Need some planning help

[Hot Lava]

Ok, so this is kind of long and convoluted, not to mention most things really still up in the air.

My parents have never been to Disney/USF. My dad wanted to go for a major anniversary a couple years ago. But one, my mother had no real interest in going, and two, I told them it would be better to wait until my LO was older and could go and enjoy (he was an infant at the time). My plan had been to wait until LO was older, but intervening events have convinced me that we need to go this year. My dad has had a recurrence of cancer, and not in the same spots as the original. Basically the doctors have told him that he will never be cancer free again. So while he is not terminal, I do feel that we need to do the trip now, even if I think maybe my LO is still a little too young (he will enjoy, but maybe not remember). My dad is under treatment now, so I am thinking by fall he should be stronger, the crowds will be less, and hopefully the weather a little better. My mother will be on board with this trip b/c she will like going with my little one.

Ok, so my tentative plan is a few days at USF (my dad will definitely want to see HP), and then time at WDW. The first thing is where to stay at Disney.

It is my dream to stay at AKL ( Iwant to stay in a Savannah room). With my parents, maybe a 2 bdm in Kidani. But my husband it blown away by the cost (even though my plan for Sept also means it is the cheapest time of year). I agree, but I feel like this really might literally be a once in a lifetime trip. I know my husband will want to stay at the cheapest place possible. I am sick of staying at the All Star resorts. All the times I have been to Disney this is where we stayed. But I am a lot older now. Also, with my parents and especially the LO, we will not only be in the room to sleep. We will have to have an "afternoon off" schedule.

I am of the mind that the lowest I will go is a suite at AoA. My LO would love a Cars suite. Love it so much that it might be worth foregoing AKL for him to have a Cars suite.

So staying at AKL depends on a few things - how my parents also feel about the cost and whether they (my dad more) really would also like to stay there on the Savannah. And if my husband will also do it.

Also I am worried about the amount of additional walking - with staying at either AKL or AoA. I know AKL is far away. I think AoA is as well, and I know those value resorts can mean a lot of additional walking to/from bus areas. I have no way of knowing what kind of condition my dad will be in by then. What I DO know is that my mother is in terrible shape. Overweight, eats a lot of crap, and very out of shape. I am constantly at her to eat better and get some exercise. She won't really do it, and i don't believe that even the threat of the amount of walking around the parks is enough to get her to improve. Even now, I would say my dad is more capable of walking around than is my mother (bad knees also).

What are your thoughts on AoA vs AKL (besides the obvious costs)? Are the AKL villas worth it? What about the additional walking distances? Or just additional travel times to/from the resorts to parks?

I am sorry if this is convoluted; I am just trying to get this all straight in my head. I will be seeing my parents in about a month, so that is when I plan to speak with them about all this.

 

[dopeylover]

First off, I am so sorry about your father. I hope his health sustains for as long as possible. As for the transportation issue, you can rent scooters for the week. Seeing as how it seems they both have health issues, it seems smart regardless of how far away your resort is, b/c the parks alone are a lot of walking.

I don't believe you mentioned if your parents will be splitting the cost of this trip with you. If they are, a villa may be reasonable, esp. if you can land a discount. IMO, it's next to impossible to compare a Deluxe Villa and a Value. I would try for the AKL since it seems to be a once in a lifetime thing, and since you also mentioned you will be spending a lot of time at the hotel, you will really get to soak up the hotel and the experience. I was told by a friend who sears by AKL not to bother with the extra or getting a Savannah view. There are SO many posts set up in the hotel to view the animals, it wasn't really worth the cost to them. Also, the restaurants at AKL are phenomenal.

As for the Cars Suite, you said yourself you don't know how much your LO will remember this, so I'd skip that until he can really really enjoy it. We took our daughter when she was a week shy of a year, and although I think she enjoyed herself and got a lot out of the experience, there was a lot I was dying to do with her, but knew I should save the money and experience for when she and I both could enjoy it fully.

Whatever you choose, I hope you enjoy the time with your family.

 

[RedDad]

First of all, don't worry about you kid being too young. We took our youngest at age 14 months and it was an awesome trip! I would, however encourage you to stay at a resort that you will enjoy spending time in, because going with a young child is difficult unless you plan for time at the resort for naps and resting. This becomes much easier the closer you stay to the parks.

