Help me select a resort

[thor369]

I am planning for November and wanted to get your opinion as to which resort to choose.

1. Most fun resort/pool/things to do for 2 and 5 years old boys
2. direct bus to resort ( for afternoon breaks)
3. good/lots of food options
4. not much walking involved to the food courts/lobby etc.
5. fun/heated pools, splash etc.
6. more centrally located ( without being super expensive)

 

[Sara_H]

The Beach Club fits more of those requirements with the exception of price. What about Port Orleans either French Quarter or Riverside? I believe they have direct buses and they are just a boat ride away from Disney Springs which has lots of food options.

 

[Brett Wyman]

The Beach Club best fits all of your criteria but don't overlook Animal Kingdom lodge which checks all of your boxes with the exception of #6!

 

[skippytx]

I don't think any of them hit all your requirements.

Art of Animation is the first one that comes to mind when looking at your list, but depending on where you are the food court can be a bit of a walk. Food court is pretty good, multiple pools available. Direct bus stops. I'm not sure what you mean by centrally located. MK area? Epcot area? Just in general?

Beach Club and AK are also good resorts like above posters mentioned, but not sure what your price range is.

 

[sbd78]

Not super expensive rules out most of the deluxes IMO. All the mods have multiple bus stops except POFQ so you may want to look at that resort. They have a nice kiddie splash area by their pool. Out of the values, AoA has a nice zero entry pool and splash pad for little ones.

 

[VAfamily1998]

POFQ is what I recommend, the caveat being that the "lots of food options" includes the (lovely) boat ride to Disney Springs.

 

[crvetter]

1. Most fun resort/pool/things to do for 2 and 5 years old boys

Depends on personality but I would suggest WL or FW if they are into the outdoors in any way. WL is a boat ride away from FW (the walking trail between them is closed for construction of Reflections) and sometimes a bus. FW has many activities (some free and most paid) that are mostly outdoors (such as archery, campfire with chip and dale, horse back riding, bike rentals, etc). WL does have a few scavenger hunts, boat rentals (bike rentals aren't operating because the trail to FW is closed).

2. direct bus to resort ( for afternoon breaks)

There are a few resorts that have direct buses with a single stop (AKL, Pop and AoA for instance). POFQ and POR will share buses during the down times. CBR, CSR, OKW, SSR have direct buses but have multiple internal stops. There are reports the All Stars will occasionally share among each other, but if they don't it is a single stop. I would look at which parks you think you would be spending at mostly and choosing a resort highly based on that rather than direct buses. While most of the Deluxes (BC, BW, WL, GF, etc) share with other Deluxes nearby you will find them to be closer to parks so the travel time even sharing can be less.

3. good/lots of food options

This really depends on eating preferences. Values mostly have food courts that are very American in nature and lack any sort of table service. Moderates and Deluxes food choices are generally themed heavily to that resort's theme. CSR is mostly Spanish/Latin American in nature, CBR is Caribbean, WL/FW is very rustic American, etc. Deluxe offer more TS and QS whereas Moderates are a happy medium between value and deluxe. I'd have to count it up but GF might have the most "food options" under one resort but 3 are signature restaurants.

I will say the MK monorail resorts probably offer the most out of park food option because you have a total of 3 resorts a short monorail ride away. WL/FW is also accessible direct from MK or CR via boat which is about 10 mins travel with up to 15-20 mins waiting for a boat.

A common critique I have heard for BC/YC and BW is that there is very limited QS options for food at those resorts. But Epcot is a short walk away as is the Swan and Dolphin which have great options.

4. not much walking involved to the food courts/lobby etc.

Deluxe (aside from SSR, OKW, AKL-Kidani) are all fairly easy to walk to the lobby, mostly indoors (besides GF, Poly off the top of my head). Moderates (aside from POFQ) are fairly spread out and generally require a larger walk. The values are all outdoor walkways (like moderates too) however generally are more dense than moderates.

5. fun/heated pools, splash etc.

All pools on property are heated as far as I know. The ones with notable splash pads are WL, GF, AK, and AoA. Deluxe also offers zero-entry generally.

6. more centrally located ( without being super expensive)

Again this depends on the parks you want to visit. But the most centrally located for all of WDW are probably the Epcot/HS/DS resorts (so BC/YC, BW, CBR, Swan and Dolphin, POR/POFQ, SSR and OKW).

 

[Kippa-Dee-Do-Dah]

As far as "direct bus to resort", all of the Disney resorts have busses that go directly from the theme parks to the resorts, and vice versa. And all Disney pools are heated and have life jackets as well.

That said, I agree that "not super expensive" rules out most of the deluxe resorts unless you get an amazing discount or rent DVC points. We stayed at POR this summer and loved it. You can use the amenities at POFQ as well. If you book a Preferred Room you'll be closer to the lobby and food courts. FQ is smaller and will generally involve less walking around the resort. POR has more food options and more pools. My kids were 6 and 8 and liked the main pool at POR better than FQ (they found the alligator slide "scary".) But FQ has a splash pad. Both have playgrounds (I believe all resorts do though.) Both you can take the boat to DS. We drove to the parks every day (even MK) and found the location to be very close to them (especially Epcot). And each resort has an activity calendar for the month with movies under the stars, campfires, craft times, pool parties, yoga on the lawn, (FQ has a beignet run!), etc. You should be able to find them with a quick Google search.

