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KrisM
03-26-2013, 06:49 AM
We'll be doing our one and only trip next April. Kids will be 5.5, 7.5 and nearly 10. I am trying to figure out a budget and am stuck on resorts. I did some pricing for different dates, but with the same expected price season, just so I could compare.

My choices now start with POR as the cheapest, then All-Stars suite, Art of Animation suite, FW cabins, and Contemporary. A range of $1700 from cheapest to most expensive. And if we rent a golf cart, cabins and Contemporary swap places.

I can't figure out what is important. The suites have 2 bathrooms, which would make mornings easier since DH is so slow in the bathroom. Cabins have a kitchen, which would be nice. Contemporary has the monorail. POR saves money.

What do you use to decide? How much time will we really be in our room all together and not sleeping?

klwa
03-26-2013, 07:01 AM
We stayed in the All Star suites the last time we went & really enjoyed them. Trying to decide between them & the AoA suites for next spring. We liked having a door to shut between us & DC, so they could go to bed earlier than we did. (We went in December, so parks closed earlier & our kids were younger than yours.) One plus for AS over AoA is that each of your kids could have their own bed, since they have 3 fold outs (1 full & 2 twins) rather than 2 full sized at AoA.

We've also stayed at POR, but only with DS. It was fine, but with 5, you WILL be tight on space. But, the pool is pretty cute.

We used the on-site bus transportation at both resorts and found it comparable between the mod & the value. Yes, it was annoying some nights leaving the parks, but I would have been annoyed walking out to my car & getting caught in traffic too.

Yeah, I didn't help at all, did I....

WatchingThemGrow
03-26-2013, 07:14 AM
How many nights? Our DC love the monorail. We love the ease of it. The contemporary is so cool, but we've never been able to afford staying there.
POR is fine. It's not ooh and ahhh, but at least you're on the property. We've done it 2-3 times for 1-2 nights at a time. You can walk to PO FQ as well for some more pool fun, more food options. I'm hoping to spend a little bit more this time just because I'm a little freaked out by the huge "rat boxes" DH spotted in the shrubbery at POR near the swampy area. Our room last time also had some water in the carpet, which was a foreshadowing of what would plague the months following our short Disney visit. (the 3 moldy homes we were in)

For a one time only trip, I'd stay somewhere fun. We would rather be cramped and in a fun location than have more bathrooms, etc. The deluxe rooms have microwaves and fridges, right? instant oatmeal and hard boiled eggs will do just fine for us some mornings, but I'm not a fan of waiting in lines to get on buses that are completely packed and take 20 minutes to get to my resort.

KrisM
03-26-2013, 07:28 AM
We stayed in the All Star suites the last time we went & really enjoyed them. Trying to decide between them & the AoA suites for next spring. We liked having a door to shut between us & DC, so they could go to bed earlier than we did. (We went in December, so parks closed earlier & our kids were younger than yours.) One plus for AS over AoA is that each of your kids could have their own bed, since they have 3 fold outs (1 full & 2 twins) rather than 2 full sized at AoA.

We've also stayed at POR, but only with DS. It was fine, but with 5, you WILL be tight on space. But, the pool is pretty cute.

We used the on-site bus transportation at both resorts and found it comparable between the mod & the value. Yes, it was annoying some nights leaving the parks, but I would have been annoyed walking out to my car & getting caught in traffic too.

Yeah, I didn't help at all, did I....

Oh, beds for all would be nice. That's true at the cabins as well. My SIL likes the cabins for not being connected to anyone else, too. Less noise.

No, not a lot of help :rotflmao:, but reminded me about the multiple bed thing!

KrisM
03-26-2013, 07:29 AM
How many nights? Our DC love the monorail. We love the ease of it. The contemporary is so cool, but we've never been able to afford staying there.
POR is fine. It's not ooh and ahhh, but at least you're on the property. We've done it 2-3 times for 1-2 nights at a time. You can walk to PO FQ as well for some more pool fun, more food options. I'm hoping to spend a little bit more this time just because I'm a little freaked out by the huge "rat boxes" DH spotted in the shrubbery at POR near the swampy area. Our room last time also had some water in the carpet, which was a foreshadowing of what would plague the months following our short Disney visit. (the 3 moldy homes we were in)

For a one time only trip, I'd stay somewhere fun. We would rather be cramped and in a fun location than have more bathrooms, etc. The deluxe rooms have microwaves and fridges, right? instant oatmeal and hard boiled eggs will do just fine for us some mornings, but I'm not a fan of waiting in lines to get on buses that are completely packed and take 20 minutes to get to my resort.

A week. Somewhere between 7 and 9 nights, depending on a few things.

hillview
03-26-2013, 07:50 AM
well at our kids (younger) ages we would spend at least a couple of hours in the room after the park. Have you looked into renting points for Bay Lake Towers (connected to the contemporary)? We did that last year and it was awesome and a lot less $.

TwinFoxes
03-26-2013, 07:56 AM
Have you looked at using a DVC property? They have kitchens and more room. Booking through Disney is expensive, but you can also book direct from owners or through services. I think 5 in a regular room, especially with a slow poke, would be stressful.

I'm one of the people who hate the busses. Waiting to get on a packed bus at the end if the day is pretty low on my list. It is even less fun with a stroller. We just drive, or when we stayed at BWV, walked to the parks. I've never been in a traffic jam getting out of the park, but we've gone in October.

As for your Q, I doubt your kids will care where you stay, a larger room would probably help YOU have a more relaxing trip. :)

KrisM
03-26-2013, 07:58 AM
I don't really understand how to rent points. I've heard about it, but don't know who I'd rent from, how it works, etc. I'll look into it more and see.

