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Category — d. Where to Stay at Walt Disney World

Caribbean Beach Renovations Begin in Martinique

Crack friend of the site Shannon let me know this morning that the windows in Building 21 in Martinique are now marked up for refurb.

Caribbean Beach Room Markup from yourfirstvisit.net

(This means a floor plan has been stuck on the window to show the trades what to do in each room–see the image, of an accessible five person room.)

She also notes that work continues in Barbados 14, 15 and 16, and is done in Barbados 11, 12, and 13.

Shannon’s news answers one question–would the refurb begin in the preferred-price areas at CB before the holiday season, or be deferred until the lower-demand period after the new year?

But we still don’t know when 5 person rooms will be bookable.  I’ve speculated that such will happen only after preferred five person rooms are available–as otherwise Disney is leaving money on the table–so this may be soon.

Queen Beds in Refurbed Rooms at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort from yourfirstvisit.net

So here’s the current status

  • Jamaica and Aruba are complete
  • Barbados is more than half done, and likely will be complete this month
  • Some refurbed rooms in Martinique will be assigned beginning later this month, and–if construction continues through the holiday season–Martinique will likely be done sometime in December.

Meanwhile, Josh has a great review the resort and one of the re-furbed rooms here, with lots of great photos!!

My complete review of Caribbean Beach begins here. More to come after my re-visit to a Pirate Room next week…

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November 1, 2014   4 Comments

Large Family Deluxe Options at Walt Disney World

OVERVIEW: LARGE FAMILIES LOOKING FOR DELUXE ROOMS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

This page recommends Walt Disney World accommodations for large families seeking deluxe accommodations, sorted by family size.

(Click here for an introduction to Large Families at Walt Disney World.)

Disney World Deluxe Large Family Recommendations from yourfirstvisit.netClick the image to see the recommendations below in chart form.

The chart also includes additional information—for example, number of bathrooms, nature of any kitchen facilities, and total square feet.

As always, when more than one similar option is available, recommendations are made based on appeal to kids and transportation convenience.

All prices are for the 2015 Fall price season. See this for when to go to Walt Disney World.

Prices will be higher during most other parts of the year, but in similar proportions. See this for price seasons at Walt Disney World.

DISNEY WORLD DELUXE ROOM OPTIONS FOR LARGE FAMILIES

Floor Plan Disneys Polynesian Resort from yourfirstvisit.net

Basic Recommendation for families of up to 5 people: Disney’s Polynesian Resort. Cost/ Person/ Night: $107, for families of 5.

6 people: Your best bet is a Deluxe Room at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.

These concierge service rooms hold 6 in a mini-suite, with two queens in the bedroom and a queen sized sleeper sofa in a sitting room. Cost is $171/ person/ night. For a review of these rooms, click here.

Another great option, a little easier to reserve (as there are a few more such to choose from) is a Two Bedroom Villa at the Disney Vacation Club (DVC) property the Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.

Floor Plan Two Bedroom Villa The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge from yourfirstvisit.net

If you reserve through the WDW website, this will cost $173/ person/ night (but see below for renting points).

The Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge are not as convenient as the Polynesian, but are even more kid appealing. A Two Bedroom Villa provides one bedroom with a king bed that sleeps two, and one with two queens that sleeps 4. In addition, you get a kitchen/dining/living room combination with a sleeper sofa that sleeps two more.

The least expensive way to get a 2 Bedroom Villa at the Wilderness Lodge is to rent points from a DVC member. If you are successful at this, you will pay $87-101/person/ night. See this for details on how to do so.

7 people: The Two Bedroom villas at the Wilderness Lodge don’t hold 7 (or 8) well.

Two Bedroom Villa Floor Plan Kidani Village from yourfirstvisit.net

A better choice for parties of these sizes is a Two Bedroom Villa at Kidani Village.

Cost of Two Bedroom Villa at Kidani Village: via Disney Website, $157/person/night; via renting points, $80-92/person/night.

