Articles | Disneyland | Walt Disney World
Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 40

Thread: Obsessed with picking the best resort for us - HELP!

  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Las Vegas, Nevada

    Obsessed with picking the best resort for us - HELP!

    After countless hours of researching and crunching numbers, I'm about ready to throw in the towel decide to do our usually yearly trip to DL instead of Disney World. If anyone can provide some guidance I would be very appreciative.

    We are looking at October 20th-November 7th 2015

    Cost is somewhat of an issue because I am frugal by nature. Hubby says this will probably be the only trip we go on with the kiddos who will be 5 and 8 at that time. I'd like to keep hotel and food $4000 or less since we will be flying from Las Vegas.

    Convenience is a big consideration. I don't want to spend a lot of time waiting for buses and when we are done for the day we want to get back to our rooms fast and crash.

    Some of my thoughts:

    I always dreamed at staying at the Contemporary, but I know it will be out of budget. If we can get a DVC Bay Lake tower for our dates it would be $2016. I like the convenience MK since I think this will be where we will spend most of our days.

    DVC Boardwalk Villas are only $1492 and easy access to Epcot and Studios

    Pop Century - Since we might not be able to get a DVC room, this would be our cheapest options. My thought is since we have to take buses everywhere else and this does have a dedicated bus, how inconvenience is this option? Plus, might be nice if free Disney Dining is available for our dates.

    Thanks for any input!

    "Disneyland is the star, everything else is in the supporting role."

    -Walt Disney

  2. # ADS

    Join Date
    Location
    Posts
     

  3. #2
    Ready for MA World Explorers! Drince88's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    N.O. LA
    Blog Entries
    5

    Are you looking at renting points for DVC or going directly from Disney? Because a regularly room at Contemp is going to be less expensive than BLT direct from Disney.

    I've never had huge issues with bus transportation.

    But Wilderness Lodge might be a good compromise for you, since it does have boat service to the MK. Personally, I like the moderates as a nice balance between luxury and budget.

    Cathy

  4. #3

    Another option, one that I would never do without, is to rent a car at the airport and use it as your main transportation. That way you can stay at whatever hotel you want and be only minutes away from the park of the day. Your parking will be free, and you'll never have to wait for a bus either to or from the parks!

    The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.
    - James Taylor

  5. #4
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Las Vegas, Nevada
    Quote Originally Posted by danyoung View Post
    Another option, one that I would never do without, is to rent a car at the airport and use it as your main transportation. That way you can stay at whatever hotel you want and be only minutes away from the park of the day. Your parking will be free, and you'll never have to wait for a bus either to or from the parks!
    Didn't know that park parking was free for guests. This might change things. Thanks for your input!
    "Disneyland is the star, everything else is in the supporting role."

    -Walt Disney

  6. #5

    One consideration for the convenience of parking....you still need to take the monorail or ferry from the MK parking lot to the parks. There's a giant lagoon between the two.

    Buses aren't bad. They really arent.


  7. #6
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Las Vegas, Nevada
    Quote Originally Posted by Drince88 View Post
    Are you looking at renting points for DVC or going directly from Disney? Because a regularly room at Contemp is going to be less expensive than BLT direct from Disney.

    I've never had huge issues with bus transportation.

    But Wilderness Lodge might be a good compromise for you, since it does have boat service to the MK. Personally, I like the moderates as a nice balance between luxury and budget.
    We are looking at renting the points. From what I've read, the studio's go fast and I'm not ready to pull the trigger just yet.

    Which moderate do you prefer?
    "Disneyland is the star, everything else is in the supporting role."

    -Walt Disney

  8. #7
    Ready for MA World Explorers! Drince88's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    N.O. LA
    Blog Entries
    5

    My personal favorite is Port Orleans French Quarter - mostly because of the smaller size and only one bus stop. Second is Riverside, and the Coronado Springs and Caribbean Beach. Another frequent poster loves Coronado, so a large part is really personal preference in the theming.
    French Quarter and Riverside sometimes share a bus, though.

    Cathy

  9. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by 3Princesses1Prince View Post
    One consideration for the convenience of parking....you still need to take the monorail or ferry from the MK parking lot to the parks. There's a giant lagoon between the two.
    Getting to the MK via a boat or a monorail is, for me, the way arriving at the MK should be. Now, if you stay till park closing, it can be kind of a cluster. Just be patient, and if the long lines get to you, you can always walk to the Contemporary and hop on a monorail from there with no line at all.

    Buses aren't bad. They really arent.
    They're a fine way to get around the property. But for me I just don't like the wait, even 5 or 10 minutes, for the next bus to arrive, when I can just hop in my car and BE THERE!
    The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.
    - James Taylor

  10. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by PinkFloyd View Post
    Didn't know that park parking was free for guests. This might change things. Thanks for your input!
    Yup - you get a parking pass when you check in. Just show it at the parking booths and they'll wave you right in!
    The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.
    - James Taylor

  11. #10

    I see your point Dan since you are solo or traveling with adults. Getting 4 kids in and out of cars can be just as time consuming as on and off the bus.


