Category — k. Special Circumstances at Walt Disney World

THE REFURBISHED 5 PERSON ROOMS AT PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE

The only standard moderate resort rooms at Walt Disney World that can sleep five are in the Alligator Bayou section at Port Orleans Riverside.

Both the Port Orleans resorts have been refurbished over the past 18 months or so (for details, see this), with the main improvement being the replacement of the old full beds with queens.

In addition, the rooms in the Alligator Bayou section of Riverside, which used to sleep a fifth person on a trundle bed, now sleep the fifth person on a mini-Murphy bed.

I’ve finally had a chance to stay in one of these refurbished rooms.  I’ll post a full review later this month, but wanted to get the details on the new mini-Murphy out now. [Read more →]

Steve from MilitaryDisneyTips.com has a great post here on the top ten things you need to know about Disney’s Military Salute tickets.

It’s based on trying to answer the most common questions he gets around this fantastic, but often confusing, deal.

Check it out!

For the first page of this review of the Family Suites at All-Star Music, click here.

THE FAMILY SUITES AT ALL-STAR MUSIC FOR FIRST-TIME VISITORS

Resorts are ranked on this site for first time family visitors based first on their kid appeal, and then on their convenience.

On this basis, the Family Suites at All-Star Music are the second-best choice for larger families seeking value pricing, after the Family Suites at Art of Animation.

Art of Animation has much more kid-appeal than All-Star Music, and a bit more convenience. (For more on All-Star Music, the overall resort within which the Family Suites at All-Star Music are found, see this.)

However, the Family Suites at Art of Animation are not just a clone of those at All-Star Music.  There are differences in floor plans and livability that may make a difference to some families, and Art of Animation is on the order of 20% more expensive.

So I’ll do a space by space comparison by means of a photo-tour of the All-Star Music Family Suites. To avoid confusion, all the images on this page will be of Music; you can find the equivalents from Art of Animation here.

PHOTO TOUR OF ALL-STAR MUSIC FAMILY SUITES

Starting outside the room itself, the corridors at Music are outside, and the corridors at Art of Animation are inside. This means heated and cooled, so in general that’s a plus for AofA.

However, the design also means that any corridor at Art has twice as much traffic as at Music (because there are half as many of them…), and there’s more reason for people to use them (since they are heated and cooled).

This results in much more corridor noise at Art in general, and particularly on the first floor corridors that lead from the elevator bank to the direction of the main building, main pool, and bus stops.

Inside the rooms, Music has a larger and more livable living space than Art of Animation.

The smaller chair (the red one) is much larger than the equivalent chair at AofA, and as a result the chair and sofa together can seat 5, compared to 4 at AofA.

The two large, cushioned ottomans have no real equivalent at AofA.  Overall, the living room Music can comfortably seat a family of 6, while the living room at AofA can seat six, but not comfortably.

The other side of the Music living room has an area with drawers and a TV, and a small table and chairs.

The table is much smaller than the equivalent at Art of Animation, which has a real dining table, and  Music has only chairs for three (the third chair coming from the desk in the master bedroom).

The Art of Animation dining table will fit six–though two will be uncomfortable, as only four of its seating spots have knee space.

Art of Animation has a little more drawer space than Music, but this is a little deceiving, as Music has more overall storage space, with much larger closets, and many more storage shelves and cabinets in its mini kitchen than AofA.

The baths at Art of Animation win over those at Music in every way but one.  They have actual doors for privacy and quiet, and decor that’s both lovelier and more kid-appealing.

The dimension where some families may find a difference is that one of the two baths at AofA is entered from the master bedroom, while both baths at Music can be accessed without entering the parent’s room.

Some parents will prefer the AofA private bath; others, on the theory that the kids will use both regardless of their wishes, will prefer that at Music, where the kids don’t have to come into their room to use either bath.

The mini-kitchen at Music is much better than that at AofA.

At Art of Animation, it’s a 4×2 foot space in the corner of the living room; Music has an alcove mini-kitchen with much more counter and storage space.

For first time family visitors–who won’t be using this space much–it hardly matters, and both spaces have the same equipment.  But for families intending to really work out their microwave and store a lot of food, All-Star Music prevails.

