Best resort for 2 bedroom suite with 3 small kids

[Mmk1961]

Where is the best place to stay with three kids 1.5,3,5 ? We would like two bedrooms and at least a refrigerator. On property or at least a Disney connected place for transportation, early hours etc.

 

[Autumngirl]

Disney's Old Key West is m favorite. 1300 sq feet.

This is the Boardwalk Villa's.About 1100 sq feet

The BeachClub Villa's. Also about 1100 sq feet

The Wilderness Lodge I don't know the sq.ft.

All have full kitchens and washers and dryers.

 

[Deb & Bill]

When are you planning on going? That could factor into your plans. If it is soon, what you want may not be available. Call CRO as soon as you can if you plan on going in the very near future.

 

[vernon]

The DVC resorts, as autumngirl has laid out with those spectacular room diagrams, offers some stunning accommodation. If renting direct from Disney these are relatively expensive, but do offer wonderful accommodations. A cheaper option is to rent points from a DVC member, that route would probably save you between $100-250 a night depending on the resort you choose and the days of the week ( Friday and Saturday nights have a high points cost)

With the ages of your kids (i.e. one under the age of 3) you could rent a one bedroom DVC unit that would mean the older kids would have to sleep sharing the pull out double sofa bed ( something my girls were ok doing into their teens) that is in the living room, you would still have a separate bedroom from the kids and it would probably save you between $75-200 a night depending on resort and time of year.
Another (cheaper) option , again as long as the kids are OK sharing a pull down double bed, would be one of the Cabins at fort Wilderness. These have a double bed and bunk beds in the bedroom, a separate kitchen/dining/living area with pull down "murphy" double bed. The cabins aren't quite up to the high standard of the DVC units, but the do offer good sized accommodation at a reasonable price.

The one bedroom unit or the cabins aren't exactly what you've asked for, but they would be considerably cheaper than renting a 2 bedroom DVC unit from Disney. I'll try to rank the costs of your options (roughly) starting from cheapest.

1) a one bedroom DVC unit at OKW renting points from an owner ($200-300 a night) . To avoid me having to type the same message on each option that are renting points this comment is good for any time you'd rent points from an owner. Try to avoid weekends these can really jack up the average price of the stay.
2) A cabin at Fort Wilderness (from Disney) $220-275 a night
3) a one bedroom DVC (other than OKW resort) renting points from an owner ($250-350 a night) .
4) a 2 bedroom at OKW renting points from an owner ($275-400 a night)
5) a 2 bedroom DVC unit (other than OKW) renting points from an owner ($325-450 a night)
6) a one bedroom unit from Disney ($350-500 a night)
7) a 2 bedroom unit from Disney ($450+)

Which resort is the better choice depends very much on the individual, the Beachclub has a fantastic pool area, by far the best of Disney's hotels, but it's likely to be the most expensive. How much time you'd spend using the pool may or may not justify the extra cost. It ( and Boardwalk) also offer better locations in terms of speed into some of the parks. Epcot is a short walk, MGM a short boat ride. All of BCV, Wilderness Lodge and BW have a much more "hotel" feel about them, that may be something thats a plus for you or not, OKW feels much more like a small village/condo development and would be quite a lot cheaper if you were to go the point rental route.

 

[Syndrome]

Hi,
We are also a family of five, so I can feel your pain in looking for lodging at WDW. It seems like they cater to the family of four! It is tricky to find a room at WDW if you have 5 people AND you want to be comfortable, with out spending a FORTUNE!
How about connecting rooms at a value resort. Two rooms at a value(All Stars or POP) is a lot less $$$ then any kind of suite you can get on WDW property. Lets say about $200. a night on average for two rooms at a value resort.The kids will love the All Star Movies. Still on WDW property so you can take advantage of the transportation and other perks of staying on site + all the MAGIC! We also have 3 Kids........3,9 and 11, so connecting rooms will also give the "parents" some privacy!
Disney WILL guarantee connecting rooms if it is a family with young children. You can also request a king room that connects with a standard two doubles room. Its like a nice big suite with seperate bedrooms PLUS two bathrooms! Imagine two bathrooms in the morning, getting ready before you head off to the parks! They guarenteed king/doubles connecting, non smoking and we put in a request for the Toy Story building.........Kids!
Note: You can only make reservations for connecting rooms by calling. The websight wont let you do it yet.
We are staying for four nights at the ASM with connecting rooms for the first part of our trip. Then we will be staying off site at the Nick family suites for four nights while we do Universal,IOA and Seaworld. Then back to WDW for eight nights at the Poly concierge for some deluxe treatment and more Disney!
Good luck in your search.........
Later...........Syndrome

 

[Eeyore2003]

We have rented points from a DVC owner twice now and I'm renting points again for next November. We have stayed at Old Key West and Boardwalk Villas. I really highly recommend Old Key West for kids. The DVC owner can put in requests and he put in a request for Building 62, which was right across the street from the main pool, store and bus stop. And it also had an elevator. Old Key West is really a wonderful peaceful place we found and the rooms are a nice size and the most reasonably priced of the DVC units.

I agree, I think with a crib, you could easily sleep the 5 of you if the older two sleep on the pull out couch in a ONE bedroom, saving you lots of money. Added plus!!! King sized bed for you and a jacuzzi!!! Full kitchen, washer/dryer. We absolutely loved our one bedroom this December. We also noted that, at least we found, Disney takes very good care of their Old Key West people, and we felt the busses to and from the parks ran really good. Also, the Old Key West bus stop, is usually one of the first couple at the park, saving lots of walking when your exhausted after a day in the park.

I would definitely request a building near the main pool. It's really convenient, another convenience of Old Key West is that your car is right outside your door, not in some far away parking lot.

 

[ducklite]

Just wondering if you have any idea how much a 2 BR suite at WDW costs?

A 1BR vacation villa at OKW in low season is going to run you $1600 for a week. A 2BR jumps to $2180 for a week. Those are based on renting points at the average prevailing rate of $10/point.

The next lowest way to go is a Junior Suite at the WL, which will run you $400/night. (this has a bedroom with two queens and a sleeper sofa in the LR, and includes moinifridge and coffee maker.)

To get a true 2BR suite at the Yacht Club, you're looking at $1200/night, low season, you get concierge service included.

You also have the option of getting two connecting rooms at a value or moderate, and off-season with a discount code you can probably do this for under $250/night, even if you need to rent a minifridge from WDW for $10/night at the values--it's free a the moderates.

Anne

 

[forgetyourtroubles!]

We've stayed at Old Key West in a 2 BR and at Beach Club Villa in a 2 BR. For longer stays, I thought the kitchen area was worth it. However, this next time, we will be there for only 4 nights and we are getting connecting rooms at Port Orleans Riverside. I had a discount code so it is only going to be around $160 per night for both rooms. I agree, a separate bedroom for the parents is a sanity saver and makes the trip SO much nicer!

 

[Hieatt]

When you can get suites at the Dolphin on AAA or similar discount, they are the cheapest of the on-site Deluxe resort suites. A Jr. Suite at the Dolphin(at AAA rate around $360 if I remember) gives you two separate rooms for less than rate on two connecting rooms.

 

[AJKMOM]

You could check out the Fort Wilderness cabins. A comfortable queen Murphy bed in the living room, and a double,and 2 bunks in the bedroom. Full kitchen, and 1 bathroom.

 

[deejohn]

I agree with Syndrome. We stayed at the Port Orleans, which is one of the only resorts that takes a family of 5. In December we are staying at POP because we are now 6, and it was cheaper to get 2 connecting rooms. We also got a refrigerator to store formula & medicine and the fee of $10/night was waived.