8 people: Same approach as “7 people” above. Two Bedroom Villa at Kidani Village: via Disney Website, $137/person/night; via renting points, $70-81/person/night.

9 people: Same approach as “7 people” above. Two Bedroom Villa at Kidani Village: via Disney Website, $122/person/night; via renting points, $62-72/person/night.

10 People: If the group must all be in the same space only a Grand Villa will work. Grand Villas at Jambo House are the best choice for first time family visitors.

A Grand Villa has three distinct bedrooms—two sleeping 4 each in two queens, and one sleeping two in a king. Two more sleeping spaces are available in sofa-beds in the common rooms.

Disney's Jambo House Grand Villa floor plan from yourfirstvisit.net

A Grand Villa at Jambo House will cost about $236/person/night for 10 people if your reserve though the WDW website; if you can manage to rent points, the cost drops to $108-124/person/night.

Another less expensive option for a group this size is to have most of the group together but up to 4 or 5 in a nearby but not in connected space.

There are some families or parties for which this might actually be a benefit. For example, they may want to group the littlest children and their parents into an 8 person space, and reserve a 4-5 person space for childless couples, grandparents, and/or teenagers, all of which may either benefit from the privacy and/or contribute to the peace of mind of the party of up to 8 by being in a separate space.

Floor Plan Studio The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge from yourfirstvisit.net
If this describes your group, then your best bet is both a 2 Bedroom Villa and a separate Studio at the Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.

This gives 4 bays, not 6 as in a Grand Villa, and of course one of the bays will not be connected to the rest. But the price will be much lower than a Grand Villa.

This same option works for families that don’t necessarily want this separation of part of their party, but are willing to accept it because it is cheaper than a grand villa.

In cash, renting both a Two Bedroom and a Studio at the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge will be in total $149/person per night for 10 people; if you can rent points, the cost drops to $72-83/person/night.

11 People: Your basic options are a Grand Villa  at Jambo House or Studio and a Two Bedroom Villa at Kidani Village.

A Grand Villa will cost $214/person per night if you reserve through the website, and $98-113/person/night if you rent points.

A Studio and a Two Bedroom at the Villas at Kidani Village will cost (in total) $149/person/night if you reserve over the website, and $71-81/person/night if you rent DVC points.

12 People: Your basic options are a Grand Villa at Jambo House or a Studio and a Two Bedroom Villa at Kidani Village.

A Grand Villa will cost $197/person per night if you reserve through the website, and $90-103/person/night if you rent points.

A Studio and a Two Bedroom at the Villas at Kidani will cost (in total) $137/person/night if you reserve over the website, and $65-75/person/night if you rent DVC points.

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October 28, 2014   6 Comments

Large Family Lower-Priced Options at Walt Disney World

OVERVIEW: LARGE FAMILIES LOOKING FOR DISNEY WORLD VALUE PRICING

This page recommends Walt Disney World accommodations for large families seeking lower prices, sorted by family size.

See this page for an introduction to Large Families at Walt Disney World.

(For staying off-site, see this.)

Disney World Lower Priced Large Family Recommendations from yourfirstvisit.net

Click on the image above to see the recommendations below in chart form.

The chart also includes additional information—for example, number of bathrooms, nature of any kitchen facilities, and total square feet.

As always, with one exception, when more than one similar option is available, recommendations are made based on appeal to kids and transportation convenience. The exception is advice regarding Old Key West–which is not the most kid appealing of the DVC resorts, but is the least expensive!

All prices are for the 2015 Fall price season.  See this for when to go to Walt Disney World. Prices will be higher during most other parts of the year, but in similar proportions. See this for price seasons at Walt Disney World.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LARGE FAMILIES SEEKING VALUE PRICING

Little Mermaid Room at Art of Animation Resort from yourfirstvisit.net

Basic Recommendation: Families with 4 people or fewer: Standard (Little Mermaid) room at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. For 4 people, you will pay $38 per person per night.

