Families with 3 (or more) children, where do you stay?

[Colleen27]

We're trying the cabins at Fort Wilderness next.

POR sleeps 5 and I think would be fine with younger kids, but ours are 13, 9, and soon-to-be 3 so packing into one room is not at ALL appealing. Suites/villas or two rooms are much better from a privacy standpoint, so we don't plan to switch over to the sleeps-five deluxes. Instead we'd like to try the family suites at the new Art of Animation, the 1 bedroom villas at AKL and OKW (OKW only sleeps 5 if booked on points), and once the kids get a few years older and there's less stress about whether or not we get connecting, two rooms at the mods because that's the level of resort we've been happiest with overall.

 

[creativeamanda]

We have in the past stayed at POR. We enjoyed it--the trundle bed was never a problem, and had we not received a bonus this year for achieving National Board certification in teaching, we would still be there. As it is now, we will be at the Beach Club.

 

[TheTXTaylors5]

This is why we bought into DVC. All of the Deluxe resorts sleep five. However, you are paying a premium. When DH did the numbers, DVC was saving us money on our WDW lodging.

When we run out of DVC points, we stay at Port Orleans - Riverside. Like a previous post mentioned, stay in Alligator Bayou. The rooms have a trundle bed for the fifth person. The room is small for five people. But, we don't spend too much time in the room. So, POR is a great back-up resort for us.

We've never stayed in an All-Star Music Family Suite. But when I have priced it, it always comes out to "around" the same price as a Fort Wildnerness Cabin. So, if I had to choose between the two, I'd want to stay in a Fort Wilderness Cabin. We splurged one year and stayed in a Fort Wilderness Cabin. We loved it! It had room for the whole family and a FULL kitchen.

Example pricing during "peak" season:
ASMU Family Suite - $322
Fort Wilderness Cabin - $377
Port Orleans (Riverside) - $208
Pop Century - $140 x 2 = $280

(Above pricing for summer 2011 weekday.)

If you can't stay at a Fort Wilderness Cabin, my second choice would be Port Orleans - Riverside Resort.

Have a magical trip!

 

[yesiamcrazy]

We have 6 kids. We stay in 2 rooms at a value. It's the only way we can go on our budget. I'm thinking as the kids get bigger/older we may have to stay off site.

 

[mickey&minniealways]

We like the dvc resorts. AKV, BLT and OKW 1 bdrm sleeps 5. Having the option to cook your meals can make a big difference. Love having a real living room and a washer and dryer. Then there is the king bed in the master and the jacuzzi tub in the master bath. If you are renting points from a member it can actually make it quite affordable. BLT is right next to the MK but the points are high. AKV has that wonderful splash area for the little ones an then there is the animal viewing. BLT 1 bdrms will also give you 2 bathrooms. OKW is our favorite. The master bath is split in 2 sections. That jacuzzi tub is huge. Put the kids to bed and enjoy. The villas are the largest on property. You get a laundry room with full sized washer and dryer as opposed to the apartment style in a closet at the others and the kids wil love the sandcastle slide at the main pool .

 

[mickey&minniealways]

This is why we bought into DVC. All of the Deluxe resorts sleep five. However, you are paying a premium. When DH did the numbers, DVC was saving us money on our WDW lodging.

When we run out of DVC points, we stay at Port Orleans - Riverside. Like a previous post mentioned, stay in Alligator Bayou. The rooms have a trundle bed for the fifth person. The room is small for five people. But, we don't spend too much time in the room. So, POR is a great back-up resort for us.

We've never stayed in an All-Star Music Family Suite. But when I have priced it, it always comes out to "around" the same price as a Fort Wildnerness Cabin. So, if I had to choose between the two, I'd want to stay in a Fort Wilderness Cabin. We splurged one year and stayed in a Fort Wilderness Cabin. We loved it! It had room for the whole family and a FULL kitchen.

Example pricing during "peak" season:
ASMU Family Suite - $322
Fort Wilderness Cabin - $377
Port Orleans (Riverside) - $208
Pop Century - $140 x 2 = $280

(Above pricing for summer 2011 weekday.)

If you can't stay at a Fort Wilderness Cabin, my second choice would be Port Orleans - Riverside Resort.

Have a magical trip!

We are renting points for our trip in may. 2 bdrm for 255 points standard view at AKV for 7 nights at $10 per point. A 1 bdrm would be 200 points in May here or at OKW. According to the rates that this poster is quoating dvc seems a better choice.

 

[Aliceacc]

Warning: reading the following post will probably convince you that I'm desperately in need of therapy.

We're planning for August 2012. It will be myself and my husband, and my 3 kids, who will be 14, 12 and 9.

I've agonized over this way more than I should. But here's what I considered and what we eneded up with:

- I LOVE the Polynesian. It's a whole counterpoint to the frentic craziness of the parks. It's a lush tropical paradise, We've stayed there the last 2 trips, and I adore it. But it's REALLY expensive. I figured we should explore other options.

- The Dolphin has a great teacher's discount. But my son would end up on a rollaway for the whole week. And if he's not happy, no one is. So much for the Dolphin.

- The Family Suites at All Star Music look really nice. But I'm a bit of a spoiled brat, I suppose-- the pool looks incredibly average. (We go back to the resort every afternoon so my 3 water rats can swim.)

- Fort Wildnerness accomodates 5 in the cabins. But I HATE anything to do wtih camping. I don't want a kitchen and the expectation that mommy will cook. It's great for some people, but not for us.

- Port Orleans Riverside has rooms with a trundle bed that will accomodate 5. But my son is already taller than me and outweighs me by quite a bit. (We always kid that his birthparents must have been Sumo wrestlers.) So POR is out.

- I had decided on the Contemporary. It's one of the cheapest Deluxes, it's on the monorail and you can WALK to the Magic Kingdom-- how cool is that??? The Garden Wing rooms look real nice..... but that pool just looks so HOT surrounded by endles concrete. I couldn't get past the idea that we were spending a fortune and settling.

- Finally one night at dinner, my daughter's friend started talking about her stay at the Beach Club, how it was "right across the street from Epcot" and had the "coolest pool (she) had ever seen!" When Disney says that, I take it with a grain of salt. But when my daughter's friend says it, I believe it. I took a look and I'm hooked.

As soon as the 2012 prices come out in August, we're booking the Beach Club.