Family of 6

[whitneyebz]

CSR has suites....we stayed at CSR in April and really liked it (not in a suite). By the time you travel, all of the construction there will be long over. In fact, the tower is anticipated to have lots of suites....but I don't know if any further detail is available at this time. Sounds to me like you see a good fit at CBR for your family. (Are you following the CBR thread in the resorts forum?!! ) But, if you are like me, you may enjoy continuing to peruse other options as you have plenty of time to enjoy the research. I agree the Gondola is a positive for CBR....I am really looking forward to reading about guest experiences with the system next year. The gondola is one of the main reasons I am leaning towards an AoA family suite for a 2020 trip. (Even though there will only be four of us on the trip, we need 3 sleeping surfaces. Youngest son is a vicious kicker!)

Oh, awesome! I did know it was being remodeled but I had no idea what the entailed or if they would have suites, etc. And I am sure my plans will change as time goes on but I am really enjoying the planning. I will go check out that thread! I'm happy that remodel/construction for CBR will be over by the time we go.

 

[MommaBerd]

@whitneyebz - I totally get both wanting to stay at a Disney resort and NOT wanting to cook - LOL! I just wanted to give some other options.

Not that you asked, but I think that as far in advance that you are planning and educating yourself, you will likely find you won’t really need a TA. However, that’s not to say they have no benefit!

If you haven’t already seen this, there is a website, distripplanner.com, where you can calculate the cost of all your meals based on where you plan to eat. It will automatically compare what and how you plan to eat with the cost of the DDP - incredibly useful!!! If you find that you will save money without the DDP, load up money on a Disney gift card that is just for meals! It will be just like an all inclusive, but without worrying about how many and what kind of credits you have left. And given that you guys regularly go to Disneyland, that money will not go to waste! I calculated how much I thought we would spend based on the calculator and we came in a couple of HUNDRED dollars even less!

But, in the end, it is YOUR family’s trip, and y’all know what works best for you! Happy planning!

 

[whitneyebz]

@whitneyebz - I totally get both wanting to stay at a Disney resort and NOT wanting to cook - LOL! I just wanted to give some other options.

Not that you asked, but I think that as far in advance that you are planning and educating yourself, you will likely find you won’t really need a TA. However, that’s not to say they have no benefit!

If you haven’t already seen this, there is a website, distripplanner.com, where you can calculate the cost of all your meals based on where you plan to eat. It will automatically compare what and how you plan to eat with the cost of the DDP - incredibly useful!!! If you find that you will save money without the DDP, load up money on a Disney gift card that is just for meals! It will be just like an all inclusive, but without worrying about how many and what kind of credits you have left. And given that you guys regularly go to Disneyland, that money will not go to waste! I calculated how much I thought we would spend based on the calculator and we came in a couple of HUNDRED dollars even less!

But, in the end, it is YOUR family’s trip, and y’all know what works best for you! Happy planning!

That’s a great tool, thank you!! I’ll let you know what the results are

 

[whitneyebz]

Okay so I thought of another question! Park hoppers- worth it or no? I think right now I want to do 6 days, and I'd love to avoid that extra cost but I do want to visit Epcot more than once, and probably Magic Kingdom as well...so not sure. At Disneyland, getting parkhoppers just makes sense. The two parks are right across from each other and it takes less than a minute to get from one to the other. But I have no idea if it's also worth it at WDW!

I looked into renting DVC points and unless we desperately want a kitchen, we are priced out. Which is totally fine. We would HAVE to get a 2 bedroom villa and those are $$$ even with renting points. Cheapest was Animal Kingdom Lodge but I don't really want to stay there.

 

[3gr8boys]

We are all about hopping!
We are infrequent visitors (family trips 2008, 2014, 2018 and 2020 )

I like the flexibility of being able to prioritize which nighttime shows we really want too see knowing I can alter which evening based on the weather forecast. More importantly, my kids like to do things on a whim. As in, getting off of a ride in Magic Kingdom, someone will say "I want to ride Expedition Everest.". Well, off to Animal Kingdom we (or a subset of we) will go. My family only likes having a skeleton of a plan- our 3 preset FP+ and one ADR a day.....sometimes a special activity. Beyond that, we roll with whatever everyone feels like doing. This past April it was only four of us (me, DH, DS11, DS 15). Out of six park days, the only day we didn't all hop was arrival day. We checked in mid-afternoon and only went to MK. Park to park travel obviously isn't as quick as at Disneyland....but we find it worth the effort.