5 people: Best choice= Art of Animation Family Suite, $68/person/night.
Family Suite Floor Plan Disney's Art of Animation Resort from yourfirstvisit.net
You get two baths, a private bedroom with a queen-sized bed, a microwave and mini-fridge, and a couple of living areas with couches and tables that convert into sleeping space for 4 more people.

Five Person Queen Room Floor Plan Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort from yourfirstvisit.net
The next best choice is one of the new five person rooms at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, which hold four in two queen beds plus a fifth person in a small (~64 inch by ~30 inch) fold-down bed, for $42/person/night. This option is not recommended for first-time visitors, as while Caribbean Beach has the highest kid appeal among the moderates, it is not as kid-appealing as Art of Animation, and is inconvenient.

The next best choice is the Alligator Bayou section of Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort, which hold four in two queen beds plus a fifth person in a small (~66 inch by ~31 inch) fold-down bed, for $42/person/night. This option is not recommended for first-time visitors, as the resort not nearly as kid-appealing as Art of Animation. The resort is less kid-appealing than Caribbean Beach, and Caribbean Beach rooms have a better arrangement of drawer space.

Disney's The Cabins at Fort Wilderness - Floor Plan from yourfirstvisit.net
The final option is a 6-person Cabin at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground and Resort. This option is not recommended for first-time visitors, as it is very inconvenient, and not nearly as kid-appealing as Art of Animation. The cost is $76/person/night. You get a full kitchen and two sleeping spaces. One sleeps 4 in a full bed and bunk beds–the bunk beds are 70″ long. The second sleeping space is in the combined living room/dining room/kitchen, where a full bed folds down from the wall.

6 people: Best Choice:   Art of Animation Family Suite $57/person/night. See above for details.

Next best choice–a cabin at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, for $63/person/per night. See above–not recommended for first time visitors.

7 people: there are no good options for value pricing at this family or party size—or for 8 people either. You can try for connecting Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation, with no guarantees. Your cost for these will be $43/person/night.

Your best choice to guarantee you will all be in the same space is harder to pull off.

It requires renting enough points (NOT reserving this villa from the WDW website—this will cost MUCH more) from a current Disney Vacation Club owner to get a Two Bedroom Villa at Disney’s Old Key West Resort.  You can rent points from Disney Vacation Club members on websites like SellMyTimeshareNOW.com, a sponsor of this site. See this page for how to do so.

Two Bedroom Villa Floor Plan Disney's Old Key West Resort from yourfirstvisit.net

Success will get you a great space for $62-72/person/night. Disney’s Old Key West Resort is neither kid appealing nor convenient, but is the cheapest of the DVC resorts, and thus, when paid for using rented points, the only one that comes even close to the Value pricing range.

For your money you will get two bedrooms, one with a king that sleeps two, and one with two queens that sleeps 4. In addition, you get a huge (compared to other DVC resorts) kitchen/dining/living room combination with a sleeper sofa that sleeps two more and a fold-out chair that sleeps a ninth person.

8 people: See “7 people.” Two (perhaps) connecting Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation: $38/person/per night. Rented points for a Two Bedroom Villa at Old Key West: $54-63/person/night

9 people: Rented points for a Two Bedroom Villa at Old Key West: $48-56/person/night.

Otherwise, your only choices are rooms that don’t connect. One option is to rent two Family Suites at Art of Animation.  These may be a hike apart–even if they are in the same section. Two suites will cost $75/person/night for a party of 9.

Less expensive, but possibly leading to some family jealousy, is renting both a Family Suite and a regular Little Mermaid room at Art of Animation. (The Lion King suites are closest to the Little Mermaid section.) Both together will cost $54 per person per night.

10 people: No value-priced options guarantee you will all be in the same space.  Two Family Suites at Art of Animation will cost $68/person/night. A Family Suite and a regular Little Mermaid room at Art of Animation will cost $49/person/night.

