Disney Vacations

[cougarfreak]

I'm looking for feedback on any of the resorts in Disney World in Orlando. We're planning a trip there next summer, for my me, my wife, and our two kids ages 6 and 4. I'm thinking of either of a deluxe resort, or the new animation resort they are opening up. Dining plan? Not sure what to do.

[Suburban Rhythm]

We did Disney last year, my daughter was nearly 6 and son 3 1/2.

We stayed at one of the All-Star resorts. You are still pretty close to everything, and have dedicated buses available. I can't think of any time we waited more than 20 minutes for a bus.

The deluxe resorts, I believe, you'll have access to the monorail, meaning even less of a wait.

We did get a dining plan, but whichever one included 2 meals + 2 "snacks" per day. We used the meals mainly for breakfast and dinner. The snacks can be used for bottled water, which is helpful. We'd have smaller meals in the parks for lunch.

We also bought our flights separate from booking through Disney, and found better deals that way.

[gstelmack]

Depends. If you're willing to spend, I highly recommend the Polynesian or Contemporary, as being on the monorail is super-convenient, and the kids will want to spend lots of time at the Magic Kingdom. Plus monorail access to Epcot. You only have to take buses to Disney Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, or Downtown Disney.

The All-Star resorts are just fine if you want to save money.

Go with the Dining Plan, it's generally worth it. They have several different versions now. The Table Service meals are great to use on the Character Dining experiences, do as many as possible with the kids.

Make sure you bring swimsuits. If you are going in the summer it will be very warm and humid, and you'll want to take the kids back to the hotel and let them loose in the pool for the afternoon. Do the parks in the morning and evenings.

And whatever you do, don't PLAN the trip out. Go with the flow, do what's fun and not completely packed. If you decide "okay, we'll hit Magic Kingdom on day one, doing rides X, Y, and Z, then Epcot Day 2..." etc up front you'll ruin the trip. Just get there and do what seems fun while you're there, let the kids check some stuff out, but don't push them too hard.

[JonInMiddleGA]

17 trips to WDW (and hopefully another one pending soon), so as you might expect I've got a few thoughts here

Originally Posted by gstelmack

Depends. If you're willing to spend, I highly recommend the Polynesian or Contemporary, as being on the monorail is super-convenient, and the kids will want to spend lots of time at the Magic Kingdom. Plus monorail access to Epcot. You only have to take buses to Disney Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, or Downtown Disney.

+1 on the Contemporary. Never stayed at Poly so can't comment. Among the next tier down, I recommend Wilderness Lodge from a kid's perspective & French Quarter from an adult's perspective.

The All-Star resorts are just fine if you want to save money.

Not a fan of the AS properties, at least not during busy season. The bus service is generally atrocious for them because of the ratio of guests:buses is the worst of all properties. "You get what you pay for" may very well apply to transportation moreso than any other aspect of the resorts. Unless of course you enjoy waiting more than an hour (and as much as 2.5 hr) while you're exhausted while carrying even more wiped out kids plus all of the stuff you've accumulated.

Incidentally, for the first few days of the trip (until about 48 hours before departure) having purchases delivered back to the resort instead of lugging them around is a helpful tip. If it's something the kid just has to have in their hands the minute you get back to the hotel fine, otherwise, have 'em delivered (no extra charge) to your resort gift shop & pick them up at your leisure usually about 24 hours later.

The Table Service meals are great to use on the Character Dining experiences, do as many as possible with the kids.

Big +1. At those ages character dining is almost certain to be a hit & the photos you'll take are likely to be among your most favorite. Reservations are a must at most of these, with Cinderella's Royal Table (inside the castle) being the toughest. AFAIK those reservations still become available 365 days out, and if you don't book that one about a year out then your odds of getting in are not good.

If you are going in the summer it will be very warm and humid, and you'll want to take the kids back to the hotel and let them loose in the pool for the afternoon. Do the parks in the morning and evenings.

Another +1 here, the midafternoon break is a near must in summer, otherwise you end up exhausted & miserable pretty easily. It also lets you avoid the typical mid-afternoon downpour.

And whatever you do, don't PLAN the trip out. Go with the flow, do what's fun and not completely packed. If you decide "okay, we'll hit Magic Kingdom on day one, doing rides X, Y, and Z, then Epcot Day 2..." etc up front you'll ruin the trip. Just get there and do what seems fun while you're there, let the kids check some stuff out, but don't push them too hard.

