i love staying on the monorail, for convenience. but this year am on a budget! what would you suggest as the next most convenient resort to stay at that won't necessarily break the bank!
hi beth, i know exactly what you are saying as i just came home from a wonderful stay at the polynesian resort and boy is that instant monorail access convenient! i have to say that i have 3 distinct favorite resort's in each category (value, moderate and deluxe) and i will share those with you. i know it is not in your budget right now, but my favorite deluxe is the polynesian resort. i absolutely love everything about this resort. i cannot say anything negative here. my favorite value is the all-star music resort. this resort offers family suites (which are very nice and give that extra bit of space that many crave when staying in a value resort as well as a mini kitchenette featuring my favorites....a coffee machine, fridge and microwave). the standard rooms here are the same as at the other value resorts. the all-star music resort offers children's activities by the pool all day which i love along with movies at night and although the other value resorts can participate in these activities, it really is nice to be able to stay right where the action is (if you have children of course!). my favorite moderate is the coronado springs resort. the coronado is as close to a deluxe resort as you are going to get on a budget (in my opinion). it is just a short distance from all of the theme parks (as is the all-star music). i love the class at this resort, it really is visible (especially with the start of their newly updated rooms with a dark brown decor, upgraded bedding, flat screen t.v.'s, of course you will have a fridge in your room at all of the moderates and the beach with hammocks gives that deluxe feel. the rooms continue to be upgraded, so not all of them yet will offer the above upgrades, you will need to request one when making your reservation. have a great vacation! best wishes, brigitta
i would keep casinos, i'm not addicted to those, they aren't killing me. either are good choices, but if price is a concern, then the hi broadway is a good choice. nothing is too far away in vancouver - transit is easy. my bar in cp might be your stop thanks for the tip it is a good option i can only give you estimates based on what we spend with a family of 4. i am a stay at home mom, my husband commutes about 20 minutes to work and i have a teenage driver (16 year old girl) and a teenage boy with a huge appetite. i am now spending about $200 a week on groceries with two teenagers. gas is costing us about $100 a week. car insurance is about $400 per year. our housing runs about $1,800 per month with insurance. we live in a nice neighborhood but our house is only about 2200 sq. ft. you can definitely get larger homes for less money in a less expensive neighborhood, but i would defintely stay on the east side -- sandy and draper are nice. if you go on the west side, be sure it's southwest -- south jordan, riverton, bluffdale. 

since i'm digressing, i'll just continue on this bent. your better schools are on the east side -- anywhere on the east side. if you want to go north of salt lake, consider bountiful, and fruit heights (good schools, but slightly more expensive) stay away from ogden, woods cross and layton. traffic into and out of davis county is horrendous.

if you go one county south (utah county) you have an excellent school district with alpine. avoid lehi. alpine and highland are lovely little suburbs with great schools and a great atmosphere nestled right up against the mountains. home prices and taxes are higher than other places (like american fork, pleasant grove and orem) but they are very sweet places to live. if you're not mormon i probably would'nt consider them -- they're about 98% mormon. mormons are very nice people typically (i know -- i am one) but you're kids might feel a bit left out not being one of the majority.

ok, back to the topic at hand. if you would like to email me, i would be happy to tell you what we make and how we live, but i'd rather not broadcast that all over the internet. email me at daves\_comet@yahoo.com. i would be happy to answer any questions you may have about moving to salt lake. let's just say that i moved here 20 years ago and i have never found a place i like better. i have lived in many cities in different parts of the world, but this is where i hang my heart.

good luck. theparaloft.com has the best prices i have seen... We will have this next week! less frustrating. here are a few that i usually recommend: