New member - accommodation help

[1Pam]

Sorry for the long post. I was told to do a lot of research so below is my analysis for us

I am new to this forum and planning our first trip to Disney World. I have read a good bit. Still looking for some guidance. We are looking for the most off-peak time in 2017. I have zeroed in on 11-18th November. Kid who will be 4 and family of 3 has some dietary restrictions (one vegan, one gluten free).

We would like to visit the 4 parks and not interested in a hopper. So 5 days plus 2 days for travel and misc. activities.

We were thinking of renting a car (flexibility to leave park when needed, arrive a little late if needed and off-site dining options for dinner). I understand I have to factor in cost of rental, gas, toll, resort or hotel parking in many cases and parking at Disney.

I looked at the benefits of being in an on site hotel (cost is not much of an issue but don't want to spend if not worth it in our case). I looked at these items:

Free airport shuttle - this is tempting but our friend said the shuttle made so many stops it took a long time and they received their luggage 6 hrs later.

Magic bands - I checked the calendar to see magic hours typically these would be in the evening and we plan to leave the park around 3 pm for wind down for little one and early dinner outside since child will sleep around 7-7:30pm. Early morning we wouldn't be able to make it most likely. Also we don't plan to shop at Disney.

Breakfast- not included at many on site resorts and we don't plan on buying a dining plan. So perhaps an off site hotel with continental breakfast or in the room will work fine.

Free resort Transportation to parks - this one is where I am stuck. Is it worth it for us to be on site for this one or if we go during above mentioned dates then getting rental car and being at the park by 8:30am will suffice?

I have a bunch of Marriott and Hilton points and was thinking of Marriott Springhill suites but leaning towards double tree suites and embassy suites for the separate room since kiddo will sleep early.
Also can get spg pts so perhaps the Sheraton vistana resort esp with no resort and parking fee?
Friend stayed at Wyndham for like $700 for a week for 2 bedroom so thinking about that but was hoping to use points if possible.

Suggestions for accommodation please.

 

[happymommy]

For a first trip, and honestly not that long of one, I would encourage you to look at staying at a Disney resort.

Don't get me wrong; I've stayed off site many times and had great trips. But some of those trips were longer, and I had been many times before, so know the area and had gotten great deals.

The ease of not dealing with driving is a big perk.

All the resorts have grab and go options for breakfast which don't cost a lot, or you can order grocery delivery (but for only a few days, you probably won't want too much) for such places as Safeway and Garden Grocer, who deliver to the resorts for a fee.

We have a ton of Marriott points, but still find staying on site is easiest!

We didn't often take afternoon breaks when my kids were that age, as they'd take a nap in our stroller instead. We would, however, not stay out late. It was easier to have them stick to pretty normal bedtimes.

Honestly, if you don't get up and out early, take a break in the afternoon, then plan on sleep by 7:00-7:30, that doesn't allow much park time. Add to that driving and parking and it really takes away some of your time at the parks.

I've had mixed experiences with the free Magical Express from the airport, but mostly good. The bus will typically stop at 3 resorts at most for drop off. We're usually the second one! You can also book a town car service from the airport if you choose (I've done that a few times as well) and Uber back to the airport if you want (Uber can't pick up there but can drop off).

 

[monorailsilver]

I am new to this forum and planning our first trip to Disney World. I have read a good bit. Still looking for some guidance. We are looking for the most off-peak time in 2017. I have zeroed in on 11-18th November. Kid who will be 4 and family of 3 has some dietary restrictions (one vegan, one gluten free). You will have no issues with dining in the parks. My son is dairy, peanut, tree nut and egg white allergic and Disney has been great!

We would like to visit the 4 parks and not interested in a hopper. So 5 days plus 2 days for travel and misc. activities. 4 park days in a row would kill me. I need my rest too and it make everyone a happy camper. If possible add one more day in the middle to not go to a park.

We were thinking of renting a car (flexibility to leave park when needed, arrive a little late if needed and off-site dining options for dinner). I understand I have to factor in cost of rental, gas, toll, resort or hotel parking in many cases and parking at Disney. Only rented once. It was my DHs first trip, we were dating and did universal first. Once we arrived at our resort we never took the car to a park. The one time I stayed outside, like 1980 ish, we just used the hotel shuttle. Parking is what $20/day now? I really have no clue.

