DTD suite vs 2 budget rooms for family 6

[2plus2]

Trying to choose if we should stay at the pop or all stars in two rooms or get a suite hotel at DTD. We have a DS 16,DS 11, DD 7, DD 5. they two youngest girls have never been to Disney, but the older boys have we stayed a moderate back when it was just the 4 of us. I really want to be close so we can take the girls back to the room for breaks and the boys can stay at the parks with one of us if they want. How difficult is it to get to and from the parks if staying at DTD? I dont want the girls to miss the magic but dont want the rooms eating all the budget up, would rather spend it otherwise.

 

[TLinden16]

The buses from the DTD resorts drop you off and pick you up in the middle of the parking lot. I personally don't feel comfortable being dropped off and picked up in a parking lot--just my preference.

Remember that most DTD hotels do not participate in the Extra Magic Hours programs. That's a very nice perk in my opinion.

Also, if you have two rooms, you'll have two bathrooms--big help for a family of six.

Karen

 

[EthansMom]

I've stayed on-site and at a DTD hotel. Definitely, stay on-site with kids.

My experience with the DTD transportation system (which is different than WDW transportation) was that the buses were clean and roomy and the drivers were pretty considerate. However, the bus stops at each of the DTD hotels on the route -- if you happen to get on at the first hotel on the route, you are able to get a seat but have to wait for the bus to stop and load at each of the other DTD hotels. If you stay at a DTD hotel that is last on the bus route you will find the bus PACKED to the rafters. After the first 4 days of our trip, we just payed the extra $ to drive and park at the parks.

I've heard read good things here about staying at Pop, which has its own bus (does not share with other resorts). Also, if you have a car, you get free parking at the parks as a WDW resort guest. For our trip in April, we'll be driving down and plan to use a mix of WDW transportation and driving to the parks ourselves.

(When I priced out our upcoming trip, there wasn't THAT much of a savings if you stayed at DTD. Try getting the AAA rate on two rooms at WDW, if you're looking to save a few bucks. You'll need a AAA card at check-in, but not to book.)

Good Luck,

 

[luvey]

i can't tell you much about staying onsite in a value. but i have stayed at the hilton in dtd with a five year old. ill give you my pros and cons of this hotel.
PRO:
1. the only non disney hotel that has early magic hours like the disney on site properties.
2. was the first or second stop on the bus route back from the parks.
3. was an easy walk/stroll from the pool down to a very well lighted path to dtd when you want to do something but don't want to go travel to the parks or want to just spend some time shopping or going for some easy food. (mc donalds, earl of sandwich, the ice cream place that i would butcher if i tried to spell it. hehe)
4. you can have your packages sent back to the hotel from the parks and dtd.
5. being close to dtd, you can catch the buses to the other resorts without trouble.
6. the buses weren't terribly crowded unless it was a bus that picked up at the water parks and it was close to closing time at those particular parks.
7. as for being out in the parking lot for pick up, i will admit it was kinda annoying. but they tend to have a number system (meaning that your bus will be in section 27 to pick you up and they had the numbers painted on the ground), and even then there are sometimes two buses that will take you where you need to go. so in reality it wasn't THAT bad. even the walk from the parking lot to the park wasn't bad (and this is coming from someone who carried my five year old nephew while he was sleeping to take the bus back). the only time i hated it was with animal kingdom. the bus was not on time at the closing time for animal kingdom. it was HOT out (end of august) and we weren't sure where we were being picked up because they had just black topped the parking lot so we were out in osh kosh. the only good thing about that day is that we got to talk with people in our hotel and made some friends.
8. the hilton does have a character breakfast on particular days.
9. the sink was outside of the shower and toliet area in the room.

CONS:
1. that incident at animal kingdom with the bus.
2. they never gave us our mousesavers coupon for a free meal for my nephew.
3. there were three different pools for various levels (shallow wade pool, kid pool, deep pool starting at 3 feet going to 8 ft) but the little ones didn't want to go to the kiddie pool. -- but that is just my little gripe.

i would stay there again with or without my nephew. i was there because i got a good price for the times i was there. and i liked the convience to dtd. right now i am looking at staying on property because i want to experience akl or wl or poly.