Resort options for family of 5 - thoughts?

[DeeSee]

We are aiming for an early 2022 trip. Family of 5 - 2 adults and 3 kids (9, 6, almost 3). I am trying to narrow down resort options for us. I know the 2 year old doesn't "count" as a 5th person, but I think at almost 3 years, it won't be much fun having to squash all of us into a room designed for 4.
We are perhaps staying for 10 nights. We spend very little time in the room, but like to swim every day and will have 2-3 non-park days as well. We will rely on Disney transportation, which is certainly a factor in the options I am listing. I should say, we have stayed at Pop and AS Sports before as a family of 4 and don't mind values one bit.
Here are the options I've narrowed down that are within our price range but also meet our needs. Any thoughts/experiences to share? Pros/cons?

All Star Music Family Suite
Pop Century (2 adjoining rooms)
Caribbean Beach 5th sleeper
Port Orleans Riverside 5th sleeper
All Stars (2 adjoining rooms) - this is unlikely, but costs and availability may sway us this way.

Please: no suggestions of booking a deluxe. We are travelling internationally and paying thousands in flight costs. We are simply not considering it.

 

[SarahC97]

I've traveled as a party of 5 and stayed at several of the resorts on your list. Personally, I think moderates are the way to go if swimming is a big deal for you and if you plan to have resort-only days. I simply don't think the values cut it in this capacity since they do not have quiet pools and have fewer dining options on site for variety. As far as pools go, it's important to note that at POR you share amenities with Port Orleans French Quarter, so you can go over there to eat and you can also use their feature pool and splash area. It's easy to walk between the two resorts.

Between CBR and POR, I would choose POR based on the rooms, pools, and the food court. The rooms at POR recently went through a refurbishment and are a bit nicer than CBR, which hasn't had a room refurbishment since 2015 (but the main area of CBR was refurbished recently). I also enjoy the grounds at POR more, but that's just a personal preference kind of thing. If transportation is a big deal for you, then CBR has the skyliner to two parks, which is nice, while POR only has bus transportation but it does have a boat you can take to Disney Springs which is really convenient.

 

[manhattan]

We are a family of five and have done all of your choices. We have also done AOA family suite and FW cabins. Recently we did CBR and was very happy with our stay. We had two park days and two non-park days. I really liked having the Skyliner available to take us to the HS and EPCOT/Boardwalk. I liked that we had the table available all the time as opposed having it disappear to open the bed. We were in Aruba on the second floor, corner room with a quick short walk to the pool/main building and the Skyliner. Just wanted to share the good about CBR.

 

[Pixie Dusted Dee]

I know that "infants" which would be under the age of 2 do not count towards room max.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I do believe that ages 2 and up do count for room max but under 3 does not need park tickets or a dining plan.
Looking at your options I understand that your intention is 2 rooms or 1 room that does have a proper max occupancy.

I would go with the All Star Music Family Suite or Pop Century 2 rooms. I'd request connecting rooms but realize it may not happen.

 

[Denise W]

One under *3* does not count for room occupancy.
Denise

 

[MomOTwins]

I know that "infants" which would be under the age of 2 do not count towards room max.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I do believe that ages 2 and up do count for room max but under 3 does not need park tickets or a dining plan.
Looking at your options I understand that your intention is 2 rooms or 1 room that does have a proper max occupancy.

I would go with the All Star Music Family Suite or Pop Century 2 rooms. I'd request connecting rooms but realize it may not happen.

2 year olds do count toward the room max, unfortunately. As someone who spent a very unpleasant week getting kicked in the face all night by my almost-three-year-old in a room for 4 because there was no separate sleeping space for him, I think OP has exactly the right idea getting a room that officially sleeps 5.

I would vote CBR because of the skyliner, which is a really convenient way to access two parks, and because the pool is nice for your non-park days, and because of the nearby dining options at Riviera.

 

[Trinity88]

We've done POP in 2 rooms and loved it! Great resort for food options and the kids loved the pool. We were able to give each kid their own bed which made for a great sleep for everyone.

 

[tuckymom]

CBR has become my favorite moderate for my family (still adore POFQ for adults).

I have a 2 year old and we did a super last minute stay in October 2019. It was the only moderate or value available with 2 rooms. The main pool was great and there was plenty of areas to walk and enjoy the sand. The walking area and playground was great and we LOVED LOVED LOVED the skyliner. It was soo much easier than the bus, jumping in the car, etc.

