Are the benefits of staying at a Disney Luxury Resort worth the extra money ? AND ...

[Bekky]

Hi There ...

My sister just booked us rooms in July at the Yacht Club & her family at the Boardwalk ... my parents are bringing their RV and staying at the Campground (Fort Wilderness I think ? )

My head is still spinning at the cost for what you get ... online the rooms just dont look THAT great for the price (let me know if Im wrong - sometimes pictures don't do rooms justice)

It looked like the rooms at the Contemporary Resort were newer & a little more spacious, but that was just WAY out of our price range (to say the least ! We were quoted 1000 a night )


First of all which hotel would you say has the * nicest * cleanest * newest rooms ?

And next - were not finding any great deals booking this since its in July, so would it be better to just stay off property at a nicer hotel for the same price or even less ?

Or are the benefits of staying at the Disney resorts and getting the "extra magic hours" ( and whatever else they offer ) so worth it ??

Thanks !!

ps .. by the way, we are traveling with 5 children between ages 2-7 ( two being mine / 3 my sisters .. but if the rooms dont hold 5 people, one of the kids can always hop in the rv with grandma!)

 

[GrumpyCAdad]

All of the Disney hotels are nice. It all depends on if you are planning on spending more time in your room. Personally, I just want a place to crash when I/the family gets tired. That and a nice pool. On our trip in 2004, I went all out and stayed at the Wilderness Lodge. The hotel is beautiful and the rooms were nice. This next trip, I am scaling down the price and staying somewhere cheaper, probably the Port Orleans Riverside. (It can get pricey for a family of 5). The benefits of the extra magic hour and use of the Disney transportation help out too.

If this is your first trip to WDW, by all means, stay on site somewhere. You will enjoy the experience so much more!

 

[dragitoff]

I tell folks all the time staying onsite is something you have to do at least once. Personally though, I've done it twice and while it's convenient, I can't see it convenient enough to spend the extra money. The extra magic hours are really great. We went to AK the week EE opened and rode it twice before the park opened. By lunch that day you couldn't even get a fast pass for it. The bus service seemed to take forever, although it was nice to not have to drive anywhere myself. We've stayed at the Wilderness Lodge (very nice and pretty spacious) and All-Star Movies so I've done both ends of the spectrum.

We'll be renting a house or condo in Windsor Hills from now on. It's a much better value for large parties and much more spacious and comfortable.

 

[mareed]

The answers you'll receive on the DIS really depend on which board you're posting.

Here, you'll find more opinions that the on-site perks aren't worth the price and you'll likely receive recommendations to rent a condo/townhome/villa off-site directly from an owner. This would be my recommendation especially with children where separate bedrooms, multiple bathrooms, and a kitchen to prepare a quick breakfast are so very nice in my opinion! In your case, you could probably get a 5-6 bedroom home to share with your sister's family with your own private pool for far less than half of what you'd be spending at the Epcot resorts. Spend the money saved on special meals or activities! I'd say EMH and Disney transportation are not perks worth paying for because the EMH park ends up being the most crowded and I absolutely don't want to wait for and then end up standing on a bus to get to/from the parks.

Now, if you post on the Disney resorts board, you'll get entirely different responses. In fact, if you haven't already, you may want to post there so that you'll get some responses to balance out those you get here.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[spiceycat]

EMH - allow you to enter one hour earlier and 3 hours later than the general public.

in the summer it would be usefully - because the days can be so darn hot.
but in your situation - maybe not.

you might consider an offsite house

www.vrbo.com

the newest non-dvc resort is Pop century, a value resort.

look here for the rack prices of the WDW resorts
http://www.mousesavers.com/roomrates2008.html

most of the deluxe resorts at WDW will allow 5. (AKL and WL are the exceptions)

the value and moderates only allow 4 - except POR (trundle bed)

are you driving - then stay offsite.

if you are flying - with DMH and DmE (disney's magical express) - disney will take you by and forth to the airport for free. Plus their DDP (disney dinning plan) - would stay at Disney.

there is a 2-bedroom at AKV (AKL) that will allow you to sleep 9 in one - two-bedroom condo. but don't go WDW to get it - go rent a reservation from a DVC member - just don't stay fri or sat - too expensive.

since your parents are staying at WL - you might consider VWL - a studio is fairly inexpensive renting thru a DVC member - a 1-bedroom cost more. You would only need the 2-bedroom if you counted your 3rd child. the VWL as most of the DVC resorts only sleep 8 in the 2-bedroom.

but your cheapest alternative is staying offsite in a house - you need to add the rental car & tolls from the airport, plus the $11 parking fee (this is free if you stay onsite) per day.

 

[spiceycat]

forgot weather
http://www.wdwinfo.com/weather.htm

the average high is 92 degree with humdity that is definitely a killer in July.

 

[dragitoff]

Here are the 2 houses off site we're getting next summer. I haven't found rates any better at other houses

http://www.vrbo.com/82895

http://www.vrbo.com/11516

The 5BR house rate was about the same as the All-Star resorts during Peak Seasons.

