Resort Choice for 1st Timer

[bizer]

We are taking our first Disney World vacation this November for 11 nights. We are a family of four with two girls (8 & 2 at time of vacation). Right now we are booked at the Dolphin (2 nights) and then POR (9 nights - Royal Room w/ free dining). Due to POR's location we have decided to rent a car so we don't have to use the bus service entirely.

For some reason I feel we are missing something by staying at POR so I keep looking at changing our reservation. Strange thing to say about a resort I have never stayed at. Here are the changes I keep coming back to:

- Dolphin (2 nights) and the Beach Club (9 nights w/ free dining)
- Dolphin (4 nights) and Poly (7 nights w/ free dining)

With these two options I would only rent a car for one day to go to Sea World. Money is a little factor but not enough if it means enjoying the vacation a little more. The two options above are roughly the same price. I have also though about the Wilderness but the theme doesn't appeal to us being from Minnesota. Contemporary has no rooms available.

Should I stick with our POR reservation and make the best of it or switch to one of the options listed?

 

[Heidi Lou]

PLanning your 1st trip!!! How exciting! In my opinion, you wont miss out on anything by sticking with what you have...BUT Polynesian and beach Club are my absolute favorite resorts so I'd say if you have the means to switch go for it! Your first trip will be awesome either way, but there is just something about Poly and BC! The theming is just amazing and I prefer them not only bc of the incredible feel of the resorts but also bc:
1. Polynesian- you have the monorail that you can catch to MK or Epcot (or TTC but that doesnt matter to me). Also you can watch Wishes from the resort, especially the beach. You have more dining options...just a whole bunch of pro's vs. cons here.
2. Beach Club- It may not have as many perks as Poly but it is my favorite resort in all Disney World. You can't help but fall in love with this place. One of the best things about it to me is the lovely walk behind the resort to Epcot...that is one of the most peaceful places in Disney. Also you are near to the Boardwalk wish is always fun to walk around at, and again, between BC and Boardwalk tons of dining options.

POR Royal Rooms are obviously going to be amazing but as for as it being the "whole package" so to speak, I just don't think they even compare. Good thing is if you stay at POR this time, check out one of the others next time. I regret staying at Poly or BC then doing a value resort. haha Even though i love the value or moderates, once you stay at POly or BC it's like nothing even compares!

Again, you will LOVE anywhere you are, but if you are asking about really getting the full experience on this first trip and you can do it, definitely go with POly or BC in my opinion. I hope your trip is amazing and all you hope it to be!!!

 

[cmcadoo66]

First let me say that Beach Club is my favorite resort on Disney property so I am a little biased when it comes to that as a choice. However, when we first started taking our kids to Disney when they were 6 and 4, I think they might have been disappointed if BC had been their first visit because the Disney touches are subtle. It is a spectacular resort and they love it as much as I do but they are teenagers. The RRs at POR, IMO, have more of a Disney theme (and the headboards look pretty cool). Our first trip was to POP and it was perfect for a first visit because of all of the Disney themes throughout the resort. It made a huge impression and they still love Disney to this day. While they were little we stayed at either Pop, ASM or a Pirate room at CBR because of the Disney themes. But you know your kids best so if you think the Disney themes at the resort will not matter to them then I would definitely say go with the Dolphin/BC choice!!

HTH!

 

[ben1993]

If I was you I'd probably do 4 nights Swan/Dolphin and 7 nights Poly, but I don't mind split stays and I only have to pay for my own food for those first 4 nights, you'll have to weigh up the cost of paying for meals out of pocket for those nights.

Also, if you do Swan/Dolphin first, you can't get your tickets as they are attached to your package at the Poly I believe?

 

[francie57]

We are definitely deluxe people in our family so I would say either Poly or BC. I will admit we are Epcot Resort people and will be returning to the BC next week. We love that area and the convenience of being able to get to two parks by walking or a boat ride. We do drive our rental car to AK since we have the AAA parking pass and you get closer than the bus. I don't think you would be disappointed choosing either. We have not stayed at any of the values or moderates so I can't comment on them, they just seem to far removed for us. We have stayed at the Poly, GF, CR, BW, and BC and the only one we didn't like was CR. The only con may be that once you stay deluxe you may not want to stay at any other type of resort.

 

[rcraw45425]

We are taking our first Disney World vacation this November for 11 nights. We are a family of four with two girls (8 & 2 at time of vacation). Right now we are booked at the Dolphin (2 nights) and then POR (9 nights - Royal Room w/ free dining). Due to POR's location we have decided to rent a car so we don't have to use the bus service entirely.

