Head Exploding, First Visit!

[V.I.N.CENT.]

We decided to finally take the plunge. Not visiting our beloved Disneyland in 2019! Instead hitching a ride to the far east to visit Disney World for the first time. Deciding to small step this one, looking for hotel recommendations first.

I will be attempting to purchase DVC points (through reputable dealer). Staying the week before Thanksgiving. 9 nights with 8 days in the parks. Still yet to decide if it will be split 2/2/2/2, or if we can get away with 1/2/2/3. Possibly doing one day Magic Kingdom, three in EPCOT. This makes a difference in where we are staying.

Trying to narrow down between following options, willing to split stays as well!

Boardwalk Villas or Beach Club Villas

Grand Floridian or Polynesian

Boulder Ridge

Animal Kingdom

Will be three of us, so studios work. Pretty much settled on that.

Would love to have access to monorail/ferry. Don't know how critical it is, but sounds fun.

My initial thought is Boardwalk/Polynesian/Animal Kingdom split. Staying three nights each. Also considering just picking one hotel and settling in. Leaning toward Grand Floridian if that's the case.

Any and all help is appreciated!

 

[goodeats]

Is your third a child? How old? Our family are locals to Disneyland and we needed two days at the MK for sure. Of course we were there during the heat of August which makes for long mid-day breaks. You might also be there during MVMCP which could give you extra time at MK. Attraction wise Epcot is light, of course there are lots of areas to explore. If you are not into exploring World Showcase 3 days at Epcot is probably overkill. Park hoppers would give you flexibility though.

Wilderness Lodge can't be beat for Christmas decorations. I don't love the theming of the Poly, but you can walk to the TTC (straight shot to Epcot) and monorail to MK. I find the monorails old and know they occasionally can have issues. Although we didn't have any last time. GF is beautiful. I LOVE being at the Beach Club and walking to Epcot, but for your first trip I think being on Bay Lake/7 Seas Lagoon to be so lovely.

ETA - I don't like the idea of split stay because I like to unpack and settle in. At most I would only switch once.

 

[NH-to-FL]

I'll put my suggestion in for the Boardwalk. DW and I have stayed there many times, once we splurged on a 1 bedroom villa. We really enjoyed that stay. We think the Epcot resort area is the best location on site. Being able to walk (or boat) to two parks is a real plus.

We aren't into split stays, we prefer to settle in and relax, but your split of the BWV, GF, and AKL is about as good as you can get.

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

If you can manage it, a 3/3/3 split would work really well logistically if you plan to visit all 4 parks and spend equal time in each area. BW and BC are perfect for visiting Epcot and HS. We've stayed at BWV and LOVE it!!!! The resort and staff are fantastic, but BC has the better pool. It was great being able to walk into Epcot via the International Gateway and taking the friendship boat to HS.

We've also stayed in AKV at Jambo House (have yet to stay at Kidani), and wish we could live there permanently. It would be a great place to stay for AK park days, but it's also a destination in and of itself. Plenty to do there w/o visiting a park.

We've never stayed at a monorail resort, but I would love to do so. It would be lovely to be so close to the MK. We would probably choose WL since we like to use the boats more than the monorail and we like the overall feel of that resort. It reminds us a little of AK.

 

[Hopefully]

I would NEVER move 3 times in one trip, let alone my first trip. That is not enough time to really experience any resort. Plus you are homeless from 11 AM until late afternoon on move day. Personally I would settle in and enjoy the resort amenities too b

 

[V.I.N.CENT.]

I would NEVER move 3 times in one trip, let alone my first trip. That is not enough time to really experience any resort. Plus you are homeless from 11 AM until late afternoon on move day. Personally I would settle in and enjoy the resort amenities too b

With that said, Floridian? Or something more central like Beach?

 

[V.I.N.CENT.]

Is your third a child? How old? Our family are locals to Disneyland and we needed two days at the MK for sure. Of course we were there during the heat of August which makes for long mid-day breaks. You might also be there during MVMCP which could give you extra time at MK. Attraction wise Epcot is light, of course there are lots of areas to explore. If you are not into exploring World Showcase 3 days at Epcot is probably overkill. Park hoppers would give you flexibility though.

