HELP - Resort decision crisis ;)

[doodlemama]

I really am stuck and cannot commit to a resort.
Background info:
Traveling May 18-26
Me, DH, DD(11), DS (9), DD (6)
We got a pin and have booked a package at GF for 8 nights. After a month of planning ADRs and asking kids and hubby what they think I am considering switching to BWI. The rooms at both resorts have 2 queen beds and a twin pull out. They both have 2 sinks which helps with 5 people. The room at BWI is smaller in square feet. Same layout. 9 day PH tickets.
The BWI room would save $900.
We originally chose the GF because it was a good deal and would feel special to our kids. DH wanted a MK resort for convenience. Now that I am making firm ADR and park plans I am doubting that. We love EP and I think BWI is pretty and kids would love being able to walk around at night and obviously ice cream and BW bakery. Being able to walk to 2 parks is great.
HOWEVER - the one thing stopping me is our MK days. We would have to take bus to MK or drive and park at TTC which we have never done and sounds awful. We have 3 MK RD or EMM days and two evenings at MK - one is a very late night with EMH ending at 1am. We really want to do the late night - will be kids first time and we have a long enough trip to sleep in the next day. I don't want to regret having to wait for a bus with tired kids or wait for RD in the morning and miss the early morning advantage. Basically we are debating a bigger room with convenience to MK and nothing else OR a smaller room but with great atmosphere and location, minus transportation fears. We were planning mK on arrival and departure days but that can be tweaked. Sorry to over explain but I keep spinning in circles. I realize there are many opinions but I need help!

 

[ForMyBoys]

I would go BWI. You can take monorails from Epcot to MK if you wanted. Takes some time but is fun. Bus service to MK is not bad. For $900 I would absolutely switch. But I love the Boardwalk

 

[MamaJessie]

I would go BW just because it seems more fun.

 

[Wubar]

Saving $900 is a lot of money! Plenty of things to do at BW.

As for the bus thing, it's not that awful - a lot of people do use them, it's not like you'd be slumming it or anything. If not, can always call a taxi, Minnie Van, Uber, etc...

 

[Shanti]

I really am stuck and cannot commit to a resort.
Background info:
Traveling May 18-26
Me, DH, DD(11), DS (9), DD (6)
We got a pin and have booked a package at GF for 8 nights. After a month of planning ADRs and asking kids and hubby what they think I am considering switching to BWI. The rooms at both resorts have 2 queen beds and a twin pull out. They both have 2 sinks which helps with 5 people. The room at BWI is smaller in square feet. Same layout. 9 day PH tickets.
The BWI room would save $900.
We originally chose the GF because it was a good deal and would feel special to our kids. DH wanted a MK resort for convenience. Now that I am making firm ADR and park plans I am doubting that. We love EP and I think BWI is pretty and kids would love being able to walk around at night and obviously ice cream and BW bakery. Being able to walk to 2 parks is great.
HOWEVER - the one thing stopping me is our MK days. We would have to take bus to MK or drive and park at TTC which we have never done and sounds awful. We have 3 MK RD or EMM days and two evenings at MK - one is a very late night with EMH ending at 1am. We really want to do the late night - will be kids first time and we have a long enough trip to sleep in the next day. I don't want to regret having to wait for a bus with tired kids or wait for RD in the morning and miss the early morning advantage. Basically we are debating a bigger room with convenience to MK and nothing else OR a smaller room but with great atmosphere and location, minus transportation fears. We were planning mK on arrival and departure days but that can be tweaked. Sorry to over explain but I keep spinning in circles. I realize there are many opinions but I need help!

I would stick with the GF. I like BWI, but GF is magical with its close, across-the-water view of MK, and its monorail transportation is great. Your MK days will be much, much easier.

 

[ForMyBoys]

Saving $900 is a lot of money! Plenty of things to do at BW.

As for the bus thing, it's not that awful - a lot of people do use them, it's not like you'd be slumming it or anything. If not, can always call a taxi, Minnie Van, Uber, etc...

Think about how many Ubers you can get for $900!! Can't beat door to door service. You could give everyone in your family a $100 GC to spend on whatever they want plus save $400 for Uber to MK and be well ahead. I'm not all about money... I'm just partial to the BW over a MK view

 

[clayfolks]

Why not tweak your days and do a split stay?

 

[Bree]

Save BWI for another trip??? With all those MK park plans it is more convenient to stay at GF. You can always visit BWI on an Epcot day.

 

[PPFlight75]

I love BWI. It is one of our favorites and we love the Epcot resort area. However, when we’ve had a MK heavy trip we prefer to stay closer. If I had the same plans for MK as you do especially with the late nights, I would stick with GF.

 

[Hopefully]

I too would stick with the GF. It is beautiful and the convenience for the trip you have planned cannot be beat.

 

[doodlemama]

Thanks guys! Probably sticking with gf. But...Uber from bwi would drop at ttc right?