11 people: No good options that put your party all in one room at value pricing. Your best bet is to rent two Family Suites at Art of Animation. Cost $62/person/night

12 People: As in 11 people, rent two Family Suites at Art of Animation. $57/person/night.

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October 27, 2014   10 Comments

Sleeping Space Options and Bed Types at Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

 WALT DISNEY WORLD BEDS AND SLEEPING SPACES

Larger families simply seeking the best Walt Disney World resort option for their family size should see

However, many families figuring out where to stay at Walt Disney World are concerned not only with the capacity of rooms but also bed sizes, and how beds are distributed among rooms.

This way, Aunt Eileen isn’t forced to sleep in a bunk bed, in the same room as her nephew…unless that’s the plan going in!

Bed Types by Sleeping Space 10-14 from yourfirstvisit.net

Click the graphic for details on beds and sleeping spaces in the various larger room options at the Walt Disney World Resort. The details include room type, price class, and descriptions of each sleeping area. (“DVC” means Disney Vacation Club Resort–see this for more on the DVC resorts.)

Note that more data about room types–such as baths, kitchens, and square footage–is available in the links for large families above, and reviews with even more can be found from the links on this page.

Example floor plans tied to the details in the graphic are below.

EXAMPLE WALT DISNEY WORLD FLOOR PLANS

Four person DVC Studio floor plan.

BoardWalk Villas example.

Disney's BoardWalk Villas Studio Floor Plan from yourfirstvisit.net

One sleeping area. A queen and a pull-out couch all in one space. Similar Studios are at the Beach Club and Saratoga Springs.   Bay Lake Tower Studios sleep 4 on similar beds in much less space. Four person Studios at Old Key West have two queens, no couch, more space.

Four person DVC One Bedroom Villa floor plan.

Beach Club Villas example.

One Bedroom Villa Floor Plan Beach Club Villas from yourfirstvisit.net

Two sleeping areas. One king in a private bedroom, and a fold-out full couch in a second space, the shared living/dining/kitchen area. Similar spaces are at the BoardWalk Villas, the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge, and Saratoga Springs.

Five Person DVC Studio floor plan.

Villas at the Wilderness Lodge example.

Floor Plan Studio The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge from yourfirstvisit.net

One sleeping area. Queens, pull-out couch, and fold-down bed, all in one space. Similar sleeping arrangements are in the Studios at the Villas at the Grand Floridian.

Five person DVC One Bedroom Villa floor plan.

Animal Kingdom Villas Kidani Village example.

One Bedroom Villa Floor Plan Kidani Village from yourfirstvisit.net
Two sleeping areas. As in 4-person villa above, but also with a fold-out chair added to the shared space. Note also the second bath.

(Available in Bay Lake Tower, most Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas, and in Old Key West villas. Grand Floridian Villas also sleep five, the fifth on a fold-down shorter bed)

Five person room, Port Orleans Riverside Alligator Bayou Section.

Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Alligator Bayou Standard 5 Person Room Floor Plan from yourfirstvisit.net (1280x919)

One sleeping area. Two queen beds and one 66″ x 31″ fold-down bed in one space.

Five person room, Caribbean Beach example.

Five Person Queen Room Floor Plan Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort from yourfirstvisit.net
One sleeping area. Two queen beds and one 64″ x 30″ fold-down bed in one space. Expected to be bookable for 5 soon.

Six person Family Suites at All-Star Music floor plan.

Family Suite Floor Plan Disney's All-Star Music Resort from yourfirstvisit.net
Two sleeping areas. One queen in a private room, one fold-out full couch, one fold out single chair, and one fold-out ottoman in another space. The ottoman bed is uncomfortable for taller or heavier kids.

Note the two baths.

Six Person Family Suites at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort floor plan.

