Need advice on resort choice

[KJO516]

Plannign a first time 5 night trip in April 2016 to WDW. Myself, DH, DS 7 & DD 4, plus my parents. Will spend most time at MK, with visits to AK & HS too. Want to stay at resort closest to MK, but monorail resorts are a bit steep for us and WL is undergoing construction, so I'm turned off to that....what other options do we have? Would like to have convenience to afternoon trips to hotel for rest time for both kids and my parents!

 

[nherbert]

Fort wilderness cabin

 

[rwdavis2]

Although not close, Animal Kingdom Lodge does not share buses with other resorts so it' a direct shot. Not sure about any of the moderates.

 

[nkereina]

Look into renting Disney Vacation Club points. You could stay at Bay Lake Tower (at the Contemporary) for much less than the prices you're seeing online. David's Rentals, who is a sponsor on this board, can facilitate the process for you. Biggest things to keep in mind are that you should book around the 7 month mark to ensure best availability options, you generally have to pay the full cost upfront, and there are no refunds or date changes permitted. You still get all the same on-site perks and you can still add a dining plan if you want. You also will not get daily housekeeping, since it's DVC. It's really a great value for someone looking to save a few bucks, particularly if you're part of a larger group.

If this isn't an option, I believe Port Orleans Riverside is the closest moderate to MK. Took us about 7 minutes on the bus to get there.

 

[ChasingLeslie]

FW is probably going to be the most affordable option close to MK. If you are willing to stay in a non-Disney resort, then the Swan and Dolphin are very well located. Otherwise, CSR is a great choice: decent location, extra amenities, and one of the best bus services.

 

[brinkley07]

If you are thinking about renting points I would make some calls or email quickly because they open reservations to DVC owners as early as 11 months ahead. If you are going I would think April may be school vacation and be more difficult to get choices the longer you wait. Most of the buses during midday aren't really crowded and the trips aren't that long a ride to get a break from the parks. We went to CBR years ago and had a great time, but I can't comment on the ride times because it's been too long since I was there. Wherever you decide to stay it will be Disney, so it will be magical!

 

[mrsp1030]

Outside of WL, AKL is one of our favorites....even though it is farther away, the atmosphere and resort makes up for it so much! The theming is amazing! We have rented points many times and even stayed at VGF last fall and although we loved it, my kids keep asking to go back to AKL first and foremost!!!

 

[KJO516]

Look into renting Disney Vacation Club points. You could stay at Bay Lake Tower (at the Contemporary) for much less than the prices you're seeing online. David's Rentals, who is a sponsor on this board, can facilitate the process for you. Biggest things to keep in mind are that you should book around the 7 month mark to ensure best availability options, you generally have to pay the full cost upfront, and there are no refunds or date changes permitted. You still get all the same on-site perks and you can still add a dining plan if you want. You also will not get daily housekeeping, since it's DVC. It's really a great value for someone looking to save a few bucks, particularly if you're part of a larger group.

If this isn't an option, I believe Port Orleans Riverside is the closest moderate to MK. Took us about 7 minutes on the bus to get there.

Wow. Is it as easy as it seems on David's rental website?

 

[nkereina]

Wow. Is it as easy as it seems on David's rental website?

You submit a request on David's web site, and someone will be in touch with you in a day or two to let you know the availability. You can get an idea of pricing from their calculator, but there's no way to check actual availability on their web site so you'd have to send in the request form. They do make it easy and facilitate the whole process for you. As long as you're aware of and ok with the caveats mentioned, it's a great option.

 

[DisBuckMan]

Wow. Is it as easy as it seems on David's rental website?

Yes, David's makes it very easy. Make note of the fact that you have to pay a deposit when you have them initiate a search for your preferences, and if they come up with a match, the deposit is non-refundable if you decide to not accept the offer. The deposit was something like $98 last time I checked.

So, if you do decide to go that direction, make sure your plans are solid and not subject to change.

 

[terri33inne]

Any resort on property is easy enough to go back to for a mid-day break. We've stayed all levels, and have always done it. Do the mod's, and values add a bit more travel time... Yup, but not horribly.

Would it be in the budget to rent a car? That is another option if travel time is a concern. Although if I rented a car I would still use Disney transportation for MK, the other 3 parks I would drive.

 

[mkla2015]

I agree with previous posters about renting points. We're saving a decent amount of money by renting points through David's for our March 2016 trip. We were able to get a 1 bedroom at Baylake Tower which is awesome because you get a full kitchen and washer/dryer in addition to the extra space not found in a standard hotel room. And, you can walk to MK from BLT.

The rental process was extremely easy- fill out the application and pay $98- this goes toward your balance if they are able to secure a reservation for you. If they cannot get the reservation for you, the $98 is returned. I started the process at 9am and by 3pm we had a reservation.

Just keep in mind, unlike going through Disney- if you rent points, payment is due in full at the time of reservation. Also, make sure your dates are set because you cannot cancel the reservation.

During our last trip, we stayed at AOA. The resort was really nice, we liked the Nemo Family Suite that we were in but we spent a ton of time on busses. DH and I decided that while the kids are young since we spend the majority of our time at MK and they still take naps, we'll pay the extra money to be on the monorail for the time it saves.

 

[heidijanesmith]

We take a mid-day break every day and found it easy to do at the WDW resorts we have stayed in. It is a must for us I try to find a good discount for our hotel stays and never pay rack rate.

 

[queenofthehive]

Another option that is not a WDW resort but within in the Disney bubble would be Wyndham Bonnet Creek. There you could get a 2 - 4 bedroom at reasonable prices within the same distance as other Disney resorts but with more space and less cost. Worth looking into...