 

[Marionnette]

We are aiming for an early 2022 trip. Family of 5 - 2 adults and 3 kids (9, 6, almost 3). I am trying to narrow down resort options for us. I know the 2 year old doesn't "count" as a 5th person, but I think at almost 3 years, it won't be much fun having to squash all of us into a room designed for 4.
We are perhaps staying for 10 nights. We spend very little time in the room, but like to swim every day and will have 2-3 non-park days as well. We will rely on Disney transportation, which is certainly a factor in the options I am listing. I should say, we have stayed at Pop and AS Sports before as a family of 4 and don't mind values one bit.
Here are the options I've narrowed down that are within our price range but also meet our needs. Any thoughts/experiences to share? Pros/cons?

All Star Music Family Suite
Pop Century (2 adjoining rooms)
Caribbean Beach 5th sleeper
Port Orleans Riverside 5th sleeper
All Stars (2 adjoining rooms) - this is unlikely, but costs and availability may sway us this way.

Please: no suggestions of booking a deluxe. We are travelling internationally and paying thousands in flight costs. We are simply not considering it.

Have you considered renting DVC for a studio that sleeps 5? It can be the same price or less than a moderate resort. You would have a kitchenette, a balcony to escape to while the kids fall asleep and free access to the laundry facilities, which can be a big bonus when you’re staying for 10 days. And, most of them share amenities with deluxe resorts like BC, BWI, Poly, and VGF. There are drawbacks to consider when renting, so make sure that you understand them before jumping in.

If you find that renting DVC is not for you, then I would recommend the family suite so that you have some space and privacy while guaranteeing that you are together. Two connecting (not adjoining) rooms is never guaranteed. You wouldn’t want to spend 10 days at opposite sides of the resort!

 

[disneydreamer1980]

I agree with pp about renting DVC. Wouldn’t cost much more then ASM family suite. I’ve stayed at an ASM family suite once, and as a family whose only ever stayed DVC before that (and since) I thought we’d hate it but we didn’t at all. We actually enjoyed it and my (at the time) 2 year old loved the 3 cabaleros at the pool. We were 7 people including my 2 year old in the suite and like you, spent very little time in the suite, and it was fine for us. That being said, of course I think you’d enjoy a DVC/deluxe resort more, so if the rental cost is comparable I’d go with that.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

We stay off site for budget reasons..
We had 5 people and for the money I just couldnt justify.
We pay $700 for a two bedroom ,living room full kitchen no resort/ parking.
Even with car rental and park parking we saved money and had a better room.
Skyauction.com &
https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-sheraton-vistana-resort-thread-key-links-on-p-1.3148502/The one time we stayed onsite we used a portable cot.

 

[Shellyred8]

I would vote for CBR. It has better pools than the value resorts. It also has the Skyliner, which is a game-changer for me. I love being able to just hop on that thing and take it to and from EP or HS. But I also love taking it to one of the other Skyliner resorts and having a meal there. Or taking it to the EP International Gateway and then going to the Boardwalk to eat at one of their restaurants.

Happy planning!

 

[DeeSee]

I would go with the All Star Music Family Suite or Pop Century 2 rooms. I'd request connecting rooms but realize it may not happen.

Have you stayed in the ASMu family suites?

 

[manhattan]

I just checked the site and plugged in your family size and the 2 year old did not count towards room capacity - you are given the opportunity to book at Pop. I know when I have traveled with my children and now grandchildren aged 3 and under, I was able to book in a regular room and was always asked if I needed a crib (yes, a full sized crib!) or playpen. Once they are 3 and over, they will count towards capacity.

 

[Miffy]

OP, I dis-recommend renting DVC points. Why? Because if another situation like this pandemic happens, you will have paid for something nonrefundable. And it's highly unlikely that cancel-for-any-reason trip insurance would cover this, as it covered hardly anyone who had DVC points booked during this pandemic closure. Just don't do it. Book through Disney--they will refund your money if the resorts and parks close again.

If you want some confirmation of my information, there's a several-hundred-page-long thread from people who rented from David's. Both renters and owners were left hanging. Yes, you could rent from someone directly, but do that only if you don't mind losing all the money you pay for the reservation. Because who knows what will happen in the future? Renting DVC points used to be a terrific way to save money and get deluxe accommodations. Now I can't recommend it.

 

[Marionnette]

OP, I dis-recommend renting DVC points. Why? Because if another situation like this pandemic happens, you will have paid for something nonrefundable. And it's highly unlikely that cancel-for-any-reason trip insurance would cover this, as it covered hardly anyone who had DVC points booked during this pandemic closure. Just don't do it. Book through Disney--they will refund your money if the resorts and parks close again.

If you want some confirmation of my information, there's a several-hundred-page-long thread from people who rented from David's. Both renters and owners were left hanging. Yes, you could rent from someone directly, but do that only if you don't mind losing all the money you pay for the reservation. Because who knows what will happen in the future? Renting DVC points used to be a terrific way to save money and get deluxe accommodations. Now I can't recommend it.

