Need help/advice on resort choice!

[Deborah_Mary]

Hey all. Dh and I are starting to talk about our next trip to DW and are looking at some different resorts. We've always stayed at the CR, but are considering staying elsewhere if we could be convinced. We enjoy their restaurants (go to Chef Mickey's once and to the Concourse Steakhouse multiple times every trip), love the view of the castle from our tower room and the location and transportation most certainly can NOT be beat! BUT, we are wanting to at least get a little info on our other potential resort choices and potentially stay somewhere else, but since we haven't stayed anywhere else (well, I stayed at the Poly when I was a teen with my parents twice) we really need your advice.

As for when we usually go, we always go in July, so we are very use to the HOT weather and HEAVY crowds, but dh is thinking about the possibility of us going in May. He said we'd probably never go back in the summer after going in spring.

We have 2 dd's, 6 & 1 so ease of transportation is very important! Our 1 year old will be in her stroller most of the time so folding it up a lot and loading it up on and off buses isn't too appealing for us.

Location is also important. We spend a lot of time at the MK seeing that our 6 year old loves the princesses like nothing else. Then MGM, Epcot and AK.

And size of the resort does matter too. We had been looking at some of the mods, but the ones that are most appealing to us are CSR and CBR and they are just TOO huge and spread out for our likely not to mention they solely rely on all bus transportation.

The pool is high on my 6 year old's list as well but not a total necessity. Granted she isn't all too picky when it comes to pools and swimming as she just loves the water, but seeing some of the other pool areas at these different resorts looks amazing.

Thus, our current resorts on our list to get more info and insight are:

AKL
WL
BC
BCV
Poly
and of course CR

Any info, insight or wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Deb*

 

[MrsJ Henry]

Since YC is not on your list I would have to say Beach club. We absolutely LOVED the YC. The location was perfect. The Castmembers were out of this world, Our room was beautiful,We loved taking the boat to MGM and Epcot ( although you can walk to Epcot)
Nice restaurants at the resort( YC and BC) And so close to the restaurants at Boardwalk.
Like I said I can not say enough about this resort. We LOVED our balcony which was overlooking the lagoon and Boardwalk. So great!! We were upgraded for free. We had a standard view.
This area is just the best.

 

[Dchef]

We are headed to WL for the first time in a few weeks. I can tell you that I did a lot of research for our family and in the end it seemed (to us) that WL would be best being our first time and its proximity to the MK. It seems warm and family like and this was really, really important. I will be planning on doing a first timers recap when I return from DW Feb 5th, so be sure to look for the post as what I will be commenting on is how it stacks up for our family of four and me the "picky" mom!
Goodluck
Darlene

 

[debbiedoo]

I am going to say WL, BC, or BW, due to the age of your children. When my kids we at the stroller age we just rented them at the parks, and that was one less thing to pack.

WL - close to MK
BC/BW/YC - walking distance to Epcot and boat access to MGM.

 

[Desnik]

Why isn't the BW on your list? That is our favorite place and we have kids the same ages as yours. We can walk or take the boat to Epcot and MGM. The pool is awesome with a great slide. We also love the quiet pool there. The food options are incredible. You have all the restaurants on the BW, then just a short walk away is YC/BC and Swan/Dolphin. Not to mention all the restaurants at Epcot's World Showcase. We also go to MK because of our DD and her love of the princesses. But, the princesses are at Epcot too!!! The storybook breakfast was great and DD got to meet her fav. princess, Sleeping Beauty. When you visit the lands the princess from that land is usually there, or at least the charaters from the movies. Like in Morrocco you'll find the Aladdin characters, Belle in France, Etc.

My vote would be for the BW because the resort itself is so beautiful, the rooms are so beautiful and the CM's are great! Having so much night time entertainment right at your doorstep is so great with kids! The strolling entertainment, like jugglers, magicians, the face painting, hair wraps, carnival type games, surrey bikes, etc.... It is just fantastic!
Alot of people always comment on MK being the best park for kids, but DD loves Epcot, the kidcot stations where they make the masks, little things like the lights in the sidewalks, the fountain, Spaceship Earth and more.
I think you would really love the BW area and if you decide against the BW resort, then I would try the BC. Everyone raves about that pool! I would also say go in the beginning of May and you would get lower crowds and nice weather, but nothing like that July heat!!

We will be trying the BCV for the first time in Nov. Hopefully we will like it as much as BWV. We also wanted to try something different even though we love the BW.

Have fun choosing!

 

[Desnik]

Dchef
You will not be dissappointed with the WL. It is a wonderful resort. We spent 3 days there just relaxing and enjoying the resort and pool. It is now one of our favorite resorts and we thought we would hate it! It is warm and cozy! Make sure you take a trip to FW for the campfire singalong. It was so much fun and they play a movie after on a big screen outdoors! We didn't go to any parks while we were there. For us we like being able to have walking/boat access to more than one park. While the WL has great access to MK, you have to take a bus every where else.

