WWYD? Values, POR or something else?

[lucifie]

We're a family of 6 - me, DH, DD(9), DD(7), DS(4) an DD(2) at the time of travel. We're planning to go to WDW in late January 2013. We're trying to find rooms that will accommodate all of us. Right now it seems like it's between All-Star Music, POR and maybe Art of Animation. It seems like anything else that might accommodate all of us would be a lot more expensive.

From what I can tell the values are small, but they have two bathrooms and separate sleeping areas. The two bathrooms would be nice, mostly for when we're bathing the kids, but I think we would be OK with only one. I've read that the buses can be a hassle and they're kind of out of the way. The new Art of Animation looks like it would be fun, but it hasn't opened yet and I've heard that it will be less likely to get discounts there because it's new.

POR sounds like it's a fairly convenient location, but they only have one bathroom and it seems like it will be a little cramped for all of us.

It seems like we could get a better hotel price off-site, but considering we want to do some character meals and maybe one or two of the nicer sit-down restaurants, it seems like it would be almost as expensive to stay off-site and pay OOP for the meals as it would to stay on-site and use a dining plan. We're hoping a free dining offer will come up before we go.

This will be our first trip to WDW as a family. Our oldest DD has special needs. We're most concerned about her mobility, especially her endurance, so we'll probably rent a wheelchair or adaptive stroller.

WWYD? We'd like to stay at a Disney resort, but we're willing to consider all options.

 

[Sue M]

you're right, there's little available that's not expensive for family of 5.
The family suites at the values, will give you a little more room.

We love POR, and they will accom. 5. Your 2 yr old doesn't count for room occup. You would be in the Alligator Bayou section, 2 queens, and a murphy bed. Plus a pack & play for the 2yr old. So it will be more cramped. But it's a beautiful resort. One of our favs.

There's also the Cabins at Ft. Wilderness.

More expensive are Poly or CR- they have very large rooms with 2 queens and a day bed, plus balcony. But quite a bit more pricy. At CR the Garden wing is less then the tower.

I would stay on site. It's a totally different experience then off site. Plus you get all the perks of staying on site. Very easy to go back to hotel for a mid day break. Extra Magic Hours, parcel delivery, transportation, and airport service too.

You can go to Guest Service at WDW and get a GAC pass for your daughter. This will help you.

I'd do some research and pick up a guide book. I like WDW - The Unofficial Guide, chock full of helpful info.

If you do think about staying off site, The Double tree in DTD has large 1 bedroom suites. We stayed there for 1 night before transferring to POR for our Package. It was very nice. 2 queen beds in bedroom, and a pull out in living room. 2 flat screen tvs. Large bathroom and change area. A dining table & chairs, sink, fridge & microwave. We got it for $89/night incl. free continental breakfast thru a discount on Mousesavers.com
The DTD area hotels have their own bus service that runs every 30 min.
They go to the off site bus drop off, a bit further away from the WDW bus stops, and for MK they drop you at the TTC, where you have to take a boat or monorail to MK. The WDW busses take you directly to MK.

Have fun planning.

 

[lucifie]

Thanks! I've been having fun reading all about WDW since it's been so long since I was here and I've never done it with kids. Right now where to stay seems like the biggest decision we need to make.

 

[yellen97]

My friend who is a family of 6 (kids are big:19,15,12,8) got a great deal for 2 rooms at the Corronado Springs that was better than them squeezing into one room at the Poly and not too much more than 2 rooms at a value. They love values so they were open to every option but the Corronado was not too much more. They went last Sept when there was free dining. they really enjoyed it, and these are people that have gone to disney almost EVERY year for like the last 20 years). Have you priced out that resort?

 

[mjp12831]

It's hard being a fam of 5 (let alone 6) - what is often not considered is that in addition to an increased room cost if you get a suite, you already have increased costs of a WDW trip from travel, park tickets and eating.