ETA our style of touring definitely isn't for everyone. The Dis is definitely the place to learn about different approaches/experiences

 

[3gr8boys]

I will share my $0.02 on the dining plan....in addition to adult vs kid DDP pricing, value can depend on where you want to eat and what you like to order. As previously mentioned, you can crunch the numbers using menus or online tools to see if it is cost effective. It really isn't for us. We tend to do one TS meal a day, including some character meals. We order how we want- DS10 is a Disney adult but prefers kids meals when available. We prefer sharing an appetizer to ordering dessert and don't usually order alcoholic beverages. Most of our AYCTE meals are breakfast....so a little cheaper. To achieve that "taken care of" feeling (I do not like tracking $ when in vacation mode), I put what the DDP would cost aside in a savings account well ahead of the trip. During the trip, we order what we want and use our MBs to charge the cost back to the room and, ultimately, my cash back credit card. No worries, because we know that more than enough $ is waiting to pay off the bill when it arrives.

It isn't for me, but many people like to save money and have things paid for in advance by purchasing discounted Disney gift cards and using them to pay for food....I think a PP pointed out that you wouldn't have to fret over leftover gift card balances thanks to your DL visits

Another thing to consider (that I am not an expert in) is that even free DDP isn't always the best deal....free dining means giving up room discounts. You can read up on the options/discounts to be on the lookout for.

 

[halfpintpeggy]

We would rent a 3 BR condo* at Wyndham Bonnet Creek

YES! Bonnet Creek was the first thing that popped into my head when reading the OP's post.

 

[whitneyebz]

I will share my $0.02 on the dining plan....in addition to adult vs kid DDP pricing, value can depend on where you want to eat and what you like to order. As previously mentioned, you can crunch the numbers using menus or online tools to see if it is cost effective. It really isn't for us. We tend to do one TS meal a day, including some character meals. We order how we want- DS10 is a Disney adult but prefers kids meals when available. We prefer sharing an appetizer to ordering dessert and don't usually order alcoholic beverages. Most of our AYCTE meals are breakfast....so a little cheaper. To achieve that "taken care of" feeling (I do not like tracking $ when in vacation mode), I put what the DDP would cost aside in a savings account well ahead of the trip. During the trip, we order what we want and use our MBs to charge the cost back to the room and, ultimately, my cash back credit card. No worries, because we know that more than enough $ is waiting to pay off the bill when it arrives.

It isn't for me, but many people like to save money and have things paid for in advance by purchasing discounted Disney gift cards and using them to pay for food....I think a PP pointed out that you wouldn't have to fret over leftover gift card balances thanks to your DL visits

Another thing to consider (that I am not an expert in) is that even free DDP isn't always the best deal....free dining means giving up room discounts. You can read up on the options/discounts to be on the lookout for.

All good points! I really don't think I'll know until we get closer...and I didn't realize they would let older kids order off the kids menu, so that might make a difference! Also, I know the do free dining OR a room discount...are there certain times when that happens? I'd love to take advantage of one or the other!

 

[whitneyebz]

YES! Bonnet Creek was the first thing that popped into my head when reading the OP's post.

And I would totally do this IF it wasn't our first trip. I want our first trip to be on property in a Disney hotel, in the bubble. I know it's not the most economical, but it might be our only trip there (unless we change our minds after the trip, lol!) I am fine with paying more than I need to for that experience. However, I would definitely consider off property places like that for a future visit, or even a value resort. And if our financial situation changes, I might do the DVC thing and get a villa but that might be pushing it with DH!

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

Also, I know the do free dining OR a room discount...are there certain times when that happens? I'd love to take advantage of one or the other!

During most of the year, most of the hotels have some sort of room only or package (room+ tickets) discount. Holidays are less likely to have discounts because there's no need to offer one when they are so busy without it. Free dining usually happens in the fall (late Aug, Sept, and a short bit of Nov and Dec), but it has varied some each year and there's never a guarantee that it will be offered.