Overall, the master bedroom at Music is better than at Art of Animation.

The beds are equivalent, but Music adds a desk and easy chair, both of which AofA lacks.

This lets the master bedroom serve better as a retreat from the kids than the equivalent space at AofA.

The master at Art of Animation has more in-room storage than Music, has closet rods in the room itself (at Music they are in the bath area) and, as noted above, has “private” access to the second bath.

So here’s where we are so far: compared to those at All-Star Music, Art of Animation Family Suites have MUCH better kid appeal, and slightly better convenience; the dining space at Art of Animation is much better and the baths largely better.  Music Family Suites have more livable living rooms and master bedrooms, and a more flexible mini-kitchen.

THE FAMILY SUITE BEDS AT ALL-STAR MUSIC

This review continues here.

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THERE ARE FAMILY SUITES AT ALL-STAR MUSIC TOO!

With all the deserved hoopla around the opening of the Family Suites at Art of Animation, Disney World’s original family suites at All-Star Music are still worth considering by any family thinking about Art of Animation.

In general, Art of Animation will be a better choice for most, but there are some specific features of the Family Suites at All-Star Music that will make them a better choice for some.

REVIEW: THE FAMILY SUITES AT ALL-STAR MUSIC [Read more →]

DISNEY’S ARMED FORCES SALUTE EXPLAINED

With the announcement of the FY2013 Disney Armed Forces Salute, there’s lots of interest in and questions about the specifics of the new program.

The details of this program can be complex, as it marries rules and fine print from two of the world’s great bureaucracies with some extensive formal and informal personal discretion about the rules and fine print from Disney World cast members.

The upshot is a bunch of difficult-to-understand formal rules, and a bunch of not-obvious possible exceptions to them.

I try to help on this as much as I can, but the real expert–and someone I turn to almost weekly for help–is Steve from MilitaryDisneyTips.com.

Steve has a great FAQ on the Armed Forces Salute.  The questions he addresses are below, and the links will take you directly to his material on the topic!

General Armed Forces Salute Questions

What is the Disney Armed Forces Salute?
Am I eligible to participate in the Armed Forces Salute?
What Discounts are offered during the Armed Forces Salute?
What is the time frame of the Armed Forces Salute?
At which Disney Parks is the Armed Forces Salute available?
What are Blockout Dates (sometimes called Blackout Dates)?

Armed Forces Salute Hotel Discount Questions

What Hotel Discounts are available during the Armed Forces Salute?
How do I make resort reservations using the Armed Forces Salute discount?
Can I add the Disney Dining Plan to my Armed Forces room reservation?
Are there any dates when the Armed Forces Salute room discount is not available?

Armed Forces Salute Theme Park Ticket Questions

What types of Armed Forces Salute Theme Park Tickets are available?
What are the Park Hopper and Water Park & More Options
Who is allowed to purchase the Armed Forces Salute Tickets?
How many Armed Forces Salute Theme Park Tickets can I purchase?
When do the Armed Forces Salute Tickets expire?
Are there any dates when the Armed Forces Salute theme park tickets are not valid?
Where can I buy the Armed Forces Salute Theme Park Tickets?
How do I activate the Armed Forces Salute Tickets?
I need more Armed Forces Salute Tickets what can I do?

DISNEY WORLD MILITARY SALUTE TICKETS AND ROOM RATE DEAL FOR 10/1/2012-9/28/2013

Update July 2013: This deal has been offered for FY 14–October 2013 into September 2014–as well! See this.

Steve at MilitaryDisneyTips.com broke the news earlier today that there’s a new Disney World offer for US active and retired forces for FY 13–specifically, October 1 2012 through September 28 2013.

There’s two separate deals: on tickets, and on hotels.  I’m seeing some inconsistencies, and am missing a fact or two which I’ll fix later, but based on Steve’s scoop and the draft press release which Disney sent him, and he forwarded to me, here’s the details:

NEW 2012/2013 DISNEY WORLD TICKET DEAL FOR THE ARMED FORCES [Read more →]