Lodging Question.... New to DW

[dianaore]

We are in the beginning planning stages for our first trip to DW.

DS is looking at the All Star Movie Resort....feedback anyone? We are looking at moderately priced but comfortable and good for getting around.

Diana

 

[mbanks21]

All the allstars are considered value resorts, theyre the least expensive on property. 2 double beds, no fridge unless you pay for it, no coffee maker, no sit down table restaurants, no slides at the pools, fairly basic resorts. Theyre the farthest from the theme parks. If youre on a budget theyre great but if you want something a little nicer with more ammenities and options and closer to the parks check out the moderates resorts: Coronado Springs, Carribean Beach, Port Orleans Riverside/French Quarter

 

[ZoZo]

Have you looked on the Resorts site here on the DIS? I'll bet you can find tons of threads there - and you can do a search with the name of the resort you want, to pull up a bunch of threads.

 

[bopper]

It all depends on your budget. If you have a little more to spend, then consider the Port Orleans Riverside.

 

[minnierocks]

One thing to consider is how you plan on spending your time there. We always stay at a value, because we are never in our rooms! We get up fairly early and head to the parks and stay until closing. All we require is a place to sleep and clean up, so the values work just fine for our family.
If you are planning on spending time at the resorts, then you might want some more space or different amenities that are found at the different resorts. Are the pools important to you? Then you will want to check out the different pools at each resort. I agree that you should look at the resorts information to see what appeals to you.
There is a "no one size fits all" answer to your question, but I think a good place to start would be to look at your budget for the trip and see what you can do there. We stay at the values because we would rather have the $$ to spend on dining and in the parks. Others feel differently, so they don't mind spending a little more. Once you have decided what you want to spend, then begin looking at the different resorts to decide what else is important to you.
I hope this helps a bit!

 

[noahdove]

I too have chosen the values, movies and sports...I will go back there in a minute...hands down. for the length of time we were in the room, it's the best bang for the dollar...good luck in choosing...

 

[rxs148]

We aer going next April and will be in Value.... first time. I agree if you are not there much then no big deal.
As for the pools well we went for a visit to see other hotels... went to Grand Floridian and sat around the pool on the nice lounge chairs.

 

[dsnymomof4]

One of the best parts of planning a WDW vacation is watching how excited the kids get. Getting them involved in the planning will make them look forward to it even more. If DS likes the look of the All Star resort, than I say go for it! The value resorts have the best theming for kids. The food courts are great and they are very family-friendly. I think the value resorts are a great choice for your first trip to Disney!

 

[DisneyParksMan06]

We are in the beginning planning stages for our first trip to DW.

DS is looking at the All Star Movie Resort....feedback anyone? We are looking at moderately priced but comfortable and good for getting around.

Diana

Hi Mom

Well I would like to thank everyone who has posted before and after me.

Well I thought that you might need a bit more information than my mom gave you above.

1- I LOVE STAR WARS and want to be in Disney World for Star Wars Weekends
. When are they? My Dad and I will also want to see the hall of Presidents so we are looking to take a trip during Star Wars Weekends and after the 4th of July Hall of Presidents re-opening.

2- We will be in the parks most of the time and will probibly spend most of our time at The Studios or Animal Kingdom with the MK and Epcot not far behind. We also love the water parks.

3- My brother likes pools alot so we need a good pool.

Our ages are 12, 15, 54 and you will have to ask my mom.

Now that you know a little bit more about our family you can help us easier.

if you need more info email me at disneyparksman06 @gmail.com

 

[Twitterpated Dad]

Hi Mom

Well I would like to thank everyone who has posted before and after me.

Well I thought that you might need a bit more information than my mom gave you above.

1- I LOVE STAR WARS and want to be in Disney World for Star Wars Weekends
. When are they? My Dad and I will also want to see the hall of Presidents so we are looking to take a trip during Star Wars Weekends and after the 4th of July Hall of Presidents re-opening.

2- We will be in the parks most of the time and will probibly spend most of our time at The Studios or Animal Kingdom with the MK and Epcot not far behind. We also love the water parks.

3- My brother likes pools alot so we need a good pool.

Our ages are 12, 15, 54 and you will have to ask my mom.

Now that you know a little bit more about our family you can help us easier.

if you need more info email me at disneyparksman06 @gmail.com

Welcome to the Disboards!