So....PO, either resort, is my vote for your family.

 

[Smittolis]

'Expensive' is obviously all relative at Disney when hotels are concerned! To some, the price of the Deluxe's isn't that much of a stretch, but to others they are obscene. If it were me I would choose the 'Poly' as it fits all of your desires and wish lists, however, it certainly is not inexpensive so I guess it would be ruled out on that front. I think you would get all of those on your wish lists by stopping at some of the Value resorts if you can get in there during your stay.

I would look at your overall budget and then prioritize what is the most important to you. That way you can fine tune your options to better suit your families needs, it may be that one jumps out at you over the others due to that.

Good luck with the search! This is always half the fun!

 

[thor369]

I don't know what you guys consider expensive, but more power to all those who can pay $500+ and higher a night for some of these deluxe resorts at Dsiney, it's not even all inclusive and doesn't include the park tickets so I can't see myself paying that just for the hotel. I am more comfortable in the $250 range. I know when we go to an all-inclusive in Cancun, you can get a pretty good all inclusive there for that much money.

Just for kicks and giggles I priced out a 5 night at the Contemporary and its coming out to be $5500, I had a good laugh.

I am finding the swan and dolphin to be appealing at this time, for my November dates, its averaging around $270 a night. Thoughts on this resort?

 

[Brett Wyman]

I don't know what you guys consider expensive, but more power to all those who can pay $500+ and higher a night for some of these deluxe resorts at Dsiney, it's not even all inclusive and doesn't include the park tickets so I can't see myself paying that just for the hotel. I am more comfortable in the $250 range. I know when we go to an all-inclusive in Cancun, you can get a pretty good all inclusive there for that much money.

Just for kicks and giggles I priced out a 5 night at the Contemporary and its coming out to be $5500, I had a good laugh.

I am finding the swan and dolphin to be appealing at this time, for my November dates, its averaging around $270 a night. Thoughts on this resort?

The Swan and Dolphin are great and meet a lot of your criteria just keep in mind with Swan and Dolphin there is no Magical Express, Magic Bands aren’t included and can’t be used at those hotels, and you can’t purchase the dining plan while staying there.

 

[sbd78]

I don't know what you guys consider expensive, but more power to all those who can pay $500+ and higher a night for some of these deluxe resorts at Dsiney, it's not even all inclusive and doesn't include the park tickets so I can't see myself paying that just for the hotel. I am more comfortable in the $250 range. I know when we go to an all-inclusive in Cancun, you can get a pretty good all inclusive there for that much money.

Just for kicks and giggles I priced out a 5 night at the Contemporary and its coming out to be $5500, I had a good laugh.

Lol, I hear ya on that! We are paying less than that for my family of 5 for 7 nights at CBR with 6 day hoppers with water parks and free dining! I can't imagine paying that much for JUST the hotel!

I am finding the swan and dolphin to be appealing at this time, for my November dates, its averaging around $270 a night. Thoughts on this resort?

I've never stayed at the Swan and Dolphin, but I would like to try it someday since it seems to be deluxe level without the deluxe price point. Just be aware that there is a resort fee in addition to the nightly rate, and a parking fee. (Disney resorts now charge a parking fee too, so that's a wash.) You also can't use the magical express from the airport or get the dining plan, if either of those are important to you. Otherwise, the location looks great, right next to several Disney deluxe resorts and close to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

 

[disny_luvr]

My first thought is POFQ. The resort is pretty compact so walking anywhere within the resort is not going to take long at all. The bussing is direct to the parks (I don’t even think they share with any other resorts - maybe POR at times), the pool is very nice and it has a splash pad, too. The food court has a lot of options, but as others have posted, you are only a short boat ride to Disney Springs, where the food options are plentiful. You can also walk to POR (about a 15 minute walk) and enjoy the pool and amenities there, as well as the food court, which is also wonderful.

 

[thor369]

Lol, I hear ya on that! We are paying less than that for my family of 5 for 7 nights at CBR with 6 day hoppers with water parks and free dining! I can't imagine paying that much for JUST the hotel!


I've never stayed at the Swan and Dolphin, but I would like to try it someday since it seems to be deluxe level without the deluxe price point. Just be aware that there is a resort fee in addition to the nightly rate, and a parking fee. (Disney resorts now charge a parking fee too, so that's a wash.) You also can't use the magical express from the airport or get the dining plan, if either of those are important to you. Otherwise, the location looks great, right next to several Disney deluxe resorts and close to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

What is CBR?
I heard that you can buy the disney bands to use in the park but just cant use to open room door etc in swan/dolphin. I don't know if the magical express is a big deal, as I head it can take more than an hour from the airport. I would rather pay for private shuttle and get there in 30 min. Also, don't care about dining plan, as we will mostly likely not plan any dining and just eat wherever we are and whats available around us.

