Opinions For Party of 5 Please

[ajgardner]

My family of 4 (me, husband, large teen son, 19 year old daughter) were planning a trip to Disney near the end of August. We’ve been 5 times and really liked the Wilderness Lodge so that was the plan. Now it looks like my daughter‘s boyfriend may be joining us and this changes things. I’m having a hard time choosing a resort that’ll comfortably fit 5 and not break the bank. I’ve narrowed it down to Yacht Club or Beach Club but I did come across a Disney Spring Doubletree Suites room that would be quite spacious and about $1,800 less. We have always stayed on property and like that Disney feel, we also prefer to do the dining deluxe plan. We will have a rental car so getting to parks is not an issue. I have never been inside any of these three resorts (I assume doubletree is pretty typical standard hotel) and can’t decide if doing the full blown Disney resort experience is worth the almost $2,000 extra (while also being a smaller room). Any insight or opinions?
(And just to give an idea of our taste, these are the rankings of our past trips 1. Wilderness Lodge 2. Animal Kingdom Lodge 3&4. Port Orleans, tied with Polynesian 5. Pop Century - tiny room and beds for my 6’3” 250 pound husband and son)

 

[_auroraborealis_]

So, YC and BC don't guarantee you'll get the daybed, and that can be pretty weird especially given your group mix. Also given your group mix, I feel like stuffing 5 people in a single unit may be awkward, although only you know the parent-sibling-boyfriend dynamics.

Pop is now queen beds throughout, so the "tiny beds" thing is done for.

I feel like you'd be better served with two rooms at Pop, now that it's queen. Yeah, the rooms themselves are not as large, but you'd have two of them, versus stuffing 5 into a single unit at BC/YC and having to roll dice on the daybed arrangement.

Doubletree would not allow you a dining plan.

 

[Deb & Bill]

You might also check out Bonnet Creek for a two bedroom. It's not a Disney owned or operated property, but it is close. You could save some money and get the extra bedroom, plus the living room.

 

[ajgardner]

You might also check out Bonnet Creek for a two bedroom. It's not a Disney owned or operated property, but it is close. You could save some money and get the extra bedroom, plus the living room.

I looked at Hilton Bonnet Creek and could not find a two bedroom or guarantee of getting connecting rooms. We definitely want the 60 day fast pass option so that narrows the hotel choices...

 

[epcotfortmama]

We are a family of 5 but 3 kids 8 and under so different needs than you. You can rent dvc points or stay at wilderness lodge (Boulder Ridge studio sleeps 5) but that could be tight. Poly studios also sleep 5. Fort Wilderness (our favorite) cabins sleep 6 and has a kitchen and outdoor space so things won't feel so tight. Not sure if they layout would work for you-one bedroom with (I think) a queen and a set of bunk beds, with a sleeper couch in the front room.

We like Port Orleans too, but the 5th bed is a murphy bed that may be small for one of your teens. You could also get 2 value rooms or the family suites at art of animation or all stars. Or stay offsite since you have a car, but no dining plan then.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I looked at Hilton Bonnet Creek and could not find a two bedroom or guarantee of getting connecting rooms. We definitely want the 60 day fast pass option so that narrows the hotel choices...

You might check to see if you can rent someone's timeshare there.

 

[ajgardner]

So, YC and BC don't guarantee you'll get the daybed, and that can be pretty weird especially given your group mix. Also given your group mix, I feel like stuffing 5 people in a single unit may be awkward, although only you know the parent-sibling-boyfriend dynamics.

Pop is now queen beds throughout, so the "tiny beds" thing is done for.

I feel like you'd be better served with two rooms at Pop, now that it's queen. Yeah, the rooms themselves are not as large, but you'd have two of them, versus stuffing 5 into a single unit at BC/YC and having to roll dice on the daybed arrangement.

Doubletree would not allow you a dining plan.

Thanks for that info! I assumed that knowing it’s a party of 5 would they would automatically give us a room with the daybed. Good to know this isn’t necessarily the case. That certainly throws a wrench in the plan. I don’t think I could get my husband to go back to Pop even though they changed, he has very poor memories of that stay.

 

[ajgardner]

We are a family of 5 but 3 kids 8 and under so different needs than you. You can rent dvc points or stay at wilderness lodge (Boulder Ridge studio sleeps 5) but that could be tight. Poly studios also sleep 5. Fort Wilderness (our favorite) cabins sleep 6 and has a kitchen and outdoor space so things won't feel so tight. Not sure if they layout would work for you-one bedroom with (I think) a queen and a set of bunk beds, with a sleeper couch in the front room.

We like Port Orleans too, but the 5th bed is a murphy bed that may be small for one of your teens. You could also get 2 value rooms or the family suites at art of animation or all stars. Or stay offsite since you have a car, but no dining plan then.

I looked at the cabins and considered them, I just wasn’t sure what type of vacation vibe they would feel like. I will look more into that. The dining plan isn’t a must, it’s just what we’ve done on past trips.

 

[ajgardner]

You might check to see if you can rent someone's timeshare there.

I don’t know much about this, I will read up on it. Are fast passes still available doing it as a time share?

