I apologize upfront for the long post...
I typically am in my element planning Disney trips for my family of 4 (my mom usually comes along and is happy to do whatever and stay wherever). I usually am trying to stay within a certain budget as I have 5 we're paying for. But this trip is different!
I'm taking my mom to WDW to celebrate her retirement from 45-years of nursing (she's still currently working in a university medical center ER, is at high-risk herself as a T1-diabetic who also has a pacemaker for a cardiac issue)! She is an avid cruiser and owns a condo in St. Maarten but because of covid, has not been able to cruise or visit her condo. So she decided she'd like to do a girl's-only trip to WDW next spring (we're looking at end of April or mid-May so it's warm enough to swim--we Pacific Northwesterners like the heat)! Looking at renting points for studio/1-br (we're ok sharing a bed as neither of us are doing a fold-out) vs hotel side (if available). With the DVC, the question is, do we want a full kitchen vs. just the kitchenette. Background: we're both vegetarian (she will occasionally eat turkey or chicken) but I do eggs/cheese/dairy when I travel. We're both T1-diabetics.
She wants to be close enough to parks that we don't have to rely on buses for our primary transportation. We've stayed at the Contemporary before and liked it for the most part. I thought the atrium rooms were a little noisy and I didn't necessarily care for the bathroom sinks. But she really likes how retro it feels and how the monorail comes right into the hotel. I thought the pool was completely bland and desperately needed some landscaping! I think we'd like to possibly stay at Bay Lake. Walking to MK is definitely a plus! My only real drawback is that we've stayed here before. But the Wave sounded good and I had one of my best meals at California Grill (due to my dietary and food allergies, the chef came out to meet me and asked me what I liked to eat--I mentioned tofu and said a lot of the sides on the meat dishes sound really good; he made me my own 3-course meal, completely off menu). Not sure if the chefs are still able to do this with covid though? But hoping things are getting a little better next spring.
My next thought was either a regular room at the Yacht Club--the refurbished rooms look beautiful! Or one of the villas at Beach Club. I like that you can walk to Epcot and the Skyliner. The pool looks incredible and given that the water parks opening is unlikely, which we love to do, this is a great substitute! I think the location can't be beat for food options and I'm dying to try Il Mulino at the Swan! My mom also loves anything "beach-themed."
Polynesian was on my list until I heard it was going to shut down and be refurb'd
Any thoughts? If this were your mom retiring, where you stay? Normally I'd pick something out I want as DH doesn't care and we tell the kids that if there's no input they can suck it up, buttercup! But this is different! I want this to be special!! It's hard for me to make any decisions as for what kind of special dinner plans to make with everything so up in the air (e.g. would loved to have done V&A but who knows when that's returning)
I typically am in my element planning Disney trips for my family of 4 (my mom usually comes along and is happy to do whatever and stay wherever). I usually am trying to stay within a certain budget as I have 5 we're paying for. But this trip is different!
I'm taking my mom to WDW to celebrate her retirement from 45-years of nursing (she's still currently working in a university medical center ER, is at high-risk herself as a T1-diabetic who also has a pacemaker for a cardiac issue)! She is an avid cruiser and owns a condo in St. Maarten but because of covid, has not been able to cruise or visit her condo. So she decided she'd like to do a girl's-only trip to WDW next spring (we're looking at end of April or mid-May so it's warm enough to swim--we Pacific Northwesterners like the heat)! Looking at renting points for studio/1-br (we're ok sharing a bed as neither of us are doing a fold-out) vs hotel side (if available). With the DVC, the question is, do we want a full kitchen vs. just the kitchenette. Background: we're both vegetarian (she will occasionally eat turkey or chicken) but I do eggs/cheese/dairy when I travel. We're both T1-diabetics.
She wants to be close enough to parks that we don't have to rely on buses for our primary transportation. We've stayed at the Contemporary before and liked it for the most part. I thought the atrium rooms were a little noisy and I didn't necessarily care for the bathroom sinks. But she really likes how retro it feels and how the monorail comes right into the hotel. I thought the pool was completely bland and desperately needed some landscaping! I think we'd like to possibly stay at Bay Lake. Walking to MK is definitely a plus! My only real drawback is that we've stayed here before. But the Wave sounded good and I had one of my best meals at California Grill (due to my dietary and food allergies, the chef came out to meet me and asked me what I liked to eat--I mentioned tofu and said a lot of the sides on the meat dishes sound really good; he made me my own 3-course meal, completely off menu). Not sure if the chefs are still able to do this with covid though? But hoping things are getting a little better next spring.
My next thought was either a regular room at the Yacht Club--the refurbished rooms look beautiful! Or one of the villas at Beach Club. I like that you can walk to Epcot and the Skyliner. The pool looks incredible and given that the water parks opening is unlikely, which we love to do, this is a great substitute! I think the location can't be beat for food options and I'm dying to try Il Mulino at the Swan! My mom also loves anything "beach-themed."
Polynesian was on my list until I heard it was going to shut down and be refurb'd
Any thoughts? If this were your mom retiring, where you stay? Normally I'd pick something out I want as DH doesn't care and we tell the kids that if there's no input they can suck it up, buttercup! But this is different! I want this to be special!! It's hard for me to make any decisions as for what kind of special dinner plans to make with everything so up in the air (e.g. would loved to have done V&A but who knows when that's returning)
