Cabins or Deluxe?

[lyeag]

We returned from our first trip in Dec and I am hooked! It will likely be about 18 months until our next trip, but I am thinking about where we will stay.. We stayed at the CR and LOVED the closeness to MK and the monorail, but the idea of having a kitchen and more room appeals to me. We have 5 in our family, so cooking would save a lot of money, but is it a hassle getting around from the cabins? We will drive, so if we stayed in a cabin we could drive to each of the parks..... Which would you do? Save money on food, or save time on getting around and save your feet walking through the parking lots? I am already starting my nest egg and I am trying to get an idea of how much to save each month to make my goal!!!

My ds 3 is breaking my heart.... Mommy we go to Disney World today? I just keeping telling him we will go again when he is a little bigger. Even my dh is starting to feel bad for him!

Thanks for any opinions you would like to share!

 

[stevepete]

We stayed in the cabins and loved it. We also had our own car and were able to drive to the parks (which we do each trip). I don't think it takes more time driving to parks versus taking the bus. Once you park in the parking lots, there is usually a tram close by to pick you up. There was also a bunch to do at FW, my son still talks about the campfire and outside movie.

 

[lovesdumbo]

I stayed at the cabins once (with a girlfriend and her kids before I had my own kids). I loved the cabins-they are quiet and it was nice to cook a few meals BUT...I won't be staying in them any time soon. I don't want to have to drive to the parks and the bus system was a pain. With your 3 year old you don't want to have to drive to MK and then take tram and then monorail or ferry from TTC to MK. If you take the FW boat you have to take a bus to the boat. I wouldn't stay in the cabins without renting a golf cart to get to the boat.

I have fallen in love with going concierge. It reallys pays for my family of 5. Its great to have milk, juice and snacks available all day long and the kids complained when we tried to eat anywhere else. They loved the casual atmosphere of the lounge-eating while watching TV or watching TV after they ate and were waiting for Mom & Dad. We loved being able to expand out of the room and relax in the lounge and 1 parent could take a kid or 2 or 3 to the lounge while the other got ready for the day. We really love the Poly-the great pool, relaxing atmosphere and great transportation-boat or monorail to MK and walk to TTC for direct Epcot monorail.

We did go to FW for lunch on our last trip and LOVED it! We will be going back there for that!

 

[lyeag]

Wow, thanks for the input. I had a feeling about the cabins not being very convienent, just wanted it confirmed. I have been considering the Poly, dh really liked the quiet garden wing CR room, but I cringe when I look at prices. I know I could save up and even get concierge, but I always wonder if we really "need" it. We spent a lot of time in the parks on our first trip,( we only spent 4 days this trip) and I am not sure how much time we would hang around the resort. I did enjoy the atmosphere of the deluxe resort and doubt we would ever go mod or value, but I am not sure if we would use the extras in concierge. (or maybe I am just cheap)

One thing is for sure, I am going back as soon as we can!! Thanks again!

 

[Kimberle]

You should check out WL. I think your child will really enjoy it! It's like staying in a big Lincoln Log house! *LOL* Our 4.5 yo loved it. She really enjoyed "swimming" in the kiddie pool. Mommy enjoyed the bar right next to the kiddie pool.

You kind of get the best of both worlds. WL is compact, nothing is more than a few minutes walk. You can take the small boat (blue launch) to FW to check out the pony rides, petting zoo, or Trails End. (The blue goes WL/FW/CR, any order. So it's also very easy to hop over to Chef Mickeys.) Concierege is nnniiiicccceeeee!! I haven't stayed at WL's, just at CR's. I think WL's is one of the least expensive.

If you're interested, look at the WL, faq, part 4 thread. TONS of info on the first page or two.

happy planning!

 

[lyeag]

Kim,

Those are some great pics! WL sounds great, (especially bar next to kiddie pool ) but I don't think our family of 5 will fit in one room without getting a suite. I would like to try the tower at CR sometime, I really like the monorail hotels. You just can't beat being able to hop on and easily get to MK and Epcot without busses. Also being able to take the younger ones back to the room on my own while dh and oldest dd are able to keep on with their fun is a big plus.

Thanks for your help,

Laura, mom to Amy, Alexandra and Joey

 

[kimmar067]

I stayed at the cabins once (with a girlfriend and her kids before I had my own kids). I loved the cabins-they are quiet and it was nice to cook a few meals BUT...I won't be staying in them any time soon. I don't want to have to drive to the parks and the bus system was a pain. With your 3 year old you don't want to have to drive to MK and then take tram and then monorail or ferry from TTC to MK. If you take the FW boat you have to take a bus to the boat. I wouldn't stay in the cabins without renting a golf cart to get to the boat.

I have fallen in love with going concierge. It reallys pays for my family of 5. Its great to have milk, juice and snacks available all day long and the kids complained when we tried to eat anywhere else. They loved the casual atmosphere of the lounge-eating while watching TV or watching TV after they ate and were waiting for Mom & Dad. We loved being able to expand out of the room and relax in the lounge and 1 parent could take a kid or 2 or 3 to the lounge while the other got ready for the day. We really love the Poly-the great pool, relaxing atmosphere and great transportation-boat or monorail to MK and walk to TTC for direct Epcot monorail.

We did go to FW for lunch on our last trip and LOVED it! We will be going back there for that!

That's EXACTLY what I was afraid of! We were originally doing a split stay [Ft W cabins/AKL], but, because of the SS, I wound up flip-flopping our vaca. Additionally, we were going to drive to FLA, but, what with all the air fare wars, I booked a flight out of Atlantic City, NJ. So, now we won't have our vehicle to get around, and I was worried about just this dilemma!! I'm wondering if, when we get to AKL, my DFam LOVES the place, I can switch my ressies..... !

