Large Family, Convenient Transportation & Value a Must

[jamioday001]

Hi, I need advice.
We are a larger than average family (2 adults with our soon to be 5 children = 7 total).
We would love to try to go to Disney in June of 2013 and I have started looking at options. First of all, where could we fit? We will need one crib, and the other children can easily sleep on couches, bed, floor, easily together wherever they need to.
Secondly, it is very important to us that we are wasting as little time as possible with transportation. We'd like the easiest way possible to and forth the parks. We may use a stroller as well. I was hoping for monorail transportation but it seems that a deluxe resort for this many people could get very expensive.
We are on a budget, and the hotel is mainly a place to sleep at night, not a place we are planning on hanging out at during the day as we love the park action.
Let me know what you think! Thanks so much for your help.

 

[Amy&Dan]

It sounds like you need either two rooms at a value or you need a Family Suite at either All Star Music or Art of Animation. Those suites sleep six but since your have a baby under three, you will fit since that child does not count towards the offical room count.

We have stayed at All Star Music many times and find the transporation fine. There are three All Star resorts and they sometimes share busses with each other but not always. During the peak times of the day going to the parks they generally do not share and at park closing, they never share. These suites have a master bedroom with queen bed and then a separate room with a pullout double couch and two chairs that make into single beds. They also come with a pack n play. They have two bathrooms and a mini kitchen with a microwave.

The suites at the Art of Animation resort are brand new but pricier than the ones at All Star Music. I am not nearly as familiar with them but I do believe they have a Murphy bed for one of the beds.

The monorail is nice, especially with a stroller but you'll pay way more and with the size of your family, that rules that out unless you get two rooms (which would be very, very expensive).

You could also do two rooms at a value (these would be standar rooms with two double beds in each) or a moderate but even though Disney will say and even give you written confirmation that you will have rooms that are connected, it does sometimes happen that won't be honored. So you might be split up in rooms that are not even close to each other. Which is why I like the value suites since that way you know you are all together.

All resorts at WDW, regardless of level will have transporation issues. WDW as a whole is very spread out. So even on the monorail, you will be super close to MK and quite close to Epcot, you will be bussing to AK, DHS, DTD and the waterparks. And those busses will be shared amongst the monorail resorts. Busses are a fact of life at WDW regardless of resort level! Obviously being able to monorail to MK is a huge perk but just take comfort in that the fact that even monorail guests will spend some time on the busses!

We have stayed at all levels and find the busses to be just fine. We just allow plenty of time to get where we need to be and I do suggest that if you can, take strollers that are as small as you can get by with since the great big ones are harder to deal with on the busses. I think you will be just fine at a value, with the size of your family, having the Family Suite will be really nice and still have you staying onsite but not spending a small fortune just to be on the monorail.

 

[jamioday001]

Thanks for the info on the values. We've stayed many times before in the all star music, and at the fort wilderness campground cabin (which was great aside from the long time it took for transportation), and were hoping for something a little different, but I see now that this may be just what is affordable for our family! Unless I am missing some moderate hotel that we could get two rooms together. I'd just want it to be one of the less expensive options, and not have to ride the bus for long. If value resort, I think I will try the Pop Century this time since they have their own bus-line to the parks.

What's the deal with the vacation club rental? i've seen that pop up now and then and wonder if that is a practical option. We don't "need" a kid-themed room; anything on property would be something to look at. Thanks. I have no clue where to start with that process.

Also, can anyone recommend an organized list of each hotel, prices and maximum occupancy? I need a chart or something, I get so confused looking at the Disney website. Thanks again!

 

[deegack]

I would look at Dave's rentals. He has a good reputation. Basically you are renting the number of points needed for a reservation at a dvc resort. There are pros and cons to dvc so you may want to explore that a bit. But you could get a two bedroom condo with a full kitchen for a reduced rate. You don't get housekeeping everyday but that's pretty much the only amenity that is not provided to dvc members.

 

[Singinglizzie]

