Logical stay for 2 couples

[FLkid]

hello everyone!

I'm looking to book a stay for two couples (And a baby). My gf and I will be joined by our friends and their baby in February, And we want to stay on site as it is their first visit to WDW.

They haven't given me a budget (despite asking a few times) They simply stated "wherever you guys book that's where we want to book". So having close rooms is a must.

I don't know what the privacy is like with a two bedroom suite/villa. I also don't want to have them spend an astronomical amount of money.

Our benefit lies in the fact that we are AP holders and FL residents. However their benefit is that they are both active military. I'm not sure what type of discount they get but I'm assuming it's similar to ours.

Any advice or resort recommendations is greatly appreciated!

 

[VAfamily1998]

The military discount is usually the best around, BUT--I also qualify for the military discount and have found that there is very limited availability for 2018. So depending on which dates you want to go, you might want to research all discount options.

The thing about 2 couples sharing a 2 bedroom suite or villa--the bedrooms usually aren't "equal." One is usually a master bedroom, with a King size bed, a more luxurious/spacious bath, etc. The second bedroom will generally have 2 queens (or one queen and a sofa bed) and a more standard bathroom. Would you feel comfortable with one couple having "better" accommodations than the other?

 

[Marthasor]

Personally, I would check to see what's available with all discounts (AP, military, etc.) and go from there. You could, quite literally, stay anywhere.

I think a two bedroom villa (if you can swing it), isn't a bad idea. You and gf could take the main bedroom, your friends could have the room with a queen and plenty of room for a crib/pack and play. There will be two bathrooms plus a full kitchen and washer/dryer which can come in handy with a baby. There is a living room area separating the bedrooms, so there is privacy. 2 studios might also be nice as the studios have 1 queen bed plus a sofa bed (which doesn't need to be pulled out), thereby giving you a little more space in the room to sit on the couch or put a crib/packandplay. You can also do 2 regular rooms anywhere and request connecting (which isn't guaranteed). What I would NOT recommend would be to book a family suite or a Ft. W cabin. I think that would be way too close for comfort, IMHO.

I would also figure out which parks you will visit the most. If it's MK, I would focus on the resorts and villas in the MK area. To keep costs down, consider regular rooms or villas at WL, Copper Creek or Boulder Ridge. WL offers boat access to MK and is an all around beautiful resort. If you will be spending more time at EP/DHS, consider rooms or villas at BC and BWI. If you need to go down to a mod, look into POR or POFQ. For a value, I would recommend Pop.

Again, I would check the discounts first and go from there!

 

[Disneyhenry]

If everyone can afford a 2 bedroom, that be great, having a full kitchen, washer n dryer with a baby would be great! If not maybe 2 rooms at POR? Deluxe? WL
Have fun!

 

[Sue M]

I’d probably book 2 rooms. More privacy. And I agree with poster about the bedrooms in the villas not being equal. If you’re splitting cost 50/50 who gets the better bedroom? I guess to be fair you could flip a coin.

But more importantly I’d research the discounts.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I would book two separate rooms. A baby can have an off night, especially while on vacation, and I wouldn't want to hear crying all night. I wouldn't mind sharing a condo/villa/house with someone who had a baby if it were a more relaxing type vacation (like a beach trip) but at WDW I need my sleep.

 

[bigeyedfish]

I would just book two separate rooms and ask for them to adjoin. You also may want to force them to look at the (inflated) Disney prices so there is no sticker shock!

 

[Deb & Bill]

I would just book two separate rooms and ask for them to adjoin. You also may want to force them to look at the (inflated) Disney prices so there is no sticker shock!

Adjoin just means near each other. If you want a connecting door between them, you want connecting rooms.

 

[firefly_ris]

I'd book 2 connecting rooms... for us that would be a value or a discounted mod but I don't know your budget. I have 3 kids who are not babies anymore, but when they were each babies they all had different sleep habits... and if there's any teething going on, nursing... I'd personally want my own room for that. I'd be so stressed about disturbing the couple without children on top of it all.

 

[dansdad]

I'd book 2 connecting rooms... for us that would be a value or a discounted mod but I don't know your budget. I have 3 kids who are not babies anymore, but when they were each babies they all had different sleep habits... and if there's any teething going on, nursing... I'd personally want my own room for that. I'd be so stressed about disturbing the couple without children on top of it all.

