Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Also Beau, I can't remember the age of your two kids, but I would agree that you might not need a pass for every day as there is SOOOO much to see and do on the resort. But if it is only a few dollars extra, I recommend the passes for length of stay as they give you flexability. Also, be aware, the All Stars and Pop Century are like themed motels. Dependent on when you go, if you can aford it, and if this is likely to be a once in a lifetime deal, then I would recommend a moderate. Port Orleans and Riverside both feel like staying in New Orleans Square, Cornado Springs is a bit like a mission, and Caribbean Beach (although a bit boring IMHO) is centrally located. The Budget hotels are a lot more crowded and remote. But it's all good.
Originally Posted By Beaumandy Good points Dave. My kids are 6 and 8. I think we will stay at a moderate...possibly the Swan or Dolphin. Anyone have any feedback on the Swan or Dolphin? The location looks great.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss With children that age, All Star Movies would be the top choice in the value category, especially the Toy Story section. The in-your-face theming shouts, "I am in WDW for sure!" The Swan and Dolphin are not owned by Disney, but they are very nice hotels from what I have seen, and are conveniently located if you enjoy Epcot and MGM. You'd be pressed to tell that you weren't staying at a Disney hotel... I seem to recall that the employees even wear a nametag similar if not identical to the ones worn by actual CM's.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Oh, well the All Star Movies could be a good call given the age of your kids. It's a little like the Disneyland Hotel without as many amenities. The Swan and the Dolphin are actually upscale hotels by Michael Graves. They are in a great location, but they are very business orientated and can feel like staying at a Hilton or Marriot. Not bad, but not Disney. Also, they do not offer the same benefits the Disney hotels offer (e.g. character encounters, character toiletries, charge card capabilities, and there is no way of sending your purchases back to the hotel). They are nice hotels, but they are not Disney hotels.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss <<The Swan and the Dolphin are actually upscale hotels>> But because they are run by Starwood and not Disney, many times they run specials that are quite competitive with Disney's moderate rates. <<they are very business orientated>> Together, the two have the largest meeting spaces available in the southeast; they were designed specifically to attract such business.
Originally Posted By Lake Nona According to Birbaum's WDW guide for 2006, the S/D is a deluxe hotel,like Poly/Comp/WL. >>But because they are run by Starwood and not Disney, many times they run specials that are quite competitive with Disney's moderate rates.<< True, you can get a AAA rate or one of the travel website's like priceline or hotel.com etc... The Swan is a Westin and the Dolphin is a Sheraton. The big plus is that if you are driving a rental car you will not be charged 9 dollars for parking at the theme parks. Disney Transportation does a good job to get you to the parks, plus they are part of EMH. There is a 8 dollar self parking/14 dollar valet charge. <a href="http://www.swandolphin.com/intro" target="_blank">http://www.swandolphin.com/int ro</a>.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss <<The Swan is a Westin and the Dolphin is a Sheraton.>> We are both correct; Westin and Sheraton are part of Starwood's holdings. It's like saying Lincoln and Mercury, which are brands of the Ford Motor Company.
Originally Posted By disney777 I would consider getting at least one Annual Pass to get a discount on the resort. I feel the only way to go is to stay on property. I prefer Pop Century to All Stars. Newer hotel and I like the lake. Plus you can see some fireworks by the 50's bldg. I go during Value Season. I'm paying $55/nt total for Pop in January, $88/nt at POFQ. I'm going to pay the $50 AP rate for the Disney dining plan and save 20% on meals at most restaurants. Plus the 10% discount at World of Disney, which has a lot of the stuff sold at the parks except specific park theme logo items. At the most, you would need 6 days of passes. The first day I would rest, relax at the pool,go to DTD, get a feel for things. Unless you get in real early and are raring to go. Also, during value season, there are less people and you can get a lot more done. I use all the free transportation including DME, so that costs me just a few dollars in tips. I actually brought a toaster and hot pot with me on my last trip, and bought a loaf of bread at the foodcourt to make toast for breakfast. (You can get butter & jelly in the foodcourt for free, I brought a jar of peanut butter from home) Buying breakfast is a waste of money and time, unless you are doing a character meal. I'd buy the refill mug at $12. It's a bargain if you drink more than 6 drinks during your stay. Also, you can get free ice water at any counter service restaurant and add Crystal Light or other powdered drink for a sweet beverage. Better to spend that $2.50 on ice cream later on. Airfare from LAX is $280 (AA)for my next trip, but I didn't shop for bargains. I don't go for the other parks in Orlando, I just go for Disney. I'm also a Disneyland passholder, so I guess I just can't get enough. It will cost me under $1600 for 1 person for 11 nts, hotel being about $800. (But I don't buy alcohol, and I go twice a year, so I don't buy too many souveniers.)
