Welcome to day 3 of Disney World Training. You can catch up on the previous training posts here.
Yesterday we talked about how long to spend at Disney. Today I wanted to talk to you about deciding where to stay.
The first question we need to address is if you want to stay on site or off site. (That means if you are going to stay at one of Disney’s 22 resorts or not).
Deciding on a hotel room is a very overwhelming process. There are so many things to consider. I’m going to do my best to take it slowly.
First, let’s look at some facts. There are quite a few benefits to staying on site at Disney resorts.
1. You do not have to pay a fee for parking. Parking is $14 a day for everyone expect Walt Disney World Resort guests or annual pass holders. So when considering staying off site, remember to factor in the $14 you will pay for parking each day.
2. You get complimentary Disney transportation. You can take busses to and from each of the parks. Once you arrive at Disney on Day 1, you could technically not use your car for the duration of your trip! We arrived on May 12th and except for 2 trips to places in Orlando, we didn’t use our vehicle until we went left Disney.
3. If you are flying, Disney will pick you up at the airport (free of charge) and shuttle you to your resort of choice. Once at the resort, you can use their public transportation to get around and you wouldn’t need to rent a car. (There is also grocery services that will deliver to your resort. I’ll talk about that later.)
4. You get extended theme park hours. Every day, a theme park opens either an hour early or stays open 3 hours later. During this time, unless you are a resort guest, you can’t ride any of the rides.
5. Staying at a Disney resort also qualifies you for the Dining plan. Unless you are a resort guest, you can not get this. Disney claims you can save up to 30% per adult by using this plan.
6. When staying at Disney World, you receive an all-in-one card called “Key to the World card”. This card gets you into your hotel room, gets you into the parks, gets your FASTPASSES, gets you onto rides during Extended Magic Hours, allows you to charge items (just like a credit card) back to your room and is used to pay for meals when using the Disney Dining Plan.
7. If you buy anything at Disney in any of the parks, other resorts, Downtown Disney, etc, you can have it delivered free of charge to your resort. So you do not have to carry it around with you all day.
8. Disney Cast Members are available at your service 24 hours a day to make your vacation as relaxing as possible.
9. You are always engrossed in Disney magic. You never have to enter the ‘real world’ so to speak once you have arrived at Disney.
You can see this full list of benefits on the Disney site here.
Now here are some other things to consider:
Does your family have more than 4 people? If so, there are just a few options for you if you plan to stay on site. Go here to read which hotel rooms can accommodate your whole party. You might come off cheaper getting 2 or more rooms at a Value resort.
So that is where I will stop today. Deciding on the above and typing it up took me almost an hour. But now I need some help from Disney veterans. If you have stayed on site before, can you please leave me a comment answering the following questions so I can make this tutorial as beneficial as possible?
1. Which resort did you stay at?
2. Why did you choose this resort over other resorts?
3. What do you consider special about this resort?
4. Do you plan to stay here again?
5. Is there a resort you absolutely would never consider staying at? (Not because of price, but because of other factors)
6. What tips do you have to share about this resort?
7. Anything else you can think of adding would be helpful.
Thanks guys! I know I have at least 50 people on this blog that have been to Disney at least once.
{ 47 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi!
We’ve gone to Disney 4 times with kids; 1 time without. With our kids, we stayed in All-Star movies twice and Pop Century twice. The first trip, we only had two of our kids, so we had one room. On the other three trips, we got two rooms – they had a connecting door. It was great – we had two bathrooms for the six of us, and the four kids slept in one room and the two of us in the other (we could stay up and watch TV or read without disturbing them). We have friends with 3 kids who’ve stayed at Port Orleans Riverside (they have pull-out trundles in some of the rooms there), which costs less than two Value rooms, but the downside is only 1 bathroom.
On our trip, (me and husband), we were on an anniversary trip, so we upgraded ourselves to Port Orleans Riverside – the rooms are a little nicer and a little bigger, and the resort atmosphere was a little more conducive to our anniversary trip. (But we love the Values, and our kids do, too.)
We spend so little time in our rooms that we don’t mind not being at the fancier resorts – we go visit those and eat meals at those, so we get to experience them even if we’re not staying there.
Pop Century and All-Star Movies both have super-fun theming. We chose Pop over Movies the last two trips mainly because we heard their busses are less crowded. Pop also has a little more variety in their food court. Sometimes during the day a certain song comes on (I think it’s “Do the Hustle”) in the food court, and the workers stop and do a line dance together… too funny!
We’d definitely stay at Pop again! (We always request the 50′s section – I like the Lady and Tramp theming and the bowling pin pool.)
The convenience of staying onsite outweighs any cost savings off-site for us – it’s more time efficient for us to be on-site. Also, we always go during the off-season, and only on special offers, so we’ve gotten rooms for around $49/night. Hard to beat, with all the advantages! (I think our first trip was even $39/night… sigh!)
Hey Tricia! How did you get your rooms for $49 & $39 a night?!?! And do you book your stays through Disney online?
I would like to know how you got such a great price on hotel rooms too! We will be going in January.
We haven’t been with our toddler, but my husband and I stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter. We stayed there because my husband booked it as a surprise.
The up sides to this resort were that (1) it doesn’t take long to get anywhere–it’s kind of contained, not like Carribean Beach and (2) it connects to the other Port Orleans resort by this lovely winding path, and (3) you can take a boat to Downtown Disney. Relaxing.
