AoA or Deluxe?

[bluezy]

With 5 people I'd absolutely choose AoA. We are a 5 person family and have had the same discussions and I was kind of having the same debate in my head as I'd love to stay deluxe our next trip (we've never gone with all 5 of us). After spending one night in a hotel room last summer, nope. We all came back from the pool and were standing there dripping and arguing over the bathroom. Trying to get around the room was impossible with all of us. So...it's going to have to be a family suite or 1 bd DVC villa for us.
We stayed in an AoA LM room last time we went (just myself and girls 10/8 at the time) and my girls LOVED it so much they're begging to stay there again (and they're 14 and 12 now). And I liked it a lot more than POP.

We're the same way with a family of 5. With 3 kids who are all now teens/young adults, we can tolerate a room for 5 with one bathroom for a night or two, but anything longer than that requires more space and more bathrooms. At Disney, the standard deluxe rooms that come in around the same price as a suite at AoA are much smaller than a suite (by about 100 sq. ft. in most cases), don't have a private master bedroom, and only have one bathroom. Yeah...I'll spend $600+ a night on a suite over a standard room at a Deluxe any day that I'm traveling with a party of 5.

 

[Jacq7414]

We stayed at WL with our daughter twice. Unless you are just using the room for sleeping it may be small for a family of 5. We were fine for a family of 3. We loved the resort though. Everything was really easy to get to and it was beautiful. My daughter loved the splash pad and we loved the theming. We currently have a split stay at Poly/BC booked so I can’t speak of them though yet but I know stormalong bay is amazing.

 

[Disney Fool]

because of the ages of your children, I'd choose AofA. You're going to need two bathrooms! And the opportunity to shut out the noise at times! The suites allow for that. No arguing over what to watch on tv --there are two. money savings with microwave and mini fridge -snacks and quick breakfasts; if it were me, I'd visit the other deluxes while there just to see them and maybe make plans to stay at one at a later date.

 

[melissalovesfigment]

Beach Club. Best pool, walkability, central location, restaurants, etc. We stay at the Yacht Club which I think has the same room layout. We put our youngest in a pack and play in the bathroom and close the door. There is just enough room to slip around the crib if you need to use the toilet over night. Polynesian has a great pool too and if the monorail is running to both MK and Epcot, it is a perfect combination. I haven't stayed in a standard room there in awhile but the studios have 2 bathrooms and the pack and play fits nicely in either bath. It is usually quite a bit more $$$ than BC or WL though. Wilderness Lodge is my favorite resort as far as a theming standpoint. Like French Quarter, it feels small and quiet and the Christmas decorations can't be beat. If you absolutely need 2 bathrooms, go for the AoA suite. If you can make one work, I would choose a deluxe. We have a 5 yo, 3 yo, and an infant so we are in a similar position from # of beds needed.

 

[nkereina]

We love AOA. I agree that the space and room configuration at AOA would be optimal for your family. But I think the amenities and logistics of the deluxe resorts you're considering would trump AOA. So it just depends on what is most important to you. How much time do you spend in the room? How many days out of your trips are you commuting to parks, and which parks? How much time will be spent enjoying the resort? With a two year old, I'm guessing you'll have a fair amount of resort time. If it were me, I'd want a deluxe resort where you can easily do things in and around the resort. Also, it may be nice to have a balcony for parents to retreat to after the kids are asleep which you'd find at a deluxe. Though, I think some balconies may be too small for sitting at BC - just something to consider.

Also, if you went with two rooms at another resort, they will NOT guarantee a connecting room. Contrary to what any CM tells you. An adult age 18+ has to be on every room registration. The expectation would be each adult 18+ in your party would split up to be in the separate rooms in the event they didn't connect. Not something I would risk.

 

[RunMagicalMiles]

My family loves AoA due to the theming. I have loved my stays there, and having the Skyliner right there is so wonderful.