d. Where to Stay at Walt Disney World

259 comments

1 Ron { 04.01.13 at 12:51 pm }

Dave – Great site. REALLY helpful. Wife & I are recent young retirees & are planning a romantic visit the week of April 21st. No kids, no Grandkids (next time). Staying at Port Orleans but I didn’t book Dining Plan. Wife & I are not fussy & willing to eat a nice dinner or two in town if necessary. Did I screw up big time by not getting the Dining Plan? Many thanks

2 Dave { 04.02.13 at 6:48 am }

Hi Ron, and thanks!!

Te dining plan doesn’t matter, but you do need to make reservations now, or you may find that every place you want to eat is booked! (You don’t need the dining plan to make reservations) See this for ideas on a few choices to make–look at the lower right side: https://yourfirstvisit.net/planning-your-first-family-trip/where-to-eat/dining-alternatives/the-comprehensive-guide-to-walt-disney-world-dining/

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3 Kristi { 04.04.13 at 5:12 pm }

So you helped me figure out what time to go can you help with resort decision? LOL. We stayed at the Poly this year and are considering the Contemporary for next year…with our kids being 18 months, 5 and 6 at trip time, which would you recommend? they loved seeing the castle from the pool and that keeps drawing me back! but it will be a shorter stay so I am wondering if now is our chance to try Contemporary?! torn on what to do

4 Dave { 04.04.13 at 7:04 pm }

Hey Kristi, if you can afford a Magic Kingdom view room, then the Contemporary would be a great choice for you. I’m a big fan of doing something different. The ages of your kids means that the ability to walk back and forth from MK is a great boon. The built environment is pretty bland, but the initial impression with the monrial zooming through is great, and they’ll likely forget all about the blandness once the see the view.

If the MK view price is too much, then the next bets choice is the Wilderness Lodge–though with the crib, the room will be a little cramped. The theming, though, is jaw-dropping! See this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2010/08/25/review-disneys-wilderness-lodge/

5 kristi { 04.04.13 at 9:17 pm }

thanks. I have looked at the wilderness lodge and it doesn’t have any appeal to our family. If we dont want to splurge on theme park view would u recommend poly again over garden wing room or bay lake view room?

6 Dave { 04.05.13 at 6:53 am }

Kristi, if you just want to do something different, then garden rooms or Bay Lake views would be fine!

7 kristi { 04.05.13 at 7:53 am }

Thanks! My plan is to try to save for theme park view!!

8 Dave { 04.05.13 at 10:05 am }

Great, Kristi!

9 Katherine Chadrick { 04.06.13 at 4:00 pm }

Help! Big decision no time. LOL. Last minute decision to change to a moderate hotel. 2 adults, daughter and myself. Plan on being in parks almost All the time. New Orleans riverside or Caribbean? I keep seeing on line Caribbean has some musty smells issues in many room and new Orleans riverside looks amazing…but tempted by the tropical feel of Caribbean and the pirate pool. Does one resort really outweigh the other in quality or convenience? Thank You!!!

10 Dave { 04.06.13 at 5:54 pm }

Katherine, the single biggest difference between the two from the point of view of adults–that is, you–is that POR has queen beds and CB has full beds. If that doesn’t matter, then pick between the two based on theme–but do see this for a slightly different look at the moderates rankings first! https://yourfirstvisit.net/2013/03/28/the-moderates-remix/

11 Katherine Chadrick { 04.07.13 at 11:24 am }

Thanks Dave! By the time I called them back (An hour later) the same options were gone and the prices on the changes had went up. I ended up saving money though by changing to pop century. I’ve seen on here that pop century has its own buses and it really is all about the parks to us so I think this will be fine. Interesting enough…I booked my stay when they were having a special and although the special has ended they are still honoring it when I make changes to my existing reservations. Very Cool of them. Now if you can wave a magic wand and get us In for a Be our guest dinner (not lunch 🙂 ) you’ll truly walk on water. LOL. Any tips on that one? Thank you so much for all your help.