The downside was that it’s kind of getting run-down; the rooms need an update. Next time we’ll stay somewhere else just to try something new.
I’ve stayed at four of the resorts at WDW, and I think they really go up and down in renovations (some have flat screens now). Even the coolest resort eventually gets dated. You can go to http://www.allearsnet.com, then choose Accommodations, then choose Reader Reviews, and man those people will give you the skinny on everything from the fast food counter service to whether the bed spreads are getting worn.
I can’t wait to take our daughter once she’s potty-trained!
I’ve gone to Disney 3 times… Twice with my parents and once with my husband (best honeymoon ever! got all kinds of free stuff, e-mail me if you want to know) Anyways… The first time we went, we stayed at All Star Sports or something like that…at any rate I loved it and would go again. The last two times I stayed at the Carribean Beach…Why my parents picked…the pool and the set up…They liked the huge theme pool and how it is set up into different villages. While it does make the whole getting on a bus thing crappy at times it was still a lot of fun and the food selections are great. Which is one of the reasons why we picked it for our honeymoon. My husband like variety and they have a couple different “restaurants” in the food court. We also picked it because of how close it was to Hollywood Studios, one of our favs. Most likely if we go again..we will stay here, however it is a little more costly than some but…. I could probably say more but I won’t…I can say that utilizing the bus system is AMAZING. No worrying about remembering where the car is or getting lost trying to get to a park. Just sit back and enjoy your vacation. Now there are times where they bus lines going home can be SUPER long but it is still worth it in the end because they run constantly. :)
p.s…..go for the dining plan! It was so nice on our honeymoon to know for dinner you can get a non-alcoholic beverage, appetizer, entree, and dessert…hand them your card room card (lot less stressful for me)….DO IT!,, lol
We are going for our 5th anniversary next year, anything you can tell me would be so so so appreciated, WE stayed at the POP last year (was my DH first time there) and loved it.
DINING PLAN ALL THE WAY
I have been 9 times and stayed on Disney properties evrytime. My 10th trip is coming up in August and we are staying at the Polynesian because it is on the monorail.
Biggest thing is to pick your hotel price level such as Value, Moderate, Deluxe or Villas.
Then in the hotel price level you choose pick a hotel that has something the family may enjoy such as if you go Deluxe hotel level and your kids love animals you may like the Animal kingdom. There could be other reasons you should pick a certain hotel such as
if you need a good bed for your back choose a resort that has been recently refurbished such as the Coronado.
If you need a refrigerator only certain Disney hotels have them.
All Disney properties is good about meeting special needs but it pays to do your HOMEWORK…Disney Hotels are part of the magic and looking at blogs and reading posts(WDW INFO, AllEARS) from people that have stayed there will help you choose the right hotel for you.
Keep this in mind we have stayed at the Animal Kingdom 2 times one time the room was in a great location and very clean the second time it was not clean and a location so far away from everything it was a trek just to go the elevator.
I have been to Disney over 10 times and have been a Disney Vacation Club member since 2005. I consider myself kind of Disney obsessed and immediately start thinking of my next trip as soon as I return from one. I have stayed at moderate and deluxe resorts–Caribbean Beach, Port Orleans Riverside, Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House, Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village, Beach Club Villas, Wilderness Lodge Villas, and Saratoga Springs. My biggest tip is if you are planning to use the bus services is to request a room closest to the bus stop. With young children asleep at the end of a long day/evening, not having to walk far to your room is a blessing. Also resorts like Caribbean Beach, Port Orleans Riverside, and Saratoga Springs make multiple bus stops within the resort. If staying at one of those resorts with multiple bus stops, try to request a room near a bus stop that is the first stop in the morning (it will be the last stop at night though). If you stay at one of the room locations near a bus stop that is later in the queue, often times the bus is full/standing room before it even gets to you, which is very frustrating. We really haven’t had any negative experiences with any resort, other than bus issues. We spend pretty much all of our waking hours out at the parks, once in awhile we hit the pool.
I’ve stayed at several of the Disney resorts, and have never had a bad experience. That said, my favorite Value resorts are Pop Century and All-Star Movies, based mostly on the theming–just super fun! My favorite moderate would probably be Port Orleans French Quarter. I like this one because there is a peaceful water launch to Downtown Disney, the Mardi Gras theming is fun (dragon pool!), and it is considerably smaller than its sister resort, PO Riverside, so you’re never far from buses, food court, or check-in. http://www.affordingthemouse.com
1. Which resort did you stay at? — We’ve stayed at the Beach Club, The Polynesian Resort and The Grand Floridian. All three are in the Deluxe category.
2. Why did you choose this resort over other resorts? We chose the Beach Club because it is close to Epcot and DHS (Disney’s Hollywood Studios) and when our trips focus on those parks we want to be close as can be to avoid having to deal with a lot of waiting for transportation.
I stayed at the Polynesian on a trip with my sister because we wanted to replicate a trip the islands, but be kids at Disney. Choosing that hotel was mainly about the ease of getting to Epcot and Magic Kingdom since those were the parks we would be focused on.
The Grand Floridian was the big splurge. I’ve wanted to stay there ever since it opened because it reminds me of California and it is Disney’s top hotel. We chose the GF because it is so close to MK and easy to get to Epcot as well.
