Disney's Death Star is calling me

For some reason, my wife has gotten the fever. She's convinced we have to take the (by then) 5-year-old hack to Disney World this summer. So much for vacation.

For anyone who's done this lately, what are the better deals out there. Which hotels are worth staying at, and which ones suck? (think price and ease of access here.) Specifically, she wants to stay at the All-Star Sports resort on the theory that it is every little boy's dream to enter/exit through a giant football helmet for a week.

There's a good chance we'll be going there with my brother-in-law and his family. He's a nice guy, but he's a lawyer and sometimes spends money at a pace we can't keep up with.

I can't imagine a better time ... :-\

 

Disney properties, home of the $25 12-pack. :'(

I've heard good and bad things about the All-Star. One friend said it was great for the money; one, who stayed at the pop culture one, said it was beyond cheesy.

We stayed once at Old Key West, which was nice, but kind of a long shuttle ride to the parks. Second time we stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge, which was wonderful. Kids enjoyed the pool, wandering animals and activities so much that we bagged the parks entirely one day. Seemed very close to everything.

I recommend staying on property. I understand it's a bear trying to get to your car at the end of the day, and the shuttle buses are great. Drop you off right at each of the parks, as well as downtown Disney. Have a few cold ones at the end of one day. Put it on your brother-in-law.

 

Whatever you do, don't even try to keep up with someone else, especially on vacation where sometimes lighting money on fire sounds like it can be a good idea.

I don't have much advice on where to stay there, since I have friends in Orlando I stay with when I go. But I will say, I love Universal. Not sure how it measures up for a 5-year-old, though. Lots of great superheroes (I imagine the kid would love when they all come out in the streets and take pictures), but I'm not sure how kid-friendly the rides are. The roller coasters are great, but I didn't do much checking for kids activities.

 

Staying on property is the way to go if you're gonna do all Disney stuff (and you might want to consider not renting a car).

All-Star sports is lower end but not nearly as nice as some of the others, but you can go use the pool and stuff at other resorts.

So if you stay at All-Star, might want to consider eating at Animal Kingdom, taking a boat to the Wilderness Lodge to hang by the pool, etc. Bottom line is that all the rooms are pretty small. The amenities are the difference.

Disney is fine if you don't run around like crazy trying to do everything. Enjoy, take it easy and you'll be fine.

For example, spending a couple hours at the hotel pool with a slide and all that kind of stuff might be a lot better than waiting in line at one of the water parks.

(For the record, I like Universal more.)

 

Drink the Disney Kool Aid and spend 5 days at Walt Disney World. Suspend your cynicism and enjoy it. Your child will love it as long as you go along with the program. I've been twice with the kids and it really was great.

Stay on the property and anywhere but the budget hotels and you'll be rewarded with great customer service and a really good time. Do some research and you won't regret going.

 

Try the Contemporary Hotel. It's the one the monorail runs thru and is the closest to the park.

 

Yeah, but there are about five parks now.

 

Sorry, I meant the Magic Kingdom.

 

Contemporary is pretty old, and the Magic Kingdom is one day and done. I wouldn't pick it based on proximity.

 

Fuck Disney, go to Epcot and drink in five or six different countries.

 

What abbot said. We took our six-year-old to Disney last spring, and I had a lot of fun just watching her be amazed by everything there. Let yourself be six again. It will be good for you. We stayed at the Coronado Springs resort. It's a little more than the All-Star resorts, but it was quiet. The last thing I wanted to do was be awakened by a bunch of kids at 6 a.m. on the way to the pool, and figured the atmosphere at a mid-priced resort might be worth it. I think I was right, as our shuttle buss lines appeared to be somewhat shorter than what it looked like for those returning from the park to the All-Star resorts.

One other thing. Do yourself a favor and pre-pay for your meals. I figure after five days, we saved a couple hundred dollars, and it was enough food, drinks and etc. for the three of us. Also, we were able to twice eat at places that I would've avoided due to price (plus we also ate in Cinderella's castle -- which you won't have to worry about with a boy, I'm figuring).

PM me if you have any questions.