need hotel choices for couple and 4 other adults on disney

[ilovemymac]

Hello we are getting married at Disney in december. We are having a small wedding and we are trying to figure out the cheapest way for the other 4 adults to get a hotel and have us in the same hotel so we can show them around disney before our wedding.
We were thinking the swan and dolphin but i dont know if that would be beyond their budget. 2 are retired and the other 2 are in their lower 50s and are on a limited budget. We want to stay on disney property but not at the all star resorts because they are noisy and i have read the rooms are very small and beds are uncomfortable. We heard there are some suite hotels in the disney property for less then 1 standard room at some of ther other resorts. Someone also mentioned a garden room at the boardwalk?
I really apreacite any help anyone can be we are trying to get this planned out as soon as we can so we can make sure everyone has reservations and so forth. Any ideas would be most helpful

 

[formernyer]

Personally I think it is extremely rude to expect people to pay money to travel there and then expect them to also pay to stay in a Disney hotel (even the Values). These hotels are a LOT more expensive than staying at a cheap hotel offsite. Then you'll probably expect a gift on top of it. People tend to assume that wedding guests don't mind paying a small fortune to attend weddings. That's not usually the case, but the guests are almost always too embarrassed to speak up and say anything about it.

My recommendation is to not worry about all staying at the same hotel. Tell your guests where you will be staying and also let them know that there are more economical choices both in Disney and outside of Disney if they would prefer. That way you get to stay in your first choice hotel (Swan or Dolphin) and your guests don't feel like they are being forced to pay for a room that they might not otherwise choose to purchase.

 

[Buzz2001]

CSR is a large resort that does not share services with other resorts and offers some deluxe amenities because it is a convention resort.

CSR has a salon, spa, and a gym that other moderates do not offer. CSR has full menu room service and offers an internal shuttle system provided by golf carts to assist in getting to and from the main building to the villages.

It is also the only mod to offer suites.

CSR is situated around a 15 acre lake and CBR is situated around a 45 acre lake.

CSR has terrific transportation. It does not share with any other resort (like POR / POFQ) and it only has 4 bus stops within the resort (vs 8 at CBR). And since CSR is centrally located, you'll have a quick ride to all the parks.

And being a convention resort, the buses seem less crowded because guests are busy with their conventions.

Photo by Ducky4Disney

CSR has the best pool of the mods and probably the second best on WDW property. Best mod pool. It offers a great slide (123 ft long), an arcade, a sand volleyball court, and a playground at the main pool area.

Review from mousesavers.com!!

Coronado Springs is my Best Value choice in the Moderate category. It has several advantages compared with the other Moderate resorts. It is newer, so there has been less wear-and-tear on everything. Also, Coronado Springs is a convention hotel, so it has a few extra amenities not offered at the other Moderates, including a salon, a health club and a more upscale food court.

The theming is radically different in the three areas of Coronado Springs. You can request a specific area when booking but there is no guarantee you'll get your request.

• The Spanish-style Casitas at Coronado Springs are very peaceful, with courtyards featuring tiled fountains. Casitas Buildings 1, 3 and 2 (in that order) are the closest to the restaurants and services. Casitas Building 4 contains the salon and health club, if those are important to you.
• The Cabanas at Coronado Springs have a beachy Caribbean feeling. Cabanas Building 8A is very close to the feature pool, which may be a blessing (convenience) or a curse (noise, light). Cabanas Building 9B is closest to the marina and relatively convenient to the restaurants and services.
• The Ranchos at Coronado Springs feel quiet and secluded -- some would say isolated -- and feature desert landscaping and pueblo-style architecture. They look closest to the main pool on a map, but in actuality they are separated from the rest of the property by a swamp, so it can be a fairly long walk from these buildings to the pool, and a very long walk to the restaurants.

 

[disnut8]

Have you looked at Pop Century? That is a fun place and with the ages of your party, it would be fun to walk through all the different decades. Yes, it's a value resort but it's very nice.

I wouldn't toss out All Stars either. I was disappointed when I arranged our family get together last Christmas. In order to get everyone there, we had to "downgrade" our accommodations. We stayed at the All Star Music. In two rooms. We had our granddaughter, 6, daughter-in-law, 29, son, 22, us and brother-in-law (mid 40s), and in-laws (70s). We all loved it. Even with the granddaughter in the same room with her parents and us, we never felt cramped or uncomfortable.