3. What do you consider special about this resort? Beach Club — the theme, like all Disney hotels, makes you feel like you are somewhere else. It’s has a smaller feel to it while still being very large. It has that Atlantic City beach house feel and you really feel like you’re at the beach so you can escape the buzz of all the lines and people at the parks.
My opinion of the Poly is skewed because I didn’t like the darkness of the rooms. But, that’s just my feeling. I know people love, love, love this resort.
The Grand Floridian has a magic to it that I don’t think exists at any other Disney property. There’s just something so special about that turn-of-the-century, walking down Main Street feel that I get when I am there.
4. Do you plan to stay here again? I would definitely stay at the Beach Club and the Grand Floridian again. I could do without staying at the Polynesian though.
5. Is there a resort you absolutely would never consider staying at? (Not because of price, but because of other factors) — I would never stay at Wilderness Lodge b/c my husband does not like that hunting lodge, dark wood feeling. I love Contemporary things but I don’t think we’d ever stay at the Contemporary because to me it’s the least ‘Disney-fied’ of the monorail hotels.
6. What tips do you have to share about this resort?
Beach Club — probably the coolest swimming pool water slide on property. You’d definitely have no desire to go to a water park if you stayed here. It’s walking distance to both Epcot (International Gateway entrance) and DHS.
Polynesian — One of the only places outside of Magic Kingdom where you can get Dole Whip! Getting to MK is easy on the monorail but many people forget that the TTS (ticket and transportation center) is a short walk and you can get to Epcot easily too.
7. Anything else you can think of adding would be helpful.
One hidden gem is the campground. If you love to camp, then this might be an awesome experience for you. I know people who have camped at WDW and they all have nothing but positive things to say. I’m not a camping kinda gal, but I think it offers something that you just can get at a hotel.
I’ve stayed at Pop Century, All Stars, Carribbean Beach, Coronado Springs, Old Key West and Boardwalk.
I would recommend Pop Century vs All Stars(the buses stop at all three All Stars coming and going to the parks, each All Star has the same number of rooms as Pop and Pop is newer). Carribbean vs Coronado(easier to get around, food area is less crowded, and themed more for families).Old Key West vs Boardwalk(relaxing, and probably because we stayed closer to the main area and therefore the first bus stop/food/pool, etc.-at Boardwalk we were in the last room on a very long hallway and it felt too much like an old tired grand hotel).
I recommend staying as close as you can get to the main area of each resort, but not pay extra for it(we stayed on the backside of the building in Pop where the pool is and it was quiet but a quick walk to the main building). You can ask on disboards.com about each resort and they’ll tell you.
Old Key West had a nice game room near the main pool that if you are a DVC member you can enjoy and a nice hot tub and steam room.
The bad side of the value resorts is that is where the high school kids stay when they take their trips for school-and they aren’t supervised all the time.
I would never stay at Coronado again-too difficult to get around and didn’t have the Disney feel. I can’t afford to stay at the Deluxe resorts but if we buy into the DVC again I would love to stay at Bay Lake, AKL, Beach Club, and any other newer resort.
I take school groups every year and stay at All Star Sports. I would NOT stay there with my family. Ever. I would not choose to stay where Disney keeps it’s youth groups. My students are great, but I would avoid them if I weren’t in charge! LOL. We’ve stayed at POP a few times but Disney decided to keep the groups at All Stars, which makes POP a better choice for families, in my opinion.
I have stayed at Riverside and Port Orleans mid-level resorts and feel like the upgrade to that level is well worth the cost. The rooms themselves are not that different – the huge difference is in the environment. The common buildings, the landscaping, the theming, the pools, etc are all SO much superior in a mid level resort. In Value resorts, the rooms are closer together with little plantings. In the midlevel resorts, we noticed LOTS of landscaping, lots of privacy. The entire resort seems so much more lush and quiet. Riverside was such a delightful, peaceful change after the brash environment of All Stars.
My children are older teens so they don’t miss the over-the-top theming found at the value level resorts. On my next visit to Disney, I would certainly stay at a mid-level resort and would probably choose Port Orleans because of the River access and the boat service. Riverside is larger and more spread out – I think they have two bus stops.
If I felt the need to stay at a value resort, I would most likely stay at Pop Century because they don’t allow groups and their theming is fun. I would, however, ask to be on the river or “back” side of the building, away from the pool and common areas. I would also ask to be NOT on the ground floor – foot traffic outside my door has produced disturbing noise in the past.
One thing to consider when deciding on Value vs. Moderate is the mini-frige. If you plan to take food/beverages on your trip, the frige really does come in handy. All Moderates offer them for free. They cost around $10 to rent at the Values. Subtract the difference, and the gap between Value and Moderate shrinks a bit. Also, if you have a family of 5, there is one Moderate that can accomodate you: Port Orleans Riverside in the Alligator Bayou section. This area has a trundle bed to accomodate an extra (small) guest. http://www.affordingthemouse.com
Even if you stay off site you can buy your souvenirs and they will deliver them up front to one of the buildings and you can pick it up on the way out. This way you dont have to carry it all day with you.
We have stayed in all levels of Disney Resorts, as well as off-World. We have stayed exclusively on-World in the past few years because you just can’t beat the Disney experience.
