Where to stay

[jdwhappygrl]

My family(which consists of my parents, my 11 year old nephew, me and my husband and our 1 & 2 year old) are planning to go to Disney World Sept 28th. We are debating on where to stay - onsite or offsite. One of the main reasons I want to stay offsite it because we have small children and they are not always quiet and need room to roam, and I wouldn't mind having our own personal pool. BUT if we stay onsite we don't have to worry about driving, or keeping up with each other to go back to the room. BUT with small children we need a little room, and I'm not sure if the All-Star hotel rooms have it?????? We usually have to put our 1 year old in a play pen in the bathroom so he has a little more quietness. The houses are cheaper, but I don't know if it's worth it????? Any one who is familiar with the houses vs. the All-star hotels or another reasonably prices onsite hotel, please share your opinion. I would be most appreciative!

 

[JBSLJames]

Just a thought, but you may try the cabins at the Fort Wilderness Resort Area. . .More room I've been told. We are doing the Carribean Beach Resort and I have heard that there rooms are the largest of the Moderates. We'll see.

 

[tigsmom]

I'm going to vote for staying on site. It is much more convenient late in the evening when everyone is tired more so than in the morning. You would only have to wait for transportation once instead of 2 or more times & then driving.
And the grandparents could head back for rest (with or without the kids) if needed. Maybe they could watch the kids while ytou & your hubby have a romantic "grown up's dinner"
If you need more room try to get 2 adjoining rooms in the AllStars. You could open the doors & the kids could roam between them without going into the hallway. Don't worry about the kids being noisy (within reason), all kids are...and some adults, too. As long as its not 5 am or midnight I don't think there is too much of a problem.

Judd had a good idea about the cabins in WL, though they are more expensive. There is alot for the kids in Fort Wilderness and it may solve your problems. You may want to check out allearsnet.net, Deb & crew do a great job in spelling everything out. :wave:

 

[wolf29]

We stayed in the FW Cabins this past May & are going back in October. The cabins have a full kitchen, bath, deck w/bbq & picnic table. Bedroom has twin bunk beds, plus a full bed. Living room has a full size Murphy bed (pulls down from wall). Cabins also come with a Pack N Play crib. If you are renting a car you are able to park right at your cabin, which is nice at the end of a long day. No vehicles are permitted (other than golf carts) around the grounds, so to do a lot of the activities you will need to utilize the bus service, which is pretty efficient. We found the cabins quite comfortable for 3 adults & two small kids. With discounts applied, they will run around $175 a night ($299 without). Hope this helps.

 

[Nicole]

The houses are cheaper, but I don't know if it's worth it?????

The houses are cheaper than what? I have no clue how much they cost, I really am curious. And what houses are you talking about?

I'd suggest one of the Values too. The Pop Century was really fun, the kiddie pool looked great and there's another ground fountain thing lots of kids were enjoying. It was really geared toward kids, I thought.

 

[Kadee]

Definitely stay on site. The convenience alone is worth the price. Much less hassle with little ones (especially 1 & 2 year olds). Sounds like the cabins may be perfect for you guys. But keep in mind that have one major flaw: They only have ONE bathroom. If that doesn't bother you, then I'd go for it. If it is an issue, then go for 2 rooms at either a value or moderate. I'd choose the moderate because there would be more room for your baby's playpen in the room vs. the bathroom. THe houses: if it is the same place I'm thinking of, it is at least 20minutes away with good traffic. YOu'd HAVE to drive to all the parks, pay parking ($8) every day, load up the car morning, night, and when you change parks. That is a lot of hassle. You can get 2 value rooms (with discounts applied) for about $110 or 2 moderates (with discounts) for $170. That is not much more than the house, is it?Hope this helps, and have a great trip!!!:wave:

 

[disneydummy125]

I would definitely recommend staying onsite because of it's convenience for the little ones. At the end of the day, it will be much more enjoyed to have a 10 minute bus ride as opposed to a 20-30 minute drive. Plus, it will be easy to go back to the hotel to use the pool and to take a nap.

