sept. trip-resort questions please

[peonyflower]

hi guys! we are bringing a 2,3 and 5yr old to disney this sept-we are so excited but trying to plan this trip wisely as it could be stressful with the lil ones. we qualify for free dining which is great-the agent first priced for AS movie but i am scared of the many reviews-yes the price is unbeatable but i want to be happy. am i being stingy as i know the kids would love a buzz lightyear room? i feel we'd be at MK alot and feel thats a long trip back to room for a nap etc.....but i dont know if floridian and poly is in our budget-anyone know if their pricing goes down in sept or part of the free dining? i am really overwhelmed with the choices. i want somewhere nice yet fun for kids and easy to get from park to park with 3 lil ones....thinking of waiting for a bus for half hour is not appealing.....i just picture after the kids are asleep i dont want to be stuck staring at a pic of buzz wuth hubbie. it would be nice to lounge on balcony watching fireworks.....gosh what r your thoughts?

 

[checkwriter]

Have you considered working with a good travel agent? It's hard to give suggestions not knowing what your budget, etc. is. They'll also have info about available discounts during your travel period. Someone from Dreams Unlimited or one of the other Disney-focused agencies might be a great help.

 

[WeLuvTink!]

We're budget minded...but let's be honest...Disney can be expensive! We usually save on the hotel as we're only there to shower and sleep anyway! We've stayed at Pop and Sports. The rooms are a bit small for 2A & 2K, but like I said, we're hardly there. The resorts are comfortable with nice pools. If money wasn't an issue, of course I'd stay at a Deluxe resort, but this is where my family saves money so we can go to Florida more often and have more days in the parks.

I agree, that only you know your budget. Have you seen the free Disney travel DVD? At least that gives you a peek inside some of the resorts. Stay anywhere on property - you won't regret it.

 

[DisneyBride2002]

If you want to be closer to MK, a deluxe would be my choice. You can get much closer to MK by either staying at CR garden view, or Wilderness Lodge, and not break the bank. As stated in a previous post, it's hard to recommend without knowing what you budget is. I would say you would definitely have an easier time of it with 3 kids staying closer to MK. Good luck!

 

[heatherlynn444]

the prices are in seasons, and they stay the same for that season and dont go up or down last minute or anything. go to www.allearsnet.com to see the seasons and pricing for 2008. the GF and poly are the most expensive resorts on site, so dont be shocked! if you are using free diing you cannot use any other discount code to book a room. good luck

 

[geokeim]

We have found that the monorail (GF, Poly & Cont) were SUPER convenient when our babies were little for nap time and heading home when we were tired.
However, now we have found that they are also SUPER expensive.
I believe you and your husband would have a better time at the deluxe, but as you know, its not about you.
If price is the deciding factor, get all your quotes and decide from there.
Good luck & have fun with whatever you choose!

 

[TJA]

I agree with the others about staying at an MK resort. With children of that age, it's hard to beat the convenience of being able to easily get back and forth to your resort. The least expensive deluxe monorail option is a CR wing room. If that quote is too high, then I'd go with WL. You can boat back and forth between WL and MK and leave your little ones right in your stroller(s). And it is the lowest priced deluxe resort, along with AKL.

Sept is value season, so the room rates will be at their lowest.

 

[peonyflower]

thank u very much-when u say CR is that contemporary? also i havent looked into AK or WL-not sure why-i guess i keep picturing the wilderness and bears which isnt appealing to me

 

[KELLY]

I have a 8 week old and a 2.5 year old. When we go they will be 3 and 7 months. I have no problem staying at a value. We also own DVC but free dining is a great option. We may up grade to a moderate but is a addtional 500.00 for a room.

 

[goinback]

I think the WL (Wilderness Lodge) would be great for your family. It is close to MK, a boat ride away. You get a deluxe resort for a cheaper price. You would most likely have a balcony. With Free Dining I think it would be a great value!

 

[TJA]

thank u very much-when u say CR is that contemporary? also i havent looked into AK or WL-not sure why-i guess i keep picturing the wilderness and bears which isnt appealing to me

Yes, CR = Contemporary. It is right next to MK and has a walking path between the resort and MK (about a 5-10 minute walk). CR has a wing and a tower. The tower rooms are the ones where you have the MK view and can watch Wishes and the water parade from your balcony. However, those rooms are very expensive. The rooms in the CR wing are less expensive, but you won't have the view you get in the tower, if that matters to you.

I think WL is a great option because you'd still get your desired resort of having easy access to MK (via boat so you can just roll your strollers right on and off). And the price is lower at WL than at the 3 monorail resorts. It does have a wilderness-type feeling to it, but yet you are very close to MK. I believe you can see the top of Wishes (above the trees....) from some courtyard rooms at WL.