ETA: Values are great. Will your brother be bummed if you don't have a slide?

 

[DisneyParksMan06]

My Family Has Been To Alot Of Big Water Parks So We Aren't Thrilled With Many Simple Slides. Last Night We Watched A Vacation Planning DVD. Everyone Is Excited And My #1 Pick Is Coronado Springs.

 

[noahdove]

Interesting pick for Coronado Springs, why that one? I am curious

 

[dianaore]

this is great having my dear son helping with posting our questions and making sure you know all I leave out!

WDW is so much bigger then anything I have every planned for our family is great to have my son helping out as he lives, breaths and dreams Disney!

I need to search and see if AAA or anyone else is offering special packages this summer. Or maybe it is to soon?? We are looking at a June/July trip had I better be booking now?

Diana

 

[lmogs]

Can I make another suggestion?? Our family has rented DVC points and had GREAT vacations in a deluxe resorts. The weekdays are very reasonable (a studio often the same price as a value resort) and the pools and amenities are crazy good Check out the DVC boards to learn more. Depending on how long you're staying, it may be worth it to stay a weekend in a value and then move into a villa for the weekdays. We stayed at BWV and it was AWESOME to just walk to EPCOT. I've stayed in almost every resort at WDW - honestly, you just can't go wrong!! Good luck in your planning.

 

[DisneyParksMan06]

Interesting pick for Coronado Springs, why that one? I am curious

Location, Location, Location!!!

Coronado Springs is close to 3 parks and just a monorail ride from Epcot to MK. Moderate resorts are a better fit for us as a family because we want a nice hotel with a little more than value resorts, but we dont need everything a deluxe resort has. Of the moderate resorts I think that the Coronado Springs has better theming and more of what my family would want.

 

[Goofy109]

Coronado springs has a convention center , and not the greatest food court going IMO . I would pick Port Orleans " French Quarter " because it is a Smaller Resort ( not alot of walking ) and you can take a boat to Downtown Disney instead of the crowded busses ......... very relaxing ..... and they have a really neat Pool there with a Dragon slide ..... and you can also Walk to the Riverside section ( 5 minute walk ) to use there Pools and Restaurants if you want ........

 

[EverSoInnocent]

allears.net has hundreds of photos and information on all the resorts.

 

[brekin67]

We are happy with the value resorts. If we want water fun, we head to the water parks. Have a great time. ASM was fine for us.

 

[DisTwix]

How exciting to plan a first trip! And how overwhelming!

I agree with other posters regarding budget - take a hard look at what you really want to spend in beds/showers every day... and how much time you'll really spend @ the resort itself. It's a fact that staying at different resorts creates a very different vacation experience.

Think about how many days you'll be there - and considering buying one annual pass. Sometimes the room discount for an Annual Pass holder is so great that it can make up the difference in cost of park ticket in as few as 4 days. AP holders also get discounts @ the biggest store in Downtown Disney - World of Disney, and at many of the restaurants around the parks.

In my experience, staying at the All Stars/Pop Century can be fabulous - we've paid as little as $49 a night, if price is an issue. However, they can be loud (the toilets! OMG), sometimes they are packed to the brim with cheerleaders (which can get seriously old) and for the All Stars, the buses service ALL THREE resorts... so you always have multiple stops, and the buses are always packed - even in really low crowd times. But! The theming is very fun, and there is a lot of energy at those resorts - and the pools aren't terrible, just no slides.

We just stayed @ Port Orleans French Quarter and it was great. It's a fairly quiet resort (and we were first floor), with a fabulous pool and excellent theming. However, they also share some buses with Port Orleans Riverside, that was an issue occasionally. And - while we were there, it was packed all the time. We paid $89 a night, AP rate.

Like the other posters, do some research, narrow it down to 2 or 3, and call Disney (I ALWAYS call to make reservations --- the rules for called in reservations are much better than those made online regarding cancellations, etc). Hopefully, you'd get a great CM who can help you out - have them run the numbers for you... ask what kind of specials they have... check out the boards for codes... ask what the AP discount would be... that is all information that could make your decision.

Don't wait too long... if you want to stay at the Values during the SW week, you'll need to get crack-a-lackin' - they'll fill up quickly.

Have fun, don't stress --- you'll have a wonderful time no matter where you stay!

 

[DisTwix]

Sidenote - Coronado Springs isn't on the monorail....