Families of 5 --- what do you do???

[My2Angels]

I am so glad I am not the only one in this boat!! We cannot afford to stay in the nicer resorts. It is value or no disney for us! We are starting now to save for next November! We are taking my parents with us, and one of my children will be in the room with them. That was the only way we could stay at Pop! I wish we could somehow petition Disney on this one. The older the children get, the more money it will be just for tickets. It would be nice to be able to save $$ on the room!

 

[DisneyChamp]

We are about to become a family of 5 or 6 via adoption. We plan on staying at FW Cabins in the future, but is there a big problem just taking a sleeping bag to one of the hotels? As long as you are quiet about it, do they really care?

 

[Family Fun Mom]

We do have one other option that not all Disney loving families get to take advantage of; Shades of Green. It's a deluxe type resort on Disney property, run by the Army. My hubby is in the Air Force National Guard and he works for the Army as a civilian, so we qualify to stay there in two different ways. After crunching some numbers, SOG is looking more and more attractive. We originally wanted to stay at a Disney run hotel for the chance to get to dining plan. With all the new changes, we most likely will skip that now. So, why not SOG? I hear it's beautiful, and you cannot beat the price.

 

[dansamy]

Disney does have many options for families of 5--2 rooms anywhere

I hope you don't really expect people with three small children to split up into two rooms? I've got three elementary-aged children, and let me tell you, there's no way I'd split our family into two separate rooms. Love my short people but they are a lot to handle and their dad and I work best as a team.

 

[drag n' fly]

We are a family of 5 - Me, DH, DS12, DD10 and DD8. It has always been a pet peeve of mine that there aren't more options in Disney Resorts for a family of 5. If you don't want to get 2 rooms, it is POR w/trundle or Deluxe. No cheepo rooms for us!

We have been lucky enough to stay once at the Poly (2001 - with a good discount), once at the Beach Club (2003 - incredible discount because my SIL is DOD and SOG was closed) and once at POR (2003 - moved there when SIL left and no longer had DOD discount at Beach Club ).

This coming January we are staying at the Poly again for 6 nights and I feel extrememly fortunate that we can afford to do so. Not everyone would be able to do this, and there have certainly been times (and will be again I'm sure) when we couldn't afford to.

I am just curious what other families of 5 do? Do people do 2 rooms at the Values? Always POR 2/ trundle? Deluxe? Are there other options I don't know about?

Thanks for any response!

sjlupin

POR with a trundle on our first trip. However we got so spoiled staying onsite on our first trip we will never stay offsite again. We always stay offsite at DL. This time we are staying at the GCH onsite because we enjoy the hotel and all its ameneties as much as the parks. It makes for nice Mom and Dad time!

 

[maxiesmom]

I hope you don't really expect people with three small children to split up into two rooms? I've got three elementary-aged children, and let me tell you, there's no way I'd split our family into two separate rooms. Love my short people but they are a lot to handle and their dad and I work best as a team.

There are more options than splitting in to two rooms, but yes, that is one option. And if you choose two rooms they unfortunately cannot guarantee that they will be connecting.

Disney does not HAVE to build rooms that will accomodate families larger than 4, but they are. Because it makes good business sense to have something for those larger families. But their standard will always be the same as the rest of the industry. Four to a room. And that is how the majority of the rooms will be.

And to the poster who thinks Disney should give larger families some sort of price break. Disney does not charge by how many people are in the room, unless you start to add extra adults. They charge per room. Would you really rather they charge say $50 per person? That would put even more of a burden on larger families, even if they did then go back and give you a small discount.

As a footnote, staying offsite is not staying in purgatory. We have done it many times when we all wanted to be together. There are some very nice suites right at the entrance to DTD. If you have your own car and don't mind driving, it is the best way to go, cost-wise. Plus you wil then have tons of space to stretch out.

 

[maxiesmom]

We are about to become a family of 5 or 6 via adoption. We plan on staying at FW Cabins in the future, but is there a big problem just taking a sleeping bag to one of the hotels? As long as you are quiet about it, do they really care?