I wonder if WDW is missing out on a segment of the population in that with larger families, you really need to be willing to spend $5k or more on a vacation (especially if you aren't cramming yourself into POR), so it's priced out for many. Would they pull more business if they offered progressive discounts to families with 3 or more children on park tickets and dining packages? Or gave preferred suite pricing to larger families recognizing that there are so many other increased costs for them?

POR is a tight squeese with 5, so with a 6th I'm not sure how it would work. We do make it work with our 5 because we don't spend any time in the room other than sleeping, and we don't use the bathroom for extensive prep time. If you plan to spend time at the resort or have a high maintenance bathroom family, POR is not going to work. It's the most affordable option.

 

[my3disneysons]

We have three sons, and it can make it difficult to find a room. I personally prefer staying on site, to be close to all the action and for easier transportation. We've tried several options.

First, we have split up our stay. We stayed at the Poly for a night or two, to have a larger room and the monorail for the beginning of our stay (MK and Epcot Days) and then we've moved on to the All-Star for the remainder. Sometimes if you split it up you can afford a more expensive hotel for just a night or two and then you cram together for the rest. Or reverse it.

We also found a great deal on two rooms at the Alligator Bayou section of Riverside (I still call it Dixie Landings, hard to remember the newer name) and they were connecting. This was one of our favorite economical ways to get the space we loved with a reasonable price. I liked the 2 bathrooms (one for the boys, one for ME) and 4 beds. I really like this resort because it seems so calming compared to the hustle and bustle of the parks. Sort of a break from all the activity. There are a lot of pools, also. Busing has never really been a problem for us, in all the years we've stayed there.

My favorite option, though, was a 2 bedroom suite at Key West. It was wonderful. SOOO much space in the room and privacy for mom and dad. Plus, a full kitchen made it easy to save money on food, especially when little ones only want cereal anyway. Every night, dad took the boys to the pool and I took a bubble bath. I also liked having a washer and dryer in the room to do loads whenever I felt like it. You're on vacation, but you are still a mom. It's hard to turn it off. We brought drinks and snacks and breakfast, or went to the grocery and loaded up. We still ate out every day, but if you've ever tried to feed teenage boys, you know they are nonstop eaters, especially if they are active all day! The busing wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst. Renting points for the first time was scary at first, but it turned out to be a wonderful experience and the person we rented from went out of his way to find us the perfect location. I hope to try a different DVC this year, possibly Wilderness Lodge. I'm torn, b/c I still want the space, even though our oldest is in college and probably won't be coming with us! Once you're spoiled, it's hard to go back to a small room.

Everyone will have a different opinion, but this is mine. I know lots of people really don't care about the hotel when they go on vacation (including my sister and mother) but I enjoy having room when I'm on vacation. I like putting the boys to bed and having a moment of peace and quiet for myself. I like getting up early and drinking my coffee by myself to center before starting the day. Sometimes, it's just nice to have a balcony for a moment of quiet before the day starts. Disney is a fabulous place, but it's also a noisy, loud, stimulating place. As far as I'm concerned, if I'm going to spend thousands of dollars, I want to enjoy EVERY minute of it! So, I would recommend a DVC 2 bedroom rental, a larger room at Poly(balcony and serene hotel) split with a room at the All Star, or two rooms at either Riverside or All Star. If you get a good code, you can get rooms cheap! Just my two cents. Have a wonderful trip!

 

[tink_n_pooh]

Have you considered rented points and staying in a 2 bedroom at one of the DVC resorts?

Renting points is almost always more economical than booking villas through WDW unless you get a free dining deal

 

[mama2ella]

I have no advice as I am new to all this too but I wanted to say that I LOVE your siggy picture! Your kids are adorable

 

[lucifie]

POR is a tight squeese with 5, so with a 6th I'm not sure how it would work. We do make it work with our 5 because we don't spend any time in the room other than sleeping, and we don't use the bathroom for extensive prep time. If you plan to spend time at the resort or have a high maintenance bathroom family, POR is not going to work. It's the most affordable option.

I would like to have two bathrooms, mostly so we can bathe the kids in half the time. The other issue is that we're hoping the little one will be potty trained by then. If she is, she'll be young enough that she might not be able to wait very long.

