value or moderate?

[2ndxmommy]

deluxe seems ridiculously expensive with preschoolers? is the extra hour on grounds really worth it? are the orlando area hotels any more reasonable? they do offer FREE shuttles to parks, no?

which resort? are you required to stay N days? i tried to get prices thru disney site, but I kept getting an 8day stay error and it wouldn't just give me a room price? kept putting in pkgs? we don't want to be tied into a pkg. we might want to goto seaworld too as well as the beach.

advice for novice?

 

[maxiesmom]

Welcome to the board 2ndxmommy!

I would definately recommend you stay on site! The most you will pay for a value resort is $99 a night plus tax. Not alot to be surrounded by Disney magic 24/7. Plus the Disney shuttles run every 15 minutes or so. Most of the off-site hotel shuttles are infrequent at best. It is soooo much easier to hop a Disney shuttle in the middle of the day if your little ones need a break! And if your family are early risers you can get quite alot done in the early entry park. Have a wonderful trip!

 

[beccasmom]

Here are a few things to consider –
o Almost all off-site hotels do offer shuttles. However, they are not always free and they do not necessarily run on a schedule that works for you. My advice would be to double-check this and not take for granted that the schedule will fit your needs. Some of them drop you off at the park in the morning and pick you up in the evening. That may work for some folks, but I think many kids (and parents! ) benefit from a mid-afternoon nap and/or swim to recharge their batteries. This is obviously easier if you can catch a bus and get back to your hotel quickly.
o Disney deluxe hotels are wonderful, but costly. If they are out of your budget range, moderates are a good choice. They offer a good balance between the two and there is no skimping on the Disney hospitality. The food courts offer kid-friendly meals at moderate prices. The value hotels are also fine. There is not a lot of space in the rooms, but that may not be a huge consideration if you’ll be park-bound most of the day. Theming is always special and kids seem to especially enjoy the “over the top” theming of the All-Star Resorts. And the pool areas are loads of fun!
o The deluxe hotels offer the speediest transportation to the MK – the monorail. However, all of the resorts offer decent bus transportation on a regular basis. Even if you miss a bus, there is rarely more than a 30-minute wait. And the Disney transportation is all free – that may not be the case with an off-site hotel.
o You may find it helpful to stay on-site at Disney while you are “doing Disney” and then moving to another off-site hotel if you choose to visit Sea World or Universal. Or, if that seems like a hassle, you can be a day-tripper while still staying at Disney – been there, done that!
o Eat most of your larger meals at lunch – it really is cheaper that way. Try to schedule at least one character meal during your stay because kids just love them! If you will have a car, going off-site to eat is simple and/or you can drive to Walmart, Publix, etc. to buy snack foods. As you might expect, things are MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE off Disney property.
o Two websites you may wish to check out are: http://allearsnet.com/index.html
http://www.mousesaver.com/
There is a ton of information on both sites. Good luck with your research! And ask lots of questions - good luck!

 

[Mady/Sophiemom]

We have stayed at Moderate resorts several times, and loved being at Disney 24/7. We have stayed off-site prior to kids, and were constantly exhausted by all the driving, and running around. I can't imagine staying off-site, with young ones.

I agree with you, and cannot bring myself to spend the extra for deluxe. I'm sure I would love it, but just can't justify it.

This trip, we are staying at Pop Century, which is a value resort. There have been many good reports about this resort.

The Extra magic hour, is a perk, for all disney resorts, not just the deluxe ones. So is transportation. We never rent a car at Disney- just use there busses, or an occasional cab, if we are in a big hurry.


Try calling 1-407-wdisney, rather than the website. They can give you more info on room only, vs packages. If you are a member of AAA, there is a room discount, and also Disney offers specials from time to time. There are links to sites with cheaper tickets from the home page of the dis.

Definately check out Mousesavers.com, and allears, as the previous poster suggested. Also sign up for their E-mail lists. Often they send out info on really great deals. Often times it is cheaper to do everything separate- ie room, tickets, and meals, but once in a while Disney offers some really great package specials.

Keep reading these boards too. It is unbelievable, the info you will get. I think you will find that Disney, isn't as expensive as most think. Its not cheap by any means, but people are amazed when I tell them the deals, I have found.

