Opinions Needed~2 connecting rooms at Value or suite DTD?

[tinkerrn]

DH and I are just back 3 weeks from our Disneymoon and already planning another trip!! Yeah, for APs!!! Well, the time we are looking at is peak season...and YIKES the price is sooo much different than value season!!! So instead of lookin at VWL or WL, we are looking at Value resorts. I personally like the POP and ASMovies. After doing some research he likes the Doubletree Suites at DTD. I hate the thought of staying offsite. He likes that it will be a suite, a fridge, etc.. We will be taking his 16 y.o. son with us. I like the idea of 2 connecting rooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 TVs, etc.. Plus, at Values you get EMH and free parking at the parks. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Any advise???? Has anyone done both, which do you prefer????

 

[minnie61650]

I have done both and perfer 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.
They are the preferred buildings and cost about $12 extra per night.
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.
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.

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!

 

[Mousemom]

We took our oldest son's best friend one summer and stayed at the ASsports with 2 rooms. We liked having 2 bathrooms and the older boys liked having their own room. We did not get connecting but they were right next to each other. We have never considered staying off site because we like having the Disney feel during our entire trip and don't think you get that staying off site.

 

[hAm53]

i'd rule out DTD. although its a great price for what you get. the WDW transportation system is worth the smaller room.
we just got from POP, and liked it a lot more than our times in All-Stars. Pop only has one bus stop, so no looping around to the other hotels. also, pop is only 5 minutes from MGM & DTD, and 10 from AK. EPCOT and MK seemed to take like 15. plus pop has frozen coke in their food court.
happy wedding!!!

 

[tinkerrn]

I agree, there is nothing like staying on site. Something would be missing, not Disneyish. Who wants to go to Disney and not feel that Disney Spirit?? Not Me!!! I wanna eat, drink, sleep, and breath Disney!! All righty then...now all I can do is book AAA and hope and pray for AP discount. I know...don't hold my breath!! I was hooked on POP, then ASMo, now I am seriously looking at the ASMu. I like the theming better, and that there seems to be less little kids. Sorry, I know it's Spring Break, but I work with kids all the time. I need a little break. That is almost like an oxymoron, break from kids at Disney. Oh, well, thanks for the advise.

Amy

 

[deejohn]

We are a family of 6, and need to book 2 rooms. I originally looked at the Hilton (suite) at DTD vs the POP on price, and the difference was marginal!!!! When I told DW we would save about $47 to stay off-site, she told me "Book POP, for $47, who cares."

We decieded to go with POP, but I have since changed to CSR due to Pop Warner Football teams staying at POP the same week.

We have stayed off-site before, but as you can see from my signature, we have never gone back to off-site. It is true that there is a certain magic at the WDW resorts - regardless of status -value, moderate, delux in MHO.