Is it just me or are the AoA suites not very functional?

[I_heart_Tigger]

For a family of 3 or more to stay at the AoA suites it seems like the room is not very functional. At the end of the day suppose the young kids need to go to bed but the parents don't. That means you have to put the kids in the master bedroom and the parents can stay up and use the rest of the living space.

Then when the parents go to bed they can either sleep on the dining room table/bed or the living room sofa bed or they have to take the kids from the master bedroom and put them in one of the other beds.

It seems like a great layout if you are a couple with no children but I don't find it very useful for a family unless I'm missing something?

 

[DVCOwner]

It's one of the reasons I loved our stay at the treehouse villas. We went with a group of 6 adults and one child but with 3 separate bedrooms and the living room I found it more functional than the traditional layout you're describing. more functional even than when we stayed in the big king kamehameha suite at the poly (although for location and overall sheer size and stunning views etc this room was amazing don't get me wrong) but at the prices you pay for AoA for a little the treehouse we all had an actual separate room so for us it was worth it. but we also had a 35% discount offer so the price was good for that size party to be together plus have a full kitchen, grill, and the ability to park our car right at the treehouse.

Like I said, that is DVC not a value resort. People staying at the value resorts want the lowest cost for the number of people staying and the new suites provides this for some families vs. two rooms at another value resort.

 

[EvilQueen-T]

Like I said, that is DVC not a value resort. People staying at the value resorts want the lowest cost for the number of people staying and the new suites provides this for some families vs. two rooms at another value resort.

yes, it's a dvc but we're not dvc members either. but i guess i really didn't make my point clear. i really only meant that rooms like the ones at treehouse (when you can get them with a discount) aren't separate like getting a couple different regular hotel rooms they're like a house...and with the discount it wasn't much more than the price tag on the AoA rack rate is all I was getting at. I'm always afraid of booking two rooms when I travel with two adults and a bunch of kids...but that's just me.

 

[I_heart_Tigger]

Like I said, that is DVC not a value resort. People staying at the value resorts want the lowest cost for the number of people staying and the new suites provides this for some families vs. two rooms at another value resort.

Actually the new suites are priced much higher than getting two Value rooms. You could get 3 standard rooms sleeping 12 guests for around the same rate as the suites which can sleep 6 guests.

 

[UberPlannerMom]

You're kids must be really light sleepers. I could see it being an issue for the first hour they are asleep but after that my kids are in a sleep cycle and my tiptoeing to grab an orange is not going to wake them. Besides, I'd rather have the privacy for hubby and I than for the kids. But then I am pregnant with a 4th kid so don't take my advice there! :lookaroun Anyway, in the mornings I usually have to start really banging stuff around to get the kids to start to process that it's daytime so that I can wake them up sweetly.

 

[Uncle Lupe]

You're kids must be really light sleepers. I could see it being an issue for the first hour they are asleep but after that my kids are in a sleep cycle and my tiptoeing to grab an orange is not going to wake them. Besides, I'd rather have the privacy for hubby and I than for the kids. But then I am pregnant with a 4th kid so don't take my advice there! :lookaroun Anyway, in the mornings I usually have to start really banging stuff around to get the kids to start to process that it's daytime so that I can wake them up sweetly.

Maybe no doors would be a good option for you. :lol:

My kid sleeps like a rock. We live a few hundred feet from a freight rail line that runs through the town. They have to blare their horns and she sleeps right through those. Unless you make a lot of noise kids can be hard to wake up. Use a flashlight or headlight so that you do not use any bright lights to wake others.