 

[eeyore0062]

We like to stay in a different resort everytime. So far we have managed 3 deluxes, 3 mods and one value. That being said, here are my views on your list.
AKL-- you will have to take the bus everywhere. For ease of transportation, which you ranked high on your list, I would not do this resort yet. Wait until the little one is a bit older. When you do, request a savannah view so you can wake up and greet the animals in the morning, or sit on the balcony and watch while your kids nap inside. I do love this resort, but haven't been able to talk DH into it yet. He thinks it is too far away from everything... so it is on the list of places to stay if I go with a girlfriend... along with the Grand Floridian! Love the buffet at Boma, think the African Storyteller is fantastic, and the pool is very nice, too... although I haven't been able t go in it! My only thing is if the rooms are the same size as those in the WL and the furniture as big and heavy, I might feel a bit cramped if there were more than 2 of us in a room.

WL-- The pool is beautiful, (but like the CR, it is one that doesn't have zero entry), as is the view of Bay Lake, if you have the water view room that affords you that view. We found the rooms to be a bit small (no bigger than the rooms at CBR, but with Queen beds instead of full sized beds), even with only 2 adults and one child. The furniture is very heavy, big furniture (even discounting the size of the bed) and doesn't seem to allow ease of getting around in the room. Having a balcony is nice, so you can go out and talk with the kids fall asleep. We loved the lobby, and since our room was small and dark, we spent a lot of time there when we weren't in the park. Whispering Canyon has a great breakfast, too. We have heard that you need to avoid a room on the side of Whispering Canyon, as the noise from the festivities of the restaurant can be heard. We were on the other side overlooking the Villas and quiet pool, so it was quiet there. We weren't really thrilled with the bus transportation, but perhaps, since it is now on the loop with the Grand Floridian instead of Ft Wilderness, it may have improved. The boat launch is nice, but doesn't open in time to get you to MK in time for Extra Magic Hour. They do have child care in the form of the Cub's Den for children 4 to 12, which my 6 yo( at the time) enjoyed.

BC-- very family friendly. Nice light colors, decent sized rooms. Pool is fantastic, but tends to get crowded due to the theming of a mini waterpark. With a one year old, this pool is really great because one end is very shallow, allowing the little one to splash and play, while the older one can be more adventurous. If a balcony is important to you, you need to stress that when making your reservation, because some rooms have no balcony and others have a very small one. The breakfast and dinner at Cape May Cafe are great. Love the proximity to Epcot and MGM. The water taxi's are also a nice relaxing form of transportation. There is a playground here, too, and the Sandcastle Club offers child care for kids 4-12 This is actually our choice next time we stay on property!

BCV-- same as above, except no chance of a water view. These villas are built toward the front of the resort. I believe that they do have balconies, and also will give you a kitchen set up, which might be nice with a little one in the morning. If you go on the DVC board, you may be able to find someone with points they are willing to sell for the time you will be there which would definitely save you some money.

Poly-- we adored staying at the Poly. We were just there the 1st week of October. Also a very family friendly resort. The pool is nice, with the zero entry, and it has jets at one end near the sliding board so you can get a water massage while you are waiting for your 6 year old to come down the slide. The kids seemed to LOVE the slide and the waterfall coming from the volcano--- grownups enjoyed this as well. We enjoyed the hammocks on the beach, as well as the swings. The transportation was great.... jump on the monorail to the MK and take the boat launch back, and we walked to the TTC when we wanted to visit Epcot. The bus transportation was no problem, either. Like the BC, if a balcony is high on your list, let them know. In many of the long houses there are no balconies on the 2nd floor... much like the wings at CR on the 2nd and 3rd floors. We stayed in Rarotonga in the 3rd floor overlooking the quiet pool and did have a balcony (it was considered a garden view--- so I thought that was pretty good!). The Neverland Club is very nice, and bigger with more offerings than some of the other childcare facilities. The ages are 4-12, but it is open during the day for parents and children to enjoy together. We didn't miss this, but I have read that other folks with kids were upset that there is no playground. None of the kids I saw seemed to miss it. They were too busy playing in the sand and swinging on the bench swings on the beach. We stayed here on an Adult's only trip.

and of course CR--We stayed here, and LOVED it. Only thing missing was a balcony---which was OK due to the weather, but had it been warm, I would have loved sitting there watching the Mama Duck and her ducklings every morning while enjoying a cup of coffee. The size of the rooms was FANTASTIC, and I loved the bathrooms! I had no problem with the color scheme, although that seems to be a common complaint on these boards. We could lie in bed at night and see the Electrical Light Pageant on Bay Lake. Loved the ease of coming and going to the MK, loved the monorail, the shopping, and the Outer Rim Lounge. We were on 1st name basis with the bartender before we left, because we were there in January and it was cold and rainy a good portion of the time, therefore we didn't get to experience the pools, but they looked really nice from where we were sitting at the bar! We stayed here on an Adults only trip. Loved the coffee bar. Great place to grab a fancy cup of joe to keep us warm and energized on the walk to the MK. We also love CR, because to us, it is Mickey's Resort. However, in your circumstances, I would branch out and explore other resort opportunities. CR is there, and you can always return another time.

