Room Options??

[AnnaNonamus]

I'm planing WAY ahead, for starters. We won't be going until October 2013, so we have LOTS of time for me to change my mind 100 more times.

I'm hoping for some personal advice (as opposed to "here, click this link, it talks about this resort!") because I've read it all. Probably 12 times. Because I'm obsessive like that.

We have a family of 5, and by the time we go, we'll have a 17 yo, 15yo, and 13yo. This will be the first time the kids have gone, and the first time hubby and I have gone together. He went as a child, stayed off-property. I went as a teen, and again about a month ago with my friend (to replace her now dead-beat soon-to-be ex-husband) and both times, stayed at an ASR.

Here's the options I'm looking at. This will most likely be the ONLY time we can afford to take all of the kids before they graduate, move out, and start having families of their own, which is why I'm planning so far ahead- I want to save LOTS of money up for it.

Fort Wilderness Cabin - big pro for me is that none of the kids have to share a bed. Big con's for me are that we have to sleep in the living room, and that there's no whirlpool tub. Not that either is a huge deal, but my feet were KILLING me this last time, and a whirlpool at night to soak in sounds heavenly.

Saratoga Springs 2 Bedroom Villa OR the Treehouse Villa. They cost the same, but are quite a big jump in the long run, price wise. Pro- lots of space. In the 2 bedroom, only our son would be in the main 'shared' space. In the treehouse, everyone would have their own bed, and our daughters would be sharing a room, but not beds. Also, whirlpool is a nice touch, as is the washer/dryer unit, so we can pack light. Cons- the price is higher. For a deluxe, they're not as close to the parks as I would like. I've heard the treehouses aren't real close to the rest of the resort, in terms of going to the bigger pool, or up to the restaurants, etc.

Beach Club or Yatch Standard Room - Pro's- Stormalong Bay, proximity to the Boardwalk, and to Epcot & Hollywood Studios. Cheaper than SSR. Balcony is kind of nice. Cons: Girls sharing a bed, no whirlpool tub, smaller room, pricier than the cabins.

2 rooms at a regular 'moderate' or 'value' resort- Obviously, this would be cheaper than the villas, and afford us more room. I prefer not going back to the values if we don't have to. I don't mind them, I just want some place that FEELS relaxing when we're back at the hotel- the ASR's never feel relaxing to me. My top choices if we do moderate would be CBR for the pool

Or- moving around during the trip to stay at 2 different places.

When I was there last month, we used the Sandcastle Club for 1 night, so we got a peek around Beach Club, and the Boardwalk area, and I fell in love.

Our younger kids are both on the ASD spectrum, so I am planning to make use of mid-day breaks away from the parks, and I'm planning to have a day in the middle with nothing planned to help them relax a bit. The activities at the resort, the pools, etc- they are something we'll be making use of quite a bit, so they're important aspects to me.

Does anyone have any advice/recommendations as to what they would do?

Money- as of right now, if I can keep on track for saving, money shouldn't be a big issue. It may prove to be an issue closer to the trip if anything big comes up, but we should be able to afford to stay at any of the places- it's just a matter of where our money is better spent.

 

[AshleeH]

I haven't stayed at any of the hotels you listed, so I'm sorry I can't give you advice for those (but there are plenty of knowledgeable people who will be able to). I was just wondering, have you considered staying in one of the monorail hotels? Especially with knowing you'll be taking midday breaks, it might be helpful if you're planning on more than one day at MK. Although being able to walk to Epcot from one of the other resorts might work better for you.

I wouldn't recommend doing a split-stay unless you're planning on a 10+ day trip. We did one last year (7 day trip) and lost half a day with a ticket mishap that I had actually anticipated, but it happened anyway: Disney promised they would work, I have heard many times on various forums that they would not, but we walked to MK and they didn't work, another hour lost waiting at Guest Relations only to be told we would have to walk back to CR and drive to WL to check-in and get them reactivated. Half a day in Disney is a lot - and that doesn't count the time spent unpacking, repacking, and unpacking again. More trouble than it was worth for our family. The bonus is seeing two different hotels. I enjoy seeing the different Disney resorts.

Also, have you considered the Dining Plan? We're using it for the first time this year so I can't speak from experience, but you might want to look into it (especially if you're interested in doing some table service meals).

