Family of 5 - Want Value Resort Prices

[Carol97]

Our last trip, we were a family of 4 and we've always stayed in the All Star Movies Resort. We are now a family of 5 and I'm pricing a trip in October 2019 for me, husband, dd12, ds9, and ds4. The cheapest prices for on site hotels is coming up for the Caribbean Resort which is in the moderate pricing. So, moving into the moderate resort versus the value is really impacting our budget. I don't understand why the suites in Art of Animation or I believe the All Star Music wouldn't be cheaper than moving into the moderate ones. With a family of five, we really prefer the cheapest possible resort but these are double what we are use to paying. We really do prefer to stay onsite in all of the Disney magic. Does anyone have any other suggestions?

Thank you very much!
Carolyn

 

[Calee]

We are in the same boat. The suites at the values are suites...2 rooms, 2 bathrooms. That's why they are more expensive.

At a moderate you are getting a standard size motel room with 2 queens and a pull down bed.

Our first 2 trips we stayed at CBR and loved it. It was a no brainer for us to do that over the value suites. The moderate amenities are nice, and it was a lot cheaper. The pool is amazing there with 2 water slides and a splash pad area. My kids (and I!) Loved it.

 

[TwoMisfits]

Our last trip, we were a family of 4 and we've always stayed in the All Star Movies Resort. We are now a family of 5 and I'm pricing a trip in October 2019 for me, husband, dd12, ds9, and ds4. The cheapest prices for on site hotels is coming up for the Caribbean Resort which is in the moderate pricing. So, moving into the moderate resort versus the value is really impacting our budget. I don't understand why the suites in Art of Animation or I believe the All Star Music wouldn't be cheaper than moving into the moderate ones. With a family of five, we really prefer the cheapest possible resort but these are double what we are use to paying. We really do prefer to stay onsite in all of the Disney magic. Does anyone have any other suggestions?

Thank you very much!
Carolyn

It's a rough time b/c there are usually few deals (with October now being a very popular time to visit)...if you want value prices as a family of 5, your best bet might be to move your vacation dates around til you find a time Disney isn't getting as many folks to attend...

 

[Alesia]

If you stay off-site you can get an entire house for much less than a room at a value resort. That magic is expensive

 

[verleniahall]

all star music has familybsuiets, but they could be booked for ur tome frame

and if urbworried about cost, AOA is more expensive than a moderate

 

[ClapYourHands]

I don't understand why the suites in Art of Animation or I believe the All Star Music wouldn't be cheaper than moving into the moderate ones. With a family of five, we really prefer the cheapest possible resort but these are double what we are use to paying. We really do prefer to stay onsite in all of the Disney magic. Does anyone have any other suggestions?

The suites are double what you are used to paying because they are double what you are used to getting. In ASMu they are literally two regular rooms converted to a suite. And they're in the preferred section. So, if you get a family suite there, the price is about what you'd pay for two preferred rooms. Two non-preferred rooms would be a bit cheaper, but no guarantee they'd connect or even be near each other. AoA is more expensive than the other value resorts, even for the Little Mermaid room, and often falls closer to moderate pricing than value pricing.

The five-person rooms at a moderate are probably the least expensive on-site option. Unless you are open to camping. Pitching a tent is the absolute cheapest way, but not everyone is equipped for that. Still, if you have (or know someone who has) some kind of camper, even a pop up or 5th wheel type, you could have a comfortable budget-friendly stay at Fort Wilderness.

If increasing your budget to accommodate moderate prices isn't possible, my suggestion is to move your dates to a time when there are more deals for the moderates. If you go in September rather than October, I think you'll find the rates lower.

Alternately, look off site. There are many off site options that will give your family adequate space at a price far lower than Disney. You can even do a split stay - partly offsite for the savings, and partly onsite for the "magic" you want. Hop over to the to the Orlando Hotels and Attractions section, and you'll find some great advice about some of the off-site options out there. I've read so many posts written by people who thought a Disney vacation just wouldn't be complete without staying onsite...until they stayed off-site and found they liked it very much indeed.

 

[mrsp1030]

We started renting points when we became a family of 5. I would also look at moving offsite to a good neighbor hotel that affords similar benefits except Magical Express. The Dolphin rooms sleep 5 and that is a great property onsite that has some nice discounts too.

 

[tzolkin]

Moderate with a discount is your cheapest onsite option.

You can also check out the Dolphin. They have various discounts, like for nurses and teachers. Depending on the dates they can be high or low. One year we were able to stay there for the same price as a mod. (Do note that you’ll have to add the resort and parking fees to get an accurate price comparison.)

 

[JenniferYoung44]

We started renting points when we became a family of 5. I would also look at moving offsite to a good neighbor hotel that affords similar benefits except Magical Express. The Dolphin rooms sleep 5 and that is a great property onsite that has some nice discounts too.

This. However your a little late for October. It’s best to put in rental requests 11 months out. The cheapest studios go quick!