 

[DisneyOma]

CBR has recently undergone a bit of a change - while they built new public spaces, they tore down huge areas of resort rooms for the new DVC tower. So there will be lots of construction, and the skyliner gondola system is strung over part of it as well. Lots of noise, not so serene anymore. And kind of crammed together, IMO.

 

[MommaBerd]

CBR has recently undergone a bit of a change - while they built new public spaces, they tore down huge areas of resort rooms for the new DVC tower. So there will be lots of construction, and the skyliner gondola system is strung over part of it as well. Lots of noise, not so serene anymore. And kind of crammed together, IMO.

I think the OP isn’t planning to visit until 2020 or 2021. So *hopefully* Disney will be done with construction at CBR.

 

[DisneyOma]

I think the OP isn’t planning to visit until 2020 or 2021. So *hopefully* Disney will be done with construction at CBR.

Hopefully, but Disney does things so slowly, who knows? I'm just bummed since CBR was our first onsite resort that we stayed at, and it was so nice and peaceful, and pretty. Ripping down two of the islands and having a huge towering complex there ruins the atmosphere, IMO. Then cramming in more buildings at Old Port makes it feel even more crowded and busy.

 

[MommaBerd]

Hopefully, but Disney does things so slowly, who knows? I'm just bummed since CBR was our first onsite resort that we stayed at, and it was so nice and peaceful, and pretty. Ripping down two of the islands and having a huge towering complex there ruins the atmosphere, IMO. Then cramming in more buildings at Old Port makes it feel even more crowded and busy.

It’s tough to see so many things change, especially at a place that is built on nostalgia and memories.

 

[jvz82]

It's rough being a family of 6 at Disney! It's not set up well for big families. We stayed at CBR on our last trip (when my youngest was 2 so we were still considered a family of 5) and we really liked it. The pool area was great and all the kids had a blast.

We are staying at the cabins are Fort Wilderness next month! I'm super excited. I actually stayed there when I was a teenager and it is so much fun. You get to take a ferry to Magic Kingdom and there are some really good restaurants there. The cabins also have a kitchen, which is awesome.

Like others mentioned, the prices can absolutely sky rocket during busy times. We are staying the cabins this year during a less busy time of year so it's more affordable, but next year we're going at Christmas and we can't afford the cabins so we're doing 2 standard rooms at All Star Music. Those rooms were around $200 a room. The All Star resorts aren't my favorite, but it's more of a cost thing.

We have done lots of research on staying off-site. It definitely is cheaper and some of the places look amazing. But staying on-site is so magical, it's really hard to give up that opportunity.

 

[whitneyebz]

It's rough being a family of 6 at Disney! It's not set up well for big families. We stayed at CBR on our last trip (when my youngest was 2 so we were still considered a family of 5) and we really liked it. The pool area was great and all the kids had a blast.

We are staying at the cabins are Fort Wilderness next month! I'm super excited. I actually stayed there when I was a teenager and it is so much fun. You get to take a ferry to Magic Kingdom and there are some really good restaurants there. The cabins also have a kitchen, which is awesome.

Like others mentioned, the prices can absolutely sky rocket during busy times. We are staying the cabins this year during a less busy time of year so it's more affordable, but next year we're going at Christmas and we can't afford the cabins so we're doing 2 standard rooms at All Star Music. Those rooms were around $200 a room. The All Star resorts aren't my favorite, but it's more of a cost thing.

We have done lots of research on staying off-site. It definitely is cheaper and some of the places look amazing. But staying on-site is so magical, it's really hard to give up that opportunity.

I did check different times of the year to see what the price difference is, and it doesn't vary TOO much based on the different dates I chose (spring break being one of them). I am also considering end of May...I just worry about the heat (I live in AZ but humidity makes a huge difference!).

As for the cabins, my SIL and BIL and their kids stayed in one last year. They enjoyed it, but I do NOT like the whole camping in the woods feel, even if it's a nice Disney cabin. That's just not for me. I will continue looking into the options, and if we change our minds about CBR there's always one of the Port Orleans resorts! And yeah we aren't going for 2-3 years so I figure construction on CBR should be done.

