Easiest place (reasonably priced) to stay with a large family?

Disney transportation definitely has its issues. I don’t think anyone is saying it’s perfect. But I think for a larger family with kids of all ages it makes sense. As a parent I would feel totally safe with my teens taking Disney transportation alone. No idea if I would feel comfortable with Uber because my kids aren’t old enough yet.
 
Personally I like the idea of 2 value rooms. However, my husband honestly dislikes Disney but lives "camping" (we usually get a cabin) so that seems like this would help our chances of going back the next year lol.
 
Personally I like the idea of 2 value rooms. However, my husband honestly dislikes Disney but lives "camping" (we usually get a cabin) so that seems like this would help our chances of going back the next year lol.
I have always wanted to stay at Ft. Wilderness because it seems so peaceful and a nice getaway from the parks. The main deterrent to us is having to use two different bus systems(internal and external). But if you can deal with that and it would make your H happy, it sounds like it might be a good fit!
 
I would rent a house off property. You will definitely save money! If you don't want to rent a car, you could get two rooms at a Disney Springs are resort.
 
What about AOA suites? We had 5 in one and two bath, separate bedroom/bath for the parents. Plenty of space. And not too expensive.
 
What about AOA suites? We had 5 in one and two bath, separate bedroom/bath for the parents. Plenty of space. And not too expensive.

The OP has 5 kids. So while they would technically fit as one is 2 years old, it would be very tight. Plus, you save a bit going with 2 rooms over a suite at AOA. And save a lot more if you go with 2 rooms at an All Star or Pop.
 
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First- I love the cabins. We rented a golf cart from a company offsite- made zipping around the fort fun! And timing it right on the boat- almost like a private fireworks viewing party. Problem we had with the Fort Wilderness was actually getting motivated to go to the parks lol! There were 4 of us so bathroom not a problem. Bonus is the kitchen. That’s a lot of mouths to feed and having the kitchen was huge,
Could check into the Double tree suites in Disney Springs too. Con is transportation isn’t as convenient but you do get space,

2 rooms at Pop would be fun too- with the remodel the rooms are really nice.

offsite- personally wouldn’t do it without a car, but we are very comfortable driving (heck we live in MO and hubs car has a toll pass sticker and we’ve also got a removable transponder for tolls for the rental cars). I’d rather be in my air conditioned car, guaranteed seat, and pull right up to my private condo door, where everyone has their own bed, or room...especially with age range of kids, we’ve not tried Bonnet Creek but it does have the advantage of being super close. Another bonus of offsite with car is groceries and much cheaper (and in lots of cases) better eats- again a big thing with lots of kiddos,
We are planning August at Contemporary with hubs oldest Dd and her husband and son, plus the five of us- and already I know hubs is gonna be twitchy if all five of us is in same room. When there’s that many we usually stay offsite.

either way happy planning!
 


We also have 5 kids and our plan for next time will be 2 rooms at Pop because of the skyline access.
 
Have you priced out any rooms at the swan/dolphin? It’s often the best of both worlds in terms of price and location. You don’t get magical express but could definitely consider renting a car anyway and you couldn’t pay parking at the parks, just at the resort itself and depending on your length of stay I’ve even looked at renting a car to get from the airport and then drop it off at the dolphin the next day. The older kids would then be walking or boat distance to two parks, access to skyliner from those parks, but bus to or from magic kingdom which can be essential. They’re now part of Marriott so maybe someone has points to help with the cost? I just find them much more reasonably priced than the Disney epcot area resorts and haven’t had a bad stay at least at the swan.
 
What about a treehouse villa? They often are included in discounts. There is a master, a room with bunk beds, a room with a queen size bed, a pull out sofa bed, two bathrooms, full kitchen, and big outside deck. You may have to take an interior and external bus depending on where your villa is located and how you are feeling but it may be worth a look
 
What about a treehouse villa? They often are included in discounts. There is a master, a room with bunk beds, a room with a queen size bed, a pull out sofa bed, two bathrooms, full kitchen, and big outside deck. You may have to take an interior and external bus depending on where your villa is located and how you are feeling but it may be worth a look

Haha!

The thread is asking for reasonably priced places! The rack rate for the treehouses are 900-1500 a night. :D
 
Everyone suggesting she stay off site is missing that she has two young kids who would need car seats. If they don't live within driving distance, her family would have to rent a car and either lug two car seats through the airport and install them in the rental car (a lot of work) or rent two car seats (of questionable safety and cleanliness). Since her top priorities are ease and low price, the best option would be two value rooms. I'd pick Pop Century for the skyliner.
 
Two values is the cheapest.

However some off property hotels offer shuttle service.

Yes. But more often than not it is vastly inferior to Disney's transportation. Some resorts make you book a spot on the shuttle ahead of time. Some only run a handful of times a day. Some even charge to use their shuttles.
 
i have 5 daughters so we always get 2 rooms. i normally find this cheaper than a suite at AoA. the older kids can have their own space
 
I have 2 sets of twins and over the years, bathrooms became the most important. The cabins are the best deal when there is free dining offered. Otherwise, the one bathroom and how the bedroom is set up were negatives.
Our favorite is Fort Wilderness! We pulled our RV there many many times! The kids can do so many things outside. You could look into renting a RV that is set up there when you arrive. Check out the camping board if you are interested. The bonus is if you request a RV spot close to the comfort station (which are really nice), you will have lots of bathroom space!

Otherwise, I would agree with two value rooms.
The last two times we have went we have done a vacation rental and split it with my sister. It is just so much easier with older kids. The little kids have their own room so we could put them to bed and still hang out. My favorite is www.stayhappilyeverafter.com. We rented a 12 passenger van and it was not far to the parks.

It is not easy when your family is 4+ people.
 
Everyone suggesting she stay off site is missing that she has two young kids who would need car seats. If they don't live within driving distance, her family would have to rent a car and either lug two car seats through the airport and install them in the rental car (a lot of work) or rent two car seats (of questionable safety and cleanliness).

I did miss that the kids were only 2 and 3, and the car seat thing might be the best argument I've seen against off-site in her particular circumstances. That said, we lugged a stroller and a booster seat through the airport and into our rental car. Keep in mind that it's free to check strollers, boosters, and car seats with almost all airlines. Or, if you're going to be pushing your kids in strollers to the gate, keep the strollers with you. It was definitely about 15 minutes of pain at each airport, but well worth it the rest of the week.

If I recall correctly, in FL kids only need a booster (not a full carseat) starting at age 4, if your 3-year-old is close. A booster is a lot easier to bring than a carseat.

The biggest turnoff with renting a carseat from the rental car is the cost. After just a few days, it's literally cheaper to buy one (but how do you get to Walmart from the airport?)
 
Absolutely incorrect. All of the resorts have bus stops with service to the parks.
My mistake if that's the case. I overheard so many different people get on the MK monorail at a resort saying they had to take the monorail to to the TTC to take a bus to a park. Not sure if they just didn't know or if they just missed a bus and thought it would be faster to take the monorail to the TTC.
 

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