Which resort for ds age 3 and dm 66 first trip

[dec2901]

DH and I are taking our DS (2), my sister (33), and my mother (66) for their first trip this December. We will be celebrating DS third b-day. Anyway I cannot decide on a resort. DS loves Cars so I have considered AofA. DM prefers Hilton to Hampton Inns. She likes room service and loves animals so I have considered AK. I have made a reservation for us at Wilderness lodge because of the larger rooms, room service, and proximity to MK; however, I keep rethinking this. We are stretching our budget to stay at WL, so I have also thought about moderates. CSR has room service and more modern rooms but Pop Warner is the week we will be there. . I want this to be special for DS but I know he will be going back. However, this will more than likely be my mother's one and only trip so I want it to be wonderful for her. She is terrfied to fly and has difficukty with her hips so she will probably not be willing to make the long drive again. So many things to consider, I feel like I need a therapist. DH could care less so he is no help. Please give me your opinions. Do we:
1) stay at AofA for DS
2) stay at WL because it meets some of DM needs and has a better location for DS (proximity to parks)
3) stay at AK because DM will probably never have chance again to drink coffee while watching giraffes
4) stay at a moderate to save $

Thanks for your help. DH appreciates it more than you know.

 

[disneydreamfan14]

Sounds like quite a predicament to me!!

I understand what you're saying...your son will be completely in love with AoA and the Cars theme...and the look on his face will probably be priceless for your DM!

Animal Kingdom is quite a long bus ride to most of the parks, so if proximity is important to you. (As you previously stated,) take it into consideration. Although watching the animals every morning will be amazing!

So my pick:
Art of Animation Cars suite. Your son will be in heaven, there will be plenty of privacy and space with the two bathrooms and doored bedroom, and you will LOVE the beautiful character statues all around the resort. Any more questions, visit the AoA FAQ thread. Enjoy!

 

[Q-man]

DM's health and mobility come into this. I'd say choice 3 but you could just book a breakfast over there one morning. The space of an AoA suite makes lots of sense for 3 generations. It is the rare person who will remember a trip they took at age three whereas you know DM will cherish the memory.

Have you looked into renting someone's DVC points for a AK villa?

 

[haPevraftr]

I am going to throw a whole other option at you, just to get you thinking about it. Have you considered staying at the Swan and Dolphin? You get the perks of Extra Magic Hours even though it is not an official Disney resort. It is walking distance/ boat ride to Epcot and Hollywood Studios snd you can walk to dining at other Epcot resorts. Swan and Dolphin is a deluxe resort (with great restaurant options) for a moderate price and it fits the bill for what DM wants in a hotel experience. You can make DS happy with character dining options and theme park time. He will be so excited that he won't need the hotel experience, but DM will. Be sure to call the Swan and Dolphin directly b/c they offer discounts for teachers and nurses (if applicable) and usually have great deals when booking more than one room (if you choose to do so).

 

[dec2901]

I did look into S&D. The difference in price between it and WL is basically the cost of the dining plan. We are hoping for free dining. If there is free dining, the cost to park plus the cost for transportation to and from the airport makes S&D cost more.

Haven't looked into renting. Don't know much about it so it kind of scares me.

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

DH and I are taking our DS (2), my sister (33), and my mother (66) for their first trip this December. We will be celebrating DS third b-day. Anyway I cannot decide on a resort. DS loves Cars so I have considered AofA. DM prefers Hilton to Hampton Inns. She likes room service and loves animals so I have considered AK. I have made a reservation for us at Wilderness lodge because of the larger rooms, room service, and proximity to MK; however, I keep rethinking this. We are stretching our budget to stay at WL, so I have also thought about moderates. CSR has room service and more modern rooms but Pop Warner is the week we will be there. . I want this to be special for DS but I know he will be going back. However, this will more than likely be my mother's one and only trip so I want it to be wonderful for her. She is terrfied to fly and has difficukty with her hips so she will probably not be willing to make the long drive again. So many things to consider, I feel like I need a therapist. DH could care less so he is no help. Please give me your opinions. Do we:
1) stay at AofA for DS
2) stay at WL because it meets some of DM needs and has a better location for DS (proximity to parks)
3) stay at AK because DM will probably never have chance again to drink coffee while watching giraffes
4) stay at a moderate to save $

Thanks for your help. DH appreciates it more than you know.

DM's health and mobility come into this. I'd say choice 3 but you could just book a breakfast over there one morning. The space of an AoA suite makes lots of sense for 3 generations. It is the rare person who will remember a trip they took at age three whereas you know DM will cherish the memory.

Have you looked into renting someone's DVC points for a AK villa?

For this trip I would definately cater to mom rather than a 3 y/o. Disney puts the little ones on such sensory overload with the resort just adding to it. For your mom, with her mobility issues, she may be spending more down time at the resort than you anticipate.

I like the idea of a DVC at AK.

 

[haPevraftr]

I did look into S&D. The difference in price between it and WL is basically the cost of the dining plan. We are hoping for free dining. If there is free dining, the cost to park plus the cost for transportation to and from the airport makes S&D cost more.

Haven't looked into renting. Don't know much about it so it kind of scares me.

Unless you personally know someone who is willing to rent points to you, I would look into David's DVC Rental. He is reputable on these boards and you know that there is no chance of someone screwing you over. I know others have had success renting other ways, but this would be the most comfortable option for me.

And AKL is awesome!

 

[helenk]

If your mother has mobility issues, I would not recommend AKL, unless you get a room close to the lobby. So many of the rooms are so far from the lobby which means a lot of walking.
I think that the WL is a beautiful resort, very peaceful and relaxing, I love taking the boat to and from the MK.

 

[ElizabethB]

We have stayed with my elderly parents at Grand Floridian Main Bldg Club Level and AKL Club Level.

For what it's worth, my mother's favorite was AKL. She and my dad loved the Club Level lounge there. Plus, they are dedicated TV viewers but they never turned on the TV once during our stay. Why? Because they were too interested in watching the animals from the balcony. Every time we came back to the room, dad would say, well let's go out on the balcony and see what the animals are doing. They spent hours out there and loved it.

My mom has significant mobility issues. I rented her a scooter from Walker's and that really helped. We also got a van and just loaded the scooter into the van to go from AK to where we wanted to go. We brought along her handicapped parking permit and so we parked in handicapped parking, which was quite convenient.

I thought being at GF would be ideal for her mobility issues, but she was very nervous trying to drive the scooter onto the monorail -- and the trip by monorail to Epcot with the scooter was not real easy either -- so many boardings and departures from the monorail.