First trip help picking a resort

[mamaofsix]

Definitely the All stars family suite with 3 teenagers.

 

[DL1WDW2]

Have you forgotten the fun of driving a golf cart at the Fort Wilderness Cabins ?
They will love and remember this trip forever !
let me know if they fight over the top bunk bed !
I bet they will all fit !

 

[Kialovesbooks24]

Here are a few things to consider from my point of view.

How many park days will you be doing? Will you have any break/resort days? With teens they may enjoy the resort amenities more at a moderate.

A suite at all stars will have 3 queen beds. Have you considered a moderate that sleeps 5? You would still have 3 different sleeping surfaces but with moderate resort amenities.
This would almost always be cheaper per night than the suites at All stars.

Unfortunately you will have to look outside French quarter for that but it might be worth it.

What time of year are you thinking of going? If it were me that would also play a part in which resort I would choose.

ideally id like 4 or 5 park days, one for each park and one extra for us to revisit the one we liked the most as well as one rest day in between

im still deciding on time of year, ideally? either end of Feb to first week of march or first week in december

 

[Kialovesbooks24]

Have you forgotten the fun of driving a golf cart at the Fort Wilderness Cabins ?
They will love and remember this trip forever !
let me know if they fight over the top bunk bed !
I bet they will all fit !

im sure the wilderness cabins are great but its a little to close to the feeling of home for us, we visit wisconsin dells frequently and rent a cabin there so im just wanting a different experience

 

[Karalee402]

ideally id like 4 or 5 park days, one for each park and one extra for us to revisit the one we liked the most as well as one rest day in between

im still deciding on time of year, ideally? either end of Feb to first week of march or first week in december

These are both really great times to visit. End of Feb historically can be lower crowds, but for us, nothing beats visiting in December because of the incredible holiday decorations!

 

[Kialovesbooks24]

These are both really great times to visit. End of Feb historically can be lower crowds, but for us, nothing beats visiting in December because of the incredible holiday decorations!

thats where my train of thought went too. i love christmas time so december would be a dream, im just not sure of the cost difference, what should someone budget for food in the parks?

 

[DL1WDW2]

I hope you have actually looked at the floor plan for the AllStar Suites …
I stayed at the Art of Animation Family Suite and would not consider that as the answer to your trip planning .
It has one bedroom and a dining room with bed that pulls down from the wall and a very uncomfortable fake leather pull out couch that looks like a car seat …
That I would not even consider for a child to sleep on.
Good luck

I have tried to look at the floor plans at the few resorts showing availability for the holiday dates … Are you eligible for any discounts?
Window is narrowing and price escalating if you continue to delay .
I also forgot to consider the Upcharge for “adults “ … Ouch

 

[We’reAllMadHere]

thats where my train of thought went too. i love christmas time so december would be a dream, im just not sure of the cost difference, what should someone budget for food in the parks?

Food will depend on how much you like to eat and whether you opt for a lot of table service restaurants or focus on quick service places. Also character meals, if those are of any interest, are very pricy.

The quick service dining plan is $57 per adult per day and the regular dining plan is $94. We don’t buy the dining plans because they don’t align well with our schedules and what we want to eat but they do give us a good estimate. We generally end up doing 1 table service most days but we almost always spend less than the dining plan would be.

One way to save some money is to bring snacks/breakfast items for your room or have grocery delivery. You can also bring food into the parks if you really want to save money. It’s nice to have something small in the park bag to fight off the hangry if you get stuck in a long line.

 

[goopysolelady]

Just a suggestion but have you looked at POP Century, 2 adjoining rooms? My husband and I treated our granddaughters to a birthday trip when they turned 12 & 16 and it worked out beautifully. They had the privacy they needed and each of us had our own bed. The adjoining door was an additional bonus. You will also have access to the Skyliner transportation to HS and Epcot which, I would imagine, would be quite popular parks with you age group. It may be a tiny bit more expensive but IMO something to look into. As for the hot tubs; can't say if there's one available there but, to be honest, the one time (out of our 25 trips) I had time to use a hot tub it was so crowded I took one look at the crowd and turned around with a firm NO. Best of luck in your planning and enjoy your trip!

 

[We’reAllMadHere]

If it’s important to your teens, value resorts don’t have waterslides. The slide at French Quarter looks neat for young kids but it’s probably not a draw for teens.

French quarter does have delicious beignets and that’s the reason it is my favorite moderate resort.

 

[Headless]

If this is going to be your first time doing this get a travel agent. I don't know what the policy is for 'advertisement' so I won't mention the two I've used in the past here but there are several good and legit groups as well as numerous individuals that do great work. They will help you work through your options with your budget and a good one will also help with reservations for dining and other events if any fall in your trip.

