First time visiting WDW in June 2021

andie-j

Earning My Ears
Joined
Jun 10, 2019
I am planning "the WDW vacation of a lifetime" for myself, a friend, and my teenage step-daughter and her friend. Obviously I have plenty of time, so I am just in initial planning stages. I'm thinking about a split stay at 3 resorts (3 nights each): Animal Kingdom Lodge, Grand Floridian, and Polynesian (a bungalow!). Any advice for first-timers on split stays? Is 3 resorts too many for 9 nights?

Also, we are looking at a private VIP tour. Anyone with experience using Disney's VIP tour services?

Finally, for those who have stayed club level, what are the major pros/cons? Thanks in advance for your advice!

-Andie (newbie)
 
I am planning "the WDW vacation of a lifetime" for myself, a friend, and my teenage step-daughter and her friend. Obviously I have plenty of time, so I am just in initial planning stages. I'm thinking about a split stay at 3 resorts (3 nights each): Animal Kingdom Lodge, Grand Floridian, and Polynesian (a bungalow!). Any advice for first-timers on split stays? Is 3 resorts too many for 9 nights?

Also, we are looking at a private VIP tour. Anyone with experience using Disney's VIP tour services?

Finally, for those who have stayed club level, what are the major pros/cons? Thanks in advance for your advice!

-Andie (newbie)

The only hitch I see is 3 resorts in 9 days means your packing and unpacking every 3 days. If you’re okay with that then go for it! I’d personally spend all 9 nights in the bungalow but that’s just me :)
 
The only hitch I see is 3 resorts in 9 days means your packing and unpacking every 3 days. If you’re okay with that then go for it! I’d personally spend all 9 nights in the bungalow but that’s just me :)
I wish I could afford all 9 nights in the bungalow! I mainly threw that into the plan so we could end our trip there and hopefully that way we could avoid facing the "end of trip dread" that I know has been prevalent every time we have visited Disneyland!
 
I wish I could afford all 9 nights in the bungalow! I mainly threw that into the plan so we could end our trip there and hopefully that way we could avoid facing the "end of trip dread" that I know has been prevalent every time we have visited Disneyland!

Well the plan you have is still solid, all three resorts are very high quality. Also with club level, the main perk is the food. If the free food and drinks are something that appeal to you, or if you are planning on purchasing club level fastpasses (6 per day 90 days out) then it’s totally worth it. If you’re not doing the FPs or don’t think you’ll take advantage of the food/drinks you should save yourself the money.
 


Well the plan you have is still solid, all three resorts are very high quality. Also with club level, the main perk is the food. If the free food and drinks are something that appeal to you, or if you are planning on purchasing club level fastpasses (6 per day 90 days out) then it’s totally worth it. If you’re not doing the FPs or don’t think you’ll take advantage of the food/drinks you should save yourself the money.
I heard about the club level fast passes and that was the huge draw for me...but it doesn't look like they have it available all the time. I've seen on YouTube videos that Disney doesn't often make their "promotions" well known so I'm wondering how I will know if it's available when I book my trip. I'm thinking of booking through a travel agent in hopes that they will make sure I get any and all special promotions 🤞
 
I heard about the club level fast passes and that was the huge draw for me...but it doesn't look like they have it available all the time. I've seen on YouTube videos that Disney doesn't often make their "promotions" well known so I'm wondering how I will know if it's available when I book my trip. I'm thinking of booking through a travel agent in hopes that they will make sure I get any and all special promotions 🤞

I think it’s $50/day per person for the extra FPs so it’s not really a promo, just an optional paid perk of CL, and all you do is call the concierge line before your trip and tell them you’d like to add it. As far as I know it’s typically always available.
 
I am planning "the WDW vacation of a lifetime" for myself, a friend, and my teenage step-daughter and her friend. Obviously I have plenty of time, so I am just in initial planning stages. I'm thinking about a split stay at 3 resorts (3 nights each): Animal Kingdom Lodge, Grand Floridian, and Polynesian (a bungalow!). Any advice for first-timers on split stays? Is 3 resorts too many for 9 nights?

Also, we are looking at a private VIP tour. Anyone with experience using Disney's VIP tour services?

Finally, for those who have stayed club level, what are the major pros/cons? Thanks in advance for your advice!

-Andie (newbie)

I, personally, would pick two resorts to cut down on the packing and unpacking. If you really want to do a 3-way split, I would recommend dropping one of the MK resorts (GF or Poly) and adding in an EP resort (BC, YC or BWI). The Boardwalk area is so much fun and it's so convenient to be able to walk or boat to two theme parks. I would personally consider AKL, BC (it's lively and you'll have access to Stormalong Bay, one of the best pools on property) and then either Poly or GF.

You may already know this, but there are only two real beds (1 king and 1 queen) in the Poly bungalows. The bungalows are beautiful, but I always thought the bedding configuration was quite odd as you are paying a huge premium for a bunch of pull-out beds.

We've done VIP tours and they are fantastic.

You had mentioned the CL option of purchasing additional FP+. It's still in a "trial phase" and could be eliminated at any time. I would keep an eye on these boards as, if they do eliminate the program, it will be reported here.
 


