move and we went from a two bedroom to a studio. I did have my own vehicle. Anyway, it was totally fun and I’d do it again.

 

[SeanWM48]

apples and oranges resorts. hard to compare. with kids and a relatively short trip IMO packing up and moving after 2 days is a lot of unnecessary effort. disney trips are an adventure and i think that would take me out of the element. that means checking in twice, unpacking twice etc. if you were there 7-10 days i'd say otherwise. just my take.

if you think you'll spend time at the resort go with the lodge, it's gorgeous, you can easily spend half a day there just hanging out. Geyser Point is a must. If you think you'll be at the parks all 4 days and hustling, just do AOA.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

Personally I would do AoA, simply because of the Cars obsession. You’ll have plenty of time to stay at the Lodge, but your kids will only be little for a short time. I also like the idea of being able to put kids to bed and adults being able to hang out without disturbing them. I do agree that food options can be limited at the values, but the skyliner really solves that problem. You’ll have easy access to restaurants at Riviera and the Epcot area resorts (and even DHS and Epcot restaurants if you have hoppers).

 

[Nabas]

The Value Resorts are great for families with small children! We've found that small children love the over-the-top décor, hustle & bustle, food courts, and large pools at the Value Resorts. Lots of other small children are there as well, making it even more appealing. Eventually, they outgrow the Values and want to try something else. That's the time to try the Wilderness Lodge.

Since your children are ages 2 and 4, and since they both love Cars, Art of Animation will be perfect for them.

 

[HMANSION LOVER]

Children are 2 and 4 so it's a no brainer. Especially when you take into consideration the obsession with Cars and all things Radiator Springs. The children will love the the theming. The room is incredible. It's very large with two bathrooms which makes getting ready easier and has plenty of room to spread out and relax. The Cozy Cone Motel pool is really nice and the other pools are significantly larger with more to do. Little Mermaid pool is just around the corner. Food court is a hop skip and a jump away and pool bar is even closer I agree that it would be prudent to wait a little while until the children have outgrown the theming of the values and moderates.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I guess this sounds selfish, but I tend to lean towards going with what is most convenient for the parents / what the parents like best, not the kids. My kids are happy anywhere. We’ve done AoA and they love it. We’ve done WL and they love it. But I like WL better - so we go to WL.

 

[Nabas]

I guess this sounds selfish, but I tend to lean towards going with what is most convenient for the parents / what the parents like best, not the kids. My kids are happy anywhere. We’ve done AoA and they love it. We’ve done WL and they love it. But I like WL better - so we go to WL.

The thing is, with 2 & 4 year olds that love Cars, there is only a relatively brief moment to enjoy AOA with the children in that phase of their lives.

Yes, WL is better but, as the OP mentioned, AOA also gives them a chance to have a suite, with the children going to bed while the adults stay awake.

I've always felt 4 in a Studio is a bit crowded but it works when you spend most of the time away from the room. With 2 & 4 year olds, they are going to need a lot more sleep than the parents will, so a 2-room suite makes sense at that age.

My wife and I have plenty of adorable photos of the kids sleeping soundly in the next room, exhausted from their day at the parks.

 

[JFDIS]

So, I keep thinking about this and I think the short split stay works for some and not for others. If you or your partner feel highly stressed during the traveling and packing process then it might not be right for you. Also, if you have a jam packed schedule it might not work for you. We live an hour and a half away and have AP’s winch allows us to come often. Of course everything if for our girls but the resort at the end of the day feels like it’s for my husband and I. We like to try out different resorts so moving to a new one doesn’t feel inconvenient for us. A new place for us to explore and dine. It is true that a split stay has to make sense for your family.

 

[Wood Nymph]

You are comparing a value resort with a deluxe resort and the deluxe always wins, imo. Young children, age 2 and 4 especially, will love going to the pool. And WL has a zero entry quiet pool, a main pool with a slide that is small enough for the children, and a very fun splash pad for young children. You may never get them out of the water. They will also love the boat to MK. Everyone loves the boat to MK.

Bottom line is that the parents have to enjoy the trip. They are the ones who will remember it.

 

[Erica Ladd]

I’m thinking a split stay would eat up a lot of the trip time. I’d stay at AoA and make it a point to take the boat and get a meal at WL on an MK day so you can get them interested in another resort for your next trip even if it is down the road

 

[cgattis]

Lots of good points here; we’ve stayed at both and love both. But the theming and extra space make AoA the win IMO for your situation. Plus, I really think the food court is perfect with kids that age. Easy to take them to different stations if they like different things. Not sure how many resort sit-down meals you’d be looking to do anyway. Make sure to hit the Cozy Cone pool! And there’s at least an hour for that age of just walking around to visit all the cars. Plus you can always walk around to see the characters at the other areas.

 

[HMANSION LOVER]

Don't forget about the skyliner. I'm sure the kids will love it!!

 

[bennifer]

My vote is either a split or the entire time at AoA. We did a Cars suite when DS was 4 and he still talks about it 7 years later. No, he doesn’t remember a lot, but I remember the awe and joy for him being there.

 

[Gatrcruzer]

I agree with many of the excellent points raised here, but particularly that this needs to be convenient for parents - if you are stressed it is not fun for the kids. As such, I would NOT recommend a split because it sucks up your valuable and limited vacation time and means repacking and moving with 2 littles. Personally, I love WL and it is convenient to MK, BUT given your family's needs I would do the Cars suite - both for space, and love of Cars. Also, I can't imagine starting there and then moving elsewhere - your kids would freak! Hope you enjoy your trip.

 

[Belles bakery]

AoA for sure!! Mainly because the kids obsession with Cars. That’s so fun!!! You can do WL another time maybe when you can get away adults only. I would Not Do a split stay on such a short trip. Minimum split stay would be 7 nights. It takes up a ton of time. Your boys will love Cars And the extra space will be amazing for the adults. Have fun!!!

 

[Marc D]

One of our favorite memory from our 20+ trips to WDW is our 2yo discovering the Cars section for the first time. We decided to go with him being that young because of AoA.
Every morning, he ran around to talk to the characters that are outside.

I would definitely do the entire stay at AoA. There will be other occasions to go to WL when they are older and grow out of their current phase.

 

[Karebear]

I would do the suite. Mostly because of the sleeping situation. When my kids were that age they needed a lot of sleep and they slept better in a separate room. It was so nice to be able to put the kids to bed early and watch TV or unwind with a glass of wine in the next room. As my kids got a bit older, we started sharing a room and it worked out fine.