I agree that David’s and a couple of other intermediaries handled things poorly. As an owner, I would never deal with David’s again. But there are a lot of individual owners who took care of their renters. Some of the owners with private rentals even ended up taking a loss so that their renter could be made whole. Not everyone who rented during the shutdown lost money. Anyone going into a DVC rental going forward should make sure that there’s something in the contract that addresses a force majeure. And the renter needs to be comfortable with whatever those terms might be. It’s not for everyone, but it can still be a good deal if you get an owner who will work with you.

 

[Miffy]

I agree that David’s and a couple of other intermediaries handled things poorly. As an owner, I would never deal with David’s again. But there are a lot of individual owners who took care of their renters. Some of the owners with private rentals even ended up taking a loss so that their renter could be made whole. Not everyone who rented during the shutdown lost money. Anyone going into a DVC rental going forward should make sure that there’s something in the contract that addresses a force majeure. And the renter needs to be comfortable with whatever those terms might be. It’s not for everyone, but it can still be a good deal if you get an owner who will work with you.

That's very true, @Marionnette. I know there are a lot of great owners and I didn't mean to imply otherwise. It's just that, to me, this is for now too big a risk to take.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

We are aiming for an early 2022 trip. Family of 5 - 2 adults and 3 kids (9, 6, almost 3). I am trying to narrow down resort options for us. I know the 2 year old doesn't "count" as a 5th person, but I think at almost 3 years, it won't be much fun having to squash all of us into a room designed for 4.
We are perhaps staying for 10 nights. We spend very little time in the room, but like to swim every day and will have 2-3 non-park days as well. We will rely on Disney transportation, which is certainly a factor in the options I am listing. I should say, we have stayed at Pop and AS Sports before as a family of 4 and don't mind values one bit.
Here are the options I've narrowed down that are within our price range but also meet our needs. Any thoughts/experiences to share? Pros/cons?

All Star Music Family Suite
Pop Century (2 adjoining rooms)
Caribbean Beach 5th sleeper
Port Orleans Riverside 5th sleeper
All Stars (2 adjoining rooms) - this is unlikely, but costs and availability may sway us this way.

Please: no suggestions of booking a deluxe. We are travelling internationally and paying thousands in flight costs. We are simply not considering it.

If swimming is important to you and the kids, I’d vote moderate with the pull down 5th sleeper. Pools are nicer at these resorts, they have slides and the food service options are a bit nicer.

We’re a family of 4 and now that my girls are 11 and 13, they prefer to not have to share a bed and my 11yo loves the Murphy beds. Also, even with Pop being less per night, I would not want the added cost of an extra room unless you were really concerned about space. However we’ve stayed in the 5th sleeper room several times and one visit our teenage niece visited so we were 5 Disney “adults” in a room for a few days and we were fine. But we, like you, don’t spend a ton of time in the room, so really the extra space or a view is never really all that important especially at a moderate.

Now all that said, we’ve stayed at all those resorts except the all stars suite. Our favorite is POR. My personal preference is POR since the rooms don’t seem as beat up. The CBR rooms are more tired looking and need some updating. Chances are they’re on the same remodeling/updating schedules but CBR does not seem very well maintained. CBR is also really HUGE. If you don’t pay for a preferred room, it’s a lot of walking. It’s hard to get lucky at CBR and be close to the skyliner, the bus stop and the lobby without paying extra. We were in Jamaica 45 for our last trip and it was a solid 7 min walk to the lobby. We were about 5 min to the skyliner and the bus depot. And 15 min to riviera resort. Whereas at POR, we’ve never paid for a preferred location room and most of our walks to the lobby and buses were under 5 min. The other pro on POR is fewer internal bus stops than CBR. And just some personal preferences- we prefer the theming of POR, CBR theming is nothing special. We stayed most recently at CBR and overall really disliked it to the point we’d likely not stay there again.

Positives of CBR- the skyliner, proximity to riviera and a newer lobby.

Do keep in mind that when the skyliner is running, it is awesome.....when it’s running. However, if you visit in summer it will be down almost daily. When it’s down for inclement weather, the buses to Epcot and DHS are SLOW. It could be a fluke due to covid and hopefully when WDW is back to full throttle services, it may get better but since the addition of the skyliner to these resorts, bus service has declined considerably.

If it were me, I’d choose POR.

 

[vinotinto]

I vote against two rooms. There is no guarantee they will be connecting, or even adjoining, and you and the other adult may find yourselves in split rooms.

 

[chaboyd]

I'd go with the ASMu Suite. You are guaranteed to be together, unlike adjoining room requests. For that length of time I hate being all in one room together. It gives you a little space to spread out.
It also has a small kitchen area so you could have some snacks and food delivered to save money. We stayed there before the remodel and really liked it, so it should be even better now. I'm bummed it's not currently open for our upcoming December trip.