Today I'm finally going to talk a little bit about resort choice. I think this is one is such a hard decision for most folks because they get so much feedback from friends and family. Plus for a lot of families, going to Walt Disney World is a once in a lifetime event. They won't get the chance to stay at more than one resort, so the decision of WHICH resort is a big one!
Before I give you a little insight let's take a look at some things to consider when selecting a Disney Resort!!
Family Size
I think this is a good one to start with as it might dictate WHERE you can stay. Due to fire code, some resorts only accommodate 4 people per room. These include:
-All Star Movies, Sports and Music (except Family Suites)
-Pop Century
-Art of Animation (Standard Rooms)
-Coronado Springs (except Suites)
-Caribbean Beach
-Port Orleans French Quarter
-Wilderness Lodge
-Animal Kingdom Lodge (except villas)
Of course at these resorts you have the option of booking TWO rooms but that would be an increased cost. Keep in mind that at ANY Disney resort you are guaranteed connecting rooms if you have only 2 adults.
For families of five Disney offers a variety of family suites, executive suites and villas to accommodate your whole family in one room. Check out these options by clicking
here.
Budget
Disney offers a wide variety of resorts for almost any budget. Keep in mind for these discussions we are only discussing on property resorts. To see all the great benefits to staying ON property, click
here.
Value Resorts- These are the cheapest options on property and offer basic amenities. These rooms (Except family suites) are the smallest on property and offer a split bath, double beds and a small table with chairs. The resorts offer just a food court (no table service) and several pools (without slides).
Moderate Resorts- These resorts are a step up from the value resorts. With the exception of Caribbean Beach they'll offer 2 Queen beds and slightly larger rooms. These properties offer table service restaurants, pools with slides and a slight more adult or upscale themeing.
Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts- These resorts offer a wide range of room types including 1, 2 and 3 bedroom Villa. These properties are the closest to the theme parks, offer many restaurant options and the largest rooms. These are also the most expensive options on property.
Travel Style
This one is tricky..especially if you haven't been to Disney before! Many families love to stay as inexpensively as possible. Not because they can't afford a more expensive option but simply because they spend so little time at the resort; it's simply a place to sleep. Other families love to enjoy their resort and all the amenities they offer.
Value resorts will offer the least amount of amenities, while moderate and deluxe properties offer more dining options,as well as recreation, pools, location and more!
Now that we've laid out some things to consider, you are probably wondering where we decided to stay? Well we went through a few options before making our final decision!
-Art of Animation family suite. Technically we all fit BUT it was going to be a tight squeeze for 6 and maybe a little TOO much family time.
-Boardwalk..my favorite resort! We decided a 2-bedroom villa would offer us the space and location we really wanted
-After running some more numbers, we figured if we downgraded and sacrificed the space we could actually stay at Disney a bit longer! We moved ourselves over to Caribbean Beach with free dining. It was a great deal and we thought we were all set until...
Kennedy saw a video on YouTube for Art of Animation and went NUTS. She was so excited at the themeing, colors and rooms that we relooked at our budget. Ultimately this trip is for the girls and a 3.5 year old just wouldn't have the same reaction to Caribbean Beach. For almost the same price, we move over to a standard room at Art of Animation, keeping dining and forgoing any discounts. To us the resort is just really worth it. We love the location, themeing and amenities and just know that Kennedy will too!
I'll be doing another post shortly on Disney's Art of Animation resort and Little Mermaid Standard rooms and all the benefits that made us decide to stay here!