I largely disagree here. We found that the dining reservations were usually the best way to organize things, otherwise you're having fun at Park X only to realize you have to leave & frantically try to make it to wherever you're eating. Likewise having a general plan focused on your top priorities at Park X upon arrival is important, organizing your first few rides in a logical sequence will have you on more rides/attractions and spending less time trekking across the parks. (i.e. if Fantasyland at MK is your top priority then go directly to it when the gates open, don't dawdle & gawk en route. If you do, you're going to be facing 2x-4x the wait times. Our first trip featured a 3 hr wait in record heat just get my kid on Pooh.)

It's possible to overplan (did that on a couple of trips) but having plans built around your priorities is something I'd call a must ... at least if you want to accommodate those things with the least amount of wasted time & energy. With most WDW visits, time & energy become more precious commodities than cash (and at Disney, time is always money ).

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I largely disagree here. We found that the dining reservations were usually the best way to organize things, otherwise you're having fun at Park X only to realize you have to leave & frantically try to make it to wherever you're eating. Likewise having a general plan focused on your top priorities at Park X upon arrival is important, organizing your first few rides in a logical sequence will have you on more rides/attractions and spending less time trekking across the parks. (i.e. if Fantasyland at MK is your top priority then go directly to it when the gates open, don't dawdle & gawk en route. If you do, you're going to be facing 2x-4x the wait times. Our first trip featured a 3 hr wait in record heat just get my kid on Pooh.)

It's possible to overplan (did that on a couple of trips) but having plans built around your priorities is something I'd call a must ... at least if you want to accommodate those things with the least amount of wasted time & energy. With most WDW visits, time & energy become more precious commodities than cash (and at Disney, time is always money ).

Yes, I'll agree here. Plan the dining ahead of time. Just don't come up with a down-to-the-minute itinerary with the parks, and be willing to change some plans based on what the kids want to do.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by gstelmack

Yes, I'll agree here. Plan the dining ahead of time. Just don't come up with a down-to-the-minute itinerary with the parks, and be willing to change some plans based on what the kids want to do.

The minute-by-minute version is always spoiled by the arrival of Mr. Murphy & his law

What I really meant to add to my comments but failed to actually do was my belief that ultimately every family kind of has to find the level of organization/planning/etc that works best for them. I've got friends whose WDW style would make me insane, mine would do the same to them. The "right" way to do it is whatever fits your family best, definitely not a one-size-fits-all kind of place.

Some of the stuff - like having an initial attack plan - strikes me as common sense based on waytoomany days of park experience. Other things - like dining reservations - are just practical realities, you either plan ahead or find yourself with limited options at best.

As a free bonus, one of the many little things we learned over the years was that the best last-minute dining trick was to call their WDW-DINE number the minute it reopens in the morning (7AM IIRC), you can sometimes catch a surprisingly decent same-day reservation as they've cleared out cancellations & what-not. Wait 'til 9am & you're probably s.o.l. in peak season.

[cougarfreak]

I'm really debating a deluxe resort, or the new Animation Studios that is opening up next year.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by cougarfreak

I'm really debating a deluxe resort, or the new Animation Studios that is opening up next year.

I might suggest that the opening date be a big part of your decision. As with anything new, even Disney has to deal with working out bugs/kinks. If your trip is 60-90 days after at least the "soft" opening of the new one, you'd probably be okay. Less than 30 days, I'd advise dodging it, no point spending that kind of coin just to beta test the property.

[cougarfreak]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I might suggest that the opening date be a big part of your decision. As with anything new, even Disney has to deal with working out bugs/kinks. If your trip is 60-90 days after at least the "soft" opening of the new one, you'd probably be okay. Less than 30 days, I'd advise dodging it, no point spending that kind of coin just to beta test the property.

Good point. Now I'm thinking Polynesian based on the monorail availability, and getting the dining plan with one sit down, and one quick service meal.

[Swaggs]

To piggyback on tis thread, what is the youngest age that you would consider taking a child?

We have some time off in January and are considering it with our (what will then be) 2 1/2ish year old. I know he won't remember much, if anything, but just curious if it would be worth it, if anyone has gone with such a young child.

[OldGiants]

We are a Disney family with over 20 trips. Now my daughter is an architect in the Imagineering Dept and my son-in-law is in Guest Relations, giving VIP tours and often in charge of the Castle suite on weekends. So I tend to know what is going on.

Dining reservations are a must, the advice to get reservations and plan your days around them is sound advice. Meal plans are terrific and the folks at Disney will do what they can to accommodate you when you have choices to make. One important point I'll add is that top-of-the-line eating often takes TWO sit down meal points. They will point this out to you, but you need to be aware of this since you said you want the premium resorts. Ohana's at the Polynesian, California Grill at the Contemporary and several at the Grand Floridian all cost two table service meals. So be prepared.