 

[migirl]

If it’s important to your teens, value resorts don’t have waterslides. The slide at French Quarter looks neat for young kids but it’s probably not a draw for teens.

French quarter does have delicious beignets and that’s the reason it is my favorite moderate resort.

My teen kids weren’t impressed with the FQ pool slide but really liked Riverside’s pool and slide. The arcades at both resorts are a lot of fun too.

 

[Kialovesbooks24]

were thinking

Here are a few things to consider from my point of view.

How many park days will you be doing? Will you have any break/resort days? With teens they may enjoy the resort amenities more at a moderate.

A suite at all stars will have 3 queen beds. Have you considered a moderate that sleeps 5? You would still have 3 different sleeping surfaces but with moderate resort amenities.
This would almost always be cheaper per night than the suites at All stars.

Unfortunately you will have to look outside French quarter for that but it might be worth it.

What time of year are you thinking of going? If it were me that would also play a part in which resort I would choose.

to mid may

 

[ShannyMcB]

I have used dreamsunlimited (who sponsor these boards) as a TA. Same price as booking yourself and they will monitor for discounts. Highly recommended if you have never planned before. They will be as involved as you want them to be and will assist with ADRs if you need those.
Does French quarter offer a 5 person room? If so you may be able to book one so only two people need to share beds. Though this will only work if you have petite folks in your party. DH is the only one in my family above 5’1 so the kids and I often rotate the “shelf” sleeping.
Will your teens be doing any exploring on their own? If so that may be worth factoring in as they can get more places faster from PO as compared to AS. I know folks who have stayed in both and really enjoyed each one for different reasons. If your resort is just a place to sleep AS may be better given the room will be larger. But if you amenities and internal transportation options are important PO may be better. Another TA plug they can easily assist with modifying your booking if you book one resort then decide you want to switch to the other.

 

[Mouse Tracker]

1 adult and 3 teenagers, they will be 15, 16, 17

Two bathrooms - helps with start/end to the day.

POP Century, 2 adjoining rooms

I have done this (connecting rooms have the door)

 

[Sarahh1027]

I agree with the recommendation to look at adjoining rooms at Pop Century! Although Pop doesn’t have a hot tub, I think being on the Skyliner, your teens all having their own bed, and them having their own bathroom will be helpful.
Also another vote to book using a travel agent who specializes in Disney
My favorite time of year to visit is the beginning of May. It still gets hot (which for me is what I want when I’m going on vaca, it’s always cold where I live and we love pool time!) but it’s not uncomfortably hot. Crowds are decent, and Epcot has their Flower and Garden Festival going on which is SO beautiful!
Out of the times you mentioned I feel like beginning of December would be extra magical.
I also like your idea of 5 park days and 1 rest day in there.
Best of luck! You’ll have an amazing time.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

Another possibility would be to rent DVC points and book a 1 or 2BD to give yourself a bit more breathing room. Something like OKW or Saratoga can be pretty competitive price-wise, especially if you find someone renting points for relatively cheap. The downside is that there’s a lot less flexibility if you needed to cancel.

 

[Giraffe_Zen]

Highly doubt they would be cheaper.
And they are not as updated as the music suites.

I agree, I looked at AoA and it’s more expensive

Depends on when you are going as do all prices when it comes to booking at WDW.

 

[Hollyann74]

Any recommendations on travel agents? I have a couple that I’ve talked to but I’m not sure on using them

If you need help, I can help you. I help with mapping out directions, making dining reservations, reserving scooters, Strollers (I know this doesn't pertain to you)....but if you need help let me know

Not one extra dime to book through an agent and the commission goes to us small business owners vs the big Disney corporation.

 

[Hollyann74]

If you need help, I can help you. I help with mapping out directions, making dining reservations, reserving scooters, Strollers (I know this doesn't pertain to you)....but if you need help let me know

Not one extra dime to book through an agent and the commission goes to us small business owners vs the big Disney corporation.

Haha! Forgot to add! Livetotravel1974@yahoo.com is where you can reach me. Here is where we start....

If you need help, I can help you. I help with mapping out directions, making dining reservations, reserving scooters, Strollers (I know this doesn't pertain to you)....but if you need help let me know

Not one extra dime to book through an agent and the commission goes to us small business owners vs the big Disney corporation.

I almost forgot! Livetotravel1974@yahoo.com is bow to reach me. I have a form to gather everything from you specific to Disney, but I cannot post the link here.