Where to Stay if not WL???

[Cinderella]

Okay guys, here's the question. We stayed at WL before and feel it's our favorite so I booked again for this years' Taginators meets/Mousefest in December. Trouble is, last year, due to all the rooms being booked for Mousefest, we never got a discount on the rooms and paid dearly. This year I plan to get an AP and Tink1 will find out about an AP discount but of course, she won't know until DW figures it out.

Should we hold off and keep our ressies (right now 8 days to try and get our monies worth out of the AP) and hope the price for the room comes down OR should we book a moderate (DH does not like SMALL rooms as he climbs the walls if we're in them too long). At WL we can escape to the lobby where it's still warm in Dec. What moderate would you suggest? We've stayed at CS and really enjoyed our room but there is no "lobby" to sit and people-watch or to escape to at night without having to walk out of our room outside to get to the main building. Also, the WL was convenient by boat to get to MK and then to the monorail from there. With CS it's all busses. WE had great weather last Dec. but if it's a COLD Dec. we might want to rethink standing and waiting outside for busses from CS.

IDEAS PLEASE!!!!!!!!

Thanks guys.

Cinderella

:shrug: :shrug: :shrug: :shrug: :confused2: :confused2: :confused2: :confused2:

[Belle]

Hi Cinderella,

Everyone has their own opinions about Caribbean Beach, but I really enjoyed it there, esp after the rehab. If you stay in trindad North or Martinique, you are right next to the food court/restaurant and Port Royale bus stop. The rooms are the largest of the mods and have that nice room dividing curtain between the beds and vanity - very nice for a wee bit of privacy. Just a thought 8)

Admittedly, WL is my all time favorite :D But sometimes it just doesn't fit the budget, esp w/o a code or discount. And as far as I am concerned any room at WDW is better than none :wink:

{hugs}
Belle

[disneylover]

No matter what mod. you stay at except maybe CS. you are going too have to walk outside to get too the main building, and take a bus. Now that said, when we have stayed at a mod it's been the PO_Riversids.Not only it the lobby a great place to people watch,but so is the food court.It's grounds are beautiful too walk around and has a great pool(weather permitting)Going too the food court to watch,grab a cup of joe or soda and drink to your hearts content.Lobby watching,you can sit at the bar or main room(round seat I think) or go where they check in.For a mod.I give 2 thumbs up to Riverside. :D

[BetsyAnn]

:wave: Cinderella

I think if I was going to choose a back up for WL, I would go with POFQ - It is a smaller resort, it has a boat ride to DD, I like the theming, they have a hot tub, it is not a long walk from any place in the resort to any other place, they have a good food court, and Boatwrights is next door at PO-R.

As disneylover said you have to walk outside at all the mods - except CS if you are in the main building, but at PO-FQ it is not as long a walk and I just love the gas lights!

Now if I could stay anywhere it would be at AKL -savannah room view - but that is going to have to be a once in a while place! :D

[Sheryl]

OK Claire,

Now you know the WL is my most favorite resort so far, with CS being my favorite moderate. We will be trying out POFQ this summer for the first week of our trip, so I will be able to get lots of pictures and info if you'd like when I go.

Just another thought, what about AKL as a back up if there are no codes available for WL. Our first stay at AKL, we stayed there in a standard room, which I was able to get a code for (that was before I knew about Nanci and her wonderful business!). We paid $119 for this standard room expecting to get a view of the parking lot. Our room did have a view of a safari, and we say so amny animals. Not it was not as busy as when we booked a Savannah view the following year, but for the money we paid for a standard room, it was excellent.

Now I know usually the WL and AKL get the same codes, so if there is not one for WL, then there may not be one for AKL, but what got me thinking about this is the actual resort. Ronnie could spend hours walking around this gorgeous resort looking at everything. Heck, you may even have a hard time getting him to go into your room. LOL

Just a thought. :wink:

:mickeyWalk: Sheryl :minnie:

[MissBianca]

I thought of the AKL too! What a lobby that is! And there have been some unbelievable codes for the AKL--particularly around Christmas when everyone thinks of the WL. I found the decorations and spirit to be quite warm and wonderful at the AKL.

It's also a very masculine lodge, in my opinion. Might be just the thing for your DH, Claire.

[SuzyQ]

Hey Cinderella,

I hear ya! We love WL!! We have stayed at CBR, POR, and PORFQ. Though we love all of them for various reasons, I would recommend the French Quarter. It is a smaller resort so less walking. The boat to DtD is terrific (though chilly in Dec) and they make the BEST beignets (yummy homemade powdered donut-type things).

CBR and POR are terrific - you feel more tropical at CBR and POR will have been freshly rehabbed, but both are much larger and unless you pay for a premium room, you will be walking a bit of a distance to the food court.

Let us know which one you choose!!

~Suzy

[sandar]

hi Cinderella,

Even though I've not yet stayed there, I'm going to suggest that you consider the Contemporary. If you could snag a discount, you'd be paying about the same as you would for "rack rate" at the Wilderness Lodge. You'd have a HUGE room, great views, monorail access, and all kinds of great restaurants both at your hotel and nearby.

Hope you have fun deciding about this!

Sandi

edited to correct typos galore