Which Disney Hotel?

[CHEK]

This year we are staying in a villa in Tuscan Ridge, but would love to try a Disney Hotel Next year, can you give me any suggestions of which one is best ,

 

[natalielongstaff]

we have only stayed at pop century but we loved it

it really depends on what sort of theming appeals to you and how large your budget is

 

[wayneg]

We have only stayed at Allstar Movies a few years ago. Very small, basic and overpriced. Compare it to Courtyard by Marriott or Homewood suites, first one had comfiest beds ever, free wireless internet, free Coffee in reception £25/night. 2nd had full kitchen, american fridge, microwave, dishwasher 2 x tv's video recorder and more, breakfast, drinks 4 nights a week £22/night
Allstars £75/night, Maybe other resorts are better but we were very dissapointed here.

 

[Boo Boo Too]

Maybe other resorts are better but we were very dissapointed here.

To be honest, I agree - you are paying quite a substantial "Disney Premium" for all of the Disney hotels...

Still, if you want "total Disney", they can be great (just try not to think about "value for money"...). My favourites are the Yacht and Beach Club: I LOVE the Epcot location (convenient and BEAUTIFUL), great pool and more sophisticated theming.

IF you don't mind not beiing 100% Disney and want better value for money, then the Swan and Dolphin are definitely worth a look. They are very nicely themed (just not quite as Disney), have good pools and the same convenient and beautiful Epcot location as the Yacht and Beach Club...

BUT different people like different things - you will get LOTS of different opinions here.

My best piece of advice is to wait until you go this year and spend some time "touring" the hotels: it is actually quite a lot of fun and it will be the best way for you to decide which one you like. If you have an idea of budget and costs before you go, that will help too

Good luck,
Boo

 

[castanea1985]

Hi Karen,
We stayed 'on site' when the kids were younger.. when we 'did' Disney and not much else!! If this is the case.. you can't beat staying 'on site', whether it be a value, moderate or luxury resort. The choice is pretty much up to you!
We always stayed in a moderate resort and thoroughly enjoyed our stay.
As our kids are now much older, and not as keen on the Disney parks as they used to be, we stay in our own villa 'off site'. I'm afraid they enjoy shopping more than Disney these days! Although we always visit TL or BB and definitely eat out at DTD on every trip!
If you're looking for a moderate resort - I would recommend POR - we loved being able to catch the boat down to DTD in the evening.
Hope this helps?
Tracy

 

[CHEK]

Many thanks for all your replies, I understand what your all saying, I just feel that perhaps we're missing out a little having never experienced it?, maybe it's something we could do perhaps just for a few nights and then go off to a villa as we currently do

 

[Boo Boo Too]

Mmaybe it's something we could do perhaps just for a few nights and then go off to a villa as we currently do

I think that is a good compromise: "do Disney" for a few nights at a Disney hotel, then enjoy the space, private pool and relaxation of a private villa...

But it is up to you - different people like different things

Boo

 

[castanea1985]

Hi Karen,
Why not do a week 'on site' and a week at a villa??
The advantages of being on site, are that you are nearer to all the action and you can get into the parks earlier than the general public, and you've got the buses that can take you from your resort, directly to each park. If you buy anything in the parks, you can have them sent back to your resort.
I have said before, to experience the Disney magic in full, you should stay on site at least once.
If you did a week at each... you could do all the Disney parks in the first week, and use your second week in the villa, as a rest week!!! Lol!!

 

[Richard Bruvofetc]

This year we are staying in a villa in Tuscan Ridge, but would love to try a Disney Hotel Next year, can you give me any suggestions of which one is best ,

A lot of it is down to budget, but as others have said, to enjoy the full Disney experience you need to stay on site.

We have stayed at the AllStar Movies - very enjoyable though quite basic
Port Orleans FQ - absolutely brilliant

..and as we're limited on budget we're off to Pop Century next.

 

[wayneg]

I know we all like different things but I would not say you have to stay onsite for the full Disney experience, we hated the bus service to Movies I know it was Xmas and busy but we were like sardines all crammed in with tired ignorant people. Didn't get the Disney feel in the room at all, expected Mickey soap and Minnie curtain etc, got nothing, oh lights saying popcorn on them when lit, could n't they put a Mickey head on or something. I know its 6 years back but I cant remember any refference to Disney in the room at all.
Stayed at Courtyard by Marriott last Aug and had a Disney holiday with Annual passes. In parks quicker than busses in comfort. Quality rooms compared to Movies, just got the Disney bug back which Movies killed for me.
For us to get the full Disney experience it has to be a Disney cruise, Now thats Disney at its best.

 

[CHEK]

Ok wayneg, go on tell me how much does the Disney cruise cost then? , I have looked at it & I have to say it does look great & I do think that my 2 DD's 8 & 6 wolud enjoy it.

 

[Girlsontour]

Or another thing to think about - a split holiday between Disney and Universal. We have done this for the last 3 years and it is in our opion an ideal way to see the two areas. We are staying at CSR again this year mainly due to the great bus service and the wonderful food court. Have stayed at CBR but wasn't impressed with the bus or the food court however the setting was beautiful (main pool got very crowded also). We then transfer over to the HRH for the last 4 days where we have the benefit of FOTL with the room key.

We have stayed on IDrive but wouldn't stay there again - and as there is none of us who fancy driving in Orlando both of our hotels mean we don't have to. You have to be prepared to be totally immersed when in the Disney hotel! You are surrounded by Mickey and friends 24/7!! Which is great if you have children but i do wonder if we would choose it if there were just adults only.

