My husband has a conference in Orlando (10 miles from Disney) in March. Looking to parlay it into a Disney trip....I've been to Disney a bunch of times (and once with T when he was under 2) but it's always been with other people and we've never stayed at a Disney Resort. Is staying at a Disney Resort worth it? Which one do you love?
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I've stayed at a bunch of on property resorts. We are staying at Grand Floridian when we are at Disney January 2nd. That is my favorite resort! Another fun one with kids is Animal Kingdom, you can see animals right outside your room. And B loved the pool with the slides.
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We stayed at the Yacht Club this past May (I had a work conference there at the YC, so we didn't pick the resort ourselves) and were very happy with it. It's connected to the Beach Club where there is a mickey and friends character breakfast. The YC also has a great little beach, nice pools and they show kids movies on the beach each evening, complete with marshmallow roasting!
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@yoursilverlining: Cool thanks! My husband's conference is at the Orange County Conference Center, which is right next to Sea World, but I would much rather stay at the park and then he can travel / shuttle over to the conference himself rather than us having to shuttle the kids.
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@BandDmommy: It looks so nice there! I always love seeing that hotel from the Monorail.
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I think you've kind of got to look at which parks you'll be visiting the most and then deciding from there and considering the transpo to the parks. Next time we go, I plan to stay at the Polynesian because its on the monorail (you can roll a stroller right in, as opposed to the buses, where you have to collapse it).
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Staying at the Disney resorts is totally worth it if you can. Just the transportation alone is so much easier than staying off the resort. I can't wait to hear where you pick! We haven't stayed there in forever so I am no help right now.
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I guess it depends what your budget is...
My choice for Value resort would be Art of Animation because it's the newest
My choice for Moderate (which is what we almost always stay in) is Port Orleans Riverside or Caribbean Beach. My personal favourite is Caribbean Beach. I love the vibe, the pools, the theming and atmosphere.
i can't comment on deluxe resorts because I've never stayed in one (they are $$$!) . I think it would be awesome to stay at Polynesian though, it's so close to Magic Kingdom.
I did stay at Saratoga Springs once which is like a Disney condo and the space was awesome.
I love staying on site and it is definitely worth it for me, especially with kids!
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@looch: We stayed there as kids and I have such good memories of it! It's tempting to stay at one of the hotels sponsored by his conference, but there are none in the park....and the closes one is the Swan Resort.
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@Charm54: We have free flights thanks to credit card rewards, so can spend a little more on the hotel. But the Deluxe are SO $$$
@mediagirl: I'm getting really excited. We just decided to go!
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@winniebee: It's also been redone, there was a major reno going on last time we were at the parks.
Also, in case you're thinking of staying off property (not what this thread is, but you know I can't stick to the topic), if you have a costco membership, look into a package. Once you factor in the included rental car, driving to the parks is actually not a bad deal. Time wise, you're about the same as if you had to use some of the Disney Transport. IMO the buses are the worst and the time is equivalent to the cars. Downside is you have to think about car seats.
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@looch: We stayed at Polynesian two years ago and it was in the middle of renovations. I loved the resort but the renovations made the hotel a disaster. I'm sure they are done by now though.
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@winniebee: So exciting! I second Animal Kingdom!
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@looch: I'm thinking we would have to think about car seats for transport from airport anyways? But maybe not if the hotel does a shuttle? I guess the biggest thing is also making sure that my husband has an easy way to get out of the parks to his conference.
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@looch: We actually stay on property but my husband prefers driving to the parks. Parking is free at the parks if you stay on the resort. Just get their early!
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@BandDmommy: can I ask why he prefers to drive rather than taking monorail? is it bc you already have your car from driving down to FL - we'd have to rent a car!
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@winniebee: The hotels have shuttles that will meet you at the airport. No carseats required and they show cartoons!
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@winniebee: yep, the buses are at the airport, they're pretty nice, the ride is short, I feel safe to use without car seats...i am not sure they even have belts, to be honest.
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@winniebee: If you take the buses you have to open and close strollers quickly plus he is not patient and hates waiting for the buses.
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@winniebee: We love Animal Kingdom lodge!!!!!!!