TwinFoxes
03-26-2013, 08:01 AM
Disboards has a forum, and I'm pretty sure there are recommended services if you don't want to rent directly from an owner. I am always too nervous to rent from an owner, although tons of people do! I want some sort of recourse if there's a problem.

egoldber
03-26-2013, 08:02 AM
With your kids ages, you will spend a lot of time at Epcot and DHS. I would consider staying in an "Epcot Area resort", which is Boardwalk, Beach Club, Yacht Club or Swan/Dolphin (not owned by Disney, but on Disney property and with many of the same perks) that way you can easily walk to those 2 parks. Not having to park is really nice. We get Parkhopper tickets, and walk into Epcot for the food and ambiance almost every evening we stay at Disney.

I can see splurging for a Monorail resort for a once in a lifetime trip, but Contemporary would not be the resort I would pick for that. I would choose the Polynesian or Grand Floridian.

hellokitty
03-26-2013, 08:18 AM
We stayed at POR in the AB units (for families of 5) in November and I don't know if I would recommend it to you. The resort is nice, BUUUUT is is extremely spread out. We got stuck in building 34, which is one of the most remote buildings (even though I put a request in to be closer to the main building). My 3 yr old usually wanted to be carried for at least half of the way back to the main building (about a 15-20 min walk), and that got old really fast. Also, the bussing was absolutely HORRIBLE, like we waited for a bus for 30-40 min on several occasions. We stayed at POFQ in 2011, and the busses were great, so it was a shock to us, just how bad POR's busses were compared to POFQ. IF I were to recommend POR to anyone, I would tell you to go ahead and cough up the extra $ for the preferred room location. This way, you won't end up in a remote building, like we did, and the walk would be 5-10 min to the main building and pool. We were not able to take the kids to the main pool, since it was so far away and a little bit cool, so they would have turned blue on the 15 min walk back to our room, so they used the quiet pool, which was ok, but the reason you pay for a mod resort is for a pool with a slide. The quiet pools, are just regular pools with no slide, so I felt like we paid mod prices for a value room. If you are driving, that would be great too, so you wouldn't have to depend on the busses. When we stayed at POFQ, we had a car, but never had to use it, since the busses were so fast. So, we flew the last time to POR and we really regretted not having a car.

If I were to plan another trip, we'd either stay at the new AoA family suites, beach club or the contemporary deluxe rooms, or we'd just rent DVC points. I'm kind of soured on POR after our trip. Admittedly, I know that POFQ is the smallest resort and that is probably why we loved it so much. POR is just sprawled out and while some ppl find the atmosphere very relaxing, we live in the midwest where we see a lot of green and trees on an everyday basis. I felt like we were in a cabin or something, it didn't really feel like we were anywhere very special. Unfortunately, POR is the most affordable option for a family of five, so it bums me out that we disliked it. The room itself is ok. We didn't spend a lot of time in it. The murphy bed is ok, my 3 yr old slept on it, but I tried it and felt it was really uncomfortable (a very stiff foam). By the time you get the preferred room, it doesn't seem like such a great deal. Another option that I would consider is two connected value rooms. That would have been cheaper and given us more rooms and two bathrooms w/o paying the suite prices. All of the rooms have fridges now, so the only extra thing that the suites have is a microwave. I'd also consider renting a condo/house or staying at an offsite time share resort, like bonnet creek, at this point, in fact, due to how bad the bussing was last time, I'm not leery of staying onsite w/o a car.

123LuckyMom
03-26-2013, 09:33 AM
I think since your children are older, you don't need to spend the extra money to be in a monorail hotel. It's REALLY great when the kids are in strollers and you need to be going back and forth for naps, but for older kids, it's not necessary, and the theming at the Contemporary is the least nice of all the deluxe resorts, IMO.

I've only ever stayed in the monorail resorts or the Swan or Dolphin, so I don't know about the other ones you mentioned, though I believe the campsites have campfires and a singalong every night, which might be fun on an early night, like your Animal Kingdom day.

ray7694
03-26-2013, 09:42 AM
When I was planning my trip I had it narrowed down to the AoA suites and a moderate. I didn't think the expensive of a deluxe was worth it. I ended up picking Coronado Springs as everything I read said they have short wait time for buses and an awesome pool. I gave up the suite idea because everyone has told me that you will be exchausted after parks all day.

egoldber
03-26-2013, 10:02 AM
Of all the WDW hotels I have stayed at, (and we've stayed at most of them :o and visited all the others) I think the Animal Kingdom Lodge has by far the best theming. It is inconveniently located, but if you have a rental car, that doesn't really matter.

hillview
03-26-2013, 10:36 AM
we rented via Dave and had a great experience. I loved having the DVC place
http://www.dvcrequest.com/

Indianamom2
03-26-2013, 11:03 AM
Well, we've stayed at Shades of Green (military resort), Port Orleans Riverside (without kids), and the Polynesian (oh and one night at Fort Wilderness). Of those, hands down, my favorite was the Polynesian, but it is so dang expensive. We were only able to go because we went with my in-laws and they booked with their military discount.

Port Orleans was fine for the two of us, but like another poster, we went in the off season (beginning of Nov.) and were way out in the boonies. We did not enjoy the long walks to anywhere and the bus service was very slow. It wouldn't be my first choice for those reasons.

If you want theming, the Contemporary will probably disappoint, though you can't beat the location/transportation ease. It's just a nice hotel.

We are going this September and bought DVC points from our BIL/SIL who own and are not able to go this year (or maybe even next). As a result we were able to stay in a Savannah view room at the Animal Kingdom for approximately the same cost as the All Star resort. I would definitely at least look into the DVC points and see how it compares.

