Last minute trip; need advice

[kakiax]

The plot: brother has conference in Nov., decides ideal family trip while wife (school-teacher) is on Maternity leave.

The cast: my family of 5, (kids, 11, 5, 1), his family of 4 (kids, 3, 2 mo) and possibly sister with hsd and 2mo old. Oh and dad & mom may come too!!

The q's: AKL or CR for same AP rate? (savannah view or garden wing) WL for a bit more?

I have been to WL and LOVE It. Haven't been to CR in over 20 yrs and fear it being dated; plus I am not crazy about theming. Howerver, I hear rooms are larger and the moneral is a plus. Sounds like AKL is great too. Pool a big factor as my girls love hotel pools

As always you all have great insight on these important matters of finalizing dreams!!

Kim

 

[gigi1313]

with that many kids of those ages, DEFINITELY CR! the monorail is where it's at! LOL! chef mickey's! fireworks from the hotel! great pool! outrageous arcade! big rooms! just think about all the comings and goings from your hotel to the theme parks or various places... akl is very "secluded" or off the beaten path... a crying tired hungry kid needs to be back in the room post-haste, not after a 20+ minute bus ride, kwim? (not saying that your or bro/sil's kids are going to be that, but it's a possibility) plus, for sil w/a 2mos old baby... it would be great to go back and rest w/out inconveniencing the whole group... i cannot think of a single reason NOT to stay at the CR!

what a great last minute trip... ENJOY!

 

[kakiax]

the rooms aren't "dated"? Would it be worth it to split the stay for AKL?

 

[Pats Dragon]

There isn't a resort that I don't love and CR is a favorite, especially the tower, BUT I vote for AKL. If you take the babies to the room you can sit on your bed and watch the animals. We made excuses to go back to the room to see our animals. The food court is neat too. I think, if your kids like zoos they will think it is very neat to see the animals from their rooms. The rooms are smaller though. Have fun whichever you choose.

 

[sjc]

We stayed at the CR tower this past May and the garden wing earlier this month. The rooms have been updated and I really wouldn't call it dated. The bathrooms have been remodeled with marble and new fixtures. The rooms are a decent size compared to the WL. Our only issues with the hotel had to do primarily with the staff (Bell and Check in). Otherwise we really enjoyed the convenience of the CR.. The split stay with the AKL is something that we are considering the next time we go to the CR. We have never been to the AKL and are curious about it....steve c

 

[kakiax]

Thanks for the input!

I think we are leaning towards a split btn CR & AKL. I guess starting at CR would make sense as we will want to hit the MK 1st and then maybe a bit more r & r by end of trip.

Any chance of getting a Cindy breakfast this late?

 

[swilphil]

Definitely CR. With the little babies, and all those other kids, you definitely want easy access. Moms can so easily monorail it or walk to MK. You can also monorail over to Epcot. Kids that age will like the monorail in the hotel. Plus what I wouldn't have given to be able to hop on the monorail when my kids were colicky infants. There's an arcade that your older kids can use while little ones nap. The size of the rooms will be fabulous for your family of 5.

I wouldn't want the hassle of splitting a stay with that many people and infants that young, plus it may be a hassle for the family with dad at a conference.

I doubt you could get a Cindy's breakfast for everyone in your group, but I would highly recommend Crystal Palace and Chef Mickey's!

 

[kakiax]

thanks again; booked CR this am but we are all meeting to finalize so it may change. I think your right about the moneral and the kids!

And no Cindy available!

 

[Scoootch]

I'd also go for the CR with all the babies being along that you mention. The stroller factor alone will make it worth it IMO. AKL is would be nice but strollers on the buses are a pain in the hiney. Not only is the monorail close to MK (where I'm sure you'll end up alot ) but being able to just roll the strollers on and not have to fold them up is a MAJOR plus.

JMO

 

[swilphil]

I think you'll be glad you stayed at the CR for the convenience and large rooms. Don't worry about not getting Cindy's breakfast. You could do dinner at the castle or for princesses do the GF 1900 Park Fare dinner. Definitely do Chef Mickey's. It's known as the best character meal in all of WDW, and it would be so convenient with your large group. You can try to make reservations at the Dining number from your room when you get to WDW. It seems like lots of people cancel. Remember, don't think that the entire group has to do everything together.

 

[jenjen212]

i agree... CR!!!

it is sooooo wonderful to not have to worry about taking everything out of the stroller (diaper bag/ bottle bag/ camera bag) those under-stroller compartments come in very handy!

so, to just stroll on and stroll off, is wonderful. plus, when you need to get the kids in early, you can still go to the 4th floor (where chef mickey's is) or one of the other floors to be able to veiw the fireworks from mk at night right in the air conditioning for the little ones - especially if you are bringing a 2 mo.

good luck!!

jen