 

[sbd78]

What is CBR?
I heard that you can buy the disney bands to use in the park but just cant use to open room door etc in swan/dolphin. I don't know if the magical express is a big deal, as I head it can take more than an hour from the airport. I would rather pay for private shuttle and get there in 30 min. Also, don't care about dining plan, as we will mostly likely not plan any dining and just eat wherever we are and whats available around us.

CBR is Caribbean Beach Resort, a Disney moderate hotel. They have multiple bus stops so if you want only one stop, it may not be the resort for you. (I stayed at Port Orleans Riverside last year, they also have multiple bus stops and it didn't bother me. I liked that wherever my room was, I was near a bus stop.) Since you are planning to go in November, you may want to look at Caribbean Beach. The gondola system should be open then which will make getting to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios quick and easy. (You will still have to bus to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom.)

 

[Truxi]

I am more comfortable in the $250 range. I know when we go to an all-inclusive in Cancun, you can get a pretty good all inclusive there for that much money.

If you rent DVC points, you can get some deluxes for about that!

That's what my mom and I are doing. I was more about Poly or Beach Club (never stayed at the Poly, but I love it. Stayed at the Beach Club and their pool is amazing. Sand bottom feels so good after a day on your feet), but we're doing Boardwalk, and that's about what the price came to.

 

[HopperFan]

I don't know what you guys consider expensive, but more power to all those who can pay $500+ and higher a night for some of these deluxe resorts at Dsiney, it's not even all inclusive and doesn't include the park tickets so I can't see myself paying that just for the hotel. I am more comfortable in the $250 range. I know when we go to an all-inclusive in Cancun, you can get a pretty good all inclusive there for that much money.

Just for kicks and giggles I priced out a 5 night at the Contemporary and its coming out to be $5500, I had a good laugh.

I am finding the swan and dolphin to be appealing at this time, for my November dates, its averaging around $270 a night. Thoughts on this resort?

You need to look at Moderates or Values, or consider the Swan & Dolphin.

What is CBR?
I heard that you can buy the disney bands to use in the park but just cant use to open room door etc in swan/dolphin. I don't know if the magical express is a big deal, as I head it can take more than an hour from the airport. I would rather pay for private shuttle and get there in 30 min. Also, don't care about dining plan, as we will mostly likely not plan any dining and just eat wherever we are and whats available around us.

CBR is Disney Caribbean Beach Resort, which is a moderate. I would also look at CSR which is Disney Coronado Springs. Both may hit on all the items on your list. Both have had renovations and upgrades in the last couple years and both have great pool areas.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

What is CBR?
I heard that you can buy the disney bands to use in the park but just cant use to open room door etc in swan/dolphin. I don't know if the magical express is a big deal, as I head it can take more than an hour from the airport. I would rather pay for private shuttle and get there in 30 min. Also, don't care about dining plan, as we will mostly likely not plan any dining and just eat wherever we are and whats available around us.

If you don't care about Magical Express or a dining plan, I would highly recommend Swan or Dolphin. Make sure to book directly either through the Marriott website or by calling the Swan/Dolphin. If you go this route, I would also suggest becoming a Marriott Bonvoy member which is Marriott's loyalty program. The Swan and Dolphin are lovely and have been recently renovated. They have a beautiful pool complex and, included in the resort fee is a swan boat ride and s'mores kits for the beach each evening. Fantasia mini-golf is right across the street from the resort plus you can walk or boat to both EP and DHS. They offer bus service to AK and MK. If you are planning for November, I would call soon to get the best pricing as their prices fluctuate based on availability. We have stayed at the Dolphin twice just this past year and have gotten a regular room for less than $200 a night and a two-bedroom suite for about $650 per night. One thing to keep in mind, regular rooms at the Dolphin have double beds, while regular rooms at the Swan have queens. They also have some of the best restaurants on property, IMHO and, for the restaurants that take reservations, you can typically get reservations day-of.

 

[shu24]

I think AoA would be a good fit based on some of the things on your wish list. Great for the ages of your kids and with lots to do, big variety of food in the food court (no sit down restaurant at the resort) plus you can always walk across the bridge that connects AoA to Pop Century. Pop Century is my favorite resort, so don't overlook that either. I just feel that AoA is even better themed for little kids. Don't forget to look into the weekly activities that occur at any of the resorts. I didn't know about them for years and wish I had when my kids were younger. Some are free (like games), some have a fee (like tye dying tshirts) and you can participate at any resort, not just the one you choose to stay at.

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you rent DVC points, you can get some deluxes for about that!

That's what my mom and I are doing. I was more about Poly or Beach Club (never stayed at the Poly, but I love it. Stayed at the Beach Club and their pool is amazing. Sand bottom feels so good after a day on your feet), but we're doing Boardwalk, and that's about what the price came to.

For November, too late to rent DVC points.

If you go with Swan or Dolphin, Swan has queen beds and Dolphin as doubles. Unless that has changed in the last year or so.