Hi,

Myself, husband, 5 yr old son, and 2 yr old twin boys are planning a trip to WDW in October for 7 nights. Originally, we wanted to stay at the Poly bc of the monorail convience to MK, but after considering that at the villas we would have a seperate room to put the boys down for a nap we are thinking that BCV & SSr would be a good option.

My concern is that BCV will be super busy in October bc of the Food and Wine Festival. Do you think this will be a problem? Will the main pool be too busy to enjoy?

We think SSR looks nice also and like that it is so close to DDD. My 5 yr old thinks the play fountains look great. Do youy think SSR would be a better choice this time of year?

Finally, has anyone stayed at the Poly with 3 kids? If so, did you feel really cramped. I would love to stay there, but think it is probably not right for our family and can't afford a suite there:(

Thanks for any guideance you have!

When you figure that BCV is sold out almost every night, October is no busier at the pool than any other warm weather month.

The big problem is the Food & Wine Festival makes BCV fill up at 11 months generally. This means those rooms were sold starting last November and by the time non-BCV members can book at 7 months in advance usually they end up having to do a waitlist because rooms are no longer available. Sometimes the waitlist comes through - sometimes it doesn't. You'll have a much easier time getting into Saratoga Springs during that time of year - but don't wait to long for that, either.

Both resorts are very nice, and the kids aren't going to care which one they're at. Stormalong Bay is huge - and your 2yr old will be in the kiddie area - far from where the 5yr old might want to be (near the slide, with the other "big" kids). From a family logistics point of view, you can ALL enjoy the pools at Saratoga together.

I would imagine the Poly rooms are plenty big enough when the 3 kids are as little as yours. But, that doesn't give you the privacy of a separate bedroom & a way to get the kids to nap while you're in a different space.

I have never stayed during October so I have no knowledge of the early booking for that area. While I assume that the BWV would be the same as the BCV with early booking, I have stayed there and enjoyed the BWV. I have also stayed at the SSR, I have found it to be no better than the OKW. All the resorts I have stayed at (all 2 BR Villas for the same reason as you) have been beautiful and had their own advantages. OKW is the largest and have a nice play area for the children near the pool, but it is really spread out and may require a lot of walking if you're inpatient like I am. SSR is beautiful and the play area near the pool with Donald Duck kept my son entertained for quite some time, but once again it is also a large resort. On our last visit we toured the WL and AKL. With the new contruction of Villas at AKL I would recommend that resort as my son spend endless amounts of time looking at the animals. Now I don't know if there are the same booking problems there with it being "new".

With all that said, our strategy is to usually choose 1 to 2 locations ahead of time...usually BWV because we love it. And then try to get the 2 BR Villa, with small children the extra room(s) are wonderful, along with the full kitchen which allows for convenient snacks, lunches etc (which save $$$). But what we find to be the greatest is the in room washer and dryer. This permits us to pack less and throw a load in before we head out for the day etc. If we are unable to get in for our "chosen location", we then don't give up those perks for another resort we don't like as much and will rent a condo etc nearby that will allow us to have the same perks as the resort of our choice...minus the clown slide and easy travel to Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

Hope this helps and have a magical trip no matter what you choose!

Sean

My only response....Beach Club

My only response....Beach Club
I agree - and here is why...
I think the BCV, or the BWV for that matter, would be an excellent choice because they really are in a great location. Walking distance from Epcot and DHS, (or boat-able) you have some real good accessibility. While the F&WF may cause attendance to surge around Epcot in the evenings, it is still rather manageable, from my experience. If it gets hot, you have two of the coolest pool areas on property. (pun intended. :) ) The pool areas are large, so I dont think you will have a huge crowd problem unless it is 100F in October.

Dining options are real good as well between the two locations. Want a fun character buffet in your hotel? Cape May Cafe is a great choice. Want an ice cream snack before going to bed? Beaches and Cream. Want some of the most excellent baked goods on property? Head over to the Boardwalk Bakery.

SSR is also very nice. In fact, that is my (DVC) home resort. We loved the charm of the place and access to DTD. But at the same time, we tend to be more park-centric than anything else.

But like Sue said, you might have an availability issue with the BCV (or BWV) because that is a popular time for DVC members to go down. However, they always hold out a few units for cash reservations, so I would call as soon as you can if that is what you want to do. On the flipside, SSR is a larger DVC resort and they may have a few more rooms available for cash ressies. You just have to call and ask.

Let us know what you find out.

We just got back from 4 nights at BC with our two children (11, 7). It was my first time there and it was great. Pool is fantastic. Its huge and you may need to split up to watch kids but it can't be beat. Walking to EPCOT is great, especially for dinner. And DS is also walkable (longer but not much different then boat if there is a long wait). There is also just fun stuff for kids. Movies on the beach at nighta nd nightly entertainment on the boardwalk. You will be very happy.

We have 3 children also, and often stay at the Poly. There are two queen beds and a pretty decent size day bed. In a 1 bedroom villa, you will have 2 rooms, but only 1 king bed, and a sleeper sofa. We are DVC members too, and since child #3, we are always torn what to get because 2br villa is too big, 1br villa not enough bed (now that db is no longer in crib) The poly fits just right. OKW 1br has three beds if you really like to have a villa.