Ok, New Problem.....WL or AKL or possibly CBR

[kimberlyp02]

I just called and they don't have a standard room at WL for the dates we want to go. Only Woodsview. It is $1528.50 for 7nights in Sept and the AKL is $1439.32, the CBR $1144.90. We were all excited about he WL, but the price was already pushing it a teeny bit and we were willing to go for it(I know it's an awesome deal!). Now, it's almost $100 more because of availability, I know not alot, but every little bit makes a difference.

So, should we stay at AKL in a standard room instead (and try to get an upgrade once there)? Or go ahead and step back down to CBR?

My main concern about CBR is the distance possibly of your room to the transportation, etc and the trasportation being alot longer waits that at other resorts.

Why can't CSR and POFQ be themed differently?...lol....

I am just so confused and it's stressing me out....off to pull out somemore hair.....I'll be needing one of those wigs soon, Kim!...lol

 

[leighe]

Hi! We stayed at CBR last summer and loved it. We were in Trinidad North - which I understand is now a preferred location (I think $10 dollars more a night), building 30 or 31 (I think). We were about a 3 minute walk (if that) from the food court and main pool and the bus stop was right on the other side of the parking lot from our room. The bus service was great - I think the longest we ever waited was 10 minutes max. Maybe you could spend the extra for a preferred location - it's still going to be less expensive than AKL or WL and you won't have to worry about distances.
Having said that, we usually decide deluxe or moderate depending on how much time we are going to spend in the parks compared to the resort. If we are going to be in the parks all day and night it's really hard for me to justify spending the money on a deluxe when wer're not really going to be there much. We chose AKL for spring break bc I promised DH that we would "relax" this trip. I'm going to try to do that really hard, but I don't see that happening.

 

[4greatboys]

Hi again kimberlyp02 You could rent DVC points from a member and stay at the Villas at the WL. Studios go for pretty low points. Sept one of the seasons with the lowest points required. And you would have a little fridge and a microwave so you could have snacks and/or some meals in your room.
I love AKL but I wouldnt book it counting on an upgrade. You could end up staying in the standard room and if so you need to make sure that would be okay so you wont be disappointed.

 

[sandyneck]

You could book the WL woodsview and hope for a code to come out. September is not a real busy month, so you may be able to bring the price down later. Having said that, I have stayed at all three resorts and would pick AKL hands down. There is no comparison between AKL and CBR. I liked CBR but would probably not stay there again. Do what you will be happy with and what your budget can afford. See if there is some other place you can cut back on so you can get the room you want.

 

[Nolcrest]

I've been to all and CBR would be my last choice. I'd actually choose PO over CBR any day. CBR was too spread out for our taste. Have fun deciding.

 

[Skylarr29]

Don't stress it! All disney resorts are great and you wont spend much time in your room anyway. Last sept i stayed at wl in a woods view and was very disapointed , it was basically a view of the roof. Kids will love AKL

 

[kimberlyp02]

We are going to New Orleans in April, so we really don't want to see that when we're at Disney(POR). As for AKL...are the standard rooms ok? Like, are there places to sit and view the animals that are easy to get to? I don't want a standard room that I have to walk a mile to see animals. And about the transport.....is it too far away from everything else?

And about CBR, is the distance of things the only negative?

I really like the looks of CBR and think it would be fun and love the price, but from some of the negative things I've heard, I was really nervous on staying there because of them.

About codes for WL...will they work with the Disney Visa 7/4 package too? Or just either/or?

Ok...lol...(sorry, I'm pretty clueless to all of this...but hopefully soon, I'll be a pro like alot of you!)....

 

[kimberlyp02]

Oh, my dd LOVES animals...even pointed out the pic of AKL and said "GIRAFFES!!!". We would love to stay there for her but was just concerned that by the time we got back to our room at night we would be exhausted and it would be too much traveling around from that resort....any advice is great....

 

[kimberlyp02]

What do you mean about renting points? I've never heard of that...