I hope you have fun planning! With so much time before you leave, you should have a magical trip!

 

[LittleMissMagic]

Since you never listed sharing a bathroom as a "con," I'm going to assume that's not a problem with your family (it isn't a big deal with mine, either).

Of the resorts you listed, I would choose the Yacht or Beach Club standard room. However, I don't have any personal input to add to this because I haven't stayed there yet... but I do have a standard room at the Beach Club booked for June, so perhaps I can come back with more info!

The problem with both Fort Wilderness Cabins and Saratoga Springs Treehouses are that the commute to/from the parks can take a long time. If you're going to be going back and forth from the parks possibly more than once a day, the transportation process could eat up a lot of your time.

I'm going to second the PP - have you looked at the monorail resorts?

You could do a standard room at either the Contemporary, Polynesian, or Grand Floridian for less than the 2-bedroom or Treehouse at Saratoga Springs. I haven't stayed in a standard at the Contemporary, but between the Grand and the Poly, I would recommend the GF for a family of five. It's a really spacious room, and the daybed is large and comfortable. The daybed at the Poly isn't as big, and there isn't quite as much floor space. It's still a large resort room, though. The Nanea waterslide pool at the Poly is larger than the GF's Beach waterslide pool. However, the Grand also has a HUGE 'quiet' pool. My sister and I swam here alone at night one time, and we felt so small in the large pool!

Another option would be a 1-bedroom villa at Bay Lake Tower. The 1-bedrooms at BLT would have a master bedroom with a king bed, and a bathroom with a.... wait for it.... WHIRLPOOL TUB!!! The living room has a pool-out couch, and a pool out single sleeper. Yes, your girls would have to share a bed (as they would with the standard room), but it would be less expensive than a 2-bedroom at SSR and would be much more convenient to the parks. I haven't stayed in a 1-bedroom at BLT, only a studio, but the resort was very convenient to Magic Kingdom and Epcot. When staying there, you also have the option of using either the BLT pool or the Contemporary pool (but Contemporary guests can't use the BLT pool).

 

[AnnaNonamus]

I have not yet looked at the monorail hotels, but if we did, it'd be Poly all the way. LOVE it in there! I've never been in GF, and Contemp. has never appealed to me. I have been through it twice, just wasn't... in love, ya know? That would be right about the same as Beach or Boardwalk, price wise. I like it's proximity to MK, and Beach/Boardwalk's proximity to Epcot/HS.

We are definitely going to do the meal plan- the past 3 years, it was free during the time frame when we're going, so we're hoping it'll be free again when we go That'll be a big perk

 

[Deb & Bill]

It has been reported that SSR is sold out. So that means the 60 THV now belong to DVC inventory and it may be harder to get them for cash through Disney Reservation Center.

 

[DrMomof3]

Will you have a car? I ask because we stayed in a 2 bedroom villa at SSR a few years ago and I wouldn't stay there again without a car. The resort was beautiful. Our room was beautiful. My kids loved the pool. The buses were a problem. Some days we had no wait at all and other days we waited almost 45 minutes for a standing-room only bus. I think the Treehouse Villas sound lovely but I would need a car.
We're staying at Fort Wilderness for the 1st time in June so I can't comment yet. I'm also worried about sleeping in the living room on a pull-down (my DH is 6'4"). We're only going for 2 nights (after a cruise) and we're planning to enjoy the Fort rather than racing to the parks. I did reserve a golf cart but we won't have a car.
We stayed in a one bedroom at BLT (with a good discount) last August and loved it. The extra space. Kids in the living room and us in a king bed. Washer/dryer/kitchen. (Did I mention my youngest was vomiting for the 1st two days? )
For this August we're staying at BC but in a deluxe room. More square footage and access to the club lounge. We love the pool there and the proximity to both Epcot and DHS. With 3 teens a regular room might lead to rioting (I don't know your children but I know mine!). We love the Epcot area resorts in general. In that vein would the cost of connecting rooms at Swan or Dolphin be prohibitive? I haven't priced it yet but maybe 2 rooms there could be a compromise, depending on what deals they have going at the time... I can't imagine it's more than a 2 bedroom at SSR and it's a great location.

Amanda