I, personally, would pick two resorts to cut down on the packing and unpacking. If you really want to do a 3-way split, I would recommend dropping one of the MK resorts (GF or Poly) and adding in an EP resort (BC, YC or BWI). The Boardwalk area is so much fun and it's so convenient to be able to walk or boat to two theme parks. I would personally consider AKL, BC (it's lively and you'll have access to Stormalong Bay, one of the best pools on property) and then either Poly or GF.

You may already know this, but there are only two real beds (1 king and 1 queen) in the Poly bungalows. The bungalows are beautiful, but I always thought the bedding configuration was quite odd as you are paying a huge premium for a bunch of pull-out beds.

We've done VIP tours and they are fantastic.

You had mentioned the CL option of purchasing additional FP+. It's still in a "trial phase" and could be eliminated at any time. I would keep an eye on these boards as, if they do eliminate the program, it will be reported here.
Very helpful! Thanks! I will take a look at the EP resorts for sure. Good tip on the bungalows...I've just had this vision of ending our trip with an evening spent doing the Ohana twilight room service while watching the fireworks but I didn't even think about the comfort of the sleeping accommodations. I can't do more than 3 nights there though (cost wise) and I definitely want to do an 8-9 night trip which is why I thought of the 3 way split. I really love the idea of staying at AKL because I'm interested in the food and the ambiance, but I also don't want to do more than 3-4 nights there because it seems so far away from everything. If you had to choose just two resorts, what would you choose? Our main interests will be 1) Rides (including After Hours and VIP Tours), 2) A few foodie dining experiences, 3) A spa visit, 4) A cabana rental at a cool pool, and 5) Shopping. I'm also keen on walk-ability (or quick transportation) to parks or other entertainment. Thanks again!
 
There are no cons to staying club, unless you're all park warriors who don't spend time at the resort, then you're just wasting the extra $.
Which VIP tour do you have in mind? The "Private" VIP tour is for people who want to go on all the rides in 4 parks in ~six hours. Popular for parents who want to please their children but don't want to spend more than a weekend at Disney. If you're going to be there for 9 days, there are shorter and less exhausting tours.
 
I believe the 3 way split is too much. I would do 2 at most. One in Epcot Resorts area and one in MK area. Then focus on the parks in that area, cutting down on travel time. WDW is huge - about the size of Manhattan. It is very different than DL and travel can eat a lot of time up. I would choose YC for Stormalong Bay and GF in MK area. I would save Bungalow for a future trip. If you are going to be at the Resort during CL service hours it can be lovely.
I totally disagree with PP about Private VIP Tours being for kids. For a group of adults who want to focus on rides it would be WONDERFUL.
 
I, personally, would pick two resorts to cut down on the packing and unpacking. If you really want to do a 3-way split, I would recommend dropping one of the MK resorts (GF or Poly) and adding in an EP resort (BC, YC or BWI). The Boardwalk area is so much fun and it's so convenient to be able to walk or boat to two theme parks. I would personally consider AKL, BC (it's lively and you'll have access to Stormalong Bay, one of the best pools on property) and then either Poly or GF.

You may already know this, but there are only two real beds (1 king and 1 queen) in the Poly bungalows. The bungalows are beautiful, but I always thought the bedding configuration was quite odd as you are paying a huge premium for a bunch of pull-out beds.

We've done VIP tours and they are fantastic.

You had mentioned the CL option of purchasing additional FP+. It's still in a "trial phase" and could be eliminated at any time. I would keep an eye on these boards as, if they do eliminate the program, it will be reported here.
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I believe the 3 way split is too much. I would do 2 at most. One in Epcot Resorts area and one in MK area. Then focus on the parks in that area, cutting down on travel time. WDW is huge - about the size of Manhattan. It is very different than DL and travel can eat a lot of time up. I would choose YC for Stormalong Bay and GF in MK area. I would save Bungalow for a future trip. If you are going to be at the Resort during CL service hours it can be lovely.
I totally disagree with PP about Private VIP Tours being for kids. For a group of adults who want to focus on rides it would be WONDERFUL.
Thanks! I'm looking at BC and GF now, maybe YC or BWI, but without the Poly Bungalows in my budget, now I have more budget for room size & amenities. Specifically on the GF club level, should I be looking at Main Building w/ Theme Park view or a club level suite in an outside building?
 
"Thanks! I'm looking at BC and GF now, maybe YC or BWI, but without the Poly Bungalows in my budget, now I have more budget for room size & amenities. Specifically on the GF club level, should I be looking at Main Building w/ Theme Park view or a club level suite in an outside building?" (I had trouble getting your post in my reply so I used the quotations!)

I think the EP resort/GF split is a great idea and if you now have more money to spend (and are eliminating AKL), you could even do something like Wild Africa Trek and a dinner at AKL to take in the ambience of the resort and explore AK more in-depth.

