FAmily of 5 in a regular room?

[lynypixie]

We're going to be a party of 5 (DH, myself, DS6, DD4 and DD2) for a 6 nights in April.
We tought about going for an AoA suite, but we're on a budget and DH absolutly wants the DxDP.

The suite is over 1000$ over the regular room. It's a LOT on a budget. Since DD2 doesn't count yet, we could have a LM room.

But I am afraid how it's gonna work out, so many people is such a small room.
Has anyone tried being 5 in a regular room?

 

[Missytara]

There are tons of threads for family of 5 out there and how to be organized in a room for a family of 5

Check out some of the moderate threads and you will find a lot of good ideas. It can be done, with the younger in a pack-n-play.

I have done four adults in a room at POR and four adults with an infant and we have had no problem.

 

[JamboJustin]

I think you can definitely make it work. To me, there is only one big drawback to sharing a room, which is that you can't put the kids to bed while you stay up with the other adults.

 

[cvjw]

Are you considering the deluxe dining plan with such small children? We did the deluxe plan last year with 15 and 12 year old boys. We felt like all we did was go from one restaurant to another to eat, with very little park time in between meals. It was fine for our older kids because we go to Disney two or three times per year, and it was OK for them to miss out on attractions at the parks.

Also, some of the signature meals took over an hour (some longer) when you add in the wait for your table, the appetizers, the entree and the desert. Can your kids sit thru such long meals?

 

[Belleofthehouse]

Try the cabins. They are a little more than some of the other mods, but you get separate spaces ( I have not priced AoA, so I have not seen those prices). We have stayed in POR with five. It was tight, esp with one bathroom, but my kids were older. I would want separate space just to give your young children quiet time at night.

Watch from promos on free dining or percentage off to save $.

Good luck!

 

[Belleofthehouse]

Are you considering the deluxe dining plan with such small children? We did the deluxe plan last year with 15 and 12 year old boys. We felt like all we did was go from one restaurant to another to eat, with very little park time in between meals. It was fine for our older kids because we go to Disney two or three times per year, and it was OK for them to miss out on attractions at the parks.

Also, some of the signature meals took over an hour (some longer) when you add in the wait for your table, the appetizers, the entree and the desert. Can your kids sit thru such long meals?

I agree with this 100%. Unless you are planning to do lots of signature meals, it is a lot of food for small children with too much sit down time. DDP would probably work better (on the budget too). Then you can stay somewhere with a larger room.

 

[smiths02]

Although we stayed in AKL, which has bigger rooms than AoA...we stayed with
MIL, FIL, me, DH and our DS who was turning 3...so if we can have a pleasant trip with 4 adults and an under 3, I am sure it can work

 

[smiths02]

We're going to be a party of 5 (DH, myself, DS6, DD4 and DD2) for a 6 nights in April.
We tought about going for an AoA suite, but we're on a budget and DH absolutly wants the DxDP.

The suite is over 1000$ over the regular room. It's a LOT on a budget. Since DD2 doesn't count yet, we could have a LM room.

But I am afraid how it's gonna work out, so many people is such a small room.
Has anyone tried being 5 in a regular room?

Are you only choices a suite at AoA or a LM room at AoA? You could look at suites at AsMu OR a moderate room like POR with a trundle.

 

[lynypixie]

There isn't that much difference between ASM and AoA, so if we took a suite, that would be AoA. If a special comes up for a single room at an all star but not AoA, we might take it. But we are going in late April, I'm afraid we won't get much specials. (one can dream)

I tried talking my DH into the regular dining plan, but just wants the conveniance of not having to worry about meals. If only there was an in-between plan (3 meals a day, but not all TS), it would be perfect. He does accept that we'll take one counter service meal around lunch time instead of TS (we'll be doing caracter breakfeasts, as we are early risers, kids usualy up before us). He just wants the convienance or eating whatever he wants to, I don't think he minds the saving money thing.

He doesn't want to go to the Cabins, wish is honestly my first choice. And the cabins are more expensive than AoA suites anyway.

 

[Redheaded Sunshine]

We have done a family of 5 in a room at the Poly (myself, DP, my mother, DD (at the time 5) & DS (7 at the time). For me it was fine, I felt like the time that we spent in the room was minimal, but my mom said it drove her nuts. The biggest issue was 3 adults trying to get ready in the AM and needing the bathroom. An issue that we deal with whenever we travel with the kids is that if they aren't in separate beds, they either play or fight so it can make bedtime a challenge. Good luck!

 

[mad madam mim78]

If it's about money your cheapest route almost always will be PoR. I have a family of 5 and I have priced and priced and PoR always beats everything out by about 700 dollars. It has 2 queen beds and a trundle. If you just want to stay on property and need a place to lay your head it might be a tighter fit but it works. It's a beautiful resort and you get the better pools and amenities over the value resorts. Totally a deal.