This can cause a few problems. First, if you plan on doing any EMHs, each member of your family will need a room key. I'm not sure at what age they start to check, but my then just 6yr old niece was carded last year. And if you plan on going to a resort such as the Beach Club, they may ask for your room key at the pool area. Also, if you are found out, Disney can ask you to leave or move to a resort that you truly fit in.

 

[jcpuppy.com]

I hope you don't really expect people with three small children to split up into two rooms? I've got three elementary-aged children, and let me tell you, there's no way I'd split our family into two separate rooms. Love my short people but they are a lot to handle and their dad and I work best as a team.

I guess it would depend on the ages and maturity of your kids. Disney will give preferences to families with young kids to have connecting rooms. You will book the room with an adult in each room with kids divided(on the ressie) how you choose to put people when you get there will be your choice. With connecting rooms I have no problems(and have had no problems when they were younger) putting kids in one room and myself and hubby in the other. This is not much diferent than your own home with the kids in their bedroom and you in yours.

All that said I wish disney had some more options for families of 5. we get the bum deal on rides and in the resorts. we are not a disney magical family of 4

 

[allstarfan707]

We are family of 5 and everytime we go it is always with connecting rooms at one of the values. A few years back they assigned us rooms with no connecting door, we called and they said we are fully booked there are no connecting rooms Ok well then upgrade us on you or please find us connecting rooms, my husband and I plan on being in the same room for our vacation we spent alot of money to be together. If you want the kids to be in a room unsupervised to trash the room that's fine . All of a sudden we had a connecting room.

 

[skipper]

And to the poster who thinks Disney should give larger families some sort of price break. Disney does not charge by how many people are in the room, unless you start to add extra adults. They charge per room. Would you really rather they charge say $50 per person? That would put even more of a burden on larger families, even if they did then go back and give you a small discount.

I would not want WDW to charge extra per person. They already do charge $25 extra for each over 17 as mentioned so if you have college kids prepare for that as well.

All I ask is that they offer a discount on the 2nd room for a family of five or six. I don't think this is too much to ask. Four in a room has more to do with designed capacity and fire codes.

 

[maxiesmom]

I would not want WDW to charge extra per person. They already do charge $25 extra for each over 17 as mentioned so if you have college kids prepare for that as well.

All I ask is that they offer a discount on the 2nd room for a family of five or six. I don't think this is too much to ask. Four in a room has more to do with designed capacity and fire codes.

Your missing the point that to Disney, a room is a room is a room. And how would you define family? If I were to travel solo with my sis and her family, would I then get a discount because we would be over 4 people? Or would you define a family as parents with children only? What about grandma and grandpa? Would you have to bring birth certificates to prove you were a family? Or if your child brought a friend along, and they put you over 4 people? Would that count? There are too many thing that giving a discount to large families would have to take in to consideration.

And really, why does Disney HAVE to make themselves affordable for larger families? Wouldn't they then have to be affordable for those with lower incomes, no matter the size of their families? How would that be fair. Sorry, but it bothers me when people act like a trip to Disney World is a RIGHT, and that Disney OWES it to them to be able to go. Many small families struggle to find the money, why should it then be cheaper for larger families?

 

[madge]

When I mentioned other hotel practices to them and how we've always been able to use rollaways at other hotels, all the CM would say is that it is a fire hazard and against bylaws (illegal in the city of orlando or the state or county, perhaps? Or simply just a bunch of bologna? I dunno)

it must just be illegal in the world of WDW ... but, even that is screwy since 5 can stay in a standard room at the Dolphin & at Shades of Green, both on WDW property. It doesn't make sense. Nor does it make sense that a DVC 1BR can only (legally) accommodate 4 people, those are quite a bit larger than a hotel room.

Our family is lucky - we do have the option of SoG and the government rate at the Dolphin, so staying onsite isn't as spendy as it is for some other families. We can also take advantage of websites like www.govarm.com and www.afvclub.com to get a great deal on an offsite condo rental. We aren't committed to staying onsite anymore - we'll stay where it's the most cost effective for our family.

