Help with resort for large group!

[KrazeeK120]

My parents want to take my whole family to Disney next year in July. They've not been there since 1995 and have never stayed on property.

DH and I are getting ready to go on our 6th trip and they've asked for assistance with choosing a resort.

The group is:
-My parents - my mom will have had 2 knee replacements by then. I hope her mobility is good, but something to consider. Dad is healthy.
-Brother/SIL and 2 kids - will be 5.5 and just over 2
-Sister/BIL and 1 kid - will be 20 months
-DH and I and 1 kid - will be about 6-7 months (yes, I'm 12 weeks pregnant and already stressed about this)

Each family will be in its own room and we don't have to have connecting or adjoining rooms. Deluxe is too expensive, but I think we can do a moderate if we can get the spring discount that Disney will hopefully offer next year.

My first choice would be POFQ, but they don't usually offer the room discounts there. I'm a little hesitant about Coronado Springs for a family with several small kids as it seems like the resort is more "adult." So now I'm down to POR and CB. I'm leaning toward POR Alligator Bayou rooms because of the theme - I think my 5.5 year old nephew would enjoy it more than CB. But...are there any distinct advantages or disadvantages of one over the other? I am feeling some pressure to make sure that we have a good trip since I'm the family "expert" and I want to make sure that the family is pleased with the resort choice.

 

[minnie mum]

They are both lovely resorts, and I think if you go with the one whose theme most appeals to you, you will be fine. However, I would probably give CBR a slight edge because of their terrific splash area for littles and their zero entry main pool.

As someone who has had a knee replacement, I hope you will encourage your mother to rent an ECV for your stay. Even with new knees, the mileage at both the resorts and the parks will be a challenge for her.

I know you want to stay at a mod, but I would be hesitant to book it now if your stay is dependant on a discount. Instead I would recommend that you book the resort that you can afford without a discount. If that means a value, so be it. You can always upgrade later if and when a discount comes out.

 

[KrazeeK120]

Thanks for the insight!

We actually aren't booking anything just yet...just trying to get some initial thoughts in place. We probably won't book anything until December or January (I'd actually like to have a healthy baby in my arms before booking anything!). We'll see if any discounts come out and if not, we can re-evaluate from there.

If we end up going value, I think POP would be our choice. I've stayed there before and thought it was fine. It would just be nice if we can afford it to have the queen beds, more space, and the slide at the pool because I know my nephew would really enjoy that.

 

[Sunshine11]

We have stayed at POFQ with a large family group (8 rooms) before and actually many times. We had all ages in our party (infants that used the little playground right there) to 3 scooters for our seniors. It's a small compact resort and I always felt the room assignors there were terrific in keeping our rooms near each other. My second choice would be PO Riverside as you have the ability to walk/boat back and forth between resorts. Having the boat to take to DTD is an added perk, in our opinion. One of our family members had only stayed at AKL before our FQ trip and all she did was rave at how much she loved Port Orleans resorts. No matter where you stay, it'll be a great trip.

 

[DisneyWisher]

Why not look at summer discount rates this year to help give you an idea.

 

[Hi Pluto]

I'm not sure if they're done with the room renovations but CBR has similar rooms to POR AB with those murphy drop-beds. And the new room style looks VERY nice.

~Cari~

 

[Deb & Bill]

Had my second knee replacement about three years ago and have been to the parks about six times since then. Never used a scooter. It was so much better having my knees replaced that I really enjoyed walking around. But if she is elderly, like 70+ or carrying a lot of weight, the scooter might help.