 

[monica9]

I really am stuck and cannot commit to a resort.
Background info:
Traveling May 18-26
Me, DH, DD(11), DS (9), DD (6)
We got a pin and have booked a package at GF for 8 nights. After a month of planning ADRs and asking kids and hubby what they think I am considering switching to BWI. The rooms at both resorts have 2 queen beds and a twin pull out. They both have 2 sinks which helps with 5 people. The room at BWI is smaller in square feet. Same layout. 9 day PH tickets.
The BWI room would save $900.
We originally chose the GF because it was a good deal and would feel special to our kids. DH wanted a MK resort for convenience. Now that I am making firm ADR and park plans I am doubting that. We love EP and I think BWI is pretty and kids would love being able to walk around at night and obviously ice cream and BW bakery. Being able to walk to 2 parks is great.
HOWEVER - the one thing stopping me is our MK days. We would have to take bus to MK or drive and park at TTC which we have never done and sounds awful. We have 3 MK RD or EMM days and two evenings at MK - one is a very late night with EMH ending at 1am. We really want to do the late night - will be kids first time and we have a long enough trip to sleep in the next day. I don't want to regret having to wait for a bus with tired kids or wait for RD in the morning and miss the early morning advantage. Basically we are debating a bigger room with convenience to MK and nothing else OR a smaller room but with great atmosphere and location, minus transportation fears. We were planning mK on arrival and departure days but that can be tweaked. Sorry to over explain but I keep spinning in circles. I realize there are many opinions but I need help!

My sister just stayed at GF last year with my nephew 13, nephew 3 and niece 14. My niece and nephew didn’t really care for grandfloridian. My sister said transportation wasn’t good. Took 40 minutes to get back on monorail from mk when park closed and the other resorts took a while to travel too.
On the other hand, we have stayed at beach club a couple times and the convenience is unbelievable if you are planning on Epcot at night. The whole atmosphere of the Epcot resorts is great. You feel like you are always in action. There’s activities on the boardwalk. With kids and with saving $900, it’s a no brainer to pick bwi if I were in your position

 

[dmetcalfrn]

Thanks guys! Probably sticking with gf. But...Uber from bwi would drop at ttc right?

Minnie Van drops you off and picks up at the bus stop in front of MK. My younger kids are 8 and 5. They loved the Minne Vans.

 

[FSU Girl]

I think you should do a split stay. You won’t have to worry about the MK transportation and then you can also walk to Epcot and HS. I love doing split stays for this reason

 

[mickeynut1]

I would stick with the GF.

Your MK days will be much, much easier.

With all those MK park plans it is more convenient to stay at GF.

If I had the same plans for MK as you do especially with the late nights, I would stick with GF.

I too would stick with the GF. It is beautiful and the convenience for the trip you have planned cannot be beat.

I agree with all of the above and would stick with the GF.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I’m going to say stick with GF as well, given everything you describe.

My one caveat..... my one teeny/tiny ‘complaint’ about GF is that I ‘feel’ more isolated from Epcot when staying there. The only mode of transportation is monorail which involves multiple stops and transferring at the TTC. This journey is easy enough to do, it just takes time. I don’t have the “let’s pop over to Epcot” feeling when at GF, like I do at say, Poly.

In our GF stays I’ve found we tended to Uber or Taxi at least one leg of a typical trip to Epcot, just to save a bit of time.

This isn’t a strong enough feeling for me to NOT stay at GF, just an observation.

Given your somewhat MK heavy schedule, I still think GF is the way to go (if splitting is not an option).

Happy planning!

 

[littledebbie335]

I would switch! Taking the bus is really no big deal. They start running very early, so as long as you can get everyone up and out the door on time, it shouldn't be a big deal to make RD. Or use the $900 for the MinnieVans!

Are you park hopping?

 

[doodlemama]

I would switch! Taking the bus is really no big deal. They start running very early, so as long as you can get everyone up and out the door on time, it shouldn't be a big deal to make RD. Or use the $900 for the MinnieVans!

Are you park hopping?

We are definitely park hopping. We have 3 Epcot evenings and 1 dhs evening. 3 mk and 1 ak. Our only late night is one at mk. We are rd, swim, close kind
Of people if that makes sense.
My fear with gf too is feeling isolated. Sigh. Really can’t go
Wrong I guess.

 

[100acreHiker]

GF and BWI are my two favorite resorts--both are lovely and great with different kinds of conveniences. We are not into MK that much anymore, so we generally opt for Epcot resorts when we go now. I think you will have a great stay at either place, but saving money is usually a good idea. We've found BWI bus service to be reasonably good, but we only tend to do one MK day when we go down. You can put some of that $900 towards an occasional Uber or Minnie Mouse van if you are not into waiting for busses.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I would go BWI. You can take monorails from Epcot to MK if you wanted. Takes some time but is fun. Bus service to MK is not bad. For $900 I would absolutely switch. But I love the Boardwalk

You can't take a monorail from Epcot if you are going to MK for early opening. Epcot won't be open for guests yet. Plus that can take as long or longer than the bus.