Family Suite Floor Plan Disney's Art of Animation Resort from yourfirstvisit.net
Two sleeping areas. One queen in a private room, one full fold-out couch, and one near full Murphy bed.

Note the two baths.

Six person Cabin at Fort Wilderness Resort floor plan.

Disney's The Cabins at Fort Wilderness - Floor Plan from yourfirstvisit.net
Two sleeping areas. One full and two 70″ bunk beds in a private room. One pull-down full “Murphy bed” in shared living/ dining/ kitchen space.

The couch in the shared space is long enough for most kids, and still usable as a bed when the Murphy bed is down, presenting the option of having three people in each of the sleeping spaces.

A few cabins have a pull-out full couch instead of the Murphy bed, eliminating this option.

Eight person DVC Two Bedroom Villa floor plan.

Villas at the Wilderness Lodge example.

Floor Plan Two Bedroom Villa The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge from yourfirstvisit.net

Three sleeping areas: One king in a private space; two queens, or a queen and a fold-out full couch, in a second private space, and a fold-out full couch in the shared living/dining/kitchen space.

Nine person DVC Two Bedroom Villa floor plan.

Bay Lake Tower example.

Floor Plan Two Bedroom Villa Bay Lake Tower from yourfirstvisit.net
Three sleeping areas: as in Eight Person Two-Bedroom above, but with a fold-out chair added to the shared space. Note also the third bathroom.

(Nine person spaces are also available in Bay Lake Tower, most Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas, and at Old Key West. Grand Floridian villas also sleep 9, but replace the chair bed with a shorter fold-down bed. Third bath only in BLT and AKL-Kidani Village )

Nine person DVC Saratoga Springs Treehouse Villa floor plan.

Floor Plan Disney's Treehouse Villas from yourfirstvisit.net
Four sleeping areas: One queen in a private space; another queen in a private space; two 70″ bunk beds in a private space; a fold-out full couch and a fold-out single chair in the shared living/dining/kitchen space.

Twelve person DVC Grand Villa floorplan.

Animal Kingdom Villas Jambo House example.

Disney's Jambo House Grand Villa floor plan from yourfirstvisit.net
Four to five sleeping areas. One king in a private space; two queens in a private space; two queens in another private space; one or two fold-out full couches in shared living space. (At the Grand Floridian, the fold-out couch is in the media room, with its own door.)

Note that although you can sum to 14 sleeping spots in some Grand Villas, WDW will sell MagicBands, tickets, meal plans, and linens only for up to 12 people. Twelve person Grand Villas of various floor plans are at all the DVC resorts except Wilderness Lodge and the Beach Club.

See also Erin Foster’s post on TouringPlans.com.

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October 26, 2014   2 Comments

Review: Royal Rooms at Port Orleans Riverside

For the first page of this review of Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort, see this.

ROYAL ROOMS AT PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE

Review - Royal Rooms at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort from yourfirstvisit.netThe Royal Rooms were introduced to Port Orleans Riverside in 2012.

As part of a refurb completed then, the rooms in two buildings in Magnolia Bend, Oak Manor and Parterre Place, were redesigned–and re-priced–as “Royal” Rooms.

I’ve stayed in them several times since, focused on three potential issues: are these rooms too girly, too inconvenient, and/or too expensive?

The short answers:

  • These rooms are not girly, but distinctive more in a heavy, detailed, layered, Victorian “elderly aunt” sense than in a princessy way. They won’t be off-putting to little boys. Little–and mom-sized–princesses will likely love their sumptuous design, unless their design aesthetic tends towards the spare and the simple.
  • These two buildings have always been inconvenient, particularly distant from bus stops, and they remain so–particularly Parterre Place.  Disney’s choosing of them for the Royal Rooms is a way to add value to this base of inconvenience similar to the choice to make the Pirate Rooms at Caribbean Beach out of the least convenient buildings there.
  • They cost most nights of the year $50-100 more per night than standard Port Orleans Riverside rooms.  You have to value the decor, and princes and princesses, for them to be worth the extra cost and inconvenience they bring–or be a huge fan of The Princess & The Frog!

