Favorite Place to Stay on-site

[SKShields]

Hi There! I'm very new to the whole Walt Disney World, um, world, and i gotta say i feel like i'm drowning in information. I've been to Disneyland 8 times in my 28 years, most reently this past December for Christmas time. When DH and I went we stayed offsite and just walked to the parks, but we want to stay onsite when we go to WDW in February of 2012. I'm a little overwhelmed by all of the info out there so i wanted to get some opinions on where WDW vets prefer to stay on-site. And if you have any suggestions on places off-site, that would be great too, but we don't plan on renting a car, would be a bit of a hassle for the 2 of us when we would be spending all of our time at the parks/resort.

Thanks in advance for your help!!!!

 

[loganpaulsmom]

U r right.. there is So much information out there.. You need to ask yourself a few key questions first..:
How long are you staying?
What is your budget?
What kind of amenities are important to you?

Once you answer those questions then posters will be able to give you all kinds of great advice..
I myself stay most of the time in Moderates.. However, this time coming up in May we are staying Deluxe.. I would stay deluxe every trip if I could afford it.. For the following reasons.. More amenities.. Better pools.. Easier access to parks (this is true for the resorts on the monorail and for the Epcot Resorts)..

 

[SKShields]

U r right.. there is So much information out there.. You need to ask yourself a few key questions first..:
How long are you staying?
What is your budget?
What kind of amenities are important to you?

Once you answer those questions then posters will be able to give you all kinds of great advice..
I myself stay most of the time in Moderates.. However, this time coming up in May we are staying Deluxe.. I would stay deluxe every trip if I could afford it.. For the following reasons.. More amenities.. Better pools.. Easier access to parks (this is true for the resorts on the monorail and for the Epcot Resorts)..

We don't have a tight budget yet, but we were thinking about a 5 day trip (is that enough for 2 adults to get through everything?). I'd be willing to spend up to 150 a night, but no more than that. As far as amenities go, we're big on comfy beds, and it would be nice to have a pool with a nice hot-tub area since we are planning on going in Februray, i doubt we will be doing any swimming but a hot tub might be nice. I would prefer to be as in the middle of everything as possible. Thanks

 

[Kae]

Ok if you want a Hot tub that knocks all the Values & Poly off your list. And I am totally with you on a hot tub. We have done many adult only trips & enjoy POFQ alot. Also with a code You might be able to get WL or AKL for a great price. WL is a great resort.


Kae

 

[SKShields]

Ok if you want a Hot tub that knocks all the Values & Poly off your list. And I am totally with you on a hot tub. We have done many adult only trips & enjoy POFQ alot. Also with a code You might be able to get WL or AKL for a great price. WL is a great resort.


Kae

Hot tubs are a necessity when doing that much walking! I feel like a dummy, but i don't know what those abbreviations are... Thanks for the advice!

 

[ddluvsdisney]

The abbreviations if I remember that were posted were resorts POFQ-Port Orleans French Quarter there's also PORS Port Orleans Riverside WL- Wilderness Lodge Poly-Polynesian AKL Animal kingdom Lodge. I used to wonder what all the abbreviations were too there are a lot of them and everyone uses them. I think there's a thread somewhere that shows what they all are maybe someone else can tell you where.

 

[DISNEYaddict4evr]

I agree. Port Orleans French Quarter is what you need. It is small and easy to navigate. You can take the boat to downtown disney, very romantic. The resort is a moderate, but it feels like a deluxe. In the evening you can even go for horse drawn carriage rides.

As per length of stay, for your first time, 5 day sis rather short. MY family and I never stay less than a week, 4 days for parks, a day to do a fun extra tour like a Segway Tour at EPCOT, a day to go look at all the hotels since you are new it will help you plan for your next trip (Plus they are just really fun to look at). You have to remember too, they day you fly down and leave should not count as vacation day if you are coming a long distance, I call those travel days and if we can fit in extra stuff on those days great, if not we don't miss anything. So I plan those to be what ever, and use all full days for planning of trip.

 

[ajjollie23]

we used to always stay at the all-stars or pop, but since becoming DVC (Disney Vacation Club) members we stay at the deluxes. Moderate wise Caribbean beach is the only one we actually stayed at and it was nice but it is a very spread out resort. I have had friends that stayed at POFQ and LOVED it, so like the PP said that is a great option. Deluxes are going to be hard with your $150/night budget, maybe if you find a code. Depending on when in Feb it is a slower time so you may be able to find a good deal. We have been staying at AKL for the most part since it is our Home resort and we love it there. But convenience to parks wise AKL isn't the most convenient Deluxe because you are depending on the bus system, which is fine but if you don't have a car you are completely relying on it. We have also stayed at BLT (Bay Lake Tower- Contemporay) which is wonderful because it is walking distance to Magic Kingdom or you can take the monorail or bus.
Another resort we stayed at are SSR (Saratoga Springs), which is one of our least favorite but I am sure there are plenty of people that love it. That one you can take bus or boat and are walking distance to Downtown Disney.
With 2 Adults it is possible to do it in 5 days especially dpending on when you go in Feb (not around holidays) but like the pp said it is nicer to have a full week at least so that you can take your time more.
Staying on property is nice because they have the ME (Magical Express) bus to and from airport, all the bus, monorail and boat systems, plus you get to take advantage of extra magic hours which are only open to people staying at resorts. (1 park opens an hr early, 1 park stays open a few hrs late)

hope this helps, the good news is that you have lots of time to plan still and you will get tons of help her on the dis

 

[SKShields]

The POFQ (i'm learning) sounds pretty great, and after looking at the pics i think my husband would love it too.