 

[Shughart]

We're a family of 4 and we're staying off site. There is nothing magical about overpaying for cramped and close quarters

 

[Klayfish]

We're a family of 4 and we're staying off site. There is nothing magical about overpaying for cramped and close quarters

Yup. Stay offsite. The whole "bubble" thing is hogwash, IMO. The bubble is what you make of it. There are endless options right by WDW which will be a fraction of the price and give you so, so much more than a cramped place on property. It can still be 100% magical.

 

[CoP Luv]

We are staying off-site for the first time too. 2-bedroom "condo" in a resort for cheaper than a moderate (including adding on the parking charge at the parks), AND I get to use up my credit card points instead of "real" money?? Win. Win. Win.

TBH, I haven't stayed off-site since I was 7 years old in a similar type place at the Marriott One World Center. It worked for my family to have plenty of room then, so I know it will work for us. On my last trip, I stayed at ASMo because it was only me and I wanted the cheapest hotel possible on site. The busses from there were awful and took FOREVER to get anywhere. While I love the onsite 'magic', the financial benefit and the busses are really making me excited to try something new.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I had/have 4 kids. Once you have 3 or more kids, your vacation options change. As kids get older and bigger, you will need to make adjustments. (2 rooms or a suite was definitely required for us with 4 kids!). So at Disney and anywhere, onsite or offsite, you will (eventually) need a suite or 2 rooms, and hopefully 2 bathrooms. It is just the way it is. I think Riverside? has some (moderate) rooms that sleep 5.

 

[twoolle]

I feel your pain. We are now a family of 6 as the baby is 3. In the past we stayed moderate or rented dvc for deluxe. Now we actually have to go down to 2 rooms at value and I'm not looking forward to it. My kids enjoy the slides and I enjoy the hot tubs at moderates so there are perks!

 

[WVMomof3]

We're a family of 4 and we're staying off site. There is nothing magical about overpaying for cramped and close quarters

This! I promise you won't think it is "magical" when you have 5 bodies plus luggage in that tiny room. My kids loved staying in a house offsite. Nice quiet pool just outside your back door, plenty of space. They all had game rooms and the decorations were much more Disney themed than the Disney hotel rooms we have stayed in. Not having to get on those crowded Disney buses, the best!

 

[Anchored]

Try the Embassy Suites Lake Buena Vista. It is better than staying on property for us. I've paid as low as $48/night on Priceline and it includes free afternoon snacks, free open bar from 5-7, and a really good free breakfast. The pool is great. There is a fire pit, ping pong tables, communal video games, basketball courts, foosball and more. Sleeps 6 comfortably. We drive and are AP's so parking is free and easier than the bus for every park except MK (we just valet at the Contemporary for MK days, we like to just walk over)
Like PP's have said, nothing magical about being squished in a little space. And there is nothing magical about Disney buses to me, either!

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I don't think renting points will save you anything. It'll actually cost you more. The studios are pretty small. DD and I just stayed at BWV in a studio. I couldn't imagine squeezing 2-3 more people in a studio plus luggage and a stroller.

Bite the bullet and pay for a family suite or rent points for a 1-2 bedroom villa or stay off site at a condo or house.

 

[Shughart]

Not having to get on those crowded Disney buses, the best!

::SHUDDER::
Oh god. The buses at night. I never want to do that at night. Nope. Nope. Nope. That is not magic. That is a circle of h*ll. We waited so long to get on those buses and so many times, we stood, or else sat squished like sardines. Also not magic. This time we'll get back in our roomy car and drive back to our 3 bedroom house.

 

[Hikergirl]

This! I promise you won't think it is "magical" when you have 5 bodies plus luggage in that tiny room. My kids loved staying in a house offsite. Nice quiet pool just outside your back door, plenty of space. They all had game rooms and the decorations were much more Disney themed than the Disney hotel rooms we have stayed in. Not having to get on those crowded Disney buses, the best!

I have a family of 5, always been a family of 5 when traveling to WDW and we started out at Moderates and moved to Deluxe and always had a magical time.
I don't disagree that a house gives you much more space but for some staying on-site just works better than staying off. I don't have to deal with renting a car, paying for parking and driving around Orlando. Plus when some of us were done with the parks, it wasn't an issue because they could just go back to the room and the rest of us could leave when we were ready.
I have no issues using WDW's bus service and since we rarely spent time in the room other than to sleep or get ready it was just fine.
Now all my kids are much older so we don't even go as a family any more but when we did we didn't have any issues with the 5 of is in one room.

OP, have you looked in to renting a camper and having it set up at the fort? To be fair, I don't know how much rentals are, they may be equivalent to the cost of a moderate, but it is an option you can check out if you want to stay onsite.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

Another option might be the Disney Springs hotels that participate in EMH and have 60 day FP+ booking. I briefly considered that because we are a group of six this year, but we will only have one car and we won't necessarily be at the parks for the same amount of time every day. I didn't want the teenagers relying on shuttles or trying to drive in Orlando, so we opted for the convenience and hopefully the safety of Disney transportation when we are going in different directions.