 

[WorkingMom]

We're just back from AoA. Due to jobs, kids, commitments, and that pesky thing called a budget, we don't get to WDW as often as we'd like - on average every 4-5 years. WIth the oldest about to leave for college, this was our last big family trip. We're also the type of family who spends at least 10 hours in each park each day in order to hit all the rides, parades, and shows we want to see. All that said, we found the AoA family suite to be the perfect fit for our family of 5. There was no issue with sleeping kids - mine don't wake up when I check on them at night to pull up kicked off covers, etc. so walking into the living/dining area when they were sleeping didn't cause a problem. At night, Hubby and I finished getting ready for bed in our own bathroom/bedroom after they'd gone to bed. The kitchenette was perfect to fix breakfasts (saving some bucks; lunch/dinner were on the free food plan). We even went over to SSR for the DVC presentation, and I was shocked to see some of their one-bedroom layouts provided LESS sleeping space for a family of 5 (1 queen, 1 full sofa bed, 1 chair sleeper (smaller than a twin) versus 1 queen and 2 full convertables).

On the downside, we did notice a difference between AoA and POR (our last stay) in terms of quality of Cast Members' attentiveness. Issues with bags coming up to room, bus stops further away, front desk responses to questions, few other areas - Hubby thinks it's due to value versus moderate, I hope it's due to being 5 years after our last stay (customer service everywhere is worse than 5 years ago) and also we arrived on Thanksgiving weekend, when all the experienced folks would have been able to take time off and let the newbies cover.

 

[Wojciehowicz]

Hubby thinks it's due to value versus moderate

Nahh, there are good and not so good CMs at all locations.

we arrived on Thanksgiving weekend, when all the experienced folks would have been able to take time off and let the newbies cover.

Scheduling at WDW resorts doesn't work that way.

 

[Master Yoda]

On the downside, we did notice a difference between AoA and POR (our last stay) in terms of quality of Cast Members' attentiveness. Issues with bags coming up to room, bus stops further away, front desk responses to questions, few other areas - Hubby thinks it's due to value versus moderate, I hope it's due to being 5 years after our last stay (customer service everywhere is worse than 5 years ago) and also we arrived on Thanksgiving weekend, when all the experienced folks would have been able to take time off and let the newbies cover.

I have stayed at nearly every resort on property and have never noticed a difference in the quality of the cast regardless of whether I was at a value or at club level at a deluxe. Where I have noticed a difference is the way the resorts are set up and staffed. The moderate and deluxe resorts are simply set up and staffed a little better because a higher price resort can and is expected to be. At a value resort you typically take your own bags to your room so there is not a large bell service staff available. The moderate resorts can also put in multiple bus stops to ease that long walk if you get stuck at the back of a value resort. Lastly, being there during one of the busiest times of the year never seems to help. Things just seem to get done so much quicker when a resort is operating at 80% capacity vs 100%.

Like you stated, AoA is a great resort. We stayed there last weekend and the room layout of the suites is much better than the ones at the All Stars and many of the studios at the DVC resorts. The food court was great and the theming of the grounds was so much more immersive and complete than the other values.

 

[Wojciehowicz]

The moderate resorts can also put in multiple bus stops to ease that long walk if you get stuck at the back of a value resort.

That's very true and it's a nice feature.
The down side is guests complaining about having to make so many stops before they get to their stop or that they have to make so many stops before heading to the parks.
A best example of that is the CBR with a total of 7 stops. Eight if you're riding the internal bus.

 

[Hot Lava]

I am brand new to the site. Looking to maybe get a trip to WDW in the fall and I am now obsessively trolling these forums.

Anyway, I have been looking at the AoA suites, but I have one major issue. Since the kid's bed is out in the living room, how is that safe? If the adults need to pack themselves away in the bedroom to let the little on sleep earlier, I would worry about my kid being out in the living area.

What is the verdict on this? To me, this is the aspect that seems the least functional for these rooms.

 

[Master Yoda]

I am brand new to the site. Looking to maybe get a trip to WDW in the fall and I am now obsessively trolling these forums.

Anyway, I have been looking at the AoA suites, but I have one major issue. Since the kid's bed is out in the living room, how is that safe? If the adults need to pack themselves away in the bedroom to let the little on sleep earlier, I would worry about my kid being out in the living area.

