Recommendation for Family of Five?

[jclightchasr]

My Family and I plan on staying on property for the very first time this fall. However, being a family of five, we are trying to avoid paying for two rooms. Here is some info to help:
1. My wife does not want to camp.
2. We have three kids ages: 15,10,8.
3. We are looking for moderate or premium resorts. Not that the economy are bad, just prefer theme that is not so engulfed with Characters.
4. Top pick so far is PORS "Alligator Bayou"but looking to see what other options we have.

[buzznwoodysmom]

Moderate - Port Orleans Riverside will be your most affordable option. Those rooms have two queen beds and a small murphy style bed that folds out from under the TV. The murphy bed seems smaller than a standard twin size bed.

Moderate Jr. Suite - I think Coronado Springs offers a Jr. Suite that would sleep 5. That is at the moderate level, but I am not sure what those prices would be.

Deluxe - If budget allows you can do many of the deluxe resorts, which have standard rooms that sleep 5. Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge are the only two deluxe resorts that don't have standard rooms that sleep 5. All the other deluxe resorts do. So your options there are the Polynesian, Contemporary, Grand Floridian, Beach Club, Yacht Club, and Boardwalk. These rooms have two queen beds and a day bed that's about the same size as a twin bed.

Deluxe Jr. Suite - I know Wilderness Lodge has some Jr. Suites that sleep 5 or 6, but they are probably more expensive than a standard room at one of the other deluxe resorts.

DVC 2 Bedroom - Another option is Disney's Vacation Club resorts. They have 2 bedroom villas that would accommodate 8-9 guests (depending on location), so there would be plenty of room to spread out, but they cost a good deal more than a standard room at a deluxe resort. The benefit with the 2 bedroom villa is having the space, separate bedrooms, a full kitchen, 2-3 bathrooms (depending on which resort you choose), and a washer and dryer. If you search the web you can find places to rent DVC points from owners. By doing this you can get better pricing than going directly through Disney.

DVC 1 Bedroom - I have heard in the past that Disney will allow 5 guests in a 1 bedroom villa at the DVC resorts. Not sure if this information is still true. The problem I see there is these rooms only have sleeping for 4, and Disney will not provide sleeping space for the 5th guest. So you would either need to bring an air mattress, request a roll away bed (if that's even an option and there may be a nightly fee), or have one person sleep on the floor. Not something most would want to do for a whole week.

Some of the more recent DVC 1 bedroom villas do have sleeping for 5. Grand Floridian Villas, Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village, and Wilderness Lodge Villas. The 5th guest sleeps on a murphy bed like the ones at POR. VWL are currently being renovated and those beds are being added, so not sure if those rooms are available for booking just yet.

Value Family Suites - There are family suites at the some of the value resorts (All Star Music and Art of Animation) that would sleep 6. But you already stated you aren't interested in the value resorts.

Other options - The only other options I can think of are the cabins at Fort Wilderness, but your wife doesn't want to camp. Or Shades of Green. If you are in the military or a department of defense employee you are eligible to stay at Shades of Green. They have very affordable rooms that sleep 6.

I think those are pretty much all the options for your family. I am sure you'll find something that suits your family's needs.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Moderate - Port Orleans Riverside will be your most affordable option. Those rooms have two queen beds and a small murphy style bed that folds out from under the TV. The murphy bed seems smaller than a standard twin size bed.

Moderate Jr. Suite - I think Coronado Springs offers a Jr. Suite that would sleep 5. That is at the moderate level, but I am not sure what those prices would be.

Deluxe - If budget allows you can do many of the deluxe resorts, which have standard rooms that sleep 5. Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge are the only two deluxe resorts that don't have standard rooms that sleep 5. All the other deluxe resorts do. So your options there are the Polynesian, Contemporary, Grand Floridian, Beach Club, Yacht Club, and Boardwalk. These rooms have two queen beds and a day bed that's about the same size as a twin bed.

Deluxe Jr. Suite - I know Wilderness Lodge has some Jr. Suites that sleep 5 or 6, but they are probably more expensive than a standard room at one of the other deluxe resorts.

DVC 2 Bedroom - Another option is Disney's Vacation Club resorts. They have 2 bedroom villas that would accommodate 8-9 guests (depending on location), so there would be plenty of room to spread out, but they cost a good deal more than a standard room at a deluxe resort. The benefit with the 2 bedroom villa is having the space, separate bedrooms, a full kitchen, 2-3 bathrooms (depending on which resort you choose), and a washer and dryer. If you search the web you can find places to rent DVC points from owners. By doing this you can get better pricing than going directly through Disney.

DVC 1 Bedroom - I have heard in the past that Disney will allow 5 guests in a 1 bedroom villa at the DVC resorts. Not sure if this information is still true. The problem I see there is these rooms only have sleeping for 4, and Disney will not provide sleeping space for the 5th guest. So you would either need to bring an air mattress, request a roll away bed (if that's even an option and there may be a nightly fee), or have one person sleep on the floor. Not something most would want to do for a whole week.

Some of the more recent DVC 1 bedroom villas do have sleeping for 5. Grand Floridian Villas, Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village, and Wilderness Lodge Villas. The 5th guest sleeps on a murphy bed like the ones at POR. VWL are currently being renovated and those beds are being added, so not sure if those rooms are available for booking just yet.

Value Family Suites - There are family suites at the some of the value resorts (All Star Music and Art of Animation) that would sleep 6. But you already stated you aren't interested in the value resorts.

Other options - The only other options I can think of are the cabins at Fort Wilderness, but your wife doesn't want to camp. Or Shades of Green. If you are in the military or a department of defense employee you are eligible to stay at Shades of Green. They have very affordable rooms that sleep 6.

I think those are pretty much all the options for your family. I am sure you'll find something that suits your family's needs.

I agree with everything she says but I wouldn't consider a cabin camping since you still have regular beds and bathrooms....

[Janmac]

When we were at the Yacht Club we had a very nice sized day bed that my then 10 year old grandson slept on comfortably.

As for the cabins, they are rustic, but not camping. You get full house keeping every day. There is a full sized kitchen - fridge, stove, etc. Dining table that seats six. The living room has a murphy bed (full size - not queen) that lets down beside the couch.

The bedroom has bunk beds and a double bed. There is only one bathroom but it is big enough for a couple of kids to brush their teeth at the same time.

You enter your Wilderness Home from a nice sized deck - ours had a picnic table. There is space to park your car, tho for trips around Fort Wilderness Campground, you're expected to use the internal bus. There is virtually no parking at the trading post, pool, etc. The internal bus takes you to the regular Disney bus transportation, or you can get a boat to the MK.

I would book through Magical Journeys - link to the left under Icot sponsors - to get the best option at the best price. I can't recommend the folks at MJ highly enough. A friend just went to WDW for the first time with his family, after booking with MJ. He was very happy.

Jan

[jclightchasr]

Thank you all for the suggestions, as always you guys have been great!