favorite on property (WDW) hotel?

[fivi2]

Which hotel is your favorite - kiddos are 2.5 year old twins and 8 and 10 yo boys. Not sure what the budget is (grandparents are paying), but assume anything but the most expensive is okay. The twins don't really know any characters (can recognize Mickey and Winnie but that is about it!).

TIA!

Oh - going in November or early December.

eta:
I now assume that any of the hotels are fair game - not just the moderate (I thought the most expensive ones would be much higher than they are, if that makes sense).

[egoldber]

My favorite resort area is the Epcot area, so the Boardwalk, Beach Club and Yacht club hotels. Also the Swan and Dolphin hotels are considered part of this area. Although they are not WDW owned, they are like sister hotels and offer WDW transportation. They are generally cheaper than the WDW hotels and there are often great deals to be had (they are Starwood hotels). I like the easy walking distance to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, as well as the proximity to tons of restaurants in the hotels, on the Boardwalk, and in the two theme parks.

My favorite moderate WDW hotel is Port Orleans French Quarter. But I like it because its a small, compact resort compared to the other moderates which makes it easier (IMO) to navigate with kids.

[fivi2]

Thanks! I looked around a little more... It seems that some have villas that sleep up to 8. Has anyone tried any of the villas at any of the resorts?

Thanks again!

[egoldber]

We are actually DVC (Disney Vacation Club....their timeshare) owners and have stayed in the Boardwalk Villas many times. We have stayed in 1BR, 2BR and Grand Villas. For an extended family its probably cheaper to rent two 2BR villas than one Grand Villa (and the grands are VERY difficult to get).

[Neatfreak]

We also stayed at the Boardwalk Villas. We had a one bedroom, and we loved having the separate sleeping area, ensuite laundry, and a regular fridge. It was perfect for traveling with a toddler, just more money than we planned to spend LOL!

[QTMichele]

My favorite place to stay is the Beach Club - they have the BEST pool (by far!) on Disney property. Also, as Beth said, it's within walking distance to Epcot. I love the activity throughout the day all around the boardwalk - lots of free entertainment (cowgirls, musicians, magicians, etc.), restaurants, etc. LOVE IT!!!

The only moderate I've stayed in was the Caribbean Beach Resort. It was fine, but it is HUGE (lots of walking if you're not in a preferred location). I'm a big fan of walking, but after being in the parks all day, it was hard to get my kids to get the energy to walk to the main pool (and we were only a few buildings away).

OH... the villas are wonderful as well; however, you will not get daily mousekeeping (if that matters to you). They are much roomier than the hotel rooms and have all the bells and whistles of home.

[BeachBum]

IMO staying at a monorail resort with little kids can't be beat. We like the Polynesian. We can easily come back to the room to take a nap, and we can catch the MK fireworks from the beach and get to bed eariler when DS is too tired to do all the evening activities.

[fivi2]

Thanks for all of the suggestions! I think I am going to hope for a monorail resort (esp the Polynesian). It looks like the Wilderness Lodge is the next most convenient after the three monorail resorts (and has the villas). If they won't go for any of those... I'll have to look for a moderate with good transportation! I think they will probably go for one of the more convenient ones since that is why they want us to stay on property - so the toddlers can go back to the room! I am not worried about the pool since it will be winter and we won't have much pool time!

The Epcot resorts look great, but I don't think we'll make it to Epcot this trip - mainly the MK. I will keep those in mind for next time

Thanks for the help!

[QTMichele]

Just a note about the pools - Disney keeps them heated, even in the winter. An hour or two at the pool can be a nice break from the parks, if you need it. I found that we hardly used the pool on our last trip (September 2007), but we used it a ton a few years ago (Beach Club) because it was so much fun! Have a great time planning!!!

OH... would love to try the Poly - I've heard it's a great resort!

[egoldber]

Just note that Wilderness Lodge requires a boat ride from the MK and the boats can be VERY crowded after parades, park closing, etc.

I think you will find that the 8 and 10 year old will want to do Epcot and HS because that's where a lot of the thrill rides are (Test Track, Soarin', Tower of Terror, RockNRoller Coaster).

And the pools are a matter of personal preference. We stayed at Yacht Club once (shares the Beach Club pool) and we did not care for their pool at all.