Help this first timer make a resort decision!

[magusmom]

Hi All! This is my very first DISboards post after lots of lurking and reading all these excellent forums.
I want some expert input from all of you who know WDW well! I hope you are willing to help. Here's my dilemma:
We are coming for the first time for 8 nights from 5/9/13 to 5/17/13, traveling with our two kids who will be almost 5 and almost 3 at that time. We are booked right now at POR but I am having reservation remorse after reading on ************** that POR has "no kid appeal". I want our first visit to be really special for the kids, and they are at great ages for a disney-in-your-face type of experience We would love to have stayed at Poly, but the cost is prohibitive. So here's what I'm debating:
1. Keep the POR for 8 nights, with dining plan.
2. Change res to a split stay: 4 nights at AoA (LM room), with dining plan, and 4 nights at Poly, dining OOP.

I've read that the split stays can be a pain, but most reviews I've read make it sound really easy, and I'd love to have a chance to get to see two disney resorts.
Thoughts? Recommendations? Other things to consider? I know that free dining, if offered for that time, would mean we would need to make adjustments to the split stay reservation.
THANK YOU!

 

[FloridaDreaming]

I would agree that, while POR is a beautiful resort, it's definitely not "in your face" Disney.
I would opt for the second option. AoA is definitely Disney. And Poly, well, it's not a bright and out there, is quintessential Disney. I'm sure your children would love to see the fireworks from the Poly beach at night with a nighttime Disney snack. And take the monorail to Magic Kingdom.
IMO, resort changing can be as easy, or as annoying, as what you need to pack back up and unpack at a new resort. And it can take time from your trip but, I definitely wouldn't be afraid of it. It sounds like a lovely combination.

 

[Tricia's mom]

One of the reason's why I love a Disney vacation is because.....for us its relaxing. We get to see our daughter at her best. No arguments and she is well entertained. It just makes vacation easy !

Can I make a bit of a suggestion?
Make it easy on MOM, and everyone will have a good time...Don't come back exhausted. You will be there 8 days.. enough to enjoy with the little ones. Switching resorts my be a pain. Maybe better for families who's children are old enough to help... and Dad isn't tied up watching children.. who will it fall on ? Disney does help the transfer..BUT why ??

POR is a great resort. Its a nice quiet wind down... great pool and quiet pools. Its fun to take the boat ride to DTD.. kids love that.

I can tell you this... MY DD has been 7 times ( she is 5) and we have stayed in deluxe to moderate... and when she talks about returning she talks about the hotel with the numbers (Pop century) She wants to go back to Pop !
Remember kids like the huge themeing of the Value resorts its glitzy and over the top..You know Its - ICE CREAm with xtra sprinkles and xtra cherries on top. Kids love over the top....

It may not be your first choice But I am certain they will LOVE to spend 8 days @ AoA.... There after all that, thats what I would do.
Make dining reservations at the Poly's Ohana ... Its fun for the kids.

REMEMBER THIS : POR has the Royal rooms ... I don't know if you have boys girls or one of each.


Have a magical trip

 

[Tricia's mom]

I mean to skip staying at Poly and just spend all 8 nights at AoA.

 

[MMS1125]

Option 2 sounds great. You can save $$ by getting your 8 days of tickets on your AoA pkg then booking just a room at the Poly. Hopefully you'll see a room discount for that portion of your trip so it's not as.

 

[Disneyhenry]

I mean to skip staying at Poly and just spend all 8 nights at AoA.

Great idea

 

[FantasiaMagic]

I have not stayed at ANY of the resorts you mentioned. But - I wish to stay at one of them one day - especially the POLY.

I picked option 2.

AoA looks great. The theming is so Disney , and its a new resort with many great details.

And the Poly - There are many wonderful things about it. The pool, the location, monorail, boat, restaraunts ect ect ect .....

Best of luck at deciding and by the way - WELCOME to the DIS!!!

-FantasiaMagic

 

[Dudetrue]

I think 8 days is a long vacation and I love Disney but have you considered staying at Fort Wilderness or Animal Kingdom? Both resorts are very kid-friendly and parent-friendly as well.

My daughter loved the cabins at FW when she was little and the pony rides and playgrounds are wonderful for relaxing when it is has been a very hot and tiring day.
AK has lots to watch right from the room and many play areas for cooling off as well.
You might want to lower costs by using the Quick Service meal plan and if at FW having groceries delivered for stress-free cook outs. The Quick Service meals are great for little ones as there is less frustration at waiting for table service. All parks have great QS places to eat and relax. QS doesn't necessarily mean "fast food". Just an idea.

 

[magusmom]

Thanks everyone!! This seems to be such a hard decision, but it's comforting thinking that we probably can't go wrong with any choice.

 

[KonaKaiTom]

An additional suggestion would be to plan on a day or two of those 8 days being resort days to just relax and rest. If you only get park tickets for 6 days instead of 8 you will save enough $ to make the option of 4 at AOA and 4 at Poly even more affordable.

There is so much sensory overload for youngsters that a couple of pool/resort only days would probably benefit everyone.

