Disney Resort Recomendation

[twinklesstars]

My parents would like to plan a family trip to WDW next year for my mom's 65th birthday. There will be 11 of us total (6 adults, 3 Disney adults, and 2 kids).

In September 2013, we all met up at Disney so we were able to take advantage of free dining. We stayed in 3 rooms at Pop Century. Now that the kids are older and have school activities in the fall and July/August, we are limited to June for our trip. So, obviously, no free dining for this trip.

This leaves us with a debate on where to stay. Food cost is a huge issue. We talked about packing food as much as possible and fixing meals at the resort or hotel or eating off site.

We have considered staying off site, but my parents love on site and even though a house would be cheaper, it would be $60 a day to park 3 cars (each family would drive). Also, if we leave to go out to dinner off site, I'm not sure we would come back to the parks.

My DH and I have mentioned paying for our portion of the trip, but my parents said they didn't like that idea either.

Which on site resorts would work the best? The family suites don't have a full kitchen and we would like to eat in the room at least a few times. So, I'm not sure if those would work. I know the cabins and the vacation club resorts may be the best bet. I need to just sit down with a calculator.

Thanks in advance for your recommendations!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

You would need to look at renting DVC points for a group that size.

With 11, you would need either a Grand Villa - which can be harder to rent into, but June is a lower season so possible -- or a two bedroom and a studio. Note that a 2BR and a studio will never connect, but could be in the same area of a resort. A studio does not have a kitchen, but the 2BR or a Grand Villa would.

If cost is a concern, the least expensive Grand Villa would be at Old Key West. Points required go up quickly, up to the (expensive!) GV at Grand Floridian. Saratoga, Boardwalk, BLT and Animal Kingdom are all similarly priced for Grand Villas, with some variance if you were to try for smaller units.

 

[Hopefully]

I agree, I would look at renting points for a DVC Villa. There you would have a fully equipped kitchen as well as a washer and dryer.
I also like the Cabins at Fort Wilderness. They have just been refurbished this Spring and look lovely. You would need 2 for your group. During the refurb, the stoves were removed and replaced with a small cook top and a Convection/Microwave oven rather than a full stove. That might make a difference if you are looking to cook for a large group.
Good Luck

 

[hammie59]

We saved quite a bit last June staying at BWI. Had a 30% off discount on the room, packed small lunches/snacks here and there on park days, prepared some "meals" in our room via microwave, and used the Boardwalk Pizza window quite often. We had a great time. Of course there were a few TS and CS meals thrown in that we paid for OOP, but for the most part we did pretty good saving money. (We also had a car, so buying normal priced groceries wasn't an issue).

 

[Grumpy92]

We love the family atmosphere of FW. We had a mini family reunion there and rented about 4 wilderness homes. We had a full kitchen and that saved us a lot on food. We even got a few meals to go from Pioneer Hall. The kids brought their bikes and we got a golf cart. Everyone loved it. So I recommend FW.

The folks over at the "Camping at WDW" forum are a great help when planning.

 

[twinklesstars]

Thanks for the suggestions! I think a Grand Villa is out of the price range, but the other options may be doable. Now, to make a budget.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

A GV at OKW isn't all that much higher than a 2BR + Studio, and guarantees proximity. At the less expensive DVC resorts, you cannot guarantee being near each other with a Studio + 2BR, which may mean a hike for the studio team to reach the amenities of the 2BR.

 

[terri33inne]

A treehouse villa?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

A treehouse villa?

THV does not sleep 11. Sleeps 9.

 

[Huff]

As for food you might think about using Garden Grocers to deliver what you want to your resort the day you arrive. We always get breakfast items such as cereal, bagels, fruit etc.

You can get free dining when most schools are out. It is possible for Thanksgiving week and even Christmas week but could be crowded.