12 Dave { 04.07.13 at 1:16 pm }

You’ll be fine at Pop! Little beds and a teeny room…but as you say you won’t be there much.

All I can say on BOG is check every day–some people may have to cancel their ressies…

Good luck have fun and come back and let me know how it went!

13 kristi { 04.08.13 at 8:10 am }

So we have decided to splurge on theme park view at the contemporary resort! Will we enjoy it as much as the poly?? any room requests I should ask for??

14 Dave { 04.08.13 at 11:43 am }

Great, Kristi! Re room requests, ask for as high as possible. This will both give you a better view and isolate you from some of the noise in the interior concourse at the lower level…

15 Brian { 04.10.13 at 4:28 pm }

Hi Dave. My family is looking at a Disney trip in December, but when I went to a travel agency, they told me to come back in late June/early July as Disney will release specials and discounts around this time.
Does this sound about right to you?

Would love to book Polly but the cost seems so prohibitive. I have twin 5 ur olds and am looking at a suite at A of A.

16 Dave { 04.11.13 at 10:04 am }

Brian, frankly it doesn’t. (I’m assuming ytour arrival dates are before 12-18 or so, as Disney does not discount at all the unimaginably crowded Christmas week or New Years week.)

First, to start with Disney’s recent discount release calendar is not a reliable guide as its been all about coming out of the recession, so past behavior doesn’t necessarily predict future behavior.

Second, last year Disney released free dining for December in mid-July ( a deal I do not expect it to repeat) and room rate discounts at the end of August…

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17 Brian { 04.13.13 at 1:31 pm }

Yes, I am looking at early December.

So do you think I should wait till August to see if discounts appear or should I book now?

And if I wait, should I prebook the character dinners now, or 180 days out?

18 Dave { 04.14.13 at 9:16 am }

Hey Brian, you can’t book the meals til 180 days before your arrival date, which’ll be in early June.

If you book a package now, you can later convert it to the deal if one comes out that you are eligible for.

Cancellation penalties will kick in 45 days befroe your arrival, so you should have plenty of time to re-book if a deal comes out, or if you turn out to not be eligible because of arrival date or hotel, to cancel your current reservation and make a new one..

19 Sara M { 04.21.13 at 2:49 pm }

We want to go in October based on your recommendations. Which days are the least expensive and does it matter what day we arrive on? Is the weekday cheaper?

20 Dave { 04.22.13 at 8:16 am }

Hi Sara, it’s very common for the hotels to charge more on Fridays and Saturdays than the rest of the week. So you want to have as few of those as you can! There’s also an up-charge for the Columbus Day weekend–the 11th, 12th and 13th.

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21 Sara M { 04.21.13 at 2:50 pm }

Thinking of staying October 16 through the 19 or 20th.

Thanks again!

22 Jessica { 05.05.13 at 10:03 pm }

I love your site! I’d love your opinion on resort choice — I am currently torn between the Polynesian and Wilderness Lodge for November 2013. My kids are 5 and 3. I love the proximity of the Polynesian to the Magic Kingdom and the Monorail (Contemporary appears to be completely booked during our trip, so I had to cross that off the list). However, it is one of the priciest resorts. The Wilderness Lodge looks beautiful, but I’ve heard the transportation can be a little inconsistent and the boat ride can take awhile. I want this trip to be as meltdown-free as possible, which I think the Polynesian would allow for, but it is hard to get over the price. My kids will likely need to return to the room for naps. Should I just deal with the higher pricing at the Polynesian (and keep my fingers crossed for a discount then) or opt for the Wilderness Lodge?

