Where to stay - need opinions & reassurance

[3MouseMom]

I'm new to the board but have been reading non-stop since booking our trip a couple of weeks ago! We're going 2/22/03-3/1/03 and staying at POR (me, DH, 3 kids - age 10, 6, 2). I was going to ask for opinions on 1 POR room vs 2 at AllStar, but I read that the cheerleaders will be at All Star during that week, so I think I answered my own question. But then I started thinking about a couple of other options. We'd love to stay at WL (the theming is our style plus the kids would love the boat to MK) but I think we need the trundle at POR. Has anyone stayed with 5 at WL (the 2 year qualifies as a baby I think, so we can technically do this). Too crowded? Has anyone stayed in a deluxe at WL--2 Queens plus the Queen pull-out sofa? Way more money but what a great set-up. I also saw a great rate on FW Cabin-DH and kids love camping but honestly I really am not sure. The cabins look fine, but are there lots of bugs? (don't laugh, I really am the odd one out in my family when it comes to camping, but I'm not so into it). But the kitchen and extra room would be great, although I worry about transportation time.

I don't think we'll be in the room enough to justify spending for a WL deluxe and the std might not be big enough--so what do you think would be our best bet? Should we just stay at POR? So many decisions!
Thanks for all your help!!

 

[jennymouse]

Welcome to the DIS! It looks like you know what your options are, but there's one more you might not be aware of. If it were me, I'd try renting a 1BR Villa at The Villas of Wilderness Lodge. You'd get plenty of sleeping space PLUS washer/dryer & kitchen. You can rent points from a Disney Vacation Club member and do it lots cheaper than through DIsney. If you look on the DVC rent/trade board (about halfway down on the drop down menu below), you'll find lots of folks there willing to rent points. There's a couple "faq threads" at the top to answer all your questions about renting points.

That said, I've never heard any complaints about the cabins being buggy. There's lots of things for kids to do at Fort Wilderness too. If you're not planning on spending a lot of time in your room, you'd probably be okay in a room at POR.

I know, too many decisions. Good luck!

 

[franw]

Have no fear. You can't go too wrong at any of the resorts. If you stay in a value/moderate resort you will save bunches of money and still have the Disney experience. You can pay a small fortune and stay in one of the fancier, more convenient hotels and have a lousy time.
We have stayed at quite a few resorts over the years and I must say some of our favorite memories were at the Caribbean Beach. We stayed at the Boardwalk and loved it but definitely not great when you have little guys as the halls can be noisy. The Poly is terrific - both location and grounds. The rooms are very roomy with a daybed. Very quiet rooms. Disney does a great job of controlling bugs at all of the resorts. We have hardly ever encountered a bug on our trips but usually travel off-season. We stayed at Ft. Wilderness once. A little too rustic for me but the kids had a ball. I would have to say that the only place I did not enjoy was the Animal Kingdom Lodge. It was too dark, too cold and too far away from everything for me. My vote would be for the Caribbean Beach. Try to get a special rate on the room. Don't be afraid to make your reservation and keep checking back to see if they are having any specials and re-book it at the lower rate. It is very clean, very tropical and lots of little guys running around having a ball. Even though it is always sold out it seldom seems like there are a lot of folks around. The food court is better than average and great when you have little kids. We love the grounds and how quiet the rooms are (not on parking lot side, though). You guys will have a ball regardless of which resort you pick so don't sweat it. Bring your smiles and keep them on. Disney is 99% attitude. Many people love the Animal Kindgom Lodge. I had a negative attitude about it and wasted some precious days because of it. Wish I could get them back. Have fun.

 

[Uncleromulus]

I can see your point with the cheerleaders. Just be sure tho that there may not also be a cheerleader "spillover" to places like PO.

 

[eeyoresmom]

3mousemom,welcome!Ican't really help as I've only ever stayed at the AS but could you please tell me about ANY discounts for FW?Cro quoted me an astronomical price and when I asked if there were any discounts available they told me I had to call back with a code.Thank you.

 

[wdwphanatic]

At POR you only get 2 double beds (which, imo, is tight for 2 adults, especially) plus the trundle. At WL you lose the trundle, but you could get a queen for you and dh and bunkbeds for the 2 older kids... The problem then is what to do with the 2-year-old, and the only option would be for her/him to sleep in a pack n' play (would that be ok??). The only deluxes that truly seem to accommodate more than 4 people are CR, GF, Poly and the Epcot resorts. AK and WL, while beautifully themed and a bit less expensive than the other deluxes, don't offer a third bed in any of their rooms.

As far as the 1-bedroom DVC rental idea, you gain space (and a kitchen, bigger bathroom and washer/dryer) but don't gain another bed. You get one king in the bedroom and then a queen (I believe) sleeper sofa in the living room. Your third child would still be relegated to a pack n' play.

I guess if I were in your shoes (and I will be once my baby gets older!!), I'd either go with 2 All Star rooms (which might not be best for this particular trip given the cheerleader situation, however) or 2 studios at WLV or BCV. If you rent points through a DVC owner, it's possible to get the studios for only a bit more than the price of a moderate AND still get the amenities of a deluxe resort plus a kitchenette. This way, you'd have 2 queen beds and 2 queen (I believe) sleeper sofas and some privacy for you and dh to boot!!!

Hope this is helpful. Good luck on your decision!!

