Help me decide on a a resort

[GillianP1301]

I'm already thinking ahead to my bounce back booking for my upcoming August trip because let's face it, most of us here have a Disney problem and are constantly thinking of the next and the next trips.

I had originally given myself a goal to stay at all WDW resorts, not so sure that's a huge priority for me anymore. So far, we have stayed at CBR, POP, AoA (suite), WL, CSR and CR is coming up this year.

These are the options I have within my budget:

BC (standard)
YC (standard)
AKL (standard or pool, not Savanna)
CR (garden)
POR (river)
POFQ (river)
AoA (suite)
All-star, any of them (preferred)

I travel with my son, who will be 10yo during this particular trip. Our time is heavily skewed towards the parks with usually an afternoon or two allocated for resort/down time during our 9 night visit. We rent a car, so bus transportation is not a concern.

I'd love to hear people's opinions and hoping it will help me out. Every year prior to this, I've been very clear on where I want to book my bounce back, but this year not so much.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Since you are already staying at CR this year, I would choose BC. I travel alone with DS9 a lot and it is so nice to just be able to walk to EP, DHS and enjoy the nighttime entertainment on the Boardwalk at night. Stormalong Bay is also a lot of fun. AKL is also beautiful with a lot to do. Since you are doing 9 nights, would you consider a BC/AKL split?

 

[IndianaRRT]

Another vote for BC. Highly accessible to multiple parks (and the BoardWalk), awesome pool for your DS, and nothing beats ice cream from Beaches and Cream.

 

[AllieBoo]

I would choose BC or YC. The pool is awesome and it is so nice being able to walk to Epcot and take the boat to DHS!

 

[GillianP1301]

Since you are already staying at CR this year, I would choose BC. I travel alone with DS9 a lot and it is so nice to just be able to walk to EP, DHS and enjoy the nighttime entertainment on the Boardwalk at night. Stormalong Bay is also a lot of fun. AKL is also beautiful with a lot to do. Since you are doing 9 nights, would you consider a BC/AKL split?

I've thought about split stays in the past, but just knowing my personality I'm pretty sure it would stress me out, so my preference is really one resort per visit.

 

[gingerfeathers]

I also agree with BC or YC. I really enjoyed my stay at YC and the pace of those resorts. Staying near Epcot and DHS was also a perk, and I LOVED walking over to Boardwalk. I can't tell you how many times I wandered over there during my stay.

 

[siestakeys04]

I always wanted to stay at BC so that is my vote too. You do have some great choices!!

 

[kmv]

BC from me too! Great pool, great location, very nice resort!

 

[LisaCM614]

I'm already thinking ahead to my bounce back booking for my upcoming August trip because let's face it, most of us here have a Disney problem and are constantly thinking of the next and the next trips.

I had originally given myself a goal to stay at all WDW resorts, not so sure that's a huge priority for me anymore. So far, we have stayed at CBR, POP, AoA (suite), WL, CSR and CR is coming up this year.

These are the options I have within my budget:

BC (standard)
YC (standard)
AKL (standard or pool, not Savanna)
CR (garden)
POR (river)
POFQ (river)
AoA (suite)
All-star, any of them (preferred)

I travel with my son, who will be 10yo during this particular trip. Our time is heavily skewed towards the parks with usually an afternoon or two allocated for resort/down time during our 9 night visit. We rent a car, so bus transportation is not a concern.

I'd love to hear people's opinions and hoping it will help me out. Every year prior to this, I've been very clear on where I want to book my bounce back, but this year not so much.

For an 11 year old the pool at Stormalong Bay is perfect! We prefer the décor at BC but YC would be fine too if that is all that is available for a Bounceback. They share amenities, YC is slightly quieter than BC. But I'm not sure what you two like to do for breakfast and if you'd be happy with either of those two resorts. We're a bowl of cereal in the room and a granola bar waiting for RD kind of family but I know lots of folks are unhappy with the breakfast situation in the Epcot area. Just thought I'd raise that point.

 

[GillianP1301]

Thanks to everyone for the input so far. I am leaning towards BC/YC but I like to drive to parks (although staying there I wouldn't have to drive to HS or EP) and I worry a bit about the parking. I know when I've gone there for ADRs it can be tricky to find parking. The last thing I want is frustration on that front, although I suppose valet could be a last resort.

