About Patrick Carr Expertise I am most adept at answering questions concerning travel arrangements and planning for visits to Walt Disney World. From how to get the best price on hotels, to when to visit the parks and on what day, my expertise lies in these areas. I have helped to plan trips for hundreds of people over the last 15 years. In my area, I`m known as the "Disney Guy" who can make your magical wishes come true with proper planning!
Experience I travel to WDW at least 4 times per year, and that's not easy from Northwest Arkansas! Making this many trips per year, and on a budget that doesn't break the bank makes me an excellent choice to field questions concerning all things related to the Disney parks and vacations.
Organizations CASE, MSRAL, AL
Publications The Photon Gazette, Herald-Leader Newspaper
Question Hi there! My husband and I will be making our second trip to WDW this May. We went last May with our one year old son (he turned 1 on May 6th) and stayed at the Polynesian. We loved every minute of it, spent 7 days there, and found the resort wonderful. Being on the monorail was most handy toting a stroller and gear for our baby. We even took advantage of "Kids Nite Out" babysitting, and had an in-park nanny several days, so my hubby and I could enjoy the big rides. Here's are my questions.
We are planning another May trip this year. Our son will be 2. We absolutely LOVE animals. Our favorite parks are Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom, and we are thinking of staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge vs. Polynesian, and requesting a room on the Savannah. Our son loves animals as well and we think he'll enjoy being on the Savannah. Our concerns are:
1. Not being on the monorail...more details below.
2. Convenience - we requested a larger room (sometimes used for handicapped) at Polynesian, and got it. It was wonderful, 1st floor - excellent getting in and out with a stroller, near the "quiet pool." If you are familiar with Animal Kingdom Lodge, is this type of room request feasible? We sent a fax to Polynesian and they accomodated our EVERY request.
3. Comfort - I have read that the rooms in the Animal Kingdom lodge are "dark" - this will surely bother me!! I like bright, clean rooms.
4. Not being on the monorail? We loved the convenience of being able to just hop on over to MK whenever we wanted, as well as taking the monorail to Epcot. Very handy! Any opinions on this?
Finally, another option besides Poly. or Animal Kingdom is to get a "home away from home" resort room at The Beach (?) or Boardwalk, although we won't spend nearly as much time in Epcot as we will AK or MK. A suite is nice (and impossible for us to afford at Poly.) since we can put our son to bed in one room, and stay up watching TV late night in another room. Although, from what I have researched, the Home Away From Home resorts are very pricey too.
There is ONE last option - to stay off-resort....I researched a Radisson (I think) that was only $77 per night, had great reviews, but not on property. We'd be relying on a rental car or shuttle, but saving a TON of $$. Opinions on staying off-property?
I'd be open to any other suggestions you may have (hotels).
Thank you from one Disney fanatic to another. Linda
Answer Linda,
Glad you guys are preparing for a return trip to the World!! Let's get right to the questions . . .
1. Not being on the monorail. We have only stayed on the monorail loop once and that was at the Grand Floridian. While we did enjoy the convenience, I'm just not sure that it was worth the extra money that we spent to do it. I've found Disney transportation to be excellent in almost all aspects and it isn't difficult to move around with a stroller. We were even able to move around fairly well with my dad, who is in a wheelchair and a good friend who is also in a wheelchair and stayed at the Caribbean Beach resort.
2. Requesting a handicap room is always a good option for more space. While they cannot guarantee it, I'll bet good money that you will get it at whatever resort you are planning to stay at. I've never heard of someone not getting the handicap room that they requested. Just be sure to fax that request to the resort the week before you are arriving. Also, have Central Reservations place the request on your reseration.
3. The Animal Kingdom rooms are wonderful! They are clean and airy, but possibly a little darker feeling due to the dark woods being used. I think that getting a Savannah view room would be a wonderful experience for your family. It does tend to be quite pricey, so that needs to be weighed. You may want to wait until your son is older so that he can appreciate the view a little better, especially at the rates you are going to have to pay for it.
4. We have stayed at most of the WDW resorts in the last 10 years and I can say that there has never been a time that we were disappointed in the service of transportation. We take the boats, monorails and the busses depending on where we need to be. When we stay at Boarwalk, we take the boat to Epcot and MGM and the busses to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. Sometimes we walk over to Epcot and then grab the monorail to MK from there! It makes for a nice morning walk!
We personally own a DVC "home away from home" resort vacation plan. We love it! Using this we have stayed at quite a few different hotels on property. While these do tend to have a lot more room than a standard hotel room, they are pricey! I would look for DVC members who want to rent their points. Usually, they rent for $10.00 per point and an average stay during the week in a 1 bedroom is 21 points so that works out to $210 per night. Not bad for those comforts! You can look at the Timeshare Store online for more information on renting a member's points.
I have stayed off property a few times, and even twice at the Radisson. It is a really nice hotel, but in my opinion there is no better way to enjoy and experience Disney World than to be right there in one of the resorts! The transportation makes it a lot better at the very least. Using shuttles can be spotty at best and having a rental car can run up the price immensely. I use Tiffany Town Car to get to and from our resort when we fly, and a taxi if I need to go elsewhere during our stay. I would stay on property, spend the extra money, if possible, and enjoy the Walt Disney Resorts to the fullest.