Just to be clear, you can't book connecting rooms. You can book 2 rooms and request that they be connecting, which is just that a request. I completely agree with everything else in your post.

 

[firefly_ris]

Just to be clear, you can't book connecting rooms. You can book 2 rooms and request that they be connecting, which is just that a request. I completely agree with everything else in your post.

Ah yes good point... key word request!! But even if you are just near each other that would probably be just as good. I feel like you'd want at least a small amount of alone time, even if it's just getting ready to go in the morning.

 

[bumbershoot]

Connecting rooms would be louder if baby's crying than a two bedroom because you don't have the living room and kitchen in between.

I'd go with a 2 bedroom
OKW villa. Giant space and real beds in the second room.

Figure out who gets what room and if people feel there's a value difference work that out. Not everyone wants a jacuzzi tub.

 

[crazylady]

I'd stay at Shades of Green unless the military and/or florida discount was really, really, really good. I'd prefer Shades to moderate especially with a baby. Babies don't care about Disney theming. At Shades you are close enough to the monorail for travel to EP and MK and nice restaurants. It's also quiet and less crowded which I think would be good on a trip with an infant. It would be a good opportunity for you to experience Shades if you haven't already. Your friends would have to book the rooms.

 

[Sleepy425]

We just had our friends stay with us in our 2BR at AKV Kidani. While yes, we could hear their baby crying at night, it was because we left our side of the lock off open so they had access to the kitchen and washer/dryer at all times.

 

[Nancyg56]

I would just book two separate rooms and ask for them to adjoin. You also may want to force them to look at the (inflated) Disney prices so there is no sticker shock!

Adjoining and connecting are two different requests.

OP- I would ask your friends what their total budget is for the trip before you start planning. Lodging is one consideration but park tickets and food add up as well, so before I planned the resort I would want to know what was left for the rest of the trip.

Once you know what you can spend, then plan the resort. I prefer the moderates or deluxes for a vacation but my family uses the resort a lot.

If you have never traveled with this couple I would not choose a 2 bedroom villa. I love my family and we travel as a group, so I know how we are in close quarters. When we add my oldest son to the mix we know we are not sharing space. He needs to be able to get away from the rest of us, so he gets a seperate room. No suite is going to work out. If you choose to share space with this couple, you really need to be comfortable with one another, because there is a big difference between spending time together, and basically living together for several days.

I like POFQ but POR is lovely as well. Given a choice for moderates I would lean towards one of these two resorts.

 

[bumbershoot]

If you have never traveled with this couple I would not choose a 2 bedroom villa. I love my family and we travel as a group, so I know how we are in close quarters. When we add my oldest son to the mix we know we are not sharing space. He needs to be able to get away from the rest of us, so he gets a seperate room. No suite is going to work out. If you choose to share space with this couple, you really need to be comfortable with one another, because there is a big difference between spending time together, and basically living together for several days.

A big two bedroom villa offers the opportunity to get away. He can head to the bedroom while others are in the living room area. Same as if you guys were socializing in one room and he went back to your room. Better than if you were socializing in YOUR room and he has nowhere to go or you have the group move rooms.

We've stayed with cousins and my aunt, basically 3 family units, even for the first time most of us met, in a 2 bed at OKW and it never felt like we were in each other's space at all. Once it was bedtime, sure, the living room was being used as a bedroom, but then everyone was off to their bedrooms too. We chose who stayed on the pullout by who would be most likely to stay up late because they would be impacted the least by other peoples bedtimes.

Far better than staying in a single room imo.

 

[srwarden1928]

We just got back with a somewhat similar situation. We both booked rooms at Pop Century and we both requested rooms adjoining the other. That is exactly what we got, and we could not have been more pleased with the setup.

On another matter, we were in refurbished rooms. I was hoping to NOT have refurbished rooms, because the pictures I have seen on several sites I thought were ugly and non-Disney. I especially hated the floors. Of course I REALLY don't like fake wood floors; I don't really care for REAL hardwood floors, but those are much better than the fake ones. The rooms were absolutely BEAUTIFUL. We especially liked the Murphy beds. I was SO pleasantly surprised, because I truly expected NOT to like the refurbished rooms based on the pictures I had seen.