Thoughts/Advice for Doing Disney with Growing Families

[ontheuptick]

My family loves Disney World (and Disneyland). Love it. I never went as a child, but took my young family in September of 2012 for our first trip. We then went to Disneyland in 2013, WDW in 2014, and WDW for 9 days recently in December 2015.

September 2012 Trip
DH, DW, DS5, DD2. We stayed at AoA Little Mermaid. Free Dining.
7-Day price: $1,749 (including room, tickets, dining plan). Amazing, right?
Here were my kids at that time.

We had an absolute blast and were hooked.

Now, we have these three... And my wife is pregnant with number 4!

So with my wife being pregnant, our next trip will have 4 children. I

March 2017 Trip
DH, DW, DS9, DD6, DD3, and a BABY
2-Connecting Rooms at Pop (including 15% expected promotion discount)
Price: Around $6,300 (including rooms, tickets, and Dining plan)
2-Connecting Rooms at CBR (including 20% expected promotion discount)
Price: Around $6,700 (including rooms, tickets, and Dining plan)
Renting DVC 1-Bedroom at AKV, SSR, OKW
Price: Around $7,000 (including room, tickets, and Dining Plan)

All this to say - my how things have changed! Granted, I realize that my wife and I had a lot to do with that - expanding our family. I'm not expecting Disney to discount me for that But, we went from paying $1,749 all-in 4 years ago to looking at $7000 all in (excluding driving/flight costs). That's a very, very dramatic increase.

I'm not bashing Disney. I'm simply trying to look at the numbers and say - How have others handled this as the price to take their family to Disney has increased as your family has grown to 4 kids (or more)? What else should I be considering? What options (those listed above?) have you found that work best for your family both factoring in cost and comfort?

Complicating matters: My wife REALLY loves staying on-site (granted, we haven't tried anything else) and loves having the Dining plan. She doesn't care whether it saves us a little, or costs us a little, she loves knowing that she doesn't have to think or worry about what she is paying at each meal. When we do the DDP, we end up saving because we book expensive meals and have enough kids that the cost works out.

Thanks!

 

[powellrj]

Wdw has been raising prices lately plus cutting back on services, so I would expect your trip to increase in price even more. Look into Bonnet Creek, it will save you thousands of dollars and it's still on-site, just not owned by Disney.

 

[Pesky]

Agree with looking off site. Some of those resorts are close and quite nice. Also price out DVC point rental for 2 connecting studios (I think only the Poly has this). Also realize the Poly can sleep 5 and with a PNP, you might be able to fit everyone (albeit snugly) into one room. I think there are a few other DVC resorts where you can sleep 5 in one room as well.

 

[pigletgirl]

I know Disney makes it really hard to book offsite, but I think in the long run it may serve your family the best. I've heard amazing things about Sheraton Vistana Resort too.

I would do a lot of research!

 

[smd8z]

We are in the same boat (4 kiddos) and are biting the bullet this year and staying at the Wyndham Grand (on Disney property but not run by Disney). There are so many great resorts that aren't Disney! I was kinda bummed to not book at a Disney resort and skip the Disney dining plan but I got over when I realized how much money we are saving.

 

[Crystal824]

I know Disney makes it really hard to book offsite, but I think in the long run it may serve your family the best. I've heard amazing things about Sheraton Vistana Resort too.

I would do a lot of research!

Ok, so we own DVC and generally stay onsite so I get the appeal of being onsite. My in-laws own a timeshare. They had a week that was going to expire a few years ago. We used it to stay at Sheraton Vistana. I thought the accommodations were nice and spacious. It was close to the parks. I liked having a car. A few nights we ate off property and we were able to pick up snacks and breakfast items. I would stay there again if we didn't have points or needed more room.

 

[pigletgirl]

The great thing about Orlando is that it's tourist mecca. There will be something to accommodate your growing family! I still think a home offsite would be the best fit. You'd also probably get your own private pool. Yes it isn't the Disney "bubble", but they're really nice.

We plan on having at least one, if not two more kiddos so we'll probably be in your shoes before too long.

Anyway, enough of my rambling. Congratulations!

