Totally newbie needs assistance

[samky]

Hi, never posted before. I have 2 girls, 7 & 9. We'd like to go to Disney in Nov
2008. Would like to have a 1 bdrm ste (so they can go to bed & we can stay up). Any suggestions? Never been to Disney before. Is it better to try & stay off the property to save on hotel & have more $$ for the park?

Any info is really appreciated!

Thanks,

Kim

 

[pickles]

stay at one of the dvc /deluxe resorts..like Beach Club , Animal kingdom etc...

you can get resort pics and info at www.allearsnet.com do what you can afford, but they have resorts at disney to fit all budgets...stay on site

 

[tipsytrtle]

if you're looking to save some money one of the all stars has a family suite i think its in music? you can find it on one of the threads here.

i think it was 150? a night or so and had a pull out sofa and chair along with a bed.. that might work

 

[cmonroe]

ASMu suites would suit you nicely. Good price with your own room.
Stay on site! You won't regret it!

 

[lala3291]

I agree with staying on site. I have stayed on site every time I have been to Disney, and the transportation works out really well, especially for families (as we are a family of 5). If you are looking to save money, as the previous people posted, the All Star Family Suites is a great choice. If not, we have stayed in a one bedroom family suite at the Grand Floridian, which is great. The monorail takes literally about 2 minutes to get to MK. The Beach Club is another great choice. It is walking distance from Epcot, which is very helpful.

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

Also got to vote for staying onsite. You will save money on a rental car and parking fees. Plus, IMO, staying onsite just makes the vacation that much more magical. It immerses you in all things Disney. Happy Planning!

 

[chalee94]

if you want to stay onsite, your cheapest options are probably the allstar suites or renting points to stay at in a 1BR villa at OKW (1000ish sq ft.) if you want more info on renting DVC villas, wander over to the DVC boards and look around...

it's always cheaper offsite, though. folks on the orlando resorts board often recommend windsor hills rental homes as a spacious and reasonably priced offsite option. certainly offsite hotels can be much cheaper even than that...

 

[Cindy's Mom]

DH and I always get a "suite hotel" when we travel because we do like to stay up later, chat, watch TV. The only place we don't get 2 rooms is at Disney.

Disney tires us out so much that 2 rooms are not necessary. 1/2 the time the me and DH are asleep before the kids.

 

[seobaina]

I'd say stay on site. It may be more expensive but if you stay off site you have to factor in a car and parking costs. And of course the travel times. Most places say '5 mins from Disney' meaning '5 mins from the gates' and don't count the travel from the main gates in to the parks themselves. Also, easier with kids to get back to the hotels for a break and you can have things you've bought sent back to your room. I'd always stay on site now given the choice. We stayed in standard rooms in Pop in 2006 and they were great fun.

 

[drewswife]

On site is better - especially if you want to go back in the middle of the day. Sometimes we get a great deal at All stars or Moderates and get 2 rooms which is nice because you get 2 bathrooms.

 

[brergnat]

Let us in on your budget for the hotel (max $ per night you can spend), and we can give you some better insight.

Right off the bat, if you FOR SURE want a larger room/suite with a separate area so the kids can go to bed and you can stay up, here are the best options:

-All Star Family suite (cheapest option...$250/night). If you're considering staying offsite to save $$$, I'd highly recommend this instead, as staying onsite should be your top priority for a first trip.

-Wilderness Lodge Deluxe Room (Junior Suite)-this would be my personal choice. In fact, that is where we plan to stay in 2009 when we go with our boys (almost 5yo & 3yo). This room is approx $585/night in value season, but INCLUDES concierge service, which is a steal for all you get. This room has a standard room w/2 queen beds and a separate living area separated from the bedroom by french doors. The living area has a sofa that converts to a queen bed, an extra television, access to the shared balcony (the other access is from the bedroom), and a "wet bar" area that has a sink, coffee maker, and refrigerator. The closet (armoire) is HUGE, and the bathroom can be accessed from either the bedroom or living area. Look into this option...the Wilderness Lodge is an exceptional resort for a family's first trip, and these junior suites provide QUITE a bang for your buck.

-DVC villas, as mentioned, although note that a 1 bedroom villa only has ONE bed (king) in the master bedroom. The other sleeping area is a pull out queen sofa bed in the living room. You would have to put your kids to sleep on the sofa bed and then retreat to your bedroom if you wanted to stay up, but then you'd not really have access to the kitchen area, laundry, etc. You'd really need a 2 br villa for what you want to do, and those are $$$$$, around $800/night.

 

[letthewookiewin]

I agree with the others on staying on site. My DH and I made the mistake of staying off site for our 5th wedding anny. Our first day in the parks we had to use the hotel's transportation to the parks, because my DH made a mistake with the rental car and were without one that day. When they dropped us off at the TTC they gave us the number of a parking place we were to wait in. When the bus went to pull in it didn't slow down much, and people had to run (with strollers) to get out of it's way.
With kids it's just much easier to stay in park. If your kids need a quick nap mid-day, it's much easier to get back to your room if your on site.

 

[scoutgirl]

My husband and I go every year with our 4 kids. We have figured out what we like to do--get 2 rooms at a moderate resort--Caribbean Beach is our fave b/c the kids love the pirate-themed pool. We request adjoining rooms and it works great. A 1 bedroom suite at All-Star would probably be great; there are also suites at Coronado Springs if you want to go up to moderate. No question you will spend more by staying on site, but the convenience is worth it. With kids especially, it's so great to be able to go back to the room if you forget something or if a child gets overloaded and needs a dip in the pool to calm down.