Interesting comments re: breakfast. We are big breakfast eaters on vacation and I almost always have an early ADR somewhere, so getting to those from BC/YC wouldn't be any more difficult than anywhere else. We usually do Cape May once, so that would be nice and Yachtsman is a must do for us every trip as well. May be talking myself into this here...

I don't know a lot about the difference between Beach and Yacht though, so I'll have to start looking into that a bit more.

 

[megs1313]

BC

 

[pammydw]

Yep! Another BC vote here! The accessibility to the boardwalk, HS and Epcot (walking through the International Gateway to the World showcase is by far my favorite thing about staying in that area), and the pool...there's not one bad thing about that area!

 

[BuzzyBelle]

Another vote for BC/YC with AKL being a very close runner-up. For DH and me BC is our absolute favorite with AKL being second. For our kids they have things they love about both resorts and are thrilled to stay at either. If you go with BC or YC I would honestly pick which ever one is cheapest. I like the feel of BC a little more, but they have the same amenities and if you can save by staying at YC I totally would.

 

[Nancyg56]

I've thought about split stays in the past, but just knowing my personality I'm pretty sure it would stress me out, so my preference is really one resort per visit.

This is me! I kind of envy folks who can manage to go to two resorts in one trip, but not enough to try it! LOL!!!

I would choose the BC. I think that the pool is pretty awesome for kids, and know that my DGD loved it at 10. IT was stinkin freezing and the little fish was still having a ball. Not her Pa and me though! LOL!

I would talk to your son though and ask if animals trump the pool. In August AKL is going to be a welcomed respite from the hustle and bustle of the heat, parks, and heat, and humidity. That lodge seems cool and shady, and there is something surreal about seeing those magnificent creatures grazing.

 

[Babsy]

If you already have a CR trip planned, then I would plan a different resort for my BB. Otherwise I would suggest the CR. But we almost always prefer the MK resorts.
I agree with Nancy56 that talking about preferences with your DS is a good idea. The YC/BC or AKL are the obvious choices as they are deluxe resorts and the others you list are value or moderates. While we have happily stayed at value and moderates, we prefer the deluxe resorts, especially if planning to spend any down time there.

The YC/BC has Stormalong Bay which is frequently much liked by guests with children the age range of your DS10. In August, this could be important to you. I will say that SB can be busy and some people do not like it asa much as others. The down side is that the sprawling nature of the layout can make it difficult to keep track of your kids. Plus, you have to go outside the pool area across the resort walkway to get on the slide. Depending upon the age and personality of the child/parents this can be a problem for many. The other problem that I have personally with the YC/Bc is the lack of shade on the walkway around the resort area. It can be really hot there in summertime heat! It is not an area with a lot of foliage to mitigate heat.
There are the obvious advantages of location with walking or boat access to both Epcot and DHS. Beaches and Cream would be a nice lunch spot and having Ice cream at Ample Hills at the BW would be nice as well. Staying at the BC/YC gives the best of all worlds in the Epcot area, IMO.

The AKL is another choice that would be awesome! The main probem that that some people have with this resort is the distance to travel on bus to the MK (20-25 minute bus ride). It didn't bother us at all, but we don't mind the extra few minutes to one park. many resorts will have advantages getting to one park over another and will have some theme park that is not as easy to get to. The only time that we bother with seriously considering transportation in resort decisions is when we have a toddler/small children with a stroller. Then we know we will spend most of our time in the MK and will want the convenience of the MK resorts. The AKL has two great pools that you can use, lots of tropical foliage for shade, wonderful animal viewing areas, great restaurants and QS dining and a peaceful atmosphere that is a great respite from the theme parks. I know that you are looking at Standard or pool view. Either one can be fine at the aKL. i know that many want the premium savanna view when staying here, but the standard views are sometimes not that bad, especially if you luck into a partial savanna view, which you can request. Most pool views are also very pleasant. We have enjoyed our pool views at AKL very much. There are lots of nice viewing areas throughout the AKL to watch the animals.

there are arguments for YC/BC or AKL, so either would be a great choice. If it were me going in August, I would choose AKL because I think that it would be a more pleasant place to stay in the heat. If the heat doesn't trouble you, then either location is a good choice.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[GillianP1301]

The YC/BC has Stormalong Bay which is frequently much liked by guests with children the age range of your DS10. In August, this could be important to you. I will say that SB can be busy and some people do not like it asa much as others. The down side is that the sprawling nature of the layout can make it difficult to keep track of your kids. Plus, you have to go outside the pool area across the resort walkway to get on the slide. Depending upon the age and personality of the child/parents this can be a problem for many. The other problem that I have personally with the YC/Bc is the lack of shade on the walkway around the resort area. It can be really hot there in summertime heat! It is not an area with a lot of foliage to mitigate heat.
There are the obvious advantages of location with walking or boat access to both Epcot and DHS. Beaches and Cream would be a nice lunch spot and having Ice cream at Ample Hills at the BW would be nice as well. Staying at the BC/YC gives the best of all worlds in the Epcot area, IMO.