1-3. Value: We have stayed at all the value resorts but prefer Pop Century because the resort does not have to share the bus system the way the All-Stars do. And the kids really love the theming. Moderate: We prefer Port Orleans Riverside for the relaxing atmosphere. The lush landscaping makes you feel like you have stepped into another time. Deluxe: We love Animal Kingdom Lodge, and have vacationed there more than any other resort. The savannah view can’t be beat.
4. We have reservations for AKL for this summer and plan to stay at Pop Century OR Riverside later on in the summer when we leave the kids with their grandparents and get away for our anniversary.
5. There is no resort that I would refuse. There are some, like the Caribbean Beach, that don’t hold much appeal to me, but if somebody offered me a trip, I wouldn’t turn it down!:)
6. Tips: No matter the resort, if you are staying for more than a night or two, consider buying the souvenir mug. We’ve saved b00k00-bucks this way. Make use of Disney transportation, and don’t leave the World unless you absolutely have to. Don’t forget that your resort likely has activities of its own; you don’t HAVE to go to the parks to enjoy Disney atmosphere. We’ve made cookies at Old Key West, listened to stories at a campfire at Animal Kingdom. Outdoor movies and Wii tournaments are found at many of the resorts as well. Take time to really look around and enjoy the resort, rather than just using it as a place to sleep before rushing back to the parks again. We like to get our kids to take a nap after lunch and then go swimming or something at the resort before we head back to the park. That afternoon rest is key for small children to enjoy the hectic pace and heat of the summer.
Hello!
Looks like a good friend of mine is going to give me her time share at worldmark orlando for our family to stay at while we take our first week vacation to Disney world. I think we are going to go with the hopper passes, but wanted to know what your advice would be on travel between all of the kingdoms? Is there a good point somewhere to hop on a monorail and just get passes for the week, or do you suggest just driving and parking daily and paying the 14$ ?
Thanks!
Shae,
Unfortunately the busses that take you from one resort to the others are for Disney Resort guests only (They do not make you show proof). However, once you pay parking at one theme park, you don’t have to pay to park at the others on the same day. You can also park at the Ticket and Transportation Center (which is the only parking lot for Magic Kingdom, you have to ride the monorail to Magic Kingdom) and take the monorail to either Epcot or Magic Kingdom.
Kristin
I recently saw reccommended travel agents on your site. But today, I CANNOT find them. They may have even been in comments…..
Could you help me with where they are on yoru site?
Here ya go Jonica: http://www.couponingtodisney.com/index.php/2010/01/04/current-walt-disney-world-discounts
Our family has stayed at the Shades of Green on Disney World 2 times. It is a resort for military ( active duty, retired and reserve) and civilian Department of Defence civil service workers. The price for a room depends on your rank or pay grade.
The Shades of Green is in the Magic Kingdom area on 2 golf courses. You get to take advantage of extra magic hours and Disney transportation and can even park your car in the park parking lots for free.
You can have up to 5 people in the rooms. Room rates are $95- $131 per night for a standard room.There is an AAFESS gift shop there. There is even a ticket area where you can buy discounted tickets for Disney as well as for other area attractions. This resort is tax free. So you pay no tax on rooms, in the gift shop and for tickets. A big plus. We personally liked to stay in the new section better than the old section. They have refrigerators in the rooms but no microwaves.
We thought the buses to the theme parks were rather crowded so we wound up driving our own car to the parks. We liked the hotel and thought it was good for the price. I would definitely recamend this resort for lower ranking military members but for higher ranking military you might find better deals at some of the other resorts. There is alot of retired military here. One bad thing is it could be difficult to get a room here in less you plan very far in advance.
One thing to take note of is even if you are not staying at the Shades of Green and you have a military ID card you can go buy discounted tickets here. We have always bought our tickets here even when we stayed somewhere else.
On our last trip to Disney we stayed at the Port Orleans Riverside Resort for a few days before going on to the Shades of Green and absolutely loved the Riverside. We were sold. We loved everything about this resort except mealtime at the dinning area.
While we were at the Riverside we never went to the parks so we got to relax and see some of the other areas of Disney World. We went fishing one morning with cane poles and then we went over to the Boardwalk and rode one of those surreys( bicycles for 4 people) around. To this day I say that was the best $20 we spent. It was so much fun. Our whole family enjoyed it and we laughed so hard and just had a wonderful time.
We would love to stay at the Riverside again. We loved just walking around the grounds.
I’ve been numerous times and stayed in all categories of resorts. I loved the food court at Carribean Beach; liked the seclusion and boat launch to Downtown at Old Key West; LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the pool, proximity to 2 resorts, the whole Boardwalk area and just the whoel vide of the Beach Club (probably my favorite); was pleasantly surprised at how cool the Port Orleans French Quarter was, and again, the food court; and I liked the grand-ness (is that’s a word) of the Wilderness Lodge, and the boat parade at night, but at the time, there weren’t enough quick eating options. We also stayed once at the Swan, and let me tell you, that while the location is great, there is just no comparison to a true Disney resort. The whole atmosphere just isn’t the same, and everything is just a notch less. I definitely recommend staying on property as the bus system is amazing and so convenient, and it really does add to the whole expereince, and staying in that Disney state of mind for your whole trip. My family lives in Orlando now, so we stay with them, and while we still enjoy the parks and everything, it just isn’t the same when you don’t stay with Disney.
