Help me choose my resort so I can book it!

[usmcwife1]

I have a list of Resort options narrowed down. I am ready to book one but am not exactly sure which one. I asked DH's opinion and he said they all look fine to him (lol) so I was hoping for some help from some DIS'ers that have more experience than us.

A lil background info:
We are planning on visiting the 1st or 2nd week in may for 6 nights (poss. 7 but 6 for sure), the dates are flexible within that 2 weeks, I'm more concerned about making sure we get our military rate than what day we actually leave lol. We are driving down from NC and there are 6 of us (DH, ME, DS11, DS8, DS7 & DS5). They are all fine sleeping together, most nights our younger DS's sneak into older DS queen size bed and cuddle up together.

We are using the military discount on rooms (30% on values, 35% on mods or 40% on deluxe) and adding the dining plan (at full cost), we will be purchasing military salute tickets (either 4 day hoppers or may add the Water fun and more option to the hoppers, not sure yet). I plan on feeding us a light breakfast (cereal for the kids, coffee for DH & I) in the room before the park as we aren't big breakfast people. Most of out ADRs will be at EPCOT or the resorts. If we do the WPF&M tickets we'll spend a non-park day @ the waterparks, if we skip it we'll hang around the resort to swim.

We are trying to keep our budget for the trip at or under $6000. I planned out our incidentals/non package expenses and subtracted the tickets (at the highest cost, if we don't get the WPF&M we have an add'l $168 in our budget) and dining plan and we could spend up to $2000 on our room. Anything leftover will rollback into our spending money, which would be helpful since I budgeted for the minimum and sometimes you get on vacation and want to spend more (aka you NEED more souvenirs!) lol.

Right now we have decided on the following options (the quotes are for 6 nights including tax):
Art of Animation Family Suite- $1537
All Star Music Family Suite- $1300
2 Connecting Rooms @ POP- $1229 (for both)
Ft. Wilderness Cabin- $1582
Coronado Springs Jr. Suite- $1938
2 Connecting Rooms at Port Orleans Riverside or Caribbean Beach- $1729 (for both)

I looked into a Deluxe but for our size family we'd need club level and that pushes our room budget over by $800...

As far as I can tell the kid's choices are (in order) AoA, POP, Ft. Wilderness, then Music. I would like POR or CB but the slim chance our rooms aren't connecting worries me, plus we have to be lucky to get 2 rooms left @ military rate for our dates, they are limited to begin... DH was very impressed with our last stay offsite (2 BR @ Bonnet Creek) so I know he likes the extra space but would probably prefer we get the cheapest room. Plus I cooked during our last trip (DH had just come home from afghanistan and didn't really want to eat out, so I cooked most breakfast and dinner) and there's no way I'm doing it this time around, no real need for a full kitchen like there was last time... lol

Any ideas?? Where would you stay? Anything I can eliminate right now? Help?? lol

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

You've done your homework!

In my personal opinion I would go with AoA. Your children's ages fall perfectly in line with the theme of the resort! I share your concern about connecting rooms at POR/CBR, there is never a 100% guarantee you can get them and it could put a major damper on your trip. I haven't stayed at AoA yet but all the pictures I've seen and the reports I've read are amazing! I think you guys would have the time of your lives!

 

[floridagirl61]

I have stayed at the ASMu, CS, and POP. I have been happy with all of these resorts. I think that I would pick AOA only because it is new and looks really nice with great pool areas. Just pick whichever one you are really leaning towards and have a great time

 

[disneyfan2kids]

I have a list of Resort options narrowed down. I am ready to book one but am not exactly sure which one. I asked DH's opinion and he said they all look fine to him (lol) so I was hoping for some help from some DIS'ers that have more experience than us.

A lil background info:
We are planning on visiting the 1st or 2nd week in may for 6 nights (poss. 7 but 6 for sure), the dates are flexible within that 2 weeks, I'm more concerned about making sure we get our military rate than what day we actually leave lol. We are driving down from NC and there are 6 of us (DH, ME, DS11, DS8, DS7 & DS5). They are all fine sleeping together, most nights our younger DS's sneak into older DS queen size bed and cuddle up together.

We are using the military discount on rooms (30% on values, 35% on mods or 40% on deluxe) and adding the dining plan (at full cost), we will be purchasing military salute tickets (either 4 day hoppers or may add the Water fun and more option to the hoppers, not sure yet). I plan on feeding us a light breakfast (cereal for the kids, coffee for DH & I) in the room before the park as we aren't big breakfast people. Most of out ADRs will be at EPCOT or the resorts. If we do the WPF&M tickets we'll spend a non-park day @ the waterparks, if we skip it we'll hang around the resort to swim.

