Where to stay?

[raykay23]

Hi all,
I am in Ireland and just got back from the Disneyland Paris yesterday.
I had such a good time that now I want to go to the Big Daddy of theme parks-WDW. What would be the best option for two adults/one child- a villa or a hotel? A Disney owned place or independant? I would probably be going in January or Febuary and would like a pool, free transport to the parks if possible and a decent atmosphere in the hotel. Costs would ideally not be through the roof too!

Can anyone help?

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I would recommend the Contemporary because it's located right next door to the Magic Kingdom, their standard rooms are among the biggest in the Deluxe Resorts and it's the least expensive Monorail Resort when you compare their prices to the Polynesian and Grand Floridian. So if you want anymore information about it here is a link to the Contemporary FAQ thread.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2140296

 

[KatMark]

Any of the deluxes are going to be expensive. You should probably go to allearsnet and look at all three options -- value, moderate and deluxe (the WL and the AKL are the cheaper of the three deluxes). If you stay on Disney property, all transportation is free. Staying off site to us is not a good idea because you don't get to participate in the extra magic hours, etc.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I forgot to mention if you want to save some money then look into the Contemporary Garden Wing rooms which are a lot cheaper then either view in the Tower and are around the same price or a bit lower then some of the rooms at the Wilderness Lodge or Animal Kingdom Lodge.

 

[karibritt01]

I think your best bet is going to be to stay on property in order to be able to get the full WDW experience. First thing you need to do is go to WDW website and request a planning DVD. That will give you a good idea of the parks and resorts. The value resorts run about $75/night, moderates about $150/night, and deluxes from $250 and up depending on where you stay. The best way to pick your resort is to decide which level you are interested, and then pick the theme that appeals to you most. You will find that people here have lots of opinions about all resorts, and will be glad to share them! You can find lots of info on www.allears.net. They have pictures from all resorts, details about all of the parks, menus, etc. As you run into questions, please post them and people are glad to help. Happy planning!

 

[tigergrad]

My personal favorite is Wilderness Lodge. It and Animal Kingdom are the 2 least expensive deluxe Disney hotels. My kids loved the boat to the Magic Kingdom. I would definitely say stay on property. We've done it both ways and far more enjoyed our stays on property. We have stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter, the Swan, Beach Club Villas, Animal Kingdom Villas, Wilderness Lodge Villas.
As far as hotel vs villa - I've only stayed in studios. They are a little bigger than a regular room and have a micro, mini-fridge - but only one bed (except for Old Key West) and a sleeper sofa. They can be expensive- we rented points.

 

[DISKATER69]

i think that staying at a disney hotel is the smartest choice. You get a bed, restaurant, and a pool. What else do you need? I have been to All Star Sports and i wouldn't recommend it. Ive also been to Coronado Springs 3 or 4 times and i love it. They just remodeled the standard rooms. New queen beds and flat screen lcd tvs. they are a much quieter resort with the best food ive ever eaten in my entire life(not that long, only 15 years). I would strongly suggest staying there. My family is going back this July.

 

[Dawn68PA]

If money is a concern I would stay at any of the values. We've stayed at them all except for All Star Sports and had a great stay at each one. If you have money to play with, go for the Animal Kingdom Lodge. No where else can you stay and have animals on your savannah right outside your room!

 

[mickeynut1]

I suggest checking out the WL....it's an awesome resort with a great atmosphere .....plus it's a convenient boat ride to MK as well as to the CR where you can catch the monorail to the Polynesian or Grand Floridian if you want to visit or dine at those resorts . It's a deluxe resort without the hefty price tag and is also the cheapest of the MK resorts . Good luck and happy planning .

 

[TJA]

I agree you should stay onsite on the disney world grounds. Go to the main disneyworld website and look at all of the onsite resorts. There are 3 levels -- value, moderate, deluxe. You'll need to first find your price range and go from there. If you can swing a deluxe level, then WL and AKL standard rooms will be the lowest price and they are both gorgeous resorts. If you want convenience/monorail/walking paths to various parks, then check out CR garden wing room for the lowest price room at CR. You can walk to MK from there in 5 minutes!