Mother and daughter trip advice

[MouseMum]

DD15 and I may be doing our August 2018 Disney trip without the rest of the family. I'd like some input, especially from those who have travelled with a small party, on whether we should choose a value resort or something off property. Some added info about us...Typically, we have stayed at a deluxe resort on the Magic Kingdom loop, with our family of five. And we liked our afternoon breaks, as well as frequent mini- visits to MK. TIA

 

[j2thomason]

My 22yo daughter and I have done many mother-daughter trips over the past 5-6 years. We have had APs for the past 4 years and usually do several trips each year. We definitely prefer staying on site. It is great for taking breaks in the afternoon, plus you get to choose fast passes at 60 days prior verses 30 days, you get extra magic hours and free parking! We love Pop Century. If they sold DVC for value resorts we would definitely buy into that resort! The newly renovated rooms are really nice and the bus service is great. I prefer to stay in value resorts because we can afford to visit more often if we pay less for our room.

 

[bigeyedfish]

I have decided that if I ever take my DD alone I would look into the Little Mermaid Rooms at AoA or the Royal Rooms at POR. Mostly because our party is too large to stay in either of them so DD and I alone would be our only chance!

 

[Sandi]

My DD is 22 and we've been doing mom/daughter trips since she was 4. DH is not a Disney guy. We always stay on property for the convenience, FP, DME, and other benefits. We now typically stay at BWI, but always enjoy Pop, too. In August, we'd head to a water park nearly every morning and then a theme park for the afternoon and evening. Being on property also has the advantage of DH not worrying about us.

 

[disneyAndi14]

My DD 17 and I do trips 2-3x a year just the two of us, we have stayed Deluxe, Mod, and Value, our favorite is the monorail loop resorts for quick trips to MK and relaxing in the afternoon. I would definitely stay on site. It is great with just two because all the resort levels give you enough room. I love being in the Disney bubble so staying on site is a must for us.

 

[Arianabtd]

Me and my Mom are heading on our next trip in a couple months! We are the sort of people who only use a room to leave in the morning and come back to at night, so Pop is great for us! Even if you foresee yourself heading back to your hotel to rest I think Pop is still a great option. We love values so we can save more money for snacking around

 

[DisneyWishes14]

DS9 and I go together without other family often. We usually stay in the EP area because EP is our favorite park. This past trip we stayed at WL, though, and absolutely loved it! If you will be visiting MK the most and you want to save a little on the room, I would look into WL. The boat ride to MK is so lovely and it will price out less than the monorail resorts. We also like POR and POFQ. We've stayed at values and I'm not really a fan, especially if you plan to take mid-day breaks.

 

[figmentedfollies]

I've done several Mother and Daughter trips with my mother and we've founding staying on property works best for us. We don't have to worry about renting a car/driving. Plus you have access to the 60 days for FP+ and EMH. If you like to take mid-afternoon breaks, I would say definitely think about staying onsite.

Both Pop and CSR are renovating rooms currently and they look really nice. You can see pictures here. If you're used to staying on the monorail loop, you could try the Boardwalk/Epcot area. I love the POR resorts for the Disney Springs boat.

 

[trishadono]

I agree staying onsite just feels safer . Dd22 and I have been doing mom n me since 11 and have done value, mods, deluxe and cl.

What's nice is really anything will work. A trip for 2 vs whole family is just so much easier. We just take turns about what to do next.

 

[ExpatDisneyLover]

I took my mom to Disney for her 70th birthday! We had a fabulous time. I chose a lot of things to make it extra special for us - to pamper Mom too. We stayed at POR - which was a great resort - not too expensive but a little bit nicer than a value with boat transport to DS. I bought special toiletry packs and girly matching bracelets/t-shirts. I also booked lots of good dining reservations that Mom enjoyed as well as full tea at the Grand Floridian. Next trip I would book Beach Club or Yacht Club - for good access to Epcot. Mother/ Daughter trips are so much fun! Enjoy planning!

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I did POFQ with dd18 this August. It was perfect. We usually stay deluxe with the whole family but didn't feel we needed to do so with just the 2 of us.

 

[mn51]

My daughter and I are going in January. We are awaiting the discount and plan on staying at Riverside in a Royal Room. We were there this past February and stayed there. On a past mother/daughter trip we stayed at French Quarters.

