Which resort w/ a 1 year old

[lock3130]

My family and I have been to WDW countless times but we're planning a trip next February/March and our daughter (who should be making her arrival in the next couple of weeks ) will be 13 months. We've stayed at all of the values and several of the deluxe resorts. I just wondered what would be the best resort with an infant....thinking about the extra gear and stuff that we will be having.

Thanks!

 

[hstrickland]

We have 3 children...2 of which were in strollers on the last several trips. DH and I have found that the monorail resorts are great for strollers and gear!! We rarely had to fold up the strollers to get on...our kids stayed in and we pushed them on the monorail. I will add this...since we spend lots of time at MK, it also made since to stay at a monorail resort. It's really, really nice when the kids fall asleep and you don't have to take them out of the stroller in order to fold it up and jump on a bus. Many people will disagree with me, but if I can stay away from the buses, I do...no flaming please DH doesn't mind the buses at all, but I would rather walk, take a boat, the monorail or even drive my car. And I know...you still have to fold up a stroller on a boat, it's just a more relaxing ride for me. You might even want to check out the EP resorts...you can walk to 2 parks. I have never stayed there but people on the Dis swear by them.

Happy Planning!

 

[allicat1214]

We stayed at the Contemporary when my DD was only 6 mos old!

DS was 4 and LOVED the monorail (he's 19 and still does!).

Just can't tell you how convenient it is to hop on and get back to your room so quickly. Great for afternoon naps!

We also stayed at the Poly when the kids were a 7 and 11, and we still loved the convenience!!

Our stays weren't very long then like 3 or 4 days, so we could afford a little higher rate for the location!

 

[OakvilleMom]

We have stayed at the Grand with our young children several times. We LOVE the convenience of the monorail and as the PP said, not having to fold strollers, carry gear and wake sleeping children is great!!! Also, when the kids are so young it's an advantage to do some characters meals-and you can get some great ones right on the monorail loop.

Enjoy!

 

[hstrickland]

Just can't tell you how convenient it is to hop on and get back to your room so quickly. Great for afternoon naps!

Great advice! Completely forgot that added bonus...nap time was super easy.

 

[Kay1]

How exciting to plan your trip with your new daughter. Monorail resorts are fine but so would any of the resorts at that age. We never rode buses when our boys were that young so I wouldn't know about that.

Just have a wonderful time and congratulations!

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

We have stayed at the Grand with our young children several times. We LOVE the convenience of the monorail and as the PP said, not having to fold strollers, carry gear and wake sleeping children is great!!! Also, when the kids are so young it's an advantage to do some characters meals-and you can get some great ones right on the monorail loop.

Enjoy!

agree with this post, that's why we choice GF for our son first and second stay.

 

[Nik's Mom]

Our favorite resort when we had a baby was Poly. You could take the monorail to MK or Epcot, with the TTC just a short stroll away. It was so convenient.

 

[RemembertheMagic98]

Our favorite resort when we had a baby was Poly. You could take the monorail to MK or Epcot, with the TTC just a short stroll away. It was so convenient.

Last February we took my nephew (2 years at the time) and stayed at the Poly. The monorail was invaluable for the sensory overload times when he needed a brea (as well as naptime). The pool/beach was wonderful for him and we loved the fact that we had TPV and could watch the fireworks over the castle from our balcony if he went to bed early.

No matter where you stay, enjoy the trip and take lots of pics!

 

[mickeynut1]

Any of the monorail resorts would be great . No experience with little ones as we have 2 teens, but out of the 3 monorail resorts, we've stayed at the Poly and GF and the Poly would be our choice . The tropical atmosphere is so relaxing and you can't beat having the beach to sit and watch the fireworks, with a short walk back to your room afterwards . The CR has the walkway to MK, but with the Poly you can walk to the TTC, so each of them have their advantages . Good luck deciding and happy planning .

 

[NandK]

I agree with the monorail resort reply. If I had to choose out of the three resorts it would be (and actually is) the Contemporary or BLT. All walkways are at least covered and most dining is in the main tower. Also, the monorail is indoors and I hear the pool is bigger which makes it seem less crowded.

 

[brooke.jax.gia]

Which resorts are Epcot resorts?

 

[Figment1990]

brooke.jax.gia - the Epcot resorts are Beach Club, Yacht Club, Boardwalk, Dolphin and Swan.

lock3130 - Congratulations on your (soon-to-arrive) new baby!

For our son's first stay in Mar 08 (he was 13 months), we stayed at the Wilderness Lodge, which we had stayed at before and enjoyed a lot. I thought and still think this was the perfect first baby trip for us.

We debated a lot between the lodge and the Poly. We eventually ended up choosing wilderness lodge because we knew we would have a balcony (not all rooms at the Poly have balconies), the WL has a baby pool (poly does not, but GF does), and we liked the compact size of the resort, as well as immensely enjoyed the lobby. The fact that it was all in one building and we had a great location on the side of the building near roaring fork, it was so easy to run down for anything we needed food/drink wise. No running outside if it rained. They also have a microwave in Roaring Fork. The laundry room was right across the hall.

