Have to drop 1 resort...don't know what one to drop!?

[flinkerfrosch]

Heading to WDW with DH, and 2 boys ages 3/6 for 16 days in Oct!

Originally, I had planned 5 nights AKL, 5 nights BC and 5 nights Poly. Well, my DH has decided that 3 resorts is too many, and would like me to drop it down to 2. I am still working on him, but if it does come down to only 2 resorts, I have NO idea what one I should drop.

This will be our 1st visit (I've been as a child) but my DH and kids have never been.

I am soooo torn! Location is important, but not the top priority. We will be doing a lot of MK, but we will also be visiting the other 3 parks as well.

I have never been to any of the resorts, so I was hoping you guys could help me out from your experiences.

Thanks in advance

 

[Yellosno]

I would stay at POLY and BC. Both have great pools, and location. The main reason I would take out AKL is location as its really only close to AK and BB. Personally I would try to convince him to stay at all three, but if that doesnt work then I would stick with BC and POLY.

 

[Wood Nymph]

Even though AKL is gorgeous, I would drop it. The Poly is very convenient to MK and staying at a resort on the lake is really cool. The BC has the best pool at WDW and the five minute walk to Epcot is great. This resort area is a wonderful place to stay. If you choose these two resorts you will minimize your time spent riding buses. You can't lose with these two resorts.

 

[mickeynut1]

Heading to WDW with DH, and 2 boys ages 3/6 for 16 days in Oct!

Originally, I had planned 5 nights AKL, 5 nights BC and 5 nights Poly. Well, my DH has decided that 3 resorts is too many, and would like me to drop it down to 2. I am still working on him, but if it does come down to only 2 resorts, I have NO idea what one I should drop.

This will be our 1st visit (I've been as a child) but my DH and kids have never been.

I am soooo torn! Location is important, but not the top priority. We will be doing a lot of MK, but we will also be visiting the other 3 parks as well.

I have never been to any of the resorts, so I was hoping you guys could help me out from your experiences.

Thanks in advance

We've stayed at all 3 and they are all great resorts, but I would definitely keep the Poly as one of them. As far as AKL vs BC, if you want to be close to Epcot/DHS, BC would be the best choice as it's very convenient being within walking distance to both parks. AKL is out away from everything, but we thought the buses were fine. We found that it didn't take more than about 5 extra minutes to get around compared to other resorts. With all of that said, a combination of any of them would be great. AKL is great as the resort is beautiful and I'm sure the kids would enjoy seeing the animals. Since MK is the main focus park-wise, getting there from AKL was better than from the BC (at least in our experience). But both are awesome resorts and you really can't go wrong with either one. Good luck deciding, although I'm sure you will have a magical trip no matter which 2 resorts you choose (but I hope you can get your DH to agree to the 3 ).

 

[Marthasor]

I hope you can stick to 3 as I think 5 nights at each would be fun! But if you have to drop one, I, too, would drop AKL. The location of Poly and BC just can't be beat to getting to the parks. AKL is gorgeous though - really a destination in and of itself! We have stayed at all three, but only did AKL for a few nights before a cruise and only went to AK one day during that stay. That was a perfect way to experience AKL as we didn't have to deal with a lot of bus waits to get to the other parks.

 

[pepe of ohio]

We've been to all 3..... Keep the Poly and BC and dump AKL..... We did not care for the AKL at all, food not to our liking, layout and location and a lack on animals on the Savannah....

That all Said, the Poly can't be beat for a lot of MK touring ( but , we're WL fans ) the WL could offer you another choice in the MK area and save ya a few bucks!!

BC, best of both worlds if you're an EPCOT fan, decent pool, nightly entertainment .... You'll enjoy this resort...

I'm not a fan of splitting resorts, no natter how long the trip is, we like to settle in, get to really know the resort, use and appreciate its amenities ... But if you must... BC and the Poly for sure but give the WL a thought !

 

[LovesTimone]

I would stay at the Poly. Volcano Pool, on the lake and the monorail, Great restaurants, really cool theming.

It would be hard to choose between the other 2,

AK is really super nice, great pool, Restaurants, and theming. Are your kiddos really into animals? Or like to play in the jungle? Then I would choose here, for them.

BC does has the best pool of any resort, easy walk to Epcot. More formal in my opinion. If they are really into swimming and enjoy the sand? I would choose here.

Moving several times during your trip will take time away from the parks and relaxation.

