August 2013 - What to do

[london75]

Argh don't know what to do now the prices are out. My options for three weeks for 2A2C with upgrades to standard dining plan so they're all on the same footing are

Caribbean Beach Resort £4,600
Port Orleans French Quarter £4,300
Port Orleans Riverside £4,500
Saratoga Springs Studio £4,280
Saratoga Springs 1-Bed £5,400
Old Key West 1-Bed (no studios available) also £5,400

Are there others I should look at. I know I should probably be going for the cheapest which is the SSR Studio and I like the idea of walking to DTD but the food options at OKW were poor and the food courts at the moderate hotels look like they'd be pretty good for us plus the pools are more fun for the kids.

Likewise at the "cheaper" end, the rooms have two doubles/queens which is going to be more comfortable than the sofabed options presumably. A 2 bed is out due to cost but a 1 bed would be nice for space but don't fancy the sofa bed. I wish they did a 1-bed with two queens so we all sleep in the same room but have the space available.

I quite fancy the look of POFQ but something tells me that CBR will be better for us, especially with the kids loving beaches but never getting a chance to go to one because we always go to Orlando!

We thought the buses at OKW were fantastic and I've read that CBR and POR are not that well thought of, is that subjective again and they're fine and all similar or are there specific problems with those resorts. Does OKW get more buses because it's a Deluxe or is it just that more people have cars with them as it's DVC?

Anyone got an opinion on the best option from above or is it going to be purely subjective?

 

[FloFlo71]

My dd was 10 last year when we stayed at SSR. I was worried about some of the reviews of SSR but we absolutely loved it. I like to be near the main section so we stayed in Springs which is right by the reception, restaurant, food court, main pool, boat dock to DTD.

The main pool is lovely with a slide and right next to food court, games arcade and around the corner from the room where they do the children's activities - like crafts. In the children's activity centre they had video games, football table and a wonderful woman who ran the craft activities.

The food court had a fair selection with a bakery section and small food shop.
The table service restaurant is very nice and we had a lovely meal there the first night with our DDP.

There is also a new pool area and fun twisty slide at the paddocks area, with a pool bar selling drinks, refill station for mugs and sells snacks and burgers, hot dogs etc. The paddocks is a short walk from the Springs over a bridge.

We found it a beautiful, peaceful resort with great access to DTD, which was wonderful as we had ddp.

 

[london75]

Thanks for that, did you stay in a studio? How did you find the space and the sofa bed?

 

[luke]

Thanks for that, did you stay in a studio? How did you find the space and the sofa bed?

We stayed in a studio and the space was great, but we were just two adults.
We've booked again for next year when we will be two adults and one infant but I'm not sure it would seem quite so spacious in your situation with 2A2C.

That said it would still be more spacious than the 1 room at the mods I imagine?

 

[catherine]

I'm probably the wrong person to comment because I've already booked a 1 bedroom at OKW, so you know what I'm going to say! I'm just wondering if it's worth giving WDWUK a call to see if there's any chance of booking an OKW studio over the phone (it may just be a glitch on the website). Then you'll have the 2 queen beds and more space.

 

[luke]

I'm probably the wrong person to comment because I've already booked a 1 bedroom at OKW, so you know what I'm going to say! I'm just wondering if it's worth giving WDWUK a call to see if there's any chance of booking an OKW studio over the phone (it may just be a glitch on the website). Then you'll have the 2 queen beds and more space.

Yeah the set up of the OKW would be much better for a family than the SSR studio

 

[london75]

There's an element of wanting to try something new as we stayed at okw this year. I'm hovering between a 1-bed at ssr and a room at cbr. Very different options I know, the girls will be 7 & 5 next year and actually share a double at home (through choice I should stress lol).

 

[bee86]

Im far from an expert.....but the only time I've been to wdw I stayed at CBR and would have been quite happy to go back next year but decided to try something different! The theme was fabulous throughout the resort and the rooms were a nice size. The food court area was large with plenty of options with a good view of the epcot fireworks from the back of old port royale the main building. The main pool is themed aswell how ever I always chose the quieter pools. I know it doesn't have the best rep but I thought it was fabulous!!

 

[orangetiggs]

We tried one if the new sleeper chairs at okw west last year and the mattresses are very thick and was very comfy.

We are looking at a studio next year or pofq

 

[FloFlo71]

We had a studio but were 2 adults and 1 child, it was great for us as DD slept on the sofa and if we wanted during the day we put it as a sofa for a seating area. Yes a 1 bed would obviously be bigger but I am all for saving that money and spending it on something more fun, lol. Plus we were out and about a lot so didn't need loads of room.

 

[london75]

The thing is, a 1 bed would still mean a sofa bed for someone ( probably me !) so not sure if it's worth it. But having the washer and freezer and whirlpool bath for 3 weeks would be nice

 

[FloFlo71]

The thing is, a 1 bed would still mean a sofa bed for someone ( probably me !) so not sure if it's worth it. But having the washer and freezer and whirlpool bath for 3 weeks would be nice

it would be lovely, depends on what you can comfortably afford.

The washers and dryers are free at SSR, the ones by the Springs and at the Paddock are near the pools so I just used to pop in a wash and then sit at the pool. At the Springs they are also near community hall and the restaurant and food court.

 

[london75]

Just booked a 1-bed at SSR. Proximity to DTD for evening strolls to the lego shop combined with the space of a one bed and the laundry/whirlpool bath/kitchen/freezer etc made it the right thing to do. If it had been 10 days to 2 weeks possibly a studio but 3 weeks in a room with the kids, yikes!

Can't wait now, only 50 weeks and 4 days.

 

[scojos]

we did a 2bd at ssr, and mate they are huge!! (even taking away the 2nd bedroom you have more than enough space. id reccomend ssr anyday, we loved it, there is a pottery club, where kids can paint, and have their work glazed, x box, table tennis etc, as well as pool, shops etc. we stayed opposite dtd and walked once (about 20 mins saunter)> thhe only down side for me, was having to use the car to go to food court, u could walk, but it was too far for me after a day in parks but if u asked for a central room u ll be fine!! we liked the silence of being away from the crowd tho!

 

[FloFlo71]

we did a 2bd at ssr, and mate they are huge!! (even taking away the 2nd bedroom you have more than enough space. id reccomend ssr anyday, we loved it, there is a pottery club, where kids can paint, and have their work glazed, x box, table tennis etc, as well as pool, shops etc. we stayed opposite dtd and walked once (about 20 mins saunter)> thhe only down side for me, was having to use the car to go to food court, u could walk, but it was too far for me after a day in parks but if u asked for a central room u ll be fine!! we liked the silence of being away from the crowd tho!

We requested a room in the Springs but didn't get one, so we checked into a room in a different section on the condition that they moved us asap to the Springs which they did. They moved us while we were out at the park, we just had everything ready for them and it was all in the new room when we got back.

The Springs would be my request again very close to restaurant food court, boat dock, community hall and the main pool but the paddocks area was nice too with the new pool and bar.

 

[luke]

Like Tracey, we were in Congress Park last time and I'll be requesting it again

 

[scojos]

Like Tracey, we were in Congress Park last time and I'll be requesting it again

its true, we could see his green bug when we went out in the morning!!

 

[luke]

How I miss little Herbie

 

[scojos]

How I miss little Herbie

tbf he was very cute