With 6 and 4 year olds, EPCOT will be a long day with the kids getting tired and a bit bored. Hollywood Studios go early and directly to the Toy Story Fast Pass lines. The Fast Passes for Toy Story are gone by 11 AM which means an hour+ wait for what is a must-do ride.

I'd avoid the new Animation hotel until it goes through its shakedown phase successfully. We stayed at Coronado Springs when it first opened, and little things went wrong.

[OldGiants]

Originally Posted by Swaggs

To piggyback on tis thread, what is the youngest age that you would consider taking a child?

We have some time off in January and are considering it with our (what will then be) 2 1/2ish year old. I know he won't remember much, if anything, but just curious if it would be worth it, if anyone has gone with such a young child.

We took our first visit to DisneyLand when our daughter was 3 1/2 and she did well and does remember it--aided by photos, of course. There's lots of strollers in the Magic Kingdom, and lots to do and see for the young ones. There are always parades and characters roaming.

However, little kids need naps. Unless you are staying in a close by premium resort, getting back and forth to the parks is time-consuming, although the resort buses are convenient, they are slow and stop a lot.

[Uncle Briggs]

We just took our 10th trip last month. As somebody else said, you are really just going to have to figure out through experience what works for your family, but I'll share some things that work for us.

Don't do the all-star resorts. Fewer buses, longer walks to the bus, and no shelter at the bus stop at the hotel. Not having to stand in the hot sun or rain waiting for the bus makes the cost difference of the better hotels worth it.

We prefer the moderate resorts for the cost, since we really aren't there much anyway. From Caribbean Beach you can see the skyrockets from the Epcot fireworks. From Port Orleans you can take a boat ride to Downtown Disney.

Our experience with the regular meal plan was that you almost have to plan your day around the meals to make sure you used all your table services because of waits/reservations. We were much happier with the two counter service meals/day plan. The counter service meals are large enough for two if you aren't a big eater, and it's easier to just eat when you get hungry.

We took our daughter at just short of 5 yoa. When we went this last time (3 years later) I was amazed at the things she remembered.

This site has tons of good information:
www.disboards.com

[cougarfreak]

Since there are so many vets of trips on here, are the bus lines at the moderate resorts ok?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by cougarfreak

Since there are so many vets of trips on here, are the bus lines at the moderate resorts ok?

Probably depends upon your tolerance for lines & buses, but for me (intolerant impatient SOB that I generally am) they're generally tolerable. I don't love 'em & I'll use things like the water taxi from Orleans to Epcot to avoid them when I can but I can live with them if I have to. There's definitely a noticeable difference in buses for moderates vs all-stars for sure. YMMV of course.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Swaggs

To piggyback on tis thread, what is the youngest age that you would consider taking a child?

We have some time off in January and are considering it with our (what will then be) 2 1/2ish year old. I know he won't remember much, if anything, but just curious if it would be worth it, if anyone has gone with such a young child.

It's a perfect age for the first trip. We're taking our 4 1/2 year old out for her second trip and our 2 year old out for her first trip this September. The 4 1/2 year old first went to Disney world at 22 months. She remembers more of that trip than her mom and I do. One of the biggest misconceptions by most parents is that they can't take kids from 2-4 years of age. I'd argue that there's not a better time to take kids given that they can ride so many rides and attractions even at that small age. They soak it up. Also, make sure to do character meals and get autographs. The pictures and autographs in those books are things that my older daughter still looks at regularly.

Make sure to go in the latter half of January after school gets back into session. You'll rarely have to wait more than 10 minutes for a ride and will walk directly on to most rides with no wait.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Swaggs

To piggyback on tis thread, what is the youngest age that you would consider taking a child?

We have some time off in January and are considering it with our (what will then be) 2 1/2ish year old. I know he won't remember much, if anything, but just curious if it would be worth it, if anyone has gone with such a young child.

I've done it at around 18-20 months (been a long time, can't remember his age exactly). Truthfully, fun as it was & memorable as it was, that was a trip that turned out to be entirely for me & my wife, my son (a complete Disneyphile even now) has zero recollection of it. It's akin to baby's first Christmas.

I'd say 3 is the earliest they're going to have memory of it & along the lines of what MBBF said, 3-4 seems like a really good sweet spot.

[Uncle Briggs]

Originally Posted by cougarfreak

Since there are so many vets of trips on here, are the bus lines at the moderate resorts ok?