BayGirl2
03-26-2013, 12:42 PM
I think a lot of the choice depends on what type of hotel you would usually stay in outside of Disney, what theming you are most attracted to, and how your touring style works with the location and transportation. For us Disney is the one place we don't need to stay in a condo with kitchen because we enjoy eating out TS a lot and room sharing is less of an issue given our schedule and sleep-motivated kids. But since DH and I travel for business and are used to staying at nice hotels I think a Value would annoy us - they look like dorm room quality to me and I hate outside-opening rooms (which even the moderates have). For some people price may be a bigger motivator, they travel infrequently, and like to be near a food court. I prefer public transportation in real life so would be annoyed to drive at Disney, so location is key. Others will have a car no matter what so location is not such a big issue. Totally a personal preference but I'd ask yourself about all those issues. The list you have seems to be at all ends of the spectrum and not really focused on one level of features/price tradeoff.

Here's an interesting view on room size vs. price. http://blog.touringplans.com/2011/09/12/what-you-get-for-the-money-resorts/
Despite that comparison some of the issues I mentioned above would still put us in a Deluxe or DVC if we were going for a long trip, the other features are just worth it to us.

klwa
03-26-2013, 12:46 PM
Glad I could be of so much help earlier.:rotflmao:

One thing another poster reminded me of, the AS suites are all in the buildings closest to the bus stops, so less walking than at AoA.

KrisM
03-26-2013, 01:03 PM
Thanks for the insights. There is a lot to consider. I just don't know how we'll pick!

I looked at the point renting site, and the cheapest is a 1 bedroom OKW for $3400, which puts it up to the Contemporary range in price. We'd get more space though.

We rarely stay in hotels, so don't have a good idea of what we want. When I worked I traveled and stayed in basic hotels. DS1 and I spent 2 nights in a hotel earlier this month, but nothing fancy. Otherwise, we either stay with family or rent a condo when we travel, so that we can cook. But, the place we go, everything closes at 6pm, so we spend a lot of time in the condo. Obviously, WDW doesn't close at 6pm :).

The DDP and 8 day tickets come to $3k for us. I guess I need to figure out how much more we can spend on the vacation. I don't know that we'll do DDP, but it was a starting point for cost comparison.

If we drive, we could spend more on a room. We'd save on travel and we'd be there fewer nights. I'm not sure if we'll fly or drive, but that is a consideration.

westwoodmom04
03-26-2013, 02:14 PM
I third the recommendation for renting DVC via points. We did it through David's rentals and it was very professional. The downside is you must commit and pay months in advance, and you can not cancel. The upside is that you have a suite with laundry, full kitchen and way more space than a hotel room for the same price as a standard room in the more upscale disney resorts. Given the length of your stay, you might want the extra space. We stayed at BLT, which is adjacent to the contemporary. However, there are also dvc properties at Wilderness Lodge, Boardwalk, and Animal Kingdom, as well as one property, Key West, that is only rentals.

sarahsthreads
03-26-2013, 03:08 PM
well at our kids (younger) ages we would spend at least a couple of hours in the room after the park. Have you looked into renting points for Bay Lake Towers (connected to the contemporary)? We did that last year and it was awesome and a lot less $.

We did this a few years ago when DD1 was 5 and DD2 was 1.5 and it was fabulous! We had a one bedroom suite, so we could put the kids to bed and hang out in the living room - we used a PNP for DD2 and DD1 just slept in the King-sized bed with us. We had groceries delivered, and ate all but one breakfast (we did a character breakfast) and a few of our dinners there, so saved a ton on eating at the parks. We brought half the clothes we might have otherwise and just did a couple of loads of laundry. We were literally walking distance to the Magic Kingdom, and right on the monorail for Epcot. It made mid-afternoon kids-needing-downtime super easy and convenient.

I would do it again in a heartbeat! (And we probably will when DC3 is a couple years old.)

DH was in charge of the reservations, so I'm not sure how he booked it, but it was *significantly* less expensive than staying at the Contemporary, a bit more than the All Star hotels were.

Sarah :)

KrisM
03-26-2013, 06:17 PM
Make sure I'm doing this right! The dates I'm using are April 5 through April 13. Using http://www.dvcrequest.com/ , I get 312 points minimum for BLT. That's $4056.

Using dates in December 2013 for the same number of days and the same expected price season (no prices for April yet on Disney), I get room only for All Stars suite $3043, Cabins at FW for $3748, and Contemporary for $4093. A 1 bedroom at BLT for those dates is $3146.

I can see the savings. So, there are no cancellations. Do you buy trip insurance? It's a lot of money to put up as a guaranteed vacation. Kind of scary to think about!

And, wow. I am still in overall sticker shock of a $7k vacation that is only 1 week! Yikes!

westwoodmom04
03-26-2013, 07:00 PM
Make sure I'm doing this right! The dates I'm using are April 5 through April 13. Using http://www.dvcrequest.com/ , I get 312 points minimum for BLT. That's $4056.

Using dates in December 2013 for the same number of days and the same expected price season (no prices for April yet on Disney), I get room only for All Stars suite $3043, Cabins at FW for $3748, and Contemporary for $4093. A 1 bedroom at BLT for those dates is $3146.

I can see the savings. So, there are no cancellations. Do you buy trip insurance? It's a lot of money to put up as a guaranteed vacation. Kind of scary to think about!

And, wow. I am still in overall sticker shock of a $7k vacation that is only 1 week! Yikes!

I know, I think Disney was the priciest family vacation we have taken so far. I think that BLT is the most expensive (or the same as AKL dvc), so the others will be a little less expensive. If you compare room square footage, I believe a one bedroom BLT is about the size of two standard size guest rooms. All of the one bedroom or larger dvc units have foldout sleeping for 2-3 kids in the living area. We had our kids there and us in the bedroom for a pretty good level of privacy in a one-bedroom unit, and there were two bathrooms so that helped too.

