Travelling with a First Time Disney-er

[AmyDu4]

I am a seasoned traveller, I don't know exactly how many times i've been to Disney World but im somewhere in the 18-20 range. I am happy to do Disney on a budget, or blow the whole wad! (reasonably - I am Canadian!)

Im starting to plan for March 2020 with my boyfriend and his 6 year old son (they have never been) And myself, my parents and my 2 kids (11 and 8), we are seasoned Disney travellers.

So my question is - do I splurge for a better resort? We normally stay at the Pop, I could do 2 rooms at the Pop for the same price as 1 room at the Moderate. He's basically handed this over to me and said "Go and plan it" Im conflicted!

 

[Christine]

Well, as a seasoned traveler, what do you think? What do you feel about a moderate resort? Where are your priorities.

I've done Disney at all level with the exception of value, done off site, done Shades of Green. If I were taking a newbie and wanted them to experience the most "magic" I'd go Deluxe even though I've loved all my other experiences. Having said that, since I've never done Budget/Value, is there a striking difference between the two that you see as being a deal maker? I stayed at CBR many, many years ago. Liked it well enough but not sure it would have been THAT much better than a value location. How important is the room/resort to you? Do you spend very little time there?

 

[sponica]

It depends on time of year, honestly.

If it's a time of year where you just need a place to sleep/shower. Do the two rooms at a value. I think the over the top theming of a value is fun for a 6 year old.

I've yet to stay deluxe, but my first on site stay was at Pop and honestly I was sooooooo happy to be at Disney World, I didn't care what resort we were in. Plus now they'll have the skyliner, so that will be different.

 

[Sara_H]

I'd say, go cheaper on the hotel and spend money elsewhere making the trip magical, especially if you only plan to be in the room to sleep and shower. Buy the ears, buy the dole whips, do the face painting, etc. And since they have never been, they won't know what they are or aren't missing...they won't know what to expect.

 

[holden]

Would you consider renting DVC points to stay in a 2 bedroom unit? Price it out and compare it to the moderate price. BLT and Kidani units have 3 bathrooms, which I think would be good for your group.

 

[buzznina]

First, you're already over thinking it They have no clue the difference between Value, Mod and Deluxe and POP would be a great resort for his son at that age. We have stayed at all 3 levels and had great vacations at each.

 

[Shellyred8]

I think Pop would be a great option for your configuration of people. That being said, if you don't think your BF and his son will ever be back, I would look to splurge and go deluxe (maybe rent DVC points). You will be there during spring break season, so it is likely to be a little busier. I like the deluxe resorts for their proximity to the parks (well, most of them anyway). They also have better pools (some peoples opinions on this may differ), so if you are planning on lots of pool time, this might be something to think about.

Happy planning!

 

[CarolynFH]

Pop is our go-to resort when we’re out of DVC points, so I agree that it would be a fun and comfortable place to stay especially if it’s just a place to sleep & shower. However what would the sleeping arrangements be? There are 2 queen size beds in each room. Would your BF and his son be in the room with you and your kids in with your parents? A 2-bedroom DVC villa would have a king bed in the master, a queen fold out couch or Murphy bed in the living room (depending on resort), possibly a twin size sleeper chair in the living room (again depending on resort), and in the 2nd bedroom a queen bed, double sleeper sofa or Murphy bed, and a bunk-size Murphy. (Some DVC resorts have 2 queens in the 2nd bedroom instead.) So a lot more sleeping surfaces plus a full kitchen and a washer/dryer to boot, and the DVC 2-bedrooms at BLT and AKL-Kidani have 3 bathrooms! So I think that you should consider renting points, but if you decide to do that, book ASAP (DVC resorts book up earlier than the other Disney resorts).

 

[unrequited23]

I would go with 2 rooms at POP. Your daughters are getting to the ages where they are more aware of privacy and having 2 bathrooms might be a really good thing.

 

[kaytieeldr]

You could put all seven of you in two Pop rooms.
You would still need two Moderate or Deluxe rooms for seven people.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

If Pop is your go-to and you enjoy it, I think two rooms would work well for you!

 

[sjlogghe]

I'd say, go cheaper on the hotel and spend money elsewhere making the trip magical, especially if you only plan to be in the room to sleep and shower. Buy the ears, buy the dole whips, do the face painting, etc. And since they have never been, they won't know what they are or aren't missing...they won't know what to expect.

This!! I think POP is still a great resort - it has great theming, the new reno rooms are nice, we like it there. I've stayed moderate and deluxe before ... for as much time as we actually spend in the hotel, I'd definitely rather get the cheaper hotel and go all out on other experiences!!

 

[shellyj]

I would for sure choose Pop over a moderate and save the money for fun extras or a hard ticket event.

However, if your family dynamic and travel style allow for, I would recommend looking into renting DVC points. Depending on the time of year, we always get a 2 bedroom deluxe for less than 2 moderates, sometimes very close to 2 values! You do have to commit and pay for it asap, but if that's doable, it could be a great option. AKL, SSR, and OKW are the most affordable. If that's manageable for you, you'll have more room, a kitchen, laundry, and both bedrooms have locking doors. We put my inlaws in the studio room, we take the king room, and the kids sleep on the sofa beds in the living room

 

[Nancyg56]

You know your family, and you know how much space they need. I htink if you and your parents like POP, I woudl probable just book a few rooms there. If you want more space consider Old Key West, 2 bedroom villa. You and the family will have PLENTY of room to spread out, the kids will have a place to watch TV and hang together. You can use the kitchen for either making a few meals, Have breakfast or just fresh coffee int eh morning, and then reheat any leftovers you have at the end of the day. We had 7 adults and we were not crowded at all.

The only issue there is that if you are like us and want to have a nice CS breakfast or run to teh food court for coffee in the morning, this place is huge. We were okay with making a minor adjustment to our normal touring style, the amenities and extras were well worth a compromise.

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

When we went with our extended family/first timers we booked three rooms at Pop.
My DD and I in one, my brother and his two punks in another and finally ma and pa in the third.

We had considered two rooms for the seven of us but decided a little extra space at a lowish value cost would be worth it.
And it was.

The kids loved the “Disney” vibe of the resort.
Actually, so did my brother and parents.

Money saved on the resort can be used towards the many extra hours events or desert parties.

 

[Wild4Walt]

I'd stick with Pop for this trip. The resort has a good food court, lots of fun photo ops and great pools. It's big but not too big to navigate. I also like the A0A is within walking distance ( which with 1st timers is a plus ).

You'll also be on the Skyliner so that's another plus for someone who's never been there before.