Whatever you decide, have a wonderful time!

 

[Deborah_Mary]

Thank you all for such great responses. It has given dh and I definitely something to think about.

MrsJ Henry: Thanks for the info on YC. Dh and I looked over all the info on Deb's and DW sites and felt the BC better suited us but that the YC looked beautiful too. SAB would be so cool and I think my 6 yo would absolutely love all that she could do there.

Dchef: I am looking forward to reading your trip report once you return from WL. I hope you have a truly magical time there!!

Debbiedoo: Thanks!! My dh is somewhat leaning towards WL at the moment, but that can change for him and for me daily. We took the boat over there on our last trip and took a look around (as well as at AKL) and really liked what we saw there. We've never checked out BC/BW/YC area though, but it just seems so in the middle of things, that it makes it very appealing even though we spend most of our time at MK.

Desnik: BW looks very-very nice, but for some reason didn't appeal to us nearly as much as the other places. We've done CRT the last 2 trips we were there. Is the PSB equally as good as that? It is something for us to highly consider if we end up staying in the Epcot/MGM area though. We'd be able to make there a lot easier than MK and the CRT. There sounds like a lot of cool things that go on on-the-side at BW, so I will definitely take a much closer look at that resort before making any decisions. Maybe I just missed what makes it so cool. Yes, we do want to try something different even though we really-really enjoy CR. Dh and I both are a bit leary in doing so since we really don't want to feel disappointed (if that is even possible!) if you know what I mean?! Ugh, decisions-decisions!!

eeyore0062: WOW, thanks so much for such a detailed post regarding our resort choices!! Your post has given us a lot to think over and consider. Just from your post though, I think we have pretty much eliminated AKL for now. Even though it was our 6 yo's pick, I think we will get there eventually, but for now it's not the right choice since we have such a little one now. Eventually though, definitely as the theming, pool and whole resort appeals to both dh and I as well. WL is currently the frontrunning for dh - so we are highly considering staying here (ATM!) One big thing is it is still very close to MK and we could always boat over the CR and use the monorail to get to Epcot if we really wanted too as well. The bunk beds really attracted dd, but I'm not sure a room with bunks will work since we have our 1 yo with us too if we were to stay here. Guess we'll have to wait and see. BC and BCV are quite high on my list - but just wonder about if we'd be truly happy away from the MK area?! I think it would be great on the other hand since it would be close to 2 parks not just one, but it's tough breaking out of the rut we've created. SAB looks fantastic, but can definitely see how it can easily become crowded. The downfall with these 2 are price though. They are very expensive... even more than a tower room at CR! So price does of course play into the decision as well to a degree. But we could get at least a mini-kitchen if we were to get a studio room or a full kitchen with a 1 bedroom possibly offsetting at least some of the price. Poly had always been my favorite since it was my first resort and first taste of DW as a teen with my parents. Loved it there... but now even though it's on the monorail wonder if it's a bit too spreadout to stay at with our little one. We really like being able to get around fairly quickly and not needing to go across the whole resort to get a bite to eat or to the bus stop or to the pool, etc. We had looked at some mods, but for these reasons we have eliminated them off our list. CR we will surely return here whether it's this trip or our future trips as it is my dh's favorite. When he was a kid and on a trip with his parents, they rode the monorail and they stopped at CR (they were staying offsite) and told his parents that he wanted to stay there. His parents told him that was fine when he got older and had his family he could stay there... well that's what he surely did.

Anyway, thank you all! If anyone else has any info on these resorts, I'd love to hear about it!

Thanks again,

Deb*

 

[eeyore0062]

When we stayed at the Poly, we were in Raratonga which is next to the Great Ceremonial House as you are looking at it from the beach. Raratonga is a 3 story longhouse. The ground floor has patios, and the top balconies. One side overlooks the monorail and the other, the quiet pool. It is convenient to everything. About a 2 minute walk (discounting waits for the elevator) to the food court, restaurants, check in and the monorail. The quiet pool is about a minute walk time, and the Volcano pool is about a 3 minute walk. The kids will also love the beach and the interactive fountains at the main pool.