We are trying to keep our budget for the trip at or under $6000. I planned out our incidentals/non package expenses and subtracted the tickets (at the highest cost, if we don't get the WPF&M we have an add'l $168 in our budget) and dining plan and we could spend up to $2000 on our room. Anything leftover will rollback into our spending money, which would be helpful since I budgeted for the minimum and sometimes you get on vacation and want to spend more (aka you NEED more souvenirs!) lol.

Right now we have decided on the following options (the quotes are for 6 nights including tax):
Art of Animation Family Suite- $1537
All Star Music Family Suite- $1300
2 Connecting Rooms @ POP- $1229 (for both)
Ft. Wilderness Cabin- $1582
Coronado Springs Jr. Suite- $1938
2 Connecting Rooms at Port Orleans Riverside or Caribbean Beach- $1729 (for both)

I looked into a Deluxe but for our size family we'd need club level and that pushes our room budget over by $800...

As far as I can tell the kid's choices are (in order) AoA, POP, Ft. Wilderness, then Music. I would like POR or CB but the slim chance our rooms aren't connecting worries me, plus we have to be lucky to get 2 rooms left @ military rate for our dates, they are limited to begin... DH was very impressed with our last stay offsite (2 BR @ Bonnet Creek) so I know he likes the extra space but would probably prefer we get the cheapest room. Plus I cooked during our last trip (DH had just come home from afghanistan and didn't really want to eat out, so I cooked most breakfast and dinner) and there's no way I'm doing it this time around, no real need for a full kitchen like there was last time... lol

Any ideas?? Where would you stay? Anything I can eliminate right now? Help?? lol

I would absolutely choose the FW Cabin.

1.) With a full kitchen you WILL save money on eating out. I don't cook "full" meals with our kitchen (DVC) BUT just cereal, donuts, and sandwiches cuts down ALOT on your food bill.

2.) Personally - I wouldn't do the meal plan with a full kitchen - I find it is more than we would normally spend..often ALOT more. I think you could potentially save ALOT of money this way.

3.) FW has SO many things to do outside the parks, trails, petting zoo, animals, campfires. You will love having all of those options if/when you only have 4 day parkhoppers.

4.) At FW you will have the ability to take either the boat and/or the monorail (after boatride) to visit many other resorts and eat/sightsee/participate.

I've stayed at most of the other options (except AoA) and while nice.... they don't offer nearly as much to do and options as FW does. Your kids will have a whole world of fun things to do right outside their door!

My 2 cents.

 

[mouseketeermama]

AOA without a second thought. Have a great trip!

 

[MMS1125]

I think I'd go with AoA or ASMu Suite since that will give you 2 bathrooms and multiple sleeping areas plus I think I read this is a pre-deployment trip so you want to be guaranteed together. The military is a great discount however I think if Free Dining comes out for your time period you will save more that route even with paying rack rate for your room. I wouldn't order your tickets yet just in case. You can always change your mind on which discount you use as time gets closer.

 

[Sandmanswife9]

I have a list of Resort options narrowed down. I am ready to book one but am not exactly sure which one. I asked DH's opinion and he said they all look fine to him (lol) so I was hoping for some help from some DIS'ers that have more experience than us.

A lil background info:
We are planning on visiting the 1st or 2nd week in may for 6 nights (poss. 7 but 6 for sure), the dates are flexible within that 2 weeks, I'm more concerned about making sure we get our military rate than what day we actually leave lol. We are driving down from NC and there are 6 of us (DH, ME, DS11, DS8, DS7 & DS5). They are all fine sleeping together, most nights our younger DS's sneak into older DS queen size bed and cuddle up together.

We are using the military discount on rooms (30% on values, 35% on mods or 40% on deluxe) and adding the dining plan (at full cost), we will be purchasing military salute tickets (either 4 day hoppers or may add the Water fun and more option to the hoppers, not sure yet). I plan on feeding us a light breakfast (cereal for the kids, coffee for DH & I) in the room before the park as we aren't big breakfast people. Most of out ADRs will be at EPCOT or the resorts. If we do the WPF&M tickets we'll spend a non-park day @ the waterparks, if we skip it we'll hang around the resort to swim.

