Thinking about upgrading our resort for an upcoming trip from Moderate to Deluxe

[DSF767]

Hi all, first post here and will be my first trip to Disney since I was a kid, so we are in the middling of planning.

We were surprised with a gifted Disney trip recently from a very generous family member. We are a family of 4 with 2 small Children (6 and 4 at time of trip). The family member booked us for a 7-day trip with 4 park days at Port Orleans French Quarter at the beginning of March.

The Room was booked at a standard room rate and recently a $400 offer came out and I was doing the math and it isn't a ton to upgrade into a Deluxe. Add to the point that we wouldn't normally be booking a Deluxe when we go again in the future and that we planned to do a lot of extra's this trip because it was a gift so thought this might be worth it.

After doing our research some of the things we plan to do on the trip is to have a Resort Park rest day in the middle of our stay. We also are going to be planning a mid-day break where we go back to the resort, weather permitting using the pool, this way we have go to the parks in the AM and PM and give the kids a nice break in middle of the day and hopefully dodge some crowds in the process.

The Three resorts we were considering for an upgrade were Animal Kingdom Lodge (~$900 Upgrade), Wilderness Lodge (~$1,100 Upgrade), or the Contemporary (~$1,500 Upgrade).

We see Pro's and Con's to each choice and even see Pros and Cons for staying at POFQ

Contemporary Pros:

For the closeness with the parks especially MK (On our MK Day we are going to have someone watch our son for the 2nd half of the day to make it a special night staying out late for our older daughter) and since we plan to go back to the room for a lunch break then go back at night no matter what park we are at its nice to be able to get back and forth easy.

AKL Pros:

The big pro here is the theming so the kids would love it for that and closeness to the animals. Also being close for our AK day but not close for the other park days.

DWL Pros:

Again, MK access by boat would be nice (I know not as quick as the monorail) and the theming would be great for the kids so in both price and location is the middle ground option

Staying at POFQ Pros:

Pro's being close to Disney Springs and access by boat, More Compact Resort for getting around easy (but having to take bus's everywhere is a downside), and of course Mickey Beignets are a big Pro haha.

I know no matter what direction we will be happy but since we aren't frequent visitors, we want to make this the best trip possible for both the kids and us, so we are kind of torn.

 

[kylenne]

If you plan to spend significant time at your resort, it's definitely worth the upgrade to a deluxe imo. AKL is a wonderful resort by all counts, but with kids that young you're probably going to be spending a lot of time at MK and staying nearby will be helpful. With CR can't beat the convenience of walking to and from the park. I always feel bad for the exhausted dads fighting with strollers on the buses at night. I don't think you could go wrong with any of those deluxe options though, it's just a matter of your budget and what you're looking for.

 

[DSF767]

Yeah, since the trip was gifted we are ok with the upgrade in cost to any of those options so it's not really about that just about making the right choice haha.

 

[DCLCruiseFan09]

I would go for Wilderness Lodge! The pricing is right and you are in the MK area with boat launches. The pool is relaxing and enjoyable. Definitely the best location for you pricing wise. I would save the difference between that and Contemporary towards other spending.

I love AKL but it seems like the number one complaint is, it takes too long to get to and from the resort.

Edit to add: They also just refreshed all the dining offerings at the resort also so lots of great options to try.

 

[Miffy]

Is staying at POFQ not an option? Because then you'd have extra money for things like Genie+--who knows what it'll cost in March--rideshares, table service meals, etc. POFQ has a great quick service restaurant, excellent bus transportation, and beautiful grounds.

Just something more to ponder!

 

[jo-jo]

Will your tickets be hoppers? But as mentioned, being able to walk to your hotel is wonderful. The walk takes less time than waiting for the next bus.

AKL is wonderful. Perhaps on your rest day if you're staying at Contempory or Wilderness lodge, hop over to MK and grab a bus over AKL.

 

[DSF767]

Is staying at POFQ not an option? Because then you'd have extra money for things like Genie+--who knows what it'll cost in March--rideshares, table service meals, etc. POFQ has a great quick service restaurant, excellent bus transportation, and beautiful grounds.

Just something more to ponder!

Oh it's an option for sure and I did say that we are open to that above aswell. The only reason we are considering doing this is next time we take a trip probably won't be able to justify the cost of a deluxe so if we were going to ever do it this would be the trip. Even if we do upgrade it won't hamper our ability to do anything else we want to do.

But we are open to staying at POFQ as well since I know that is one of the best moderate options

 

[DSF767]

Will your tickets be hoppers? But as mentioned, being able to walk to your hotel is wonderful. The walk takes less time than waiting for the next bus.

AKL is wonderful. Perhaps on your rest day if you're staying at Contempory or Wilderness lodge, hop over to MK and grab a bus over AKL.

We will not be park hopping instead be spending morning at a particular park, then going back to the resort around lunch, then going back to the same park at night so we can give the kids a break mid day so we can stay late at the parks

 

[MICKIMINI]

We love ALL those resorts, however I agree with OP's that The Contemporary is best for your situation. Yes, do upgrade and enjoy the trip...but realize there is no turning back to a mod in the future LOL!