I would recommend looking into the Wilderness Lodge. It's the most reasonable of the deluxe resorts, and you're just a boat ride away from MK. If you go in the fall, you may also be able to get a discount on the room (I think we paid around $250/night for a standard room). We stayed there with our little one for her first trip, and it was perfect. We planned for one of the adults to return to the resort each day after lunch to allow her to nap, and it made a big difference. Some of our friends just went with a large group, including their little one under 2, and stayed in a WL villa and they loved it as well.

We've also stayed at AKL with a savanna view and it's fun, but I would prefer to be closer to the parks with a little one. The deluxe resorts are also generally smaller, so less walking for everyone. You'd be fine at AoA as well, but if you can talk your hubby into the deluxe (maybe split costs with your parents?) it's definitely the way to go.

 

[dopeylover]

Also, you may be able to get away with a regular room at AKL and not a Villa and save some money there. I think they charge a fee if there are 4 adults in the room (I think the max they like is 3), but it may still be more reasonable than a Villa. Double check on the occupancy though. If memory serves, when we went to CBR in 2011, it was myself, my DH, my Mom, my 18 yr. old sister, and my LO, and I believe we were charged like $30 or something b/c there was 4 adults in the room. We got LO a pack and play from CBR, and despite tight shower schedules, we were all comfy, and that was in a Mod.

 

[Weather_Lady]

How long do you have to plan? You could look into renting dvc points and staying in a dvc villa: this may allow you to stay in a better, larger room at AKL for less than you'd pay otherwise. I can't speak about the walking from AK personally, but I know the bus rides from there to anywhere except the Animal Kingdom will take longer. Still, it's air-conditioned!

If you are concerned about walking distances and cost, an alternative might be getting connecting standard rooms at a more compact resort (e.g, Port Orleans French Quarter), or paying for a "preferred" room (they are typically preferred because they are close to transportation) at a value or moderate resort of your choice.

Regardless of where you stay, walking is always a big part of a Disney parks vacation. You may want to consider renting an ECV for your Dad to use when he needs it. There are a number of rental places that will deliver to your resort and pick it up from there when you're done.

I sympathize with your position. Several years ago we took "one last trip" to WDW with my parents, knowing it would be my mother's last time. To us, just staying at a moderate was a splurge, so that's what we did (we chose Coronado Springs -- it's ridiculously spread out, but we were very close to a bus depot and didn't need to go to the main building except to check in and out). We had connecting rooms and we'd keep the door between them open so it felt like one big room, and Mom and I got to have our morning coffee together and say our Walton-family style goodnights. It was a truly spectacular vacation and we made so many wonderful memories. I have never regretted that we did it, or a penny that we spent -- only that we didn't do it sooner, and/or more times.

 

[dopeylover]

Also, in my experience, it's easier to call WDW and have a CM do quotes for you rather than fiddling around the website yourself. Call, explain your situation, and I swear a good CM will do everything they can to get you the best price and accommodations you can afford. The great thing I find about Disney and speaking to them personally is that they really just want you to get the vacation YOU want, and I have never ever had them try to upsell me or try to get me into something I wasn't interested in (well, expect when you even whisper being interested in DVC, lol). When we did our family trip in 2011, it was a 'thank you' to my Mom and sister, who went above and beyond in helping us through a difficult pregnancy and delivery. My mom took off 2 1/2 weeks after I had my daughter and helped us morning til bedtime! We had some airline credits and whatnot, but cost was still a concern to us. I called and spoke to a CM several times before our trip, and each time they gave me the best advice and made adjustments when necessary to make sure we were getting the best bang for our buck.

Sorry to hijack your thread, I just get excited helping people plan and like to make a dollar stretch as much as possible.

 

[RedDad]

FYI - We also had 5 people on our trip to WL (Me, DW, MIL, DD12 and DD14mo) and were fine staying in one room - and WL has the smallest rooms of the deluxe resorts! So you may be able to stay at one of the nicer hotels with larger rooms for about the same as a AoA suite if you think you can swing one room - especially if you can get a 30% discount.