We stayed at Caribbean Beach from June 6-12. We had two waits over 20 minutes: one was an obvious busing screwup where an Epcot bus didn't come for almost an hour; the other was Friday night leaving Downtown Disney, so not unexpected. Other than those, I don't think we had a wait over 15 minutes, at the hotel or the parks. This (minus the screwup; that was a first) was consistent with our other stays at the moderates.

[Glengoyne]

I'm just here to say hello to my wife, who has probably setup shop in this thread. I'm fairly sure she visits the Front Office more often than I do these days.

Oh and yes, we're planning our trip as well. So thanks for posting this, and all of the advice.

[Hammer755]

I would recommend one of the All-Star or Pop Century value resorts. It's never made sense to me to pay for the premium hotels, as my family spends the overwhelming majority of our time in the parks themselves.

I also think it is an absolute necessity to pre-plan the trip as much as possible. You have to go to MGM knowing to hit the Toy Story line as soon as the park opens, or that Soarin's FastPasses run out very quickly, if you want to avoid waiting in line for over an hour. My wife uses a couple of the Disney websites like TourGuide Mike (which is not free, but totally worth it) and has our day planned down to who and when is getting a FastPass for a specific ride. Yes it seems like a pain, but it is absolutely worth it to minimize waiting in lines. Going with the flow just seems like a recipe for disaster to me.

Our first couple of times we didn't do the Dining Plan, but after doing it a couple of times, I really think it's the way to go. Also, Disney has been offering the Dining Plan for free a good bit recently, so be on the lookout for it.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Disboards is a very good resource as well, and my wife has another one that she likes a lot but the name escapes me at the moment. Those larger fan run & fan focused sites are great for a lot of things including Hidden Mickeys (the popular & the obscure), daily on-site updates about ride closures/crowding/etc, emerging issues (or good stuff) at resorts, etc. While there's a lot of stuff that's from/for hardcore Disney freaks, I've always thought they were friendly enough for newbies & to this day I still learn new tricks almost every time I read them.

Also, since this thread has got some 1st timers (or 1st time with young kids) viewing, make sure you know about the "baby swap" (the official name eludes me). Basically you ride Everest or whatever while the wife holds the baby then you get off & hold the baby while she goes to ride w/out going back through the line.

When these trips get closer make sure you necromance the thread or start a new one, there's a lot of little stuff (like getting to wake Tinkerbell at MK or riding with the conductor up front on the monorail) that ought to be tipped off as well.

[OldGiants]

Originally Posted by Hammer755

I would recommend one of the All-Star or Pop Century value resorts. It's never made sense to me to pay for the premium hotels, as my family spends the overwhelming majority of our time in the parks themselves.

I also think it is an absolute necessity to pre-plan the trip as much as possible. You have to go to MGM knowing to hit the Toy Story line as soon as the park opens, or that Soarin's FastPasses run out very quickly, if you want to avoid waiting in line for over an hour. My wife uses a couple of the Disney websites like TourGuide Mike (which is not free, but totally worth it) and has our day planned down to who and when is getting a FastPass for a specific ride. Yes it seems like a pain, but it is absolutely worth it to minimize waiting in lines. Going with the flow just seems like a recipe for disaster to me.

Our first couple of times we didn't do the Dining Plan, but after doing it a couple of times, I really think it's the way to go. Also, Disney has been offering the Dining Plan for free a good bit recently, so be on the lookout for it.

Heartily agree with all of this. On the Dining Plan being included, as well as other hotel specials, these get announced about 90 days ahead of the start date and run about 90 days. So as much as I agree with the 'plan ahead' talk, great deals at the resort hotels (including the 'free' dining plan) get announced a relatively short time ahead. Check the fan websites. They will instantly post the deal details as soon as they are available.

If your kids are Pirate fans, check out the new Pirate theme rooms at Caribean Beach. My daughter got us one of them last Novemeber. Cannons built into the beds, as well as pirate baseboards. Fixtures all pirate-y. I loved it, hard to imagine a kid not thinking it is the greatest room they ever saw.

[Glengoyne]

Hello all. As Glen posted above, his wife(currently posting under his name) has been lurking for sometime now.

We are planning a trip to WDW sometime the first half of next year. I would love to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge with the safari view, but the lodge seems a bit out of the way. Does anyone have any experience with this particular resort?

Also, as we are from the west coast, and this will likely be a once in a lifetime trip, I am curious about staying on Disney property, but getting to Universal Studios or possibly the beach. Is it possible? is there public transportation to get us there and back? taxi? or will we have to rent a car?