We're traveling from AZ, so I'm not really sure how to work out giving ourselves enough time to get our bearing before touring the parks. We were thinking the first week of February since it's my husband's bday and only a few weeks after our anniversary. I know it's pretty slow at DLR at that time, and from what i can tell that is still considered off-peak at WDW.

After all of your advice, we're most definitely going to stay on site though, with the shuttle to and from the airport and the extra magic hours, it seems silly not to. Plus from what I gather you have to be on site to do the dining plans, which we would like to try since those aren't really practical at DLR.

 

[JenSop]

Since you're new to the WDW world, it's good that you're doing your research!

We are DVC (Disney Vacation Club - which is Disney's timeshare) so we stay at DVC resorts, which are at the Deluxes. But before that, I prefered to stay Moderate. The Values weren't a good fit for us. We don't have kids, and it just felt crowded with kids, whereas the Mods are more spread out and don't feel crowded at all.

On your first trip, you will only just scratch the surface - even going in the off season. There's just SO much to do and WDW is SO big. Plan out your priorities before you go and have a plan. I personally don't think 5 days would be enough for a first time trip. Heck, I've been going regularly since 1984 and I don't think 5 days is long enough! (My October trip was only 5 days and it felt like a crazy whirlwind!) I would try to do a week for your first trip. (And know going in that you won't see and do everything.)

At the risk of going a little off-topic, I just want to warn you to work on your walking before you go. You will probably walk about 10 miles a day while at WDW and even if you're in good shape, it can do a real number on your legs and feet. Just a head up.

There are usually good promos for February, so you might get lucky and snag one so you can stay at a Mod. for less. Good luck!

 

[SKShields]

Since you're new to the WDW world, it's good that you're doing your research!

We are DVC (Disney Vacation Club - which is Disney's timeshare) so we stay at DVC resorts, which are at the Deluxes. But before that, I prefered to stay Moderate. The Values weren't a good fit for us. We don't have kids, and it just felt crowded with kids, whereas the Mods are more spread out and don't feel crowded at all.

On your first trip, you will only just scratch the surface - even going in the off season. There's just SO much to do and WDW is SO big. Plan out your priorities before you go and have a plan. I personally don't think 5 days would be enough for a first time trip. Heck, I've been going regularly since 1984 and I don't think 5 days is long enough! (My October trip was only 5 days and it felt like a crazy whirlwind!) I would try to do a week for your first trip. (And know going in that you won't see and do everything.)

At the risk of going a little off-topic, I just want to warn you to work on your walking before you go. You will probably walk about 10 miles a day while at WDW and even if you're in good shape, it can do a real number on your legs and feet. Just a head up.

There are usually good promos for February, so you might get lucky and snag one so you can stay at a Mod. for less. Good luck!

Holy cow! 10 miles a day for 5 or more days sounds like a lot, even to me and i'm a regular runner! Will have to get the man to start getting in shape!

The main reason we would do the 5 days is that my husband just doesn't get that much vacation for a year and none of his rolls over from the previous year like at my job. I hope that if we plan out what's most important to us to do and get that done we'll be ok if we don't see absolutely everything in one trip. I'm really hoping there will be some good promos for that week of february, that's part of the reason we want to go then.

Thanks for the tips, i really do appreciate it, and i'll definitely be back for more!

 

[WDW Lover]

You may also want to check out the DVC Rent/Trade Board. You can get a studio at the Deluxe Resorts for about the same cost as the Moderates. You would also have the benefit of having a small refrigerator and microwave in your room - which always comes in handy! Plus, I like how they have (aside from Old Key West) 1 bed, plus a pull-out sofa. Since it is usually just my husband and myself, we enjoy having the sofa to sit on! You can stay at the Animal Kingdom Villas, Villas at the Wilderness Lodge, Beach Club Villas, Boardwalk Villas, Saratoga Springs, Old Key West and Bay Lake Towers (next to Contemporary... though these rooms are most likely outside of your $150/night price range at BLT). Your best bets would be if you could get either a standard view studio at Boardwalk Villas, value or standard view at Animal Kingdom Villas... these would be your least expensive option. All of these places have great amenities and great hot tubs! I prefer the hot tub at Villas at Wilderness Lodge... right behind the rooms and often very empty!!!