With your group, I'd go with three separate rooms just for privacy sake. Get all the options, toss them out to the other two couples and go from there. Give them the value prices, the moderate prices, the suite prices. Let them decide where they want to stay. But remember - this is your wedding so make it as special as you want.

 

[byoung]

Can rent a studio at OKW. They have 2 large beds, Real nice resort.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Have you considered renting one of the larger DVC units for all of you? That might be an option depending on how close you are to them. Stay there beforehand, then you and your DH can go off on your own on your wedding night, leaving them in there one more night. Just a thought. Check over on the DVC Forum if you're interested. Best Wishes.

 

[ilovemymac]

Personally I think it is extremely rude to expect people to pay money to travel there and then expect them to also pay to stay in a Disney hotel (even the Values). These hotels are a LOT more expensive than staying at a cheap hotel offsite. Then you'll probably expect a gift on top of it. People tend to assume that wedding guests don't mind paying a small fortune to attend weddings. That's not usually the case, but the guests are almost always too embarrassed to speak up and say anything about it.

My recommendation is to not worry about all staying at the same hotel. Tell your guests where you will be staying and also let them know that there are more economical choices both in Disney and outside of Disney if they would prefer. That way you get to stay in your first choice hotel (Swan or Dolphin) and your guests don't feel like they are being forced to pay for a room that they might not otherwise choose to purchase.

They dont want to stay off site they kind of never really go anywhere that is why we are paying to take them to the animal kingdom and epcot becasue if we dont they would never go. We are not expecting them to stay anywhere. But i know my grandparents and they would be very upset if they didnt stay close to us. They dont get out much like i said and they already have said they want to stay close to us.
We gave thought to a suite but were not sure who has suites.

 

[scanmom]

congrats on getting married!!!! I would suggest you check out the Starwood website. You can check to see if they have any good deals on the Swan/Dolphin. And if any one in your party is a teacher or gov. worker, the S/D have great rates available to you. Many times you can get the S/D for less than a moderate. We are looking to go in May, and I found a $139.00 internet only rate on the website!!!

 

[ilovemymac]

how did you do that i just looked at their site for the end of april when we are going to vacation and its telling me $229 a night.

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you are looking at renting a DVC reservation for December, you need to be talking to a member right now. OKW studios have two queen sized beds. All over DVC studios have one queen sized bed and one double sleeper sofa. They have an undercounter refrigerator and a microwave oven. December is very popular with members so it gets booked up fast. BWV, BCV and VWL may already be booked solid by now. OKW and SSR are larger resorts and don't get full as quickly.

 

[DVC Sadie]

Personally I think it is extremely rude to expect people to pay money to travel there and then expect them to also pay to stay in a Disney hotel (even the Values). These hotels are a LOT more expensive than staying at a cheap hotel offsite. Then you'll probably expect a gift on top of it. People tend to assume that wedding guests don't mind paying a small fortune to attend weddings. That's not usually the case, but the guests are almost always too embarrassed to speak up and say anything about it.

My recommendation is to not worry about all staying at the same hotel. Tell your guests where you will be staying and also let them know that there are more economical choices both in Disney and outside of Disney if they would prefer. That way you get to stay in your first choice hotel (Swan or Dolphin) and your guests don't feel like they are being forced to pay for a room that they might not otherwise choose to purchase.

Wow, thats a little harsh don't you think?

 

[Allison]

Personally I think it is extremely rude to expect people to pay money to travel there and then expect them to also pay to stay in a Disney hotel (even the Values). These hotels are a LOT more expensive than staying at a cheap hotel offsite. Then you'll probably expect a gift on top of it. People tend to assume that wedding guests don't mind paying a small fortune to attend weddings. That's not usually the case, but the guests are almost always too embarrassed to speak up and say anything about it.

My recommendation is to not worry about all staying at the same hotel. Tell your guests where you will be staying and also let them know that there are more economical choices both in Disney and outside of Disney if they would prefer. That way you get to stay in your first choice hotel (Swan or Dolphin) and your guests don't feel like they are being forced to pay for a room that they might not otherwise choose to purchase.