We are trying to keep our budget for the trip at or under $6000. I planned out our incidentals/non package expenses and subtracted the tickets (at the highest cost, if we don't get the WPF&M we have an add'l $168 in our budget) and dining plan and we could spend up to $2000 on our room. Anything leftover will rollback into our spending money, which would be helpful since I budgeted for the minimum and sometimes you get on vacation and want to spend more (aka you NEED more souvenirs!) lol.

Right now we have decided on the following options (the quotes are for 6 nights including tax):
Art of Animation Family Suite- $1537
All Star Music Family Suite- $1300
2 Connecting Rooms @ POP- $1229 (for both)
Ft. Wilderness Cabin- $1582
Coronado Springs Jr. Suite- $1938
2 Connecting Rooms at Port Orleans Riverside or Caribbean Beach- $1729 (for both)

I looked into a Deluxe but for our size family we'd need club level and that pushes our room budget over by $800...

As far as I can tell the kid's choices are (in order) AoA, POP, Ft. Wilderness, then Music. I would like POR or CB but the slim chance our rooms aren't connecting worries me, plus we have to be lucky to get 2 rooms left @ military rate for our dates, they are limited to begin... DH was very impressed with our last stay offsite (2 BR @ Bonnet Creek) so I know he likes the extra space but would probably prefer we get the cheapest room. Plus I cooked during our last trip (DH had just come home from afghanistan and didn't really want to eat out, so I cooked most breakfast and dinner) and there's no way I'm doing it this time around, no real need for a full kitchen like there was last time... lol

Any ideas?? Where would you stay? Anything I can eliminate right now? Help?? lol

Have you tried SOG? That could be an option. We stayed at POP and loved it. Last year was POR with connecting rooms and felt that POP was much nicer. The food court had more to offer, the walk was not as long and the busses were great. I am also a Military wife and feel that even though you get a military discount, it's not always the best way to go. I have yet to use it. You might be better off getting a non discounted room at POR or CBS and use the FDP if offered and use the military discount for your park tickets. just a thought

 

[MMS1125]

Ran some numbers and if Free Dining is avail on your trip
AoA would be $4830ish with 7 day hoppers and WP&M added and free dining. This was for 7 nights from May 6-13, 2013

 

[usmcwife1]

Ran some numbers and if Free Dining is avail on your trip
AoA would be $4830ish with 7 day hoppers and WP&M added and free dining. This was for 7 nights from May 6-13, 2013

That would be awesome, except I'm not sure they typically offer free dining in May?? I looked around for past years and I found it was mostly April. I will keep an eye out, though and I appreciate you running numbers for us, I didn't even think of that as an option.. I also planned on waiting to purchase our tickets until right before we leave, since the military tickets are non refundable and you really never know when it comes to military leave lol.

 

[usmcwife1]

Have you tried SOG? That could be an option. We stayed at POP and loved it. Last year was POR with connecting rooms and felt that POP was much nicer. The food court had more to offer, the walk was not as long and the busses were great. I am also a Military wife and feel that even though you get a military discount, it's not always the best way to go. I have yet to use it. You might be better off getting a non discounted room at POR or CBS and use the FDP if offered and use the military discount for your park tickets. just a thought

I hadn't thought about pricing packages without our military discount, I will do that as well... maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised! Thanks for the tips

 

[jimjenkids]

have stayed at CBR and all stars....my kids would rather do 2 rooms at POP than CBR or PO....I know that we looked into the suites, but not sure that they are for us. we tend to not like to cook when we are on vacation. we have even stayed off property, thinking that we would save and have a kitchen-ya didnt use it and I get my way and now we stay on property again. I love the moderates, just for the fact that they are a "little" bigger rooms and a bit more mellow/quiet....
For the costs of the suites, I would look at 2 rooms at either POP or AoA....the down side to the AoA is how far out you would be for the LM rooms. No matter what you decide, you are sure to have a great time. we will be there in 99 days! cant wait, even if the family voted and they all wanted POP for this trip.....

 

[IrishTink]

I'd go for one room @ SOG -- they have two queens and a sleeper sofa. You'd be well under $1000 for your accomodations...so that leaves a lot of money in your budget for meals, souvenirs, etc. plus I think you'd still have access to early/late entry.

 

[usmcwife1]

I'd go for one room @ SOG -- they have two queens and a sleeper sofa. You'd be well under $1000 for your accomodations...so that leaves a lot of money in your budget for meals, souvenirs, etc. plus I think you'd still have access to early/late entry.