We did not do any character meals on that trip, since we were not sure how he would react to the characters, we decided to save those for the next trip. So that wasn't a factor for us.

You do have to fold up your stroller on the buses and on the small boat that goes to the MK, but not the BIG boat that goes to the MK. There is also a boat that goes directly to the contemporary, which we did utilize for a meal once.

FWIW, I wouldn't worry quite so much about getting back to the room quickly for naps unless as you get closer to the trip, you start to realize that your child will not nap in a stroller. CURRENTLY, at age 3, our DS will not nap in a stroller, so getting back to the room quickly is essential and we are staying on the monorail. But at age 13 months, he was still napping 2x a day, and we usually ended up with him sleeping in his stroller at one of the parks for the morning, and at least 1 or 2 times, he fell asleep in DH's arms on the bus on the way back to the hotel anyway. Which, here's where the WL lobby comes into play - DH LOVED sitting on the rocking chairs or couches in the upper levels of the lobby while DS napped in his arms. (DS only napped about 45-90 min naps). I enjoyed the gift shop

I also liked the fact that the sink area is not inside the bathroom/shower area b/c I could get ready and keep an eye on DS in his pack 'n play while DH showered - made for more efficient mornings.

I wish we were staying at WL for our next trip, but DS is obsessed with the monorail and with the electric water pageant and for the time being, he can enjoy the fireworks and EWP before bed if we stay at the Poly or GF. I did swear that our next trip will be to WL or AKL. If only to save some money! LOL!

 

[Crystal824]

The Poly also has larger rooms than most of the other deluxe resorts. With that being said, we are considering the Contemporary or WL for our first trip with our LO.

 

[Disney Khi]

I am planning our first trip with DD. She will be 22 months on our trip but I would have made the same choice for 13 months. I chose Beach Club because she is a little water baby and loves to swim and I can't wait to see her in SAB. Also, our last trip we stayed at BW and loved the Epcot area and being able to walk to Epcot and DHS. Epcot is our favorite park. We have never used a stroller (have used baby carriers since she was born) so strollers were not an issue in our decision. I also found most baby gear that people swear you need to be superfluous, so I didn't feel the need for tons of extra space, but queen-sized beds like at the deluded are nice to have. Have fun planning and congrats on the new little one!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I would go with the Contemporary because they are the closest resort to the Magic Kingdom, having the walkway to the Magic Kingdom, Resort Monorail access and their rooms are among the biggest of the Deluxe Resorts.

 

[kpk89]

You might also consider a resort where the pool is zero-entry -- This is great for letting your tot play at water's edge. Beach Club has this (plus sandy bottom pool, which is cool!) as does Animal Kingdom Lodge. Not sure about others.

 

[Camno's Mama]

My family and I have been to WDW countless times but we're planning a trip next February/March and our daughter (who should be making her arrival in the next couple of weeks ) will be 13 months. We've stayed at all of the values and several of the deluxe resorts. I just wondered what would be the best resort with an infant....thinking about the extra gear and stuff that we will be having.

Thanks!

Congratulations! I have gone with babies of all ages...5 months, 7 months, 9 months, 15 months, 18 months. You get the idea.

I have never stayed at a monorail resort, and have always had a wonderful time. We stayed at condos for several of the trips, and didn't even always take a break in the afternoon! They sleep in their stroller at that age. When they're tired, they're tired.

For us, budget is an issue. So, go where you want or need to go. You'll figure the rest out. I always put the baby in a baby carrier when I knew the end of our day or break time was coming, and then he could just stay in that for the trip home. If one of them fell asleep in the stroller, we just just moved him.

I have a 14 month old right now, and I will say that the hardest thing about that age is the constant movement. Climbing, running, screaming when he's not climbing or running, throwing, eating, wanting to be cuddled. They are a handful at that age. As long as you are somewhere family friendly with lots of room to run, then you will be good.

I would suggest a place with good counter service. Quick meals are very handy, and good variety makes that more bearable. We have been very happy with POP. This year we are attempting CSR (for now...).

A monorail resort would have been lovely...who doesn't want to stay there? But it's certainly not necessary.

Happy planning and good luck to you!

 

[brianz09]

We're staying at BCV thus May and our kids will be 3 years old and 4 months. BCV because of the pool, proximity to two parks and evening activities at Boardwalk. The past two May trips were when our oldest was 15 months and again when he was almost 2.5. as the PP mentioned at that age they are quite attention hogs and really "Active". He also never slept in his stroller. That being said, I am flying with the idea of switching to a monorail resort just fir that extra level if convenience. Oh, we stayed at values (loved POP) but don't want to deal with busses and strollers x 2.