 

[Couchy]

Don't drop BC. Food and Wine is going on at this time and you will have a short walk to the back entrance of Epcot right into the World Showcase

 

[flinkerfrosch]

Thank-you to all that has replied so far

I am still working on my DH, but if it doesn't work, I am still so torn. You all make great points!

My kids do love animals (for the ones that asked) and they LOVE to swim!

I did forget to mention that after the 16 days at Disney, we are heading to Treasure Island to stay on the beach for another 8 days, so my boys would have lots of beach time! Not sure if that would sway anyone in regards to possibly dropping the BC?

SAB looks amazing, but I've heard it can be very croweded. I will admit that I have read more neg reviews in regards to the BC vs the other 2, but I don't just go on reviews (Trip Advisor etc) because some people just like to complain a lot.

Does anyone know for the SAB pool, are kids able to wear lifejackets down the big slide?

All 3 resorts have great pools, but SAB does look the best! I do love AKL pools, it looks like an oasis....

I do know for sure I am not going to drop the Poly, so now it is between AKL and BC (if I cannot convince DH to go for all 3)

 

[Syndrome]

We have stayed at all 3, and would vote to drop AK if you have to drop one. If it was us, we would keep all 3.
Poly is great, and used to be our favorite. Very close to MK, and walking distance to TTC for other transportation options. The resort is awesome, and has great restaurants, and some would argue but prob. has the best counter service location at any resort..... Capt. Cooks . Keep the Poly !

Beach club is our new favorite ! We just like the "beachy" theming. The SAB pool is the best pool on WDW property. It is very large, so you may have an issue keeping an eye on your 3 and 6 year old. There are lifeguards everywhere so dont be worried, just challenging to keep up with the kiddos. The water can get very deep in some areas of SAB.
Location cant be beat. Walkable to Epcot and the boardwalk, and very close to the Studios. Not sure of your exact dates but F&W may be going on, so you will want to be close to Epcot if possible.

AK is great and we love it, but if you have to drop one, AK would be it. Its detached and far away from everything except AK park. Very nice resort to stay at, but you can always just go and visit it for a few hours.

If we were going for 15 nights, there is no question that we would split between all 3, but thats how we like to tour WDW (see my sig ). We split stays on almost every trip. Helps keep the vacation fresh, and makes it more exciting for us. We split 4 times on one 18 night vaction, and loved it. The last trip that we did 16 nights we split between 4 as well .........it was awesome . This upcoming trip we are only going for 11 nights, so we are spliting between 2 resorts.
Try to talk your hubby into all 3, he may wind up loving the experience in the end.

HTH,
Syndrome

 

[flinkerfrosch]

We have stayed at all 3, and would vote to drop AK if you have to drop one. If it was us, we would keep all 3.
Poly is great, and used to be our favorite. Very close to MK, and walking distance to TTC for other transportation options. The resort is awesome, and has great restaurants, and some would argue but prob. has the best counter service location at any resort..... Capt. Cooks . Keep the Poly !

Beach club is our new favorite ! We just like the "beachy" theming. The SAB pool is the best pool on WDW property. It is very large, so you may have an issue keeping an eye on your 3 and 6 year old. There are lifeguards everywhere so dont be worried, just challenging to keep up with the kiddos. The water can get very deep in some areas of SAB.
Location cant be beat. Walkable to Epcot and the boardwalk, and very close to the Studios. Not sure of your exact dates but F&W may be going on, so you will want to be close to Epcot if possible.

AK is great and we love it, but if you have to drop one, AK would be it. Its detached and far away from everything except AK park. Very nice resort to stay at, but you can always just go and visit it for a few hours.

If we were going for 15 nights, there is no question that we would split between all 3, but thats how we like to tour WDW (see my sig ). We split stays on almost every trip. Helps keep the vacation fresh, and makes it more exciting for us. We split 4 times on one 18 night vaction, and loved it. The last trip that we did 16 nights we split between 4 as well .........it was awesome . This upcoming trip we are only going for 11 nights, so we are spliting between 2 resorts.
Try to talk your hubby into all 3, he may wind up loving the experience in the end.

HTH,
Syndrome

So far, almost everyone is saying drop AKL if I have to...

The ironic thing is, originally we were going to do 8 nights AKL and 7 nights Poly, and I was worried 8 nights wasn't going to be enough at AKL...I am now thinking maybe I was wrong.

One person did say to me "Once you see the animals, you have seen AKL, so 2 days there is enough" Is this statement true? Would my kids get bored after 8 days or even 5 days at AKL?

Which resort out of the 3 has the most activities, and which one has the least? We do plan on spending lots of time at the resorts to enjoy all the amenities.