For some reason I feel we are missing something by staying at POR so I keep looking at changing our reservation. Strange thing to say about a resort I have never stayed at. Here are the changes I keep coming back to:

- Dolphin (2 nights) and the Beach Club (9 nights w/ free dining)
- Dolphin (4 nights) and Poly (7 nights w/ free dining)

With these two options I would only rent a car for one day to go to Sea World. Money is a little factor but not enough if it means enjoying the vacation a little more. The two options above are roughly the same price. I have also though about the Wilderness but the theme doesn't appeal to us being from Minnesota. Contemporary has no rooms available.

Should I stick with our POR reservation and make the best of it or switch to one of the options listed?

Beach club in November would be a perfect location IMO. We prefer YC but the location during F&W cannot be beaten. The combo of Dolphin/BC would be perfect, able to walk to both Epcot and DHS is a definite plus. Don't get me wrong, CR is our all time favorite, but YC is a strong second.

 

[MinnieTink]

I'll vote for the Dolphin/Poly combo! There is something about the Poly and the proximity to MK, especially for first timers with kids, can't be beat. We love all the food options there too, especially the character breakfast at Ohana, the sushi bar, LAPU LAPU!!! and how cool that Poly guests can grab a dole whip at their resort!

That being said, our first stay at BC is in less than 4 weeks now. I wonder if I will want to change my vote after experiencing BC!

Have a wonderful vacation!

 

[MinnieTink]

Oops double post

 

[amberpi]

I like the Dolphin/Poly idea. With the Dolphin you're walking/boat distance to Ecpot and DHS and with the Poly you are monorail/boat to Epcot and MK. Sounds great. Regarding tickets, just get your first 4 days seperately and then get your whole package at the Poly. Easy/peasy. That said, I will plug CR now for my favorite monorail resort. We love the Dolphin/Swan. They almost always have great cheap upgrades and its more of a hotel class that we like (we love the lobbies and fountains but don't need to have Mickey Mouse watch us sleep.)

 

[disneychic2]

I'm in the minority here, but since it is your first trip, I think you should stay at POR where the theming is a bit stronger. There is so much to do at the parks, that your resort is not as important as it will be in the future when you may spend a bit more time there. The boat to Downtown Disney is a great perk and the grounds of both the Port Orleans resorts are beautiful. They have nice pools that the kids will enjoy. We stay at FQ more often than not and we never rent a car. The bus rides are fine for getting around, for us anyway.

What makes a trip special is not where you lay your head at night, but in the experiences at the various parks as a family. You could spend the extra money on a deluxe, but you could also put that extra money aside for your next trip. Don't get me wrong, deluxe resorts are great, but I just think the little ones will LOVE the royal room at PO. Save the deluxe resorts for when they are older. Just my thoughts.

 

[DJFan88]

Bearing in mind the ages of your children, you will want to do more MK. So, that being said the Poly is perfect. Plus if you can get a Chef Mickey res., you can ride the monorail to that too. Also, in addition to fireworks there is the water parade. You can also catch the TTC monorail to Epcot.
Plus, you will be at the Dolphin for 4 days for easy boat service to DHS, or walk in to Epcot. The Boardwalk is great and all, but 4 days there (which Dolphin is right there) is plenty for your kids ages. MK is where it's at for you. Also, the beach club pool is the awesomest --- but---- you really won't be able to appreciate the full scope of it with that age group as there are some deep areas.
(POR is great too, in fact we'll be there in 2 weeks!) But---- if I could afford it I'd go with what you got cooking up. I would check into this ticket attachment thing a previous poster said. YOu may want to switch that around to 9 Poly followed by the 4 Dolphin. Don't worry about it not being as exciting as Poly since after 9 days, you may want things a little scaled back and kids love everything anyway.

 

[bsjs0708]

I see that you have booked at a moderate. If you want to stay in that category I would DEF try the FW cabins!! OMG!!After trying many different resorts I have to say that the cabins are by far my favorite. Since you will have a car you can go to walmart and get groceries and eat a breakfast at your own pace. Take the time your little ones might need to get ready and have PLENTY of space. They offer a really nice patio with a picnic bench and grill....PLUS if your little ones get feisty as my do..you dont have to worry about noise. There is plenty of space outside and behind the cabins to explore. Also they offer a boat launch to MK...

