What other resorts should we consider?

[shan981]

We are planning our first trip as a family of 5 to WDW in November/December 2018. Most likely traveling 11/24/18-12/1/18. It will be me, DH, and three sons (10yo and almost 2yo twins).

in the past we've only stayed at values and only for 1-3 nights. This will be our first long trip and first with kids under 5. We are planning to rent a car and will probably need to go back to the room mid-day most if not all days for the littles. I'm feeling very overwhelmed with choosing a resort.

So far we are considering are AoA (Finding Nemo suite), Caribbean Beach (Pirate room), and Fort Wilderness cabins. I have looked at booking directly through Disney and including a 6 day park hopper and dining, these are all in the $5-6k range, which is about where we want to be. We would consider spending more, but the AK Villas and the like aren't in our budget. Are there any other resorts we should research?

 

[ef22]

Fort Wilderness cabins are awesome! I stayed there years ago with my husband, any my kids who were 8, 5, & 5 at the time (I have twins also). There was ample room for all of us!

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

Take a look at Port Orleans, as well.

 

[Disney Khaleesi]

I would really consider looking at Port Orleans Riverside. It's a gorgeous resort with rooms that sleep five, and they have boat transportation to Disney Springs!

 

[stinkpickle]

Agreed. Since you're a party of five, check Port Orleans Riverside.

 

[Shellyred8]

Keep in mind, with the Pirate Room at CBR, the beds are Double, not Queen sized. You might also want to check out the Swan or Dolphin. But make sure to include their resort fees in your final calculations so you are comparing apples to apples. Also, if you are flying in, you would have to find your own transportation to WDW, as you can't use the MDE if you are staying at the Swan or Dolphin.

 

[Babsy]

I would also consider the Cars suite in AoA. They are adorable (especially for boys) and a little less expensive than the Nemo suites. The Pirate rooms look cute, but are distant from the main pool and have two full beds instead of two queens in the other rooms. Also, you can get rooms with a small fold down bed elsewhere in the CBR. SO , I would book a preferred room location with the extra bed at CBR rather than pirate rooms. POR AB rooms are also very nice and sleep 5. Again, I would book preferred for convenience. Request first floor or you will need to climb a flight of stairs (no elevator).

The cabins at FW are awesome and have a full kitchen plus an outdoor deck and grill. They do only have one bathroom (compared to two bathrooms at AoA) though and you will possibly need (want?) a cart to drive to the boat to the MK. Most carts seem to seat 4. They do apparently have some that seat 6 but they are not guaranteed. There is an internal bus system, but then you are taking a bus to get to the bus or boat that will take you to the park. The carts cost about $60 per day, I believe.

Good luck!!!

 

[TwinkleKS]

Fort Wilderness is great with kids. You don't have to worry about them being too loud in the room or neighboring rooms being too loud and waking them up.

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

Port Orleans Riverside.

 

[SarahC97]

CBR has rooms that sleep five, as does Port Orleans Riverside. We're going in January, family of 5 for 6 days with 6 day base tickets, quick service plan, at Port Orleans and it was $3900.

 

[Smittolis]

The cabins from an accommodation perspective would be great! However, given the inherent distances you may need to cover to get to the boat / buses it becomes a little more difficult, or else we would stay there a lot more!

POR was ok when we stayed there a few times, not a huge fan but it isn't bad at all. The decor is good but it is a relatively big layout so positioning can be a positive for the food courts but negative for the buses etc... Depends on what room type you get. Not sure what your budget was/is for he trip, but we ended up getting a Wilderness Lodge Villa Studio with our AP for $284 a night. Granted that is with our Annual Pass, but cabins were $222 for the same period, with the much better amenities and transportation at WLV it was a no brainer. I think AoA was $289 with the same discounts at the same time... a moot point given availability now i know, but its just as a reference for 'value'.

 

[twoolle]

You could rent DVC points and stay in a studio villa that sleeps 5. We are a family of 5 plus infant and renting points for Wilderness Lodge studio (boulder ridge) next March. We bought our tix from undercover tourist (7 days for the price of 4) and the total of the 2 (tix and resort) for 6 nights is $3600. That does not include dining but it can be added on.

 

[partigus]

what would dropping park hopper (i'll admit- we used it a ton when our kids were young- MK every Am and another park every afternoon- but we've since decided we can do a park a day and spend 2 entire days at MK and save a ton on $)...and upgrade to Wilderness lodge- given your kids age- you can book a "standard" room- enjoy a Deluxe resort (the boat ride to the MK is GREAT)

 

[PlainJane]

Some of the DVC properties have the ability to sleep 5 in a studio (with a regular reservation, you don't have to rent points). They have a Murphy bed that works for a child or very small adult. It seems like that would be less than or on par with a Nemo Suite.