Thanks again to everyone that is helping me out

 

[twocat]

So far, almost everyone is saying drop AKL if I have to...


One person did say to me "Once you see the animals, you have seen AKL, so 2 days there is enough" Is this statement true? Would my kids get bored after 8 days or even 5 days at AKL?

I have to agree with the person that told you that. Once the uniqueness of seeing animals off your balcony starts to wane (you would be getting a Savannah View room, right?) I wasn't that crazy about the decor of the rooms and the darkness/lighting of the building. I didn't visit the pool when I was there so I can't comment on that.

 

[Tramp68]

So far, almost everyone is saying drop AKL if I have to...

The ironic thing is, originally we were going to do 8 nights AKL and 7 nights Poly, and I was worried 8 nights wasn't going to be enough at AKL...I am now thinking maybe I was wrong.

One person did say to me "Once you see the animals, you have seen AKL, so 2 days there is enough" Is this statement true? Would my kids get bored after 8 days or even 5 days at AKL?

Which resort out of the 3 has the most activities, and which one has the least? We do plan on spending lots of time at the resorts to enjoy all the amenities.

Thanks again to everyone that is helping me out

I totally disagree with dropping AKL especially if you are at Jambo house. BOMA is a great restaurant, for all 3 meals. If you resist the temptation to try everything the first time, it works well for a variety of meals over the course of the vacation. The lobby is amazing and entertaining for a 3 and 6 year old on a rainy afternoon. There is a lot to see, the floor rubbings and the comfy couches with TVs in the lobby.

The ability to see the animals at any time, as well as the opportunity to see them at night with night vision goggles. The CMs at the resort have a wealth of knowledge about the animals and Africa in general and are always happy to talk.

A quick ride over to kidani for the water park/pool will provide entertainment for the little ones even more than the pool at BCV at that age.

The walk to EPCOT is a very nice perk as is being on the monorail, but unless you plan on going in and out of the parks multiple times in a day it really doesnt save that much time. I find it more important for when you have kids that are able to come and go on their own.

I would definately drop BCV, the busy pool is just not enough of a draw for me, and with 2 small children, I don't see you getting a chance to enjoy the Food and Wine repeatedly...

 

[flinkerfrosch]

I have to agree with the person that told you that. Once the uniqueness of seeing animals off your balcony starts to wane (you would be getting a Savannah View room, right?) I wasn't that crazy about the decor of the rooms and the darkness/lighting of the building. I didn't visit the pool when I was there so I can't comment on that.

Right now I have a pool view. Still deciding whether to upgrade to Savanna view cause of the cost. Staying deluxe for 15 nights gets expensive, so I had to save somewhere...Savanna view isn't totally out yet though...I'm working the DH on that as well...LOL

 

[flinkerfrosch]

I totally disagree with dropping AKL especially if you are at Jambo house. BOMA is a great restaurant, for all 3 meals. If you resist the temptation to try everything the first time, it works well for a variety of meals over the course of the vacation. The lobby is amazing and entertaining for a 3 and 6 year old on a rainy afternoon. There is a lot to see, the floor rubbings and the comfy couches with TVs in the lobby.

The ability to see the animals at any time, as well as the opportunity to see them at night with night vision goggles. The CMs at the resort have a wealth of knowledge about the animals and Africa in general and are always happy to talk.

A quick ride over to kidani for the water park/pool will provide entertainment for the little ones even more than the pool at BCV at that age.

The walk to EPCOT is a very nice perk as is being on the monorail, but unless you plan on going in and out of the parks multiple times in a day it really doesnt save that much time. I find it more important for when you have kids that are able to come and go on their own.

I would definately drop BCV, the busy pool is just not enough of a draw for me, and with 2 small children, I don't see you getting a chance to enjoy the Food and Wine repeatedly...

Very good points, thank-you!

We only plan on 1 day at Epcot cause of the ages of the kids, and I honestly have no interest in the F&W. We are focusing more on MK. We also only planned on 1 day at DHS. That being said, we have 16 days at WDW, so once the kids do each park, I will then let them choose what parks they want to visit more...I am going to guess MK would probably be there first choice..but I am not sure since I have not been to WDW in many many years.

We also have the Water Park and more option, so I can guarantee we will be doing both water parks. My kids are fish, so I know the water parks will be right up there on the list!

As for the restaurants at AKL, we do have ADR's for breakfast and dinner. I have heard the restaurants are amazing (from most people anyways)

I don't think I have ever had such a hard time planning a vacation before. So many decisions, and I am so afraid of making some that I will regret later...