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@winniebee: Monorail doesn't go to all the parks.
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I think it depends on your budget and which parks you plan to visit the most. We always visit Magic Kingdom (because it appeals to small kids) and Epcot (because my husband loves it). We've stayed at Caribbean Beach Resort, which is a moderate on our first trip together. After that, we stayed at deluxe resorts or villas, because we wanted better locations and nicer rooms. We've stayed at Saratoga Springs, Boardwalk Inn and we will be staying at Polynesian in February. Boardwalk Inn was nice, because we could walk to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios. I'm excited about the Polynesian though, because it's on the monorail line, so we can take the monorail to Magic Kingdom and Epcot. It's so convenient compared to other modes of transportation.
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@BandDmommy: True! Oh well, we'll be on buses since we probably won't rent a car.
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This website is very helpful for everything Disney! Here's an article that compares resorts: http://wdwprepschool.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-every-disney-world-resort/
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@winniebee: the Magical Express is awesome - you don't even have to touch your luggage when you land in Orlando, they transfer it directly to your hotel room.
I don't mind the buses on site actually, 95% of the time they are super convenient for us
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@aprild: My guess is we will do Magic Kingdom 2 days (probably one full day and one half day), Animal Kingdom 1/2 a day (afternoon at pool at hotel), Hollywood Studios 1/2 day (afternoon at pool at hotel), and probably Magic Kingdom for an afternoon (evening). We'll probably skip Epcot or do a half day.
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@winniebee: If you're planning to spend most of your time at Magic Kingdom, I would definitely look into a monorail resort. Those would be Contemporary, Grand Floridian and Polynesian. The monorails run frequently all day long, so it's easy to hop on one, and it will take you right to the entrance of Magic Kingdom. Plus, you don't have to fold up your stroller to get on and off. If those resorts are too expensive, a slightly more affordable option is the Wilderness Lodge. It's not on the monorail line, but it is just across the small lake, and the resort has a boat that takes passengers back and forth to the Magic Kingdom. I read you're going in March. There are probably some promotions you can take advantage of like a room discount or a package deal that includes room, dining and park tickets.
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@winniebee: Don't stay near OCCC, there isn't much around there. Not saying you have to stay on WDW property but something close would be nice
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@winniebee: For young children most definitely the Art of Animation family suites. There are Nemo, Lion King or Cars designs. We just booked a trip to stay in the Lion King ones again. The whole resort is amazing, especially for Disney movie loving kiddos.
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@T.H.O.U.: Yeah, I definitely want to stay CLOSE to the parks, but am really leaning towards staying in the parks for convenience, fast pass, character meals etc.
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@babynumber1: cool thanks!
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@winniebee: You get Fast Pass no matter what (part of your tickets) and character meals are the same (just pay the price of the meal regardless if you're staying there).
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@T.H.O.U.: Oh I know, but the fast pass pre-scheduling / not having to wait in line is what I meant.
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@winniebee: Yea, that is part of your tickets.
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@T.H.O.U.: oh really? We went a few yeas ago but my parents were in charge so I just sort of followed along and don't remember getting to preschedule fast pass. We had to go into park first thing to a fast pass booth and schedule stuff there.
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@winniebee: Yup! 30 days in advance with any ticket and 60 days in advance with a WDW hotel resort.
Another plus of a WDW property is extra magic hours. But some non-disney hotels also offer these perks.
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/plan/my-disney-experience/fastpass-plus/
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I loved Port Orleans. It's a moderate but I found that you get a lot of bang for your buck. It's not as expensive as other moderates and has a ton of amenities and a ton of kid activities.
Ferry service to Downtown Disney directly from the hotel. Also to Magic Kingdom or maybe Epcot. I can't remember which one.
Movie nights on the lawn almost every night
Playgrounds
Carriage rides
ShowsAlso their food is the bomb!!
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@winniebee: Also, if it was a few years ago, they probably still had the old fast pass machines that you had to visit in person. Its not until just 2-3 years ago they started the pre-scheduled ones.
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@T.H.O.U.: Do you know about the magic bands?
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@aprild: That's a great website. Thanks!
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