Also, David's vacation club sells trip insurance. I decided to gamble, and didn't get it.

Indianamom2
03-26-2013, 07:38 PM
Make sure I'm doing this right! The dates I'm using are April 5 through April 13. Using http://www.dvcrequest.com/ , I get 312 points minimum for BLT. That's $4056.

Using dates in December 2013 for the same number of days and the same expected price season (no prices for April yet on Disney), I get room only for All Stars suite $3043, Cabins at FW for $3748, and Contemporary for $4093. A 1 bedroom at BLT for those dates is $3146.

I can see the savings. So, there are no cancellations. Do you buy trip insurance? It's a lot of money to put up as a guaranteed vacation. Kind of scary to think about!

And, wow. I am still in overall sticker shock of a $7k vacation that is only 1 week! Yikes!

I think it sounds like you're doing things right. I know we paid about $13/point (to BIL/SIL, who own DVC at the AKL). I believe that since we are going in the value season we needed something like 118 points total.

We didn't do trip insurance because we're related to the sellers so no problems there, plus baring a major health catastrophe, we'll be there. I figure if we can't go for something that major, that will be the least of our worries!

AnnieW625
03-30-2013, 10:33 AM
Do you have to go in December? That is high rate time I believe. Have you considered The Bonnet Creek Westin? It is near Downtown Disney I believe. That or renting points (unless we are able to make things work with one of DD1's friends moms who works for the "mouse"--aparrently there are good discounts if you travel with an emoloyee) will be about the only way we could afford a great WDW vacation.

We rarely stay in hotels and yeah the open to outside door hotel rooms kind of turn me off too (unless it is a villa or condo rental). If I am on vacation I want to be pampered!

hillview
03-30-2013, 10:50 AM
yes that sounds right. Yes it is super $$. December is a higher season. We go in Jan (when we go) and it is a lot less $ but STILL very expensive.

KrisM
03-30-2013, 11:11 AM
Do you have to go in December? That is high rate time I believe. Have you considered The Bonnet Creek Westin? It is near Downtown Disney I believe. That or renting points (unless we are able to make things work with one of DD1's friends moms who works for the "mouse"--aparrently there are good discounts if you travel with an emoloyee) will be about the only way we could afford a great WDW vacation.

We rarely stay in hotels and yeah the open to outside door hotel rooms kind of turn me off too (unless it is a villa or condo rental). If I am on vacation I want to be pampered!

We are going in April. The kids are in school in December. I only used December and a similar price point for pricing, since next April isn't out yet. But, April isn't cheap, either, I'm finding. We could go in August, which is cheaper.

Hotels that open outside don't bother me. My house opens to the outside :).

I did look at Bonnet Creek. I came up with $1850 for a 1 bedroom, including the shuttle fee. It's definitely more space for less money! I am considering that, too.

KrisM
03-30-2013, 11:17 AM
yes that sounds right. Yes it is super $$. December is a higher season. We go in Jan (when we go) and it is a lot less $ but STILL very expensive.

I've confused people. We're going in April. Our kids don't have time off school in January, unfortunately. We are going on spring break next April.

Cam&Clay
03-30-2013, 01:05 PM
I've confused people. We're going in April. Our kids don't have time off school in January, unfortunately. We are going on spring break next April.


That's why it's so expensive. The few weeks before Easter and the week after are some of the highest priced (and most crowded) weeks of the year.

BayGirl2
03-30-2013, 01:26 PM
That's why it's so expensive. The few weeks before Easter and the week after are some of the highest priced (and most crowded) weeks of the year.

:yeahthat: If you want to see what Spring Break crowds are like go to EasyWDW.com's blog posts for the last couple days http://www.easywdw.com/uncategorized/magic-kingdom-easter-crowds-2k13-feels-crowded-32813/#more-10833. The pictures of Magic Kingdom yesterday are enough to make me avoid April at WDW, it just looks miserable there. If you do go at a busy time be sure to have a strategic touring plan to avoid the crowds. If I had to go at a really busy time I'd want to stay somewhere I can get back to the hotel easily in the afternoons and wouldn't mind spending some time at, because we'd really have to get out of the parks for a few hours. Plus I'd want to be able to get there early in the morning (especially MK) and back easily in the evenings to stay late. This would be less important to me in low season because we tend not to take breaks.

Can't you look at this April's rates (i.e. now) to get an idea?

BayGirl2
03-30-2013, 01:29 PM
Hotels that open outside don't bother me. My house opens to the outside :).


The difference in a hotel is that right outside there tends to be a parking lot and lot of loud strangers walking around. And the doors always seem "leaky" to me, and I can't ensure my kids won't be able to open them. At home there's more buffer zone between my front door and the public space, even in the city.
Maybe not the case at every WDW hotel, but at some brands like a Motel 6 its just not a relaxing or luxurious feeling to me.

m4nash
03-30-2013, 01:56 PM
We stayed at AoA in a family suite last month and really liked it. They open to inside hallways which we like. It was wonderful having a door and a queen size bed for us. My kids are younger (7, 4, and 2.5), but they never complained about the beds. I napped on the sofa bed one day and it was comfy, not your old fashion sofa bed with a bar or springs. The pull down table bed is just a regular full size matress and comfortable too. The two bathrooms were nice for us, but not a necessity. My kids loved the theming. We stayed in the Cars section. We came back some days for the kids to nap and tended to stay up later than our kids, so it was nice to have some privacy.

KrisM
03-30-2013, 02:12 PM
I can't compare this April because Easter this year is tomorrow and next year is April 20. So, the first week of April this year is connected to Easter, while next year it's a full week before. The last weekend we are there will be 1 week before Easter.

