Anyway I did a ton of research for this and was aided by disney guru Hayley :-) in picking places to stay. I thought I'd post it here so it's easier to reference. Alot of this is just based on our preferences from last time and it doesn't have to be this way. For instance it could be any moderate resort or doing a value resort, if people wanted to, that would save $60/day.
We picked this timing based on it saving us vacation days since it incorporates two holidays for us but also because last time we were at the park it was a bit crowded and we were told to come around thanksgiving. I have done the research and it holds true, the week after turkey day is rated #3/year with #1-3 being reported as almost tied.
Last time we went we loved the park hopper option since for those people staying on the resort a different park has early opening (1 hour earlier than the crowds) & extended hours (3 hours later than normal closing). This allowed us to get on all the cool rides without the massive lines & do most of our character greetings without waiting around forever.
For us upgrading the dining from quick service is worth it. We like to be able to sit down at a meal in the evening and relax plus there are some really fantastic restaurants. Having character dining available for this plan makes it really fun too. Upgrading from quick service to dining is only $70, upgrading to deluxe dining gets you some phenomenal restaurants and some dining shows and such and that is $220.
Without further ado here are our recommendations or preferences. If someone wanted to join us for the whole time that is our preference but anything is great! Also, I *think* there are going to be some disney pricing deals coming out so these prices may go lower, I have emailed the people we used last time to do 'official' pricing this is just my lackey skills listed below. I will update if I find out there are better prices.
Port Orleans Riverside
Highest rated moderate resort & only resort sleeps 2 adults + 3 kids @ no additional charge and you can also have a crib in the room so that would be 6
Rooms: (photos of both http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/port-orleans-resort-riverside/ )
· The sixteen two-story Alligator Bayou lodges sit in a lushly wooded area and are quite spread out, with secluded rooms that have a laid-back rustic theme
o The only Moderate resort to officially sleep five people, as they feature an extra pull-out trundle bed located underneath one of the double beds.
· The four larger Magnolia Bend mansion buildings are set in more formal gardens and feature fancier room decor. This is the only section of Riverside
Recreation:
They also offer a Bayou Pirate Adventure Cruise, horse drawn carriage rides, cane pole fishing, guided bass fishing, a nice walking trail and a campfire on de’bayou with smores!
Ol’ Man Island
Live entertainment wed-sun including singing & comedy. For all of these items see here: http://www.portorleans.org/recreation.php An in-room baby-sitting service is bookable.
Transportation: buses & boats to/from downtown disney.
On Site Restaurants: 1 sit down/table service, 1 counter service, & 1 pub style http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/port-orleans-resort-riverside/
Rooms: All rooms are a finding nemo theme except limited quantity pirate-themed rooms (extra), see both rooms here http://allears.net/acc/faq_cbr.htm.
The closest buildings are in Martinique (26, 25, 24) followed by Trinidad North (31, 32, and 33), Jamaica 45 & Aruba 51 are just across the bridge and may be nice…refer to resort map as some are 15 min walk to restaurants/activities. No elevators. http://allears.net/acc/cbrmap.jpg
Restaurants: 1 sit down/table service, 1 counter service, 1 deli http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/caribbean-beach-resort/
Recreation: Surrounded by beaches (now swimming), Old Port Royale pool pirate themed pool with 2 water slides & 5 additional pools including island in the lake. Children less than 48 inches tall can enjoy the adjacent water play area, which includes squirt hoses, a large bucket that pours water from above and 3 additional smaller water slides.
There are boat rentals, bike rentals again including surrey bikes, and a Caribbean Pirate Adventure Cruise, and a game arcade.
Transportation: buses
Details Details Details!
Top 3 weeks to visit Disney are almost tied: low prices, low crowds, wonderful Christmas programs and decorations #3: 11/26/11. Tail end of Thanksgiving week makes the first Saturday and Sunday of this week more crowded and expensive than weeks #1 and 2. The rest of this week is terrific. Thanksgiving day can also be very crowded.
Date | Price | Crowd | Tentative Plan |
21 | 195 | Low | |
22 | 195 | Low | |
23 | 195 | Low | |
24 Thur | 195 | Busy | Fly In |
25 Fri | 195 | Med | Visit |
26 Sat | 174 | Busy | Visit |
27 Sun | 174 | Busy | WDW Night#1 Hotel Only |
28 Mon | 164 | lowest | WDW Night#2 Hotel & Park |
29 Tue | 164 | lowest | WDW Night#3 Hotel & Park |
30 Wed | 164 | lowest | Park Day then Stay @ ? |
31 Thur | 164 | lowest | Fly out |
Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan 2 Quick-Service Meals & 2 Snacks
Quick Breakfast: 1 entrée or 1 complete combo meal & 1 single-serving beverage
Quick Lunch and Dinner: 1 entrée or 1 complete combo meal & 1 dessert & 1 single-serving beverage
Disney Dining Plan 1 Quick-Service Meal, 1 Table Service Meal & 1 Snack (Character Dining Opportunities)
Table Dining Lunch and Dinner: 1 entrée & 1 dessert & 1 single-serving beverage or 1 full buffet
What you've been waiting for....the nail biter, also known as Package Prices:
Moderate Resort (Thought about it afterward, these are all priced based on us so I put 1 child & 1 infant since we don’t have a great idea how many kids we will have at that time! To figure out your own customized price go here: http://guide.disneyworld.disney.go.com/plan/vacation-package-guide/ )
3 nights 3 Tickets w/o hopper, Standard Room, Quick Service $1500
3 Night 3 Park Hopper Tickets, preferred room & dining plan $1815 (note: upgrading to deluxe dining+$220)
Something to think about $855 doubles the stay!
6 Night 6 Park Hopper Tickets, standard room & dining plan $2670:
