Help Us Choose!!

[BeOurGuest630]

Why is choosing a resort so hard?!? LOL....

Anyway, we are planning a trip in February for the 1st time for our son who will be 5 years old. My husband and I haven't been to Disney in 8 years and we aren't making this a yearly trip, so we don't mind splurging a little. We originally were thinking AKL or WL but then decided maybe we should stick with moderates as airfare is going to be killing the budget. I don't want to rent DVC points because of the cancellation issue just in case we have to.

We are going to be doing 6 days (incl. travel days) and would ideally like to take breaks to swim (but don't know how feasible in February??).My son loves animals and Mickey, so we are figuring we will probably be spending a good amount of time in Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. We are also planning on doing Epcot, but are skipping HS because of all the closures at this time.

If we do a mod we were thinking POFQ, if we do a deluxe we are now thinking BC as we can get a good deal(approx. 1000 difference between the two)....Does anyone have any insights which would be better for a 5 year old? Open to any suggestions!! Thank you!!

 

[Skippyboo]

If you plan on most of your time at AK and MK, then I would go for AKL or WL instead of BC. AKL is a 5 minute bus ride from AK which would make popping back to the hotel a snap. BC is walking distance to Epcot but you would still need to bus to MK and AK. There are plenty of areas in AKL to view the animals so you don't even need to spend the money for Savannah view.

All the Disney pools are heated at every resort.

 

[BeRocka]

I would consider the AK Jambo House Villas. For the price with a kitchen, living room area and a balcony with a savannah view, they are a bargain. My DD6 and DD9 love being able to see giraffes from the balcony.

 

[Aliceacc]

Would you consider a Garden Wing room at the Contemporary? You can WALK to the MAgic Kingdom, and it's on the monorail line-- my son adored the monorail when he was about that age!

 

[rosiebean]

If the deal at BC is better than the one at AKL or WL, then you should consider it! It has a great pool with a sand bottom play area that is ideal for a boy of 5 and the slide is amazing if your son is very adventurous...however, swimming in February is a bit more iffy than summer. Temperatures can be in the mid 80s most days, but can slide to low 70s/high 60s during the day. That is perfect pool weather for my family after a day in the parks, but the 70s/high 60s might be too cold for yours (though the pools are heated). BC also has a great character breakfast at Cape May. The rooms are large and most have a daybed, but keep in mind that many rooms do not have a full balcony. BC is also great if you have park hoppers, because you can spend a good part of the day at one park, play by the pool, and then walk to Epcot for dinner somewhere around the world. That might appeal to your family (my kids love Epcot and did even when they were little...you know your son, so will know if that kind of park will appeal to him).

But if you stay at BC, you'll have to take a bus to the two parks you'll be at the most. You can do that and stay at a moderate for the much less money (though the moderate will have a smaller room and no balcony).

If AKL or WL is anywhere within the price range of BC, they're a better option for your needs given their proximity to one of the two parks you'll be visiting most often. But if BC is a better deal, it's a fantastic resort...my family loves it!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Why is choosing a resort so hard?!? LOL....

Anyway, we are planning a trip in February for the 1st time for our son who will be 5 years old. My husband and I haven't been to Disney in 8 years and we aren't making this a yearly trip, so we don't mind splurging a little. We originally were thinking AKL or WL but then decided maybe we should stick with moderates as airfare is going to be killing the budget. I don't want to rent DVC points because of the cancellation issue just in case we have to.

We are going to be doing 6 days (incl. travel days) and would ideally like to take breaks to swim (but don't know how feasible in February??).My son loves animals and Mickey, so we are figuring we will probably be spending a good amount of time in Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. We are also planning on doing Epcot, but are skipping HS because of all the closures at this time.

If we do a mod we were thinking POFQ, if we do a deluxe we are now thinking BC as we can get a good deal(approx. 1000 difference between the two)....Does anyone have any insights which would be better for a 5 year old? Open to any suggestions!! Thank you!!

POFQ is really lovely. I love BC and the EP resort area (we stay in that area for most of our trips), but in February, I don't know if it's worth spending an extra $1000 for that resort as the weather will be really iffy. The last time we went in Feb. (2015), it was downright cold and we only swam briefly once on the entire trip (and actually had to buy some gloves!). If you will spend a LOT of time in EP, I would consider it, but wouldn't do it for the pool.

If your son loves animals and you'll spend a fair amount of time in AK, I would re-visit the AKL idea. It's such a gorgeous resort, it's a quick bus ride to AK and, if the weather is good, they have really nice pools and a super cute splash pad for kids. The bus ride to MK isn't great, but the Minnie Vans should be up and running at that point (fingers crossed) or, for very little money, you can use uber to the MK area (we uber to GF and take the monorail to MK). WL is also beautiful and offers you the boat ride to MK.

As another PP pointed out, the CR garden wing rooms are also great and will price out less than other monorail resorts if there is any availability.

 

[BeOurGuest630]

Thank you so much for all your suggestions!! We would definitely love AKL or WL and I would love the BC too but don't know if the extra $$ is worth it if we don't get too much swim time bc of weather. I will have to check out Contemporary too, hadn't considered it. I will have to see when discounts come out whether AKL or WL is the cheaper option....But do you guys think it is worth it over a moderate?

 

[Shanti]

Why is choosing a resort so hard?!? LOL....

Anyway, we are planning a trip in February for the 1st time for our son who will be 5 years old. My husband and I haven't been to Disney in 8 years and we aren't making this a yearly trip, so we don't mind splurging a little. We originally were thinking AKL or WL but then decided maybe we should stick with moderates as airfare is going to be killing the budget. I don't want to rent DVC points because of the cancellation issue just in case we have to.

We are going to be doing 6 days (incl. travel days) and would ideally like to take breaks to swim (but don't know how feasible in February??).My son loves animals and Mickey, so we are figuring we will probably be spending a good amount of time in Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. We are also planning on doing Epcot, but are skipping HS because of all the closures at this time.

If we do a mod we were thinking POFQ, if we do a deluxe we are now thinking BC as we can get a good deal(approx. 1000 difference between the two)....Does anyone have any insights which would be better for a 5 year old? Open to any suggestions!! Thank you!!

I would do an AKL standard view room, which is only slightly more expensive than the best moderate resort rooms. You can call reservations and request a room on the Kudu trail, and if you get a room there (we did), you will get great animal views despite its being a standard view room. We saw giraffes from our balcony every day. AKL also has two very nice feature pools (one at Jambo House and one at Kidani Village) that all guests staying at either location are welcome to use.

AKL is gorgeous & has very good restaurants. There are animal views all over the resort even if you don't get an animal view room. We stayed this April and found the bus service very efficient. The modest upgrade in price that you pay for a standard room there is totally worth it over staying at a moderate, especially if your son is an animal lover.

The Beach Club's main attractions are its amazing pool complex (not a worthwhile consideration in February), and its proximity to Epcot (which is not a major draw for most 5 year-old boys). So I wouldn't pay the premium for Beach Club for your particular trip.

 

[Aliceacc]

Keep in mind that the weather in Feb can be iffy... I'm not sure I would give the pool the overriding consideration at that point in the year.

 

[mitzy150]

I would say something slightly different than everyone else here. As someone who has stayed at moderates, values, and deluxe resorts... I know for me price is a big thing. It may seem like a little issue to some people to pay the extra bucks a night for a deluxe rather than a room in a moderate, but in reality, as someone who when I go is worried about cost, it just isn't cost effective. Frankly, I prefer the values most of the time now as it allows me the freedom to do what I want without worrying about money at the end of the day. Also, to say that standard views at some of the deluxe resorts are comparable to that at the moderates seems iffy to me. I have always looked everytime I have gone (just booked my 12th trip a month ago), and have been totally priced out the last few years. Yes they might be close (but again I feel like the idea of close is pretty relative here because anything over 50 bucks a night (so for this trip 300 bucks)) is a pretty substantial amount of money) but that would be with the absolute most expensive pool view with special theming room, and that is not very indicative of a normal stay at a moderate resort. What I would recommend.. is honestly I had the most fun (as did the kids we were with) at Port Orleans Riverside. The kids loved the giant food court, and the pool, and loved being able to watch boats on the river, and take the boat to Disney Springs. Something else people are forgetting by suggesting the Magic Kingdom area hotels to you, or the Animal Kingdom Lodge, is that, when you look at it in terms of the rest of the park, those areas are fairly isolated (less so the Magic Kingdom area because you can Monorail to Epcot... but the last five times I have tried to do that its been much harder than catching a bus at the Values or Moderates... you get all the looky loos). If you stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge it can take you a long time to get to other places on property, and same as with the hotels near Magic Kingdom. That is definitely a benefit I find of the Epcot area hotels... even though they take a bit of time to get from a to b on average it feels better. That's my personal opinion though. Honestly... all the hotels are amazing and do what suits your budget. If I was concerned about money would I spend 1000 to go up from moderate to deluxe at the Beach Club... no I wouldn't. I find a lot of the perks (other than at AKL) that come with the deluxe suit adults more than kids... if you asked any kid I have ever been to Disney with if they had to pick somewhere to stay it would be Art of Animation because of the pool and the way it looks (but if you are a small group, and he doesn't like the Little Mermaid those can be cost prohibitive too). No matter where you stay it will be awesome and youll be happy so do what makes you feel comfortable with your pocket book cause he's going to have an amazing time wherever he is.. hes at Disney World!

 

[raddisneyfan]

I would vote AKL (animals and beautiful resort and pool and easy bus to AK) over BC any day, but then the moderates are a good deal and I like the 2 I've stayed at (POR and CSR, and staying at POFQ in December). Only you can decide whether the extra $$$ is worth it or not. I believe that the pool at POFQ is especially kid friendly. Have a great vacation no matter what you decide!

 

[Spencer Wright]

My personal favorite is the AKL. One thing to keep in mind is that it is a very long bus ride to Magic Kingdom. Also, it is very close the Studios and the Water Parks which it seems you are not interested in for this trip. I would probably recommend the Polynesian. It is a distance from Animal Kingdom, however provides easy transit to Magic Kingdom and Epcot.

 

[Skippyboo]

The MK area resorts would have just as long bus ride to AK that AKL would have to MK. AKL is also way cheaper than Poly. The OP said her 5 year old loves animals and they plan on going to mainly AK & MK with less time at Epcot. Being able to see animals outside your hotel would be pretty cool as a 5 year old.

 

[buckeyeguy1]

So far we have taken our 5 yr old to PORS, POFQ, CS and WL. Usually when you ask him what his favorite "fill in the blank" is, it is usually that last thing he has done. Every time we ask him what his favorite resort is it is ALWAYS WL. No matter where we stay he always refers to WL (although he does say that CS has the best pool due to the longer slide).

Now, as parents of a 5 yr old, we say OUR favorites are WL and POFQ. Mainly due to size. Its nice to be able to walk to the feature pool and not have to trek an extra half mile when we forgot the swimming goggles back in the room. They are also great when we get back and everyone is wore out and doesn't want to walk that far to our room.

If you were going Deluxe, I would look at WL. It is fantastic location! Ask for room 6056 or one beside it. Its a standard room but has a great view of the castle and you can watch the Happily Ever After fireworks every night from your bed! We will be trying out YC and BWI (if I don't change the BWI part of the stay) next week, so I should have a couple more deluxe experiences under my belt for comparison.

As far as the Moderates, I really like POFQ. You will pay more for it when compared to other moderates, but in my opinion is worth it. Transportation is not far from MK, HS or Epcot so that is nice. AK is a little longer ride. The resort is small and quiet. Short walks to the one and only bus stop. You can even ask for a room closer to the bus stop to help with a tired little one. We stayed in room 4107. Our room that we had there was a little more dated when compared to the rest of our stays, but it was very clean. PORS and CS are also nice, but I didn't care for the larger size resort with multiple bus stops. It can be little longer walk to the feature pools and food courts. I also had an issue with the language of a group of car salesmen that were at CS for a conference, but that was only one occurrence (and really could have happened at any resort) and have never had any other issues.

Just a thought, have you considered a split stay? 3 days at a Moderate and 3 days at a Deluxe? We have done it multiple times and it is extremely easy to do. My wife gets very nervous about change and after we did the first one, she said it would be no problem to do it again. The only issue that could come about is if you do the dining plan. We have determined the dining plans were not good options for us, but if it is for you, that could possibly make a split stay a little more difficult.

As far as your question as to POFQ and BC. The pool at the BC is by far going to blow away the "fun" factor of the POFQ. I would have the same hesitations as others have mentioned due to the weather. If its cooler, you will probably leave and wish you had saved the $1k. If its warm, you will probably think it was worth every penny. I know the pools are heated, but 60 deg is a little chilly when you get out. I would also guess it could make a difference of where your coming from too. If its been in the single digits like it was here in Ohio like it was a couple of winters ago, 60 deg is a heat wave. Either way, $1k can pay for an extra couple extra days on the vacation, or tickets to the waterparks, or a character meal every day or...... you get the point. Its also a good start to saving for your next trip in a couple of years.

 

[Micca]

I think all of your options are fine. If you can swing the cost the deluxes are the way to go, but the mods at WDW are all fine too. If you're planning to spend a lot of time at MK CR is oustanding, but WL has a boat to MK that might be fun too.

 

[SA mom]

There is a lot of unnecessary pressure to make that first trip amazing. The truth: the first trip is amazing. You don't need to do anything else. We stayed at POFQ and CS when our kids were 6 and 7. They remember nothing of either of those resorts. We only went moderate because they had queen beds instead of doubles. We also remembered staying at All Star Music before we had kids and there was a cheer competition going on. It was not fun for a pair of 30 somethings enjoying themselves at Epcot all evening.

In the middle of the magical first trip, we moved from Coronado to Buena Vista Suites (it was a 10 night trip and we could only afford 5 nights on property). The kids remember none of that. I bet our kids would have remembered the huge elements at any of the value resorts.

No worries about the first trip. It's going to be great no matter where you stay.

 

[SingingMom]

How much time are you planning to spend in the room? I did not like AKL - the balcony and Savanna view were fabulous, but the room itself was VERY dark and gloomy. The Beach Club is much more upbeat and happy feeling. (I personally prefer the Yacht Club, but Beach Club is very nice.) We stay at POFQ often, too - fun atmosphere for a 5 year old - but all transportation is busses - unless you take the water taxi to Disney Springs. It's also outdoor walking to food & shopping, if the weather is bad. Contemporary is prime location if you are spending lots of time at MK - I think that walk can get hot and tiring, so I opt for the monorail - but if you have a stroller it will be fine. Never stayed at WL, but it's a good location too. Have fun planning!

 

[Spencer Wright]

How much time are you planning to spend in the room? I did not like AKL - the balcony and Savanna view were fabulous, but the room itself was VERY dark and gloomy. The Beach Club is much more upbeat and happy feeling. (I personally prefer the Yacht Club, but Beach Club is very nice.) We stay at POFQ often, too - fun atmosphere for a 5 year old - but all transportation is busses - unless you take the water taxi to Disney Springs. It's also outdoor walking to food & shopping, if the weather is bad. Contemporary is prime location if you are spending lots of time at MK - I think that walk can get hot and tiring, so I opt for the monorail - but if you have a stroller it will be fine. Never stayed at WL, but it's a good location too. Have fun planning!

While I love the AKL, even during the day you need lights on in the room and there can often be difficulty with ones eyes adjusting when they walk outside.

 

[cheryllarsen]

My family of mostly young children love AK!

 

[danikoski]

WL is our favorite, and I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again. And my mom and I stayed Feb 5-11 this past year, and paid $215 a night for the weekdays, which was $25 more a night than POFQ at the same time. I did have a 30% off PIN code from Disney, and POFQ wasn't part of the discount. It often isn't part of discounts, so that's something to consider too. It is nice resort, and if I were to stay at a moderate, it would be my choice.

AKL is also awesome, but it's a lot of bussing. It also isn't always as cheap as WL.