resort recommendation

[goldengophergirl]

Hi everyone. We're thinking of heading back to Disneyworld next year with our son. We traveled with him april 2013 and stayed at the YC. We really liked staying on the boardwalk, and it was great to be so close to EPCOT (our favorite resort).

This time around, our son will be in the 18-24 month age bracket, and we are thinking that we will spend more time at MK. We'd like to stay at a deluxe resort again. Here's what I know:

1. We like to get to the parks at opening, then head back to the resort after lunch (early afternoon). i doubt we'd head back to the parks again just because we'd like to have a bit of time at the pool, but you never know.

2. We plan on visiting MK (2 days), EPCOT (1 day), and AK (1 day)

3. Our son sleeps in the pack n play when we go on vacation or visit relatives. Last time we set him up in the sink area of a regular YC room, and that worked pretty well.

4. This time we are considering staying in a studio at a DVC resort. We used the sink a lot last time washing bottles & things, this time we'll be dealing with sippy cups and snack containers. We plan on eating breakfast in our room (think cereal bars, bananas, etc), and playing everything else by ear. Last time we did get a few meals off the boardwalk or at the pool bar.

5. last time DS was afraid of the "open water" in the pool and preferred digging around in the sand. granted, he wasn't a year old yet. i don't know what to expect next time around, but i think he'd like a pool with a splash pad or slides, etc.

6. DH doesnt care for Poly, and we can't justify the cost of the GF.

Any thoughts on good places for us to stay? Decor-wise, AK and Bay Lake Tower seem to appeal to my husband. Like I said, we only plan on making 1 trip to the parks per day. (I know how plans can change once you get there, though!)

Would we regret staying at AK due to the distance to MK & Epcot? Would the small room size at Bay Lake Tower be a problem with the pack n play? (Our son sleeps pretty well---knock on wood!---but I try to give him a quiet place to sleep. Last time we hung out on the patio for a couple hours after he fell asleep.) A lot of people seem to like WL, but we aren't sure!

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks in advance!!! (Also, if I should have posted this elsewhere, please let me know!)

 

[mom2grace]

We love AKL but would only stay there with a car!

 

[thr33boys]

We love AKL but I think it's too far considering where you're planning on spending the majority of your time.

Perhaps you should look into renting points (much cheaper than cro) for a 1 bedroom at BLT. That would give you a full kitchen to do your dishes (dishwasher if needed) as well as a full size fridge which could be really beneficial with a youngster. You'd also have more space and a quiet sleeping area for your son.

You could catch the monorail for your Epcot day and then only require the bus for AK.

Good luck deciding, I know how hard it is. If you do consider renting points, do your homework to make sure it's right for you. We had a very positive experience last year and have made arrangements with the same owner again for this year.

 

[DreamerWDW]

I would choose BLT or VWL for the location near MK. Walking to/from BLT to the MK is amazing (or you can use the monorail). I'm not sure about the placement of the pack n play at either resort though. I also love VWL, but for a 4 day trip and small child w mainly MK and EP, I'd choose BLT.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[ArwenMarie]

BLT is your best bet IMO based on your list of wants. They have a super cute splash pad and zero entry so I think the pool will work for you. And having the freedom to walk back and forth to MK is awesome.

 

[mevelandry]

We love AKL but would only stay there with a car!

AKL is only a 16-18 minutes (enjoyable and very relaxing) bus ride. It's even faster for the other parks.

I feel like people make it sound so much worst than it really is.

 

[mickeynut1]

Hi everyone. We're thinking of heading back to Disneyworld next year with our son. We traveled with him april 2013 and stayed at the YC. We really liked staying on the boardwalk, and it was great to be so close to EPCOT (our favorite resort).

This time around, our son will be in the 18-24 month age bracket, and we are thinking that we will spend more time at MK. We'd like to stay at a deluxe resort again. Here's what I know:

1. We like to get to the parks at opening, then head back to the resort after lunch (early afternoon). i doubt we'd head back to the parks again just because we'd like to have a bit of time at the pool, but you never know.

2. We plan on visiting MK (2 days), EPCOT (1 day), and AK (1 day)

3. Our son sleeps in the pack n play when we go on vacation or visit relatives. Last time we set him up in the sink area of a regular YC room, and that worked pretty well.

4. This time we are considering staying in a studio at a DVC resort. We used the sink a lot last time washing bottles & things, this time we'll be dealing with sippy cups and snack containers. We plan on eating breakfast in our room (think cereal bars, bananas, etc), and playing everything else by ear. Last time we did get a few meals off the boardwalk or at the pool bar.

5. last time DS was afraid of the "open water" in the pool and preferred digging around in the sand. granted, he wasn't a year old yet. i don't know what to expect next time around, but i think he'd like a pool with a splash pad or slides, etc.

6. DH doesnt care for Poly, and we can't justify the cost of the GF.

Any thoughts on good places for us to stay? Decor-wise, AK and Bay Lake Tower seem to appeal to my husband. Like I said, we only plan on making 1 trip to the parks per day. (I know how plans can change once you get there, though!)

Would we regret staying at AK due to the distance to MK & Epcot? Would the small room size at Bay Lake Tower be a problem with the pack n play? (Our son sleeps pretty well---knock on wood!---but I try to give him a quiet place to sleep. Last time we hung out on the patio for a couple hours after he fell asleep.) A lot of people seem to like WL, but we aren't sure!

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks in advance!!! (Also, if I should have posted this elsewhere, please let me know!)

BLT and WL would be the best choice if you wanted to be close/convenient to MK. With that said, we've stayed at AKL and we found the buses to be fine. AKL is a beautiful resort and although it's out away from everything, it didn't take more than about 5 extra minutes to get to the parks compared to other resort(s). The buses only go to AKL and Kidani, so there's no sharing with any other resort(s). One thing we did love about AKL is that since it is out away from everything, it was quiet and peaceful. Good luck.

 

[goldengophergirl]

Thanks for the tips & recommendations, everyone! It's always such a tough decision!

 

[mickeynut1]

Thanks for the tips & recommendations, everyone! It's always such a tough decision!

I agree......there are so many great choices that it's very hard to choose.

 

[jimandami]

I actually think you would enjoy AKV, and the bus ride to the parks is not bad at all. Now, if you said you wanted to take a mid-day break every single day, and then go back to the parks every evening, I might say go with BLT (which we love too). But, since you said you would probably just hang at the resort, I think AKV is a better choice. It is so relaxing and beautiful, but plenty of things to do. If you stay at Kidani, it's pretty quiet and the kids splash area is really cool, plus the zero entry pool.