I looked at the benefits of being in an on site hotel (cost is not much of an issue but don't want to spend if not worth it in our case). I looked at these items:

Free airport shuttle - this is tempting but our friend said the shuttle made so many stops it took a long time and they received their luggage 6 hrs later. We grab our bags at the airport so there is no waiting for them and bring them with us to DME. Any other plane trip we take, we also grab our bags so going to Disney is no different. But these days we just do a carry on to FL and grab what we need when we get there or my sister already has it at her house.

Magic bands - I checked the calendar to see magic hours typically these would be in the evening and we plan to leave the park around 3 pm for wind down for little one and early dinner outside since child will sleep around 7-7:30pm. Early morning we wouldn't be able to make it most likely. Also we don't plan to shop at Disney. I haven't been since magic bands. We also go to the park early and if a park opens at 8 we go to that one just to get in extra time. We also go in the summer so we need a mid day break from the sun...we nap! And then we return and forget about bedtimes. Yes even when my kids were 15 mo, 22 mo, 2 1/2...etc...they stayed up for fireworks which is why we take a non park day to sit by the pool, sleep in and do nothing.

Breakfast- not included at many on site resorts and we don't plan on buying a dining plan. So perhaps an off site hotel with continental breakfast or in the room will work fine. I never have done the dining plan. We bring our own breakfast-pop tarts, cereal, oatmeal, etc....we eat in our room while we take turns showering (DH and I).

Free resort Transportation to parks - this one is where I am stuck. Is it worth it for us to be on site for this one or if we go during above mentioned dates then getting rental car and being at the park by 8:30am will suffice? We like the ability to not have to drive. Getting in a hot car after a warm day at the park would not be fun. It's like our April trips to Ft. Myers and the beach and getting in the hot car just stinks! Depending on where you stay, I would think you need to factor in that drive time, parking time, possibly a line to park, walking from the parking spot to the tram/entrance and getting ready in the am. That's a good 2 hrs for me plus I'd want to be early, extra early. So the ease of hopping on a boat, monorail or the dreaded bus works for me.

I have a bunch of Marriott and Hilton points and was thinking of Marriott Springhill suites but leaning towards double tree suites and embassy suites for the separate room since kiddo will sleep early.
Also can get spg pts so perhaps the Sheraton vistana resort esp with no resort and parking fee?
Friend stayed at Wyndham for like $700 for a week for 2 bedroom so thinking about that but was hoping to use points if possible.
I have a friend who stays at the Sheraton and likes it. BTW, my kids have passed out as soon as we get back from the park between 10-11 with the lights on and TV on so we have not needed a separate room. Even for the mid day break before DH and I would also nap, we would sit out on the lanai/balcony when we only had 1 kid. 2 and 3 kids we needed a nap! Are the swan and dolphin Sheraton resorts? I can't remember.

 

[APiratesLifeForMe2]

I am biased but I prefer staying on site. Part of what makes Disney so enjoyable and magical for me is how I don't have to worry about anything. This is also a huge reason why I buy the dining plan, because it's all taken care of before we leave and once we arrive, not a care in the world. I think making things less complicated for a first trip would out weight the small savings you might get from staying off site. Again, I am biased but isn't getting everyone packed up in the car, navigating and driving to dinner more complicated and unnecessary than eating somewhere in the park or at a resort? Sure it's more expensive in many cases but it's the convenience and experience you are paying for. Character dining is amazing for kids and I always pack snacks to be used for a quick breakfast in the room if needed.

Magical Express: Yes it makes a few stops but yours could be first and they play a lovely video on the drive that makes it fun for kids and adults and helps pass the time. Also, if you don't want your luggage delivered to your room (which does take a few hours) then you can pack necessary items in a carry on or alternatively, pick them up on the carousel before you get on the bus.

Free resort transportation: I have a love hate relationship with Disney buses so I usually opt for a resort with the monorail or a boat to give me other options. The nice thing is the transportation runs frequently and drops you off right at the entrance so you don't have parking lot shuttles to deal with.