I have been to WDW more than 95 times and have staied in EVERY resort except Grand Floridian and the Tree House Cabin. We just got back from a week camping at Fort Wildnerness ( yes in a tent at 40 degrees). We love to CAMP at disney, because we get up at sunrise and we are the first family at the parks :). And the evening movie and free camp fire sing along with Chip and Dale is the best kept secret at WDW… But our favorite resort during non camping months (April – Aug – too hot)… is Port Orleans. We love the boat ride to downtown disney to go to dinner and we love the hidden beds under our queen beds. We are a family of 2 – but have many other family members that travel up with us. Port Orleans has a great food court and wonderful fishing sites and walking paths – it is VERY relaxing. Third choice would be Contemporary (not the new Bay Lake Tower site – poor pool – boring resort).. My son LOVES the monorail and riding it all night is our favorite thing to do on our last night at WDW.. Some days it runs till 4am. :) – Contemporary is a high end resort but we used our Military ID once and staied for only $99. a night… best stay ever. We know that no matter where you stay on site – you can’t go wrong as it really is the BEST PLACE ON EARTH.
I have been to WDW 20+ times over the last 35 years. Until 1993, I had only stayed (with the exception of ONE off property trip) at the Contemporary Resort. For the most part, this was because the CR and the Poly were the only two on-property options.
In 1993, we stayed at the Grand Floridian on our honeymoon. We were in one of the turrets in the main building. It was a surprise because we had only paid for a regular room and we got upgraded! (That is the only time I have ever gotten an upgrade and, boy, did they make it count!)
Since 1999, we have only stayed at Value resorts. I was skeptical that first year – Disney without being on the monorail? Heresy!!! But…it was fine. We were at All Star Movies. The biggest factor then was price and we let the family with whom we were traveling pick the hotel.
Pop Century opened in 2003 and we stayed there in January/February of 2004. The draw here was the newness of the hotel and the theming. Every family trip, except for one, has been at Pop since. We LOVE Pop…the theming, the food court, the pools, the atmosphere, and even…the buses! Our trip this year was labeled a ‘splurge’ trip yet honestly, even though we can afford deluxe, I just can’t give up Pop. Call me crazy!
The one family trip that we didn’t stay at Pop, we stayed at the All Star Music family suites. I cannot say enough good things about the suites. We had issues with the location itself, primarily because of the large number of huge tour groups staying at the resort. In a perfect world, the abandoned-not-yet-finished Legendary Years side of Pop Century would be turned into family suites. I am hopin’ and prayin’ this is the case. As for ASMu, the pools are great, the poolside games and movies are tons of fun, and the food court is decent (still not as good as Pop).
We have also traveled for several years for the Super Soap Weekends held at MGM/DHS (which went away last year, *sniff*). All of these girl trips were at ASMu, in a regular room. We didn’t encounter large tour groups at all during these trips (November) and the hotel was very quiet and relaxing.
As for tips, I agree with a previous poster about getting the refillable mug. For us, it is a fantastic deal and a great convenience. Also, as someone else pointed out, staying on the back side of Pop facing the lake is a great location – very quiet.
A totally unrelated tip…My favorite souvenir of late has been a caricature of my boys drawn by an artist in the lobby of the hotel (they have them at all of the values – not sure about mods and deluxes). My dad got a caricature of himself done at the Contemporary (in the arcade) in the mid 70′s…he used it to frame his first dollar when he opened his own drugstore. It still hangs there today! Anyway, this is a lasting souvenir and it’s cute, too.
1. Which resort did you stay at? – Port orleans riverside
2. Why did you choose this resort over other resorts?- We thought it was the best of the moderates and liked the theme
3. What do you consider special about this resort?- Beautifuly kept grounds and fun pool area
4. Do you plan to stay here again?- Maybe someday but we are hooked on staying off site now
5. Is there a resort you absolutely would never consider staying at? (Not because of price, but because of other factors)- No, I have also stayed at all star music and LOVED it.
6. What tips do you have to share about this resort?- Enjoy the pool and take lots of photos around the grounds, order the pizza to your room it is delicious
7. Anything else you can think of adding would be helpful- all of the resorts are great and you get what you pay for.
I am hooked on staying off site and having my own car. Disney transportation is great but lets be honest it can be slow and when you have a screaming 2 year old at the end of the night do you want to be standing in line for a bus only to find that it is filled? We also like exploring the Orlando area and there is nothing like a private pool when you just want some quality family time. We do not mind cooking for ourselves and end up saving so much on food this way. Staying off site allows us to feed our relatively picky eating family the way we like and we have an abundance of snacks and drinks to take with us everywhere we go. We always freeze water bottles and take them to the parks with us so we have drinks all day. The only downside to staying off site are paying for parking and dishes!
I would love some suggestions on where to stay off-site. We will be driving to Disney so it might save us money in the long run. What were your favorite places?
I love Disneyworld. I have been tons of times and try to stay all differant places!
1. Which resort did you stay at? All Star Music, All Star Sports, All Star Movies, Pop Century, Port Orleans Riverside, Carribean Beach Resort, Animal Kingdom Lodge and Saratoga Springs (Treehouse Villas)
2. Why did you choose this resort over other resorts?
Depends on my budget for the trip and the availability as well as what current PIN offers I have.