 

[Bekky]

Thanks everybody !

 

[HeatherPage]

Actually, if your parents will be in Fort Wilderness (not Wilderness Lodge) maybe you could look into the FW cabins (it has a kitchen, bedroom with one double and two bunkbeds and separate living room with couch and pull down murphy bed).

 

[calgarygary]

Hi There ...

My sister just booked us rooms in July at the Yacht Club & her family at the Boardwalk ... my parents are bringing their RV and staying at the Campground (Fort Wilderness I think ? )

My head is still spinning at the cost for what you get ... online the rooms just dont look THAT great for the price (let me know if Im wrong - sometimes pictures don't do rooms justice)

It looked like the rooms at the Contemporary Resort were newer & a little more spacious, but that was just WAY out of our price range (to say the least ! We were quoted 1000 a night )


First of all which hotel would you say has the * nicest * cleanest * newest rooms ?

And next - were not finding any great deals booking this since its in July, so would it be better to just stay off property at a nicer hotel for the same price or even less ?

Or are the benefits of staying at the Disney resorts and getting the "extra magic hours" ( and whatever else they offer ) so worth it ??

Thanks !!

ps .. by the way, we are traveling with 5 children between ages 2-7 ( two being mine / 3 my sisters .. but if the rooms dont hold 5 people, one of the kids can always hop in the rv with grandma!)

I have stayed both onsite and offsite and although the benefits of onsite are nice, I don't think they are worth the cost that the deluxes demand. Given the size of your family, if you still want the resort experience, try someplace like Worldquest where you can get a 3 bedroom/3 bath, great resort pool, continental breakfast for just a little more than a WDW moderate.

 

[MiaSRN62]

It looked like the rooms at the Contemporary Resort were newer & a little more spacious, but that was just WAY out of our price range (to say the least ! We were quoted 1000 a night )

wow ! I just checked the disney.com site and put in a random week (July 5-12). Got $465/night for a Tower room with MK view. Still high, but nowhere near $1,000/night ? Maybe park tickets or meal plan was included in this nightly rate ?

Or are the benefits of staying at the Disney resorts and getting the "extra magic hours" ( and whatever else they offer ) so worth it ??

During the very busy and hot summer months....yes, staying onsite can be beneficial. We frequently utilize the EMH (especially the morning ones). Getting into the park 1 hour early can make a difference----we can usually ride 3-4 attractions before the masses come in and the long lines form. If your little ones like Dumbo and Pooh etc.....getting in the park early before the heat and crowds is well worth it's weight in gold. We'll hang out until 11 am to noon and then go back to our rooms and don't return until the evening when it cools down.
Another big plus to stay at the Yacht Club is being able to walk to both Epcot and MGM (or take the Friendship boat). Thus u avoid loading strollers in and out of cars and dealing with traffic for those two parks. After Illuminations at Epcot is over, instead of being herded to the front of the park with thousands of others, you can exit through the back of the park (via International Gateway) and it's about a 10 min walk back to your room. With little ones the ability to walk/boat to Epcot and Hollywood Studios could prove invalueable. We also like the package delivery option. Any souveniers you purchase in the park can be delivered directly to your resort where you can pick them up later in the day or the next day. Don't have to worry about taking your bags of souveniers on the rides with you.

We stay onsite alot even if we drive. We like our car to do resort to resort dining and shopping.

Of course, if price is the bottom line...then there are many great deals for offsite accomodations that can't be beat as far as budget goes.
I have never stayed at the YC, but have stayed a couple times at it's sister resort, the Beach Club and love it. It's so pretty and relaxing to walk around the boardwalk in the evening.....shop....watch the fireworks and street entertainment or dine.

Good luck with your decision and have a great trip

 

[FoggyToad]

We have stayed onsite, off, and in rental homes. I can honestly say the best experience by faaaaaaarrr was in rental homes. With several children and adults, you wouldn't be crammed into one small space. You can find houses with 3-7 bedrooms and 2-3 bathrooms. Heaven! You can come home and swim in your pool. You wouldn't have to share a crowded resort or hotel pool with tons of other guests. You have a full kitchen and can cook or not depending on whether you wish to go that route. The nice thing is that it gives you the opportunity which a hotel room does not. I found it nice to be able to have some cereal, toast and coffee in the morning in our kitchen as I watched the news on TV and not think about having to stop at a fast food and gobbling it down in the car on the way to the parks. You could probably find a nice four or five bedroom house from VRBO.com for less than $1200.00 for the whole week.

 

[liz2d2]

We go back and forth on this every trip and every time we come down in favor of staying off-site. We have gotten really good deals through expedia for airfare/hotel together. Now that we've had a full kitchen, washer/dryer and a not-too-crowded pool for about $650 a person for 8 nights, it would take a lot to bring us back on-property.