Wilderness Lodge can't be beat for Christmas decorations. I don't love the theming of the Poly, but you can walk to the TTC (straight shot to Epcot) and monorail to MK. I find the monorails old and know they occasionally can have issues. Although we didn't have any last time. GF is beautiful. I LOVE being at the Beach Club and walking to Epcot, but for your first trip I think being on Bay Lake/7 Seas Lagoon to be so lovely.

ETA - I don't like the idea of split stay because I like to unpack and settle in. At most I would only switch once.

Two adults and an 11 year old daughter. She is fine not riding things that are exact or similar to DL like Mermaid, Dumbo, Teacups. Heck, we can even skip Galaxy's Edge in Hollywood while we are there. We are troopers, can do all day without going back, so transfer days should be covered by in-park stays. Did not think about MVMCP, that sounds like a must!

My struggle will be narrowing down to two. GF looks like a must. Would hate to drop AK, but maybe for next time.

 

[coast2coastmickey]

I would go for one of the Epcot resorts. It's extremely valuable to be able to walk to the parks (as you're used to in CA), and you'll be able to walk to 2 resorts if you stay at Boardwalk/Beach Club. The Epcot resorts are much smaller than most other Disney hotels so the buses usually aren't packed unless you're right at park open or close, so getting to MK or AK will still be relatively fine.

Since this is your first time to WDW, you'll want to realize that the distances are HUGE between parks, resorts, and really anything else, so minimizing your dependency on transportation can be key.

You can also look at the Swan/Dolphin hotel which is part of the same area, where your savings could literally be thousands of dollars (even when renting points) over a 9 night trip. Pros and cons to this one depending on who you talk to, but my opinion the pros would outweigh the cons (this would be my choice, full disclosure).

 

[MamaMaleficent2016]

If you’re picking a location to “settle in”, I highly recommend Beach Club. We stay for longer durations (10+ days) and find that to be a convenient and comfortable home base.

Whatever you pick, I hope your family enjoys!!!!

 

[Marionnette]

I would NEVER move 3 times in one trip, let alone my first trip. That is not enough time to really experience any resort. Plus you are homeless from 11 AM until late afternoon on move day. Personally I would settle in and enjoy the resort amenities too b

More than likely "early evening" when you're dealing with DVC. Check in begins at 4 PM, not 3 PM like the hotels, and is quite often later than that!

I would limit it to no more than 2 hotels and would actually recommend that first-time visitors stick to just one.

 

[Babsy]

I like the three way split. You get to maximize the deluxe proximity to the parks when you stay in the MK, Epcot and the AK areas. With an 11 year old the move won't be difficult and you already plan to stay in a theme park during the potentially 'homeless' hours. Plus, you get to experience three different deluxe resorts!

I would choose the Polynesian, Beach Club and the Animal Kingdom Lodge. You need three days per resort, IMO, to truly get to experience the resort and its amenities. I suggested the Polynesian because it is the favourite of many people, but the Grand Floridian is really just as great IMO. SO either one of these is awesome for the MK area. There is something magical about a stay at the Poly. If you are only staying at one resort, then this is the one that I would recommend for most people as a first time choice.

I think that the BC is great for an 11 year old who will probably be very excited by Storm Along Bay (the pool area). Again, it is often the resort that seems to appeal to many people. Its location is excellent and it is the very closest to Epcot of all the Epcot resorts.

The AKL is so unique that it would be a shame to miss a stay here. There are two really nice pools - one at Kidani and one at Jambo. Wherever you stay in the AKL, you are able to use both pools. Dining is another plus to a stay at AKL. The quick service is tasty and convenient, Boma is not to be missed and JIKO is a culinary delight! Sanaa has a really good lunch as well. We go to the AKL every trip to eat at one or more of the restaurants even when we aren't staying here. All that said, if you decide on a 2 way split, I would choose the MK and Epcot area resorts and do the AKL on another trip.