 

[Syndrome]

Dont forget, you can vist AK lodge ANY time you want and as much as you want. Eat at all the restaurants, see the animals, etc.
What you cant do is visit Stormalong Bay at BC. If you kids are fish, they will LOVE SAB.
Dont get me wrong, our family loves AK Lodge (we visit every trip). I just cant imagine the kids not getting a little bored after 6-7 days there. The pool is Nice, but not anything special. After you have seen the animal views a few times, that gets old too. If you are not going to get a savanna view, there is really not much at AK you cant do while just visiting the lodge instead of staying.

I am holding firm on my vote to drop AK . Just go and visit.

Ironically while we would love to visit AK Lodge again (and WL) .......we feel its very difficult (and very expensive) for a family of 5 to stay there. The last time we did, they had rooms that had 1 king, 1 day bed, and bunk beds........perfect for a family of 5. Sadly (for us) they got rid of these rooms

Really try to go to all 3. You will have plenty of time with 15 nights. It sounds like you guys will not be visiting the parks a lot, and enjoying the resorts. Thats even more reason to split between all 3 of your choices. It will keep you vacation fresh and it will feel like 3 vacations ! Kids will be guaranteed NOT to be bored if you switch things up a bit.


Syndrome

 

[mickeynut1]

SAB looks amazing, but I've heard it can be very croweded.

All 3 resorts have great pools, but SAB does look the best! I do love AKL pools, it looks like an oasis....

SAB is a nice pool complex, but since it is shared between 2 resorts, it can/does get crowded, IMO. Our favorite pool on property is the volcano pool at the Poly (even over SAB). We did enjoy SAB, but I think it's pretty spread out and is sometimes hard to keep track of little ones.

I totally disagree with dropping AKL especially if you are at Jambo house. BOMA is a great restaurant, for all 3 meals. If you resist the temptation to try everything the first time, it works well for a variety of meals over the course of the vacation. The lobby is amazing and entertaining for a 3 and 6 year old on a rainy afternoon. There is a lot to see, the floor rubbings and the comfy couches with TVs in the lobby.

The ability to see the animals at any time, as well as the opportunity to see them at night with night vision goggles. The CMs at the resort have a wealth of knowledge about the animals and Africa in general and are always happy to talk.

ITA .

Right now I have a pool view. Still deciding whether to upgrade to Savanna view cause of the cost. Staying deluxe for 15 nights gets expensive, so I had to save somewhere...Savanna view isn't totally out yet though...I'm working the DH on that as well...LOL

We've stayed both pool and savanna view and while savanna view was nice, we liked the pool view just as much . One thing we loved about our pool view room was that it was very convenient to the lobby, gift shop, and elevator to go down to the pool and Mara. Savanna view rooms are great for watching the animals from your balcony, but they are quite a hike from the lobby, restaurants, etc. I wouldn't hesitate to book a pool over savanna view again .

We only plan on 1 day at Epcot cause of the ages of the kids, and I honestly have no interest in the F&W. We are focusing more on MK. We also only planned on 1 day at DHS. That being said, we have 16 days at WDW, so once the kids do each park, I will then let them choose what parks they want to visit more...I am going to guess MK would probably be there first choice..but I am not sure since I have not been to WDW in many many years.

We also have the Water Park and more option, so I can guarantee we will be doing both water parks. My kids are fish, so I know the water parks will be right up there on the list!

As for the restaurants at AKL, we do have ADR's for breakfast and dinner. I have heard the restaurants are amazing (from most people anyways)

I don't think I have ever had such a hard time planning a vacation before. So many decisions, and I am so afraid of making some that I will regret later...

If you won't be spending a lot of time at Epcot/DHS, I would drop BC. Transportation can be hit or miss from the Epcot resorts (via the buses), so if only a day or two would be spent at Epcot with most days at MK, I would go with AKL. BC also doesn't have CS like that of the other deluxe resorts. CS options are very limited, IMO, especially if you want a quick breakfast and are looking for things like eggs, waffles, etc. BC is a beautiful resort, but depending on what you're looking for, sometimes there are better options.

 

[flinkerfrosch]

Dont forget, you can vist AK lodge ANY time you want and as much as you want. Eat at all the restaurants, see the animals, etc.
What you cant do is visit Stormalong Bay at BC. If you kids are fish, they will LOVE SAB.
Dont get me wrong, our family loves AK Lodge (we visit every trip). I just cant imagine the kids not getting a little bored after 6-7 days there. The pool is Nice, but not anything special. After you have seen the animal views a few times, that gets old too. If you are not going to get a savanna view, there is really not much at AK you cant do while just visiting the lodge instead of staying.