  12. #11
    Registered User ericles's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Maryland's Eastern Shore
    Quote Originally Posted by 3Princesses1Prince View Post
    Buses aren't bad. They really arent.
    I agree. What we like about the buses are that we can enjoy a few cocktails at Epcot in the evening and not worry about who our designated driver is going to be! We've been lucky - in all our trips we've never had a long bus wait. The one time we had a car there it stayed parked in the parking lot the entire time.

    As far as renting points...as someone who has done that several times I can vouch for it as the way to go! I can also vouch that the studios do go fast! We just planned a very last minute trip that for various reasons, the Epcot resorts were where we wanted to be. No studios available. O.U.C.H.

  13. #12

    I picked up on the "going back to the room and crash"?

    Leads me to believe rooms are for sleeping only, so Value resort is the option, and definitely rent a car, since you get free parking as a WDW hotel guest. I hate buses, so we've always done cars/


  14. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by 3Princesses1Prince View Post
    I see your point Dan since you are solo or traveling with adults. Getting 4 kids in and out of cars can be just as time consuming as on and off the bus.
    And the busses obviously work for you. I've tried them a few times, and as I said I just hate the wait for the next bus to get there. The only time a bus really works for me is when I drive to the MK parking lot early in the day, get a terrific parking spot, and don't want to lose it when I go back to my room for my daily old guy nap. Then a bus works great!
    The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.
    - James Taylor

  15. #14
    Registered User anniedg's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    The Mile High City

    We always rent a car and use a combination of the busses and the car. One nice thing about using the busses/boats/monorail is if you park hop you can start in one park and end in another with no worries about having to go back and retrieve your car. Having said that, at the end of a long day we appreciate being able to head straight for the car instead of often ending up in another queue for a bus that may well be standing room only. When we've stayed at Pop Century the busses seemed fine as compared to other resorts.

    I think location is a big plus of staying at Boardwalk. The one time we stayed at an EPCOT resort, Beach Club, we truly loved being able to easily walk to the back entrance of EPCOT, such a treat!

    Another thing to consider is the food options at the various resorts. With kids it's nice to have the quick easy food court type options at the values and moderates. We love Port Orleans Riverside and appreciated the extra trundle bed when our boys were young. We also really like both Pop Century and Art of Animation (the Little Mermaid section has regular rooms if you don't want the family suite) and you can't beat the price!

    ~Annie

  16. #15

    Take a veteran with you and save 35% off the deluxe 2br villa.

    Desired resort also determined by your preference outside the parks...that has a lot to do with differences between levels.
    The values are at the level of Days Inn rooms with much nicer grounds. Moderates have slightly nicer rooms and nicer grounds...
    Deluxe... Great rooms and grounds you won't forget.

    If it's a rare occasion...spending more might be worthwhile.

    Imo transportation and never concerning yourself with a car is a huge reason to stay onsite...it's part of seeing WDW as an escape vs destination.
    If you'll get a car anyway, aside from a little extra magic and EMH, might as well look into a condo with private pool under 1k/wk...

    Joey

  17. #16
    Ready for MA World Explorers! Drince88's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    N.O. LA
    Blog Entries
    5
    Quote Originally Posted by ericles View Post
    What we like about the buses are that we can enjoy a few cocktails at Epcot in the evening and not worry about who our designated driver is going to be! H.
    This, to me, is a HUGE point in favor of buses.
    Cathy

  18. #17
    Read Everything-Assume Nothing GusMan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Chicago Area
    Blog Entries
    17
    Quote Originally Posted by 3Princesses1Prince View Post
    ... Getting 4 kids in and out of cars can be just as time consuming as on and off the bus.
    Agreed, the dynamic is surely different compared to singles and even couples.

    Ive done some unscientific experiments with this since we had our car with us for several trips.
    Time savings on average is probably +/- 10 mins if you have a car. Yes, thats right... sometimes the bus beat the car.
    Every family needs to assess their own needs and desires and make their own decision. In many cases, Disney Transportation will do just fine even if it does take a few moments longer. Its not like you are going to save a couple of hours time every single day.
    Disney-Inspired Author and Blogger
    CoHost of the Behind The Ears Podcast... Check it out on iTunes
    Admin of The WDW Community Facebook page.

    The search function is like the Force. It may take practice, but the more you use it, the more control you will have over it!

  19. #18

    Obsessed with picking the best resort for us - HELP!