I have stayed at Moderates quite a bit in the past, and I like the rooms/size of the resort at Port Orleans French Quarter, but prefer to eat down at Port Orleans Riverside... you can walk between the two, but depending on which you would rather have an emphasis on, you may want to make a choice between those two. Plus, I am thinking that most times, aren't the Moderates $150 + tax (either 11 or 12% added on to each night)? So, is that actually beyond your budget?

 

[DISNEYaddict4evr]

Holy cow! 10 miles a day for 5 or more days sounds like a lot, even to me and i'm a regular runner! Will have to get the man to start getting in shape!

The main reason we would do the 5 days is that my husband just doesn't get that much vacation for a year and none of his rolls over from the previous year like at my job. I hope that if we plan out what's most important to us to do and get that done we'll be ok if we don't see absolutely everything in one trip. I'm really hoping there will be some good promos for that week of february, that's part of the reason we want to go then.

Thanks for the tips, i really do appreciate it, and i'll definitely be back for more!

Well if you have 5 week days off, plus two weekends, that could give you four more days to play... pool day, shopping day and downtown disney, or even universal and the Wizarding world of harry potter. Just thoughts

 

[SKShields]

WDW Lover - i was figuring a base price of 150 for the room budget, which is honestly more than we sould usually spend, but we want to make this one last hurrah before we start having to vacation with kids, since we plan to start trying in the Fall of 2012. I'll definitely check out the DVC rentals though, sounds like it's worth a look-see anyway.

DISNEYaddict4ever - Duh, i didn't even think about weekends. We could definitely manage at least a couple extra days that way! Thanks for reminding me, i'm so excited to be planning this trip i'm not thinking clearly!

 

[Hootch]

early part of February is a good idea. Room rates (and crowds) go up toward the end of the month.

We have stayed at value, moderate and deluxe resorts. We've settled for now at the moderate level for the mix of amenities and the price. We may, every now and then, plan a deluxe trip but it will be mostly mods.

The one we have settled on is POFQ like several others on this thread. It's small so everything is convenient. I think we were maybe 2-3 minutes from the pool, food court, parking lot and bus stops last trip. The grounds are lushly planted. And they are undergoing room mods at this time with new queen size beds.

Early Feb rates for this year are $154 for weekdays and a little higher for weekends. There may be discount offers or if you have AAA you can usually get a 10% - 15% discount if you book early enough.

Here are a couple of links explaining more on POFQ. Both sites have similar information on all of the resorts.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2650040&highlight=pofq+faq

http://allears.net/acc/faq_po.htm

Any of the moderates will be about the same price. The values will be in the $90 range for a standard room. These resorts can be quite large. Preferred rooms are closer to the major areas and are about $15/day more.

Two of the least expensive deluxe resorts are also two of the best themed ones, Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge. They are a bit remote compared to the other deluxes which I assume is why the rate is lower. Still they run $250 or so per night in early Feb.

 

[angiejg]

You definitely want Port Orleans French Quarter. The deluxes will be too expensive, and in my opinion, aren't worth the money. Our favorite resort is Port Orleans Riverside, but there is a boat that runs between the two and to Downtown Disney with restaurants and shopping. FQ is smaller and easy to get around. Plus the beignets at the food court are delicious! I would put Riverside up next to the Polynesian anythime. The real benefits to the deluxe resorts are monorail transportation and distance to the parks, but you can't take the monorail to all the parks. The bus transportation at the moderates is great. WE've never had any problems. There is a great website dedicated strictly to Port Orleans that you should check it. Full of information! I really think on of them is the way to go! Have fun!

 

[emo6565]

We stayed at Port Orleans for our honeymoon and it was perfect. Very peaceful, had the hot tub to ourselves many nights. The boat ride to DTD was very romatic. Seemed like the bus rides took forever from there though. We stayed the last time at the Boardwalk Villas and used the rent and trade board from this site. It was a good value and you felt like you were right in the action. I could watch the Epcot fireworks from my balcony. I don't know if I could ever stay any place else after staying there. Have fun.

 

[KRAGGI01]

My favorite place to stay onsite is POFQ when you are not a DVC member. It is very affordable, you can take the ferry for a relaxing trip down to DownTown Disney and the parks are a short ride away. The atmosphere is fantastic and it is a very small resort so you can walk pretty much anywhere,

 

[nellyru]

I loved French Quarter and would deffinetly stay there again!!

 

[Ninnygunk]

We've stayed at several resorts - deluxe to value & by far our favorite was Port Orleans Riverside. It's gorgeous - so lush & overgrown with trees. The pool is fantastic (hot tub included) and the food court was also great. They have several "quiet pools" filtered throughout the resort which aren't as busy. We had one literally right outside our door & only spent one day at the main pool since this was so convenient. It's really just a matter of preference but every resort has it's charms. I will say, however, that I didn't like sharing the bus with POFQ. Too crowded & took too long with both resorts. Probably wouldn't have been a big deal if we weren't traveling with 2 little ones & 2 strollers. Enjoy your search - one of the best parts of the trip is planning it!