3. What do you consider special about this resort?
There is something special about each resort. It depends on your tastes. I love Pop as my all time favorite Value Resort, it is the newest and cleanest. Coronado Springs is my new favorite Moderate Resort. As far as Deluxe I don’t think I have stayed at my favorite yet. LOL Animal Kingdom Lodge was nice and the Treehouse Villas AMAZING, but they have their downsides too.
4. Do you plan to stay here again?
I would not pick to stay at the All Stars again, becaus eI like Pop so much better, but is Pop was not available then I would. I would never stay at the Carribean Beach Resort again, it is way to spread out for me. AKL is very nice, but it is sooo dark and very far from every park except Animal Kingdom. I wouldn’t pick to stay here again, but if it was fre ecount me in. The Treehouse Villas I woudl stay in again IF I had my own car. Never again with the buses.
5. Is there a resort you absolutely would never consider staying at? (Not because of price, but because of other factors)
The All Star Sports, I like all three other Value options more. Also the Carribean Beach. Just too spread out for me.
6. What tips do you have to share about this resort?
Make sure you have a car at the Treehouses, Always get the closest rooms, pay extra for the premium rooms, it is so worth the $10 to stay so close to the buses. Nothing like walking a mile after you get off the bus at midnight with a 2 year old. LOL
7. Anything else you can think of adding would be helpful.
Also smile and be nice when checking in. The CM’s will help you find the best room available if you ask.
I have been to disney over 50 times. I am from the Tampa, Fl area and my grandmother used ot get us annual passes for xmas. When I was growing up we stayed at the FWL twice. But every other time stayed at the old key west resort. Growing up I like FWL better because of the neat pool they have with the slide. OKW is more for adults, I always got bored there as a kid. Now that I am grown and have 2 kids of my own and cannot afford those places most of the time we go to the value resorts or we stay at the Shades of Green, which is the Disney Military resort. One of the things I dont like about the SOG is while you get the bus transportation to the parks, you have to pay $10 a day to have your car parked at the hotel. So add $10 a night to your room price.
I live near Disney World and just wanted to share this piece of advice. With the exception of the Serralago Resort, do not stay at a motel on US 192. Many of the motels on 192 seem very well priced, but they are not the kind of place you want to stay at for your Disney World vacation.
We are planning on not buying a magic package, but instead buying our disney hotel room and tickets separate. (My cousin is working there this semester and can get us 50% off both of these). Would we still be able to buy the dining plan if we wanted? I see you have that staying at a disney resort qualifies you to buy a dining plan but then I see also that you need to buy a magic package. I’m confused, please help!! Thanks.
We have a group going the week after Christmas. There will be 8 adults and 5 kids (8, 5, 4, 2, and a 10 month old).
We are having a time finding a place to accommodate us. Anyone have any advice?? The sooner the better, as we need to book yesterday. :o)
Thanks.
Look for rental houses near Disney property. I don’t know the names, but I know there is a whole neighborhood of rental houses.
We are going to Disney World the week between Christmas and New Years with 6 people, 2 adults and 4 Grown kids.
There are very few options at Disney to sleep that many. The tree houses have 3 bedrooms and will sleep up to 10 I believe…. and 7-8 comfortably. You might choose to get two Treehouse villas for your group.
You could also choose the Animal Kingdom Lodge and get 3 rooms.
We chose two rooms at the Animal Kingdom lodge. They offer rooms with two queen sized beds or a queen sized bed and a set of full sized bunk beds. You can also request a crib.
We love the Animal Kingdom lodge and are excited to stay there again. They tell African folk tales around a fire pit in the evening and offer the opportunity to use night vision goggles to view the animals at night. And Boma, a restaurant there, is our favorite at Disney World.
I got a Seasonal Pass in December 2009 when DH and I were planning our anniversary trip to WDW. At the time, the purchase included an additional 3 months at no cost, so my Pass is good through March this year. I have taken 5 trips to WDW in that time (would be more, but I’m nearly 7 months pregnant), 3 of which were overnight, onsite stays. Between the Pass and Disney Visa, we get some great deals. We now only travel during low seasons, always stay onsite and always use one of the dining plan options (I have tried all 3).
I stayed 3 nights at POR, 1 at ASSports, and 1 at CSR and loved them all. They each have their perks, and I would rank them CSR, POR, Sports (Sports was more recently renovated than POR, but the theming, landscaping and size of POR is nicer than Sports). I would like to stay at POP in the future, and our first big trip with baby (when he’s no longer a baby and old enough to remember and enjoy) will be at Caribbean Beach. My favorite resort is the Grand Floridian but I can’t justify the cost. Maybe one day in the far future if I can get a room 50% or more off (it does sometimes happen!). Same for Wilderness Lodge, just can’t pay that for a room.
When at POR, we walked through POFQ and had breakfast there, but I don’t care for the look or feel of the resort and would not stay there. I have also walked through and/or eaten at Polynesian and Contemporary and they are NOT my style- I don’t care for the theming or building styles themselves and would not pay even discounted rates to stay there. I have no desire to stay at the other 2 AllStars, either.
1. Which resort did you stay at? AKL and Coronado Springs
2. Why did you choose this resort over other resorts? AKL was our Honeymoon. It was newly opened and was my dream place to stay (Savannah view!) but I thought we booked New Orleans and my dh surprised me when we got there! Coronado was our 2nd trip and we chose it because we couldn’t afford AKL. It was fine – but very spread out and a long walk from the bus to the room after a long day.
