First trip to DW in April! We are having a hard time deciding on a resort. We have narrow it dowm to All Star Music, rtvbof Animation, Port Orleans Riverside and Caribbean beach. Kids abezs are 8, ,7 and 5. The comffort of a family suite is attractive but I think we can survive in one room for 5 nights. Really looking for enjoy our time and no stress so much over transportation, we know that waits will be expected but proximity is important,also important are food options and kids activities. Lastly would be ambience. Any input will be appreciated
Hi there @andean_angel! You’re going to love your first trip to the Walt Disney World Resort. With 4 theme parks and much more, your first Disney experience is sure to be magical!
Let me preface my input by saying that you should take into consideration how much time you’re going to be spending in your resort room. If you plan on being in the parks all day and only come back to sleep and shower (most first timers do), then a smaller or less expensive hotel room will probably be manageable.
The resort hotels you’ve chosen include two Moderate Resorts (Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and Disney’s Port Orleans Resort - Riverside) and two Value Resorts (Disney’s Art of Animation Resort and Disney’s All-Star Music Resort).
For a travel party of 5, rooms that sleep up to five people should be your first consideration. Rooms at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort - Riverside, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, and the family suites at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort sleep up to five people. The rooms at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort do not allow more than four people and a crib.
The rooms at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort just underwent a complete refurbishment! They have added a Murphy (pull-down) bed in some of the standard rooms which gives you the ability to sleep five people. Additionally, in the Alligator Bayou rooms at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort - Riverside, they also have a Murphy (pull down) bed. These rooms sleep up to 5 people (two in each queen, and one in the Murphy bed) While the family suites at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort are even more spacious than these standard rooms at the moderate resorts, I think you will find it more cost-effective to book a standard room in a moderate resort than a suite at AoA.
In my own opinion, I think that if you want a more immersive experience with Disney movie theming at your room, stay at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. But if your looking for more of a spread-out quieter resort, stay at one of the two moderates.
1 Like
If you are planning any resort time I would pick POR. You can take the baot to Disney Spring, go fishing, rent a bike, have a carriage ride, or swim in any of the multiple pools. Add the fact that you have a great food court as well as a TS restaurant and entertainment in the lounge (YeeHaw Bob). That being said, AoA will be more money but it is the only resort on your list with only one bus stop.
Hi! For your family I would recommend Port Orleans Riverside. So much fun to be had there, and while there are multiple bus stops it isn’t confusing. Great food options!
Art of Animation would be my second choice for you, just because you’ll have 2 bathrooms. It’s really pleasant and fun, but less restful that POR in my opinion.
We are a family of 5 (kids, 9,7 and 4.5) and going in April. LOL! We chose PORRS. Both DH and I have stayed at POR (he did when it was Dixie landings and I stayed PORFQ). We liked the resort. I have stayed at CBR and found it too big and spread out. If you plan on spending any time at the resort I’d stay PORRS. Plus they have the boat to DS which is fun.
Thanks for the input everyone. Seems that Riverside it is! Any comments on the different rooms? Garden View vs. a Pool View, are the rooms any different? Or it is just the view? Are these based on lacation? if so, what are they close to or far away from
Thanks again!!
POR is a great choice. I think families of 5 must stay in the Bayou section since those rooms have a Murphy bed for the 5th person. Personally, POR water view or garden view is not enticing since there are outer hallways on each building. Your “view” is usually of that exterior hallway. Plus, the trees usually obscure the water views.
However, some buildings are a greater distance away from the main building and pool so if you need to shorten that distance for a family members convenience, you may want to consider requesting a preferred building.
We never mind the walk since the grounds are so lovely. Plus, there are several quiet pools which we enjoy. And we love the boat ride to DS.
Enjoy! This is a wonderful resort!!
@Suezq223, my family is almost the same! Me, DH and DSs 10, 7 and 4 will be at POR in Jan/Feb. We stayed there several years ago when we had one fewer child and my parents with us and we had a great time there! I found the atmosphere of that resort to be very “relaxing, vacation like” and not just “Disney”
Actually, there are family suites at All Star Music that accommodate 5 and have 2 bathrooms. I had considered it for my family of 5, but we decided to go with a deluxe where we can walk or monorail to some parks.
If ambiance is truely your last criteria - I would seriously consider staying off property. There are a TON of options that are less expensive and to be perfectly honest nicer at these price points. YES you do need to get a car and pay for parking - but if you add a car + parking it is sometimes still much less expensive to stay off site. POR is nice though. However the “convenience” of the buses is not always so convenient. First thing in the morning and last thing at night - the buses are CRAZY packed. Even when we stay on site - I like to have a car
I understand your value point but how much does the difference have to be if you stay onsite (no rental, no parking, 60 day FP)? If after discounts the room is $160- 200 a night I think onsite at a moderate, and definitely a value for four or less can save you money if you fly (DME).
^^ No absolutely - there is an “intangible” on staying on property. You are inside the “bubble” and the real world is far away.
I do think however there is a tipping point - and think it is more than just the $. I would rather stay off site at a nicer place than onsite on a value. That is just me though - so I think everyone has their specific point. I just think sometimes you need to look at all the options. This time we are staying at the Swan. So not technically “on site” but still within the bubble. The cost / value for me was there to switch over to that hotel than a Disney owned hotel
I will say the POR rooms for 5 are TIGHT, especially given the ages you list. You may want to consider getting connecting rooms at ASM, which was quite roomy for 2 adults plus kids of 10, 8, and 8, and gives the adults a little more room to stretch out and relax after the kids go to sleep.
We just got back from DCB resort with a family almost exactly the same. Yes its a huge spread out hotel but we requested Jamaica and building 45 so we could be right by the bridge to the pool and food. It was absolutely perfect. We went into AoA a couple times on buses and saw the bus lines there and it was a madhouse to get to any park. Each park had a line of 50 people waiting for a bus. Yes the bus system isnt perfect and a couple times found it frustrating but staying in Jamaica was perfect, first to be picked up (so empty bus) and first dropped off (if on a full bus less standing the better). Felt the slow low key area amazing. Only downer was the hot tub was by the bar, and everyone at the bar smokes…
We stayed at CBR this summer (2 adults, 3 kids- 12, 10, 7) in Martinique Building 23. We were right by a bus stop and within a short walk to a pool. There is a great themed pool the kids loved, but it was a longer walk. I felt like our CBR room was bigger than the POR room, but I may be wrong about that. We stayed in POR a couple years ago, and we liked that as well. The food court at POR was awesome, and it is a smaller resort. It seemed quieter. They were different experiences really. Hard to say which was better, since their strong points were so different!?!? For a family of 5 that spent most of our day in the parks, it was a better option than the more expensive suites.
You can’t go wrong with POR. My family of 6 (1 in a crib) stayed there last October and were very pleased with our stay. There’s plenty of room, even with a crib, and the resort is just wonderful. The food court offers many choices too. We did not stay in a preferred room but we requested close to the main bus stop/dining area. We ended up in building 16, which was only a couple minute walk to everything and was very quiet. We will definitely stay there again!
1 Like