 

[scrapquitler]

My family loves Disney World (and Disneyland). Love it. I never went as a child, but took my young family in September of 2012 for our first trip. We then went to Disneyland in 2013, WDW in 2014, and WDW for 9 days recently in December 2015.

September 2012 Trip
DH, DW, DS5, DD2. We stayed at AoA Little Mermaid. Free Dining.
7-Day price: $1,749 (including room, tickets, dining plan). Amazing, right?
Here were my kids at that time.

We had an absolute blast and were hooked.

Now, we have these three... And my wife is pregnant with number 4!

So with my wife being pregnant, our next trip will have 4 children. I

March 2017 Trip
DH, DW, DS9, DD6, DD3, and a BABY
2-Connecting Rooms at Pop (including 15% expected promotion discount)
Price: Around $6,300 (including rooms, tickets, and Dining plan)
2-Connecting Rooms at CBR (including 20% expected promotion discount)
Price: Around $6,700 (including rooms, tickets, and Dining plan)
Renting DVC 1-Bedroom at AKV, SSR, OKW
Price: Around $7,000 (including room, tickets, and Dining Plan)

All this to say - my how things have changed! Granted, I realize that my wife and I had a lot to do with that - expanding our family. I'm not expecting Disney to discount me for that But, we went from paying $1,749 all-in 4 years ago to looking at $7000 all in (excluding driving/flight costs). That's a very, very dramatic increase.

I'm not bashing Disney. I'm simply trying to look at the numbers and say - How have others handled this as the price to take their family to Disney has increased as your family has grown to 4 kids (or more)? What else should I be considering? What options (those listed above?) have you found that work best for your family both factoring in cost and comfort?

Complicating matters: My wife REALLY loves staying on-site (granted, we haven't tried anything else) and loves having the Dining plan. She doesn't care whether it saves us a little, or costs us a little, she loves knowing that she doesn't have to think or worry about what she is paying at each meal. When we do the DDP, we end up saving because we book expensive meals and have enough kids that the cost works out.

Thanks!

You're comparing apples to oranges. You should also be considering two value rooms, that would be more of a fair comparison to your previous trip....the swing from a value to a moderate or a DVC is a big one, and that also includes an upgrade from quick service dining to a table service dining plan, hence a large portion of your increased cost. I think that you could still stay at AOA in a family suite. I'm pretty sure that my friends stayed there a year or so ago with her family of 6 (one under the age of 3).

 

[Simba07]

I would probably do a single room at the poly. You would have 2 queens and a twin and a little more floor space than the mods. You would be close to MK and have a good pool area for kids.

 

[ontheuptick]

You're comparing apples to oranges. You should also be considering two value rooms, that would be more of a fair comparison to your previous trip....the swing from a value to a moderate or a DVC is a big one

I did compare another value resort - if you see my first line is Pop.

that also includes an upgrade from quick service dining to a table service dining plan, hence a large portion of your increased cost.

Nope, in 2012 I had the Regular Table Service dining plan for the $1749 price. I'm comparing apples to apples there.

Yes, I definitely realize it's not a perfect comparison. And that's not really even the point. I'm not trying to say "look at how much Disney has increased in price!! I'm not trying to do that. I'm just pointing out how much different the cost will be for my family and saying "hey, what are others doing to cope with this difference once you get past 3 kids?"

 

[Vijoge]

We're booked at AOA in a Family Suite with 2 adults and 4 kids in January. We tossed around all the usual scenarios and decided this was our best option this trip. Traveling with four kids sure is different from traveling with one or two, isn't it? Or none. lol My husband and I cruised to Hawaii for two weeks for less than half what these five nights in WDW are going to cost us.

 

[scrapquitler]

I did compare another value resort - if you see my first line is Pop.

oops, my bad, I read that as POR.

 

[ontheuptick]

oops, my bad, I read that as POR.

