I need HELP!!!

[newgirlatdisney]

I need help planning my family's first trip to Disney!! Our trip is planned for next May or June but I can't decide which disney resort would be best for us. There will be 6 of us total. ( me and hubby, our kids ages 1, 6, & 8, and my mom) Should we get adjoining rooms at a value or moderate resort or should we go for a cabin at Fort Wilderness? Also what about switching resorts during a trip? Is it worth the time away from the parks to pack up and move to a different resort? We will be there for 9 days and 8 nights. Please help this may be the only trip for a few years and I want to make the most of it!!

 

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

Hi and welcome to the DIS! You could do either of the things you suggested, or since one of the kids is under age 3, sleep in a room for 5 with the smallest child in a crib. Resorts that sleep 5 are Port Orleans Riverside, The Contemporary Resort, The Polynesian and some of the Vacation Club Resorts. You might want to visit www.allearsnet.com for photos and information on each resort. Also, All Star Music now has suites available that sleep up to 6.
Have a great time planning your first trip, you'll find lots of info here!

 

[lexmelinda]

Are you planning to cook? Whether or not you will need a kitchen is a big factor. Two value rooms would give you 2 bathrooms with no danger of cooking. The cabins look great but only one bathroom I think and more than twice the price of 2 value rooms. Is cost an issue? You might try renting DVC points as I hear the villas are very nice. If this is your first trip, I would suggest a subscription to Tour Guide Mike. He has articles and advice to helping in planning from start to finish. Have fun!

 

[Meezers]

Slow down chica!

Okay...first of all I would start by asking if you wanted to stay onsite or off? Do you want to cook or not? How many bathrooms do you NEED?

My co-worker wanted so badly to take her children and grandchildren to WDW...but there was no way...not with 9 people! We found her a lovely rental villa....6 bedrooms....4 bathrooms...private pool....for $244 a night! Guess who is going to WDW in March!

There are so many options....slow down and we will help you find the perfect vacation!

 

[dzneelvr]

I can only believe that money doesn't grow on trees at your house just like ours. But yet you want to make WDW a somewhat regular experience That said, we've opted to take advantage of the Value resorts--we've stayed at them all but settled down happily at the ASMo for the past years. They are standard hotel size with 2 double beds, so your Mom and a couple kids could stay in one and the rest of the family in another. In past years, we could get a room for less than $70 per night; but this year the tourist demand is way up so we paid $100 per night. Our stay was June 22-July 2. There's other options for resorts if you are footing the entire bill; I'm sure you'll get other help on the moderates that may cost less than the $140-$200 and you could all stay in one room. I use one annual pass to get a discount on the Dining Experience card (a straight 20% off your food bills at wonderful places to eat throughout the World). It also helps you decide where to eat We have the Disney VISA card and use the reward dollars as "free money" that can be spent almost anywhere on site. The more you charge, the more you will collect. Cruise the Disboards for tips on almost anything. Use kids meal portions when you order food. Don't over order. Bring Dollar ponchos for the daily rain showers instead of buying a Disney one for $7-$10. It's alot of fun planning. Be kind to yourself. Don't expect everything to go perfectly. Just do the best you can and enjoy watching your kids faces light up. That's the real magic

 

[newgirlatdisney]

Thank you all so much for the advice. Here's is a little more info that I didn't put in the first post but might help. As far as cooking goes, we aren't planning on doing that on vacation. This is a vacation for me too, so I want to be expected NOT to cook for a few days. We are planning on getting a package with the dining plan if it is still offered next year.
Also money doesn't grow on trees at our house either. We will be on a budget but not one so tight that we can't do a few extra things, such as a pirate cruise for the kids, golf for hubby, and a spa treatment for the ladies. This is my first trip back since I was a little girl but my hubby and kids have never been. Hopefully we can make it a regular thing but if my hubby doesn't enjoy it, we may not be back for a very long time. For that reason I want to make it extra special , even if it cost a little more to do so.
About the rooms, we would need at least two rooms in a resort because my mom and hubby each want their privacy a little. So that rules out sharing a room that sleeps 5 plus and infant.

