What's typically the best resort/resort option for a large group?

Which option is better for large family trio

  • Suite (specially at AoA)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Multiple Rooms

    Votes: 29 100.0%

  • Total voters
    29

btosh

Earning My Ears
Joined
Sep 11, 2013
Helping a friend with their Disney trip that they're planning for September/October of 21. Party looks like it will be six adults (husband, wife, and four grandparents), and their two kids (3 and 1). They plan on spending a lot of time at the parks (both kids are good about sleeping in their strollers), and really only need the room to shower, sleep, and maybe for the pool a few times. Their first thought was to get a suite for everyone to stay in at AoA, but the husband is now thinking it might make more sense to get three separate rooms at either a Pop, ASM, CB, or POFQ.

With a group of six adults and two young kids, is it typically better to get a suite or multiple rooms that are (hopefully) conjoined?
 
Multiple rooms. Multiple rooms. I went with my in laws, there's no way all of us would have made it out alive in a suite.

With multiple rooms you get defined bed spaces and more bathrooms. I'd put each family unit in their own room and ask for 2 of the 3 rooms to connect.

POFQ has a nice small footprint
 
An AoA suite won't fit that party. They are a party of 7 plus a child under age 3. AoA suites max at 6 plus a little one. But besides that, give each individual family unit their own space for a few hours. I vote for separate rooms. Which resort for the 3 rooms - get the grandparents' input, see if there is consensus. If not, allow each party to book the resort of their choosing.
 


Thank you all for the quick reply!

An AoA suite won't fit that party. They are a party of 7 plus a child under age 3. AoA suites max at 6 plus a little one. But besides that, give each individual family unit their own space for a few hours. I vote for separate rooms. Which resort for the 3 rooms - get the grandparents' input, see if there is consensus. If not, allow each party to book the resort of their choosing.

That's what I thought, but the dad thought that would work. Regardless, the grandparents haven't been in years and apparently don't have much of a preference. The husband's parents typically stayed in moderate resorts, while the wife's stayed in value so there's some bias there but not enough to really make a big impact on the final decision. I recommended POFQ because it's smaller than the other three they were considering; I've never been but everything I've seen here and elsewhere makes it sound like a really good place for them. The big thing, though, is that they all want to be in the same resort and close together room wise (if possible) so that traveling to and from the parks via bus or Skyliner is easy.
 
I would check prices on dvc resorts compared to the cost of 3 rooms. There is no way AoA would be comfortable, but depending on discounts if you can get a 2 bedroom for close to what you will pay for 3 rooms that's the route I'd go. It's convenient for babysitting and nice for the kids to have the grandparents in the same room. With three rooms they could be at opposite ends of the resorts.
 


The 3-yr-old counts towards room occupancy. Even if the oldest is not-quite-3, only 1 "under-the-limit" child per room. If they wish to use Magical Express, all guests must be listed on the reservation. Plus hopeful that parks return more towards "normal" by next fall, the 3-yr-old would need to be on the room reservation for FP+ or Extra Magic Hours.


You mention "ASM" but I'm not sure if that is Music or Movies -- a preferred room at Music means only 2 buildings are possible, so they would be close if not the same building. Similarly, a pool view at POFQ also means just 2 possible buildings. Little Mermaid rooms at AoA is a 3-building section of regular rooms (not suites), but farther from anything else at the resort. They may be more likely to be in the same building at a deluxe resort, but may not be in the budget.
 
My vote would be multiple rooms or a 2 bedroom villa at a DVC property.
 
Treehouse Villas could work...if they really like each other. :confused3 Otherwise, yes. Multiple rooms.
THV = two bathrooms for 6 adults, one of which is located inside the master bedroom suite. One of the bedrooms has bunk beds which are smaller than twin beds. If they aren’t sleeping in a bunk bed, then two adults are going to be resting their bones on a pullout sofa in the living quarters.
My vote would be multiple rooms or a 2 bedroom villa at a DVC property.
2BR villa = 3 bathrooms in some cases but someone is still going to be sleeping on a pullout sofa in the living room, with no privacy.

Get 3 separate hotel rooms and everyone gets a real bed and a full bathroom. But most of all, they get some privacy.
 
2BR villa = 3 bathrooms in some cases but someone is still going to be sleeping on a pullout sofa in the living room, with no privacy.