One thing to be careful of is getting your bookings. If you are using points over Thanksgiving you will need to book at 11 months out. Are you planning on buying points with multiple home resorts? If only one home resort then you will need to book one or two (depending upon if you do a 2 or 3 way split) at 7 months. If staying at the AKL, you will probably be safest trying for this one at 7 months. Also, be prepared with alternative resorts in case the one that you are hoping for is booked.

Good luck planning! Sounds like you will have an awesome first trip!

 

[V.I.N.CENT.]

I would go for one of the Epcot resorts. It's extremely valuable to be able to walk to the parks (as you're used to in CA), and you'll be able to walk to 2 resorts if you stay at Boardwalk/Beach Club. The Epcot resorts are much smaller than most other Disney hotels so the buses usually aren't packed unless you're right at park open or close, so getting to MK or AK will still be relatively fine.

Since this is your first time to WDW, you'll want to realize that the distances are HUGE between parks, resorts, and really anything else, so minimizing your dependency on transportation can be key.

You can also look at the Swan/Dolphin hotel which is part of the same area, where your savings could literally be thousands of dollars (even when renting points) over a 9 night trip. Pros and cons to this one depending on who you talk to, but my opinion the pros would outweigh the cons (this would be my choice, full disclosure).

Yeah, I am accustomed to walking right into the parks. We left the Grand a couple weeks ago at 7:35am and made front of the line rope drop in Disneyland at 8am

 

[V.I.N.CENT.]

I like the three way split. You get to maximize the deluxe proximity to the parks when you stay in the MK, Epcot and the AK areas. With an 11 year old the move won't be difficult and you already plan to stay in a theme park during the potentially 'homeless' hours. Plus, you get to experience three different deluxe resorts!

I would choose the Polynesian, Beach Club and the Animal Kingdom Lodge. You need three days per resort, IMO, to truly get to experience the resort and its amenities. I suggested the Polynesian because it is the favourite of many people, but the Grand Floridian is really just as great IMO. SO either one of these is awesome for the MK area. There is something magical about a stay at the Poly. If you are only staying at one resort, then this is the one that I would recommend for most people as a first time choice.

I think that the BC is great for an 11 year old who will probably be very excited by Storm Along Bay (the pool area). Again, it is often the resort that seems to appeal to many people. Its location is excellent and it is the very closest to Epcot of all the Epcot resorts.

The AKL is so unique that it would be a shame to miss a stay here. There are two really nice pools - one at Kidani and one at Jambo. Wherever you stay in the AKL, you are able to use both pools. Dining is another plus to a stay at AKL. The quick service is tasty and convenient, Boma is not to be missed and JIKO is a culinary delight! Sanaa has a really good lunch as well. We go to the AKL every trip to eat at one or more of the restaurants even when we aren't staying here. All that said, if you decide on a 2 way split, I would choose the MK and Epcot area resorts and do the AKL on another trip.

One thing to be careful of is getting your bookings. If you are using points over Thanksgiving you will need to book at 11 months out. Are you planning on buying points with multiple home resorts? If only one home resort then you will need to book one or two (depending upon if you do a 2 or 3 way split) at 7 months. If staying at the AKL, you will probably be safest trying for this one at 7 months. Also, be prepared with alternative resorts in case the one that you are hoping for is booked.

Good luck planning! Sounds like you will have an awesome first trip!

Thanks for the info! Still flip flopping between two and three resorts at this point. Called the booking company, they said no problem, just list it on the separate booking requests and they will take care of it. I am planing for November of 2019, will submit the requests as soon as possible (11 months out I hear). Don't think we will use the pools too much, we typically hit the parks as much as we can. 9 nights is starting to feel too short, darn those budgets!

I am hearing a lot about how awesome AK is. A little reluctant to book an extended stay there because of the distance from the other parks. If I do, maybe towards the end of the trip would work.

 

[rinnythepooh]

I would recomend one of the Epcot resorts because you can walk to 2 parks. I would pick BC and purchase park hoppers.