Good Luck, and Have Fun Planning

 

[TLinden16]

Welcome to the DIS, 2ndxmommy!

I think with little ones, it's a lot more convienent to stay onsite if you need to go back to the resort for naps during the day. It's a pretty quick trip from any park to any resort--the trip from an offsite resort will most likely have less frequent transportation, and will be a longer drive.

Just one comment about the shuttles from offsite resorts. The buses pick you up in the middle of a bus parking lot. It can get pretty busy there. I wouldn't want to be walking through the parking lot with little ones in toe, and waiting for a bus.

Karen

 

[Dis2times]

Fancy meeting you here! Looks like we're having all of the same questions, lol! Maybe we'll run into each other while there!

We're struggling with this one too. The thing about Value that I think strikes it out for us is the lack of lobby. We really do want to relax when we can, but we don't want to go to bed right when the kids do. With a lobby, we can read, relax, watch tv, etc, without waking the kids. (We'll have my parents there, but even if they are out doing something, dh and I can trade off with the kids.)

The other thing we were thinking is that we could get three value rooms, one of which would just be in the middle for my older brother, and it would be our late night room. I think we're going to skip that though. It's just a thought we're tossing around.


Can't wait to see what you decide!

 

[KeeptheFaith]

I love the French Quarter Resort which is a moderate. I would stay there again in a heart beat! We got an annual pass holder rate of $75 a night in December so you can get affordable rates here. Our last trip we rented a car and to be honest you could get away with staying off site if you had a car to get you to and from. Although you have the additional expense of the car and parking.

I like to be in the Disney Magic the whole time so we have always stayed on site.

 

[2ndxmommy]

Fancy meeting you here! Looks like we're having all of the same questions, lol! Maybe we'll run into each other while there!

We're struggling with this one too. The thing about Value that I think strikes it out for us is the lack of lobby. We really do want to relax when we can, but we don't want to go to bed right when the kids do. With a lobby, we can read, relax, watch tv, etc, without waking the kids. (We'll have my parents there, but even if they are out doing something, dh and I can trade off with the kids.)

The other thing we were thinking is that we could get three value rooms, one of which would just be in the middle for my older brother, and it would be our late night room. I think we're going to skip that though. It's just a thought we're tossing around.

We're still waiting on codes, so it will be a while before we book. I can't remember when your trip is scheduled, but ours is in November, so we have time to wait for a new code. You can get deluxe pretty cheap if you go in the value season and use a code.

Can't wait to see what you decide!

hee hee hee
Hi, Lisa. Thought I recognized that name.

 

[msr709]

Fancy meeting you here! Looks like we're having all of the same questions, lol! Maybe we'll run into each other while there!

We're struggling with this one too. The thing about Value that I think strikes it out for us is the lack of lobby. We really do want to relax when we can, but we don't want to go to bed right when the kids do. With a lobby, we can read, relax, watch tv, etc, without waking the kids. (We'll have my parents there, but even if they are out doing something, dh and I can trade off with the kids.)

The other thing we were thinking is that we could get three value rooms, one of which would just be in the middle for my older brother, and it would be our late night room. I think we're going to skip that though. It's just a thought we're tossing around.

We're still waiting on codes, so it will be a while before we book. I can't remember when your trip is scheduled, but ours is in November, so we have time to wait for a new code. You can get deluxe pretty cheap if you go in the value season and use a code.

Can't wait to see what you decide!

You can always get connecting rooms at the value hotel, there are plenty! 3 value rooms would run you much cheaper than 2 deluxe rooms with or without codes. JMHO. HTH

 

[colleen costello]

The Moderates are a wonderful combination of amenities and reasonable price. We often stay at Riverside and it is just lovely. We have enjoyed the others as well. The Moderate rooms are larger, which is important for mental health, and recently added features like coffee makers and refrigerators in each room (free) make them a better bargain than before. We feel that with the little refrigerator, you save a lot of time and money because you can have breakfast in the room. At the Values they will charge you for the same fridge. The Moderates will also have a sit-down restaurant, a pool slide, and better bell services for luggage assistance. We spend as much time swimming as anything, so for us the nifty pools are a real plus, too.

Just my 2 cents!

 

[*Fantasia*]

bump!