Hi! My kids are 3 and 6! After 3 wonderful family cruises, we're looking into possibly switching gears and doing a land based trip next! Disney is one of the options I am looking into. What Disney hotels are your faves??? Any that should be avoided???
We stayed at Old Key West and it worked really well for us. I loved having a kitchen so we could eat breakfast & snacks and enjoyed having a balcony that I could sit on while my DD napped.
Animal Kingdom was a long bus ride away, but all of the other parks were really quick to get to. And we liked taking the boat over to Downtown Disney.
We went in March 2007, when my DD was 15 months and my parents came with us. We had a 2 bedroom unit.
We're getting ready to plan our next trip as well - after just returning from a cruise.
We recently stayed at the All Star Music Resort.(May 17th) We were there with a 4yr old and a 4 Month old. The Resort itself was not too bad. However it did have a few draw backs.The first was the fact that it was one of the less expensive resorts, so all of your big groups were staying there with too few chaperones. The other draw back was that it seemed to have fewer buses running to the parks than the other resorts. In all it was not a bad Vacation. We also did a Dining package that seemed to work very well for us.
If you have any questions feel free to ask.
We stayed at the Polynesian and really liked it. Kids were younger then so we were up early and spent the mornings at the park, then came back after lunch for naps then pool time.
We stayed at the Caribbean Beach resort a few years ago. It was billed as a moderate but it was unimpressive. The room was like a shoebox. We were on the first floor and the only window opened onto a busy walkway so the curtains were closed most of the time. Outside the room was a small common patio area that was muddy and covered with lots of cigarette butts. There's a beach on a lagoon but you can't swim. The best part of the place was that we were right next to the main restaurant/store building so getting there wasn't a problem. The place is huge and you need to take an internal tram to get around.
While we were there, we toured the DVC Saratoga Springs resort. As soon as we walked into the one bedroom suite, we saw the separate bedroom, jacuzzi tub, kitchen and washer and dryer and we were sold! It was so much better than the little Caribbean Beach place that we were in. We've been there twice and are going back in Aug.
We have stayed at the Polynesian also and it was nice to be on the Monorail. The Monorail really makes me feel like I'm at a Disney resort. The rooms were nice and I understand that some have been refurbed since.
My fav is the Caribbean Beach because the rooms are quite large. My hubby's fav is the Port Orleans. He likes the theming. I loved staying at the Contemporary because it was on the Monorail line. That is a huge plus, however it is one of the spendy hotels. If we were to pick a timeshare, we would choose the Saratoga Springs or OKW.
The one thing that does set the Disney properties apart from any other is their ability to theme. They do the details that other places don't and that is what makes a Disney stay special.
I have two faves: The Beach Club and Port Orleans French Quarter.
You cannot beat the Beach Club's location; Epcot is walkable and the Studios are a short boat ride away. It's just a lovely hotel in the greatest of locations. The price, however, lead is to our second choice. Port Orleans French Quarter is the smallest of the moderate resorts, so at the end of the day you don't have this huge walk back to your room lugging kids. The fact that it is smaller also gives it a nicer feel. The themeing is on the mark; you really do feel you are in New Orleans! There's one bus stop, and POFQ is the first stop on its run -- you get on first and off first. Believe me, it helps!
My favorite is the Contemporary. Unfortunately, it is too expensive for every trip. We LOVE being on the monorail loop. My favorite park (and my DS 5) is the Magic Kingdom - it's a 5 minute walk away! Our family favorite park is Epcot - and that is a two monorail ride away. There is also Chef Mickey's - a fabulous experience! And, if you can get a park view room in the tower you can watch the fireworks every night.
Second favorite is Wilderness Lodge - so close to the Contemporary! (Location, location, location!)
I think the most dramatic of all of the WDW resorts, and for that reason, our favourite is the Animal Kingdom Lodge. If your budget can afford a savannah view there, waking up to your morning coffee on the balcony watching giraffes, zebras and other exotic animals is amazing. It allows you to combine a Disney visit with a "trip" to Africa and for that brief time, you really feel you are on a savannah.
However, our family is too large for one room at AKL so we have only stayed there once as a family and usually get larger accomodations offsite.
I think the most dramatic of all of the WDW resorts, and for that reason, our favourite is the Animal Kingdom Lodge. If your budget can afford a savannah view there, waking up to your morning coffee on the balcony watching giraffes, zebras and other exotic animals is amazing. It allows you to combine a Disney visit with a "trip" to Africa and for that brief time, you really feel you are on a savannah.
However, our family is too large for one room at AKL so we have only stayed there once as a family and usually get larger accomodations offsite.
One of my good friends just got back from staying in a savannah view suite at the AKL and said it was amazing! That's one of the reasons I started looking into Disney!
Thank you so much to everyone for all the great info! Keep it coming
Favorite Walt Disney World Hotels???
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