 

[Nanu57v]

We are 7! A 2br DVC suite will be dreamy. Enough room, and TWO or THREE bathrooms depending on the resort. Renting points simply saves $$$. There are companies that do it, so its not like you need to contract alone with a stranger. We have done a 1br as well, when we were 6 and one was under 3. Our favorite is AKL-Kidani.

 

[ninafeliz]

I only skimmed the replies, so sorry if you've already discussed this a lot. We also have 4 children (2 are still under 3, though, so we haven't had to make the leap to having to book larger rooms or two rooms yet), and so far I would choose the deluxe resort with one room and bathroom over a moderate with 2 rooms. Maybe that will change when the kids are older, I don't know (they are also all boys, so less of a bathroom issue I imagine). But I do know that we have no problem staying in smaller accommodations for vacation - I have lots of room at home, when we are in a hotel as long as we technically fit it doesn't bother me at all. We have stayed at all of the moderates and 2 of the values, and I did like them and had great vacations. However, given the choice, I will always choose a deluxe resort over a value or moderate, especially one of the ones where you can get to parks by foot or monorail. I would choose the BC with that awesome pool and the ability to walk to Epcot or DHS and around the BW area over a moderate any day, even giving up the second bathroom. The deluxe rooms are bigger than a regular room anyway, so it would be fine with me. A 2 BRV at the BCV would also be nice, but I haven't ever learned about renting points. We also can't typically plan that far ahead or commit without the ability to change or cancel, so we would only book through disney and they are $$ and not often available on cash anyway.

 

[whitneyebz]

I only skimmed the replies, so sorry if you've already discussed this a lot. We also have 4 children (2 are still under 3, though, so we haven't had to make the leap to having to book larger rooms or two rooms yet), and so far I would choose the deluxe resort with one room and bathroom over a moderate with 2 rooms. Maybe that will change when the kids are older, I don't know (they are also all boys, so less of a bathroom issue I imagine). But I do know that we have no problem staying in smaller accommodations for vacation - I have lots of room at home, when we are in a hotel as long as we technically fit it doesn't bother me at all. We have stayed at all of the moderates and 2 of the values, and I did like them and had great vacations. However, given the choice, I will always choose a deluxe resort over a value or moderate, especially one of the ones where you can get to parks by foot or monorail. I would choose the BC with that awesome pool and the ability to walk to Epcot or DHS and around the BW area over a moderate any day, even giving up the second bathroom. The deluxe rooms are bigger than a regular room anyway, so it would be fine with me. A 2 BRV at the BCV would also be nice, but I haven't ever learned about renting points. We also can't typically plan that far ahead or commit without the ability to change or cancel, so we would only book through disney and they are $$ and not often available on cash anyway.

I will still consider Beach Club as an option for sure! As it gets closer I think we will just have to decide what we want more- more space and 2 bathrooms, or being able to walk and have the awesome amenities of a deluxe resort. I do have one daughter (the rest are boys) and she will be 12 or 13 when we go, so the 2 bathrooms would be nice...also, honestly, I'd love to not be in the same room with my kids, lol! Whenever we traveled growing up, my parents had their own separate hotel room and us kids were together in an adjoining room. We haven't done that yet, but with our kids being older, I think we might want to!

And unless something changes, DVC villas with renting point still costs too much because of our family size.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

I will still consider Beach Club as an option for sure! As it gets closer I think we will just have to decide what we want more- more space and 2 bathrooms, or being able to walk and have the awesome amenities of a deluxe resort. I do have one daughter (the rest are boys) and she will be 12 or 13 when we go, so the 2 bathrooms would be nice...also, honestly, I'd love to not be in the same room with my kids, lol! Whenever we traveled growing up, my parents had their own separate hotel room and us kids were together in an adjoining room. We haven't done that yet, but with our kids being older, I think we might want to!

And unless something changes, DVC villas with renting point still costs too much because of our family size.

With having one girl and 3 boys, also keep in mind that BC would only give you 3 sleeping surfaces, whereas you'd have 4 at CB with the 2 rooms. For some families that may not be a big deal, for others it is.