If you go GF CL, I would do the main building. We have done the main building and we have also done outside building suites. I found the outside building suites to be a little inconvenient as they can be in any outside building and then you have to walk to the club lounge - many days we just skipped the lounge. The theme park views in the main building are lovely. If you can find availability and don't need CL, you may also want to look into a 2-bedroom villa at VGF (it would give you a king, 2 pull-out/pull-down beds and 2 queens - I don't know if that would work for your party make-up). The Villas at Grand Floridian are located in a building near the main building (but a bit removed from the bustle of the resort), but you have access to all of the GF amenities. We have stayed at every deluxe in almost every room category and, IMHO, the villas at VGF are the absolute most gorgeous rooms on WDW property. You would not get CL services, however, but could stock the full kitchen in the villa with whatever you would need. It also has a washer/dryer which I find comes in handy on longer trips.

I think GF CL or a villa at VGF, plus a stay at one of the EP resorts is a great split stay.
 
I think the EP resort/GF split is a great idea and if you now have more money to spend (and are eliminating AKL), you could even do something like Wild Africa Trek and a dinner at AKL to take in the ambience of the resort and explore AK more in-depth.

I love this idea! I was looking at the Wanyama Safari at one point so maybe I can add that back into the mix.
 
I love this idea! I was looking at the Wanyama Safari at one point so maybe I can add that back into the mix.
I wasn't going to reply to this post at first as CL and VIP tours are probably a bit out of my price range and therefore I don't have any advice there. However, I did think this was a great idea. You can still get a great idea of the atmosphere at AKL by spending a nice evening there. It will probably save you a lot of travel time by just picking one resort on the MK monorail loop and one of the Epcot resorts - it's really just so hard to overstate the convenience of being close to the parks. Definitely sounds like a great trip!
 
A 3-way split seems too much to me, but you may not mind. Just remember that with this in place, you'd have 3 of the 10 days of your vacation possibly without a room until after 4 p.m. Yes, rooms are sometimes ready earlier, but sometimes they're not. So you could be without a room during the day on arrival day and the first day of each of your moves. If you're going to be in the parks all that time, then perhaps it's not an issue, but to me, it would be, since I often come back in the early afternoon. Also, you're going to have to repack twice, unless you live out of your suitcases, which maybe you do.

Are you hoping for savannah view of AKL? If so, I disrecommend club level, because the best savannah views are on the lower floors and all the club-level rooms are on upper floors. I'd rather have primo animal viewing than club perks--but you might have different priorities, especially if you're going to avail yourself of the club-level FP+ 90-day booking window.

As for myself, I never use a travel agent. If you stay active on these boards, you'll be aware right from the moment any room discounts become available and you can do it yourself. And you will control your own reservation. I like having control of my own reservation!

Finally, for a 9-night trip, you might consider buying an annual pass for at least one person in your party. There are a lot of AP discounts, although the room discount is only good sometimes--but the sometimes it's good are often pretty amazing. And the AP will give you discount at some restaurants and on merchandise as well. Just something (else!) to think about!

Have fun planning!
 
Finally, for a 9-night trip, you might consider buying an annual pass for at least one person in your party. There are a lot of AP discounts, although the room discount is only good sometimes--but the sometimes it's good are often pretty amazing. And the AP will give you discount at some restaurants and on merchandise as well. Just something (else!) to think about!

Thanks! I’m definitely planning to get 1 AP for our group plus TIW for the discounts, I just wish they offered a discount for the VIP Tour! 😬
 
For me 3 resorts in 9 days would be too much. But you know yourself and your traveling companions and maybe they would be fine with that. :) I just don't want to spend so much Disney time packing, unpacking, checking over rooms, etc.
We're splitting a 9 day stay between 2 resorts during our next trip, and I feel comfortable with that because we're doing the shorter stay first, so I know that early on in our stay we'll move into the resort where we'll stay put throughout the rest of our stay...as we get more and more exhausted, LOL!
But again..that's just me. :)
 
For me 3 resorts in 9 days would be too much. But you know yourself and your traveling companions and maybe they would be fine with that. :) I just don't want to spend so much Disney time packing, unpacking, checking over rooms, etc.
We're splitting a 9 day stay between 2 resorts during our next trip, and I feel comfortable with that because we're doing the shorter stay first, so I know that early on in our stay we'll move into the resort where we'll stay put throughout the rest of our stay...as we get more and more exhausted, LOL!
But again..that's just me. :)
Thanks for sharing. After reviewing some of these comments and looking into more resorts, I have now reconsidered the 3 resort-split plan and nixed the Bungalows. Right now, I’m looking at BC for 4 nights and Polynesian for 6 nights (yes, removing the Bungalows freed up budget for an extra night!). I nixed AKL due to location but we are planning on the Wanyama safari so we can at least visit and experience all that the resort has to offer.
 
Right now, I’m looking at BC for 4 nights and Polynesian for 6 nights (yes, removing the Bungalows freed up budget for an extra night!).
Nice!!!! :D I'm all for adding an extra day!! Beach Club is one of my faves. We love EPCOT, so being able to walk to it is great (And you can easily walk over to Boardwalk, too!), and feel of BC is one we like as well...not to mention access to Stormalong Bay! :)
 

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