 

[loves to dive]

Swan/Dolphin do use SPG points so check them out, not sure how many points you have. They do not have transportation from airport, nor do you get MBs with them so you can't charge back to the room but otherwise, they are right on site with Boardwalk YC/BC, share Disney parks transportation, you can ship packages back to them like you can WDW resorts. Walking distance to both Epcot and HS.

 

[lanejudy]

Nov. 11th is Veteran's Day, which can be busy. It's a Saturday this year so maybe not as much impact; I haven't looked at crowd calendars. We always plan a non-park day for every 2 or 3 park days. That rest time at the resort helps all of us. We rarely leave a park for a mid-day break and then return, for us it ends up being a lot of wasted time. We just plan days with either early arrival and leave by dinner, or enter late morning and stay late for fireworks; we only stay out late once or twice and try to stick close to usual bedtime (and meal times).

We have only rented a car once. I don't feel it's worth it, but that's personal opinion; some people definitely prefer having a vehicle. We do fine with the WDW transportation options. Buses run continuously for onsite resorts so I don't see any less flexibility for coming and going (offsite shuttles may be more limited). A car would be necessary for off-site dining, but depending on how many off-site meals you plan, it may be less expensive to factor in a cab ride rather than a rental. If you decide to rent a car, be sure to factor in the parking fee per day at the parks if you don't stay onsite (I think it's $20, or $25 for preferred). Some offsite resorts will charge a daily parking fee as well. If you are offsite and drive, depending if you want to actually be at rope drop, you may want to arrive a little earlier than 8:30am -- especially for the MK, which will require a tram ride and then a monorail or ferry ride to the MK gates. The other parks may be OK arriving at 8:30am.

We've never had a problem with Magical Express transportation from MCO to WDW. Depending on your arrival time, you may want to grab your bags yourself, that way you'll have them (especially if arriving in the evening or late afternoon with an early bedtime). If our resort isn't the first stop, I've never felt like it was a particularly long stop to drop others off first. We don't typically make ADRs or park plans on arrival or departure day, so we aren't feeling rushed about ME times.

I wouldn't base any decision on Magic Bands. Those are convenient but not required for anything; a plastic ticket will do the same. When staying onsite, the MB act as your room key and parks ticket including FP+ and charging back to your resort room. Offsite guests may purchase a MB to use as a parks ticket and FP+, but it's not required. Unrelated to the MB, onsite guests get access to Extra Magic Hours -- either 1 hour in the morning or 2 hours in the evening at a designated park. We do the morning EMH when it fits our plans, especially for MK with a young one, but we don't necessarily plan our whole vacation to EMH hours at each park each day. I've never stayed for evening EMH.

We've only done the dining plan once. I don't like being forced into dining reservation time slots every day all week. So we do a couple of TS restaurants and then the rest are QS -- but that doesn't necessarily mean McD's type burgers and fries, there are some very decent meal offerings at QS locations. We typically eat breakfast in the room, maybe doing 1 character breakfast at some point. It's easy to either bring, order for delivery, or ship some easy breakfast items.

I would stay onsite, which resort really depends on your budget and preferences. We like CBR or POR for moderates; CBR has a great pool area for little ones, though I've only stayed at POR with adults so maybe I didn't notice. We also have stayed at the value resorts and our DD loved the larger-than-life theming.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[1Pam]

OP. Thanks. What are CBR and POR resorts? 4 days, one for each park with a break day wouldn't be enough as a 1st time for a 4 yr old and no parks on travel days? A
And most days, we do hope to get started by rope drop and leave the park by 3pm bringing our lunch to the park. So 5 hrs of park time.
Kiddo dropped nap at age 3.5 and we like to keep similar sleep-wake times - we just did Busch gardens and adventure island straight for 6 days without break.

I priced dolphin and it's $325 a night in Nov or Dec including taxes and fees + $16 for parking which is doable but no breakfast is provided or airport transportation.
Please give me some names of moderate priced ones.

Husband is leaning towards a car since we do love the flexibility of own car for dinners. If one had to pick an off-site hotel any insight on which to pick?
Emabassy or Doubletree suites
or Sheraton Vistana or Marriott Springhill suites?

Again thanks for all the comments.

