Which Resort

[wishes18]

Hey y'all! I'm hoping you can help guide me/us in the right direction in terms of what resort to pick.
The facts: 3 family units comprised of 6 adults and 2 children (broken down to 2 adults, 2 adults, 2 adults with 2 kids). None of us have been to WDW in 17+ years. We are going April 2018.

We are hoping to find a deluxe resort that can accommodate all of us in one unit. We would like to have a full kitchen, laundry, and at least 2 beds/2 baths. As the mom of 2 kids, I would like to be on the monorail or at least close to Magic Kingdom. We would prefer not to rent DVC points, but if need be I can figure out how to do that.

So, what resorts would you suggest?

 

[DisneyWishes14]

To be on the monorail or close to MK, you should look at 2-bedroom villas at Bay Lake Tower (at the Contemporary), Villas at Grand Floridian (which will probably be hard to come by), and Villas at Wilderness Lodge (which should price out the lowest of those available near MK). You could also price out a bungalow at the Poly, but that will be, by far, the most expensive option. If available, you can book these directly through WDW, without having to go through DVC rental. You can rent DVC points as well (based on availability) and many people on these boards have done so. We just like the flexibility of booking villas with cash through WDW.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

There are also $uites at GF, Poly and Contemporary, that are not DVC villas. They are, in a word, expensive.

 

[wishes18]

Thanks y'all! Gives me a place to start researching

 

[heidijanesmith]

We have purchased through WDW for a DVC 1bd room and loved the space. They have a full fridge, dishwasher, stove and microwave. Also your own laundry, which was fantastic!

To stay in the MK area, look at 2bd room at BLT. You can walk to MK or take the monorail.

 

[Jupiter&Wolfe]

It's worth clarifying, just so you know, that while Wilderness Lodge is VERY close to MK and can be reached by boat, it is not technically a monorail resort. You will need to take a boat to Contemporary and pick up the monorail from there. If monorail is a huge priority, I would avoid Wilderness Lodge. Also, I suspect their new villas will have just opened recently when you go, which means it may book up quickly.

I don't know the financial situation your group has, but I strongly recommend at least looking into renting DVC points. I have never gone through with it, but almost did! When I priced out rental points versus just reserving through Disney, the saving were literally over a thousand dollars. More than any discount you'll ever find otherwise, which is saying a LOT because these multi room rentals are INSANELY expensive. Not sure if you've looked at the prices yet but I hope you'll be sitting down, especially since you haven't been to Disney in so long.

Also, how old are your kids? We stayed at Contemporary back in 2010 and absolutely loved it, but we were all young adults/adults by then. Some argued that their kids weren't overwhelmed by the "theme" of the resort. Apparently not enough Disney magic. My group, however, LOVED it and I am a Disney fanatic. Walking out of my room and looking down at the main concourse, you could see the monorails coming in and out, Chef Mickey's character buffet(a must do for the kids if you stay there), and the awesome Disney gift shops. Amazing views in nearly all of the rooms, lake views, theme park views, pool views. But if you want more "fun" theming, Wilderness Lodge or Polynesian might be better picks. I recommend everyone looking at pictures online of the different places, show the kids, see what looks the most exciting and fun to everyone. Then think of cost of course!

 

[wishes18]

Expense isn't necessarily the biggest deciding factor for us when looking at a resort. But it's good to know there are huge savings to be had with DVC.

Our kids will be 5y11mo and turning 2 on the trip. So pretty young. We plan on going back to the resort each day for naps, which is why I want to be close to it. And to avoid the stroller on the bus!