 

[Spunky946]

I prefer the mk resorts. I love the contemporary and poly.

 

[cinnaminny]

I am on the west coast and took the plunge this year to visit Disney World instead of Disneyland. I do not regret it, it was fantastic. Except for Pirates, Disneyland Pirates is MUCH better.

I thought about doing a split stay, I am glad we didn't, it would have been a hassle for me to pack up in the middle of it all. But if you're not a big messy packer it might work out for you. lol I did read they move your bags pretty easily for you.

We ended up doing 9 nights at the Contemporary and quite honestly, when I go back, I will stay at the Contemporary again. You can easily walk to the MK if you don't want to wait for the monorail or vice/v. The other great thing about the monorail hotels that I did not realize before I went. They check your bags before you get on the monorail and then you can just walk right into the Magic Kingdom. You don't have to go through a bag check again. Most of the time we didn't even wait in line to get our bags checked (in the resort), maybe one or two people but it was fairly fast. (you do have to get your bags checked at Epcot after the monorail, but it did save a lot of time when going to the Magic Kingdom)


It also doesn't take very long to get to Epcot from the monorail resorts, particularly the Contemporary since the TTC is the very next stop. Or a quick walk from the Poly to the TTC. I think it was about 7 minutes from TTC to Epcot. Super easy.


Since it was our first time we actually kept a rental car (we went to Cocoa beach for a few days before heading to WDW) and it made it really easy and fast to get to the non monorail parks including both of the water parks. ( I preferred Typhoon Lagoon, but both were great) We also like to take breaks in the middle of the day so the car worked for us. I think I would do it again, it gave us the most park time and the down time we need in the middle of the day.

 

[Family B]

Don't under estimate the size or crowds at Disneyworld. It's huge compared to Disneyland and Fall/Winter 2019 could see record crowds with Star Wars. I'm assuming by buying points you are referring to renting. There are a lot of experts on this board on renting points (I've never rented because between discounts and our own DVC, I can usually find a deal on what I need/want). Renting is different than buying into DVC or doing a regular room reservation, make sure you understand how cancellations/changes work and that the owner of the points "owns" your reservation for you. Payment terms are very different for renting and you don't have control over it like you would if you book direct.

DVC is the busiest in the Fall and with Star Wars coming, I would expect really tough availability at anything in the Epcot/HS area. You will have to find an owner that is willing to rent out their points at the 11 month mark (I'd expect a premium since most believe that owners will be looking to use their points for themselves or charge a higher than usual cost per point). You are also looking for a lot of points and a lot of home owner advantage to get that 11 month booking and if you are doing a split stay you need multiple owners with home advantage.

AKL isn't really as far as most like to make it out. One of the big advantages is because it isn't on the monorail or just outside of Epcot, it doesn't have as many "day" guest. It has a slightly quieter feel to it. It's really a lovely resort. Keep in mind that there are two sets of DVC Studio's. Make sure you check out the bed situation in the Studio's. Most of them are 1 Queen with a queen pull out couch. Old Key West has 2 regular queen beds and Poly adds in a Twin Sleep Murphy. Poly also has an additional bathroom (Sink and Shower).

I'd also suggest a back up plan to book direct just in case you can't find owners to rent from. ​

Like others, I would plan on spending 2 days in Magic Kingdom. Even the duplicated rides between Disneyland and Disneyworld have some differences. Experience both, they are unique in their own way. (We love Disneyland as much as we love Disneyworld.) There is lots to see and do at the resorts, so it is well worth the time to experience those activities. We split stay a lot, but you need to have a good plan. (Personally, I would pick one resort and go with it.)

Don't forget to do your ADRs at 180 days. This is a big difference between the east and west coast. If you want to do sit down table meals at that time of the year, you will need the 180+10 advantage.

Happy Planning!

 

[Kippa-Dee-Do-Dah]

We just got back from our first trip to WDW after doing Disneyland several times. (We stayed at POR). So I totally get where you're coming from with needing to walk to the parks - we always stayed on Harbour within walking distance. Since we drove to Florida, we drove to the parks every day. It was really awesome not having to wait for buses, and going at rope drop meant we parked close to the parks. That said...

