Resort recommendations for June trip

[Disneylovingmomof2]

I’ve heard so many people say “it’s my favorite” about WL... just not the same Poly magic there for you though huh?

I think it’s just different. Like pp said everyone has favorites for various reasons. I love AKL too, but (for me) Poly would be my first choice.

 

[Ngwira]

Hi all..We're bringing our 3 and 5 y/o boys to DW for the first time this June for 9 nights. As of now we have reservations at all 3 monorail resorts to mix it up and try them out (I haven't stayed at these in ~20+ years). 2 nts Poly, 4 nts GF, 3 nts Contemporary. We also have a separate itinerary held for 2 nights at Poly and 7 nights at Wilderness Lodge. We're trying to decide which is best for this trip. From what I've read it seems Wilderness might be the best resort for kids and great atmosphere, but I'm not sure it's worth staying off the monorail with 3 and 5 year olds.

We plan on spending 3-4 days at MK, 1-2 at AK, 1 Epcot, 1 HS.

I was able to get a pretty good deal at GF-studio garden ($392/nt + tax/fees) and Contemporary-Tower MK view ($476 + tax/fees). Also at Wilderness-Courtyard view ($320/nt + tax/fees). The first 2 nights at Poly-studio garden are set in stone as we did through David's DVC Rental.

9 nights with 3 and 5 y/o...
Poly+GF+Contemporary
or
Poly+Wilderness

For a little bit more $ is it worth staying on the monorail and right by all the MK action? Also if cost was the same for all which would be the best option? I'm not sure we'd love fancy(stuffy?) GF but for $392/nt it seemed like a bargain for that resort and location. Contemporary has the history and great location, monorail, etc... but doesn't seem as warm as Wilderness.

Appreciate the help!

How did you get that rate at grand Floridian?

 

[bwifan]

3 way split stay? That’s kinda nutty. Have u considered a split stay between a monorail resort and an Epcot resort, best of both worlds? Like 5 nights at wilderness and 4 at yacht/beach?

 

[JRLZ]

How did you get that rate at grand Floridian?

Travelocity... $462 + 15% off w code

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I’ve heard so many people say “it’s my favorite” about WL... just not the same Poly magic there for you though huh?

PP perhaps has never experienced the magic of sitting at the majestic WL fireplace! Every resort has its magic and charm and will transport you to different places. It just depends on what theme appeals to you most.

 

[Tink3rbell86]

I would 100% do the WL split stay. 3 hotels with Little’s is hard. You’ll need to make sure you’re checked out stuff packed up and ready to go before taking on the day everytime you switch. Then you may not have a room between check out and check in (3ish). Monorail isn’t as big of a Pro to us. There are times they don’t run, break down, the line at the contemporary was HUGE! Last time we were there. It took almost a half hour to get on. We’ve had much better luck with resort buses. My kids had
a BLAST at WL(as did my husband and I.) lots of kids activities. Plus you’ll be able to unpack and relax a bit when staying in one place longer.

 

[JRLZ]

To avoid hassle, do I only need to accept the magic bands from the first reservation, and refuse the other bands? They’ll automatically be linked to the other resort reservation(s)?

 

[cadawson]

I would 100% do the WL split stay. 3 hotels with Little’s is hard. You’ll need to make sure you’re checked out stuff packed up and ready to go before taking on the day everytime you switch. Then you may not have a room between check out and check in (3ish).

totally agree, split stays are tough and waste time you could be spending at the parks.
We always feel homeless on the moving day! It adds extra stress. We try to stay put 4 nights - so we’d do 4/5 splits. Or, 2/7 and 3/6 would be ok. I’d never do a 3-way split in 9 night trip.

 

[cadawson]

To avoid hassle, do I only need to accept the magic bands from the first reservation, and refuse the other bands? They’ll automatically be linked to the other resort reservation(s)?

It’s not really a hassle. Your magic bands will all be linked to your MDE, so you can swap between them. We like to have a variety of colors.

 

[JRLZ]

It’s not really a hassle. Your magic bands will all be linked to your MDE, so you can swap between them. We like to have a variety of colors.

Aren’t the bands also individually tied to each resort reservation? Any reason to have multiple bands other than to collect them? I’d rather put them on the kids day 1 and be done.

 

[cadawson]

Aren’t the bands also individually tied to each resort reservation? Any reason to have multiple bands other than to collect them? I’d rather put them on the kids day 1 and be done.

Not tied to a single reservation. As long as you have linked all your reservations and tickets linked in your MDE account. It’s your personal preference but I like having the 2nd set as backup, especially since they are included. Also, the bands tend to get dirty with sunscreen over time.

 

[Bostonbeans99]

My family of 5 stayed at WL last year and loved it. We are going again in 6 weeks! We loved the quick boat ride to MK. The boat launch at WL has a red flag boat and a blue flag boat. One boat can go to the Contemporary Resort ......so if you are wanting to take your kids on the monorail to the park you can do it that way.


Travel time from the Magic Kingdom to/from the resort is approximately 8 minutes with wait time between boats typically 8-12 minutes. Blue Flag Launch: The blue route consists of two launches transporting guests around Bay Lake between Disney's Wilderness Lodge, Fort Wilderness, and Contemporary Resort.

 

[dansdad]

Aren’t the bands also individually tied to each resort reservation?

Nope. They are linked to your MDE account, not a specific resort.

Any reason to have multiple bands other than to collect them?

Color coordinate with what you're wearing. Have a spare in case you lose one.

I’d rather put them on the kids day 1 and be done.

Nothing wrong with that.

 

[JRLZ]

Thanks for the feedback. I cancelled GF and CR, and added 2 more nights at Poly. So we have 4 at Poly, and 5 at WL. Kids are pumped!

 

[Deb & Bill]

I heard busing from WL is tough... how long are the ferry lines?

In our trips to the WL, we didn't have any problems with buses there. When you go to Epcot or DHS or AK, you share a bus with FW. So you stop there second. With MK, you either take the boat or the bus and the bus didn't stop anywhere on that trip. Buses are easy unless you are herding cats and hauling UHaul stroller full of stuff.

 

[darrengs]

Thanks for the feedback. I cancelled GF and CR, and added 2 more nights at Poly. So we have 4 at Poly, and 5 at WL. Kids are pumped!

This sounds like a good plan. Just give your bags to bell services, and they will transport them from the poly to WL. Head out for the day and when you get to the WL later in the day you can have your bags delivered.

 

[rstevens333]

A great WL hack I learned is to take the boat from WL to the Contemporary in the morning, not to the MK. This boat is smaller, but it starts earlier (6:45am to accommodate people going to Chef Mickey's) and then you can walk from Contemporary to MK.

We got stuck at the WL during the hurricane last year and I still want to go back ASAP. There are lots of nooks and crannies to explore, a really charming lobby, and Geyser Point is a great spot to watch the Water Pageant with no planning.

 

[JRLZ]

This itinerary look reasonable?...

Poly- Mon-travel day, Tue-MK, Wed-AK, Thur-MK

WL- Fri-move day, Sat-Epcot, Sun-off, Mon-HS, Tue-MK, Wed-travel home

 

[JRLZ]

Dining question... if we make a reservation for 4, do we have to pay for our 3 year old even if he is not eating at a given restaurant? Picky...we will bringing some food with for him.