Single dad needs help!

[bonest]

Ok, so we are taking second trip. Me and my 2 boys 6 and 10. Two yrs ago we stayed at POP. Really want to try a deluxe and thinking of AKL.
1) should we go sept 6th or nov 8th???
- I like cooler weather but boys would love to swim... Not sure about nov for swimming. Also, sept is cheaper. Just want opinions
2) is the akl upgrade worth another grand to you??
3) with that age boys, is the dining plan better than the room discount?

I know it's up to me in the end, just wanted others opinions. Thanks in advance.

 

[Princess_Nikki]

Ok, so we are taking second trip. Me and my 2 boys 6 and 10. Two yrs ago we stayed at POP. Really want to try a deluxe and thinking of AKL.
1) should we go sept 6th or nov 8th???
- I like cooler weather but boys would love to swim... Not sure about nov for swimming. Also, sept is cheaper. Just want opinions
2) is the akl upgrade worth another grand to you??
3) with that age boys, is the dining plan better than the room discount?

I know it's up to me in the end, just wanted others opinions. Thanks in advance.

We love the POP, it is fun! I can understand wanting to try a deluxe, truly I do! The first 3 weeks of September are (historically) considered the least crowded. It's still hot, but it's the Value Season!

What about Caribbean Beach Resort?? We love it there! Your boys are at about the age where they can still appreciate the fun of a pool full of old pirate forts. CBR is a moderate and wouldn't quite be such a large jump from POP to AKL. Just a thought!

If you really are hooked on AKL, just check the rates for Sept vs. Nov.

I would also highly recommend easywdw.com
It has GREAT information regarding the average levels of crowds by Month and Day and list the best dates to visit.

We will be at CBR with our DS7 and DS5 on Sept 8th.
Whatever you decide, good luck!

 

[Mariep26]

I can only really answer the weather. We had great weather the first week in Nov last year and the kids spent a ton of time in the pool!
We stay at AoA in a suite which works great for us but I really like BLT and being able to walk to MK!

 

[PixieJenna]

Ok, so we are taking second trip. Me and my 2 boys 6 and 10. Two yrs ago we stayed at POP. Really want to try a deluxe and thinking of AKL. 1) should we go sept 6th or nov 8th??? - I like cooler weather but boys would love to swim... Not sure about nov for swimming. Also, sept is cheaper. Just want opinions 2) is the akl upgrade worth another grand to you?? 3) with that age boys, is the dining plan better than the room discount? I know it's up to me in the end, just wanted others opinions. Thanks in advance.

Loved AKL! You really feel like you are in a different country. It is so peaceful and secluded. Pool days are the absolute best there. Not crowded at all and a huge pool steps away from the Savannah. I loved waking up each morning with the animals. After coming back from long days, AKL is the perfect place to relax and have fun. Your kids will love it and so will your boys!!! As for the month, I love September. I love the heat and low crowds

 

[chloelovesdisney]

November should be fine for swimming so if that's what you prefer I'd book that week. Are you okay to take the boys out of school that early in September?

We had a great stay at AKL, but I am still not convinced it's really worth all the extra money. Have you considered All Star Sports, two young boys may really like it there. If you have the extra funds and it's not a stretch, AKL is a great resort but otherwise I'd save the money.

Have you looked at renting DVC points? When we stayed at Kidani I rented points and it was only $30 more a night than I would have paid at POP.

 

[MSSANDRA]

I would choose November too. September is still soooo hot, but the crowds are lower than November.I would too consider when the boys go back to school. If they go early to mid-August, September would be fine but you might not want them to miss the first week if they do not go back to after labor day.

We have stayed value to Deluxe and we found moderates are for us. They are cheaper than Deluxe but much nicer than values. We like CSR and the pool there is great!

Any chance of free DDP during either time? Older CHILD is a disney adult so depending on if you plan to do many character meals or not, discount may be a better deal.

 

[mm1971]

Ok, so we are taking second trip. Me and my 2 boys 6 and 10. Two yrs ago we stayed at POP. Really want to try a deluxe and thinking of AKL.
1) should we go sept 6th or nov 8th???
- I like cooler weather but boys would love to swim... Not sure about nov for swimming. Also, sept is cheaper. Just want opinions
2) is the akl upgrade worth another grand to you??
3) with that age boys, is the dining plan better than the room discount?

I know it's up to me in the end, just wanted others opinions. Thanks in advance.