I've looked at the crowd calendar here: http://yourfirstvisit.net/2012/10/07/disney-world-crowds-2014/, which gives the week of April 5 a 3. It's still in the expensive season, according to that site, but is less crowded.

I used their calendar for prices here: http://yourfirstvisit.net/2012/10/01/projected-walt-disney-world-2014-price-seasons/ to figure out what to use for pricing.

I think a lot of schools have spring break in March or tied to Easter. Maybe not? Maybe I should do a poll to see when spring break for people is next year.

KrisM
03-30-2013, 02:13 PM
The difference in a hotel is that right outside there tends to be a parking lot and lot of loud strangers walking around. And the doors always seem "leaky" to me, and I can't ensure my kids won't be able to open them. At home there's more buffer zone between my front door and the public space, even in the city.
Maybe not the case at every WDW hotel, but at some brands like a Motel 6 its just not a relaxing or luxurious feeling to me.

True, it might be noisier. But, some are inside hallways, not to parking lots, it seems. I am sure my kids can open all the doors and I'm fine with that. They'll be 5, 7, and 9, so I don't worry they are just going to walk out of the room on their own.

westwoodmom04
03-30-2013, 03:29 PM
:yeahthat: If you want to see what Spring Break crowds are like go to EasyWDW.com's blog posts for the last couple days http://www.easywdw.com/uncategorized/magic-kingdom-easter-crowds-2k13-feels-crowded-32813/#more-10833. The pictures of Magic Kingdom yesterday are enough to make me avoid April at WDW, it just looks miserable there. If you do go at a busy time be sure to have a strategic touring plan to avoid the crowds. If I had to go at a really busy time I'd want to stay somewhere I can get back to the hotel easily in the afternoons and wouldn't mind spending some time at, because we'd really have to get out of the parks for a few hours. Plus I'd want to be able to get there early in the morning (especially MK) and back easily in the evenings to stay late. This would be less important to me in low season because we tend not to take breaks.

Can't you look at this April's rates (i.e. now) to get an idea?

We went in November and had one or two days where the crowd level was 7 or 8 (Jersey Week I think or veteran's day or both). Anyway, it was pretty much impossible to avoid the crowds even with an early start. Luckily the rest of our trip was much lower crowd level and tolerable. I would definitely recommend using the crowd calculator to plan your trip.

KrisM
03-30-2013, 04:48 PM
We went in November and had one or two days where the crowd level was 7 or 8 (Jersey Week I think or veteran's day or both). Anyway, it was pretty much impossible to avoid the crowds even with an early start. Luckily the rest of our trip was much lower crowd level and tolerable. I would definitely recommend using the crowd calculator to plan your trip.

So, you'd recommend going at the end of August when it's less busy than early April next year? I was thinking I'd rather have 3-4 crowds and less hot than 2-3 crowds and 95 deg.

I know some of the other sites will be putting up April soon, too. I'll see what they say as well.

ETA: Touringplans.com has that week next year as:
Sat, April 5, 2014 (http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar/date/2014-04-05) - 7
Sun, April 6, 2014 (http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar/date/2014-04-06) - 6
Mon, April 7, 2014 (http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar/date/2014-04-07) - 5
Tue, April 8, 2014 (http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar/date/2014-04-08) - 4
Wed, April 9, 2014 (http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar/date/2014-04-09) - 4
Thu, April 10, 2014 (http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar/date/2014-04-10) - 6
Fri, April 11, 2014 (http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar/date/2014-04-11) - 7
Sat, April 12, 2014 (http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar/date/2014-04-12) - 7
Sun, April 13, 2014 (http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar/date/2014-04-13) - 8

Which sounded decent to me.

cntrymoon2
03-31-2013, 02:19 AM
I think a lot of schools have spring break in March or tied to Easter. Maybe not? Maybe I should do a poll to see when spring break for people is next year.

I'd check spring break for the following local counties: Orange, Osceola, Lake, Seminole, Polk. This year, several local school district spring breaks coincided and the crowds were UNBEARABLE. I would be the very first to say don't come in August because it's nasty hot, but the crowds have been so bad at the park the last 10 days that I think you'd have a hard time getting your money's worth.

KrisM
03-31-2013, 07:31 AM
I'd check spring break for the following local counties: Orange, Osceola, Lake, Seminole, Polk. This year, several local school district spring breaks coincided and the crowds were UNBEARABLE. I would be the very first to say don't come in August because it's nasty hot, but the crowds have been so bad at the park the last 10 days that I think you'd have a hard time getting your money's worth.

Thanks! For 2014:
Orange, Osceola, and Polk County - March 24-28
Seminole County - March 17-21

I couldn't find next year for Lake County.

From the sites I've read, it seems the early Easter is a double whammy this year. Schools that always have the end of March off are there and schools that tie their break to Easter are there.

WatchingThemGrow
03-31-2013, 07:32 AM
Would you be going April 6-10 with the levels predicted? I'd be fine with crowd levels 6 and under. 7 makes me start to worry as I know how frustrating it is to be there on an 8 day. Even on an 8 day, you have to wait for people to walk by so you can weave through a sidewalk, over a bridge, etc. Planning to go to a certain ride, maneuvering to get there, then finding out that the wait is 75 min. and fast passes bring you back at 10:30pm is just horrible IMO. If we hadn't been able to escape to our room for a rest/AC, DH and I probably would have flipped out. That's when a close resort is a godsend.

KrisM
03-31-2013, 07:40 AM
Would you be going April 6-10 with the levels predicted? I'd be fine with crowd levels 6 and under. 7 makes me start to worry as I know how frustrating it is to be there on an 8 day. Even on an 8 day, you have to wait for people to walk by so you can weave through a sidewalk, over a bridge, etc. Planning to go to a certain ride, maneuvering to get there, then finding out that the wait is 75 min. and fast passes bring you back at 10:30pm is just horrible IMO. If we hadn't been able to escape to our room for a rest/AC, DH and I probably would have flipped out. That's when a close resort is a godsend.