 

[wayneg]

Ok wayneg, go on tell me how much does the Disney cruise cost then? , I have looked at it & I have to say it does look great & I do think that my 2 DD's 8 & 6 wolud enjoy it.

Last one we did was a 7 night in Oct for 2 Adults and a 10 year old it was $2,200 about £1,150 but varies greatly at different times of year.
Our DS would not use a kids club on holiday until we did a Disney cruise, we had to get him out everynight onboard so we could go to bed.
http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/dcl/en_US/home/home?name=HomePage
Price it up here, you can maybe get a room credit by booking elswhere but I booked direct with them

 

[Boo Boo Too]

Last one we did was a 7 night in Oct for 2 Adults and a 10 year old it was $2,200 about £1,150 but varies greatly at different times of year.
Our DS would not use a kids club on holiday until we did a Disney cruise, we had to get him out everynight onboard so we could go to bed.
http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/dcl/en_US/home/home?name=HomePage
Price it up here, you can maybe get a room credit by booking elswhere but I booked direct with them

Cruises CAN be very good value - if you think, it includes:
- your "hotel"
- all of your meals and some off your soft drinks (well your juice/milk/tea/coffee at Breakfast)
- the kids club
- all the shows/entertainment

Yes, you pay extra for shore excursions (if you want them) and for some drinks (sodas and alcohol), but all-in-all it can be very good value.... depending what cabin you choose etc.

Another place to get quotes is http://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/ - I have booked a Disney cruise through them before. They also do some specials and shipboard credits - http://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/cruise/specials.htm

We are big fans of cruising, although general we do other cruiselines (Royal Caribbean/Princess Cruises) - generally this is because they suit us more (we are adults with no children). I would definitely do a Disney cruise when we have children old enough to appreciate it...

Boo

 

[wayneg]

and for some drinks (sodas and alcohol),
Boo

Disney now include soft drinks from the drinks station on deck 10. And still with meals as they always have.
But royal Caribbean don't. Did not enjoy RCCL last year it was 4 nights on Sovereign of the seas. Oldest ship they own and you can tell, Smell around the drinks station was disgusting, gunge came up sink in our stateroom could go on but you get the picture. I believe other RCCL ships are a lot better but this has put us off trying for now.

 

[Boo Boo Too]

Disney now include soft drinks from the drinks station on deck 10. And still with meals as they always have.
But royal Caribbean don't.

Even better value onb Disney then

The thing I like most about cruising is that you get to see quite a few different places without having to pack and re-pack several different times. You have the feeling of pretty much a "all-inclusive" type holiday, but without feeling so tied to one place... if that makes any sense.

I have only done one "shorter" cruise (a 4 night Mexican Riviera from LA), but would really recommend 7 night cruises if people can - on a shorter cruise you are only just getting into things when you have to pack up and leave...

Did not enjoy RCCL last year it was 4 nights on Sovereign of the seas. Oldest ship they own and you can tell, Smell around the drinks station was disgusting, gunge came up sink in our stateroom could go on but you get the picture. I believe other RCCL ships are a lot better but this has put us off trying for now.

Worth trying again some time... We did the 7 day Western Caribbean on Mariner-of-the-Seas out of Port Canaveral last October and it was AMAZING! The ship was huge and BEAUTIFUL - the most amazing we have ever been on. Everything was very well kept, the food was very good and the facilities were brilliant (lots of pools and hot tubs, the climbing wall, inline skating rink, mini golf, ice skating and ice show....). It was our favourite cruise so far and since it leaves from Port Canaveral, it was very convenient for Orlando. I would definitely recommend it - especially to people with older kids/teens.

Boo

 

[Groovee]

Our first trip was All Star Sports and our second was Port Orleans. I did fancy boardwalk this time but I got a great deal for the 4 of us including car hire for Port Orlean's.

 

[Lizzybear]

I think it depends on your budget first and foremost. That way you can narrow your choices down to value, moderate or deluxe/DVC We're staying in a moderate (POFQ) this year and I chose to stay onsite because of free dining and also because I never have before and wanted to for this trip (not sure if we will again, or at least not the entire time) I liked the theming of POFQ and also the fact that it is one of the smaller resorts and has a boat to DTD.

 

[tubtruck]

This year we are staying in a villa in Tuscan Ridge, but would love to try a Disney Hotel Next year, can you give me any suggestions of which one is best ,

The Grand Floridian Resort and Spa is the most expensive and very very nice, all the other delux and DVC resorts are also very nice and of a high standard, these places also tend to be nearer to the parks or the Downtown area. I would recommend any of these.The rooms are larger and better furnished than at the other resort catergories. The rest of the resort at these places such as the grounds and lobbies are also more luxuriously designed.

There is then three moderate resorts which are significantly cheaper and are further from the action, the facilities at these are not as wide ranging and in general the rooms are not as large or furnished to as higher standard.

There is then the Budget resorts,they tend to be futhest away from the parks, they are cheap and cheerful, at the present £ to US$ rate they are really cheap, i.e less than £25 per person per night for two shareing a room in the UK school holidays. The rooms are quite small especially by american standards, the amenities are of a lower standard and they tend to be very busy, as are the busses to and from the parks to these resorts. The pools at these resorts are not as well themed and do not have slides. If this is what your budget will stretch to I would still stay here in preference to been offsite as it still removes the burden of travelling to and from the parks to outside of Disney each day and has the advantage of been able to go back to the room at any time of day or night.