Jackie:
The resorts in the Magic Kingdom area have some of the steepest price tags at Disney. However, there are a few ways to keep from blowing your budget and meet your expectation of easy access to Magic Kingdom, fun pools, and a resort that's more than just brick and mortar:
- Wilderness Lodge tops my list for you. Its considered a "semi-deluxe" resort because it offers only a ferry boat to Magic Kingdom instead of the monorail. To kids, the boat provides a wonderful ride, though! The theme of the resort is not lost on kids the ages of yours, either. Hidden Mickeys await first-timers within the stories-tall lobby that mimics the lodges found in the national parks. A geyser spews near the pool and slides, completing your wish list.
- A garden wing room at the Contemporary helps reduce costs. You may be surprised with a fabulous room with views of the water or the parking lot...but having access, albeit a little bit of a walk, to the monorail, large pool and slide, along with several popular restaurants, including one of our family favs, Chef Mickey's, can make the compromise worth it.
Another way to save is to visit during Value Season. Typically, Value Season is during slow times of the year (i.e. when the kids are in school). Both Wilderness Lodge and the Contemporary Resort can be considerably cheaper in say, late August or mid-December than in Spring, Summer or any holiday.
If both of these are still out of your price range, consider Port Orleans: Riverside. Although it only provides bus transportation to the Magic Kingdom, it offers a ferry boat to Downtown Disney, a large pool complex called Ol' Man Island and a price that's hard to turn down for staying on Disney property.
Wishing y'all a magical vacation!
Whitney