 

[4greatboys]

When people join DVC they buy so many points. Different people have a different amount of points. Some members who wont be going rent out their points. The average is $10 per point. So lets say you want a studio for VWL studio for 7n in Sept Total points required is 104 so you pay $1040--no taxes,just the flat rate. That season is 12 points per weeknight and 22 points per night on the weekend.
If you check out this board http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?forumid=29 you can see who is renting points.

 

[kda]

What great choices! But you're the only one who can decide what you're comfortable spending and how important the resort theming is to you.

Renting DVC points could be a great deal. The Villas at WL are right next door to WL (closer to the bus but a few more minutes walk to the boat). A studio will have a queen bed and a pull out couch. Because it's sort-of, kind-of like a time share, BUT NOT REALLY, there is not daily mousekeeping. A washer/dryer is available to you in the building at no charge (bring own detergent), and you get a clean set of towels and trash removal in the middle of a 1 week stay. You can also pay extra for more towels and room cleaning. But if you've never rented points, there could be a small anxiety-factor, not knowing the 'renter'. Most rooms overlook woods, a very few pool/lake view, and some overlook the bus stop. You may see posts about WL transportation being slow, but we have never found it any different from other resorts -- an occassional wait, but not consistent.

Discount codes cannot be combined, so if you already have a discount, it won't be affected by any codes released --- unless the discount is a better deal and you can cancel and rebook without penalty.

There have traditionally been good discounts available for anyone in Sept, except for last year, so who knows!

AKL has several great viewing areas just off the main lobby (some with wonderful rocking chairs) and you can walk down either of the savannah wings and there are some viewing windows and outlooks. Many of the std view rooms don't have an exciting view but every view at every resort has some rooms that might disappoint. Most people post that transportation is good, but it is far from MK (and right by AK!).


You're getting our opinions --- which are very personal. None of us know what you and your family would like. You're looking at 3 great resorts, and each has an incredibly loyal following. We happen to love both WL and AKL very much, and like the looks of CBR, but haven't stayed there because we don't like double beds. It's a matter of individual taste and Disney has so many great choices for rooms that it can make the decision really agonizing. If you believe that any of these are excellent choices, how can you go wrong? Go, enjoy, have a great trip, check out some of the other resorts if you can, and you can day dream about your next trip!

 

[kimberlyp02]

Thanks so much guys for taking the time to really explain things to me and give me your opinions. It helps alot.

My main concern on this trip is my 2.5yr old dd. I want her to have a blast and really be comfy when we go. I just don't want everything to be tiring for her, which I know it will be, but I want to make that easier if possible.

Thanks for all the advice!

OH, one more important question...Is the 7/4 deal one of the best out there? Are do better deals than that come out? I've never heard of it being this cheap...but then again, I don't look around much...Thanks!

 

[luveeyore2]

Do you mind my asking when your trip dates are? We are planning to use the 7-for-4 offer to stay at the WL in September and know am worrying that there won't be any rooms available for our dates. Thanks!

 

[kimberlyp02]

We are planning on going the last week in Sept. The 23 or 26th....

 

[kda]

We don't have kids, but others tell me that little kids can be thrilled with the simplest of things--- like the pool. You may be trying too hard and worrying too much.

I truly do believe that you and DH are going to be the ones determining the pace and whether DD gets overtired. If you're sensitive to her moods and are flexible, you're probably giving her the best chance at having a great time. Adults get cranky at Disney and don't always recognize it might be from too much stimulation and lack of sleep, so how can we expect kids to be cheerful and up for anything and everything. Sounds like you have a great attitude and approach to taking a young child to Disney. Hope you have a great trip!

 

[kimberlyp02]

I am SOOOOOOOO happy that we decided to go the year before we got pregnant with her. We had the BEST and WORST time ever...lol. I TOTALLY understand what a stressful trip it is now. I could never imagine having gone the first time with her. Since we have both seen everything, our main goal is just for her to have a good time and not worry about anything else. Don't push it, you know? So, I guess I'm just wanting to stay somewhere that I know if we need to have time off we will totally enjoy Thanks!