 

[magicmouse2]

Most Orlando Hotels sleep 5 to a room. Think about it, if the average family had 2 kids and 1 girl 1 boy just how many would want to share a double bed with their brother or sister ? hence the offering of rollaway and accomodating up to 5. Disney should follow suit to avoid loss of business. I have actually been allowed a rollaway at POFQ and CBR for family of 5 at managers discretion, The rollaway does fit fine. Why they dont offer this in standard deluxe rooms at AKL and WL I dont know. Sorry I do - the ''fire codes''. I am glad Disney have offered family suites at Asmu and I hope they follow suit at other resorts. The best step forward is the VAKL that will sleep 5 in a 1 bed villa I may buy into that! I sold my SSR as I thought it was too many points for a 2 bed villa. I dont mind paying for a 1 bed villa as that would suit our needs.

 

[dis-happy]

I would not want WDW to charge extra per person. They already do charge $25 extra for each over 17 as mentioned so if you have college kids prepare for that as well.

Another reason we love DVC. No extra sales tax charges and no extra fees for the over 18 crowd. Our dd turned 18 last spring and that extra fee does add up when staying in a regular room onsite---so glad that DVC is exempt!

 

[bennythepug]

We are family of 5 and everytime we go it is always with connecting rooms at one of the values. A few years back they assigned us rooms with no connecting door, we called and they said we are fully booked there are no connecting rooms Ok well then upgrade us on you or please find us connecting rooms, my husband and I plan on being in the same room for our vacation we spent alot of money to be together. If you want the kids to be in a room unsupervised to trash the room that's fine . All of a sudden we had a connecting room.

I love this....did this work at pop century?
I will have to try this if the request does'nt go through !!

 

[Disfan3]

It would be possible for them to put trundles and roll aways in the other moderate hotels...they are the same exact sq footage as POR-AB and it makes no sense to me. AT LEAST put roll aways in the rooms to handle five.

No one has ever been able to explain why the "FIRE CODES" allow 5 at POR-AB but at no other standard mod rooms

 

[maxiesmom]

It would be possible for them to put trundles and roll aways in the other moderate hotels...they are the same exact sq footage as POR-AB and it makes no sense to me. AT LEAST put roll aways in the rooms to handle five.

No one has ever been able to explain why the "FIRE CODES" allow 5 at POR-AB but at no other standard mod rooms

Someone posted a while ago that this was because the AB buildings are only 2 stories high. Which is why they are able to have 5 in AB but not in the Mansions.

 

[minnie61650]

It would be possible for them to put trundles and roll aways in the other moderate hotels...they are the same exact sq footage as POR-AB and it makes no sense to me. AT LEAST put roll aways in the rooms to handle five.

No one has ever been able to explain why the "FIRE CODES" allow 5 at POR-AB but at no other standard mod rooms

Someone posted a while ago that this was because the AB buildings are only 2 stories high. Which is why they are able to have 5 in AB but not in the Mansions.

That is most likely part of the reason.
I read that the AB section of POR was designed and built to sleep 5 persons.

The Mansions and the other mods were designed to sleep 4.

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Some guests think occupancy limits are solely based on room size.
The room size is not as an important issue as are the width of doorways, widths of hallways, number of stair wells, location of stairways, number of fire walls, number of stories in a building and the total number of persons in a building when determining the fire code in regard to fire access and egress.


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Since 9/11 a lot of the fire codes are stricter especially in regards of the disabled and fire access and egress.


See this website about Resources on Emergency Evacuation and Disaster Preparedness for more info:



http://www.access-board.gov/evac.htm

There are real reasons why hotels/motels have room occupancy limits.

Just a little FYI

Have fun at Disney!

 

[dansamy]

I just would like more options for families of 5 or 6. Even something as simple as guaranteeing two adjoining rooms.

 

[mnasmom3]

I just would like more options for families of 5 or 6. Even something as simple as guaranteeing two adjoining rooms.

I would be thrilled with this too. We're taking a chance in September by booking 2 value instead of POR w/trundle because we decided the extra bathroom and 4 real beds will be better for us. I'll be sad if we don't end up with connecting rooms.