23 Dave { 05.06.13 at 12:26 pm }

Jessica, for a Magic-Kingdom focused trip, the Wilderness Lodge will be just great. The boats take about ten minutes and run every 10 to 20 minutes… Where the Poly shines is on access to both MK and Epcot. WL is wonderful for little kids, especially little boys…

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24 Rhonda { 05.12.13 at 11:15 am }

I’m already booked to stay at the Little Mermaid aoa we arrive LATE 10:30 p.m. on 12/6/2013 to 12 /14/2013 – leave the resort at 3:00 p.m. I booked this resort due to the fact it does not share a bus to the parks with any other resort and kid friendliness. We have a 4 almost 5 yr old boy. I’m hoping for a free dining plan to come up for the dates of our stay – which would mean we would be able to get a better room for what we are paying for the Little Mermaid we could go to a Cars suite for more money than what we are pay for the Little Mermaid – WHICH I WOULD RATHER NOT GO OVER THAT AMOUNT but would like a better room. So my questions are. I have done some comparisons with the free dining that they just offered in September and the Caribbean Moderate and The French Quarter are very good price saving deals and I need to know about their convenience and kid friendliness and COST
1.) Is the Caribbean moderate resort (pirtate room) a good alternate? kid friendly
2.) Does the buses for this resort share with other resorts? If so how much inconvenience is this?
3.) What about The French Quarter resort – DOES THIS RESORT SHARE BUSES? If so how much inconvenience is this?

Thanks for your help!!

25 Dave { 05.13.13 at 7:55 am }

Rhonda, all this is covered in the reviews of those resorts, linked to above!

26 Rhonda { 05.12.13 at 7:27 pm }

Also, Dave – have you heard anything re: free dining OR 30% of rooms for the dates of 12/6/2013 thru 12/14/2013.
Thanks for all of your help!!!!

27 Dave { 05.13.13 at 7:58 am }

Rhonda, there’s no deals out beyond September. If a December deal comes out, it may well exclude that week, since it’s Pop Warner week. Finally, my bet is that the September deal will be the only free dining we’ll see in 2013–for why, see this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2013/05/08/mymagic-and-free-dining-in-2013-inferences-from-the-q2-disney-earnings-call/

28 Rhonda { 05.13.13 at 3:40 pm }

So with it being Pop Warner week – does this mean it is going to be crazy at the parks and at the value resorts? I thought this was one of the best weeks to visit for crowds and cost? I know nothing about Pop Warner week – but it does not sound good 🙂

29 Dave { 05.14.13 at 7:42 am }

Rhonda Pop Warner week has little effect on the parks, but does crowds some of the hotels. See this for more: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2010/05/30/pop-warner-week-at-walt-disney-world/

30 Danielle { 05.14.13 at 1:24 pm }

I have a couple of questions? I can not decide where to stay I am going in June. I booked the first 2 nights at the Yacht club and the last 3 nights at the Coronado Springs. I am going on my anniversary and also taking my 2 kids and celebrating there birthdays. I am unsure if I should stay at these hotels. Also, what hotels are generous about upgrading the room for anniversary. What place should we eat at for there birthday? My kids are 14 & 16.

31 Dave { 05.15.13 at 6:44 am }

Hi Danielle!!

For where to stay, see this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/planning-your-first-family-trip/where-to-stay/next-best-resort-choices/ Disney generally does not upgrade rooms.

For where to eat, see this https://yourfirstvisit.net/planning-your-first-family-trip/where-to-eat/dining-alternatives/the-comprehensive-guide-to-walt-disney-world-dining/ and for more on birthdays at Disney World see this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2012/02/01/is-walt-disney-world-free-on-your-birthday/

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32 Jennifer M { 05.16.13 at 11:20 am }

Hi Dave! We are wanting to book our trip with a travel agent here in the town we live in. (We are in Canada) and she has told us we cannot book the hotel until June or July. We are looking at Feb 28/2014 – Mar 9/2014. Do you know when we can begin booking hotel reservations for those dates? I know the 180 days before for the trip is around september 1st, and that is for the dinner reservations. I would just like to get the ball rolling on this vacay. thanks!!