Take care,
Sarah

 

[daannzzz]

The Deluxe Room (Jr. Suite) at WL would work good for you though they are expensive and you could get a 1 bedromm villa for around the same but at least at the WL Deluxe you would have 2 queens and a pullout sofa. There is a wet bar and small refrigerator in that room as well. You could put the kids to bed and watch TV in the living room and sit on tha balcony and not disturb them. There is an entrance to the bathroom area from the bedroom and the entry hall. Still even two connectiong rooms at one of the moderates would cost less.

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

I'm probably gonna get it for this but aside from the room issue, we really like POR better then WL from what we saw of it (we went over to visit), ok everyone be nice hehe. Its very nice, but not worth all the money more to us, and honestly I really liked POR better. I guess its just a matter of personal taste. POR has more pools, you can rent surrey's there and ride from the riverside over to the french quarter, its really really nice, but then again I love ALL the moderates, they are all so special in their own way. CB is a very uplifting resort with all the colors, and the tropical theme it was the first place we ever stayed and it was what hooked us on Disneyworld. CS has the incredible pool and POR is just very charming, they're all great and for the price difference it wasn't worth it for WL but then again, room size wasn't an issue for us as there were only 3 of us. I know WL is really raved about, but personally I found it was kind of dark, very woodsy lodge looking, the pool is kind of small, they do have a cool gusher but I really like all 3 moderates better from at least what we saw. Anyway I know you'll have fun with whatever you decide. I know WL has a boat that goes over to the parks so that of course if nicer. We also stayed 1 year at All Stars and personally wouldn't stay there again, the moderates are a BIG jump up from All Stars. If WL has a great sale one year, we may try to stay there, but personally prefer everything about the moderates.

 

[pepperidge]

Hi,

If I were you, I would definitly try to do the WL Villa 1 BR! The reasons are:

1) The LOCATION - don't worry about getting to the Magic Kingdom - the boat at this
resort takes you right there! The buses are not as fun, fast or convieniant. I didn't
think that I would ever say this, but I think it's easier staying here than at a
monorail resort. (Be sure to bring your own stroller(s)!!)

2) Villas are so nice - having the full kitchen, washer & dryer and all that extra space is
absolutely wonderful. There is enough space for everyone to spread out and not
get on each others nerves when we come back to the room all tired & cranky. The
living room has a tv and vcr as well as the bedroom having it's own tv too.

3) The BATHROOM - the way the bathrooms are set up is nice... Throw a little one in the jacuzzi tub & have the older one shower at the same time. Just close the adjoining doors. The toilet area has a separate door so whoever is bathing is not intruded upon.

IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PRICE DIFFERENCE OF A VILLA, CONSIDER THIS

- If you go to the grocery store and buy food that you can prepare in your room, you will save a good bit of money. You will have a full kitchen with a microwave, fridge, freezer, oven, stove and cooktop, and all the dishes, utensils, pots and pans. So you can go back to your room and cook dinner and/or lunch instead of paying a fortune and dealing with tired, cranky kids not liking what the restaurant has and you won't have to deal with all that Priority Seating stuff either. There's even a dish washer.

Also, we pack less when we stay at a Villa b/c we use the washer and dryer so much. No need to bring a bunch of extra changes of clothes, just wash them again. With kids, this is a great help. There is no charge to use these inside the villa and they provide you with one small sample box of Tide. I don't know if you can request more or not, I always buy some when I go to the Publix grocery store.

Using those Wilderness Lodge Refillable mugs is nice too... The Roaring Forks restaurant where they get refilled is on the way to the boat, so it's not an inconvienance to use these at all. But, if you are planning on stopping at a grocery you may just want to pick up a couple of 2 liters and save the $ that you would have spent on the mugs.

With my 2 kids, I always bring one of those collapsable coolers. I fill it up with ice at the resort and put the baby's bottles and some water for us too in there. Saves money and you always have it with you. Just put it in the bottom of the stroller on top of a towel in case it leaks.

We bring our own ponchos - again, saves money and you don't need to run around trying to find one for sale & stand in line when it starts to rain. We bought a "stroller rain cover" for the stroller which is really nice.

It can be fun going with kids, just be prepared and have things to keep them happy in case of emergencies!

P.S. For my 2 1/2 year old, we bring a little flashlight for him. When we go into dark rides, he gets a little nervous and this helps him feel better. And speaking of lights, if you have a little baby that still wakes up in the middle of the night for feedings or someone in your family gets up to use the bathroom, bring a night light from home to plug into the kitchen or bath area. This saves you from trying to figure out which light switch to turn on, waking everyone else up accidently. And some hotel rooms do not have a way to just get only a "little" light.

We've been to WDW quite a few times and have learned all kinds of tricks! I'd be happy to help if you have any questions.

Mimi

 

[sha_lyn]

the cheerleaders will most liekly be at ASSp or ASMu. I would get 2 rooms at ASmo if it were me. With five people you'll need the extra room, and the extra bathroom.

 

[Planogirl]

Would you share what kind of rate you saw for one of the Fort Wilderness cabins? We have always wanted to stay there but haven't been able to find a decent rate. I know a few people who love it there and I've never heard of any problem with bugs in this area.

You could consider splitting your stay. Stay at POR in the beginning and finish up at Wilderness Lodge. Or vice versa. Good luck with whatever you decide.