[OldGiants]

Originally Posted by Glengoyne

Hello all. As Glen posted above, his wife(currently posting under his name) has been lurking for sometime now.

We are planning a trip to WDW sometime the first half of next year. I would love to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge with the safari view, but the lodge seems a bit out of the way. Does anyone have any experience with this particular resort?

Also, as we are from the west coast, and this will likely be a once in a lifetime trip, I am curious about staying on Disney property, but getting to Universal Studios or possibly the beach. Is it possible? is there public transportation to get us there and back? taxi? or will we have to rent a car?

Animal Kingdom Lodge is fantastic but definitely out of the way. If this will be a once in a lifetime trip, I would say stay more centrally located. Animal Kingdom Lodge is best for folks who want to live with the animals for a few days.

You will need a car to get to Universal or SeaWorld. There's also a dinosaur park that is better than you'd think off towards Tampa. My daughter likes it. Forget the beach, it is around an hour away--but so is Cape Canaveral if there is a launch. Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon are better than a day at the shore, so Disney takes care of that. Plus there are pools with big slides at all the resorts.

[Swaggs]

Originally Posted by Glengoyne

Hello all. As Glen posted above, his wife(currently posting under his name) has been lurking for sometime now.

We are planning a trip to WDW sometime the first half of next year. I would love to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge with the safari view, but the lodge seems a bit out of the way. Does anyone have any experience with this particular resort?

Also, as we are from the west coast, and this will likely be a once in a lifetime trip, I am curious about staying on Disney property, but getting to Universal Studios or possibly the beach. Is it possible? is there public transportation to get us there and back? taxi? or will we have to rent a car?

I don't know much about the Animal Kingdom Lodge, but if you are doing a once in a lifetime trip and want to get to Universal Studios, I'd consider staying onsite at WDW for however many days you want to visit their parks and then renting a car and staying somewhere closer to Universal.

We stayed 8-days a pretty nice Extended Stay, that was within walking distance to Universal, for what we paid for 2 days in a mid-range Disney hotel. And, by staying off site and in an Extended Stay, you can sneak in meals and a few daytrips (Drive to the Beach, although it is far/Sea World/Shopping/Go to a Movie/etc.) without feeling like you are blowing money at the resort by not going to a park.

[cougarfreak]

Has anyone stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort (the pirate themed one)? I'd be curious to hear about experiences there.

[Uncle Briggs]

Originally Posted by OldGiants

Heartily agree with all of this. On the Dining Plan being included, as well as other hotel specials, these get announced about 90 days ahead of the start date and run about 90 days. So as much as I agree with the 'plan ahead' talk, great deals at the resort hotels (including the 'free' dining plan) get announced a relatively short time ahead. Check the fan websites. They will instantly post the deal details as soon as they are available.

There are some special offers for free dining from time to time, but lately it has been available every year from late August to early October (aka "hurricane season"). If you don't have school age kids (or don't care about missing school), this makes early Oct doubly attractive. Hurricane season is pretty well over by then and our experience with that time of year has always been good (low crowds, less hot).

Originally Posted by OldGiants

If your kids are Pirate fans, check out the new Pirate theme rooms at Caribean Beach. My daughter got us one of them last Novemeber. Cannons built into the beds, as well as pirate baseboards. Fixtures all pirate-y. I loved it, hard to imagine a kid not thinking it is the greatest room they ever saw.

We stayed in one of these our most recent trip (we booked last minute and it was all that was available). The room was cool, my daughter loved it, but it added over $100 for 6 days so YMMV.

Edit: somebody asked for specifics, so I'll give more detail.

Pros: Daughter loved the room, a smaller pool with no crowd was close, you can see the Epcot skyrockets from the "beach" nearby, slightly higher cost means quieter area and fewer people at bus stop.

Cons: extra cost, these rooms are farthest from the main area (i.e.the food) (but still less than 10 min walk), full size beds not queens so may be uncomfortable if you are tall/big.

Ultimately, I would say if the extra cost is justified to you for the cool decor, these rooms are as good as any. Simply for being able to see the higher fireworks without fighting the crowd I would probably pick Carribean Beach from among the moderate resorts.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Glengoyne

Hello all. As Glen posted above, his wife(currently posting under his name) has been lurking for sometime now.

We are planning a trip to WDW sometime the first half of next year. I would love to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge with the safari view, but the lodge seems a bit out of the way. Does anyone have any experience with this particular resort?

Also, as we are from the west coast, and this will likely be a once in a lifetime trip, I am curious about staying on Disney property, but getting to Universal Studios or possibly the beach. Is it possible? is there public transportation to get us there and back? taxi? or will we have to rent a car?

