Family Suite or two connecting rooms?

[connorlevismom]

We are looking at staying at a value for a trip for 3 nights. We are debating between a family suite or two connecting rooms. We have an 8 and 2 year old.

I am leaning towards the connecting rooms just because it gives us more space and everyone gets a bed and does not have to sleep on a sofa bed or chair bed. Also, it will be nice to put the kids to bed in one room and watch tv in another room.

So what do you think?

 

[dansdad]

I would do the 2 rooms for the reasons you stated.

Just be aware that connecting rooms is a request, and although disney will do it's best to grant that request, it is not guaranteed. Just something to consider.

 

[ThroughLookingGlass]

Usually we get connecting rooms but on our 2011 trip my sister and I shared a family suite with our parents. It was nice! Well you do have two separate rooms, tv's, and two bathrooms with a family suite. You also have the added luxury of a kitchen. Loved the kitchen, we could make good coffee in the morning instead of the gross Disney coffee! I also think the bathrooms are bigger and the living room space is really nice when the bed is folded. The chair and sofa are comfortable. The beds are both easy to pull out at night and put back in the morning. And all of us felt we had our own spaces, so that was nice too.

When it comes down to it I'd say which would be better for your budget?

 

[maxiesmom]

I'd do the Family Suite. That way you KNOW your family will be all together in one space, and not just have to hope and cross your fingers that you will be. Disney seems to have a pecking order on who gets the connecting rooms first, and as you are not outnumbered by your children, you will not be on the top of that list.

I've done both 2 rooms and a Family Suite and it felt like we had more room to move in the Family Suite. Housekeeping puts the fold ups back up each day, so you have a lot more floor space than you have with 2 rooms and 4 beds. I slept on the couch fold out, and it was actually very comfy, and I'm pretty picky about my mattress.

Another bonus to the Family Suite is that you will get a queen bed, instead of a full sized bed.

 

[twinboysmom]

Family suite unless you are ok with the slight chance you might not get connecting rooms. As other have said, even if your reservation says guaranteed connecting, it is never a guarantee, just a request.

 

[party-of-five]

We always go with 2 rooms for the reasons you mentioned, plus two bathrooms, two fridges, and two tvs, and more privacy. When a family books two rooms (ie, parents and small children), Disney will GUARANTEE that the rooms connect. We have never had an issue and it is also stated as such on the reservation.

 

[Miaka]

We always go with 2 rooms for the reasons you mentioned, plus two bathrooms, two fridges, and two tvs, and more privacy. When a family books two rooms (ie, parents and small children), Disney will GUARANTEE that the rooms connect. We have never had an issue and it is also stated as such on the reservation.

When I spoke to a disney rep the other day, they told me that the only way they GUARANTEE connecting rooms if the children out number the adults (no matter the ages). If you have more adults then children, or an even amount, they cannot Guarantee it. (IE, I have 4 adults and 4 children going, we are not guaranteed a connection. When we went last year, with 2 adults, and 4 children, we were guaranteed a connecting room.)
with that said, I have priced both a family suite and 2 rooms, and 2 rooms have always ended up cheaper then the suite.

 

[mickeynut1]

When I spoke to a disney rep the other day, they told me that the only way they GUARANTEE connecting rooms if the children out number the adults (no matter the ages). If you have more adults then children, or an even amount, they cannot Guarantee it. (IE, I have 4 adults and 4 children going, we are not guaranteed a connection. When we went last year, with 2 adults, and 4 children, we were guaranteed a connecting room.)

The only time Disney will guarantee connecting rooms is if there is 1 adult with multiple children where the occupancy limit is exceeded for 1 room (and even then it has happened where connecting rooms were not given). Connecting rooms would NOT be guaranteed with 2 adults and 4 children as Disney can separate the party having 1 adult in each room. Even if it says "guaranteed" on your reservation and/or the CM tells you it's guaranteed, it is still just a request and is not a guarantee.

OP....I would go with a family suite if you want to make sure everyone is together. Good luck.

 

[LilyWDW]

We always go with 2 rooms for the reasons you mentioned, plus two bathrooms, two fridges, and two tvs, and more privacy. When a family books two rooms (ie, parents and small children), Disney will GUARANTEE that the rooms connect. We have never had an issue and it is also stated as such on the reservation.

You are incorrect. Disney does not actually guarantee connecting rooms, no matter what it says on your reservation. I have been on these boards long enough to have read many threads where those with "guaranteed" connecting rooms could not get them. If you read your fine print, all you are guaranteed is a room on Disney property. Anything else can be changed based off of a multitude of variables.

Heck, Disney was unable to give a single adult with multiple kids connecting rooms that they "guaranteed" them. If that can happen, then it can happen to anyone.

I do wish that they would stop using that wording on their reservations when it is obvious that it doesn't mean what a normal person would expect it to mean.