 

[focusondisney]

Double check this, but I think Contemporary is having work done in their pool. There might be access to BLT’s pool, but that might be crowded.

 

[gottalovepluto]

From Jan to Apr 2023 both CR and POFQ pools are closed for refurbishment so they’d be pretty lousy for a resort day/pool break and might have annoying construction noises.

I’d do WL over AKL. I found AKL too far from everything else and felt like I wasted way too much time in transit so I won’t be returning for that reason. The theming was cool but the location really sucked.

 

[Marthasor]

Agree with PP - check the CR pool refurb schedule before booking. The CR pool isn't great, but if you are planning a pool day and the main pool isn't available, that would be a bummer. Since this may be your only chance to stay deluxe, I would do the upgrade. My first choice would be CR. I'm not a huge fan of the theme, but being on the monorail and being able to walk to MK is a huge advantage particularly if you are taking mid-day breaks. Second choice would be WL, again, for the boat access to MK. You will also be very close to a lot of fun activities at Ft. W if you care to head over there for a day or half-day. AKL would be my last choice - the theme is lovely, but it's quite remote if you are taking mid-day breaks. The rooms at WL and AKL are also a bit smaller than the rooms at CR.

 

[jo-jo]

From Jan to Apr 2023 both CR and POFQ pools are closed for refurbishment so they’d be pretty lousy for a resort day/pool break and might have annoying construction noises.

I’d do WL over AKL. I found AKL too far from everything else and felt like I wasted way too much time in transit so I won’t be returning for that reason. The theming was cool but the location really sucked.

Will disney allow going to another resort? Not ideal, but I'm assuming the little boat ( CR/FW/WL) will be operating.

The BLT is small to start with, never mind adding CR to it.

 

[focusondisney]

Will disney allow going to another resort? Not ideal, but I'm assuming the little boat ( CR/FW/WL) will be operating.

The BLT is small to start with, never mind adding CR to it.

To a different resort’s pool? Only if they announce it. For ex, when SAB was closed, guests were allowed to use BW’s pool & vice versa. For CR, I’m pretty sure I read guests could use BLT’s pool. So no, they wouldn’t let you go to WL’s.

 

[Sakura1017]

I think you should choose the hotel that will be closest to what parks your going to majority of the time. Also having little ones, I think it might be easier to do a deluxe hotel that goes with the monorail. So contemporary would be a good choice. I'm not sure about the remodeling of the pools, or if that will factor into your vacation.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

POFQ wouldn’t have been my first choice with kids your kids’ ages.

I would pick WL with boat transportation. I agree heading over to FW would be fun, too, on your resort day. You can go to the Tri-Circle-D Ranch and do pony rides.

The ability to walk to the CR is great, until you actually have to walk to the CR, lol. (IMO.) Going back and forth the way you intend to adds a lot of extra mileage over the course of the week, and kids can be cranky and sweaty, you can be super hot, have sore feet, etc. Plus the theming isn’t as fun as some of the other places. (And if the pool’s down, that seals it!) Don’t get me wrong, I love the CR! But our stay there was probably one of our least favorite.

You might find that the kids have the most fun in the pool, so plan a good amount of resort time!

 

[jo-jo]

To a different resort’s pool? Only if they announce it. For ex, when SAB was closed, guests were allowed to use BW’s pool & vice versa. For CR, I’m pretty sure I read guests could use BLT’s pool. So no, they wouldn’t let you go to WL’s.

Yeah, that's what I was wondering if they made any announcements. BLT pool is small, that would be awful for the two resorts.

 

[focusondisney]

Yeah, that's what I was wondering if they made any announcements. BLT pool is small, that would be awful for the two resorts.

The only thing I remember reading was BLT‘s pool would be available, not any other resort’s.

 

[Krystal659]

Agree with PP - check the CR pool refurb schedule before booking. The CR pool isn't great, but if you are planning a pool day and the main pool isn't available, that would be a bummer. Since this may be your only chance to stay deluxe, I would do the upgrade. My first choice would be CR. I'm not a huge fan of the theme, but being on the monorail and being able to walk to MK is a huge advantage particularly if you are taking mid-day breaks. Second choice would be WL, again, for the boat access to MK. You will also be very close to a lot of fun activities at Ft. W if you care to head over there for a day or half-day. AKL would be my last choice - the theme is lovely, but it's quite remote if you are taking mid-day breaks. The rooms at WL and AKL are also a bit smaller than the rooms at CR.

I agree with you, check the pool schedule, but the CR convivence is fantastic. Remember from CR you can also ride the monorail to TTC and switch to EP. When my son was younger, he loved the monorail almost as much as the park rides. Another added bonus is unless you are in garden view rooms, everything is under one roof, which is incredibly helpful for early morning coffee, avoiding the rain, etc.

 

[Meglen]

We will not be park hopping instead be spending morning at a particular park, then going back to the resort around lunch, then going back to the same park at night so we can give the kids a break mid day so we can stay late at the parks

Staying super close to a park via deluxe and not having a hopper feels bad sometimes. You can see MK but can't just walk over since it's not your park day. Imo keep pofq small resort great for kids and boat to the springs.