In your shoes, I'd get quotes for as many resorts as possible and then do some online researching of which theme appeals to your family the most. We also have young children, 4 yr old twins, and our trips are pretty relaxing when we stay at a resort that allows us easy access to the parks. The Epcot resorts are awesome too and you can walk to both Epcot and Studios from those resorts. Beach Club is our favorite.

 

[justplaingoofy]

I also think the WIlderness Lodge might be the best fit.

Since you think you will be spending the most time in M.K. it is the least expensive priced option, but is also a deluxe property.

 

[abner1776]

The WL has the same amenities as the other deluxe MK resorts but at a lower price because it is not on the monorail. The main lodge at the WL is spectacular and with the boat access to both MK and CR, you will not miss the monorail at all.

We stayed at WL back in 2006 and like it so much we bought into DVC, with VWL as our home resort.

 

[Diamondintheruff]

If you don't want to wait on buses than you'll need to travel at less than peak times. I'd suggest joining Tour Guide Mike to check out his tips. For less than $20 I know he saved us tons of time. And I'm talking about the waiting in line with 3 cranky kids time. It was soo worth it.

We stayed at the family suites at ASMu. We loved it. The kids took over the main room and my hubby and I had our room. They weren't available for our trip this year so we are trying the Port Orleans Riverside Resort with the trundle bed.

So my vote is to stay at the Values. Travel off peak times. And get some comfy-easy to push strollers. Put the money you would save on staying in the values as opposed to the Deluxes in a GIC and go back to disney next year too!

 

[iloveftwilderness]

We usually stay at the Pop to save money. Another suggestion would be WL for more money. It is close and just a boat ride away. I would also suggest decreasing the amount of days of tickets that are usually included in the package. Not many people go to the park on their first/last day there. Also we decrease a day of park tickets and purchase separate Halloween party tickets for one day (almost half the cost of a regular day in the park and you can go to the MK from 4- midnight to trick or treat and ride the rides).
We will be going in Sept for four nights for a family of four during free dining with one day of park tickets (we will buy the Halloween party tickets when they go on sale) at the Pop for $700. We could actually go for $655, but I want a preferred room. That is really cheap for a Disney vacation.

 

[EnnEss]

I understand your concerns. CR will be tough to get in because they are still down a lot of rooms. WL is great and the boat makes it easy to get to. The lobby of WL is one of the best of any Disney hotel, probably top 3. There aren't any bears . Getting a room with a view of MK will cost thousands more than you are paying now.

Its still going to more than double the cost of your room though, just barely double it there I think. Poly would come close to tripling it. You already got free dining so there is zero chance of getting a discounted room, as you can't stack discounts.

Dont write off staying at the value resort as bad. Honestly, there is a lot of concern over travel time on these boards, but the HUGE MAJORITY of travel time is walking to your bus and waiting for it. This can be similar at any place for most parks. Only MK is fast by monorail for 3 resorts. WL has the boat to it, or contemporary then onto the monorail. Those monorail resorts still have to take buses to the other 3 parks. Epcot takes awhile by monorail after riding 2 lines and xferring.

So, having said that, you'd probably spend an extra 5 - 10 minutes being at the value in actual travel time to MK, but you will have to wait for the bus, its not usually long at any resort. Not really a big deal. The rooms will be bigger at the other resorts. I think the young kids will love the value.

The other option is moving up to a moderate resort, Carribean beach, Coronado springs, or Port orleans (there are two resorts there). You take the bus to where you need to go, and waiting 20 minutes for a bus takes some bad luck, it can happen anywhere though. The pool will have a hot tub there, the values dont have this. There's pool side bars and the grounds of all 3 are beautiful. By that time Carribean beach will have a brand new pool, less than one month old. It'd cost about half way between the WL and a value. Carribean beach has a little man made lake with sand and mini beaches to sit on (can't swim) and 7 pools in total at the resort. There are hammocks on the beach, there's an island in the middle of the lake that is absolutely lush with plants and there is seating there. There are playgrounds for kids on the beaches too. The bus stop at various places within the grounds so there is always a bus stop close. I won't go through each mod, but there's lots of info on them. My gf LOVED Caribean beach resort, it provides a lot more than a value does for when you get back to the resort after the kids tire out. This could be a happy median budget and enjoyment wise.

I wouldn't get too caught up in obsessing over the deluxes if its not in your budget. It won't matter, you'll have a great time wherever you decide.

 

[momandkidslovedisney]

My vote is to stay at the Values. Travel off peak times. A comfy-easy to push stroller is a must!!