Boy, this is an extreme overreaction. The OP is asking about resorts, not for feedback on what you think of their wedding plans. Maybe you shouldn't jump to conclusions about the details. Personally, I think your post is extremely rude.

 

[ilovemymac]

Yes i thought it was rude. That person does not know my situation or the people who are coming and what they want. They want to stay near us because of their age and we offered to help pay for part of the hotel for them. We thought about a vacation home but we want to be close to the parks for them so they can use the disney transperation system i was thinking if we were doing epcot something in the epcot resort area so they could use the boats.
I just want help i dont need opnions on what someone thinks is best for us.
I do apreacite all the help of everyone who has given us ideas. We thought the wilderness lodge because my grandpa is a huge western fan and then thought animal kingdom because it is a really neat lodge and the fact that we are doing animal kingdom as well. But then wilderness lodge is far from everything else. Any thoughts?

 

[Allison]

Yes i thought it was rude. That person does not know my situation or the people who are coming and what they want. They want to stay near us because of their age and we offered to help pay for part of the hotel for them. We thought about a vacation home but we want to be close to the parks for them so they can use the disney transperation system i was thinking if we were doing epcot something in the epcot resort area so they could use the boats.
I just want help i dont need opnions on what someone thinks is best for us.
I do apreacite all the help of everyone who has given us ideas. We thought the wilderness lodge because my grandpa is a huge western fan and then thought animal kingdom because it is a really neat lodge and the fact that we are doing animal kingdom as well. But then wilderness lodge is far from everything else. Any thoughts?

Actually, it is the AKL which is the furthest away. The Wilderness Lodge is a boat ride away from the Magic Kingdom.

I hear great things about the Wilderness Lodge. Have you looked at allearsnet.com for resort information and pictures? There is a lot of information there that might be helpful.

 

[minnie61650]

.........
I wouldn't toss out All Stars either. I was disappointed when I arranged our family get together last Christmas. In order to get everyone there, we had to "downgrade" our accommodations. We stayed at the All Star Music. In two rooms. We had our granddaughter, 6, daughter-in-law, 29, son, 22, us and brother-in-law (mid 40s), and in-laws (70s). We all loved it. Even with the granddaughter in the same room with her parents and us, we never felt cramped or uncomfortable.

With your group, I'd go with three separate rooms just for privacy sake. Get all the options, toss them out to the other two couples and go from there. Give them the value prices, the moderate prices, the suite prices. Let them decide where they want to stay. But remember - this is your wedding so make it as special as you want.

I love The All Star Resorts.

I am 55 years old and travel several times a year. I often stay at 4 star hotels.
So the deluxe resorts do not have anything special for me.
All Star is like being in the heart of the Magic and that is where I want to be.

All Star Music is my favorite.It is quieter because more couples stay there. I love staying at the Clypso building. It is closer to the pool,food court and bus stop.

Here is a site with a map of All Star Sports and All Star Music.
http://www.wdwinfo.com/resortmaps/allstarmap.htm
Scroll down.All Star Music is at the bottom of the page.
The Calypso buildings at All Star Music are #1 and #10 are nearest to the food court and bus stop.

The Calypso pool at ASMU has Donald Duck.

Here is the map of All Movies.
http://www.wdwinfo.com/resortmaps/allstarmovie.JPG
The Fantasia Buildings are the preferred buildings.
The All Star Movie Fantasia pool has Mickey.
It is a great place to stay .
Preschoolers love it.
It is like being in the middle of a Disney Movie Fantasyland.
All Star Movies has pop up fountains now also.
The buses are wonderful.

Bus rides are quite short from the ALL Stars according to PassPorter.com

All Star Buses-CBR buses---POPbuses--PO buses--- Contemporary
MK 20 min---- 20 min-----25 min------10 min---20 min(mono)
Epcot 10 min-- 15 min-----20 min------10 min---15 min
MGM 10 min----12 min-----15 min------15 min---20min
AK 10 min------20min-------15 min----15 min---20 min
DTD 15 min----20 min------20 min-----15 min---35 min

It only takes 10 minutes to get to Epcot,MGM and AK from All Stars.
MK is 20 min away. That's the same amount of time it takes on the monorail from the Contemporary.