Hi and welcome to the Disboards. Sounds like you will be in good shape for June of 2013 since you are planning ahead! I would like to emphasize a point made by AmyDan and that is WDW is large! It is approx. 47 square miles and is comparable to the size of a city like San Francisco! Although not all of those 47 miles are developed, no matter where you stay (unless at a monorail hotel or boardwalk) it will take time to get back and forth from the various parks to your hotel. For a family your "size" your best best is a family suite. However the family suites even though called value can still be expensive. The newest family suites are in the brand new Art of Animation resort which is next to Pop Century. I think if it were me, I would choose a suite in the new resort, again not cheap but I always prefer "new". Allstars Music also has suites. Another option - but would require some research on your part would be to look into renting DVC points from a member. This option isn't for everyone since you are technically the guest of that member and are renting directly from them, not Disney. The going rate is about $11 per point. There are 1 and 2 bedroom Villas at the Wilderness Lodge, which has boat service to the Magic Kingdom, plus the villas have a kitchen which might help you feed your peeps. There are also suites at the Contemporary Resorts (Bay Lake) but they are in demand and hard to book. There is a points calculator on the DVC thread on this board that you should look at to see if you want to pursue this option. The main drawback about renting is once you commit you may be unable to change or cancel. If that isn't what you had in mind, there are the Cabins at Fort Wilderness. This is the only resort I haven't been too, but the pictures look lovely and there is bedding for 6 + crib+ a kitchen. From what I have read, it is a resort that may be best with a car. One other idea is to consider a stay at the boardwalk at the Dolphin or Swan with two connecting rooms - so you could walk over to Epcot. The Dolphin and Swan offer Early Magic Hours, but do not offer the Disney Dinining plan nor the Magic Express bus service from the airport. The hotels are beautiful but if you are planning on WDW bus service, then you would have to add the cost of airport transportation each way. If you find staying onsite at WDW lis too expensive, I would recommend looking into an off-site rental in the Bonnet Creek area, since it's next door to CBR. Well this is a lot of information, but hope it was helpful. PM me if you need more info on any of these options. Best of luck with your planning.

 

[Singinglizzie]

Hi and welcome to the Disboards. Sounds like you will be in good shape for June of 2013 since you are planning ahead! I would like to emphasize a point made by AmyDan and that is WDW is large! It is approx. 47 square miles and is comparable to the size of a city like San Francisco! Although not all of those 47 miles are developed, no matter where you stay (unless at a monorail hotel or boardwalk) it will take time to get back and forth from the various parks to your hotel. For a family your "size" your best best is a family suite. However the family suites even though called value can still be expensive. The newest family suites are in the brand new Art of Animation resort which is next to Pop Century. I think if it were me, I would choose a suite in the new resort, again not cheap but I always prefer "new". Allstars Music also has suites. Another option - but would require some research on your part would be to look into renting DVC points from a member. This option isn't for everyone since you are technically the guest of that member and are renting directly from them, not Disney. The going rate is about $11 per point. There are 1 and 2 bedroom Villas at the Wilderness Lodge, which has boat service to the Magic Kingdom, plus the villas have a kitchen which might help you feed your peeps. There are also suites at the Contemporary Resorts (Bay Lake) but they are in demand and hard to book. There is a points calculator on the DVC thread on this board that you should look at to see if you want to pursue this option. The main drawback about renting is once you commit you may be unable to change or cancel. If that isn't what you had in mind, there are the Cabins at Fort Wilderness. This is the only resort I haven't been too, but the pictures look lovely and there is bedding for 6 + crib+ a kitchen. From what I have read, it is a resort that may be best with a car. One other idea is to consider a stay at the boardwalk at the Dolphin or Swan with two connecting rooms - so you could walk over to Epcot. The Dolphin and Swan offer Early Magic Hours, but do not offer the Disney Dinining plan nor the Magic Express bus service from the airport. The hotels are beautiful but if you are planning on WDW bus service, then you would have to add the cost of airport transportation each way. If you find staying onsite at WDW lis too expensive, I would recommend looking into an off-site rental in the Bonnet Creek area, since it's next door to CBR. Well this is a lot of information, but hope it was helpful. PM me if you need more info on any of these options. Best of luck with your planning.

My apologies -it looked like from your original post that you were new to WDW and the DISboards - but that isn't the case. If you are looking for a "list" of hotel rates - you can find one on Allears.net but I don't think it has max occupancy. Most of the WDW hotels have max of 4, with a few exceptions (POR) and some of the deluxes. And kids under 3 dont' count for occupancy if in a crib.

 

[goodferry]

We bought into DVC for this very reason, we have four kids and no interest in the value resorts. We love BLT! It's very convenient to the MK, lots of dining options nearby and the monorail to Epcot. BCV and BWV are very convenient to both Epcot and DHS. Saratoga Springs Resort is large and spread out, but convenient to DTD. We have rented points (before we bought DVC) from a board member and it was very easy and definitely a savings!

 

[icc2515]

My suggestion would be the ASMu family suites. We just stayed there in July and we loved it. We have stayed at the cabins, CSR, Poly, Contemporary, and Port Orleans.

I have to say of all them ASMu was the best choice for a large family (6). The Poly, Contemporary, and Port Orleans were before having a family of 6. CSR is just too big. The cabins were nice, but transportation was an issue and only 1 bath was a huge issue. At the ASMu in a family suite you will be in one of the first 4 bldgs and have a pretty short walk to the bus. The bedroom for mom and dad is good size and has a door and separate HVAC controls.