We'd get there April 5 or 6, depending on if we fly or drive. We'd leave the 12th or 13th. The 12/13 is the weekend before Easter, so I would think people going for the week before Easter will start getting there then. I felt like it had enough low days that it would be good.

Going on this year's crowd calendar, the week in August would be mainly 5 with a couple 4s thrown in.

WatchingThemGrow
03-31-2013, 07:50 AM
Have you ever spent any time in FL in the summer? It's like you are breathing in oven heat, and the humidity feels so oppressive. I can do *ONE* day there in the summer, but that's it. And I lived nearby for 15 years. In the summer, we all just sat around inside and went outside to swim in the morning or the evening. 11-5 we stayed inside.

KrisM
03-31-2013, 07:58 AM
Have you ever spent any time in FL in the summer? It's like you are breathing in oven heat, and the humidity feels so oppressive. I can do *ONE* day there in the summer, but that's it. And I lived nearby for 15 years. In the summer, we all just sat around inside and went outside to swim in the morning or the evening. 11-5 we stayed inside.

No, I haven't. That's why I was thinking early April would be better, but now people have me worried that the crowd calendar sites are wrong and that it'll be super busy! I don't know. Maybe we'll just do something different. Disney would be fun, but I don't want it to be a horrible time because of heat or crowds. I'd rather skip it and do something else for vacation.

SnuggleBuggles
03-31-2013, 09:00 AM
FYI on a tangent, there are several apps (I used Mobile Magic) that could pull up wait times and fast pass return times in real time. We could see if it was worth heading to a ride or if the line would be too long. Super handy!

I'd be fine w the April week. You could always not do a park on the 8 days. Go on a day trip to the beach or NASA.

westwoodmom04
03-31-2013, 09:58 AM
So, you'd recommend going at the end of August when it's less busy than early April next year? I was thinking I'd rather have 3-4 crowds and less hot than 2-3 crowds and 95 deg.

I know some of the other sites will be putting up April soon, too. I'll see what they say as well.

ETA: Touringplans.com has that week next year as:
Sat, April 5, 2014 (http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar/date/2014-04-05) - 7
Sun, April 6, 2014 (http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar/date/2014-04-06) - 6
Mon, April 7, 2014 (http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar/date/2014-04-07) - 5
Tue, April 8, 2014 (http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar/date/2014-04-08) - 4
Wed, April 9, 2014 (http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar/date/2014-04-09) - 4
Thu, April 10, 2014 (http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar/date/2014-04-10) - 6
Fri, April 11, 2014 (http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar/date/2014-04-11) - 7
Sat, April 12, 2014 (http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar/date/2014-04-12) - 7
Sun, April 13, 2014 (http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar/date/2014-04-13) - 8

Which sounded decent to me.

It sounds decent to me too, but I would plan on that last day not being a park day, level 8 crowds are pretty bad.

mom2binsd
03-31-2013, 10:41 AM
I really like the idea of the Wilderness cabins, the extra space for the kids to run around is very appealing, and just having all that extra room for everyone, even if it's just sitting outside on the porch. There are lots of places to figure out the best locations within the complex to stay and I've heard kids love to be in the golf carts.

We're traveling as 5 next year, but it's two mom's and 3 kids, so we're trying to figure out the best place, 2 of the kids have never been to Disney and this will be their BIG trip, the other child goes all the time (but DL not WDW).

What was the pricing for that, I love the kitchen that comes with that, you could save $$$ by having some meals there.

hellokitty
03-31-2013, 01:28 PM
We went on black Friday last yr and it was awesome. Saturday the crowds were heavier, but by Sunday, the crowds had dropped considerably. My kids had the Monday after thanksgiving break off too, so they only missed 4 days of school. It was totally worth it. The weather was mild and the crowds were low. Most rides were less than a 10 min wait. We always hit rope drop. You can get in the majority of the rides that way and then take the rest of the day easy. Dh and I honeymooned at Disney in late June. We had a nice time, but the whether is so unbearable, and the crowds were high, we refuse to go to Disney in the summer. Don't forget that it's all pavement, so it just bakes you even more when it is hot.

jgenie
03-31-2013, 02:02 PM
We stayed at AofA in the Cars suites the first week of February. We had 4 adults and 2 kids in our group. I took the bedroom with the two kids, two adults slept on the table bed and one adult slept on the sofa bed. It worked out great for us and I would highly recommend it. AofA has its own buses so we didn't have to stop at any resorts on the way to the parks or on the way back to the hotel from the parks. The Cars suites are very close to the pool and food court which worked well for us. The room was really spacious - we put the kids to bed at night and the adults were able to hang out in the front room watching TV without disturbing the kids. We only pulled out the other two beds when everyone was ready for bed at the end of the night.

hellokitty
03-31-2013, 06:29 PM
We stayed at AofA in the Cars suites the first week of February. We had 4 adults and 2 kids in our group. I took the bedroom with the two kids, two adults slept on the table bed and one adult slept on the sofa bed. It worked out great for us and I would highly recommend it. AofA has its own buses so we didn't have to stop at any resorts on the way to the parks or on the way back to the hotel from the parks. The Cars suites are very close to the pool and food court which worked well for us. The room was really spacious - we put the kids to bed at night and the adults were able to hang out in the front room watching TV without disturbing the kids. We only pulled out the other two beds when everyone was ready for bed at the end of the night.

Not to hijack, but how comfortable were the table and sofa beds? DS3 is such a cars nut, if we go back anytime in the next couple of yrs, I will probably just book the cars suite, b/c he would love it.