I agree that the Fort Wilderness cabins are the most desireable for your situation, but they are expensive so I'm sure you'll be fine with two adjoining value resort rooms.


Welcome to the Boards! :wave:

 

[jdwhappygrl]

Thanks for the info

I have checked with several places that rent houses and we can get like a 5 Bedroom house for 4 nights for around $600. BUT I do think that we will most likely go with the value resorts. I was quoted $77/night.

I asked about the Fort Wilderness cabins and the layouts just won't work for us. Since the bunkbeds are with the queen bed we would have to sleep there with our daughter and then that would put my parents who are footing the bill for the trip on the murphy bed. PLUS at $239/night - 2 value rooms are still cheaper.

Thank you so much for your suggestions.

 

[signerdreams]

Onsite. Without a doubt!!! If you are on a budget i suggest getting 2 rooms at one of the All-Stars or Pop Century. I LOVE both resorts!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Erika]

If you need more room try to get 2 adjoining rooms in the AllStars. You could open the doors & the kids could roam between them without going into the hallway.

Just to clarify- if you take this route you need to ask for "connecting" rooms as Disney considers any two rooms to be adjoining as long as they are next to each other. We learned this the hard way.

And add another vote for staying on-site :wave:

 

[Kingdom Konsultant]

Contact me and I will crunch the numbers and try to get the best rate for you. (on or off site) Also please keep in mind that I offer free itinerary planning when you book with me. I do not have any "hidden" fees or charge you anything extra.

Pam

 

[mcfrost]

Check the WDW website for good savings on resorts in september..Some deals seem to offer pricier rooms at a great discount.

 

[tigsmom]

Just to clarify- if you take this route you need to ask for "connecting" rooms as Disney considers any two rooms to be adjoining as long as they are next to each other. We learned this the hard way.

And add another vote for staying on-site :wave:

you know I double checked that before I posted... :brick:
Of course, I meant "connecting" rooms.

 

[DivineMadness7]

Just to clarify- if you take this route you need to ask for "connecting" rooms as Disney considers any two rooms to be adjoining as long as they are next to each other. We learned this the hard way.

And add another vote for staying on-site :wave:

We also learned that the hard way on our last trip at Pop Century.

We asked for adjoining....and we were in rooms that were near each other...but not exactly next to each other. we were at the middle of two adjoining wings....did that make sense? :brick:

Anyway, yes, ask for "connecting" and I also vote for On-site...definately an advantage. Oh, and we loved Pop Century!

 

[bigfatdonna]

With the code "BAF" the value resorts are $55 a night but would only be good between 8/28 and 9/29. Possibly you could at least get a discount on your first two nights of stay using this code. It also depends on if the rooms offered at this special rate are sold out already or not.

 

[ClemsonTigger]

Also consider the Poly

I do suggest you take Pam up on her offer as she knows all the in's and outs. I personally suggest the Poly or Contemporary for room and convenience with small children (although Contemporary may be a problem with the recent water damage). Rooms are fairly large in these sites and being on the monorail, you have fastest access to and from MK and Epcot. Midday naps/breaks are an absolute must.

With that said, any on site is better that off site due to transportation. There are other sites, like Key West that have larger layouts, two bedrooms/kitchen/washer and dryer that Pam can check for availability.

Good luck.

 

[TURKEY]

We also learned that the hard way on our last trip at Pop Century.

We asked for adjoining....and we were in rooms that were near each other...but not exactly next to each other. we were at the middle of two adjoining wings....did that make sense? :brick:

Anyway, yes, ask for "connecting" and I also vote for On-site...definately an advantage. Oh, and we loved Pop Century!

Doesn't make much sense to me right now, but I haven't had but about 15 hrs. of sleep since Thursday at 10 pm. Now that I think about it (DARN YOU), I think each room had a connecting door, just not to your other room.


Some CM's at several resorts don't seem to know the difference between connecting/adjoining.