 

[Nancyg56]

We are planning our first trip as a family of 5 to WDW in November/December 2018. Most likely traveling 11/24/18-12/1/18. It will be me, DH, and three sons (10yo and almost 2yo twins).

in the past we've only stayed at values and only for 1-3 nights. This will be our first long trip and first with kids under 5. We are planning to rent a car and will probably need to go back to the room mid-day most if not all days for the littles. I'm feeling very overwhelmed with choosing a resort.

So far we are considering are AoA (Finding Nemo suite), Caribbean Beach (Pirate room), and Fort Wilderness cabins. I have looked at booking directly through Disney and including a 6 day park hopper and dining, these are all in the $5-6k range, which is about where we want to be. We would consider spending more, but the AK Villas and the like aren't in our budget. Are there any other resorts we should research?

First, I need to disclose that we travel with family and have no issues with room space. Others do, so this is entirely subjective.

I would look at my overall budget, look at how we were going to dine, and the cost of that, and then go from there.

I think that POR is a fantastic choice with children. I liked CBR but until I knew how the construction will impact your family, I cannot in good conscience suggest it. The cabins are more money, and while there is more space, which you might need if the twins nap and need quiet, they are more money. If that will force a compromise in other areas of the trip I would try to find an alternative. I will say that my coworker upgraded her resort from CBR to the Cabins and for her and her crew of three rambunctious boys, it was money well spent. They loved being at FW, and the energy they burned off when the family returned midday to let the 3 YO nap was a life saver.

I also would decide if my family would like the character meals. If so, I would book a regular dining plan for the family because those meals are expensive and the twins can eat free. The problem is that the ten year old pays the full cost, and that adds up fast. Too bad the trip is not when he was 9.

Anyway, I would initially I thought that I would skip hoppers, but at that time of year you may want them. The weather is not cooperative at that time of year, you just cant knwo if it will be hot or cold, so you will not be able to count on pool time as a distraction.You know your family. If space is going to make your trip easier, take the Cabins. If the room itself is just a place to sleep and you are looking at the amenities the resort offers for your family, consider POR.

I am not a fan of the cost that the suites incur.

 

[danikoski]

If there is a discount, the Boulder Ridge Villas at WL would run about the same as the AoA Nemo suite and the Cabins. If renting DVC points, several of the DVC studios that sleep 5 would be on par with AoA.
I would not do the Pirates room. I'd look at POR instead or a preferred room at CBR, although CBR is undergoing a major construction project right now.
Depending on discounts offered that time of year, you may also want to look at Deluxe resorts. Almost all of them can sleep 5, except WL and AKL. A garden wing CR room can run around $350 a night with discounts. BWI is also in that ball park a lot, and sometimes less.

 

[Little E]

For what it's worth, my vote would be a suite at AoA. We stayed in a Cars suite in 2015 in March. Granted, my family configuration is different (me, DH, and two boys who were upper elementary and middle school ages at the time), but I think AoA would be a wonderful place for your family! We loved the theming, busses were awesome, the food court was great (I have a VERY picky eater, and he was able to find lots of things to eat). We loved the Cars quiet pool, as we came back mid day to swim almost every day. I think, though, what we loved most was the set up of the suite. We had space, two bathrooms, and a small kitchenette. We ordered food from WeGoShop, and had breakfast and snacks in our room every day. Each boy had a separate sleep space, and the two bathrooms made getting out the door in the morning and going to bed at night so easy. I would think that the master suite might be especially nice for your little ones if they need to nap during the day? You can close off the master area, and folks can move about in the main suite area while they sleep?

I see a few folks have recommended POR here. We just got back from a week at POFQ in June of this year, and we spent some time visiting at POR while we were there. Both resorts are beautiful, but they have only regular hotel rooms. We enjoyed our time here, but I will say as a family of four (granted, our two boys are now middle school/high school ages) we felt very cramped in a regular room at POFQ. There are lots of great things about POR/POFQ, but I would find it difficult to have five folks in one of these rooms for a week. The square footage, two bathrooms, three sleeping spaces, kitchenette, and awesome theming at AoA would be my vote.

Wherever you stay, you'll be at Disney! Enjoy every moment with your family and have a wonderful time!!

 

[Kirk]

You could rent DVC points and stay in a studio villa that sleeps 5. We are a family of 5 plus infant and renting points for Wilderness Lodge studio (boulder ridge) next March. We bought our tix from undercover tourist (7 days for the price of 4) and the total of the 2 (tix and resort) for 6 nights is $3600. That does not include dining but it can be added on.

Agree with twoolle if you want the best bang for your buck rent points for a DVC Villa. Just have to research a little. Some studios hold 5 others only 4. A deluxe studio at the Poly holds 5 and it looks like your dates are estimated to cost $2210. I'm a DVC member but have used Dave a number of times to extend a trip when I have a big group that I don't have enough points to accommodate. Here's his cost calculator page if you'd care to give it a view:

Dave's DVC Rental

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