    The primary advantage to having a car if staying onsite is for getting to and from meals at the resorts from your own resort. A car saves a LOT of time over the buses. I've gone without a car several times and with a car we use the buses a lot. But for those resort meals and DTD (unless staying on the DTD boat route) having a car is a massive bonus. That said I won't drive in the US so need my husband with me for the car option. Me and DD used buses from the farthest resort, AKL this year. It was fine.

     

    If no-one out there understands, start your own revolution and cut out the middle man (Billy Bragg)

  20. #19
    Disney Stuff/My Disney Top 5
    MousePlanet Staff
    cbarry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Glen Cove, NY

    Never rented a car. Never will. I place myself completely in Disney's hands for the total escape. I can drive at home. We've done this with kids, without kids, just me alone, and with 18 people in tow. The few times we've gotten frustrated waiting for a bus seemed to be at Epcot, and we hopped into a cab. For $18 we were back in our room. That's only happened twice in many, many trips. Just our way of doing things but we've got no complaints.

    As far as a resort, that time of year has seen some nice discounts for room only reservations. The last two years in a row, we've gotten 30% off room rates via a Disney special offer. Both times in the Fall. Got BoardWalk and Yacht Club for around $250-$270 per night. Not cheap, but a great deal on those particular rooms. I echo The Wilderness Lodge as an option. Deluxe but always a better rate and the boat to MK is great.

    You say the Contemporary is a dream. The Garden Wing rooms have sometimes been a very good deal through Disney's special discounts. I realize its not the main building, but I hear they're very tranquil.

    Go Moderate? Go Port Orleans Riverside if you have 5. French Quarter if you have 4. The boat to Disney Springs (!!!!) will be a nice plus then.


  21. #20

    My kids are 8 and 10 now. Been to Disneyworld 3 times with them. The busses are not bad at all. You get used to them really quick. Remember if you are park hopping there is a monorail that goes from the Magic Kingdom to Epcot. This is a nice ride for the kids. Much longer than the monorail ride at Disneyland.

    Also, to economize you can order groceries sent to your room and take advantage of the dining plan. If you plan on using the pool, the Art of Animation has a huge pool with music playing underwater. Kids love it.


  22. #21
    Registered User ericles's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Maryland's Eastern Shore
    Quote Originally Posted by Drince88 View Post
    This, to me, is a HUGE point in favor of buses.
    Yes, exactly.

  23. #22

    Couple things - first, add to your mix the option of two resorts. We did that for our trip, and probably will do it again. For our trip, we splurged on food with a Pop Century stay. 6 nights in, we dropped our luggage at the desk and after a day in the parks went to Fort Wilderness cabins for the next 6 nights. With the full kitchen and grocery delivery, it was a great switch up for the trip. (And the cabins are great!) Two vacations in one. Love the connections there with the choice of boats or buses, but you do add to your time as the route is shared with the lodge. Extremely kid friendly with bunk beds, nightly campfires, and of course, fireworks on the beach or the nightly water parade.


  24. #23
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Ventura County, CA

    I'll add/echo a few points made here. I don't have children, but have been to WDW numerous times as a kid, teen and adult and I've never been on a trip to WDW where we didn't rely on the resort transportation and never had any "ruin our trip" kind of issues. There were a few instances when we ended up on a full bus at park closing (standing room only), though most people are understanding about offering seats to moms with young kids, etc. Yes, if you happen to miss a bus to a particular park, you may end up waiting 10-15 minutes, but this won't be an everyday occurrence. I also imagine it might be more convenient to park-hop via the provided transportation as opposed to moving a car from parking lot to parking lot. But, that's just my perception-- as other posters have stated--there's something special about when you vacation and WDW, stay onsite and don't drive-- it really feels like you are removed from the real world which I feel enhances your vacation.

    I've stayed at moderate resorts only-- the Carribbean Beach and Port Orleans-French Quarter. Both were lovely and had nice elements. If I had to pick, I'd say I preferred the French Quarter because it is smaller and only has one central bus stop, as opposed to many stops at the different "island" sections of the CB.

    Just my two cents. Happy planning!


  25. #24

    I'm confused - Oct 20 to Nov 7 is 18 nights and if you are getting BWV for $1492 for that time period you better book TODAY! lol


  26. #25

    We stayed at the Contemporary exactly once and that was enough. It was old and expensive. The only real advantage was the ability to walk to the Magic Kingdom. If you plan on spending a LOT of your time there then it may be worth while. Our favorite is the Wildnerness Lodge. There is a direct boat to MK and overall it is a much better resort. We never get a car. As someone mentioned you still have to take a monorail or boat to MK, and we've always used the buses just fine. There are some times you may have wait a short time for a bus, but consider the time you have to drive to wherever you are going, park, and then either walk a long way or shuttle across the parking lot. With the buses you get dropped off closer to the park gate.
    If you haven't been to Disneyland for a while give it a try.

    ------------------------------------------
    The Entrapment: A thrilling, escape room experience
    http://www.theentrapment.com

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •