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[MickeysFan]

Hello!! I just posted a very similiar question on the Cruise thread, but thought this might be a good place as well. My family and I are planning a big Orlando trip this November, a combined celebration for my DS's 13th b-day and for our Christmas celebration. We have been to WDW many times, but this will be the first trip there I have planned since finding the DIS boards, although we planned two DLR trips here.

In the past, we have always stayed off-site to save money. We are considering a few nights on-site this trip, either combined with the cruise in a Land/Sea or alone, not sure yet. We just want the experience of it. We will be spending a total of 10 nights in Orlando in addition to the 3 or 4 night cruise. If we wanted 3 or 4 nights to be on-site, which resort would everyone recommend? We don't need anything fancy, just clean. The most important thing to us would be easy transportation to and from the parks.

 

[lovethattink]

The ease of Disney transportation, goes up hand and hand with price. Christmastime brings the crowds. A resort on the monorail line would make it fairly easy to get to MK and Epcot by monorail. From the Contemporary, you can walk to MK. From the Yaht and Beach Club, Boardwalk, or swan and dolphin, you can walk to Epcot. All the moderate resorts and value ones use only bus transportation, but there is a considerable price difference between these and the deluxes.

POR is my favorite resort. But I've heard horror stories about resort transportation from POR on the holidays. We use our own car, so that's not an issue for us. I love the charm of POR, the boat ride to DTD, and the piano man on a Wed-sun nights.

 

[Buzz2001]

I love CSR!! Check out these threads and visit my CSR website below.

CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT QUICK INFO

PEPPER MARKET PHOTOS

RECENT JUST BACK THREADS

Best Food Court - Voted by DIS'ers
Pepper Market. Huge portions, great choices and tasty food. Lunch/Dinner Menu

Best Pool - Voted by Dis'ers 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.

 

[Buzz2001]

Also, here are some CSR x-mas pics!!

 

[disnut8]

With the Disney resorts, you don't have to be worried about the rooms being clean. Yes, an occasional one will pop up but unless you want every single inch of the room sanitized, you'll be fine.

Of the value resorts, the Pop Century has one bus stop and a direct route to the parks. The three All Stars could be sharing a bus line (it varies with the phase of the moon).

None of the moderates only have one bus stop. French Quarter does but then goes onto Riverside to pick up passengers.

The monorail resorts will have monorail and boat access to Magic Kingdom. For Epcot, monorail and a transfer at the TTC. If at the Polynesian, you can walk to the TTC and eliminate the transfer to Epcot.

The Epcot resorts have access within walking distance to Epcot (the back entrance) and walk or a boat to MGM (the boat also goes to Epcot but it's usually quicker to walk).

Wilderness Lodge has boat access to Magic Kingdom.

Every resort where I haven't mention a bus options but have mentioned another option to specific parks, there is bus service to the other parks.

Your challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to pick one.

 

[MickeysFan]

It looks like we are torn between value and preferance. One of our problems is the group we are traveling with, its my DH, myself, our 2 DS's, my sister, my mother and her best friend. It's hard to figure out a room configuration that works for everyone, and if we end up with 5 fo us in one room (my family and my sister) with my mom and her friend alone in a room, then we can only stay at the All-Star Music or the POR as far as I can tell, and the prices are pretty high. But I don't know how the three of them could share a room with only two beds. Dilema...anyone have any creative suggestions or is there a resort with better choices that I am unaware of?

 

[ccigliano]

Did you ever consider renting points from a Disney Vacation Club member? You can stay in two studios that sleep 4 each or 8 total. Sun-Thurs can cost as little as $80 a night per studio if you go in the first few weeks in December. Double it is you plan to stay Christmas week. You can rent points from members right here on this site and stay in deluxe accommodations for moderate prices. The rooms are most spacious at Old Key West and you'll get two queen beds in each room as well as a mini frig, microwave, toaster and coffee maker. The other DVC resorts will have a queen bed a pull out couch and yes I sleep on the pull out regularly and they are comfortable. If you stay at SSR, the pull outs have a memory foam mattress that is heavenly. Check out the DVC resorts and pick which ones you like then head over the rent/trade points board and you can get yourself a great value. Good Luck.

 

[Tink415]

Just a suggestion, bring an aero bed (very comfortable) so you can have 3 in a room each with their on bed; then you could stay at any moderate or value. You could also ask for a rollaway. I've been able to get a rollaway bed at POR in the mansion section when my it was myself, 2 DD's and DD's boyfriend. I don't think the rollaways are guaranteed tho. lIf you stay at a deluxe, most have daybeds that can fit a small/-medium size adult, ask to be sure.

 

[Mickey23]

I would recommend CSR out of the mods.

 

[MickeysFan]

Did you ever consider renting points from a Disney Vacation Club member? You can stay in two studios that sleep 4 each or 8 total. Sun-Thurs can cost as little as $80 a night per studio if you go in the first few weeks in December. Double it is you plan to stay Christmas week. You can rent points from members right here on this site and stay in deluxe accommodations for moderate prices. The rooms are most spacious at Old Key West and you'll get two queen beds in each room as well as a mini frig, microwave, toaster and coffee maker. The other DVC resorts will have a queen bed a pull out couch and yes I sleep on the pull out regularly and they are comfortable. If you stay at SSR, the pull outs have a memory foam mattress that is heavenly. Check out the DVC resorts and pick which ones you like then head over the rent/trade points board and you can get yourself a great value. Good Luck.

This is cool, I'll have to check it out. Does it still include the same perks, with the transportation and Extra Hours?

 

[MickeysFan]

Forgot to mention, we also found out that my mother can get a discounted rate at the Dolphin/Swan because she'a an RN...any thoughts on those? Is one better than the other? It looks online as if they are basically identical.

 

[calgarygary]

I would have thought that the benefits of the land/sea package would want you to book that vs. arranging your own onsite accomodation. Won't you be giving up cruiseline transportation, using the same room key, transfer of luggage, etc.?

 

[MickeysFan]

We've broken down the land/sea package and just do not see the benefit to be enough to justify the extra cost. We have more control over our options if we piece it together ourselves. We've even decided to opt out of the cruise trans, it is less than half the price to just take care of it ourselves! I know that for a lot of people, the convinience of having it all together and taken care of for you is worth the extra money, we just would rather save the money for other things.

 

[disneydance]

i would do deluxe r sure and i reccomend akl and poly and cm

 

[ccigliano]

To answer your questions about extra magic hours and transportation - Absolutely. You'd be staying as a guest of a DVC member and we can take advantage of the DDP for $39/day, extra magic hours, magical express, and all resort and park transportation. Believe me, Disney wouldn't sell us a timeshare and then not give us all the perks. The actually tried that with the DDP at first. After a few months, they made it available to us as well at the same price everyone else pays. You say that you'll be staying in November which toward the end can be very popular. You'll probably have your best chance of renting from Saratoga Springs Resort or Old Key West as they tend to be less popular and have many more rooms than those associated to an actual resort. Good Luck.

 

[disnut8]

Two All Star suites? One double in the bedroom, one double fold out. Two charis that convert into beds. One suite for your family. Your sister can even share the suite if your sons don't mind sleeping on the "chairs" (they might even think it's cool). Another one for your mother and her friend. Or, to save a bit of cash, One suite and one regular room for your mother and her friend. Not right together but do you really need that? Coordinate a wake up time and have your mother and her friend come over to your suite in the morning.

Just an idea.

 

[MickeysFan]

Disnut, this is a good idea...we have looked at the price and it seems like it may work to get one All-Star suite and one regular room. I am still going to check into the idea posted by ccigliano, about dvc points for rent. If not, we may go with the All-Star idea. Although, after finding out that we can stay at the Dolphin/Swan at a big discount because my mother is a nurse, we are really torn with the decisions! So many good options.