Group of 5 adults and 2 kids, where to stay?

[Aurora2018]

Hello!
We are planning our next Disney trip. This will be the second time we are visiting (for my husband and I and first time with my daughter) but will be the first time for my brother and his family and my mum.
My niece will be turning 6 on that trip and my daughter will be 2.5 years old. We are looking at where to stay.
We are not sure whether to get a villa or separate rooms. It would be good to have a kitchenette because of the girls.
We are flying from Europe so already spending quite a bit on plane tickets. We want to stay one week on site and will be staying off site another week. So we are trying not to spend tons on money on stay.
We don't know whether an AoA villa will be enough or whether to rent a villa and a room. We have also been looking at renting points and getting a dvc villa but my husband thinks it would be too expensive if you add the rest of our plans! Any advice??
Thank you!

 

[Nancyg56]

Personally,I would book two rooms at a value or a moderate. I love a villa but renting points is not always less expensive than two rooms.

I would price the cost of a two bedroom villa on one of the DVC rental sites and make the comparison, then determine if the cost is worth it. OKW was lovely, and incredibly spacious, however with the kids you might want something closer to teh MK.

AofA is not DVC and is booked directly through DIsney. I am not familiar with that resort, but I think that from reading, a suite woudl be very tight with so many people, and an additional room would be necessary. I woudl not spend the money on a suite if money was a factor,

If you want a nice moderate, I would suggest POFQ. This resort is very compact and the pool is awesome for youngsters.

 

[Aurora2018]

Personally,I would book two rooms at a value or a moderate. I love a villa but renting points is not always less expensive than two rooms.

I would price the cost of a two bedroom villa on one of the DVC rental sites and make the comparison, then determine if the cost is worth it. OKW was lovely, and incredibly spacious, however with the kids you might want something closer to teh MK.

AofA is not DVC and is booked directly through DIsney. I am not familiar with that resort, but I think that from reading, a suite woudl be very tight with so many people, and an additional room would be necessary. I woudl not spend the money on a suite if money was a factor,

If you want a nice moderate, I would suggest POFQ. This resort is very compact and the pool is awesome for youngsters.

Thank you! Have read a lot about POFQ here!! So will definitely look into it. Would you say it's better than beach club as this will be after refurbishment. Thanks!

 

[Nancyg56]

Thank you! Have read a lot about POFQ here!! So will definitely look into it. Would you say it's better than beach club as this will be after refurbishment. Thanks!

No. The BC has location location location. It has so many restaurants withing walking distance and amenities that are awesome. YOu are comparing a deluxe resort to a moderate, and whiel I never tur my nose up at a moderate, there really are a lot of differences, including a fairly large price hike.

 

[Aurora2018]

No. The BC has location location location. It has so many restaurants withing walking distance and amenities that are awesome. YOu are comparing a deluxe resort to a moderate, and whiel I never tur my nose up at a moderate, there really are a lot of differences, including a fairly large price hike.

Sorry I actually meant Caribbean beach which is a moderate, isn't it? Still learning a lot about resorts ha!

 

[sponica]

Sorry I actually meant Caribbean beach which is a moderate, isn't it? Still learning a lot about resorts ha!

They're both moderates but they're like comparing apples to oranges. I've never stayed at Caribbean Beach but I've stayed at POFQ. The compact size of the resort is awesome. There's only one bus stop which is important to some people.

 

[Disneybiginner]

Talking about AoA, it might be able to fit your group as AoA suite can fit in 6 people, 5 adults plus 1 kid, you daughter is 2.5 might be able to get away with crib. However, the suite might be more expensive than 2 rooms at value or even moderate resort. Here is another concern for you to think about if you book 2 rooms, which room is your mom going to stay? With your family, or your brother’s family? If you do a boys room girls room split, I can’t imagine how you manage to get ready in the morning with 3 grownup women and only 1 bathroom. Maybe think about a 2 bedroom Villa at a DVC, that might be your best choice for onsite stay.

 

[VeronicaZS]

For the most part we love AoA! The food court is chaotic so we plan to eat outside the resort and we use Uber/Lyft a lot when we don't feel like dealing with the buses. For me, the sleeping arrangements would be too tight for your group. The master bedroom has a door between the main living area with a queen bed. You could sleep there, and pay for a rollaway bed for your daughter. You mother could either pick the sofa bed or the table bed and sleep with your niece and your brother would get the other bed. There are 2 full bathrooms. If that sounds doable to you I wouldn't hesitate to book it. My personal preference would be to get 2 rooms and even then I would prefer a separation between my sleeping area and my mother's. If you decide to go with 2 rooms that opens a lot of options, you just have to decide your priority; close to a certain park/area, modes of transportation (skyliner!!!), theme, etc.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

It sounds like you have 7 guests with one guest under 3, is that correct? If that is the case, I think you will feel cramped in an AoA suite. It only gives you 3 sleeping surfaces, so everyone would have to share a bed and then you would have to do a pack-n-play or air mattress for your 2.5 year old. If you are trying to stay on a budget, you may want to consider 2 rooms at Pop. This would give you 4 queen beds and 2 bathrooms - your mum could have her own bed, while the couples each have a bed and the girls could share one as well. You could also consider doing this at a mod (I would consider POFQ - small resort, nice pools, boat to DS) and even get two, 5th sleeper rooms at POR or CBR so the girls could have their own beds. You could all technically fit in a DVC 2-bedroom, but the bedding configuration might be odd with your family make-up. A SSR treehouse villa might suit your needs.

 

[Sandiz08]

I would do two moderate rooms with a 5th sleeper pull down bed for the kids in your situation.

 

[starry_solo]

2 rooms onsite.
You might consider a Disney springs hotel that gets you the same perks as a Disney owned one.

Or perhaps Wyndhan Bonnet Creek (timeshare rental)

 

[Aurora2018]

Thank you all for the help! Will discuss this with the group and see what everyone likes

 

[Flagge]

I was in the same boat with my upcoming October trip with 4 adults and 2 children. We decided to go with two rooms at a value or moderate. We found the price to fit everyone in one suite expensive and the space given for a group that big does not seem to be enough for reservations that would accommodate our group size.

 

[Mazz519]

Renting a Villa is a great idea just for the Kitchen, but remember you will all be in the same room, 2BR units are large but your all still together, 2 separate rooms is a alternative but not as nice

 

[Deb & Bill]

I'd go with two rooms so you can get a little space from each other if you need it.

 

[Nancyg56]

Sorry I actually meant Caribbean beach which is a moderate, isn't it? Still learning a lot about resorts ha!

OH! I'm sorry! CBR is a huge resort, and one that I like. It has been a long time since I have stayed there, but I enjoyed it. Between POFQ and CBR< I woudl choose the lovely little POFQ. It is so compact and quaint.

CBR will have teh gondola system though, and that can be a huge perk.