3. What do you consider special about this resort? The theme/feel of it and the animals! The parks close “early” on weekdays and we’d walk in the door & feel like we were home. There remember a family playing monopoly in their jammies in the lounge! I just loved it.
4. Do you plan to stay here again? Would love to. I’d also like to stay at the Wilderness Lodge. I love the vibe (same architect).
5. Is there a resort you absolutely would never consider staying at? (Not because of price, but because of other factors). I’d try a different moderate resort next time, didn’t love Coronado Springs.
6. What tips do you have to share about this resort? We had a Pool View and it was beautiful (a free upgrade from our standard booking).
7. Anything else you can think of adding would be helpful… I have learned to always book a standard room, check-in as early in the day as possible and “win friends and influence people” or “bat my eyelashes”. What I mean is being friendly and nice will get you VERY far. Even if they can’t offer you an upgrade the first night be thankful and check back the next day (and the next) with a smile. On a visit to DL, on our last night we were upgraded to a Dream Suite (just for asking)! I was blown away, thanked the CM over & over and later wrote a letter to the hotel manager singing his praises.
We stayed a few years back. We went twice the same year. My wife and i went to check it out and get ideas for our wedding. We stayed the first time 1 night at the dolphin resort which is not a Disney resort its owned by W hotels but its part of the epcot resorts which still gets you disney transpiration and all that. Beds were very nice very comfy. We then stayed the rest of our 7 days at a house a couple miles from Disney.
It had a fiberoptic lit pool with waterfalls and the whole house was very nice.
2nd time for our honeymoon we stayed 3 nights at the Boardwalk resort and then the rest of our 14 day stay at a house about a mile from Disney.
2nd house was not great the bed was hard as a rock.
OK positives about staying on site. Boat ride is just a short walk away and then of course a bus ride to the other parks is out front of the resort.
from our room at the dolphin it was a beautiful view of the boats and the boardwalk at night.
Although we prefered to stay off site. We had a pool all to ourselves and a hot tub. We could walk out the back door of the house and their was the pool and hot tub. The house was open and we had a full kitchen so we didnt eat breakfast in the park. The 2nd home we stayed at saved us a ton of money because we got a good deal since we were staying 2 weeks. We had my parents and my wifes parents and my sister and her husband and us all in the house. That would have cost us quite a bit for hotel rooms plus the fact that we could all sit in the living room and talk in the evenings.
We are going at Christmas again this year and this time bringing our daughter who will be 4.5 and so im not sure but i think we will stay off site again. I love being off site in a nice home with a large pool and hot tub all to ourselves. Also disney is such a hussle and bussle and its nice to just leave the park and just enjoy peace and quiet.
The boardwalk was horrible we had to walk around the first floor to the elevator then all the way up then our room was clear on the other end of hotel. Now the dolphin was not bad but the hotel is smaller too.
So next time im not sure but i think we may do off site again. I see the advantage to each way. I would rent a car either way because i am not one that likes to be tied down and we ate outside the parks most of the time anyway to save money. Many days we made breakfast or grabbed something for $2 at MCds.
Its hard sometimes. There are many advantages to both. For me i prefer to stay offsite i dont care so much about the fancy pools i just like not having to share the pool. And having a whole house just us and not having to walk a mile down a hallway at the end of a long day is nice. And for us we always do Universal and Sea World when we are there and tend to do otherthings to. If you are 100% not doing anything but disney dont mind a hotel and can score a room close to an elevator maybe not next to one (i have heard complaints) but maybe right down the hall or around a corner vs the other end of the hotel and you dont want to rent a car then yes staying on site is for you.
If your like us and like to have the freedom of a car and do other things in orlando and so forth then staying off site is cheaper
Our 1st trip we splurged and stayed the Poly (free dining)…no trip has beat that trip. The ease of getting on the monorail with a stroller and being delivered back to the hotel could NOT be topped. On our next trip we stayed at Saratoga Springs and we did not realize until THAT trip how GREAT it was to have that monorail access. Our following trip we stayed at the Boardwalk Villas and it was nice to be able to walk right out to the “activity” on the boardwalk and the entry to Epcot. I really want to try Wilderness Lodge or Bay Lakes but we have not found a “deal” to stay there yet. My point here is that by renting DVC points, I get a “deluxe” room for a great price and enjoy all the perks of being on site. I learned about DVC points renting through the book “Disney on a Dime” and it has been a great tip for us!! Disney Dreaming!
We just recently returned from a trip for 11 people (1 guest was under 3). The total package including meals, staying at Pop Century (which is an older value resort) was less than 4,000 everything included (of course minus extras IE soveniers etc.) We stayed for 5 days and 4 nights, had 3 rooms @87.00 per night bought the florida 3 day pass and decent meals were included. We also recieved a free resort mug and ended up leaving with a ton of snacks that were leftover from our dining plans.
As a Floridian I can honestly say I will never stay off site again. The benefits of just the bus transportaiton saved time, money, gas, and allowed all of our party to come and go as they pleased between the parks and the resort. The pools were nice and the meal plan saved well over 30% and there was no need to decide what was for dinner with a food court option always avaliable each member could have whatever they wanted. The staff was INCREDIBLE. From here on out as annual park visitors we will only stay on-site it’s just to easy to think about staying anywhere else. The value resorts are comparable to a days inn type atmosphere (@87.00 per night) with all the excitement of disney world.