 

[MMS1125]

If you can swing the cost and aren't looking for Free Dining, I'd consider renting DVC points for a 2 BR. AKV-Kidani 2BR has 3 bathrooms and is one of the lower (if not the lowest) 2BR points rental. You'd have plenty of room and the cost would be slightly more than 2 moderate rooms. Not to mention you'd get a full kitchen which will be handy for breakfast and resort downtime. The transportation I don't think will be any worse than any of the other resorts that aren't near a park. You will be relying on bus transportation regardless. You could price out the Villas at WL as well and there you at least get the boat to MK

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

My suggestion would be the ASMu family suites. We just stayed there in July and we loved it. We have stayed at the cabins, CSR, Poly, Contemporary, and Port Orleans.

I have to say of all them ASMu was the best choice for a large family (6). The Poly, Contemporary, and Port Orleans were before having a family of 6. CSR is just too big. The cabins were nice, but transportation was an issue and only 1 bath was a huge issue. At the ASMu in a family suite you will be in one of the first 4 bldgs and have a pretty short walk to the bus. The bedroom for mom and dad is good size and has a door and separate HVAC controls.

I also recommend the AS Music family suite. We are a family of six and loved our stay there last year. The bus transportation was good IMO. Bus sharing is not really a big deal because a lot of times AS Music had its own bus; and since the All Star resorts are adjacent to eachother, having to pick up/drop off at another All Star hotel when we did share buses didn't take up much time at all. The family suites are in the buildings closest to the food court, bus stop, and pools which is very convenient. We also liked the layout of the suite and having two bathrooms was really nice; plus the kitchenette has a coffee maker, microwave, sink, and mini fridge which we utilized often even though we had the dining plan.

 

[spiceycat]

here is the rates for 2013 from mousesavers
http://www.mousesavers.com/2013-walt-disney-world-resort-room-rates-season-dates/

my pick would be Pop Century - it is little more expensive than the All stars - but it has the best transportation of all of the WDW resorts -now this might change if it and AOA start to share - which they might just basic on the route that Aoa now follows.

all the values allow 4 plus one child under 3
the exception is both AOA and ASMus suites - they sleep 6

all the moderates allow 4 plus one child under 3 - exception are the POR - only AB - they have a trundle bed for small ones = plus the suites at CSR - which are too me to expensive.

the wl and most of the rooms at ak sleep 4

the other deluxe resort sleep 5

fw cabins sleeps 6.

a studio at DVC resorts sleeps 4
so does a 1-bedroom - except OKW, BLT and AKV sleep 5 (although some say all 1-bedroom sleep 5 - you just have to bring an air mattress w/sheets and stuff)

a 2-bedroom sleeps 8
a 3-bedroom sleeps 12

if you are looking at DVC resorts - then it depends upon if you are renting points from a DVC member or renting directly from Disney - which is cheaper depends upon who you rent from

from disney
both OKW and SSR are cheaper

from a DVC member these are cheaper
Jambo house at AKL - value or standard view
bwv - standard view
okw (any view)

now with your age children would go for 2-bedroom at BLT - but even going thru DVC this won't be cheap. it sleeps 9.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Read the sticky threads at the top of this board. You will need to be logged into the DIS to read them.

http://disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=29

OKW 2 bedroom will be cheaper points-wise than AKV-Kidani Village Savanna view 2 bedroom.

Then check out David's Rentals. There is a link at the top of most pages.

 

[lovemy3girls]

I also highly recommend David's DVC rental. Transportation is so much easier at deluxe resorts, especially when you are dealing with strollers. We are a family with 5 kids as well. I recently wrote an article in my blog about this very subject. See link in my signature.

 

[jamioday001]

thanks! since your family make-up is so similar to mine, what did you find was the most economical one at david's vacation rentals? i'm thinking at this point value is key, but we may pay slightly more for monorail possibility or transportation convenience. thanks again.

 

[baler31]

Honestly, while these are all great suggestions you will have to decide whether budget or convenience to the park are most important.

The only resorts that are truly time friendly are where you can walk to the park you plan to spend the most time in. You can walk to Epcot and Hollywood Studios from all of the Boardwalk deluxe resorts as well as the Swan/Dolphin. You would need two rooms at any of these. The Swan/Dolphin is about the same price as a moderate but in a much better location.

If you plan to spend a lot of time at MK look into the Contemporary or a 2br at Bay Lake. The walkway to the MK is priceless with kids.

If budget is a primary consideration you may also want to look into Downtown Disney resorts or Wyndham's Bonnet Creek. If you have points with a certain hotel chain you may want to look into that chain. You don't have to stay onsite and these hotels are just as close location wise as a moderate or value or many of the DVC resorts. If time and convenience with your kids is primary regardless of whether you just sleep there then it becomes "worth it" to stay in a closer location.

 

[disney777]

For a Value resort, AOA family suites look pretty good and it currently does not share a bus. Don't know if that will change in the future.
Seems like you can get some good deals renting DVC points, but I think it would still cost more than a family suite.