 

[monorailsilver]

We are a family of 5 and have stayed at the Poly once as that size (next year will be twice) but we have stayed at other hotels with all of us.

We had no issues. If our kids were napping & we weren't, we would put the chain/lock on the 'front' door & then sit out on the balcony or lanai. I would keep it cracked so I could hear but other then that it was pitch black in the room.

Other times when they were all napping I have been able to go in/out the front door to do laundry & no one woke up.

At night, we have come back from the parks, put the jammies on the kids put them in bed & by the time we are done, the kids were passed out with the lights & TV on.

DH & I packed our bags one night with them sound asleep & the lights on.

Bathrooms weren't an issue (yet). I get up the earliest & shower & then my dh does while I wake the kids & get them breakfast (stuff we bring).

It's like camping (which I don't do) but with a bathroom and a/c.

 

[MMS1125]

POR has a small Murphy type bed now not a trundle but if you are looking price that will be your cheapest option unless you go with 1 value room instead. It gives you 2 queen beds and a murphy bed perfect for a child and you can put the PnP for the 2yr old if you wish so everybody has a sleeping area. If you go during a time when Free dining is offered you'll only have to pay the difference in regular dining to upgrade to Deluxe vs having to upgrade from QS at a value. The only thing you'd be giving up (and to me this might be kinda big) is a separate sleeping area for mom and dad and an extra bathroom

Would you consider renting DVC points and just buying DxDP OOP? If so I'd see if you could get a 1BR Villa at AKV-Kidani. It will give you a master bedroom and bathroom and a living room/sleeping area with a pull out sofa and a pull out sleeper chair along with another bathroom. You'd still have room for your PnP. You'd also get a full kitchen which if you do breakfast in the room you could get away with just the regular DDP since one of your meals would be in the room.

 

[lynypixie]

PoR is port orlean? Wish one is it? (I beleive there are two)
I will look into it. If it's somewhere in the middle, it could be an option, even without the whole disney theme stuff.

 

[FancyNancy]

POR is Port Orleans Riverside and it is your best option pricewise IMO for a family of 5. There are two queen size beds and also a small murphy bed that folds down over a storage bench

 

[buzznina]

It really comes down to you. I have read posts where the family felt cramped at a Mod resort with just 3 people, and then like our family it really doesnt affect us. One of our most fun trips was when it was myself, DW, DD(1), my sister and my niece(16), all in one room at POP We would crack each other up and race to the bathroom... we just made it fun.

 

[MistressMerryweather]

Port Orleans Riverside. We are staying with a family of 6 in one room. (Dh and I, 9yo, 7yo, 3yo and 1yo)
Actually, we always do really well. I think it depends on the type of family you are. It doesn't bother us to be all together in one room. We are mostly just sleeping anyway. When babies are napping, big kids are with one of us at the pool.
If you are getting free dining and upgrading to Deluxe, it would be less money to upgrade from a moderate resort. You get the regular dining with moderate, but only quick service with value.

 

[autismgoesdisney]

Do think you will go to Disney again? If so, can I make a suggestion? I personally would stay at akl or wl. Once you third is 3, your chances if staying there are slim to none. I wish I had done that!

 

[MistressMerryweather]

I think AOA LM is a good choice. It's brand new and so kid friendly. 5 in a room is fine, if you are fine with it. We have a toddler aerobed that we put in between the big beds and there is plenty of walking space at night.
If your trip is about the kids, pick AOA. If you and dh want a little "adult" atmosphere, pick POR.

 

[lynypixie]

I think AOA LM is a good choice. It's brand new and so kid friendly. 5 in a room is fine, if you are fine with it. We have a toddler aerobed that we put in between the big beds and there is plenty of walking space at night.
If your trip is about the kids, pick AOA. If you and dh want a little "adult" atmosphere, pick POR.

The trip is about the kids, and we won't come back for years after (we are lower middle class, coming from Montréal, so it is very expensive for us). I do admit that I myself like being bombarded by disney stuff.

The thing that I would realy like about a moderate is a better food court. The AoA food court seems to be a real pain.

The big kids don't nap anymore. As long as they are fed on a regular basis, they are doing great (we have our six flags pass, so we are used to spend the day in attraction parks). It's my little one that I wonder. At a little more than 2 years old, she will be too old to sleep in the ergo baby carrier (that's what I usualy do with her), but will likely trow tantrums if she is too tired. An all-day-long will be ok in AK, especialy as she is obsessed with animals, but I don't think it will work with the other parks, as we'll be staying later.

I also liked the idea of having a movie under the starts in the values. One of us can go with the big kids while the other puts my toddler to sleep (that's what I did on our Niagara falls trip, my husband went to the pool with the kids while I put my baby to sleep, but we had a junior suite)

I still have until october to make reservations, but I want to make sure I make the best decisions for our family. It's not like we're going every years.