I am holding firm on my vote to drop AK . Just go and visit.

Ironically while we would love to visit AK Lodge again (and WL) .......we feel its very difficult (and very expensive) for a family of 5 to stay there. The last time we did, they had rooms that had 1 king, 1 days bed, and bunk beds........perfect for a family of 5. Sadly (for us) they got rid of these rooms

Really try to go to all 3. You will have plenty of time with 15 nights. It sounds like you guys will not be visiting the parks a lot, and enjoying the resorts. Thats even more reason to split between all 3 of your choices. It will keep you vacation fresh and it will feel like 3 vacations ! Kids will be guaranteed NOT to be bored if you switch things up a bit.


Syndrome

You make very wise points as well!!

I am still going to work on DH to stay at all 3! My heart really wants to visit all 3 resorts to get as much experience and fun as possible.

He's concerned its too much "moving" around. We never unpack, so packing up is easy for us, and I am super organized!

We have so many things planned that I think he's worried moving 3 times will add to our busy schedule.

You are right, we are not everyday park people...we like to do every other day or even every 2nd day at a park, and enjoy the resort, water parks, DTD, mini golf etc on our "down days"

We also have a lot of ADR's as we are doing the DDP for 10 nights out of the 15.

We will have a rental, so that should help. I said we don't need one, but DH insists, so I am going to go with it...

I really appreciate all your help! As you can see or read..I am truly torn! If I didn't have kids, the DH and I would either plant our butts at the Poly or we would go to Fiji...lol

I just want my kids to have the best time!!!!

 

[goofy4tink]

So, you're going for 16 days, with a lot of those days not in the parks? Correct? If you're going to have down days anyway, why not stick with the 3 resorts plan and spend that addtl bit of time moving. You'll have a car, so your bags can stay in the car until your room is ready. Not having a room when you get to the resort, immediately, is the big 'con' for me when changing resorts. But, since you'll have a car, you will be able to have your clothes and swim suits handy. Pack up, drive to the next resort and get checked in. If the room isn't ready yet, change your clothes and go for a swim...relax by the pool. Or just head off to do whatever you want to do.
If you were going to be in the parks every day, all day? I would say to dump one resort (probably AKL) and only move once. But you are planning on down days.
I love AKL..it's one of my favorite resorts. If you want to relax at a resort and do nothing, then AKL is a terrific choice. BC allows you good access to both Epcot and DHS, while the Polynesian is wonderful for MK access.

I really don't think switching resorts every 5 days is a big deal. It takes about an hour and could possibly leave you room-less until the afternoon. If you're okay with not having a room for a few hours, then I say go for it.

 

[Syndrome]

You make very wise points as well!!

I am still going to work on DH to stay at all 3! My heart really wants to visit all 3 resorts to get as much experience and fun as possible.

He's concerned its too much "moving" around. We never unpack, so packing up is easy for us, and I am super organized!

We have so many things planned that I think he's worried moving 3 times will add to our busy schedule.

You are right, we are not everyday park people...we like to do every other day or even every 2nd day at a park, and enjoy the resort, water parks, DTD, mini golf etc on our "down days"

We also have a lot of ADR's as we are doing the DDP for 10 nights out of the 15.

We will have a rental, so that should help. I said we don't need one, but DH insists, so I am going to go with it...

I really appreciate all your help! As you can see or read..I am truly torn! If I didn't have kids, the DH and I would either plant our butts at the Poly or we would go to Fiji...lol

I just want my kids to have the best time!!!!

If you have a rental car ........... that makes it very easy to split resort visits. With a rental car, you should really try to convince your hubby to split x 3.
On the day of check out , pack up your luggage in the trunk of the rental car. Then either stay at the resort and enjoy it, check in at the next resort (hopefully your room might be ready) and enjoy that resort for the day until the room is ready or go to a park, waterpark ,minigolf, tour other resorts etc. You will only be "homeless" for about 4 hours. You are like us, and we really never unpack........rarely do we use the dresser drawers, just the closet for hanging up our nice "go out to eat" outfits. We just live out of our suitcases, and usually have 1 combined "dirty clothes" bag.

My new vote (since you have a rental car). DONT drop anything........convince your hubby to try a split x 3. I bet when its all over he will admit to liking the experience.

Good luck with your decision !

Syndrome