KrisM
03-31-2013, 07:27 PM
We stayed at AofA in the Cars suites the first week of February. We had 4 adults and 2 kids in our group. I took the bedroom with the two kids, two adults slept on the table bed and one adult slept on the sofa bed. It worked out great for us and I would highly recommend it. AofA has its own buses so we didn't have to stop at any resorts on the way to the parks or on the way back to the hotel from the parks. The Cars suites are very close to the pool and food court which worked well for us. The room was really spacious - we put the kids to bed at night and the adults were able to hang out in the front room watching TV without disturbing the kids. We only pulled out the other two beds when everyone was ready for bed at the end of the night.

Thanks for the review of it. I always think many suites are backwards. Put the twin beds, etc in the room with a door and have adults sleep in the main room. I want more space after putting them to bed, without having to sit on the bed to watch tv. I do really like the idea of 2 bathrooms, too.

hellokitty
03-31-2013, 09:01 PM
Thanks for the review of it. I always think many suites are backwards. Put the twin beds, etc in the room with a door and have adults sleep in the main room. I want more space after putting them to bed, without having to sit on the bed to watch tv. I do really like the idea of 2 bathrooms, too.

Lol, I always think the same thing too! What we usually do is put the kids to sleep in the bedroom and then when it's our bedtime, we move them to the sofa bed in the living area. However, I would LOVE to stay at a suite in the style you describe above, it's so much more family friendly.

jgenie
03-31-2013, 09:34 PM
Not to hijack, but how comfortable were the table and sofa beds? DS3 is such a cars nut, if we go back anytime in the next couple of yrs, I will probably just book the cars suite, b/c he would love it.

My mother and sister shared the table bed and my older brother took the sofa bed. They all said they were fine and that they would stay there again in the future. There wasn't much space left in the room once the beds were down but we pulled them down at the very end of the night and put them up as soon as we woke up in the morning. We had a BJCMD and 4 large suitcases in the room and it all fit. There is a kitchenette with a fridge, a coffee pot and a microwave. They also had paper plates, cups, napkins, plates, bowls and flatware and housekeeping restocked them every day for us.

hellokitty
03-31-2013, 11:26 PM
My mother and sister shared the table bed and my older brother took the sofa bed. They all said they were fine and that they would stay there again in the future. There wasn't much space left in the room once the beds were down but we pulled them down at the very end of the night and put them up as soon as we woke up in the morning. We had a BJCMD and 4 large suitcases in the room and it all fit. There is a kitchenette with a fridge, a coffee pot and a microwave. They also had paper plates, cups, napkins, plates, bowls and flatware and housekeeping restocked them every day for us.

Thanks!

klwa
04-01-2013, 07:14 AM
Thanks for the review of it. I always think many suites are backwards. Put the twin beds, etc in the room with a door and have adults sleep in the main room. I want more space after putting them to bed, without having to sit on the bed to watch tv. I do really like the idea of 2 bathrooms, too.

When we stayed in the ASMu suites, we put DS & DD1 in the big bed & slept on the pull out couch for that reason. :)

Wondermom
04-09-2013, 06:55 PM
I always think many suites are backwards. Put the twin beds, etc in the room with a door and have adults sleep in the main room. I want more space after putting them to bed, without having to sit on the bed to watch tv. I do really like the idea of 2 bathrooms, too.
:yeahthat:

DING! DING! DING! DING!
You'd think the magical world that caters to families would have figured this out. I SO agree.

Love the discussion on this board. DH and I used to live in Orlando in our pre-kid days and enjoyed many a locals-in-the-know-with-no-kids romp at WDW, but that was nearly 8 years ago. Now, I"m checking the boards to plan our first (but hopefully not only) with kids trip. I had been looking at AoA, primarily because I want to be able to put the kids to bed earlier than we go to bed ourselves. Ours will be 6 and 3 and the few hotel trips we've made with them, it's been nearly impossible not to have a single lights-out time for all, since they're the type who will not sleep with ANY distraction (or awake parent) in the room with them). Hopefully the rigors of all day at WDW will wipe them out at the end of each night.

FWIW, we're planning to go the second half of August because first and foremost it's cheaper. Also, I won't have to find a camp for my kids during the 2 weeks in August that our school shuts down completely (which I did TWICE last year for our June family vacation (once in June around the dates of our vacation, and again in August when the school shut down). My son turns 6 while we're there, so I'm telling him this is how we'll celebrate his birthday (instead of separately planning and paying for a birthday party). Finally, we're Texans (and former Floridians) who *think* we can handle the heat. I may come back on this board regretting that last remark, but, ultimately, it's the time of year that makes sense for us.

I had no clue about DVC, but will be on the internet tonight investigating that option.

THANKS!

MMMommy
04-10-2013, 01:45 AM
We really liked BLT. Clean, modern, spacious. I was fine without the Disney decor. You do get the extra full bathroom (2 full baths total) with the one bedroom unit there. The Small World Vacations rep pointed that perk out when booking. I think most DVC deluxe villa one bedroom units only have one full bath, except for BLT (not positive, so check on that). DDs slept together on the sofa sleeper. The in-room washer-dryer helped us pack lighter since I was able to do laundry. I appreciated the in-room laundry especially after long, hot, sweaty days in the parks.

BLT was way more than I would willingly spend on a trip, but it was our first (and probably only) trip to DW. The free dining plan promo at the time helped me stomach the ouch factor of the hotel cost.

lil_acorn
04-11-2013, 03:19 PM
So, you'd recommend going at the end of August when it's less busy than early April next year? I was thinking I'd rather have 3-4 crowds and less hot than 2-3 crowds and 95 deg.

I know some of the other sites will be putting up April soon, too. I'll see what they say as well.