 

[Hot Lava]

Also, you may be able to get away with a regular room at AKL and not a Villa and save some money there. I think they charge a fee if there are 4 adults in the room (I think the max they like is 3), but it may still be more reasonable than a Villa. Double check on the occupancy though. If memory serves, when we went to CBR in 2011, it was myself, my DH, my Mom, my 18 yr. old sister, and my LO, and I believe we were charged like $30 or something b/c there was 4 adults in the room. We got LO a pack and play from CBR, and despite tight shower schedules, we were all comfy, and that was in a Mod.

One room is absolutely not an option. First, for space reasons. But also, both my parents snore constantly and loudly. My husband's intermittent snoring is bad enough. Except in dire circumstances, I cannot share a room with my parents. I would definitely stay in the cheapest rooms if that were they only way we could have separate rooms. Staying in the same room as my parents is no sleep and I would most likely have a mental breakdown at some point b/c of it. No one likes a crabby mommy! And that is not even the effect it would have on the husband and child!

I only thought the 2bdm at Kidani b/c we would have separate bdms plus a living area, extra bathroom, and a W/D. And from what I could see with cost on the website, it was the same or cheaper to get the 2 bdm than separate rooms.

Sorry to hijack your thread, I just get excited helping people plan and like to make a dollar stretch as much as possible.

You absolutely have not hijacked. I am a person who likes to have all possible info!

 

[bethymouse]

My parents, hubby & I, 2 3 year old boys stayed comfortably in an All Star Music Suite in 2007: PLUS both my parents had ECVs in the living room area! Aof A suites are similar, but may be a bit larger. Unfortunately walking is the name of the game, but you can ask for a "preferred" room close to the food area and pool. No matter what, I'm sure you'll enjoy your trip w/ your family!

 

[Disvillain63]

How long do you have to plan? You could look into renting dvc points and staying in a dvc villa: this may allow you to stay in a better, larger room at AKL for less than you'd pay otherwise. I can't speak about the walking from AK personally, but I know the bus rides from there to anywhere except the Animal Kingdom will take longer. Still, it's air-conditioned!

If you are concerned about walking distances and cost, an alternative might be getting connecting standard rooms at a more compact resort (e.g, Port Orleans French Quarter), or paying for a "preferred" room (they are typically preferred because they are close to transportation) at a value or moderate resort of your choice.

Regardless of where you stay, walking is always a big part of a Disney parks vacation. You may want to consider renting an ECV for your Dad to use when he needs it. There are a number of rental places that will deliver to your resort and pick it up from there when you're done.

I sympathize with your position. Several years ago we took "one last trip" to WDW with my parents, knowing it would be my mother's last time. To us, just staying at a moderate was a splurge, so that's what we did (we chose Coronado Springs -- it's ridiculously spread out, but we were very close to a bus depot and didn't need to go to the main building except to check in and out). We had connecting rooms and we'd keep the door between them open so it felt like one big room, and Mom and I got to have our morning coffee together and say our Walton-family style goodnights. It was a truly spectacular vacation and we made so many wonderful memories. I have never regretted that we did it, or a penny that we spent -- only that we didn't do it sooner, and/or more times.

I agree with the renting dvc points. You can rent points and the cost of the 2 bdr may be less than half.

 

[Hot Lava]

My parents, hubby & I, 2 3 year old boys stayed comfortably in an All Star Music Suite in 2007: PLUS both my parents had ECVs in the living room area!

Holy Moly, you are a trooper! Just hearing about your 3 young boys makes me tired! You must have the patience of the Dalai Lama.

As for the transportation issue, you can rent scooters for the week.

Can you get tandem scooters, like the strollers? In particular, an inline tandem?

As for the walking, my dad might be willing to use a scooter at least part of the time. He has been willing to use the wheelchair service the last several times at the airport. My mother, will not. She will see it as defeat, or pathetic, even though she won't do anything to get in better health and physical shape. This is an ongoing battle with her...losing on my part.
I don't want to be mean to her, but it will be keep up or be left behind. She doesn't want to put any effort into being able to get around better, she will suffer the consequences. If she sleeps in, then she either catches up or stays behind that segment. And I will be very frank about this when we discuss the trip. If we go in the fall, she will essentially have 5-6 months to do something. That is a lot of time to increase stamina and lose weight.

