Where to stay with 4 kids?

[4xmom]

We are a family of 6 also-my kids are a little older now but we have been going since they were babies. Our favorite is the cabins at Ft. Wilderness. Last year, we used DVC points to stay at AKL in a 2 bedroom villa. It was nice, but we spent a lot time waiting on buses. We have also done the grand villa at OKW with 15 members of the family. That was nice too. We are booked to go back to the cabins this fall. It will always be home.

 

[naynheath]

I was thinking of cabins but I didn't like the bunk beds in with the master room.

 

[EmilyAnn]

I was thinking of cabins but I didn't like the bunk beds in with the master room.

I do NOT trust my boys on bunk beds! They like to climb things and jump off. A broken bone at Disney does not sound like fun.

 

[squirrel]

I think you could save a lot of money by not doing the Dining Plan, unless you get it for free.

Pick up some bread, yogurt, applesauce, milk, cereal and some pastries/muffins. Have breakfast in the room. Make sandwiches for a few days for lunch and then have some CS and TS meals. It will save you a lot of money. Doesn't mean you can't have a Dole Whip as a snack (or whatever you like).

I find the desserts that come with the CS meals not very good. If I wasn't getting the Dining Plan for free, I'd rather save the $ on that and buy a decent treat (ice cream, dole whip, etc.) I also found I was getting sick of pop and started getting bottled water as my drink for the CS meal. If I was paying OOP I would have been happy with some free ice water most days and added some Nestea or Crystal Light to it.

Instead I would start saving up some $ on Gift Cards and use that to pay for meals.

I would avoid Tusker House if your son's allergy is bad - they serve PB at lunch (at least they did a few years ago). Not worth the risk if some child has rubbed PB under the table or on the edge and it didn't get wiped.

Crystal Palace has Winnie the Pooh and Friends, Contemporary Resort has Mickey and Friends, Poly has Lilo and Stitch (breakfast only).

 

[set1208]

Another vote for an off-site home. We are a family of six and we had the best Florida vacation ever! Our house had a master suite for us, a junior suite for our teen, a full sized bedroom that we didn't use, and two kids rooms that each had two twin beds. Our house had five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a pool an a game room and it was in Windsor Palms.

By staying off site, we felt free to take our time, visit other sites in the area, or just stay home and play for a day. My introverted family got to separate and chill out in their own spaces at the end of a long day. Being all cramped together for 10 days in two rooms would have ended disastrously.

We spent less money by staying in a massive house, and not doing a fully immersed Disney week. We went to SeaWorld a few times, Legoland, A couple Disney parks, MNSSHP, and a day at the house. We had intended to do a beach day but ended up staying home and we had the best day.

As a family of six, house renting will be the only way we will do Disney in the future. It's cost effective and you can't beat the space!

Our VRBO property number was 421395 and the layout would suit your family perfectly.

 

[cfriend416]

To the OP:

This is your first trip, right? I think the best option for you would be to stay on site. Your cheapest option would be to get a suite at All-Star Music for your family of six, and a standard room at the same resort for your parents and sister.

Disney is in a state of change right now with the whole Fastpass+ thing. Basically, if you stay on site, you can book your FP's 60 days in advance. If you stay offsite, you can't do it until you get to the park that day. It's still basically "in testing" so no one really knows what the availability for off site guests will be in the long-term. But the time you plan on going is a VERY busy time. You'll be looking at wait times of 3 hours for the popular rides at times if you don't have a Fastpass.

You could still have an enjoyable vacation without great fast passes if you arrive at the parks at least half an hour before they open. But that means very early mornings for your little ones. And you should not expect to do everything you want at that time of year, even with fast passes. I'm not trying to be a downer, I'm just trying to be optimistic.

If I were you, I'd hang around on the DIS to see how this whole Fastpass+ thing plays out before making a decision. In the meantime, check out EasyWDW dot com. It's a blog with great touring strategies.

Edit: Sorry, I misread and thought you said the last week of December or the first week of January! The first week of December is actually a great time to go! Off site may not be as big of an issue then. I do still recommend waiting to see how FP+ plays out though.

 

[wallawallakids]

We have 4 kids also and we usually stay on site just for the benefit of not having to drive and the perks of being in the parks early/late. Something to think about now that FP+ is out, you can only schedule FP in advance if you are on property. However, that may not be a huge priority for you and if that is the case, off site is definitely the cheapest way to go and the way you will get the most space. Good luck with your decision.

 

[EmilyAnn]

We are looking at going Jan 31-Feb 7 2015, but we are really open to any week since we homeschool I want to go a week with LOW crowds (top priority) low prices, and NOT hot. The only time we cannot go is April-June b/c that is busy season for my husband and he cannot take vacation time

Yes, it is basically my first time. I went once with my parents and sister when I was a freshman in high school. We did one day at Epcot. I also went once with my church youth group when I was in high school (1 day and MK) and once with a family I was a nanny for (1 day at MK.) But I have never gone more than one day or been the one planning the trip

 

[cfriend416]

We are looking at going Jan 31-Feb 7 2015, but we are really open to any week since we homeschool I want to go a week with LOW crowds (top priority) low prices, and NOT hot. The only time we cannot go is April-June b/c that is busy season for my husband and he cannot take vacation time

Yes, it is basically my first time. I went once with my parents and sister when I was a freshman in high school. We did one day at Epcot. I also went once with my church youth group when I was in high school (1 day and MK) and once with a family I was a nanny for (1 day at MK.) But I have never gone more than one day or been the one planning the trip

How exciting! Another great site is ************** dot net. It ranks all the weeks in order of when's the best to go based on crowds, weather, price, etc. I think the first three weeks after Thanksgiving are considered the best to go. Check it out! Happy planning!

