Family of 5...where to stay?

[msmith07101]

Wondering if you have 5 (or more) to a room, where do you stay on site? Do you get 2 rooms, or go for a resort that can accomodate 5 people? Seems to be so expensive, either way...and very limited as far as resorts that can fit 5 in one room. 2 adults, 3 kids ages ranging from 5 to 13.
Thanks!

 

[chloelovesdisney]

We're going to AoA.

 

[KrazeeK120]

Unfortunately, your options are rather limited.

Your cheapest option would be connecting rooms at one of the values.

Next would probably be a room at POR. However...having stayed at Port Orleans before, I would NOT recommend this. It would be WAY tight with 5 people in one of those rooms.

Then would be the AOA. The benefit here is that you get a kitchenette so you may be able to save some $$ on food by eating things in your room.

And finally, most of the deluxe resorts can accommodate 5 people. However, this is your most expensive option in most cases.

I would go with either the connecting rooms at the values or the AOA due to the fact that you'll have a 2nd bathroom, which would be nice with 5 people.

Of course, you could just leave the 5 year old at home. That's what my brother and I always told our sister that we were going to do when going on vacation due to the fact that we were a family of 5.

 

[msmith07101]

It just seems so darn expensive for 5 people. I wasn't aware that some of the deluxe resorts can sleep 5. But again, so expensive!

 

[mduby]

It just seems so darn expensive for 5 people. I wasn't aware that some of the deluxe resorts can sleep 5. But again, so expensive!

Have you looked into the Port Orleans Riverside Alligator Bayou area? We are a family of 5 and we have stayed there several times. My boys love it there and the food court is great!

 

[mad madam mim78]

If its solely price you are concerned about port Orleans riverside is the cheapest. I've priced it a million ways and for my family of five it almost always beats out every other option by about 700 bucks. It's also a moderate so you get the upgraded pool and nicer grounds. It has the free ferry to downtown Disney. We loved it.

 

[MMS1125]

All Star Music is nice b/c you get 2 bathrooms..along with the new suites at Art of Animation. You can sleep 5 in the AB rooms like previously mentioned but you do give up a bathroom that way.

We usually do 2 rooms if staying at a value or moderate. If we do deluxe we usually suck it up and stay in 1 room.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

We do deluxes. For us it's worth it - room big enough that we're not tripping over each other, better transportation, more amenities.

We tried POR once and only lasted a few hours. For us it was way too small for a family of five, but other families have stayed there without any problem.

 

[alice99]

Wondering if you have 5 (or more) to a room, where do you stay on site? Do you get 2 rooms, or go for a resort that can accomodate 5 people? Seems to be so expensive, either way...and very limited as far as resorts that can fit 5 in one room. 2 adults, 3 kids ages ranging from 5 to 13.
Thanks!

Have you considered renting points from a DVC member? You can get a one bedroom that sleeps 5 people. OKW has big, beautiful rooms that accommodate 5 people very comfortably.

 

[Aliceacc]

I agonized over this the first time we all went, in 2008.

Eventually I came to the conclusion that, for my family, it was worth saving the extra money to go Deluxe. My kids are total water rats, and the pools are incredible. And the access to the parks is hard to beat. You can take the monorail from the Poly, and we're able to walk to Epcot or Hollywood Studios from the Beach Club (4 weeks from tomorrow!!!!) Of the Deluxes, neither the Wilderness Lodge nor the AKL will accomodate 5 in a standard room. The cheapest Deluxe choice is usually a Garden Wing room at the Contemporary. Next up is a tie: Boardwalk, Beach and Yacht Clubs, followed by the Poly.

If, by any chance, you or your husband is a teacher, nurse, or member of the military, take a look at the Deluxe Alcove rooms at the Dolphin. With my teacher's discount, it would have cost as much as a moderate. (I actually had one booked. But then we lucked into a 30% PIN from Disney.)http://www.swandolphin.com/accommodations/deluxe_alcove.html You have to call for the pricing on the Deluxe Alcove, but I think it was something like $250 a night with the discount.

Another money-saving alternative: go Deluxe on the room, but have your kids take a YES class. We're saving something like $650 this summer by having the kids take a single 3 hour class. So not only will they learn something, but we're saving all that money!! http://www.disneyyouth.com/individual-enrollment/catalog/?location[]=WDW&filter=startDate

 

[sunsetbeachgal]

Looking for help on the villa resorts...we will have five also...but it is four adults and one child (dh, myself, his adult son, DIL and young granddaughter who is not particularly well behaved...LOL)and looking for a unit with two full bathrooms...last time with extended family we did ASMu family suites and this time looking for a moderate or higher...I know About AofA, but our last stay was at Coronado .(just husband and I.) and we liked it very much

What is the smallest villa unit that has two full bathrooms??