I'm staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge in September. We've got a 10-person room on the safari side. We've heard from others that it's well worth it. I've stayed at a room at the lodge before. Bus service is very good. We've found that the extra few minutes on the bus are more than offset by the frequency of buses that they send to the resort.

As a sidenote, anyone who doesn't use MouseSavers (http://www.mousesavers.com/) to plan trips is missing out. We use Undercover Tourist (referenced on MouseSavers) to purchase our tickets. I also have saved hundreds on nearly every trip just by watching the deals on MouseSavers and getting them matched once I see them. Disney allows you to book early and then call them back and get a price match if they drop the price on what you booked. The only catch is that the deals often are out within days, so watching a site like MouseSavers on a regular basis is key to getting that price match.

[Doug5984]

This thread is making me really want to go back for another trip.

[gstelmack]

On the age thing, we nearly lost our 2-year-old on her first trip to Disney (on her birthday, so at 24-months) when she broke away from my hand and took off to go see Pooh. Luckily there was a fence in the way. We got in line and she gave Pooh the biggest hug I think I've ever seen her give anyone. She had a GREAT time. Just remember that at that age it's all about the characters, it really wasn't until age 6 or so that our kids started caring about the rides at all.

[cougarfreak]

I'm having a hard time deciding. Seems like all the deluxe resorts are great, but pricey (with the ones on the monorail being my choice option), and all the moderates have pros and cons. Due to all the bad stuff I've read on the bus service (both here and on other sites), I've kind of ruled out the value resorts.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by cougarfreak

I'm having a hard time deciding. Seems like all the deluxe resorts are great, but pricey (with the ones on the monorail being my choice option), and all the moderates have pros and cons. Due to all the bad stuff I've read on the bus service (both here and on other sites), I've kind of ruled out the value resorts.

A couple of x-factors (that you've probably already considered)

1) How much room/resort time do you anticipate doing? If it's as little as possible, the price jump may not be worth it. If, on the other hand, you figure to include some non-park chill out time then the deluxe resorts are pretty cool. Grand Floridian (which isn't first choice for 99.9% of kids) is pretty swank stuff for adults, maybe the most relaxing of all the Dis resorts IMO.

2) There's character dining at some resorts (Contemporary has Chef Mickey's breakfast for example) as well as shows like Hoop De Doo (at/near Wilderness) and the Luau thing (at Poly, name escapes me). If any of those are on your agenda then that would be a point in their favor. After several days of running around like crazy, it's kind of nice to casually make your way down to something that only involves an elevator as transportation.

3) If your family includes a water bug or two, check out the various theme pools at the hotels you're considering. A matter of taste really but there are some differences (do the kids think any of the specific pools look like the greatest thing ever? If so, that's worth consideration IMO).

4) Do you plan/expect to be centered more on one park than the others (i.e. mostly MK or fairly balanced across them all?). If MK is a major focal point then it's hard to be any more convenient than Contemporary. If you're going to be everywhere about equally then a resort that's more centrally located might get an extra point or two (I can't recall which are which off the top of my head, you should be able to find an overall map that shows everything pretty easily thought)

5) Themes are typically pretty well executed across a specific property. I found that there really is a different feel to one place vs another after a few days there, and there is a tendency to kind of have the resort start to feel like "home", so be somewhere you're comfortable/happy even if it's just psychological. Is there something that's really got a strong appeal to your family; i.e. futurisitic, rustic, exotic, etc? It's little stuff but when giving Disney the kind of coin they're getting, I'm a believer in wringing as much as possible out of the experience.

Just some stuff I figured worth throwing out there. I'm the grumpiest SOB a lot of FOFC'ers know but WDW will always be special to me because of how much my son has loved it for so long. It's been too long since we've been able to go (although there's faint glimmer of hope for us within the next year) so it's fun for me to think about the good times.

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by cougarfreak

I'm having a hard time deciding. Seems like all the deluxe resorts are great, but pricey (with the ones on the monorail being my choice option), and all the moderates have pros and cons. Due to all the bad stuff I've read on the bus service (both here and on other sites), I've kind of ruled out the value resorts.

That's because you're going during peak season. Try for an offseason trip and you can save a fair chunk. My preference is late January.

If the Polynesian is too much for you, stay at Port Orleans and you'll be fine.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by gstelmack

That's because you're going during peak season. Try for an offseason trip and you can save a fair chunk. My preference is late January.

If the Polynesian is too much for you, stay at Port Orleans and you'll be fine.