1) The weather in the first week of November should still be warm enough to swim. I would choose September though, mainly due to the lower crowds and cost. The heat is not an issue for us.

2) Yes, AKL is worth an extra $1K compared to POP in my opinion if you can afford it. You get a lot more for the $$, including better pools, TS dining options and the rooms are HUGE compared to POP. The theming is awesome and seeing the animals out the window is pretty cool.

3) It depends on how you plan to spend your time. I found that when DS was 10, he had less interest in sit down meals and more interest in grabbing something quick so we could get to the next attraction. I would suggest running the numbers. I am guessing if you stay at POP, a room discount may be best. AKL, you get the better meal plan so FD may be the best value for the $$.

I hope you have a great time. As a dad, you should take a look at our DisDads threads. Lots of good information and always looking for more Dads to join the group.

 

[kohlby]

1. We've had four trips in November and all were warm enough to swim. We'll be going in Sept for the first time this coming year and I'm dreading the heat/thunderstorms but we got a great rate. However, Sept crowds are smaller from what I hear. November crowds have always been extremely managable for us though. I'd say Nov (minus t-giving) is low to moderate crowds, while I hear Sept is low.

2/3 We stayed at AKL a few years ago and really liked it. The room discount was easily worth it over the dining plan. That's actually why we decided on AKL. We got 40% off and our youngest was 2.5 years old and we're a family of 5. So, it was our last chance to do AKL since he would be counted once he was 3. We did a basic room but got upgraded to the animal view and bunk beds! We had issues with Mousekeeping being terrible, but otherwise, it was a great visit. (Our room wasn't being cleaned even when we brought it to their attention).

As for others and the dining plan, It really depends how you eat. The dining plan has way too much food for us. Plus, we like to focus on the attractions instead of eating. Not doing the dining plan gave us more flexibility. Also, we can find ways to save on eating. We eat breakfast in our room with food from home or the grocery store - though garden grocer delivers if you don't have a car there. We take snacks into the parks as well.

Do you homeschool? If not, then I would consider their school schedule when deciding which week, especially with a 10 year old.

 

[NinaBella]

Ok, so we are taking second trip. Me and my 2 boys 6 and 10. Two yrs ago we stayed at POP. Really want to try a deluxe and thinking of AKL.
1) should we go sept 6th or nov 8th???
- I like cooler weather but boys would love to swim... Not sure about nov for swimming. Also, sept is cheaper. Just want opinions
2) is the akl upgrade worth another grand to you??
3) with that age boys, is the dining plan better than the room discount?

I know it's up to me in the end, just wanted others opinions. Thanks in advance.

How about a cabin? Father/sons fishing and canoeing on a non-park day. Campfire & movie at night. That would be a memorable trip. Either dates are good. I agree with you that the cooler weather would be nicer.

 

[Chief Powhatan]

The only point I can chime in on is # 1. We go the last week of Nov/ first week of December and on most days we can go swimming.

I hope you and the boys have a great time!

 

[nadira36]

Ok, so we are taking second trip. Me and my 2 boys 6 and 10. Two yrs ago we stayed at POP. Really want to try a deluxe and thinking of AKL.
1) should we go sept 6th or nov 8th???
- I like cooler weather but boys would love to swim... Not sure about nov for swimming. Also, sept is cheaper. Just want opinions
2) is the akl upgrade worth another grand to you??
3) with that age boys, is the dining plan better than the room discount?

I know it's up to me in the end, just wanted others opinions. Thanks in advance.

I would choose Sept - that's our preferred week. We've enjoyed trips in Nov as well, but I like the savings of Sept and MNSSHP - so much fun!

We've stayed at AKL as well as Pop - Loved Pop, but AKL was AMAZING! We booked a pool view, but were pixie dusted an Arusha view bunk bed room - it was fabulous - nothing could beat waking up to giraffes every morning! Totally worth it IMO. Would you have a great vacation at pop? Absolutely, but AKL adds something extra.

As for Dining plan, I think it's individual - we always get the room discount - and book DxDP or pay OOP. But we have big eaters so it makes a difference for us to have more food.

 

[AinsleyLM]

What about Caribbean Beach Resort?? We love it there! Your boys are at about the age where they can still appreciate the fun of a pool full of old pirate forts. CBR is a moderate and wouldn't quite be such a large jump from POP to AKL. Just a thought!

I was thinking that, too. If your sons love pirates, it is a good one to stay at. My nephew loves them, so we are staying there when we go in a few weeks.