ETA: Touringplans.com has that week next year as:
Sat, April 5, 2014 (http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar/date/2014-04-05) - 7
Sun, April 6, 2014 (http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar/date/2014-04-06) - 6
Mon, April 7, 2014 (http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar/date/2014-04-07) - 5
Tue, April 8, 2014 (http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar/date/2014-04-08) - 4
Wed, April 9, 2014 (http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar/date/2014-04-09) - 4
Thu, April 10, 2014 (http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar/date/2014-04-10) - 6
Fri, April 11, 2014 (http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar/date/2014-04-11) - 7
Sat, April 12, 2014 (http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar/date/2014-04-12) - 7
Sun, April 13, 2014 (http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar/date/2014-04-13) - 8

Which sounded decent to me.

Kris - can you tell me what the crowd calendar shows for 1 week later? April 19-27?

TIA!

KrisM
04-11-2013, 03:25 PM
Kris - can you tell me what the crowd calendar shows for 1 week later? April 19-27?

TIA!

Sat, April 19, 2014 - 10
Sun, April 20, 2014 - 10
Mon, April 21, 2014 - 10
Tue, April 22, 2014 - 9
Wed, April 23, 2014 - 9
Thurs, April 24, 2014 - 8
Fri, April 25, 2014 - 8
Sat, April 26, 2014 - 7
Sun, April 27, 2014 -6

lil_acorn
04-11-2013, 03:41 PM
Sat, April 19, 2014 - 10
Sun, April 20, 2014 - 10
Mon, April 21, 2014 - 10
Tue, April 22, 2014 - 9
Wed, April 23, 2014 - 9
Thurs, April 24, 2014 - 8
Fri, April 25, 2014 - 8
Sat, April 26, 2014 - 7
Sun, April 27, 2014 -6

Ugh - that looks horrible. Thank you. I was hoping it wouldn't be too bad since most schools have different weeks off for spring break. Cross that week off the list.

KrisM
04-11-2013, 04:07 PM
Ugh - that looks horrible. Thank you. I was hoping it wouldn't be too bad since most schools have different weeks off for spring break. Cross that week off the list.

Sorry!!

billysmommy
04-11-2013, 06:39 PM
Ugh - that looks horrible. Thank you. I was hoping it wouldn't be too bad since most schools have different weeks off for spring break. Cross that week off the list.

Easter is April 20th next year so that week is high!

trales
04-14-2013, 07:49 PM
Can you check the crowd calc for me. We are starting planning tonight and I am overwhelmed. We are planning to go March 15 - March 22.

This is insanely overwhelming and requiring planning like I have never done before. We typically just pick a country make a few hotels and wing it. I am coming to terms with the fact that is not going to work for Disney.

ZeeBaby
04-14-2013, 07:56 PM
Trales, that week is a 9. We are planning too and it is so much work and very expensive.

trales
04-14-2013, 08:00 PM
Crap, that sounds pretty awful. Would that be a deal killer for you guys. We might be able to do may 10th week. But may seems like it would be so hot.

Philly Mom
04-14-2013, 08:29 PM
Sorry to butt in but what about the week with President's Day next year? Thanks!

KrisM
04-14-2013, 08:53 PM
Can you check the crowd calc for me. We are starting planning tonight and I am overwhelmed. We are planning to go March 15 - March 22.

This is insanely overwhelming and requiring planning like I have never done before. We typically just pick a country make a few hotels and wing it. I am coming to terms with the fact that is not going to work for Disney.

Not solid 9s:
March 15 - 9
March 16 - 8
March 17 - 7
March 18 - 7
March 19 - 7
March 20 - 8
March 21 - 9
March 21 - 9

Those are from touringplans.com. Yourfirstvisit.net has a calendar here, too: http://yourfirstvisit.net/2012/10/07/disney-world-crowds-2014/

KrisM
04-14-2013, 08:55 PM
Sorry to butt in but what about the week with President's Day next year? Thanks!

Feb 15 - 6
Feb 16 - 10
Feb 17 - 10
Feb 18 - 8 (pres day)
Feb 19 - 6
Feb 20 - 6
Feb 21 - 6
Feb 22 - 4
Feb 23 - 4

Philly Mom
04-14-2013, 09:04 PM
Feb 15 - 6
Feb 16 - 10
Feb 17 - 10
Feb 18 - 8 (pres day)
Feb 19 - 6
Feb 20 - 6
Feb 21 - 6
Feb 22 - 4
Feb 23 - 4

Thank you!!

BayGirl2
04-15-2013, 06:15 PM
Crap, that sounds pretty awful. Would that be a deal killer for you guys. We might be able to do may 10th week. But may seems like it would be so hot.

Anything 8 or above would be a deal breaker for me. I prefer to be there at slower times, I just think its easier to get what we want out of the trip and navigate with 2 kids. I hate heat but warm and medium crowds beats cold with lines.

I'm going the week of May 12th this year and although it will be warm for me (I'm used to highs in the 70s) everything I hear is that mid-May is not sweltering like the summer is. Its hot but not super-hot. Crowd levels are in the 4-7 range which is much more manageable to me. I'd say if you can do mid-May vs. Spring Break I would choose May for sure.

That week in 2013 was ranked #13th of preference for the year. http://yourfirstvisit.net/2011/09/19/2013-weeks-to-visit-walt-disney-world-ranked-in-order/ I don't think the ranking for 2014 is out yet, but I'd use that as a rough guide.

sweetsue98
04-16-2013, 06:55 PM
We are in the process of planning a trip for march 2014 and at what point would you not go due to the crowd. The week we are looking to go is DSS spring break and its a 10 for crowds. We could go in the summer but the heat would kill my dd1 and dd2.