 

[Kimberle]

Kim,

Those are some great pics! WL sounds great, (especially bar next to kiddie pool ) but I don't think our family of 5 will fit in one room without getting a suite. I would like to try the tower at CR sometime, I really like the monorail hotels. You just can't beat being able to hop on and easily get to MK and Epcot without busses. Also being able to take the younger ones back to the room on my own while dh and oldest dd are able to keep on with their fun is a big plus.

Thanks for your help,

Laura, mom to Amy, Alexandra and Joey

Ooppss! Sorry! I guess I misread. I thought you only had 1 child.

I've stayed in the CR wings, north to be exact. I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again. What I liked was that you could see the fireworks from our window. CR even streams the music in on one of the TV stations.

 

[spiceycat]

you rent a villa from a DVC member and stay at VWL, BCV, BWV, OKW or the new SSR.

but even renting from a member - dvc resorts are expensive.

for a family of five you would need a two bedroom - sorry - but anyway - king bed in the master, queen sleeper sofa in the livingroom, second bedroom has a queen bed and a double sleeper sofa (except OKW it has 2 queen beds) - in most units - there are some dedicated with 2 queen beds but these are hard to get.

It also has a wonderful bathroom - whirlpool tub, with a stand alone shower.

a washer/dryer - full size at OKW, the ones that go on top of each other at the other DVC resorts.

there are some studios in BWV - they are called pluses - they have a little (and I mean little) day bed - so they can sleep 5. much cheaper but oh so hard to get....

 

[lovesdumbo]

I am not sure if we would use the extras in concierge

I think I saved nearly the $100/night extra charge for concierge in milk and juice alone. My 3 were 5, nearly 4, and 21 months on our last trip. At home we drink nearly 4 gallons of milk a week. At $1.99/milk that would have added up quick. We ate most breakfast in the lounge and even mornings when we had a PS it was great to grab a quick coffee and snack and milk for the kids. We toured in the mornings with lunch in the parks and would go back to the resort mid-late afternoon for a rest or swim. We rarely had the hors d'oeuvres at night but the kids would complain every night that they wanted to stay there. On my next trip I will very few PS for dinners. I think with a good lunch the evening offerings perhaps supplemented with take out from Captain Jacks would be enough for us and would keep the kids happier. And the desserts-YUMMY! The convenience of milk and juice and cookies always being right down the hall was well worth the charge. And the preplanning help is great too. They have always gotten me the hard to get PS's that I've wanted. Oh and this sounds just way too silly but I really like arriving at the resort being brought to the room by the bellman and being told to get a snack from the lounge-relax-before having to deal with the paperwork of checking in. Such a relaxing way to start a vacation.

kimmar067-I hope I didn't scare you too much. Do you have small children? That's what really adds to the transportation hassles. I must admit that I did love the relaxing atmosphere and quiet (no neighbors behind a thin wall) of the cabins. Maybe you could just rent a golf cart for a few days.

 

[house_of_princesses]

For what it's worth, our family Loved the cabins!! We're partial to all of FW, actually. We typically rent a golf cart, even though we have our car with us. Even the times we didn't have a cart, we found the transport system to be just as convenient as any other resort (save for the monorail resorts, but even those are accessible to only one park). I like having a fridge available to us, along with a microwave. I like the separate areas, so some can sleep in while others watch the morning or late night news. A little breathing room, whether on your own private deck or separate cabin room goes a long way during a family vacation.

 

[dgaston]

I think transportation has improved since lovesdumbo's stay in 1997. We were in the cabins in 2001 (cooked Christmas dinner!) and camped in April 2004. We had excellent transportation in April, and I understand they've added a bus to MK now. We drive to other parks (from any resort) but take the bus or ferry to MK to avoid the TTC. I really like the space of the cabins. You can put the little ones in the back, and enjoy TV in the living room. DH and I slept comfortably on the Murphy bed and had more privacy. The kitchen has a full fridge, oven, microwave, etc, and mousekeeping even runs the dishwasher!

 

[kimmar067]

kimmar067-I hope I didn't scare you too much. Do you have small children? That's what really adds to the transportation hassles. I must admit that I did love the relaxing atmosphere and quiet (no neighbors behind a thin wall) of the cabins. Maybe you could just rent a golf cart for a few days.

Nope, my 2 are older (10yo DS and 16 yo DS). As for renting the golf carts, well, THAT money is already earmarked for concierge and the SS at AKL.... !

 

[Dis2times]

What about VWL? That way you have the quick boat ride to MK, but you can also take that boat ride and then the monorail to Epcot. Just a thought.

Lisa

 

[catherine]

We (me, DH, 2 DD's then 3, and 6) spent two weeks in the a cabin. We absolutely loved it. We never did any driving because we didn't have a problem with using WDW transportation. The resort was really peaceful. Our DD's really enjoyed the animals, and the other activities.

The only negative this was, because we were there for two weeks we had a lot of luggage. There really wasn't enough space to put our clothes etc. We ended up having to put two of our suitcases on the bed, which was ok as we weren't using it. If however we had needed the bed it would have made things a bit more difficult.

 

[dpic]

When we stayed at FW, it was our first trip and we loved it. The next trip we stayed at WL. Well, we really, really loved that. We discovered how convenient everything was and what we missed at FW. At FW, we didn't use the pool because it was too far away to just let the kids go. We went to the store once and it was a pain to find a spot to park our car. Taking the bus to the boat launch added one more connection in transportation. Also, it was too far to go for the campfire programs or a quick bit to eat at the Trail's End. I know many people rent golf carts, but at $40+/day, that was one expense where we drew the line.

However, if you're looking for peace and quiet, FW is the place. The cabins are roomy, the kitchen in nice, and it's great to park right next to your cabin. As with all resorts, each has their plusses and minuses.