Anyone have any suggestions...

[SeeTinkFly]

Last year my DD and my GF, and I went to WDW. We went on a bus trip, for the most part we had a great time. Except for the times when DD had her teenage tantrums, (I almost left her in MK to fend for herself) GF always intervenes and then we kiss and make up. We have been together fo 15 years, we have another couple that have been together for 10 years and we want to take a vacation together. I am godmother to their DD (13). We would like to stay at a place that is gayfriendly. My GF is VERY butch...some people call her sir, kids ask if she is a boy or a girl. She said she felt a little uncomfortable at times, now I love her just the way she is, and I know that not everyone is going to like the way we are as a family, DD looks just like my GF, and just came out to us last year. We usually just ignore the stares and comments. I am the planner of this trip and I want everyone to have a great time. We are going in April...I know it will be crowded, but we went during spring break last year and it really wasn't that bad. The couple that is going with us has never been, and I want them to have a magical experience, this may be there only trip as the older of them has serious health issues. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am new to these boards and I would like to thank all of you for so much great info and insight on the Magical World of Disney.

 

[OrlandoMike]

Quite honestly I dont think you will have any problems in any of the Disney owned resorts, that is what you are asking right? Disney has a huge population of gay employees, and the ones that are not gay are very gay friendly.

Anything else we can help you with just ask, we are a very friendly bunch on this board.

Mike

 

[SeeTinkFly]

We stayed off property last year. We are considering staying onsite this year. We are on a budget, and if we stay on-property, it will be at a value. I know that a lot families stay at the value resorts and I dont want anyone in our group to feel uncomfortable. Are there any gay-friendly resorts/hotels in the Orlando area. I am sorry if I was unclear in my first post.

 

[OrlandoMike]

While the economy resorts are filled with families, I still dont think you will have any problems. How much time do you plan on spending at the resort anyway? People at Disney just dont seem to care about such things. I was at Cape May last week, and there was a girl there with her family, and she was as butch as they come! "Wife Beater" T-shirt on, jeans, boots, a James Dean hair cut, and I think I was probably the only one in the place that knew her "story". If others caught on, she certainly was not getting any stares or unwanted looks. Now that gay days are so large, most hotels in Orlando are more than willing to accomidate you. It's a very gay friendly city.

 

[SeeTinkFly]

That;s nice to know that Orlando is gay-friendly. We are staying for 7 days & 6 nights. As I mentioned before we are on a budget. I will look into some other hotels in the Orlando/Kissimmee area. Thanks for all your help.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

While looking at off-site be sure to consider the value resorts. If you are staying off-site you will either need to rely on the hotel's transportation or rent a car; if the latter parking is $9.00 per day. Also people staying on-site for a period are bale to get both hopping and water parks added to the ticket if purchasing room and tickets together. You might want to look at www.mousesavers.com and also all over the budget forum on DisBoards.

 

[OrlandoMike]

Just had a friend stay at Pop, amd used the Magical Express busses. They were very happy! The money you save on a car really adds up! But be sure to do your homework on Disney transportation if you decide to do this. Best of luck, and dont hesitate to ask more questions.

 

[Saxton]

I agree, you should really look for discounts at the value resorts - there is nothing like staying onsite. But if you can't do that then you may want to look at pooling your money and renting a house/condo (I think they are discussed on the Hotel and Attractions board). I'm not sure how much they run but a lot of people seem to enjoy them quite a bit. That would also give you more privacy and the ability to spend time together in a home type setting. And don't worry about what people think. Go, have fun, and relax. And if you need any positive reinforcement you may want to look a the Cool Straight People thread ... there are some great folks here.

 

[OrlandoMike]

I forgot about the houses for rent. This is a great deal, and you wont have to worry about this at all! You will be in your own place! I know of a great company, and the rates are great, usually cheaper than two hotel rooms! Most come with a pool and a hot tub. Not sure if I can post the website on here, so PM me and I will give it to you. You can even save money by cooking breakfast and late night snacks in the home. Trust me, these homes are BEAUTIFUL! and only 10 minutes from Disney.

The only downside is you have to rent a car and pay for parking at disney, but get out the calculator and figure out which way is best.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Pop Century is a fun resort. I can't speak for all families, but I know we never really paid much attention to the other guests! Except for the stupid woman who was SMOKING in the queue for the bus one morning.

We have stayed at Pop twice and used just the Disney transport. We never had any issues, but we weren't there at super busy times. I guess it just depends on how you feel about having your own vehicle. If you rent a car and stay on property I am pretty sure you can park for free at the theme parks - if you stay offsite you will have to pay for parking every day.

The other thing to consider is if someone in your party has health concerns it is convenient to go back to your hotel in the middle of the day if you are onsite.

We are traveling with our dear friends in August. They are a gay couple who have been to Disney before, but this will be our first trip as a group. I know they have said sometimes they feel a little self-conscious, but nobody has ever said anything ugly to them at Disney.

Have fun planning your trip!

 

[Boston5602]

I'm not sure if this helps , or even if the dates are correct but I was reading on another Board here that All Star Music will open up 70 something Family Suites next month , multi rooms with kitchen and livingroom. Maybe if you all stayed in one suite ( don't know if you want to do that ) price difference might be worth it . I don't know if they'll be open in time for you and I'll try to find out the dates they open up.



thanks

 

[T&KHayes]

Hey Jackskellingtonsgirl...when were you at POP in Oct.? We were there too in Oct for 3 days before our Dis cruise.

We also loved pop, it was a great budget resort and we also would highly suggest the dining package. We had 3 families with us and nobody went hungry. Another thing we did was add up the totals on the bills as we went along to see if it was a good value and the package paid for itself before the second day. We were also able to eat at Cinderella's castle and the Crystal palace character breakfast. It was wonderful and we will definately take advantage of it next time.

Our big thing was paying for as much as we could before we went. That way we knew the money we had was only for frivolous things, and tipping of course. I was a lot easier than having to budget for all of that and meals and transportation.

 

[joanjett1976]

One more vote for Pop Century. You can get some outstanding rates, the bus service is efficient and you are right in the middle of the action. We do not drive so for us staying off site is not even an option. We use Magical Express to save cab/shuttle fare and rely on WDW transportation for the duration of our trip.