33 Dave { 05.17.13 at 9:32 am }

Hi Jennifer, your travel agent is wrong. See this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2011/02/21/how-far-in-advance-can-you-book-a-walt-disney-world-vacation/

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34 Leila { 05.20.13 at 1:17 am }

I have two questions. This is my eight year old daughter’s first time going to Disney World and I want to make this trip very special for her. I showed her pictures of the resorts and rooms, so she picked The Lion King family suite at The Art of Animation Resort. We are wanting to go in mid-November, because I was told it is less crowded and this is when Disney starts the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. I am planning on staying either four or five days at Disney World and need to know if I should book Sunday-Thursday, or Monday-Thursday? I noticed Friday cost more, so I am trying to avoid that day. Is Sunday a busy time in mid-November? The dates we want to go is November 10-14, or November 11-14. I am also going to buy the extra tickets to take her to the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and need to know which day is better to go that has less crowds, Monday (Nov. 11) or Thursday (Nov. 14)? I know Monday November 11th is Veterans Day, so I don’t know if more people will come to the party because of that.

35 Dave { 05.20.13 at 9:03 am }

Leila, that weekend is the end of Jersey Week, which likely will be extended because of Veterans Day (see this: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2010/05/02/jersey-week-at-walt-disney-world/ ) and a RunDisney event. SO I’d arrive the 11th or later. Disney caps the number of MVMCP tix it sells, so whihc night to go doesn’t matter a ton, but the 14th will likely be less crowded…

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36 Leila { 05.20.13 at 11:34 pm }

Thank you so much for the advice! Now I can book my package. I went to your Facebook page and read about the free dining pins. I will call in to see if I have since I am planning on going November 11-15th. 🙂

37 Dave { 05.21.13 at 8:14 am }

Good luck, Leila!!

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38 Becky { 05.25.13 at 10:45 pm }

Hi Dave. I thought I had made my decision (AoA Nemo family suite over Polynesian) for my family of 4’s 1st ever visit to DW (kids are girl, 11 and boy, 9, staying 9 nights). Now I think I’ve convinced my husband to go for a split between the 2 (and the kids are excited about both resorts; their original choice had been the Nemo suite). Would you recommend a split stay for our 1st (and possibly only) DW visit?

If we go for the split, with the summer discount and the way the pricing seasons work at the values, the best scenario for our budget would be to stay 5 nights at the Poly followed by 4 nights at the AoA family suite. The thing is, everything I’ve read says that we should do the value resort 1st, then the deluxe. Do you think we would be terribly disappointed to do it opposite conventional wisdom? Also, would you recommend spending more nights at one versus the other (obviously we’ll have to, just wondering which place we’d likely want to spend more time at)? And finally, our trip will run Tues. 7/30 through Th. 8/8, is any day of the week better than others for making a change in resorts (like, should we avoid Saturday as it’s a heavy travel day)? We will not have the dining plan (discount is on the room), and will be relying on disney transportation. Not opposed to renting a cab to make the switch–would you recommend that? Thank you so much for your help and all of the information on your site!!

39 Dave { 05.26.13 at 1:40 pm }

Hi Becky and thanks!

If you were in a standard value room, I’d argue strongly to start there.

But since you are in a family suite, starting either place would be fine!

Disney will move your bags for you, so the main thing to think about in picking your transfer day is where you’ll be between 11a and 3p–when you won’t have a room. Easiest is to do the move on a day when you plan to be in a park then anyway–that way you can take the bus to a park, and when done, take it a bus back to the second hotel.

Overall, you’ll find the family suite more livable and fun, and the Poly more interesting and comfortable (and expensive). I’d pick number of nights between the two mostly based on budget–whihc would put you at Art of Animation longer…also factor in your plans for MK–whihc is more fun to go to form the Polynesian…

Hope this helps!!

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