 

[zurgswife]

Then I suggest 2 values or moderates. That gives you 2 separate rooms and 2 separate bathrooms. Mom and Dh should have there own space no problems. The main difference for me between the 2 resorts is that moderates have better themed pools, slightly larger rooms, dorm size frigs in the rooms. The bed sizes are both the same Doubles at each resort, the hallways are on the outside of the buildings.

 

[BlindTyldak]

I would suggest 2 rooms at Coronado Springs. It has a lot of the amenities of a Deluxe without the price, a little more space, incredible theming, some of the best ballanced transportation timewise on property, and feels a lot more like a relaxing vacation than the values do (the values are great, and there's no doubt the kids would love them, but can scream "hectic").

 

[Meezers]

Thank you all so much for the advice. Here's is a little more info that I didn't put in the first post but might help. As far as cooking goes, we aren't planning on doing that on vacation. This is a vacation for me too, so I want to be expected NOT to cook for a few days. We are planning on getting a package with the dining plan if it is still offered next year.
Also money doesn't grow on trees at our house either. We will be on a budget but not one so tight that we can't do a few extra things, such as a pirate cruise for the kids, golf for hubby, and a spa treatment for the ladies. This is my first trip back since I was a little girl but my hubby and kids have never been. Hopefully we can make it a regular thing but if my hubby doesn't enjoy it, we may not be back for a very long time. For that reason I want to make it extra special , even if it cost a little more to do so.
About the rooms, we would need at least two rooms in a resort because my mom and hubby each want their privacy a little. So that rules out sharing a room that sleeps 5 plus and infant.

I so agree with the cooking thing...my idea of roughing it is no room service...if I have to cook or make my bed it doesn't count as a vacation

 

[Tinksmom5]

I,LIKE YOU HAVE A LARGE FAMILY ,7 OF US.WE WENT TO WDW FOR THE FIRST TIME LAST JUNE.ALTHOUGHT I HAVE TO TELL YOU IT RAINED A LOT AND I MEAN EVERYDAY.HOWEVER WE ARE FROM JERSEY SO THE WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR FOR US AS THE RAIN WAS A RELIEF FROM THE HEAT.AT ONE POINT WE WALKED THE MAIN STREET IN MGM WHILE ALL OTHERS WERE HIDDING OUT FROM THE RAIN.WE STAYED IN THE ALL STAR MOVIES AND THE KIDS LOVES THE GIANT FIGURES ALL OVER THE PLACE.THESE ROOMS WERE PERFECT FOR US AS WE WERE ONLY IN THEM TO SLEEP AND SHOWER.WE DID HAVE PARK HOPPERS AND THE DINNING AS WELL.WE ARE NOT INTO THE WHOLE SPA OR GOLF THING BUT I THINK EVEN IF YOU STAY IN THE ALL STARS YOU COULD STILL GET A SPA TREATMENT IN ANOTHER RESORT IF YOU WANTED TO.SOMEONE CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG HERE.ANYWAY WITH ALL THAT SAID .THE ALL STARS ARE GREAT FOR THE MONEY AND TWO ROOMS THERE WOULD SAVE YOU A LOT OF MONEY FOR OTHER THINGS.WE WILL BE THERE IN MAY SO MAYBE WILL SEE YOU THERE,.HAVE FUN WITH IT AND GOOD LUCK.

 

[angelmav]

We are in almost the exact position as you, being a family of 7 looking for 7-8 days/nights next summer. We too expect to do the DDP and want to hit all the parks. Two rooms at a moderate will run a $1,000 more than a value over that same stay and their restaurants, at least to me are not ones I would want to use my DDP credits on. The way I see it, if you go with the value you can afford to do other things outside of disney (Spa, deep sea fishing. Sea World, etc) that would not be possible if your money was tied to your room. I am having the same struggle myself so your not alone!