What is the verdict on this? To me, this is the aspect that seems the least functional for these rooms.

How would it be any different than the kids sleeping in their own room?

 

[Lightning McQueen]

A cars themed room may win over practicality for me! but there again i don't have kids to worry about....

 

[Gabe1]

We have stayed at POR around half of our visits. What we started doing for our longer trips when kids stopped just crashing from exhaustion was to get two rooms. We still had two bathrooms, they had their own "real" bed, everyone had a chair and the quality of beds and furniture was great. In the mornings DH and I would each take a bathroom, then wake a kid and they'd each take a bathroom, it was very efficient. We didn't require a couch or cooking abilities, I was on vacation.

 

[bethymouse]

Well- ASM Family Suites fit 6 fairly comfortably. My Mom & Dad had the bedroom. The little kitchenette was nice. My hubby, 2 small boys ( age 3) and I had the "living room. We even fit two scooters into the suite. It was a bit cramped, but doable.
I am assuming Aof A suites are similar to this set up. It's still quite expensive though IMHO.
The Cabins are a great alternative, but still not a "value" price. it's a moderate. However, even though Aof A is in the "value" priced category, it's really not. The Little Mermaid section are not suites, and those are value priced, but not very large.

 

[luv]

They're Value motels. Ridiculously priced, but still "Value" places.

If you want a living room, master suite, room for kids, two bathrooms, a kitchen, dining area, washer/dryer and private balcony, you can get that by adding 5 minutes to your drive.

And it will cost you half of the AoA "suites."

Lots of space, nicer, cheaper cost...but it isn't the Disney Bubble. If you want the bubble, suck it up.

 

[MaryJaneP]

Actually I think my family would be better off with separate rooms...in different buildings...at different resorts...maybe I can stick some of them off property :lookaroun:lol:

in different states?

 

[erstwo]

I understand what you are saying, but, as others have noted, the layout of AoA suites is industry standard - par for the course, so to speak - in one bedroom suite design.
When my children were very young, we were those freakish parents who never, every took them off of their schedule for any reason. Including their 7pm bedtime , so it was 1 bedroom suites for us when we traveled. I've stayed in many of them - Embassy Suites, Homewood Suites, Residence Inn, etc. - and they all pretty much have the same layout. We were always stuck with the option of putting the kid(s) in a pack n play in the closed off bedroom, but having to all sleep in the same room all night (typically what we chose to do) or let them go to sleep in the 'big' room - living room/ kitchen area - and be stuck in the bedroom all night. It's not an ideal situation, but as others have noted, any other design would be a 2 bedroom suite, not a 1 bedroom - which would increase the price.
I understand the security worry as well. When our kids were big enough to get out of bed by themselves, but small enough that they might wander off if we didn't hear them wake up, we would always put a chair in front of the door to be sure they couldn't open the door without our help. It's also what we did when we had two adjoining rooms - blocked the door of their room. Now they are old enough that they wouldn't leave the room without telling us, which is awesome - one less thing to worry about!

 

[Club Cooloholic]

I can't see how you would make it better. There are usually regulations where there needs to windows ect in a room, so you can't wall off the kitchen area from the bed area. Just move the kids I guess!

 

[Gabe1]

Actually the new suites are priced much higher than getting two Value rooms. You could get 3 standard rooms sleeping 12 guests for around the same rate as the suites which can sleep 6 guests.

The Uni suites are supposed to be cheaper than AoA, I think 1800 suites coming online. If I am looking correctly only one bath? That's a killer. When we stayed at POR when kids were really small we requested a room near a quite pool, as they had restrooms there.

 

[luv]

The Uni suites are supposed to be cheaper than AoA, I think 1800 suites coming online. If I am looking correctly only one bath? That's a killer. When we stayed at POR when kids were really small we requested a room near a quite pool, as they had restrooms there.

im very eager to see those. I bet Uni will do a better job than WDW.