I looked into SOG but for us it's about $250-275/night (not sure if that has to do with DH's rank or the room size) which is more than most of the resorts we are looking at per night. We also can't do the dining plan and after pricing out everything we should save a lil (about 17-21%) by using the dining plan. We are planning on a lot of character meals/buffets and with one of my boys counting as an adult at buffets it makes most sense, even if we spent less on a room (somewhere other than SOG) it'd be about the same for what we have planned when you factor in the meal costs.

I wish SOG made more sense for us... the rooms are gorgeous.

 

[usmcwife1]

have stayed at CBR and all stars....my kids would rather do 2 rooms at POP than CBR or PO....I know that we looked into the suites, but not sure that they are for us. we tend to not like to cook when we are on vacation. we have even stayed off property, thinking that we would save and have a kitchen-ya didnt use it and I get my way and now we stay on property again. I love the moderates, just for the fact that they are a "little" bigger rooms and a bit more mellow/quiet....
For the costs of the suites, I would look at 2 rooms at either POP or AoA....the down side to the AoA is how far out you would be for the LM rooms. No matter what you decide, you are sure to have a great time. we will be there in 99 days! cant wait, even if the family voted and they all wanted POP for this trip.....

My boys would like 2 rooms at POP just as much as AoA, my only concern is the off chance they don't give us connecting rooms.. The layout of 2 rooms is actually better for us than a suite.. we will just be sleeping there, yk?

 

[Karabee]

I would absolutely choose the FW Cabin.

1.) With a full kitchen you WILL save money on eating out. I don't cook "full" meals with our kitchen (DVC) BUT just cereal, donuts, and sandwiches cuts down ALOT on your food bill.

2.) Personally - I wouldn't do the meal plan with a full kitchen - I find it is more than we would normally spend..often ALOT more. I think you could potentially save ALOT of money this way.

3.) FW has SO many things to do outside the parks, trails, petting zoo, animals, campfires. You will love having all of those options if/when you only have 4 day parkhoppers.

4.) At FW you will have the ability to take either the boat and/or the monorail (after boatride) to visit many other resorts and eat/sightsee/participate.

I've stayed at most of the other options (except AoA) and while nice.... they don't offer nearly as much to do and options as FW does. Your kids will have a whole world of fun things to do right outside their door!

My 2 cents.

I have to agree with this. I've never stayed at FW but when I saw that was an option for you I thought how great that would be. I last stayed at WL and the boat ride to MK was really nice to have as an option. Even if you don't cook (which I don't blame you on vacation!), I still would think a kitchen for breakfast would be nice to have.
Also, fair warning, once you stay on property you probably won't want to stay any other way

 

[jimjenkids]

My boys would like 2 rooms at POP just as much as AoA, my only concern is the off chance they don't give us connecting rooms.. The layout of 2 rooms is actually better for us than a suite.. we will just be sleeping there, yk?

we always book with disney travel and have always put in that we need the rooms to connect( when they were younger we use to say if they werent, someone else could help take care of them-worked on the plane as well) we have always had the rooms connect and havent had any problems....love 2 rooms!

 

[Carlyluvsdisney]

I would choose the cabins at Fort wilderness! My family loves the cabins. We did a split stay in March. 4 nights at the beach club and 4 nights at the cabins BC was great and we loved it there as well but I was so happy when we got to the cabins. It's so relaxing,you have your own space,the kitchen is nice even if you don't use it much,the boat ride to MK is very convenient your children would probably love Fort Wilderness..AoA looks really nice also so I guess it depends on what your family would like more.

 

[MMS1125]

I want to add I'd do 2 rooms over a suite as well but only reason I suggested the suite was because there is always a chance you won't have connecting rooms and with this trip being important for you all to be together then I went with the route that guarantees you in one room

I'd go ahead and book a suite or whatever you choose with the military discount so you are guaranteed a room with a discount then as other discounts are released you could change.

With Easter being so early next year I think we'll see some type of discount for April thru the weekend before Memorial Day. Fingers crossed! We're going in May and would love something as well!

 

[FantasiaMagic]

Hi!
In my opinion I think you should go with some sort of suite, AoA, ASmu ect. preferably one of the values though. They seem great for little kids and both will give you 2 bthrms and such.

Have a great time wherever you decide to stay!

-FantasiaMagic

 

[AliceIn]

I loved the suite at AoA. I think it is actually larger than two rooms at the other values. I believe it's 565 sq feet and laid out very nicely for a family. With two rooms you don't have as much open and usable space.