Where should I stay?

[waynedavis703]

We are planning a OCT 06 trip and my son will be 5 1/2. He had a great time at Magic Kingdom last year on our cruise that stopped there for a day. Really want to make it special for him. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[WDW LOVR]

You don't say what your budget will afford and how many are in your party, but if MK is the main park you will be visiting you can't go wrong at any of the resorts near by. Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge, Poly, Grand Fla. are all great. During Oct Epcot has the Food and Wine festival going on which is also a blast.

If your group is a little larger, the Cabins at Ft Wilderness offer a little more room and are reasonably priced compared to the other resorts in the area.

I'd checkout Allearsnet.com. They have all the resorts, descriptions, prices etc. It should help you make your decision.

 

[waynedavis703]

Thanks for the help and sorry for me not giving you more specifics. Just myself, wife and my 5 1/2 yo son. Budget is whatever makes sense. Lets say i don't want to spend anymore then $275.00/nite at the hotel but i don't want to stay at a lower end hotel as well. That should help you narrow it down for me a bit.

 

[Therapeutic Smile]

Less than $275/night, in October? Sounds like you'd be able to nail that anywhere outside of the Polynesian, Grand Floridian, or BoardWalk. I'd have to agree that if MK is going to be your focus, staying at an MK-area resort... especially one on the monorail... would be beneficial. I'd seriously consider the Contemporary or, for a little less money (or for a room upgrade) but off the monorail, the Wilderness Lodge (has a boat that goes right to MK).

 

[Ilovestitch]

Polynesian!!!

 

[Yardbird]

I would suggest Wilderness Lodge. We stayed there last October with our 5 1/2 year old grandson, and like it so much that we are returning in June. The boat ride to MK is short, and very pleasant. If you keep watching for discount codes there is a possibility that you may be able to get one for October. Last October we were able to book WL with a code for 139.00 a night. We had a room on the fifth floor that overlooked the lake, it was awesome. We could see the water parade every night from our balcony. You may also want to check out Mickey's not so scary halloween party. We had a blast!

Have a great trip. October is my favorite time of year to visit WDW.

 

[4greatboys]

Sounds like one of the mods would be good for you. POR has great theming and 2 pools.

 

[waynedavis703]

I would suggest Wilderness Lodge. We stayed there last October with our 5 1/2 year old grandson, and like it so much that we are returning in June. The boat ride to MK is short, and very pleasant. If you keep watching for discount codes there is a possibility that you may be able to get one for October. Last October we were able to book WL with a code for 139.00 a night. We had a room on the fifth floor that overlooked the lake, it was awesome. We could see the water parade every night from our balcony. You may also want to check out Mickey's not so scary halloween party. We had a blast!

Have a great trip. October is my favorite time of year to visit WDW.

Thanks so much for some great advise. Let me ask you about the codes. Where do i find these codes and how do i use them?

 

[Yardbird]

If you keep a watch on the DIS resort board, or www.mousesavers.com, you will find out information on the latest discount codes. If you are going October '06, start watching for codes late spring, or early next summer. Sometimes you have to be diligent in watching daily within a few months of your trip, but it is definitely worth the savings! When codes come out, call immediately to make a reservation, only a certain amount of rooms are available with the codes. Codes are usually three letters such as BDW, EWC, etc. When calling to make a reservation you tell them you want to book with the a code.

There are AP (annual pass) discount codes, for those who purchase an annual pass, Florida resident discount codes, and room only discount codes (the one we used last year). There are other discount codes too. For more information I would suggest the mousesavers website.

Planning, and watching is half the fun!

 

[waynedavis703]

Thanks, please bear with me as i ask questions that were probably asked and answered before. Knowing that these codes only come out a couple of months in advance, can i reserve a room(and how much in advance can i do that) then wait until the code comes out and call to book it? Also, if i have 2 other couples coming with me, can we split the AP and book 3 rooms using the AP code?

 

[waynedavis703]

Thanks, please bear with me as i ask questions that were probably asked and answered before. Knowing that these codes only come out a couple of months in advance, can i reserve a room(and how much in advance can i do that) then wait until the code comes out and call to book it? Also, if i have 2 other couples coming with me, can we split the AP and book 3 rooms using the AP code?

 

[Yardbird]

You can reserve a room and wait until the codes come out. I'm not sure how far in advance you can reserve. Maybe someone else knows the answer to this? Or, you can always call member services for an answer.

For the AP rate, I "think" the AP holder has to stay in the particular room in order to get the discount. I'm not sure about the exact answer on this either, but I'm sure that someone on these boards can answer that for you too.

Maybe starting a new thread with these questions posted in the title line will get you quick responses.

I must mention that though discount rates have been pretty regular in the past, they are not guaranteed. For example, we are staying at WL in June,and no room only discount code came out for this time period, only AP and FL resident codes were available However, we only need the room for one night because we are staying at the VWL with points for most of our stay. So, I used a AAA rate for the one night.

I have learned so much on these boards, but I am far from knowing everything! That's why I'm here most every day!