Logistics: Resorts and Parks

[kcwdad]

Hello all,

Newbie question, hope it's in right place and not already answered in such an obvious way as to make me sorry to have asked...

We're taking the extended family (4 families: 2 grandparents, 6 "adults" and 5 kids, all but one of whom are 4 yrs. and younger) to our first Disneyworld trip in late April: 4 days + a 3day cruise on the Wonder to top it all off.

The question: what are best resort options for such a motley crew, making logistics the easiest? i.e. we don't want to spend too much time figuring out/waiting on transportation with impatient toddlers and kidlets.

Let me confess total ignorance to what we should be doing/seeing in all of Disneyworld.. but from my many trips to Disneyland, I think we're biased toward what I think is called the magic kingdom (vs. animal park, epcot, etc.)...

Some in our group like the idea of staying "inside the park"--what does that really mean? I have visions of walking out our hotel front door and right into a line to get on Pirates of the Caribean (or some such)--I presume this is naive?

Chances are we will not be able to all afford the upscale resorts ($300/night like Polynesian)--are there affordable ones with monorail access?

Any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks,

kcwdad

 

[jennymouse]

Welcome to the DIS! You've come to the best site for WDW info!

If you'll be mostly going to Magic Kingdom you'll want to stay close to there. The resort on the monorail are more expensive, they are: Polynesian, Grand Floridian and the Contemporary. Another option would be the Wilderness Lodge; it doens't have the monorail, but does have a direct boat to Magic Kingdom and is a little cheaper. But, I have to say, even the moderate and value resorts which would save to lots of money all have great bus service and would drop you off right at the front entrance, so don't hesitate to stay at one of those. The new Pop Century value resort is getting rave reviews around here!

Sometimes there are specials, but unless you're an annual passholder they're getting harder to come by. Check out www.mousesavers.com and click on Walt Disney World for lots of money saving ideas, and any special rates would be listed there as well.

Along with this site and mousesavers, another great site for WDW planning is www.allearsnet.com. If you study this site and these others before you go, you're trip will be much the better for it.

 

[Grumpy92]

Let me see if I can help. I will tell you that you will find wdw so big compared to Disneyland. It was always a comment I heard guest make and dont discount the other parks quite yet. Families with young children love AK & MGM. You probably could do a half day at each and cover the things your group would enjoy.

First, you will love the cruise we have been on several and loved it.

"In the Park", I think you are referring to staying on property or at a Disney Resort. The monorail resorts are the easiest especially with small children. They include the Grand Fla, Contemporary & Polynesian. I would suggest the Wilderness Lodge it is in the same vicinity but not on the monorail. It offers boat service to the MK and bus service to all other Disney locations. It is a beautiful hotel. Another resort option might be the FW cabins, they sleep six and have full kitchens. The next options would be moderates and all though very nice are farther away from this area. Some discount rates can be found on mousesavers.com. You can check and see if you fall into any of the catagories.

There are many benefits to staying at a Disney resort though there are none that directly open into the MK they are very very close. A good example is that you can easily see the mk fireworks from any of the resorts I have listed above. You do get early entry into the park, charging priviledges on your resort id, complimentary Disney transportation and a wonderful staff.

I would suggest that you go to the WDW official site and order the free vacation planning DVD/Video. It will give you a good overview of all the resorts, parks, restaurants & activities. They also have one for the cruises. You also might want to go to your local bookstore and get one of the following books. Birnbaums Official Guide, The Passporter or The Unofficial Guide of WDW. Personnally I prefer the last two.

For such a large group I would also suggest making a few dining reservations before you arrive, especially if you wish to go to a character meal or one of the more popular restaurants. Once you have had a chance to review the books, DVD and ask a few more questions here. We even know a site with a list of the menus. You can work with Group dining for reservations. You did not say when you would be going but if it is a school holiday period you definitely need to do this.

This should get you started and keep reading these boards you will learn so much. Also dont be afraid to ask a zillion questions we love to help others plan their vacations.

 

[Kimberle]

What are you going to do while at Disney? If you're spending most of your time at MK, then try WL. It's a wonderful deluxe and one of the lower priced ones. I have pictures in my link below if you'd like to look.

I don't think you can go wrong with any of the Disney resorts. Just pick the themeing you like best and the location. If you're spending most of your time at MK, then pick a MK resort, Epcot resorts for a mainly Epcot stay, etc.

 

[ironz]

I would also recommend a monorail resort for the transportation convenience. My family went in early 2000 (we're convinced they started "Magical Gatherings" on the success of our trip! ). We had 1 grandparent (my mom), 10 adults, and 8 kids (from ages 5 to 14). We stayed at the Polynesian. Everyone loved the theming of the resort, and transportation was a breeze!! We either walked the very short walk to the TTC to get on a bus, or we rode the monorail from the resort.

I think we used an AAA discount on our rooms for that trip, but it may be well worth the cost of an AP or two if there are AP discounts when you go. In fact, for my upcoming trip (tomorrow!!), for just 2 of us, the AP discount at the Poly already paid for itself! Also, at the Poly, you can get 5 people in a room (some resorts only "allow" up to 4).

Good luck!!