 

[Hopefully]

No one has mentioned the Fort Wilderness Cabins. They will sleep 6. They have a separate bedroom with one double bed and a set of bunk beds, and a Murphy bed in the living room.
We stayed here as a family of 5 when our children were young and we loved it. The kids had the bedroom and DH and I were able to relax in the living room in the evening while they slept.
We loved having the full kitchen and definietly saved by eating all breakfasts in. The surroundings are gorgeous.

 

[DisneyMom5]

Our first trip there were six of us plus a baby.
I did not know about connecting rooms, so I went with the cabins at FW.
The cabins are awesome, except for only having one bathroom.
DH and I (and baby in provided pack n play) stayed out in the living room, with the kids shut in their bedroom. We were able to stay up and watch tv after they went to bed.
There is a full kitchen, so we brought breakfast foods and bought a 1/2 gal. milk at the FW store.
The mousekeepers ran our dishwasher for us every day.

Had I known about connecting, I would have missed out on the cabins, but I would have saved $$$.

That said, I HIGHLY recommend Pop Century.
Make sure you request CONNECTING, not adjoining, if you want a door inside the rooms that connect them.
It's not guaranteed, but we have ALWAYS gotten our connecting rooms.

We are now up to 3 rooms (one of our kids is over 18) and still stay at Pop.

Hope you find a suggestion that works for you! Happy planning!

 

[Lynne M]

Looking for help on the villa resorts...we will have five also...but it is four adults and one child (dh, myself, his adult son, DIL and young granddaughter who is not particularly well behaved...LOL)and looking for a unit with two full bathrooms...last time with extended family we did ASMu family suites and this time looking for a moderate or higher...I know About AofA, but our last stay was at Coronado .(just husband and I.) and we liked it very much

What is the smallest villa unit that has two full bathrooms??

The one bedroom villas at BLT and AKV have two full bathrooms. At any of the other villa resorts, you'd need a two bedroom to get two bathrooms.

 

[autismgoesdisney]

The cheapest option is definitely POR. However, it will be tight. We do it with our 8, 6 and 4 year old. However, I'm not sure for how much longer!

 

[sunsetbeachgal]

Thanks Lynne!

 

[Hitchhiking Ghost]

A couple of other things come into play as well. How much time do you spend inside your room or at your resort? If you spend almost every waking moment at the parks, then imho a moderate serves as well as a deluxe.

Also, free dining. Not sure when you are going, but if they offer free dining, a moderate resort will get you the full DDP where a value will most likely only get the QS plan.

We are going again this November with free dining, family of 5, 3 dd who will be 10-7-5 and this will be our second trip with them, both now at POR and while you sometimes have to be creative with space and storage, we really had no issues and loved the resort. And as has been mentioned, its the cheapest option on property for a family of 5.

 

[DisneyMom5]

A couple of other things come into play as well. How much time do you spend inside your room or at your resort? If you spend almost every waking moment at the parks, then imho a moderate serves as well as a deluxe.

Also, free dining. Not sure when you are going, but if they offer free dining, a moderate resort will get you the full DDP where a value will most likely only get the QS plan.

We are going again this November with free dining, family of 5, 3 dd who will be 10-7-5 and this will be our second trip with them, both now at POR and while you sometimes have to be creative with space and storage, we really had no issues and loved the resort. And as has been mentioned, its the cheapest option on property for a family of 5.

You can upgrade to the DDP at values (on the free dining) and pay the difference, but it's worth checking how much the difference is including the dining upgrade between the moderate and the two rooms at the value.

 

[ginerjenny]

have you considered staying off site? i think staying at the new art of animation would be cool!

 

[Momoftwins+1]

We have 5 in our family and just got back from staying at the Contemp. in the tower. The kids LOVED the pool/waterslide and being able to see Chef Mickeys and the characters from right outside our door anytime they wanted. The room was large enough we werent tripping over each other or our bags. The bathroom had a private toilet area so others could get ready while someone was in that toilet room. Can't beat walking to MK...after seeing rediculous lines for monorails/bus/boats after the fireworks we loved walking past everyone onto the path and being back at the Contemp.l before we would have moved anywhere in the lines!
But like others have said, its not the cheapest route.