 

[bizer]

Thanks for all of the quick replies. One thing I overlooked is the ticket situation. Staying at the Dolphin before POR was not an issue because it was for 2 nights only and we didn't plan on visiting Epcot or Disney Studios while at the Dolphin. I am pretty much committed to stay at the Dolphin for at least the first two nights. We arrive November 21st and free dining doesn't start until the 23rd.

If we stay at the Dolphin for 4 nights and then to the Poly (leaning this way) for 7 nights we would want to see Epcot and Disney Studios while at the Dolphin. I could buy 6 day tickets at the Dolphin and get the 2 day ticket with the free dining package at the Poly. I suppose this would work but it would cost a couple hundred more to do it this way. A room only discount looks like it would work best for us if we want to stay at the Poly but who knows if one will even be offered.

How is the bus transportation from the Beach Club to the parks?

 

[MichiganDVC]

Polynesian pricing during November is probably triple that of POR. Roughly $450 compared with $170. Beach Club is $350? This is something to keep in mind for that length of stay. Having said that, nothing beats Poly in terms of hotel atmosphere and proximity to MK and transportation. But I cannot say that Poly is 3x better than POR. Now Beach Club might be worth it at double the price. Wonderful resort, excellent pool.
For full disclosure, I am split staying at WL and Poly in a few weeks and am a regular at Boardwalk Villas and Beach Club Villas. I've never stayed at value or moderate resorts at Disney - they seem too big, not as nice, farther away, etc...

 

[MichiganDVC]

Bus transport from BC to parks is just fine. Never had problems. Expect a 10-15 minute wait (although is often less) when leaving your resort and expect 5-10 minute wait while at park attempting to return to resort, except at closing of course! Rides themselves are comfortable and relatively quick. Door to door. I've fallen asleep on the bus returning to BC after MK extra magic hours...as a 32 year old....

 

[MMS1125]

You don't have to buy tickets twice if you do the Dolphin/Poly split. You can go to guest services at any park and pick up your tickets from your Poly pkg up to 3 days early. You'll only not have tickets for your arrival night Just make sure to get enough days to cover your total park days. Your ticket days and dining pkg don't have to match

I'd do the Dolphin/Poly split myself as you can't beat the location/price of the dolphin (book thru Starwood not Disney for the best price) and then the Poly is my fave resort. The monorail is unbeatable plus the rooms are huge!

 

[bizer]

Polynesian pricing during November is probably triple that of POR. Roughly $450 compared with $170. Beach Club is $350? This is something to keep in mind for that length of stay. Having said that, nothing beats Poly in terms of hotel atmosphere and proximity to MK and transportation. But I cannot say that Poly is 3x better than POR. Now Beach Club might be worth it at double the price. Wonderful resort, excellent pool.
For full disclosure, I am split staying at WL and Poly in a few weeks and am a regular at Boardwalk Villas and Beach Club Villas. I've never stayed at value or moderate resorts at Disney - they seem too big, not as nice, farther away, etc...

One thing I forgot to mention is that we are staying in the royal room with a river view so it is anywhere from $230 to $260 per night.

 

[bizer]

You don't have to buy tickets twice if you do the Dolphin/Poly split. You can go to guest services at any park and pick up your tickets from your Poly pkg up to 3 days early. You'll only not have tickets for your arrival night Just make sure to get enough days to cover your total park days. Your ticket days and dining pkg don't have to match

I'd do the Dolphin/Poly split myself as you can't beat the location/price of the dolphin (book thru Starwood not Disney for the best price) and then the Poly is my fave resort. The monorail is unbeatable plus the rooms are huge!

That sounds great! If I can get my tickets three days early then that makes a Dolphin/Poly stay that much easier.

 

[MichiganMomto4]

Having stayed at both the Dolphin and POR, I would be disappointed going in that direction. The Dolphin is a beautiful, upscale resort; POR can't compare to that and would be an obvious 'step down', imho. I'd do the Dolphin/Poly stay, too. You'll have the interesting Epcot resort area to roam and then the convenience of the monorail area.

All that being said - your magical memories for this first trip will probably be made in the parks, so it doesn't matter if you are deluxe or value, YOU ARE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!!! ENJOY

 

[MMS1125]

You can't get them at the resort early you do have to go to guest services at one of the parks (or DTD I believe) but you can pick them up before your pkg starts. Your dining credits will not be active until your Dining Pkg stay but your tickets will work with no problem