Best Resort for a Family of Five?

MickeyNola

Mouseketeer
Joined
Dec 6, 2012
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We are headed to WDW this summer for the first time since pre-Covid and with all the changes at Disney we are looking for the best resort for our family of five, kids will be 2, 4, and 7 by the time we go. Deluxe resorts okay, we usually go for a week but might shorten that depending on the budget. Plan on having a rest day to spend at the pool/ Disney Springs at some point, plan on doing quick service meals and driving down, so will bring food for breakfast on the go/ in the room most days.

Grandparents coming as well in a second room, adjoining not required but could be a nice perk. What would you recommend? Have stayed at Wilderness Lodge and loved it but open to other suggestions.
 
We did a Polynesian/Beach Club split back in April and my daughter was 5 at the time. She loved the Polynesian. It’s definitely pricy though.

Beach Club was also really nice. She loved the pool there. It was great to be able to walk to Epcot and I liked the boat ride to Hollywood studios.

But definitely we enjoyed the Poly. Loved the proximity to MK. We took the ferry boat there from the Poly.
 
You are technically a family of 4 since you have a child under 3. If you loved WL, you could just stick with that. I would advise against Poly and GF due to construction at this time. BC/YC are great. If you are looking in the mod range, CBR is most convenient. The PO resorts are also lovely as is the tower at CSR.
 
You could consider renting DVC points and getting a 2-bedroom unit if you wanted the grandparents in the same unit as you. You'd also have a full kitchen and a washer and dryer. Parking is included when staying using DVC points. Renting points is usually cheaper than the Disney cash rates, but it comes with an increased level of risk regarding cancellation policies.

I agree with @Marthasor about being able to still have a room that accommodates 4, since the youngest will be 2. It would lack the 5th sleep surface, though.

If you want the door that opens between the two rooms with the grandparents, you'll want to request connecting rooms.
 

I’d suggest a Poly Deluxe Studio (DVC). You can book via Disney (better payment & cancellation terms) or by renting from an owner (lower price). A queen bed, queen Murphy bed, single Murphy, one tub-shower, one walk-in shower, 2 sinks, 1 toilet, kitchenette including microwave & toaster. If the grandparents book the same, you can put a “Traveling With” notation on both reservations and ask for connecting rooms. Almost all Poly studios are connecting, so you have a great chance of having that request met. The Lava Pool is very popular, MK is a monorail ride away, and you can walk to TTC to catch the MK or the Epcot monorail.
 
We are headed to WDW this summer for the first time since pre-Covid and with all the changes at Disney we are looking for the best resort for our family of five, kids will be 2, 4, and 7 by the time we go. Deluxe resorts okay, we usually go for a week but might shorten that depending on the budget. Plan on having a rest day to spend at the pool/ Disney Springs at some point, plan on doing quick service meals and driving down, so will bring food for breakfast on the go/ in the room most days.

Grandparents coming as well in a second room, adjoining not required but could be a nice perk. What would you recommend? Have stayed at Wilderness Lodge and loved it but open to other suggestions.
Book a cabin at fw. You won’t be disappointed.
 
We are headed to WDW this summer for the first time since pre-Covid and with all the changes at Disney we are looking for the best resort for our family of five, kids will be 2, 4, and 7 by the time we go. Deluxe resorts okay, we usually go for a week but might shorten that depending on the budget. Plan on having a rest day to spend at the pool/ Disney Springs at some point, plan on doing quick service meals and driving down, so will bring food for breakfast on the go/ in the room most days.

Grandparents coming as well in a second room, adjoining not required but could be a nice perk. What would you recommend? Have stayed at Wilderness Lodge and loved it but open to other suggestions.
When our boys were small we loved the contemporary. The boys thought it was pretty cool with the monorail going through the resort and not sure what the sex of your children are but our boys really enjoyed the resort. Plus you can walk to Magic Kingdom and hop on the monorail and go to Epcot. It’s a bus ride to Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. And the rooms are large enough for a family of five . Two queens and a daybed. As the boys got older we really enjoy the yacht club.
 
When our boys were small we loved the contemporary. The boys thought it was pretty cool with the monorail going through the resort and not sure what the sex of your children are but our boys really enjoyed the resort. Plus you can walk to Magic Kingdom and hop on the monorail and go to Epcot. It’s a bus ride to Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. And the rooms are large enough for a family of five . Two queens and a daybed. As the boys got older we really enjoy the yacht club.
I do agree with the Contemporary. So many choices withmonorail for dining if it rains or is extremely hot and sunny … you’re not “ stuck “ in your room … plus beautiful views of the sunrise and the sunset daily .
 
We ended up at Wilderness Lodge- love the boat to Magic Kingdom and the food options are good for us. For the price compared to Contemporary Or Poly just thought the Lodge was our spot. Doing 5 park days, at least 3 at Magic Kingdom so we’ll probably wait until the kids are older to do Yacht or Beach Club. I like the idea of a FW Cabin but will have to put it on the list.
 
All of the deluxe recommendations are great, but I'm coming in with a moderate. For Disney purposes, you are a family of 4 and don't need the 5 person rooms. That opens up Port Orleans French Quarter. I absolutely love this resort for its theming, QS dining, and size. It's buses to all the parks, but last time I stayed, it shared with Riverside and FQ was first to be picked up and first to be dropped off. And since it's such a small resort, no long walk to your room after a day of parks. There's a boat to Disney Springs and you can take a horse drawn carriage ride and rent a surrey. The pool has a dragon slide that my kids LOVED at 4 and 7, and you can also use the pool at Riverside.

If you want the 5th sleeping surface, you could go for Riverside. But, for 5 my moderate of choice is Caribbean Beach Resort. We love staying in the Jamaica buildings for proximity to the Skyliner, but also just a short walk to feature pool (with an AWESOME waterslide). CBR has buses to MK, AK, and Disney Springs. It has an awesome QS restaurant, great feature pool and smaller kiddie pool, quiet pools in each section, a playground on the island, small beach with hammocks and games, and Sebastian's Bistro if you're looking for a delicious sitdown that is probably the biggest bargain on property.
 
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