Where will we be happier !??!?

[carolk2016]

Hi,

We are planning our 1st trip from 04/30/16 to 05/06/16, we have 2 LM rooms at AoA booked, together we are 5 adults and 2 kids, 6yr old and 2.5 yr old.
I love the AoA resort idea as it is very bright and I am sure the kids will love it.
My husband's only request is that we stay in 2 separate rooms so family suite isn't really an option, he also thinks that regardless of where we stay the kids will be happy since we are at Disney!
I know the LM rooms are not included in discounts, some of our friends recommended CBR resort and I am pretty sure if discounts are released the pricing would be pretty close to what we already have, but I can't get myself excited to go to any other resort because I like the theme at AoA.

So here is my dilemma, do I keep what we have and ignore future discounts and offers? Do I change to POP if discounts are released and I can save some $$ ( this way we still can walk over AoA and it is still a themed resort) or change to CBR and keep the same price point ?
Where would we walk less and have a better experience overall ??? Any input is appreciated, Thanks !!!

 

[deannaf87]

IMO, I'd switch to CBR just for the queen beds.

 

[IceSkatingPrincess]

I'd do a mod over a value for sure for the same price point. Have you considered POR/POFQ? They are very nice and the boat to DTD is handy.

 

[carolk2016]

POR/PQFQ were also suggested by the CM who booked my reservation, I have been looking into more details on those and I am sure they are great but they don't seem too kid friendly does it make sense? I wish I had been to the resorts so this decision was easier !

 

[Newsies]

I'd do a mod over a value for sure for the same price point. Have you considered POR/POFQ? They are very nice and the boat to DTD is handy.

^^ This. POR/POFQ are both lovely and have great dining options. Your family would be super happy there!

As for your concern over whether or not it would be kid friendly: They do have fun pools and themed rooms. I know POR has princess-themed "Royal Rooms".

 

[Babsy]

Hi,

We are planning our 1st trip from 04/30/16 to 05/06/16, we have 2 LM rooms at AoA booked, together we are 5 adults and 2 kids, 6yr old and 2.5 yr old.
I love the AoA resort idea as it is very bright and I am sure the kids will love it.
My husband's only request is that we stay in 2 separate rooms so family suite isn't really an option, he also thinks that regardless of where we stay the kids will be happy since we are at Disney!
I know the LM rooms are not included in discounts, some of our friends recommended CBR resort and I am pretty sure if discounts are released the pricing would be pretty close to what we already have, but I can't get myself excited to go to any other resort because I like the theme at AoA.

So here is my dilemma, do I keep what we have and ignore future discounts and offers? Do I change to POP if discounts are released and I can save some $$ ( this way we still can walk over AoA and it is still a themed resort) or change to CBR and keep the same price point ?
Where would we walk less and have a better experience overall ??? Any input is appreciated, Thanks !!!

If you really want to stay at AoA, I would stay in AoA.
That said, I would look carefully at the other options to be sure that AoA is where I like the best. You have to remember that LM rooms are a long walk from the main building. the main pool is awesome, but the pool closest to you will be the LM pool. personally, I would probably end up using that one rather than hiking to the main pool. The rooms are small and there are 2 full beds in them. The only food options would be the Food court at either AoA or Pop.
The up side is that, for a value resort, AoA has pretty spectacular theming. If you associate Disney animated movies with 'Disney atmosphere' then you will likely be 'wow'ed staying here.

OTOH, Moderate resorts have several advantages over value resorts. They have larger rooms with queen size beds. There is a divider between the bathroom sink and the sleeping area. The room decor is a little more upscale. The resort itself has nicer landscaping. the pools are very nice and include a slide. There is a TS restaurant option (except in POFQ) in addition to the food court. CBR has just recently been refurbished, so that would be something to consider or me. also, the main pool area is especially nice for children the ages of your two. POR/POFQ have the boat to Downtown Disney which is actually very nice. You can book two rooms in a preferred location at moderate resorts. Convenience would be important to me, so if I were getting two rooms, I would want preferred rooms at a moderate. If preferred rooms weren't an option, that would push me to POFQ, where all rooms are conveniently located.

Personally, if I could get a moderate for the same (or even close) price as a value, I would always choose the moderate resort. It is just more comfortable to me.

There is nothing wrong with staying in a value. I have stayed in these many times. My sister and her family actually preferred values over deluxe resorts, so I get it that there is an appeal to many people. Just have a careful look at all the factors and consider what you want in a resort. If you do stay somewhere else, you can always go to AoA for a meal at the food court and walk around for some great photo ops!

Good luck!

 

[carolk2016]

Thank you so much!! Those are valid points and some important things to consider.
On the map CBR seem like a much bigger resort than AoA, what are the odds we will end up walking more there if we don't get a preferred room?

 

[danceintherain]

CBR has bus stops in every 'village.' An internal bus that goes around regularly to all the stops (so you don't accidentally get on a bus that's leaving the resort) As far as I know, AoA only has one bus stop, so if your room is far from the main building, you will be walking regardless.
We were in building 13 in Barbados, when we stayed at CBR, and I didn't find the walk to be bad at all. We would often walk to the food court for breakfast, then jump on the bus from there, or do the reverse on the way back from the parks. I actually quite enjoyed the scenery as we walked through every day. There's also a bridge across the center of the lake, so really there are only a few buildings that I would consider far away.
Unless something has changed, all the rooms in Trinidad South, the furthest walk from the main building are Pirate themed rooms, so as long as you don't book that category, you should be a reasonable distance away.