Late January
Early February
Late September
Early October
Weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas

All are fantastic times with minimal crowds. MouseSavers.com has a full listing of prices based on season at the following link.

http://www.mousesavers.com/roomrates2011.html

[cougarfreak]

I wish I could, but as a teacher, that's pretty impossible for me.

[OldGiants]

We've found the best time to go is after Thanksgiving and before Christmas. The cheaper rates are still in effect up to around Dec 22 or so and the Christmas special parades and such have started. For us, going as soon as school ends (my wife is a teacher) and going home on the 23rd has worked very well at least twice.

In the Fall, don't forget the Food and Wine festival at Epcot. Lots of food and drink stands as you wander around.

Port Orleans is our favorite spot. Good mix of price and convenience. Evenings we take the boat to Downtown Disney and eat/roam around. Not every hotel has a boat.

Take the Magical Express from the airport. It is part of your package and handles you and your baggage coming and going. The best thing Disney has done to make it painless to get there.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by OldGiants

We've found the best time to go is after Thanksgiving and before Christmas.

For those who can do those dates, I'll second that opinion.

In the Fall, don't forget the Food and Wine festival at Epcot. Lots of food and drink stands as you wander around.

Best adult-oriented time I've been at WDW.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Best adult-oriented time I've been at WDW.

+2 on that. We went to the Food and Wine Festival a few years ago. Let's just say the monorail and bus service came in very handy that week.

[cougarfreak]

I've settled on Wilderness Loge Resort
7/15-7/20 of next year
Quick Service Dining
Park Hopper Option

Any sit down, I'll pay out of pocket if need be.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by cougarfreak

I've settled on Wilderness Loge Resort
7/15-7/20 of next year
Quick Service Dining
Park Hopper Option

Any sit down, I'll pay out of pocket if need be.

Stayed there several times, I'd call it a good split of kid & adult attractiveness. Breakfast in the little restaurant right by the front door (Whispering Canyon Cafe) of the resort is one of the more filling meals I've had, underrated IMO & extremely kid friendly. Other meal times are fine there as well. Nothing fancy about the food but sticks to the ribs nicely & is a welcome break from the hamburger or chicken strip fare of the quick service.

I'd recommend shooting for a room assignment (if possible) in the main lodge, not because it's any nicer than the other rooms but rather because some of the outlying buildings are a little bit of a trudge back to the bus stops. Not nearly as bad as, say, Coronado Springs but every little bit helps. Can't always get it but it doesn't hurt to ask (IIRC you can't get the assignment more than 24 hours before check-in, but once you're booked it's worth a call to clarify/request).

The atmosphere of the resort in general (and especially the main lobby area) is pleasant & relaxing, and even if you aren't a smoker, the little balconies that are the designated smoking areas (hardly used in my experience) in each building provide a great escape if you need a few minutes of genuine quiet (doors are basically air tight so the only sounds you hear are ambient noise from the property which is minimal except very close to the pool in the daytime).

FWIW, there were plenty of good options for your situation but I don't think you'll regret your choice for a minute, it's a solid pick.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

+2 on that. We went to the Food and Wine Festival a few years ago. Let's just say the monorail and bus service came in very handy that week.

Ah yes, the Epcot version of a pub crawl as you try to drink your way around the world

[cougarfreak]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Stayed there several times, I'd call it a good split of kid & adult attractiveness. Breakfast in the little restaurant right by the front door (Whispering Canyon Cafe) of the resort is one of the more filling meals I've had, underrated IMO & extremely kid friendly. Other meal times are fine there as well. Nothing fancy about the food but sticks to the ribs nicely & is a welcome break from the hamburger or chicken strip fare of the quick service.

I'd recommend shooting for a room assignment (if possible) in the main lodge, not because it's any nicer than the other rooms but rather because some of the outlying buildings are a little bit of a trudge back to the bus stops. Not nearly as bad as, say, Coronado Springs but every little bit helps. Can't always get it but it doesn't hurt to ask (IIRC you can't get the assignment more than 24 hours before check-in, but once you're booked it's worth a call to clarify/request).

The atmosphere of the resort in general (and especially the main lobby area) is pleasant & relaxing, and even if you aren't a smoker, the little balconies that are the designated smoking areas (hardly used in my experience) in each building provide a great escape if you need a few minutes of genuine quiet (doors are basically air tight so the only sounds you hear are ambient noise from the property which is minimal except very close to the pool in the daytime).

FWIW, there were plenty of good options for your situation but I don't think you'll regret your choice for a minute, it's a solid pick.