Also, a friend followed the recommendation in the Unofficial Guide to Disneyworld and took his wife and kids on the first day to Epcot as his 5 and 3 year olds would have been so overwhelmed by MK that Epcot would have seemed a boring letdown. Just a thought.

Tom

 

[Marionnette]

I would pick one resort and spend the whole 8 days there. As tempting as it is to stay at more than one place, you really lose a day of your vacation in doing the switch. Even if you have Disney handle your bags between resorts, you still have to pack up your stuff at resort #1, get the bags to bell services and then unpack at resort #2.

You also have to check in at the second resort, with the big possibility that your room will not be ready at the time. This leaves you without a "home base" to relax in while you wait for that room to be prepared. It's not something that I would want to do while traveling with a 3-year-old.

I find that there is magic in every Disney resort and you cannot go wrong with any of them. Have a great time, no matter what you decide to do!

 

[shpdem]

I didn't read it right the first tine so i would do por with dining plan

 

[goofyintoronto]

we do a split stay everytime and LOVE IT!!! You really do not lose a whole day by switching resorts. Its so easy its disgusting.

Concierge takes care of everything for you. All you have to do is get the essentials you need in a carry-on, and bring it to your new resort, check-in, put your carryon in your room if its ready, if not, leave it with concierge. Then off you go to the parks!! (btw, bring stuff in a carryon that you'll be needing right away like sunblock, swim suits etc. If you dont need anything for a few hours, then leave it in the main luggage). When you get back from the parks, call concierge from your room and they will bring up your luggage right away. Its so easy. They say it takes about 3 hours to transfer the luggage.

Totally worth doing a split stay. That way you get to experience more resorts than you would otherwise. I honestly think they'll LOVE AoA. Perfect resort for their age!

You also have to check in at the second resort, with the big possibility that your room will not be ready at the time. This leaves you without a "home base" to relax in while you wait for that room to be prepared. It's not something that I would want to do while traveling with a 3-year-old.

I really dont see this as a big deal. Everytime i've done a split stay my room has been ready, except one time. That one time it wasnt ready, we went to the parks. By the time we got back the room was ready. I dont really see the need/point of waiting around the resort all day waiting for your room to be ready when you could be in the parks. Thats why ppl come to disney, to visit the parks. So you do that while theyre cleaning your room. I always checkin into the new resort in the morning, then hit the parks.

 

[goofyintoronto]

This is a great suggestion, I read about this also and followed it with my son on our first trip.

Also, a friend followed the recommendation in the Unofficial Guide to Disneyworld and took his wife and kids on the first day to Epcot as his 5 and 3 year olds would have been so overwhelmed by MK that Epcot would have seemed a boring letdown.

Another great idea! the kids would love it!

I mean to skip staying at Poly and just spend all 8 nights at AoA.

 

[hfuellgraf]

Art of Animation or AS movies....all Disney all the Time!

 

[Butterflygirl35]

I picked two. I don't really like the Values, tiny beds and overcrowded but Poly is great.

Perfect location and being on the monorail / boat launch is so convenient


If you do a split stay start at AOA because if you start at Poly you won't want to leave...

 

[nanhol]

I pick 2, also. You will get to enjoy two great resorts and see what the hoopla over the Poly is about! I don't think a split stay is too much of a pain, but if you decide it is then I'm sure you'd enjoy AofA!

The Poly is a fun resort, but what I love best is all about location--the monorail rocks, the views of the MK from the beach or rooms are magical, and the boat rides from the MK to the Poly or GF are a great bonus.

I don't know if it will work for you (or if it will work for me!) but for my upcoming split stay (BC, cruise, CR) I'm planning ahead and packing suitcases for all of us for each part of the trip. Hopefully we'll just have to unpack some of our bags at the BC, and then when we get to our cruise we'll have a different set of bags to unpack. (And then one more bag for after the cruise.) I've done something similar on road trips in the past--I'll have to see if we can keep from unpacking all of our bags at each stop!

 

[kam1011]

Do your kids still nap? We usually go back to the resort in the middle of the day for naps and down time. Resort switching can really mess with the flow of that day and messing with a day can mess with the days that come after it! You have to check out of the first resort in the morning and then have a few hours of waiting. You can spend it at a park, of course, but you could miss your whole nap window.

 

[magusmom]

Thanks everyone! We've made a a decision, and we'll be doing the split stay of four nights at AoA, followed by four nights at Poly. I really appreciated all of your advice. Not sure whether we're brave or crazy but looking forward to it in any case! Now, on to planning for ADRs

 

[mariamouse]

Thanks everyone! We've made a a decision, and we'll be doing the split stay of four nights at AoA, followed by four nights at Poly. I really appreciated all of your advice. Not sure whether we're brave or crazy but looking forward to it in any case! Now, on to planning for ADRs

I think you made a great choice! The Poly is one of my favorite resorts because of its prime location, beautiful views, yummy restaurants, and immersive atmosphere-- and the AoA looks like so much fun for kids!

Have a great time.