BWI vs FW Cabins. Help!

[tinkgirl1984]

Hi everyone! I'm currently sitting on the phone with Disney to see if I can change my existing dining reservations...and my brain is turning to mush. Originally, we booked a pirate room at CBR Sept 22-27 with free dining for me, my mom (who is paying for this trip), my sister, and my nephews (ages 1 & 2) because my nephew saw the pictures and was in love. This arrangement would have been fine...(we're used to a lot of family togetherness, lol) except that now my dad is coming. This makes us a party of 6 all together, and we don't fit. Also, even if we did, 4 adults in double beds is probably un-doable. So...I've been staring at the Disney website for the last several hours and have no idea what to do. My mom is paying for this trip for everyone (well, now my parents I guess instead of just my mom) and she isn't terribly fond of the idea of spending more than necessary on a Disney vacation. She wouldn't be going at all if it weren't for my nephews. I'm the Disney nut in the family. And to complicate things, although I've tried to explain that it's not necessarily as great as she thinks it is...my mother won't book without the dining plan. So, after hours and hours of research, I've come up with 2, possibly 3 feasible options. 1 & 2 are the only options available with FD for less than $4000.

Option #1 - Cabins @ FW w/free dining - My mom and sister are turning up their noses at this option (not totally sure why) but it's definitely the most economical at $2770.

Option #2 - BWI w/free dining - I think mom and sis would be happier with this one...I'm a little afraid of the clown pool...lol. Total cost comes in at $3453. More than mom wants to pay, but still reasonable for the room...and I could pay some of the extra cost if needed.

Possible option #3 - Cars suite @ AOA. Summer discount AP package w/dining. I don't currently have an AP, and wasn't necessarily planning to get another one until next year...but I could if needed. If we do it this way, and get tickets from UT total cost is $3381. Possibly cheaper if I can apply an AP discount when they come out.

So, all you experts out there...help me out. I've never stayed at any of these resorts. I'm a little lost.

 

[pigletto]

BWI is lovely, but with 4 adults and 2 kids under 2 I would lose my mind in one room.

So.. The Cabins. We loved them for the space and full kitchen but FW isn't for everyone. Some love the quiet laid back atmosphere.. some want to be within walking distance to the food courts and pools and shops. So they may not be interested because it is a more rustic feel.

AoA would be great, but again not everyones cup of tea. I honestly think you'd be happier with a door that closes for some space which you'd get with both the cabins and AoA.
Just remember, AoA will only get you the free quick service dining, while The cabins will get you the regular DDP. That was the reason we chose the cabins for our party of five last summer and we had a fabulous time.

Just curious.. why not price AoA with the free dining, and then choose to upgrade to the regular DDP? It will still be more expensive than the cabins but you wouldn't need to get an AP or buy your food OOP.

 

[tinkgirl1984]

Zero availability for AOA with FD. I tried that first And if I could get it, it would still have to be upgraded, which actually adds up with 4 adults. I would make good use of my AP, I'd just have to shuffle around my trip plans for next year, I was planning on buying another one next year and using it into 2015.

 

[disd55]

I love love loved BWI. It's so nice and it has great nightlife. Kids would love boardwalk games. The restaurants are convenient. The pool isn't a clown pool, more a clown slide and it's the best slide on Disney property (next to BC/YC Pirate ship). The BW rooms were pretty big with high ceilings. FW is also nice, but HUGE and a bit too rustic for me. Ever considered WL? It's convenient to MK and it's a less expensive Deluxe resort.

 

[pigletto]

Zero availability for AOA with FD. I tried that first And if I could get it, it would still have to be upgraded, which actually adds up with 4 adults. I would make good use of my AP, I'd just have to shuffle around my trip plans for next year, I was planning on buying another one next year and using it into 2015.

Makes sense! I would still go with the cabin. One of our favourite memories was sitting around the living room playing cards and chatting while we had snacks. It was pouring for a few days and it was so cozy listening to the rain on the roof. However, I was willing to give up the things I love about BWI to save money on that trip.
When it comes to BWI, you simply can't beat the location to two parks, and how quickly you can be at a ton of restaurant choices at Epcot. Or walking back through the International gateway after fireworks. Darn.. now I want to go back to the Boardwalk

 

[ElizabethB]

The cabins are spacious but that's really all they have going for them, IMO. They are very out of the way and to get to any park, you have to take an internal bus first and then either a boat or bus as the second leg of the journey. This is, unless you have a car. But, you can only use the car to come and go from the resort. You can't use it to get around the resort. You must use either the internal bus or rent a golf cart (which costs more per day than renting a car!). We rented a golf cart and were glad we had it.

But, we found the resort very inconvenient. We had two 6 year olds in strollers and probably the only thing that saved us was the golf cart. We would have hated setting up the strollers to walk to the bus stop, folding the strollers to get on the bus, getting off the bus and hauling kids and strollers to the next bus or the boat to MK.

We actually have found staying off-site to be more convenient than staying at the cabins. There is also no decent dining. It's either the buffet (and we hate buffets) or it's take-out pizza, which must be taken out. It can't be eaten in Crocket's Tavern. We also didn't like that it is really dark there and didn't feel all that secure. We stayed once and never went back.

As for the other choices, I think the family suite could be a good choice. If they don't have AoA with free dining, why not see if you can get an ASMu family suite with free dining and a dining upgrade? All the value resorts are pretty interchangeable, IMO. Yes, the theming varies but the essentials are the same. We have stayed at Pop and ASSp and both were fine. We have not stayed in the family suites.

As for the BWI, you might do better to get a room discount and pay for the dining plan. It's worth checking on that. Also, there are club level deluxe rooms at BWI that sleep six adults plus a child under three. They have two queen beds and a queen-sized sofa bed and look out on the Boardwalk. They come with club level services, which is breakfast each morning, beer, wine and appetizers in the evening and desserts and liquors later in the evening. I realize your mom wants the dining plan but this might be an alternative -- book with a room discount, have breakfast and the other food offerings and then pay for some additional meals as you go along. Club level is also nice with a group because some can go to the lounge for breakfast while others are getting ready -- and the lounge provides an extra space to gather for chats about the next day's itinerary, a game of cards or whatever.

Another possibility is a deluxe room at Beach Club. These rooms also come with club level services. They have two queen beds and a day bed and are more spacious than a regular room at BC. There would be more room for the cribs in one of these rooms.

Now, I'll tell you want I would do. If you don't mind sharing one room, I would book a garden wing room at the Contemporary on a room discount if you can get one and then add the dining plan (or book the room full price with free dining -- whichever is the better deal). The rooms at the Contemporary are large and very comfortable. I think four adults would do fine in one. With two babies, it's the perfect place. You can put the babies in strollers and walk right over to Magic Kingdom. When they get tired or fussy, you can walk them back for a nap. You can also board the monorail at CR and go to Epcot by monorail with the kids in their strollers.

Alternatively, you could book a one-bedroom villa at Bay Lake Tower, which is next to the Contemporary and an easy walk to Magic Kingdom. We have stayed in the one bedroom villas at other locations but not BLT. However, I understand the one bedrooms are very spacious with king bedroom, and queen sofa bed and single pullout in the living room. They also have a full kitchen, jacuzzi tub and washer/dryer. These very likely are cheaper to book on a room discount and then add the dining plan. They can also be had by renting points from a timeshare owner if you have enough lead time. You can add the dining plan if you rent points.

Just some suggestions. Good luck in making your decision!