Planning a 2016 Trip

[tmaxwell]

We are planning a trip for August of 2016. Can't go any other time due to work. We are driving down from Connecticut. Any advise on where to stay? It will be 5 total - 3 adults and two kids ages 6 and 4. We are leaning towards the Poly or Contemporary. Any suggestions on which is better? Also any other planning tips are helpful since I am starting so soon. Thank you!!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I suggest that you go over to the Disney Resorts board and start reading!

 

[SandyinMonterey]

Is this your first WDW trip? Both the Poly and Contemporary are very nice, it all depends on your budget and what you're looking for. There's value resort, moderate resorts, and deluxe resorts. Since your trip isn't until August 2016, I'd just read up on all you can right now. This board is a great place to start and full of helpful information. You can also go to the WDW site itself. Also mousesavers.com and Disney mom's panel forum to get you started.

 

[JKeenz]

Do you know how many days you plan on spending there? I would suggest 7-8 days, especially where you'll be driving from New England (and probably taking 2 days on either side for the drive I'm guessing?) I'd also recommend breaking up your park days with a resort day in the middle if your schedule permits. We love a resort day for relaxing by the pool, sleeping in, and then maybe having a nice special dinner at 'Ohana or another resort restaurant. Since you plan on driving, you'll have


Sorry about that! I was getting a pedicure while writing this and sent the message too soon! Oops!

 

[JKeenz]

Do you know how many days you plan on spending there? I would suggest 7-8 days, especially where you'll be driving from New England (and probably taking 2 days on either side for the drive I'm guessing?) For such a long drive, my personal thought is you need a good week to make it worth the trip. I'd also recommend breaking up your park days with a resort day in the middle if your schedule permits. We love a resort day for sleeping in, relaxing by the pool, and then maybe having a nice special dinner at 'Ohana or another resort restaurant. Since you plan on driving, you'll have a car which makes traveling from one resort to another much easier.

I would sketch out your days based on which park(s) you plan on visiting each day. You can use crowd calendars online to figure out which ones might be recommended, although I'm not sure if there are any predictions out for 2016 yet. Your park plans may determine your ADR and FP+ plans. Good luck and enjoy planning!

 

[ammag]

Check out the art of animation resort. Dedicated timely busses, I think it's the best theming and fun for young kids. Good food court, suites less than the deluxe.

 

[mm1971]

We are planning a trip for August of 2016. Can't go any other time due to work. We are driving down from Connecticut. Any advise on where to stay? It will be 5 total - 3 adults and two kids ages 6 and 4. We are leaning towards the Poly or Contemporary. Any suggestions on which is better? Also any other planning tips are helpful since I am starting so soon. Thank you!!

If the Poly construction is done before your trip, I would say give that a shot. The resort is very nice and one of our favorites. Better is really a matter of preference. We find the Poly to be more pleasing appearance wise with the South Pacific theme. The pool and volcano are pretty cool. We also enjoy both Kona Cafe and O'Hana for food and drink.

The benefit of the Contemporary is walking to MK. We are staying in the tower this October. The decor is more convention/futuristic style. We have not stayed there before, but have been there for meals and touring the resorts. With young ones, MK may be where you spend a lot of time.

As a PP said, I would also look into the suites at AoA. It is a "value" resort so you don't get the TS dining, better pools and overall higher level of stay. It is very well themed and a suite is a lot less expensive than a deluxe resort. You also have to option to prepare food in the room. The big negative in my opinion is not being on the monorail. It's so much easier to just jump on the monorail to MK and Epcot.

Good luck deciding. I would suggest heading to the resorts board and reviewing the information there.

 

[starsweeper]

We stayed at the Poly last October and loved it. We were in the Samoa building which was close to everything and appeared to have already been updated. The large pool was just outside our room but it was quiet enough to nap mid-day, we could walk to TTC when the Poly monorail was down for service or take the boats, which the kids loved. We want to try other resorts but are definitely planning another stay at Poly one year.

 

[Aliceacc]

Hi and welcome from Long Island!!!

I stayed at the Contemporary only once-- after high school graduation in the 70's.

But we stayed at the Poly twice, and LOVED it. It's a tranquil countepoint to the frenetic craziness of the parks. It really is lovely. And the location is incredible; the MK monorail is right there, and the TTC (where you can get the Epcot monorail) is a short walk. We stayed in Tokelau both times, and the location was wonderful; a short walk to the TTC, a tiny bit longer to the main Monorail, and a bit longer to the Volcano pool, though the quiet pool was right next to our building. We also requested, and got both times, a full balcony.

We've since tried the Beach Club, and will be staying at the adjacent Yacht Club in a few weeks. Its location, steps from Epcot and a short boat ride from Hollywood Studios, is also incredible. And the swimming complex, Stormalong Bay, is amazing!!

For my family, the pool is key. (In fact, that's the prime reason we've never stayed at the Contemporary. The pool just does nothing for me.) My kids are total water rats. And we stop touring every single day at about lunchtime, and head back to the resort for a few hours of swimming. It's wonderful family time, and the parks tend to be too hot and busy and crowded and cranky for my taste then anyway.

OK, in other stuff: do the numbers and decide on whether or not you want the meal plan. We love it, although lots of people here on the Disboards don't. It DOES safe money for my family. And, equally important, it saves sanity. I love knowing that our meals are all prepaid.

One more thing: once you know you're going, start collecting Disney Gift Cards. When we're planning a trip, we get them for every occasion, from Birthdays to Easter to Mother's and Father's Day. You'll be amazed at how fast those $25 gift cards morph into a LOT of money saved for souvineers.

 

[tmaxwell]

We are staying for 10 days. We need to stay relatively close to our hotel due to medical reasons. I have MS and if I need to head back and rest, a quick monorail trip is better than a bus ride.

 

[Aliceacc]

That makes total sense.

Then I vote for the Poly; you'll be very close to the Magic Kingdom, where your kids will want to spend the most time, and fairly convenient to Epcot, which your whole family will love.

And, should it matter, the Volcano pool is zero entry... no steps necessary.

 

[Benchley]

You might also want to consider the wilderness lodge. Fantastic theming and only a 10 minuet boat ride away from JFK. We stayed there 3 years ago with an almostv2 year old and he had a blast. Lovely pool, lots to see and do and your kids will love the on site restaurant, just don't ask for ketchup. You are also only a 10 minute boat ride away from fort wilderness with all that has to offer as we'll.

 

[tmaxwell]

Does the Wilderness Lodge have the campfire at night where kids make s'mores?

 

[Benchley]

From memory no, but they do at Fort Wilderness. You can get the kits at their general store and make the s'mores whilst watching a disney film. It's then a short boat ride home - magical

 

[magicwishes]

Does the Wilderness Lodge have the campfire at night where kids make s'mores?

It looks like they do. Here is a list of places with campfires.


Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
Disney's Beach Club Resort
Disney's Boardwalk Inn
Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort
Disney's Contemporary Resort
Disney's Coronado Springs Resort
Disney's Old Key West Resort
Disney's Polynesian Resort
Disney's Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
Disney's Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
Disney's Wilderness Lodge
The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort
The Campsites at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation/campfires/