This trip will more center on my dad and my son, so I will not have them missing anything b/c we are constantly waiting on her. There will be a lot of opportunities for sitting on her part. She doesn't like rides, so when the hubby and I want to ride the big rides, she will be sitting down for that. I am also thinking a nice sit down lunch/dinner or two with her and/or my dad. As I said before, this trip will not be the nonstop open-to-close my husband and I used to do. But there will still be a lot of walking and we will be starting out first thing.

 

[luv]

Is an LO a human? It sounds like a human, maybe a child...but I can't for the life of me figure it out. Is it a pet?

It can't be a pet. It has to be a kid, right? Larry Oliver? Lightening Oneida?

 

[Hot Lava]

Is an LO a human? It sounds like a human, maybe a child...but I can't for the life of me figure it out. Is it a pet?

LO= Little One

 

[luv]

LO= Little One

Oh.

Never mind.

I hope you get to go to AKL. I think it's great. It's my favorite. But not "worth" dipping into the college fund great.

 

[Hot Lava]

Oh.

Never mind.

I hope you get to go to AKL. I think it's great. It's my favorite. But not "worth" dipping into the college fund great

Sorry, I have no cool story for you for the acronym. I am boring. Although right now, he would be in heaven if his name was Lightning.

 

[luv]

Sorry, I have no cool story for you for the acronym. I am boring. Although right now, he would be in heaven if his name was Lightning.

I'm just glad it wasn't a pet and you thought it would prefer a Cars theme to an AKL theme, lol.

 

[Hot Lava]

Hot Lava said: ↑​

Sorry, I have no cool story for you for the acronym. I am boring. Although right now, he would be in heaven if his name was Lightning.​

I'm just glad it wasn't a pet and you thought it would prefer a Cars theme to an AKL theme, lol.

LMAO! Clearly you also know people that are completely like that about a pet! Definitely not me!

 

[moonwishes2013]

We just stayed at AOA in a Cars suite, 3-adults & 1-5yr old. I asked for building 1 because it looked on the map to be the closest to the bus stops, ect ect. We were put in building 3 & 3rd floor, it was not a long walk & the room was great, we had plenty of space. 1 adult slept on the couch that turned into a bed, she said that the bed was okay, she had slept in worse. My DH, DD & I shared the queen bed, I had asked for bed rails, so she (DD) could sleep by herself but they were not to my liking, they looked dirty, stained, so I just put her into bed with us, which she just loved. They really should put a king bed in that room, it is plenty of room for one. This resort does not share buses with another resort which is a plus. There is alot of walking, one of our party had to stay at the resort one day because of swollen legs.
They are only offering a 15% discount on those suites, so you might get a better deal at the AKL, that is what I am looking at for our next trip.

Your family will be in our prayers!

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Hi there.

A few years ago, we went with friends who had an elderly parent with them. A scooter, while difficult to get on the bus with, ensured that she had a much better time. That may be a consideration.

I would say try to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Since you will be back at the room, I'm sure your parents will enjoy the animals more. Animal Kingdom Lodge is someplace where you can stay back and just sort of chill if you need to. The pool area is also really nice. You may want to consider buying into DVC. It will save you money down the road, and the DVC resorts are nicer than at All Star. I'd recommend Jambo House over Kidani village. To me, it's nicer, and the 1 bedrooms sleep up to five people, so this should help with the cost. And since you have a little one, it wouldn't be a huge spacing issue. You'd still have the benefit of the kitchen as well. Even if you don't get the Savanna view, the Savannas are easy enough to get to. This is why I also recommend Jambo House: Less walking overall.

Especially with your father having an illness that may make this your only trip, I'd recommend splurging. Maybe your parents could chip in a bit since they'd be staying with you and not by themselves.

I hope this helps!

 

[ladydi]

I'm so sorry to hear about your dad. I went through the same process a year and a half ago. I would definitely recommend getting a scooter for your dad. My dad was relatively strong when we went but wouldn't have gotten through the day without the scooter. The times that he felt good enough to walk, mom jumped in the scooter to give her feet a break. It worked out very well for us.

We stayed at Coronado and loved it. However, with a LO, you may want to stay closer to the parks so you can get back to the resort quicker. I'd go with Wilderness or garden view Contempory if it's in your budget.

It's a difficult journey but the memories of my dad with my kids are with me forever. God bless.