No Problem

 

[Runnergal]

We are a family of 6. When youngest was an infant, we did one room at the CR. It was really tight with 2 pnp's, and not a lot of storage space for 6. Another time we visited without the youngest and stayed in one room at the YC. Both times we stayed CL and it was nice to have the lounge as an escape from the tight quarters.
This past February with all six of us we stayed in a deluxe suite at the Waldorf. I was not excited to stay offsite but I have to admit I loved it. It felt really luxurious, at a great price, and we had tons of space. Two queens in the br and a pullout in the lr, plus a dining area. No dining plan of course, but we don't do the dining plan anyway. The only thing I missed was having dinner in Epcot and walking or taking monorail back to the resort. I made a few dinner ADRs, but ended up canceling them when it became apparent everyone wanted to go back to the hotel for swimming and dinner rather than stay late at the parks. Shuttle service was great; I loved not having to fold up the double stroller. It ran quite frequently, but we still ended up taking a cab a few times in the morning when the park we were heading to wasn't the first stop.

Going forward, I don't see us doing that many WDW trips all together. Definitely not every year. My older 2 are 10 and almost 9; they've been to Disney many times I am excited to explore other destinations with them in the next few years. My little ones are 4 and almost 3; they are still at the magical Disney age. I am thinking about taking just the two of them if I do the princess half marathon again next year. How inexpensive it would feel with only two!!

 

[ontheuptick]

It seems like a lot of larger families have the same advice: Look offsite.

The two biggest detractors for me:
1. We like the bus system and not needing a car
2. No DDP available if staying offsite

I have looked quite a bit at renting a vacation home, Sheraton Vistana, and Wyndham Bonnet Creek. They all look like great options - with WBC being the closest thing to being on-property (resort like feel, closest location, etc), but the Vacation Home having some great perks as well. We will definitely be considering those!

 

[Mousemommy1]

We only have a family of 5 - but staying on site is important enough to us that if we had a family of 6, we would just stay in one of the family suites at AoA or All Star Music.

 

[ontheuptick]

Question for those recommending family suites:

Do you specifically prefer that over 2 connecting rooms at a Moderate or at Pop or something? I ask because I'm wondering if it's just a default to look at the family suite and most people don't think of connecting rooms, or, have you tried it and connecting rooms don't work out as well?

Depending on the discount season, connecting rooms at a Moderate would be about the same price as a family suite at ASM or AoA. And, for that same price you would get more sq. footage, 4 beds instead of 1 real bed and some fold downs, and all the amenities of a moderate (better pools with slides, etc.). I've stayed at AoA Little Mermaid and like the resort. But, if I had to choose now for similar money I would go with CSR or CBR connecting rooms. I've never tried it, but that's what seems like the best call... Thoughts?

 

[Mousemommy1]

I would prefer that my family be all in one room. And you still get 2 bathrooms in the suite. It's perfect!

 

[mindeola]

One way to save money-Really crunch the numbers and think about ditching that DDP. Seriously. I only compare adult prices because my kids are not little anymore, so it may still be a value for those with Disney age kids. It is not a value for us. You have to think about how you eat. If you don't get soda and dessert at every TS meal and a dessert and soda at every QS meal normally, it is a complete waste of money. You can still pre-pay meals, by sticking that money in savings or buying Disney GC. You can still get that feeling of everything being paid for and not worrying. There are some online calculators that can help you decide. ( I realize if you want to do character meals every day it might still be a good value for you- everyone has different circumstances.)

here is a great blog post that might help. http://www.disneytouristblog.com/disney-dining-plan-costs-info-tips/

 

[smd8z]

Question for those recommending family suites:

Do you specifically prefer that over 2 connecting rooms at a Moderate or at Pop or something? I ask because I'm wondering if it's just a default to look at the family suite and most people don't think of connecting rooms, or, have you tried it and connecting rooms don't work out as well?

Depending on the discount season, connecting rooms at a Moderate would be about the same price as a family suite at ASM or AoA. And, for that same price you would get more sq. footage, 4 beds instead of 1 real bed and some fold downs, and all the amenities of a moderate (better pools with slides, etc.). I've stayed at AoA Little Mermaid and like the resort. But, if I had to choose now for similar money I would go with CSR or CBR connecting rooms. I've never tried it, but that's what seems like the best call... Thoughts?

So we have stayed at AoA family suite with 6, and it was much cheaper than two rooms at any other resort (last April). We tried pricing out two rooms
For our May trip this year, and it was still substantially more expensive than a family suite at AoA.