We are a family of five on a wry tight budget... We're trying to decide what we should do. We got quotes on all star sports and a suite quote for AofA and the AofA was $500 higher then ALLSS.. What should we do!? I hate to be sneaky and do a reg room but it would save us soooo much $$ HELP
Hi! What are the ages of the children? If one is in a crib (under 3, perhaps?), then staying in a reg room is OK, I believe. Meanwhile, it might be a bit crowded for 5, but that depends upon the individual family. You know your own family best. The AoA would be a great choice and is really nicely themed for families with small children, but it IS more expensive, for sure. It has the separate rooms and 2 bathrooms which is awesome! All that extra space sure is nice if you think it is worth the extra money. Have you checked out the Port Orleans Riverside Alligator Bayou rooms? Some of these sleep 5 and they are a little larger than the value resort rooms. I don't know when you are going, but you could check for discounts or Free dining offers. Depending on the age of your kids and where/how much you like to eat a free dining package might save you big $$$ Hope this helps!!!
It would be very hard to be sneaky if all the kids are over 3 and need tickets on your reservation. If one if under 3, then you can be in a regular room since the youngest doesn't count. There are rooms that do sleep 5 such as Port Orleans Riverside. You can also look for deals like 30% off or free dining when they offer it!
If any of your kids is over 3, you don't want to leave them off the reservation. If you're flying, the child that's not on the reservation will not be able to board the Magical Express bus. That means no free transportation from the airport. Also, any persons not on the reservation don't get access to the parks during Extra Magic Hours. It doesn't make much sense to pay the premium prices to stay on property and lose two of the biggest benefits. Definitely look into the Alligator Bayou rooms at POR. They're significantly less than the AoA suite, and are 'legal' for a family of five.
Sounds like you need to post this on the budget board. Lots of people can help you over there. Plenty of options, from staying offsite, staying on Hotel blvd. or POR alligator bayou rooms. Dont' panic. There is a way to see Disney for everybody!
Getting a 5 person room at POR is less expensive than a family suite. With 5 that would be your least expensive option. If that's still too much you'd be best looking into off site accommodations or postponing the trip. Leaving someone off the reservation can lead to lots of headaches, problems, and if you get caught a really terrible way to end a vacation. It's just not worth it.
I will go with the crowd, check into POR, you need to included everyone on the reservations. If you have a little under 3 than you can go with a reg room. But if not, it could cause you some problems along the way; with tickets, and EMH and if your on the dining plan as well.
Just a thought on staying offsite. You might save $100 per night finding a good deal on a large room... but then you need to airport transportation back in, and you become at the mercy of their Disney bus schedule, which may not be great and leave you wanting a rental car. So add that back in, and before you know it you are within just a few hundred $ of a Disney room... don't hesitate to call Disney and ask for help finding the best rate possible on a room for 5.
I agree that Alligator Bayou rooms for 5 is your best bet. It's definitely less expensive than the AoA suite. If you cannot afford it, then stay off site. There have been several threads based on "getting away" with 5 in a regular room. Those that have been caught have been removed from the property if we believe the posts. Not a great way to vacation or a good lesson for the kids. Worst case, if you can;'t afford it, postpone the trip until you can save some extra $$.