 

[party-of-five]

You are incorrect. Disney does not actually guarantee connecting rooms, no matter what it says on your reservation. I have been on these boards long enough to have read many threads where those with "guaranteed" connecting rooms could not get them. If you read your fine print, all you are guaranteed is a room on Disney property. Anything else can be changed based off of a multitude of variables.

Heck, Disney was unable to give a single adult with multiple kids connecting rooms that they "guaranteed" them. If that can happen, then it can happen to anyone.

I do wish that they would stop using that wording on their reservations when it is obvious that it doesn't mean what a normal person would expect it to mean.

Would really like to know more about this one situation referenced of a single adult with multiple kids that exceeded room limits who was then denied connecting rooms. if these children were under 18, then I'm missing something because Disney had to rectify that mistake otherwise either 1) the adult would be in trouble with the law for neglect by leaving minors alone in a hotel room, or 2) they would be in trouble with the law for violating the occupancy code of the room. If "guaranteed" isn't guaranteed, then shame on Disney for misleading their customers. Based on conversations with multiple CMs over the years, and what's on my reservation, I'm going to say that in the situation of 2 rooms for 2 adults with 4 minor children, the rooms will be connecting. Now, with the number of reservations that Disney handles in a day, let alone a month or a year, I'm sure mistakes happen and then the venting on boards like this begin. Unlike the "not guaranteed building request" I also made, I'm quite confident that the two rooms I booked for December will be guanteed.

 

[twinboysmom]

I just recently tried to help a single mom that I know plan a WDW vacation. They would not allow her to book 2 value rooms. She has 5 children. None are under 3. The reason being because they could not guarantee those guaranteed connecting rooms. She was referred to book a family suite (other options were given). There have been reports on these and other boards about so called guaranteed connecting rooms not given. Perhaps the Rustyscrapper will chime in on this. He is a cm who is well known on these boards and I have seen him repeatedly state that it is not guaranteed no matter what. Most of the time, it works out. I would be unwilling to take that very slight chance that it might not.

 

[mickeynut1]

Based on conversations with multiple CMs over the years, and what's on my reservation, I'm going to say that in the situation of 2 rooms for 2 adults with 4 minor children, the rooms will be connecting.

In my personal experience as well as what I've read on these boards over the past 5 years, there are alot of CMs that give out incorrect information on a daily basis. As the pp said, most of the time it does work out and people DO get connecting rooms. But with that said, if there are 2 adults and 4 kids and connecting rooms are not available, you won't get them. Since there are 2 adults, connecting rooms are not a necessity as 1 adult can be in each room with 2 kids, therefore, not requiring the rooms be connecting since there would not be minors in a room by themselves. So, regardless of what it says on the reservation or what the CM says, it is not guaranteed.

 

[party-of-five]

Here's hoping for some for our upcoming trip. 2 rooms (mod) is not only cheaper than 1 room deluxe, or a family suite, but it's also roomier and more comfortable. Like I said before, I don't doubt that there are plenty of disappointing stories out there, but I still want to believe in the best of Disney and the CMs out there. Call me naive... . Yikes, if we don't get connecting rooms, it won't be a good start to a much anticipated vacation.

 

[maxiesmom]

We always go with 2 rooms for the reasons you mentioned, plus two bathrooms, two fridges, and two tvs, and more privacy. When a family books two rooms (ie, parents and small children), Disney will GUARANTEE that the rooms connect. We have never had an issue and it is also stated as such on the reservation.

With a Family Suite you get 2 bathrooms and 2 tvs. And there is plenty of privacy, as the bedroom for the adults has a door on it. Plus a queen bed inside it, instead of the double you would get in a regular value room.

The only thing guaranteed 100% by Disney is that they will give you a room. That is it! Twice now I have been bumped from a PAID FOR room category, and if they won't guarantee that, there is no way in heck any request is guaranteed.

I'm not sure why they even put that supposed guarantee on some reservations. Your room(s) are not assigned until a few days out. And even then, your room is not your room until you have key in hand. Disney only has so many connecting rooms at each resort, and they don't block them out of stock ahead of time. They have no way of knowing ahead of time if there will be connecting rooms to give, so that guarantee is pretty much worthless.

Even Disney's own web-site states connecting rooms are a request only, and not guaranteed.

 

[shburks]

We are looking at staying at a value for a trip for 3 nights. We are debating between a family suite or two connecting rooms. We have an 8 and 2 year old.

I am leaning towards the connecting rooms just because it gives us more space and everyone gets a bed and does not have to sleep on a sofa bed or chair bed. Also, it will be nice to put the kids to bed in one room and watch tv in another room.

So what do you think?

Unless you're willing to take the change that you and your husband (I assume) could be in two different rooms each with a child, I wouldn't book the two rooms. A family suite gives lots of options please good seating options during the daytime hours. Besides, an 8 year old and 2 year old do NOT care if they're sleeping on a sofa/chair bed! If anything, they'll probably think it's super cool!