Best resort for 3 Moms, 4 kids

[AnnMarie3]

I am planning an early December trip with two friends and our kids-4 boys ages 4-8.
We want to stay on property. My friends have never been to Disney, so I want this to be a special trip for them. Could we all fit comfortably in a Ft. Wilderness cabin? I have never stayed there. Otherwise, we will have to get two rooms. I am considering Wilderness Lodge and Caribbean Beach, also. Any help would be appreciated!


1975 Poly
1997 Boardwalk Inn]
1998 Vistana
1999 Grand Floridian
2000 Wilderness Lodge
2000 Dixie Landings/Vistana
2001 Poly
2002 Caribbean Beach
2002 Wilderness Lodge

 

[Disneydenise]

You need to think about what type of amenities are important to you. Will you have a car? Do the boys like to swim? Do you want to have the ability to make a quick meal or will you be eating every thing out? The Fort Wilderness sounds good for a family who enjoys camping but it is not the easiest place to get around and there may be more activites for you there and then the boys won't necessarily want to leave and go to parks. You most likely will be able to get adjoining rooms so you will be able to have the commaradie of one room but if you go wwith hotel rooms you will have two bathrooms easing the getting ready routine. I think it sounds like alot of fun. Early December is a nice time to visit WDW.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

I'd vote for a 2 bedroom villa at one of the DVC resorts. They sleep 8.

Second choice would be connecting rooms.

Last choice would be a Wilderness Cabin.

 

[eeyore0062]

I would opt for the Contemporary. The rooms are huge, it is within walking distance of MK, the pool is nice, and the game room is a dream come true for boys of all ages! Each room comes with 2 queen sized beds and a day bed, so it can sleep 5. The bathrooms are large, and have a great layout.

 

[erikthewise]

I believe (most?) Fort Wilderness cabins have a maximum of 6 occupants. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable can back me up (or correct me) on this.

 

[Karel]

It depends on how much you want to spend, how much space each 'family' needs, and what kind of sleeping arrangement you want to work out. The FW cabin would be too small.

You could go with two rooms at All Stars - have a mom room and a kid room, though I don't know if they will guarantee connecting rooms with three adults.

Or you could go with two rooms at the moderates.

 

[Kermit]

FW cabins allow 6, and you really would be too crowded anyway.

I'd go for connecting rooms to get 2 bathrooms. A moderate or WL would all be good choices. WL is a great location, but you could save money at a moderate. Personally, I'd go for PO-FQ. There are less bus stops, and it's a little less confusing for people on their first trip. I don't like the way at CBR the food court isn't in the building with Guest Services. Also, a lot of people end up getting confused with so many bus stops, especially if they've only seen one of the routes and then they come back from the park on another route. That happened on our last trip, and there were people on the bus who honestly thought the bus driver wasn't going to stop at their island since it was usually one of the first stops.

 

[soccer mom]

I agree with Kermit. PO-FQ would be a good choice. Less confusing and you're only 5 minutes from everything no matter what room you're in. The boys would love the serpeant slide. In all of the other moderates you could be a 20 minute walk (or more) from pool or food court.

If the deluxes are within your means, several of them have day beds in the rooms, so your sleeping arrangement wouldn't be so crowded.

 

[susy]

Never stayed there, but I agree with PO FQ. CBR was a little too spread out and you could end up being VERY far from the main pool/ food court.

The AS is nice , but the rooms are small and don't have the extra amenities- moms be extra careful with that many little boys and those coffee pots and other electricals!

I think two rooms (request connecting) will give you that "suite" feel , with two bathrooms. Bring a nice size cooler for water, juice and snacks. We always bring the parmalat milk boxes, too.

You can sleep the four boys together and moms in the other room. This will give you some adult time in the evening after you put the kids to bed. What I noticed last time (love staying onsite) is that Toon Disney had cartoons on even when we got home from the parks late at night. This a great way to get those little ones in bed. Get their pj's on, lights off and tv on low volume. They will pass out in 5 minutes!If each adult would like a bed, you can request a roll-away for $15 a night, too. Seaspray slept on one at CBR and said they were quite comfortable.

Check for discounts at mousesavers.com!
have fun!!!!

 

[AnnMarie3]

Thanks to everyone for your unput. I have booked two standard rooms at Animal Kingdom Lodge for $109.00. It was such a good deal, we decided to upgrade from a moderate. WL was not available. I have never stayed there before, so I would welcome any comments. I know that a Savannah view would be much better, but we cannot pay the extra $$$. Is it worth upgrading from CBR to the standard view at AKL? It is only $34.00 a night more. It sounded great, but I don't know what the standard rooms are like.

Thanks for your help,

Ann Marie

 

[Terk-1]

If money is an issue, I would recommend 2 rooms at the All Star Movies (request connecting rooms in the Buzz section). The rooms are fine and with connecting ones, it will allow people to move a little more freely. The pool, foodcourt, main building and bus stop is a very quick walk. There is also a parking lot off to the end of the Buzz & Woody buildings. Movies is the last stop coming and going for the busses that are shared with Sports & Music. We stayed here last September and were very pleased.

If possible, for a little more a night, I would recommend 2 connecting rooms at either Port Orleans French Quarter or Caribbean Beach. My family and I have stayed at POFQ several times and have always been happy. The resort is small and no matter which building you are in, it is a very quick walk to the main pool, the foodcourt, as well as the main building and bus stop. The busses are shared with POR (Dixie Landings), but POFQ is always the first stop coming and going, so you know you will get a seat. We find this resort very quaint and have never had a bad visit. I have heard so many great things about Caribbean Beach, that I have ressies there at the beginning of December. Although this resort is spread out, I requested a room in the area closest to the main building with the foodcourt and bus stop. I realize that this is not guarenteed, I put in the request anyway. They have redone all of the rooms, so I'm anxious to stay here.

Now if money is not as much of an issue, I would recommend a 2-bedroom room at the Wilderness Lodge Villas. The Wilderness Lodge is just breathtaking, especially at Christmas time. By getting a 2-bedroom, this will allow the adults to have their own beds and the kids can either sleep next to mom or in the living area. This can also save on food, since there is a kitchen in the villas.

One big suggestion would be to make sure you visit as many of the resorts as you can over that time period. Each resort is decorated to the hilt, but customized to that specific theme. At the Wilderness Lodge, look at the tree. There are tee-pees as ornaments and moose antlers in the middle of the wreathes. Also, most of the deluxe resorts have gingerbread houses. The one at the Floridian had a train going around and through it (took over a half hour to pull my train enthusiast nephew away.