Originally Posted By planodisney Beau, i cant honestly think of 1 single advantage of staying at one of the value resorts, as apposed to staying off site. NO magic is lost. I actually have a friend who took his family to WDW and stayed at one of the timeshares for practically nothing. I think it is like 50 dollars a day or something, and the timeshares blow the Disney value resorts away. Plus, you can get inside the parks just as quickly. I think you can find these deals online under Orlando timeshares. We always stay at the Marriott Grande Vista, and I wouldnt trade it for even the nicest WDW hotel. I dont think it is available for the deals I am talking about, but all of the timeshares are nice. If you do opt to stay on site, rent a car. i have heard from numerous people that getting around the Wotld with resort transportation is a big pain in the you know what. Also, off-site hotels and timeshares have shuttle service.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 Extra Magic Hours would be one.......and unless you have a car- transportation.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss <<Beau, i cant honestly think of 1 single advantage of staying at one of the value resorts, as apposed to staying off site. NO magic is lost.>> I have stayed on and off site. IMO a bit of Magic *is* lost. The transition is not the same as at DLR that has motels across the street. <<I actually have a friend who took his family to WDW and stayed at one of the timeshares for practically nothing.>> I wouldn't deny you can save money by staying off site. If staying off site was the only way you could make a trip to WDW possible, then I would go that route. <<Plus, you can get inside the parks just as quickly.>> That's debatable. It depends on where the off site hotel is, whether you have a rental car, and traffic. <<If you do opt to stay on site, rent a car. i have heard from numerous people that getting around the Wotld with resort transportation is a big pain in the you know what.>> Disney's transportation system is not a pain, but like any mass transit system, it can take a bit longer. <<Also, off-site hotels and timeshares have shuttle service.>> Personally, I'd get a rental car anyway, because you have to get from the airport to your hotel, and that is not all that cheap.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <<<Also, off-site hotels and timeshares have shuttle service.>> < you think waiting for WDW buses is slow...( and it always isn't)
Originally Posted By trekkeruss Another benefit of staying onsite would be Disney's Magical Express, which takes care of your luggage and transportation from the airport to the resort. If Beau were staying off site, he'd either have to rent a car (which I recommend anyway), use a 'limo' service, or get a shuttle.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<Beau, i cant honestly think of 1 single advantage of staying at one of the value resorts, as apposed to staying off site. NO magic is lost. I actually have a friend who took his family to WDW and stayed at one of the timeshares for practically nothing. I think it is like 50 dollars a day or something, and the timeshares blow the Disney value resorts away. Plus, you can get inside the parks just as quickly. I think you can find these deals online under Orlando timeshares. We always stay at the Marriott Grande Vista, and I wouldnt trade it for even the nicest WDW hotel. I dont think it is available for the deals I am talking about, but all of the timeshares are nice. If you do opt to stay on site, rent a car. i have heard from numerous people that getting around the Wotld with resort transportation is a big pain in the you know what. Also, off-site hotels and timeshares have shuttle service.>> I don't think I've ever disagreed with a post so completely from beginning to end. Have you ever stayed at a WDW resort? Are you speaking from experience or conjecture? Everyone is entitled to their opinion though.
Originally Posted By planodisney I was referring only to the Value Resorts. If it is a choice of staying at one of the Value resorts, or a nice hotel or timeshare close by, or on international drive, for me, it IS no choice. i must say, since you asked Roadtrip, that my post was based more on word of mouth than personal experience, but it sure has been alot of word of mouth. I cant tell you how many times i have read, on this site alone, that if you are staying on property, get a rental car. Heck, people have posted that on this thread. If it was so simple to get around the resort, why would so many people give the advice to get a rental car? Anyway, I guess we will have to defer to you on this one because I definitely havent been to WDW as many times as you have. The Grande Vista is unbelievable, and i wouldnt trade it for ANy Disney resort. I have stayed at AKl and absolutely loved it, but i like staying at the Grande Vista much better. i guess it probably depends on what you want in a vacation. If you only want to visit the parks, then it doesnt realy matter. If you enjoy tons of ammenities and other activities, then staying at the Marriott timeshare blows the AKL out of the water. 3 awesome resort pools, 2 fantastic on-site golf courses and the condos are soooo nice. Also, I have never stayed at one of the value properties, but i have heard from friends, read in the Unofficial Guide and seen written online that resort transpo. from there can be a big pain. So I guess all of those people were lying.
Originally Posted By Brian Noble Interesting thread. We tend to do the offsite timeshare/condo/pool home thing, because we really like having separate bedrooms and bathrooms, and doing that onsite (even in two value rooms) is easly 2x as much. Our rough budget for a one-week trip is: airfare: $1000 hotel $500 (2BR/2BA condo in the apopka/poinciana/192 triangle) tickets: $900 (8-day hoppers, 2 ad/2 kids) food: about $900 (three sit-downs, remainder CS, breakfasts plus one or two other meals in the condo.) a splurge or two $200 +/- (this year it's the illuminations cruise which we might share with my father and his family.) souvenirs, misc: $250 or so rental car: $250 Grand total: right around $4K. Onsite in equivalent lodging would be almost an extra $1K (or more), though we could probably get our food costs a *tad* lower with the dining plan that way. We'd still probably rent a car.
Originally Posted By danyoung >Disney theme restaurants on property are highly overrated. Eat in them once or twice, but not the whole trip.< I don't agree with the use of the word overrated. Overpriced? Probably. But the on property restaurants are for the most part really incredible, and for me worth what I pay.
Originally Posted By danyoung >Make one ticket an AP - and buy the DDE card- will save you 20% on all sit down restaurants.< Someone may have mentioned this already, but isn't the Disney Dining Experience now open to everyone? I think it's $50 for AP's, and &75 for everyone else.