I thought about that. When I stayed at BLT back in 2011, there were 9 of us (all adults). The 3 of us that slept in the living area didn't mind it, but we were also only there for sleeping at the end of the night. We didn't really use it as "living" space.

So I think it really all depends on the individual group.

Scenario A:
K- parents & younger child
2Q- 4 grandparents
SS- older child

Scenario B:
K- 1 set of grandparents
2Q- parents & both children
SS- 1 set of grandparents

Scenario C:
K- 1 set of grandparents
2Q- 1 set of grandparents (and maybe possibly one of the grandkids)
SS- parents & both children
 
1 room sounds like a nightmare, even if everyone technically fits. I would hate to be the group on the sleeper sofa with no real space of my own.
3 rooms is the way to go and if little ones like to have sleepovers even mom & dad might get some privacy during the trip.
If all reservations are linked Disney will very very likely put you along the same corridor, which is all you really need to make it easier to meet up and travel together. There isn't a need for direct room connections in this setup.
 
I thought about that. When I stayed at BLT back in 2011, there were 9 of us (all adults). The 3 of us that slept in the living area didn't mind it, but we were also only there for sleeping at the end of the night. We didn't really use it as "living" space.

So I think it really all depends on the individual group.

Scenario A:
K- parents & younger child
2Q- 4 grandparents
SS- older child

Scenario B:
K- 1 set of grandparents
2Q- parents & both children
SS- 1 set of grandparents

Scenario C:
K- 1 set of grandparents
2Q- 1 set of grandparents (and maybe possibly one of the grandkids)
SS- parents & both children
I doubt both sets of GPs would like staying in one bedroom. Or on the sleeper sofa. Or one get a king bed and private bath while the other gets a queen and shared bathroom. Just get three single rooms and ask that they be close together. Only two would be possible to connect and that would leave one set of GPs out. Just add "Traveling with and the other two reservation numbers" to each reservation. Close just might be close enough.
 
I'd recommend the 3 rooms at POFQ. Each party can have their own room and at the end of the day some much needed space may be in order. Request rooms near each other. I'd say POFQ vs some of the others due to resort size ( intimate so not a long trek back to the rooms at night ). Grand Villas are nice but in most cases someone would still have to sleep on a pull out and that gets old quick.
 
Maybe they could rent DVC points for a 2 or 3 bedroom? That would be a lot more than a value , but a lot less than cash rooms at a Deluxe and possible a moderate.

They would not fit in the AoA suites.

We have done three separate rooms before at Port Orleans. Pop is always a place I like to stay as well.
 
Three bedroom villas are almost impossible to rent by points, or even to reserve directly from Disney. Really, they're better off with three separate rooms.
 
I have done large family group trips to non-WDW places. Unless we are renting a large house, we get separate hotel rooms. If we were all to do WDW together and stay onsite, I would only do separate hotel rooms.
 
Thank you for all of the help, everyone! It sounds like my friend and his family are going to go three separate rooms at one resort now. They've seemingly eliminated Pop and AS Music due to resort size, and looking at PO (both FQ and Riverside) right now. He asked if there are any other good moderate options that are similar in size to POFQ. Any thoughts there?
 
Thank you for all of the help, everyone! It sounds like my friend and his family are going to go three separate rooms at one resort now. They've seemingly eliminated Pop and AS Music due to resort size, and looking at PO (both FQ and Riverside) right now. He asked if there are any other good moderate options that are similar in size to POFQ. Any thoughts there?
POFQ is by far the smallest moderate, followed by POR. Both CBR and CSR are spread out and have multiple bus stops. However, CBR has the advantage of being on the Skyliner.
 
If you choose DVC or a suite, keep in mind that not everyone may have an actual bed. Sometimes the sleeping "surfaces" are pull out sofas or chairs and those are not comfortable. Would not be ideal for a grandparent, even an active able-bodied one.

I would also vote for multiple rooms. It will give each party their own bathroom, and that will be important for saving time getting ready in the morning in order to get out the door. It also gives everyone some privacy and a place to relax for a while which will save everyone from getting on each other's nerves. I assume the grandparents are the parents of mom and the parents of dad? I'm just thinking about my parents staying in room with DH's parents... it would be uncomfortable. They know each other and get along well, but they aren't that comfortable with each other. We'd all want our own space.
 

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