 

[APiratesLifeForMe2]

CBR = Caribbean Beach Resort and POR = Port Orleans Resort / Riverside. There is also Port Orleans French Quarter which is a bit smaller. French Quarter is my favorite moderate resort. It's small and has a boat to downtown Disney.

I haven't stayed offsite since I was a kid so I can't help you there.

 

[happymommy]

While you have flexibility off site for eating somewhat less expensively, you will have $20 parking fee, have to take the tram then once you park, and at the Magic Kingdom you actually park at the ticket and transportation center, so have to still take a boat or the monorail to get to the front. This adds up to often a lot more transportation time.

I've stayed at the Doubletree Suites near Disney Springs many years ago. They do have a shuttle, but it isn't as convenient as staying at a Disney resort by any means.

For breakfast, I would suggest just having some items in your room. There is a fridge in every Disney hotel room. We are ordering muffins, drinks, water, and yogurt from Safeway to be delivered to our room next trip at All Star Sports resort (plus since the value rooms don't have coffee makers other than suites, I bring a small travel one and use disposable cups). Free breakfast shouldn't be a factor really, since you can also just get a breakfast platter for about $10 at the food court at the value resort (large enough for my daughter and I to share) or a biscuit & gravy for less than $4, which is in itself a meal.

Not sure what your budget is, or what type of bed you prefer. Since there are just three of you, if you're fine with double beds, you may want to look into Pop Century or one of the All Star resorts! I think they're totally cute (trying All Star Sports next month for the first time), but enjoyed Pop Century a lot!

Disney is amazing with food allergies and dietary restrictions. Even in the food court, they will have someone you can talk to, so they can make sure you have safe choices. At sit down restaurants (and buffets) they will totally take care of you! My son is allergic to milk and eggs, and he has had the best meals at Disney!

I can't stress enough two things: first trip, consider staying on site and drop the rental car. Second thing, keep reading the boards, and look at www.mousesavers.com as well as www.allears.net and of course www.wdwinfo.com

Disney is huge, and it takes some planning!

 

[crazylady]

You might want to check out this forum for reviews of off-site hotels. http://www.disboards.com/forums/orlando-hotels-and-attractions.15/

 

[halfpintpeggy]

If I were in your shoes, I'd use my hotel points & stay offsite rather than onsite every time! I'd suggest checking out the reviews on Trip Advisor for the hotels you mentioned being interested in. Renting a car - BIG yes, we cannot stand being stuck with WDW transportation. Even if we're onsite we rent a car. Also, there are SO many choices to dine offsite, & they are SO much more affordable than dining onsite. ( Oh! And you won't have to plan where/what you want to eat 6 months in advance either lol. ) Another thing, you said you're thinking of leaving the parks by around 3:00 each day, your offsite hotel will be much more relaxing than a WDW hotel - trust me on this.

 

[kboo]

We have stayed both offsite and onsite with a kid, and I would definitely recommend staying on site if you can afford it. What happymommy said is spot on: Stay onsite and drop the rental car!

We have gone several times with our DD1 when she was 3-4, and highly recommend it. What time does your little one get up? One reason we stay onsite is that we almost always manage to make early morning EMH because our kids are up by 6:30 every day! Also you may want to consider an adult date night one of the nights with the evening EMH - Kids' Night Out is terrific, and there is something to be said for finally being able to ride a roller coaster *together*! All of these are much easier when you are staying onsite, especially if you stay deluxe, because you are usually walking distance or otherwise very close to at least one park.

We've stayed at the Contemporary, Bay Lake Tower, Grand Floridian and Boardwalk with our kid(s) and we found that the Contemporary/BLT was the most convenient and easiest one with little kids, because you can walk to MK, get the monorail easily, and walk to the MK bus stop, so you can easily go to other resorts for meals, etc. Grand Floridian is fun because it's got great theming and has a lot of places to explore for little kids, and is also very quick to MK (by monorail, though). We also enjoyed Boardwalk because you can walk to Epcot and HS, and the Boardwalk area was great fun to walk around with our daughter.

I see that you're considering Dolphin - we stayed there when DD1 was 2, and liked it a lot, too. If you have SPG points, that may be a good option.