single traveler, which resort?

[jsoren11]

Im heading to WDW in January, by myself for daughter's marching band trip. Staying single. Which resort would you recommend i stay at? Id like a king bed, a nice pool, a resort bar thats open late, maybe a little night life.
My daughter will be at the buena vista suites, I dont need to transport her at all.
Im thinking maybe staying offsite, since ill have a rental car.. Id love an inexpensive option.. any recommendations?

 

[sadiras]

Im heading to WDW in January, by myself for daughter's marching band trip. Staying single. Which resort would you recommend i stay at? Id like a king bed, a nice pool, a resort bar thats open late, maybe a little night life.
My daughter will be at the buena vista suites, I dont need to transport her at all.
Im thinking maybe staying offsite, since ill have a rental car.. Id love an inexpensive option.. any recommendations?

Inexpensive option...stay off site.

 

[vettegirl]

My vote would be for the Coronado Springs. The have a great pool bar, Rix Lounge/Nightclub, and really nice rooms at a moderate price.

 

[bryannem]

I have stayed at both the Hilton at downtown Disney and the Dolphin. I am quite partial to the dolphin and you can get rooms pretty cheap sometimes. Both spots are walking distance (5 minutes) to tons of restaurants an bars. (DTD and Boardwalk). The pool at the dolphin is WAY better.

 

[minniebeth]

My vote would be for the Coronado Springs. The have a great pool bar, Rix Lounge/Nightclub, and really nice rooms at a moderate price.

Coronado Springs was my first thought too! The only thing though is that in January, the pool bar might not be open "late". The Rix Lounge is one of the only "nightlife" options on Disney property (resorts).

Off property, the Swan or Dolphin may be a good option as a pp pointed out, you have the Boardwalk options as well as the two hotels.

Although "inexpensive" is all relative, both options give you good value for your money.

 

[sadiras]

I'd stay off site. You don't have to worry about transporting your daughter, she would probably want to be with her comrades more than you, but I would be accessible to her if she wanted to be with me. You will have a car and you want it to be economical. The money you save by staying at a local hotel/motel can be spent for a nice dinner w/your daughter.

I can't see you spending the money for on site accomodations for you alone. Also, when the night is over with your daughter, you can relax at either a resort bar or off site bar to enjoy the nite life you are looking for.

 

[ZehnJahren]

Rent points and stay at AKL. I was there single in January and really found it to be relaxing and beautiful; there were always people chatting in the bar area and it overlooked the dining area, which was very cool.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Well I would only stay at Coronado if it's REALLY cheap. And as a general rule single women should try to avoid outside corridor rooms. Statistically they tend to be less safe (something Disney missed LOL! And there is no pixie dust)

Offsite gives you a lot more options IMHO. What about the Hilton or one of the DTD hotels. They have bars, close to DTD where there is a 'nightlife"

Depending on when in January you can often get the DTD hotels for LESS then the Disney "Values" (which says something about their value LOL!)

Another option is any of the Marriott Village hotels. A couple of them have bars, there's a lot going on and they are VERY close to the outlet mall

 

[jsoren11]

Not worried about security. Sorry, didnt mention, im dad.
Coronado or Dolphin do look promissing. How much would points cost at AKL?

 

[JimMIA]

Not worried about security. Sorry, didnt mention, im dad.
Coronado or Dolphin do look promissing. How much would points cost at AKL?

DVC points costs range generally from about $10-$13 per point.

Go to the DIS Rent/Trade board and look for owners offering points to rent. You will have to be logged into the DIS to see the board; if you're not logged in, it's inaccessible.

DVC points can be used at any of the DVC resorts. They can also be used at the deluxe and mod Disney resorts, but that is a VERY expensive option. At the very top right of the Rent/Trade board, you will find a point chart which will give you the points needed for your stay.

You will also find stickies and ads from Daddio, who is a DIS-approved DVC point broker. David charges a little more ($13, I think), but he has an excellent reputation and his service offers some protections to the renter that direct rentals do not offer (the owner does not receive full payment until you check in).

[ETA: David and Daddio are the same person -- Daddio is his screen name on the DIS]

And finally, at the top of the threads, you will find an exhaustive sticky to read before you post. Read it before you post.

DVC owners are able to make reservations at their home resorts at 11 months from arrival, any DVC resort at 7 months. In January, you shouldn't need to worry much about the 11 month booking window unless you're going to be there during some special event.

For nightlife, I think I might stay either offsite in the DTD area for access to dining and clubs at DTD, or at SSR on a point rental - which is an equally close walk and offers boat service. The advantage to SSR would be easier access to Disney transportation and free parking at the theme parks if you have a car.

The other option I'd recommend is BWV, also as a DVC point rental -- dining at Epcot and both dining and entertainment at the Boardwalk. You would also have easy walking to Swan/Dolphin if you wanted to go over there.

 

[Firedog]

How about Bonnet Creek? It's really offsite/onsite, has a couple of outside bars, and has interior hallways.

 

[sksjasams]

What about the Caribe Royale? It is the more luxurious sister hotel of Buena Vista Suites. Beautiful pool. Close to WDW.

They have one day sales on Wednesdays, plus mousesavers often has specials since it is one of their preferred hotels. Sign-up for the mousesavers newsletter right away if you have not already... a new one comes out on the 15th of every month.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[jsoren11]

Im starting to lean toward POFQ. The onsite transportation and magic express along with the boat to DTD is appealing. Since pleasure Island is closed now, is there any nighttime stuff at DTD to do?

Also, does anyone know about free dining and if there is a possibility i could qualify during my jan 16-20 trip?

 

[happymommy]

I think you'd like the Swan or Dolphin personally - the evenings on the Boardwalk are so fun! Plus you've got the ESPN Zone and a couple bars (Atlantic Dance and the dueling piano bar - never been though!). The pool is spectacular, the rooms are nice, and there are lots of dining options. Also walk to Epcot and DHS is a plus! There's a lot of adult type enjoyment - even though it's family friendly. The king beds are so comfortable!

 

[Jedimom]

Also, does anyone know about free dining and if there is a possibility i could qualify during my jan 16-20 trip?

It hasn't been announced yet. In previous years, Jan/Feb free dining was announced in August....so it could be any day now.

 

[charliebrown]

Board walk, if you can afford it.