A PHOTO TOUR OF THE ROYAL ROOMS AT PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE

Floor Plan Royal Room Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort from yourfirstvisit.netThe floor plan of the Port Orleans Riverside Royal Rooms is pretty close to the standard for four person queen-bed moderate resort rooms.

What’s different compared to other moderate rooms is the richness of the furnishings, and all the wonderful prince and especially princessy detailing…and those headboards!

Bed Side Royal Rooms at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort from yourfirstvisit.net

You’ll find two queen beds on one side.

Bed Royal Rooms at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort from yourfirstvisit.net

The headboards are lovely even in standard light.

Firefly Show 1 Royal Rooms at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort from yourfirstvisit.net

But darken the room, and find on the side of each a button, which launches a very fun “fireworks” show on the headboards…

Firefly Show 3 Royal Rooms at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort from yourfirstvisit.net

…actually, as you’ll know if you’ve seen The Princess and the Frog, it’s a firefly show.

Bed Side from Back Royal Rooms at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort from yourfirstvisit.net

The richness of the patterning on the bed furnishings has been simplified since the 2012 opening of these spaces.

2012 Royal Rooms from yourfirstvisit.net

Here’s the busier 2012 version.

Table and Chairs Royal Rooms at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort from yourfirstvisit.net

On the other side of the room, you’ll find a table and two chairs.

Princes Royal Rooms at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort from yourfirstvisit.net

You’ll find on this side of the room silhouettes of Disney princes.

More Princes Royal Rooms at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort from yourfirstvisit.net

More princes.

TV Side from Back Royal Rooms at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort from yourfirstvisit.net

Here’s a shot that shows this side of the room in total. Note the detailed and layered window curtains. Fewer than half of rooms have the two windows you see here–more common is just one, over the heater/cooler unit. Rooms without the second window will have the mirror and some of the art in different locations.

This is typical of one of the several ways–besides price!–these rooms are “royal.”  There are images of princes and princesses, sumptuous Victorian-styled furnishings and fittings in a regal color scheme of (royal!) blue and gold, and various objects that will remind fans of various princesses and their films.

Dresser Royal Rooms at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort from yourfirstvisit.net

Next on this side of the room is a combined dresser and mini-fridge with a TV on top.

Dresser Storage Royal Rooms at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort from yourfirstvisit.net

With only three small drawers, this room is a little short on storage–though there is a large clothes rod in the bath, with a shelf above.

Mini Fridge Royal Rooms at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort from yourfirstvisit.net

The mini-fridge is the standard Disney offering.  I have my usual objects in it to help you with its scale.  I probably should have bought classier objects for such a royal space!

Bench Royal Rooms at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort from yourfirstvisit.net

Next to it is a charming footstool, meant to remind you of the pup in Beauty and the Beast!

Princesses at Royal Room at Port Orleans Riverside from yourfirstvisit.net

The wall by the bath has a ton of princesses…

Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Royal Room Carpet

Between the bed area and the dresser/TV area you’ll find this ornate rug that may remind you of something…

Sinks Royal Rooms at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort from yourfirstvisit.net

The bath as is typical is divided into two areas.  One area has sinks that have a very graceful design, including sparklies that show up better in the photograph below.

Sink Detail Royal Rooms at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort from yourfirstvisit.net

The faucets here mimic the magic lamps from Aladdin.

Closet Royal Rooms at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort from yourfirstvisit.net

There’s a closet area on the side.

Tub and Shower Royal Rooms at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort from yourfirstvisit.net

Behind a door you’ll find the rest of the bath–including more gold-colored fixtures! The shower curtain reportedly is reminiscent of the Little Mermaid–not so obvious to me.

Details Royal Rooms at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort from yourfirstvisit.net

Something I do get is the allusion to Cinderella in this coat rack!