 

[FreeThinker]

I have 5 kids and we always stay off-site. You can rent a house if you want a private pool, or get a week at a resort like Bonnet Creek. We have done both, and are going back to Bonnet Creek this year. THe pools are great, the rooms are bigger, hotel staff to help with anything you need, and you get a full kitchen for snacks and to make a few dinners. Just eating out 1x per day will save you a LOT Of $$! Disney food is expensive. Also, with kids those ages you can go and put them down for a nap in a bedroom, and still have a kitchen/livingroom to hang out in. If you get a hotel room, everyone has to sit in the dark/quiet when putting the little ones down for naps.

 

[rcarman213]

We are planning a trip to WDW in October with 12 of us (7adults and 5 kids) we were looking at using Costco for booking our tickets and villas outside of Disney but are still interested in finding a place inside the park... any suggestions?

 

[MandiC]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned it, haven't had a chance to read all the replies but if it were me, I'd go with Port Orleans Riverside (we just got back from there). In an Alligator Bayou room you can sleep 5, a baby under 3 in a crib doesn't 'count' so you could technically fit your whole family in the room and then your parents/sister could stay in an adjoining room. I'd go with this over staying at a value if you decide to go during free dining because if you stay at a value during free dining you only get the Quick Service Dining Plan rather than the Basic Dining Plan

 

[Gracie09]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned it, haven't had a chance to read all the replies but if it were me, I'd go with Port Orleans Riverside (we just got back from there). In an Alligator Bayou room you can sleep 5, a baby under 3 in a crib doesn't 'count' so you could technically fit your whole family in the room and then your parents/sister could stay in an adjoining room. I'd go with this over staying at a value if you decide to go during free dining because if you stay at a value during free dining you only get the Quick Service Dining Plan rather than the Basic Dining Plan

You can always upgrade the dining plan if you want

 

[MandiC]

True but it's an additional cost.
At the value you would be paying more (in two ways, more for the actual suite vs a standard room at the moderate) but you would get more space, there is a separate sleeping area if their kids need more quiet to fall asleep, they have a microwave which could certainly come in handy.
At the moderate, they could get a standard room to fit everyone (Port Orleans Riverside can sleep 5 in a basic room + baby under 3 in a crib) which would cost less than a suite at a value, they would get the amenities a moderate resort offers like more recreational activities around the resort (my kids loved the pool with slide and games during the day and the campfire in the evenings...we never made it to the outdoor movie but they did those as well) and more options for eating at the resort.
Negatives to the moderate would obviously be less space, there is a microwave available at POR but it is in the food court which isn't always convenient. Negative to the value is it will cost more if they go the suite route. In either case they would need her parents/sister to rent another room. I am not sure how the values are set up if they could get a basic room next to or even close to a family suite. From what I have heard if you don't absolutely need the extra space it is a better deal to just do two basic rooms. At the values in a suite you can sleep 6 + an infant, two rooms you can sleep 8 and since they need their parents to have a room either way the two rooms would be a better deal...but you would have to factor in the price of upgrading the dining plan and you would lose the microwave if you did two basic rooms at a value.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

with small kids and the floor plan of the suites, I would look twice if kids are sleeping in living area. with parents in bedroom and kids in other and the door out with the kids. just something I thought about when looking at rooms for our multifamily trip. one of the young boys is used to opening the bedroom door quietly and going downstairs without waking others. he could go in the hall and not be able to get back in.

 

[princess jackie]

When I was younger we stayed off property all the time. But the first time I actually got to stay on Disney property I vowed never to stay off property again. Of course never say never! We now are a family of five and usually travel with my parents as well. We are also considering driving (about 22 hours) the next trip as well. If we fly I can totally see staying on property hands down because we wouldn't have to worry about renting a car. But if we drive I would seriously consider staying off property. Where do you stay? Where do I find the best deals? I need more information!

 

[Zeebs]

We are a family of 5 and we stay off site. We stayed offsite on our very first visit and loved it, we didn't find navigating or working it all out difficult. We stayed a night at the poly on our last trip and sure it was nice, but it was 5 of us in one room, kids wanting to sleep, adults not.

We are a bit different because we come from the UK and are there for 2 weeks. We take our time, we arrive for opening, play until 2.30/3.00 ish and then leave and play in the pool at the villa, we don't return in the afternoon or evening. The kids stick to pretty much their normal bedtimes otherwise we find they would just burn out and everyone would be cranky.

With regards to the dining, I don't generally cook, depending on how we feel I might do a pasta and sauce dish but that is about the extent of it. (times the kids DO NOT want to eat out for dinner again) but we do a variety of things.

I pick a few places to eat onsite, this time is Cinderella's castle for madam's birthday, managed to get BOG dinner reservation but it is an early dinner. Sci fy lunch, and Chef Mickeys breakfast but this is towards the end of the stay as Madam doesn't like characters so I want the option of cancelling if she doesn't warm up to them.

What ever way you go you will have a fantastic time and just remember that. Some people are strongly opinionated to onsite or offsite. People want different things out of their trips, I want to enjoy my family without killing them lol, which is what would happen if I couldn't put them to bed at the end of the day and enjoy a wine with my husband. Other people hardly spend any time in their room so coming back and crashing in one space isn't a bother.

Kirsten

 

[Gracie09]

with small kids and the floor plan of the suites, I would look twice if kids are sleeping in living area. with parents in bedroom and kids in other and the door out with the kids. just something I thought about when looking at rooms for our multifamily trip. one of the young boys is used to opening the bedroom door quietly and going downstairs without waking others. he could go in the hall and not be able to get back in.

I think the doors in hotels have slider or other locks well above the heads of youn children.