How's the boat service to the magic kingdom from the resort? I'd really like a resort that was on the monorail, but I can't justify paying an extra $500 for it. I picked that week, it's the first of the value weeks after their peak in June/early July, it saved me about $300 bucks.

[Swaggs]

So, as a first time parent considering going back, what do you guys do for sleeping arrangements?

I absolutely hate sleeping in the same hotel room as my son, as I am a light sleeper and anytime he stirs I wake up. Plus, I'm am naturally a night owl and am usually good to go on 6 or so hours of sleep, while he obvioiusly needs 10-12 per night.

Are there any affordable suite-type or two bedrooms that are on-property? Do you guys get an extra adjacent room? Just suck it up and have ten or twelve hours of "lights out?"

[cougarfreak]

The new animation resort had a two room option, it would be the most affordable from the ones I was looking at.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by cougarfreak

How's the boat service to the magic kingdom from the resort?

Doublechecked my recollections with my wife's & got a nice tip from her in the bargain.

The boat service Wilderness to MK is fine, sometimes have to allow a few extra minutes for the trip but the relaxing atmosphere vs the bus insanity is more than worth it.

What I had forgotten that she brought up immediately was that you can take the boat over to Contemporary (there's one that goes straight there) and then take the monorail to Epcot. That way you get some easy to use monorail time even without paying the upcharge for it. The boat rides are pleasant enough that they almost become like a small attraction in & of themselves.

She also advised checking the discounts that are usually released in January to see if your same configuration is cheaper. You should be able to get them to do a price adjustment if that happens, could either pocket the savings or use them to upgrade somehow if that strikes your fancy after a few months of anticipation.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Swaggs

So, as a first time parent considering going back, what do you guys do for sleeping arrangements?

Exhaustion usually made sleeping a non-factor. In terms of arrangements I still prefer horizontal but after a couple of days in the parks I can live with vertical if I need to

while he obvioiusly needs 10-12 per night.

I'm not gonna be much help on this one I'm afraid,by three my kid was closing down the parks at 2am & was back up ready to go back 8 the next morning.

[OldGiants]

As mentioned above, Mousesavers is a great site. They sent out the latest newsletter this AM, so check it out. It is too long to post all the content here.

Wilderness Lodge is outstanding. Be sure to have lunch in Whispering Canyon Cafe. All you can eat BBQ and they do great stuff for kids, too, like a race with stick horses around the room.

We took the boat from Wilderness Lodge to MK last month on our stay, and it is fun and quick. The boat to Contemporary is a solid choice, too. I think there is another boat that goes to Downtown Disney, too. Important note: they don't run in heavy rain and lightening and there will be heavy rain and lightening during your trip.

My son-in-law gets the daily attendance figures in the MK as part of his job, and he says attendance is up over last summer and growing, so be aware. In late June, the crowds were there, but not overwhelming.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by cougarfreak

I've settled on Wilderness Loge Resort
7/15-7/20 of next year
Quick Service Dining
Park Hopper Option

Any sit down, I'll pay out of pocket if need be.

Really fun resort for the kids. Lots to look at. Definitely will use the all-you-can-eat BBQ quite a bit. It's very good.

Don't forget to jump on Character Dining reservations right away. They should be just opening up for those dates.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I'm not gonna be much help on this one I'm afraid,by three my kid was closing down the parks at 2am & was back up ready to go back 8 the next morning.

+1. My 2 1/2 year old last trip was in the Magic Kingdom with me until 1:00 AM on the two nights where it was open late. Kids can sleep in the stroller during the day. You'll be very surprised how well they adapt to the whacky hours. You'll want to squeeze every last ounce of energy from them before heading back to the room.

[cougarfreak]

Originally Posted by OldGiants

As mentioned above, Mousesavers is a great site. They sent out the latest newsletter this AM, so check it out. It is too long to post all the content here.

Wilderness Lodge is outstanding. Be sure to have lunch in Whispering Canyon Cafe. All you can eat BBQ and they do great stuff for kids, too, like a race with stick horses around the room.

We took the boat from Wilderness Lodge to MK last month on our stay, and it is fun and quick. The boat to Contemporary is a solid choice, too. I think there is another boat that goes to Downtown Disney, too. Important note: they don't run in heavy rain and lightening and there will be heavy rain and lightening during your trip.

My son-in-law gets the daily attendance figures in the MK as part of his job, and he says attendance is up over last summer and growing, so be aware. In late June, the crowds were there, but not overwhelming.

I'm booking through mousesavers, they automatically record the trip, and if any discounts come up between now and then for the week I'm going in July, they send me a notice and it gets applied. No charge for the service either. Great resource.