I would totally stay at a monorail resort. For convenience, Contemporary (walk to MK) and Poly (closest to TTC, for transfer to Epcot) are your best bets near MK, with BW/BC having the ability to walk to Epcot. My personal faves? Poly, GF, and WL, with the latter being better for Christmas decor. AKL doesn't appeal to me, but it's supposed to be amazing at Christmas as well. I really think anywhere you stay will have pros and cons. Honestly, I can't imagine moving every 3 nights. We just did 9 nights and that would've been a nightmare - we had long park days (like you we don't really take mid-day breaks) and flopping straight into bed is way better than unpacking everything again.

Definitely do 2-3 days in MK. It's just huge. And way more spread out than DL, so a lot more walking. Epcot for us was a 2-day park and we did almost everything there. I can't imagine 3 days there. HS is going to be crazy once Galaxy's Edge opens but for us, last week, it was a 1-day park. We skipped AK so can't comment on there.

So basically, I'd book either GF or WL (or both!) for Christmas. But that's JMO.

 

[partigus]

i've never used bell series for split stays- first question- can you do that "renting" points" or will you need to move the bags each day...even if they will move them- do you have to want to live out of a suit case for the week?

my vote- pick a place yu like- you can experience the common grounds of any of the resorts with a meal (Staying at GF- when at AK- roll over to AKL for Jiko, Boma, or Sanaa for dinner)Since you have DL in your back yard- I'd look at the epcot hotels- our fav is the Yacht club....access to the same pool as the beach club- walk/boat to epcot or HS and a great view of the Board walk at night (id rather look at it over the lake at night- beautiful, walkable, and quiet!!!) Beach club is the same, but lobby has a "smell" to me that persists from the seafood buffet - would still stay there- just like YC a bit more

 

[sndral]

We decided to finally take the plunge. Not visiting our beloved Disneyland in 2019! Instead hitching a ride to the far east to visit Disney World for the first time. Deciding to small step this one, looking for hotel recommendations first.

I will be attempting to purchase DVC points (through reputable dealer). Staying the week before Thanksgiving. 9 nights with 8 days in the parks. Still yet to decide if it will be split 2/2/2/2, or if we can get away with 1/2/2/3. Possibly doing one day Magic Kingdom, three in EPCOT. This makes a difference in where we are staying.

Trying to narrow down between following options, willing to split stays as well!

Boardwalk Villas or Beach Club Villas

Grand Floridian or Polynesian

Boulder Ridge

Animal Kingdom

Will be three of us, so studios work. Pretty much settled on that.

Would love to have access to monorail/ferry. Don't know how critical it is, but sounds fun.

My initial thought is Boardwalk/Polynesian/Animal Kingdom split. Staying three nights each. Also considering just picking one hotel and settling in. Leaning toward Grand Floridian if that's the case.

Any and all help is appreciated!

As was mentioned above to use points to stay at a resort you’ll need to find an owner to rent those points to you. You can do this directly or via a broker. The week before thanksgiving is not the absolutely most popular time for DVC, but it is pretty popular, thus it will be essential that you have an owner of the resort you want to stay at ready to book for you right at 11 months. Realize that studios are generally the first villas to book. Regarding the resorts you are interested in:
Boardwalk v. Beach club - you might have a chance at Boardwalk water/garden view as it’s much larger than BC.
Grand Floridian v. Poly - Grand Floridian is very hard to get as there aren’t many villas there, Poly has more villas and they are all studios (except for the bungalows) but it’s quite popular - so you might get lucky w/ a Poly studio, Grand Floridian would be less likely.
Boulder ridge isn’t that large, thus harder to get.
Animal Kingdom, especially Kidani, is fairly large and you could probably get a studio there.
Rather than worrying about which resort you’d prefer, perhaps focus on getting studios at acceptable resorts in Dec. when the 11 month booking window opens and once you settle that, then start sorting out your plans?
Good luck.