I was kind of afraid POR would be a tight squeeze because the floorplans I've seen look like normal hotel rooms and if you're adding a trundle and a crib, it seems like it would be tight. My kids are little, so they don't take up much space, but their stuff will.

 

[lucifie]

My friend who is a family of 6 (kids are big:19,15,12,8) got a great deal for 2 rooms at the Corronado Springs that was better than them squeezing into one room at the Poly and not too much more than 2 rooms at a value. They love values so they were open to every option but the Corronado was not too much more. They went last Sept when there was free dining. they really enjoyed it, and these are people that have gone to disney almost EVERY year for like the last 20 years). Have you priced out that resort?

I haven't looked into Coronado springs because I don't think they have any bigger rooms and I assumed two rooms would make it a lot more expensive. I'll check it out, though.

 

[lucifie]

I know lots of people really don't care about the hotel when they go on vacation (including my sister and mother) but I enjoy having room when I'm on vacation. I like putting the boys to bed and having a moment of peace and quiet for myself.

That's what I'm thinking, too. I'd like to have some quiet after they're in bed. Just having a separate sleeping area would mean we could have a little time to ourselves without worrying too much about waking them up. Otherwise I don't care that much about the hotel since I won't be using it for much other than sleeping. We'll play it by ear, but I don't even envision us going back to the hotel for a break without a huge fight from the kids, so we're thinking that instead we'll have our sit-down meal (at this point we're assuming we'll be getting the dining plan and we're hoping for a free dining offer) at lunch time so we can have a leisurely lunch and a chance to relax and then get a quick meal for dinner so we can get them to bed. Or if they seem to be getting tired, plan to go see a show, etc. We won't rule out going back to the hotel in the afternoon, but trying to get the kids to nap is almost a guarantee that they won't. Of course, they've never done anything like WDW, so they might welcome naps.

 

[DekrRini]

When you research staying offsite (which I don't advocate), you need to consider the cost of parking at the various parks. That adds $14/day. And staying offsite makes it harder to go back to your room for a break. Are you driving or flying to WDW? If you're flying, you'll have to rent a car to get around. Some nearby hotels say they provide free shuttle service to WDW, but it's at their convenience. If you're driving, the only added expense will be gasoline and the $14/day parking.

I crunched the numbers for myself and I actually saved money staying onsite when considering the cost of a rental car and parking fees. I'm single so it was one airline ticket so that makes a difference.

I've stayed at POP and I enjoyed it. With a family the size of yours, I wouldn't hesitate to stay in one of the family suites at a value resort. As someone mentioned previously another option is to rent/buy DVC points. You could get a good deal on a deluxe villa that way.

Whichever route you decide to take, have fun!

 

[lucifie]

When you research staying offsite (which I don't advocate), you need to consider the cost of parking at the various parks. That adds $14/day. And staying offsite makes it harder to go back to your room for a break. Are you driving or flying to WDW? If you're flying, you'll have to rent a car to get around. Some nearby hotels say they provide free shuttle service to WDW, but it's at their convenience. If you're driving, the only added expense will be gasoline and the $14/day parking.

I crunched the numbers for myself and I actually saved money staying onsite when considering the cost of a rental car and parking fees. I'm single so it was one airline ticket so that makes a difference.

I've stayed at POP and I enjoyed it. With a family the size of yours, I wouldn't hesitate to stay in one of the family suites at a value resort. As someone mentioned previously another option is to rent/buy DVC points. You could get a good deal on a deluxe villa that way.

Whichever route you decide to take, have fun!

We'll be driving so we'll have a car. Airfare would add a minimum of $1200 to the cost of our trip From my math it looks like staying off-site would be a bit less expensive than staying at a Disney resort, but if we're able to find a good discount or free dining, staying on-site would probably not be any more expensive.

 

[lucifie]

I have no advice as I am new to all this too but I wanted to say that I LOVE your siggy picture! Your kids are adorable

Thanks! I think they're pretty cute, too, but I admit I might be a little biased.