The gift shops are seperate from the food court at the All Stars.
When staying at the All Stars you can use any of the All Star pools. that means 3 main pools ,3 quiteet pools and 3 kiddie pools to chose from.

The All Star Movie Fantasia pool has Mickey.

The Calypso pool at ASMU has Donald Duck.

And the Surfs up pool at All Star Sports has giant surf boards.

Here are a few pool photos.

All Star Sports pool.

All Star Music Donald pool.

All Star Movies Mickey Pool.

All Star Movies kiddie pool.

Pop has 2,880 guest rooms. 4 floors in each building.
Each All Star has 1,960 rooms. 3 floors in each building. That means more people in the food courts,in the pools and waiting at the bus stop at POP than at the All Stars.

The New Family Suites just opened at All Star Music.

According to Allearsnet.com the suites are going for:

Value season $169
Regular season $209
Peak season $239
Holiday season $259

A little info:

New Family Suites at All Star Music Resort

Several rooms at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort are getting an extreme makeover. They are being restructured to house the new Disney’s All-Star Resort Family Suites, set to open June 4, 2006.

The new family suites will offer an affordable and convenient option for larger families with the amenities of a studio apartment.

Guests will enjoy the whimsical music-themed details, along with modest rates averaging $204, based on season. Most rooms sleep a family of six. There is a limited amount of rooms available.

Families can be together in the suite while enjoying separate sleeping areas with added privacy. Having two bathrooms will not only save time, but makes getting ready easier for the whole family. Plus, extra amenities like a microwave enable guests to prepare warm snacks and meals. With the extra room, guests can relax and recount the memories of the day before falling off to a goodnight’s sleep.

52 Family Suites located in the Jazz Inn building
(192 suites upon completion located in Calypso and Jazz Inn buildings)

-Sleep up to 6 (plus one child under age 3 in a Pak-n-Play crib)
-Studio amenities and separate sleeping areas giving more privacy than a standard room.
-Queen bed, full-size pullout sofa, convertible ottoman & chair sleepers (4 separate sleepers)
-Private master bedroom and family room have 27” flat CRT TV and high speed internet access.
-Kitchenette with microwave, small refrigerator (4.3 cu. ft) and coffee pot
-Two-full bathrooms

Here is the layout:

Here are some photos from the DIS resort website:

I have visited WDW more than a dozen times with the 1st time in Oct. 1971. It was brand new. I've stayed at FW, Disney Inn, a few the of Hotels on hotel Blvd., CBR and the towers at the Contemporary. I got to see the MK from my balcony at the Contemporary and I'm happy I got to experience it once. I just prefer the All Star Resorts.
The theaming is pure Disney.
My last 5 visits have been at The All Stars and this fall when we took dd,dsil, and our grandson age 3 for 8 nights we stayed at the All Stars Music. I thought about AKL and even though we can well afford AKL I just wanted Alex to experience the Disney Magic at the All Stars on his first visit.
Where else can one find Donald Duck or Mickey Mouse at the pool?
Have a great time at Disney!
I know we did!

 

[ilovemymac]

well that would be great but the only thing that they are doing when they are there is AK and epcot. They would not be interested in the MK. The only thing they are interested in is the AK and the world showcase at Epcot.
But i wil check into the wildnerss lodge though

 

[ilovemymac]

Yea those beds at the all stars look really really uncomfortable. I don think that would work. I really dont care about the pool i am not one to use a public pool dont like the way i look so pools are not of interest to us.
i have heard bad things about all stars. they are far from everything and small rooms uncomfortable beds and they are nosiy because everyone with kids and teens stay there over the nicer resorts such as boardwalk resorts and others.

 

[Deb & Bill]

An OKW studio would be idea for a group of older adults. It's so relaxing there. Plus you have the two queen sized beds in each studio. Lake Buena Vista golf course winds its way around the resort, too.

 

[Aurora63]

If anyone in your party is military of retired military, check out Shades of Green.

 

[Disneyenthusiast]

I would go for POR. Restaurant and bar on the grounds. Lovely landscaping. Lots of quiet pools. I would go for the mansions. POFQ would be good for older people, especially if they wouldn't swim. Not as much walking. These just seem more adult to me than some of the other choices.