Details Royal Rooms at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort from yourfirstvisit.net (2)

There’s lots of other wonderful details–see Tiana’s monogram above.

Tiana Royal Rooms at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort from yourfirstvisit.net

Tiana’s portrait also graces your room.

Royal Rooms Port Orleans Riverside Map

Royal Rooms make up a quarter of Port Orleans Riverside’s capacity, and are all found in two southeast buildings, Parterre Place and Oak Manor, circled in red on the map excerpt. Neither is particularly close to a bus stop (circled in black), the main pool (in blue) or the dining area (white).

Oak Manor is to be preferred because it is pretty much universally closer to where you might want to go than Parterre Place, and also has easier choices of bridges (yellow).

Royal Room Online Check In from yourfirstvisit.net

Disney’s online check in form for Royal Rooms won’t let you select buildings or even “near transportation,” so to request Oak Manor, call.

These rooms are expensive and inconvenient, but wonderful for those looking for a royal, princessy abode!

PHOTO TOUR OF AN ALLIGATOR BAYOU ROOM AT PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE RESORT

This review continues here.

TOPICS IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE RESORT

OTHER KEY PAGES FOR WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD

 

 

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October 19, 2014   8 Comments

Review: The Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Page 7

(For the first page of this review of the Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, see this.)

MORE ON THE AMENITIES AND ART OF THE VILLAS AT THE WILDERNESS LODGE

Vistas the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge from yourfirstvisit.net

The Villas at the Wilderness Lodge is an underappreciated gem of architecture and design.

Villas at the Wilderness Lodge Resort Floor Plan

While showing nothing so dramatic as the lobby of next-door Wilderness Lodge, the Villas have some very nice vistas from rooms on the long arm of the resort–at left in the image.

The rooms at top have views of Bay Lake, and those below of the forest. See the image at the top of the page for these forest views.  The grassy area closest to the building is not set up as a playground, and does not have paths leading to it.  But many kids from the first floor villas and studios that border it find their way here from their patios and play on it.

Lighting Detail Villas at the Wilderness Lodge from yourfirstvisit.net

The Villas show the same attention to detailed theming that you’ll find in the main lodge, including these lights…

Lighting Detail Villas at the Wilderness Lodge from yourfirstvisit.net (2)

…and these.

Bench Villas at the Wilderness Lodge from yourfirstvisit.net

Note the woodsy theming of this bench.

Bambi Studio Villas at Wilderness Lodge from yourfirstvisit.net

Also notable is the art and decoration. Art in the rooms has some Bambi theming–this from a Studio…

Bambi Pillow Villas at Wilderness Lodge from yourfirstvisit.net

…and this in One and Two Bedroom villas.

Room Art Villas at Wilderness Lodge from yourfirstvisit.net

Both rooms and public spaces have art with national park themes, like this…

Art Villas at the Wilderness Lodge from yourfirstvisit.net (6)…and this.

Art Villas at the Wilderness Lodge from yourfirstvisit.net (3)

And you’ll also find many western vistas, some with trains…

Room Art Villas at Wilderness Lodge from yourfirstvisit.net (2)

…but most just of people and a view.

Art Villas at the Wilderness Lodge from yourfirstvisit.net (8)

The Wilderness Lodge itself has the best, and best-executed, theming of any Disney World resort.

Art Villas at the Wilderness Lodge from yourfirstvisit.net (2)

The Villas at the Wilderness Lodge both share in and complement this theming.

Living Dining Kitchen Space Villas at the Wilderness Lodge from yourfirstvisit.net (2)

The only thing wrong with the Wilderness Lodge is the small bedrooms. Villas don’t have this problem except for groups larger than 6, so for everyone else they are the most highly recommended DVC resort for first-time visitors.

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The 2017 easy Guide

Kelly B Can Help You Book Your Trip

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October 16, 2014   11 Comments