I'm in a similar situation right now, and even though the Disney obsessed part of me is curious about staying a Value resort, so I can find out if we'd be happy saving the money, I'm itching to 'upgrade' to a moderate resort. I know I won't be unhappy if we spend the extra money, as long as it's in the budget, but I don't know if I'll be equally as happy staying in a Value, thus making the extra money unnecessary. AoA wasn't an option when I booked with or without a discount. Otherwise, I might be more conflicted.

 

[carolk2016]

I'm in a similar situation right now, and even though the Disney obsessed part of me is curious about staying a Value resort, so I can find out if we'd be happy saving the money, I'm itching to 'upgrade' to a moderate resort. I know I won't be unhappy if we spend the extra money, as long as it's in the budget, but I don't know if I'll be equally as happy staying in a Value, thus making the extra money unnecessary. AoA wasn't an option when I booked with or without a discount. Otherwise, I might be more conflicted.

Exactly my feeling, I know a moderate resort will probably be better in many ways, I fell in love with the décor at AoA and I do picture our trip being all about characters and AoA seems perfect for it but knowing that I could save some money or get something better for what I am paying is very tempting!!!

 

[julluvsdisney]

Do a royal room at POR for that character immersion. We have stayed in all levels and my kids would pick a moderate over a value in a heartbeat. They like the pools better. The beds are bigger, the rooms are bigger, and the moderates have a sense of relaxation that the values lack. Have a great trip!

 

[danceintherain]

Do a royal room at POR for that character immersion. We have stayed in all levels and my kids would pick a moderate over a value in a heartbeat. They like the pools better. The beds are bigger, the rooms are bigger, and the moderates have a sense of relaxation that the values lack. Have a great trip!

I wish POR was available with our discount for our dates. It's next on my list of moderates.

 

[Rosebud123]

IMO, you get plenty of theming and character immersion in the parks. When I'm at a resort, I want to be comfortable and in nice surroundings. I'd go moderate, no questions asked.

 

[dansdad]

Thank you so much!! Those are valid points and some important things to consider.
On the map CBR seem like a much bigger resort than AoA, what are the odds we will end up walking more there if we don't get a preferred room?

88% of the standard, non Pirate Themed rooms are between a 3-6 minute stroll over to the Food Court and Main Feature pool. The other 12% are between 6-8 minutes. What you will get at a Moderate over a Value:

Bigger room
Queen beds
Double sinks
Coffee Maker
Multiple Covered bus stops
Pool slides
Hot tubs
Table Service restaurant
Lusher landscaping

Now whether any of the above are important to you is something only you can answer. We as a family have found that all of the above are worth the extra $$ over the Values after our first stay at a Moderate. CBR just happens to be our favorite Moderate too.

 

[3pletprincesses]

my kids love POR and we have been staying there since they are 3. They will pick that over AOA any day. I would personally go to a moderate room vs AOA for the same price and cheaper since you can get a discount there. Just to add to the confusing, how about renting DVC points from a member and getting a 1 or bedroom villa which has a full kitchen and laundry.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

It is over half a mile from the Back of the LM section of rooms to the only bus stop at AoA. That alone turned me off of ever staying there again. It's a long hike at 10 or 11 at night after you have watched fireworks, waited in line for a bus, and likely stood the entire bus ride. I would say POFQ or POR. POFQ is rarely discounted anymore though.

 

[carolk2016]

my kids love POR and we have been staying there since they are 3. They will pick that over AOA any day. I would personally go to a moderate room vs AOA for the same price and cheaper since you can get a discount there. Just to add to the confusing, how about renting DVC points from a member and getting a 1 or bedroom villa which has a full kitchen and laundry.

We looked into that idea but my husband is pretty set on the 2 separate rooms and 2 villas are out of our budget

 

[carolk2016]

It is over half a mile from the Back of the LM section of rooms to the only bus stop at AoA. That alone turned me off of ever staying there again. It's a long hike at 10 or 11 at night after you have watched fireworks, waited in line for a bus, and likely stood the entire bus ride. I would say POFQ or POR. POFQ is rarely discounted anymore though.

Good to know! Thank you !

 

[eeyoreandtink]

We looked into that idea but my husband is pretty set on the 2 separate rooms and 2 villas are out of our budget

You can get a setup where there is a door that closes between the 2 rooms of a 2 bedroom villa. It is called a 2 bedroom lock off and several of the resorts have them. One side is a studio and the other is a 1 bedroom villa. There is a connecting door between the 2 like connecting hotel rooms. It can be opened and closed as you want to. I am not sure if you can be assured of getting a lock off, but it might be something to look into.

 

[Aurora0427]

POR/PQFQ were also suggested by the CM who booked my reservation, I have been looking into more details on those and I am sure they are great but they don't seem too kid friendly does it make sense? I wish I had been to the resorts so this decision was easier !

Those are both great resorts and totally kid friendly. If you stay at POFQ, you can use all of the amenities are POR and vice versa. The rooms at the value resorts are tiny and they have double beds. It's also a hike to the LM rooms. Fine for one night, but we just like having more room. We've never stayed at CBR, but did like POFQ.

 

[3pletprincesses]

You can get a setup where there is a door that closes between the 2 rooms of a 2 bedroom villa. It is called a 2 bedroom lock off and several of the resorts have them. One side is a studio and the other is a 1 bedroom villa. There is a connecting door between the 2 like connecting hotel rooms. It can be opened and closed as you want to. I am not sure if you can be assured of getting a lock off, but it might be something to look into.

I was just coming to mention that. Yes you can select to have a 2bedrooms lock off. one side is a 1 bedroom with kitchen and laundry while the other is a studio with a kitchenette. Not sure what the cost difference would be compare to 2 moderate rooms. It also depends if you are wanting to do laundry and cook if not, I think 2 value or 2 moderate would be cheaper.