3rd trip in 3 years, I WIN!!!!

[DaddyDisneyMan]

I cant believe I am writing this!!! I think I have officially turned my wife into a Disney lover. We just returned from out 2nd trip in as many years (this was not the best trip to say the least, our little guy was sick for most of the trip). I think i have just convinced the wifey to make it a 3rd trip this upcoming March/April. We have stayed at Pop Century the last two times and now I think its time to bump it up a notch. I explained to her that we will not hit the parks like crazy, we will take time to enjoy the scenery and relax a bit this upcoming trip. I plan on having 6 full days of fun this time, not including the first and last day for traveling. I told her that we will ONLY do 4 days of parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot and maybe HS) with the other 2 days strictly being pool and spa/relax time. I am 99.99999% she's in! Oh, one last thing, my mother-in-law wants to come. No complaints here, she is a great lady and I am more than happy to show her around WDW and she has never been. We have driven the last 2 times, but this time, we want to fly. With that being said...

What are you suggestions for a moderate/deluxe resort that will hold 3 adults & 2 kiddos(6 &3) and what are your suggestions for getting the best deal on flights, its been so long since we've flown (Detroit to Orlando).

 

[englanddg]

Outside of Deluxe options, for comfort, I would do two rooms and split the kids with your MIL.

Either that or aim for a family suite at AoA?

 

[Mr Morrow]

You my friend, are a very lucky man

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

Moderate... the cabins at fort wilderness

 

[RedDad]

Good decision to slow down and enjoy one of the nicer resorts! I think POR has rooms with occupancy up to 5? We've never stayed there, but we did a very similar trip a few years ago - took the mother in law and our 2 kids and stayed at WL. (Our youngest was still in a pack-n-play at the time, so I don't think your crew would work there) We chose that resort because we intended to spend time at the pool, and we were not disappointed. To this day it is our favorite resort.

The cabins may be a good option, but you may also look into renting points and staying in a 1-Br villa at one of the DVC resorts. You can save quite a bit of money that way, but typically have to pay up front and can't make changes later.

 

[SMS55]

Make sure you check the calendar to see when Easter is and avoid Easter week like the plague. The crowds are considered "holiday crowds." The parks will be full. This past Easter there were some park closures because of crowds.

 

[Lucyred]

I loved PORS when we stayed there but not sure if they can accommodate all of you. I'ms sure someone else can answer.

As for flying from DTW....SPIRIT....for us they are the cheapest and we've done it the last 5 years now. Sign up to receive their emails now, you'll get them pretty much daily. If you see flights that are about $80 or less each way, I'd jump on them. I am looking for cheap flight in June or August just to back to visit with family. Hopefully I'll get something.

Congrats on going back again!

 

[pixiesteno]

I would definitely recommend the cabins for your group. You have a double bed in the bedroom with bunks and a folding murphy bed in the living area for sleeping up to six. You have a full kitchen and dining/room area, full bathroom, a deck with a charcoal grill. A driveway if you were to reconsider the flying. There are many wonderful activities at Fort Wilderness for the family to do boating, tennis, horseshoes, tetherball, basketball hoops, petting zoo, wagon rides, nightly campfire and movie, two pools, beach, marina, biking, etc. It is a great place to relax and have a good time.

 

[boilerpicc]

Congrats on turning your spouse into a Disney fan! It took me a long time to convert my husband. He is from central Florida and never wanted to "go see the rat." After 9 long years, he is possibly a bigger Disney geek than me now.

POR has always been my favorite moderate. The grounds are gorgeous, the pool is great, you can take a boat to DD, and you can rent bikes and ride all over the place. It was my favorite place to stay as a kid. We only ever tried to put 4 people in a room there, so I don't know if you guys would fit. Can your 3 year old still sleep in a pack and play? Or maybe you can get a rollaway bed or something?

Kayak.com has always been my go to for finding plane flights. However, that site does not search Southwest, AirTran, or Spirit. My recommendation is to open 4 tabs in your browser for kayak.com, southwest.com, airtran.com, and spiritair.com. Then just go with whichever one has the cheapest flights at the best times. Also, be sure to take advantage of the Magical Express. In my opinion, it is a fantastic service. I love not having to wait for bags and a rental car. So you won't have your bags immediately upon arrival at the resort, but you can just pack whatever you need immediately in your carry-on.

 

[DaddyDisneyMan]

Congrats on turning your spouse into a Disney fan! It took me a long time to convert my husband. He is from central Florida and never wanted to "go see the rat." After 9 long years, he is possibly a bigger Disney geek than me now.

POR has always been my favorite moderate. The grounds are gorgeous, the pool is great, you can take a boat to DD, and you can rent bikes and ride all over the place. It was my favorite place to stay as a kid. We only ever tried to put 4 people in a room there, so I don't know if you guys would fit. Can your 3 year old still sleep in a pack and play? Or maybe you can get a rollaway bed or something?

Kayak.com has always been my go to for finding plane flights. However, that site does not search Southwest, AirTran, or Spirit. My recommendation is to open 4 tabs in your browser for kayak.com, southwest.com, airtran.com, and spiritair.com. Then just go with whichever one has the cheapest flights at the best times. Also, be sure to take advantage of the Magical Express. In my opinion, it is a fantastic service. I love not having to wait for bags and a rental car. So you won't have your bags immediately upon arrival at the resort, but you can just pack whatever you need immediately in your carry-on.

Thank you for the input. I'm leaning towards POR or CBR, we stayed at POR as a kid and I LOVED it. I'm up in the air for my deluxe options, I just want it to be perfect if I'm going to be shelling out the extra $$. AKL seems like an awesome option. I'm thinking the 3 year old will end up sleeping in our bed as that's what he does at home lol. Then my oldest and mother in law can sleep in the other. Thank you for the suggestion on the flights as well.

Thank you to everyone that has responded. I know I can always count on my WDW friends for a helping hand!!!