 

[DisneyWishes14]

My family of 4 (me, husband, large teen son, 19 year old daughter) were planning a trip to Disney near the end of August. We’ve been 5 times and really liked the Wilderness Lodge so that was the plan. Now it looks like my daughter‘s boyfriend may be joining us and this changes things. I’m having a hard time choosing a resort that’ll comfortably fit 5 and not break the bank. I’ve narrowed it down to Yacht Club or Beach Club but I did come across a Disney Spring Doubletree Suites room that would be quite spacious and about $1,800 less. We have always stayed on property and like that Disney feel, we also prefer to do the dining deluxe plan. We will have a rental car so getting to parks is not an issue. I have never been inside any of these three resorts (I assume doubletree is pretty typical standard hotel) and can’t decide if doing the full blown Disney resort experience is worth the almost $2,000 extra (while also being a smaller room). Any insight or opinions?
(And just to give an idea of our taste, these are the rankings of our past trips 1. Wilderness Lodge 2. Animal Kingdom Lodge 3&4. Port Orleans, tied with Polynesian 5. Pop Century - tiny room and beds for my 6’3” 250 pound husband and son)

Would you consider a 2-bedroom at CCV or BRV if available? Or is that out of the budget? Have you looked at the Deluxe room at WL that sleeps 6?

Another suggestion - consider a 2-bedroom suite at Swan or Dolphin. You need to call the resort directly to book it. They can put together 2 resort rooms with a living room in between. The last time we booked this, it was about the same price as a single Poly room. You would lose out on DME, but you can still book your FP+ at 60 days and get EMH and Disney park transportation. If you would like to spend the extra money for the perk, these rooms even qualify for the 90 day CL FP+ reservation privileges.

 

[epcotfortmama]

I looked at the cabins and considered them, I just wasn’t sure what type of vacation vibe they would feel like. I will look more into that. The dining plan isn’t a must, it’s just what we’ve done on past trips.

It is our favorite but I know it is not for everyone. It is nice because you can rent a golf cart or bikes and go around the campground. There was a path to go to Wilderness Lodge but when we were there in January it was closed due to the new resort construction. I believe you can still take a boat to Wilderness Lodge, and a boat to MK (along with buses).

 

[ajgardner]

Would you consider a 2-bedroom at CCV or BRV if available? Or is that out of the budget? Have you looked at the Deluxe room at WL that sleeps 6?

Another suggestion - consider a 2-bedroom suite at Swan or Dolphin. You need to call the resort directly to book it. They can put together 2 resort rooms with a living room in between. The last time we booked this, it was about the same price as a single Poly room. You would lose out on DME, but you can still book your FP+ at 60 days and get EMH and Disney park transportation. If you would like to spend the extra money for the perk, these rooms even qualify for the 90 day CL FP+ reservation privileges.

Unfortunately, the WL is not showing availability for our party size. I think I need to go back and look at some of the pricing on the Villas, probably a bit steeper than we were planning but I will check. I just realized I never even checked the swan and dolphin pricing, so I will do that also!

 

[VAfamily1998]

Not trying to pry, but it might help us with suggestions; how do you want the sleeping arrangements to go? Do you need separate beds for your daughter and her boy friend ? Or will daughter and boyfriend share a bed? You mention that your son is very large so I assume he needs his own bed?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Not trying to pry, but it might help us with suggestions; how do you want the sleeping arrangements to go? Do you need separate beds for your daughter and her boy friend ? Or will daughter and boyfriend share a bed? You mention that your son is very large so I assume he needs his own bed?

This is relevant, actually. Because if the plan were to not have bf+daughter share, a BC or YC even with the daybed might be awkward. Would the bf and son share and she take the daybed? Or would the large son be in the daybed, which if he didn't like Pop he'd not like the daybed for sure.

 

[dachsie]

Have you considered renting DVC points and finding a 1 or 2 BR villa that would accommodate all of you?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Have you considered renting DVC points and finding a 1 or 2 BR villa that would accommodate all of you?

That said, end of August is well within 7 months, so while it is DVC's lower demand season, availability may be up and down depending on dates and if they want a 1 or 2BR. Either will be pricier than the originally proced out unit at BC/YC.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

I agree with renting points. Or if you don’t mind being off site, you can rent a whole house for less then the price of a value room.

 

[DizznyChick]

maybe check out the all stars family suites. If it were me, I’d go with the dining plan only because if the kids go off on their own it would be easier for them to eat and snack

 

[ajgardner]

Not trying to pry, but it might help us with suggestions; how do you want the sleeping arrangements to go? Do you need separate beds for your daughter and her boy friend ? Or will daughter and boyfriend share a bed? You mention that your son is very large so I assume he needs his own bed?

Good point. No, my daughter and her boyfriend will not share a bed. Pretty much any other arrangement of sleeping would work. Both my husband and son are bigger (6’3 and 260ish), but if the beds are at least queen my daughter and I would be fine. I’m thinking we need two queens and some sort of pull out bed.

 

[ajgardner]

This is relevant, actually. Because if the plan were to not have bf+daughter share, a BC or YC even with the daybed might be awkward. Would the bf and son share and she take the daybed? Or would the large son be in the daybed, which if he didn't like Pop he'd not like the daybed for sure.

My thought was husband and I in one queen, my son and daughter in the other queen and the boyfriend on the sleeper. My daughter and son wouldn’t care about sharing, not that they wouldn't prefer their own bed.