We are going to Disney in September and are staying outside Disney world in a timeshare. We have heard you can park at Downtown Disney and take the bus to the parks for free, wondering if this is true? If not does anyone have any tips for parking and getting to the parks from outside. Thanks
We’re considering staying off-site, but would we still be able to participate in fast pass program?
Just read all these posts…head is spinning now. But lots of great info!
Question: My family lives in Georgia. My mother lives in Florida. Would she be allowed to buy discounted tickets for all of us (we plan on taking her with us when we go next year), or just herself, since we’re not “Florida Residents”….does anyone know? Please advise, thanks!
No, any Florida resident tickets will require a picture ID at the gate to prove residency. They won’t let you in without it.
WOW….after reading most of these post, I am so confused now! I live in Georgia and I am planning our 1st family vacation ever and we are heading to WDW! We are going to stay on site but now after all those post, I don’t know where to stay. I was going for Animal Kingdom for the kids but then the Poly sounds really nice too. We are going in January 2012….can’t wait!
Are you there now? We are going to the Poly in 18 days and are so excited! Let us know if you chose the Poly, and what you thought of it! First time for us at a Deluxe. We go twice a year, and have stayed off-site a lot in the past, and one time at the Pop. Personally I didn’t like the Pop as it seems like there weren’t enough buses for all the people. We waited around a LONG time for buses to come and get us, and our bus lines had the most people too. We went at a very busy time of the year, Sept, which probably made things worse. Also, didn’t find the Pop very clean.
As for the Polynesian for this upcoming trip, we got the theme park view, (went all-out), and just can’t wait to watch both the electric water parade and the MK fireworks from our balcony. With two small boys, that is priceless! We have been at the Mk until closing and then had to leave with the masses, and therefore nothing sounds more appealing than sitting in relaxation watching them across the lagoon! I also hear the monorail access is worth all the extra money! I am sure!!!
1. Which resort did you stay at? (the most)
We almost always stay at Port Orleans Riverside
2. Why did you choose this resort over other resorts?
Resort sleeps 5 (I have 3 kids) for a reasonable price.
3. What do you consider special about this resort?
atmosphere – its like coming home, rooms are comphy, fridge in rooms, easy access, not too insane (like contemporary and stuff I hate the resorts with the monorails through them anyone can meander into your resort from the parks very easily) call me paranoid but I hate that, the bus to P/O is easy and using the transportation is always uneventful – tons of buses to P/O, the rooms are nice, the staff is nice, the pools are nice, fishing, boating and more.. very nice place to just chill out and meander about!
4. Do you plan to stay here again?
Most Def!
5. Is there a resort you absolutely would never consider staying at? (Not because of price, but because of other factors)
Id probably say my least fave 3 resorts are Contemporary and Grand Floridian and Poly – mainly since the monorails are easily accessed by regular park guests… you cant let your kids OUT of your sight in your own hotel.. very unnerving IMO just takes 1 loon and the want for a kid and poof your kids gone..
6. What tips do you have to share about this resort?
just because its not a 5 star fancy hotel, come on people control your kids and get them off the tables – some people have no manners so I often choose to not eat at the quick serve rest, I am sure the all star resorts are worse, I refuse to find out the hard way!!! I often choose to grab a tray and bring my food back to my room…
Also Disney Dining plan, you get enough food that you can share 2 meals for breakfast or you can use your refillable coffee mug for coffee and use your snack for a danish as breakfast :)
We’ve been to Disney World 4 times in the last 5 years, driven 1000 miles from home in SE Texas – hubby & 4 boys.
1. Which resort did you stay at?
We take our travel trailer to Fort Wilderness Campground
2. Why did you choose this resort over other resorts?
Price, space, non-hotel, fun!
3. What do you consider special about this resort?
Space, ability to take my dog (reduces boarding costs & its more fun for him), suitable for my 4 boys aged 18 mths – 10 years old.
4. Do you plan to stay here again?
Yes, absolutely
5. Is there a resort you absolutely would never consider staying at? (Not because of price, but because of other factors)
Any hotel – my kids don’t do well confined to hotel rooms!
6. What tips do you have to share about this resort?
7. Anything else you can think of adding would be helpful.
We go to Disney every year. 4 years ago we rented Disney Vacation Club (DVC) points. After our first stay at DVC resort we bought in to the Disney Vacation Club. You can rent point and stay at a Disney hotel for under $100 a day depending on the time of year you go. When you stay in a DVC room there is no intranet fee and you get all of the above mentioned perks. The only drawback is you do not get maid service every day. You can rent studios that sleep 4 or 1brs sleep up to 6 a 2br sleep up to 9. The studios have a refrigerator and microwave. 1 and 2brs have a full kitten.
One thing we like to do when we go is to do what is called a split stay. We spend 5 days at one resort and then move to another resort. You pack up your bags and your kitchen stuff and Disney sends everything over to your new hotel. I like to do this because different hotels have such great advantages.
We have stayed at:
Animal Kingdom (AKV) this is my favorite because of all of the animals and it is peaceful.
Beach Club (BCV) this is my next favorite because of the great pool and walking distant to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.
Boardwalk (BWV) this is a beautiful hotel and is great pool and walking distant to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.
Wilderness Lodge (WLV) I did not like our room. It was to small.