Enjoy your trip!

Thank you for this information. There is no shortage of awesome reviews for SB, and it does look absolutely amazing, but it's possible that what you're pointing out could stress me a bit. Even though he'll be 10 and he's an extremely strong swimmer and generally really good at only going where he's supposed to be going, this would likely still cause me a bit of anxiety. Enough to keep from staying there? Probably not, but I do appreciate the heads up on this.

Thanks to those who are suggesting I ask my DS, I will definitely do that. If I can get a short list of 2 or 3 resort, then I can let him be the deciding factor. I think BC/YC and AKL are definitely on that list.

 

[Nancyg56]

Thank you for this information. There is no shortage of awesome reviews for SB, and it does look absolutely amazing, but it's possible that what you're pointing out could stress me a bit. Even though he'll be 10 and he's an extremely strong swimmer and generally really good at only going where he's supposed to be going, this would likely still cause me a bit of anxiety. Enough to keep from staying there? Probably not, but I do appreciate the heads up on this.

Thanks to those who are suggesting I ask my DS, I will definitely do that. If I can get a short list of 2 or 3 resort, then I can let him be the deciding factor. I think BC/YC and AKL are definitely on that list.

My DGD was a member of a competitive swim team and a strong swimmer. I was stressed. The kid swam better than me, but if I could not see her I was uncomfortable.

 

[GillianP1301]

My DGD was a member of a competitive swim team and a strong swimmer. I was stressed. The kid swam better than me, but if I could not see her I was uncomfortable.

It seems you and I have the same high anxiety type personality.

 

[DizDad513]

I've thought about split stays in the past, but just knowing my personality I'm pretty sure it would stress me out, so my preference is really one resort per visit.

Not to get off topic, but anytime we stay at WDW for more than 5 days we do a split stay. Trust me when I say it's super easy ! We just plan it for a day we will be in the park most of the day (like from RD to 4pm'ish) and head to the new hotel. Never had a problem with WDW taking care of the bag transfer. We have the same goal of trying all resorts and this helps us check them off faster, plus the kids love the change part way through the trip. This also allows us to stay at a deluxe at least for a night or two (sometimes concierge), for each big trip. If anyone ever does this, I'd recommend staying at the nicer resort last.

One year (Fall of 2014 I believe) we did Dolphin, BC, SSR all in 9 nights. Even though there was no problem for us doing this, I would not recommend doing 3 resorts in one trip often !

 

[GillianP1301]

Not to get off topic, but anytime we stay at WDW for more than 5 days we do a split stay. Trust me when I say it's super easy ! We just plan it for a day we will be in the park most of the day (like from RD to 4pm'ish) and head to the new hotel. Never had a problem with WDW taking care of the bag transfer. We have the same goal of trying all resorts and this helps us check them off faster, plus the kids love the change part way through the trip. This also allows us to stay at a deluxe at least for a night or two (sometimes concierge), for each big trip. If anyone ever does this, I'd recommend staying at the nicer resort last.

One year (Fall of 2014 I believe) we did Dolphin, BC, SSR all in 9 nights. Even though there was no problem for us doing this, I would not recommend doing 3 resorts in one trip often !

I really appreciate this feedback and I know from a rational standpoint there is no issue, but I'm not always rational.

I have seriously thought about it and for the same reason you are doing it, to check off resorts faster and I know that with the longer stays that we do, it's a good opportunity. But... I know I would be thinking about it and worrying about it up until we switched. And on top of that, I really like unpacking for the week, settling in and not having to think about packing back up for 9 days. I move right, I bring a hanging shelf, hanging shoe storage, etc... I'm sure mousekeeping must think I'm going to be there for a month!

At some point, I will likely talk myself into this out of necessity because I likely won't have GF or Poly in my budget and I'm not sure I'd want to stay at an all-stars for an entire week, so if I end up really wanting to stay at them all, I may have no choice. Maybe I'll chill out over the next few years??