 

[erij11]

My DD18 and I are going in March and staying at POR in a royal guest room! I'm really excited. This will be our first time staying at a moderate as we've always done values on our previous trips. On our last trip we stayed at Pop in a renovated room and it was amazing! I actually tried to book Pop for our March trip but there was no availability for our dates. We feel safer onsite and love using the buses to get around. Bus service at Pop is outstanding. On most trips, we don't use our car again until we leave. So if you want to try a value this time, I totally recommend Pop!!!

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I'm planning a mother daughter trip for next year. We will definitely stay on site. I don't want to deal with driving. We are also midday break by the pool people since we usually go in August so staying onsite works best. Plus all of the perks. We're planning on going during jersey week next year and it won't be as hot so we will be deciding midday breaks as we go. I'm debating between mod or deluxe depending on prices. We like to have the extra amentities that the values don't offer. Covered bus stops, two queens (I know pop has this now), pool slides, double sinks, etc.

 

[pbb&j]

I did POFQ with dd18 this August. It was perfect. We usually stay deluxe with the whole family but didn't feel we needed to do so with just the 2 of us

I also did a mother daughter trip in August with my 14 year old daughter at POFQ. It was a great fit for the two of us, and for my daughter, the size of the resort wasn't intimidating if she was walking around alone.

 

[loves to dive]

I agree that staying on site is the way to go, I've been going with my son since he was just shy of 3, he is 36 now and we have always stayed on site. As far as staying at a value as opposed to a monorail resort, you might be a tad disappointed. I would suggest maybe going to a moderate for your first step away from a deluxe or trying Swan/Dolphin, if you are careful you can get a room at them for a moderate price and are within walking distance to Epcot and HS. I stay in moderate and value resorts for a night or two when I do split stays with Epcot resorts but I don't think I could stay the entire trip in one. If you are used to going back to your resort and enjoying the resort, a value can be a bit hectic. They don't have quiet pools like the moderate/deluxe resorts do and the public areas tend to be a tad loud and crowded.

 

[Kimberle]

My college dd and I have visited every year since she was 8. We always stay on site at a deluxe resort. We tried POR once. It was ok, but just not our travel style. We enjoy relaxing at our resort.

Since you normally stay on the MK loop, I would continue.

 

[Sue M]

We’ve been doing Mom daughter trips every year since daughters were teens. With either 1 or both DDs. Now that their 27 & 31 and different schedules, it’s hard to get both so since they were in their 20’s it’s usual just one. Sometimes both!

We’ve always stayed onsite, either mod or deluxe. The past few August’s we have been at either GF or Poly. Because of great Labour day discounts.
This Nov/Dec we're staying at Pop because rates are higher.

We like afternoon breaks too so staying on property works best for us. Our first trip we stayed off property on Palm Pkwy close to DTD but without a rental car it was impossible to take a break. After that we only stay onsite.

 

[danikoski]

My mom and I went in February this year and stayed at WL. Got a great deal of $215/night std view with a pin code. Loved it! We took afternoon breaks pretty much every day, and WL just made it really convenient. And our std view had a great view of MK and fireworks!
We also did the full tea at GF, and I'd highly recommend it for a mom and daughter trip

 

[zKatze]

I vote for staying on-site.

My first Mother/Daughter trip was with my 9yr old 3 yrs ago. We stayed at the All-Star Movie Resort (just one night for the Xmas party) and it was perfect. We spent most of our time in park (one night for the party and the next day in the park), so we didn't miss the amenitities of the more expensive resorts.

Last year I did a 5 day Mother/Son trip with my 7yr old renting DVC points. We spent a lot more time at the resorts (split stay SSR, AKL, BLT) and enjoyed the perks of the deluxe resorts. We spent a whole day just enjoying AKL. It was nice to have something to do, without the full tilt rush, rush, rush of visiting the park.

I just booked POR for a 3 day stay with my 17yr old daughter in March. We may switch it to POP or off-site to the Doubletree in Disney Springs. I'm waiting to see what kind of discounts come out for late winter. Since we're only planning one day at Epcot, we thought it would be nice to stay at a resort that offered us a bit more on-site (and we wanted a more subtle atmosphere than the values offer, but then I always think of the All-Star resorts when I think value. POP and AoA always strike me as in between...Value+).