 

[spiceycat]

in the heat and humdity of an Orlando summer - the temperature can do get above 100 degree -

if your kids are teens and older - they staying offsite is fine.

if anyone has kids under the age 5 - stay onsite.

even then watch your kids carefully - heat exhaustion is pretty easy to get in Florida in July. so be carefully make sure everyone (no matter what) drinks water at least every hour. (no I am not kidding)

been in Epcot one day in July 110 degree - we left.

 

[MiaSRN62]

if your kids are teens and older - they staying offsite is fine.

if anyone has kids under the age 5 - stay onsite.

even then watch your kids carefully - heat exhaustion is pretty easy to get in Florida in July. so be carefully make sure everyone (no matter what) drinks water at least every hour. (no I am not kidding)

been in Epcot one day in July 110 degree - we left.

My kids are teens.....and we totally believe it can get to 110. We often vacation in July/Aug---will again this year. This is why we LOVE staying ONSite (even though my kids are older) because of EMH. We find this an invaluable perk during the hot/humid summer months. We can get into the parks early.....ride all the attractions we want with minimal lines and before the real heat strikes and then go back to our resort. We don't usually return to the parks until after 5-6 pm. My teens love onsite because they can come and go as they please using disney transportation back to the resort. Something they can't do when we stay offsite. So I agree with everything Pat said but want to include that onsite during the hot summer is a perk for teens and their parents too.

 

[mareed]

in the heat and humdity of an Orlando summer - the temperature can do get above 100 degree -

if your kids are teens and older - they staying offsite is fine.

if anyone has kids under the age 5 - stay onsite.

even then watch your kids carefully - heat exhaustion is pretty easy to get in Florida in July. so be carefully make sure everyone (no matter what) drinks water at least every hour. (no I am not kidding)

been in Epcot one day in July 110 degree - we left.

How would staying onsite help with this? If it's to take a mid-day break, then I'd say it's just as easy (or easier unless you're staying at a monorail resort) to go back to take a break if you're at one of the close-by off-site locations. And you get to go right out and directly into your air-conditioned car where you have a seat as opposed to waiting in the heat for a bus to come, and then possibly having to stand for the ride back to your resort. I will say that if you're spending the money to stay at a monorail resort, then it would be easier than driving and staying offsite, but for the others - especially the values and moderates, I'd far prefer offsite for taking a break! Just my opinion though.

And yes, I've stayed onsite a few times (Port Orleans and Dolphin), but stay offsite for almost all of our trips by choice! We definitely go to the Deluxe resorts to visit and dine (not swim!), but would never pay the prices Disney wants for them.

 

[spiceycat]

yea at 110 outside - do you have any idea what your parked in the sun car temperature will be.

riding the bus back is much, much nicer. Now if you have to wait a long time for the bus - no it is not.

but mostly the wait is no more than 20 minutes - sometimes the bus will be there.

the hotel they mentioned was the YC - you can walk to the YC or ride the boat - from epcot and studios.

if you are at World showcase when illiuinations ends - believe me if you stay at the YC you would be in your room - before anyone self parking in the Epcot lot is even at their car. the same can be say for the BC, BCV, BWI and BWV.

much closer than anything offsite to epcot and studios.

that say - Pop Century (value) and CBR (moderate) are not that much further away - of course these are bus only. You can't walk.

 

[MiaSRN62]

Spiceycat says :if you are at World showcase when illiuinations ends - believe me if you stay at the YC you would be in your room - before anyone self parking in the Epcot lot is even at their car. the same can be say for the BC, BCV, BWI and BWV.

Absolutely....100% true. I'd like to add the WL (not on monorail route but has a very convenient boat back and forth to MK), Poly, Contemp, GF, Ft Wilderness (also has a boat) are VERY easy access to and from the MK. Getting in and out of the MK when not using disney transportation is definitely much longer (sometimes as much as 30-45 min longer). For midday breaks, when staying onsite, I've never waited more than 20 min for the busses to get back to the resort. And the busses are air conditioned and not crowded at all in the middle of the afternoon. When there are long lines, it tends to be between 8 and 9 am and then again at park closing. But at park closing, disney does a good job at getting extra busses out on the road. Again, my teens love being able to come and go at will and not relying on the whole family leaving together if we had driven.

We stay both on and offsite frequently, so I feel it's a fair comment on my part. I don't want to speak for Pat, but I know she stays both on and offsite frequently as well.

 

[jdybnsn]

Nothing against staying onsite ...infact everyone should give it a go at least once.

HOWEVER, if you are prepared for a short drive, the Omni Hotel or Reunion Resort, both at Championsgate, will knock spots off Disney in terms of facilities, at a price tag that will leave you with a bit more spending money.

The only problem you may have is getting your kids to visit the parks, instead of the resort pools !!

 

[mareed]

yea at 110 outside - do you have any idea what your parked in the sun car temperature will be.

riding the bus back is much, much nicer. Now if you have to wait a long time for the bus - no it is not.

Definitely - I live in Houston, TX and live with temps like this about 5 months out of the year - about the same as Orlando!

We travel with a car sunshade, and I still prefer my own vehicle (whether I'm offsite or not), but it's great that there are options at Disney that work for everyone and let them choose what's best for them.