1st trip for my GD (2 1/2). Conflicted on hotel choice

[kimba]

I am so excited to grab 3 nights at Disney with my 2 adult daughters and my GD who is 2 1/2. It is her 1st trip and am excited to see it through her eyes. I am considering our options. 1 room at Yacht club or family suites at AOA. We plan one day at Magic Kingdom and next day at EPCOT. She is a huge Frozen fan. I am torn with the benefit being close to Epcot in a deluxe vs having the extra bathroom with all the adults in the same room. Difference in cost is not the factor this trip. Thank you

 

[trishadono]

I am so excited to grab 3 nights at Disney with my 2 adult daughters and my GD who is 2 1/2. It is her 1st trip and am excited to see it through her eyes. I am considering our options. 1 room at Yacht club or family suites at AOA. We plan one day at Magic Kingdom and next day at EPCOT. She is a huge Frozen fan. I am torn with the benefit being close to Epcot in a deluxe vs having the extra bathroom with all the adults in the same room. Difference in cost is not the factor this trip. Thank you

It depends on your GD and daughters. We did the bus to park many years when my kids were little without issues. However we traveled very light! One big with only enough for 2-4 hours. I knew we would be back to resort quick enough. So to bus fold the stroller, bag over my shoulder and I could do 2 littles by myself.

However the more you carry the more difficult packing up to get on a bus it gets. Looks like 3 adults and 1 child so you should manage pretty well.

I only did the AoA suite once. It was with dd21 and 2 bffs same age. 4 women with one bath I was not thrilled about so I booked the Suite and it worked perfect! Dd and I had the queen room and the 2 girls had the room with Murphy and pullout. It was easy for us to get around. Having 2 full bathrooms was great.

Yc is nice to walk to Epcot and bus to MK isn’t too bad. The rooms have a nice setup space wise. The rooms have a patio or balcony which aoa does not.

Does the child care where they stay? My dd knew all the resorts from looking with me online and loved values as a kid. Just walking around the resort was fun. However for adults YC is more fun(for most/not all). Since you are paying do YOU want a deluxe or a more kid appealing resort? The daughters care?

You’ll have a great time either way. More space, kid friendly? AoA, Easy to walk around, more plush and more dining options? YC

 

[Marthasor]

I am so excited to grab 3 nights at Disney with my 2 adult daughters and my GD who is 2 1/2. It is her 1st trip and am excited to see it through her eyes. I am considering our options. 1 room at Yacht club or family suites at AOA. We plan one day at Magic Kingdom and next day at EPCOT. She is a huge Frozen fan. I am torn with the benefit being close to Epcot in a deluxe vs having the extra bathroom with all the adults in the same room. Difference in cost is not the factor this trip. Thank you

Perhaps consider pricing out two rooms at Swan or Dolphin which are, essentially, right next door to Yacht Club. This would give you more space and two bathrooms. If you call in to make the reservation, they can look for connecting rooms for you (Marriott will do this as WDW will not). You can also price out a two bedroom suite at Swan/Dolphin if you want to consider going that route. We have often stayed in two bedroom suites at the Swan for the price of one room at a WDW deluxe. You will still be able to walk to EP from Swan/Dolphin. The bus to MK works a bit differently (it will drop you off at TTC), however you can walk to Yacht Club and simply take the bus from there.

I am not a fan of AoA - it is probably the loudest resort I have ever stayed in and the bedding was incredibly uncomfortable.

 

[kimba]

Thank you. Good to hear you had success at AoA with adult kids and the additional bathroom. That is probably the only draw for me. We love the YC area even though the pool is down. I like that getting into epcot will be easier. I imagine the bus to MK for either resort is similar in time (although the pickup stop for AoA may be farther). The theming at AoA would be exciting for her but she will be happy anywhere! I agree we will make the most of wherever we decide.

 

[leebee]

If you stay at AoA, you can take the Skyliner to Epcot. Considering that the pool is down at YC, I'd go with the family suite at AoA.

 

[zdad59]

When our boys were growing up (they’re in their 30s now) we always said “Book the hotel they’ll appreciate at the age we’re taking them.” So when they were younger, we stayed at the value resorts. They loved the big statues and funky pools. As young teens we did moderates. When they were HS age we stayed at WL. They loved it and really appreciated the resort and its amenities.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[elvispursley]

I’d do AoA as the theming is more in line with what younger kids like. YC is my favorite but it wasn’t what my boys would’ve liked at 2 1/2, especially if the pool wasn’t available. I think the space and the little kitchenette would be very handy to have with a little one. I was blessed with kids that would fall asleep wherever and we could all be in one space and didn’t worry about bothering them while they slept if we watched tv or talked. So depending on how your gd is, having separate rooms may be a great thing to have. The space to have a stroller would be another benefit, besides the obvious 2 bathrooms.

 

[We’reAllMadHere]

With only three nights, I would do whatever is going to be most convenient, especially if mid-day naps in the room are important. I think the suggestion to look at two Swan rooms might be a good one, as it would give you two bathrooms and the ability to have the little one have a quiet, dark room with another space in case the adults want to be up later.

My kid’s favorite at that age was AKL but my kid has always preferred animals to princesses.

 

[Wood Nymph]

The Yacht Club would be a very nice place to stay. Most of the rooms have two queens and a sofa bed. One of your daughters could sleep there if she wanted to. We are a family of five who managed with the single bathroom in a YC or BC room. And Epcot is so very convenient. You would only have to worry about the bus to MK.

 

[Stacybaeasm]

Will the little want a nap? AOA suite will allow her to nap while the adults can be in the living room, doing things. Same with night time. If little goes to bed early, the adults can still be up in the living room, watching TV, having a drink or a snack. One room at Yacht club means everyone is on the same nap/sleep schedule as the little.

 

[Mouse Tracker]

I'd lean toward AoA Suite. Whatever you do, consider a PH Ticket to visit "Frozen" in HS along with Epcot experience.

 

[philharmagic fan]

Totally different idea - a one-bedroom at Bay Lake Tower. Two rooms (convenient for napping or early bedtime), 2 bathrooms, 3 beds (king and 2 pull-outs), laundry closet (I know it's only a 3 night stay, but with a 2-year old...), full kitchen, and best of all, walking distance to MK. Our 2-year-old granddaughter still needed a nap or at least a little afternoon quiet time, so we bought parkhoppers and went to Epcot or another park in the morning, back to the room for an hour or two, then walked to MK for the rest of the day. This also gives you the option of doing a third park on the second morning if you finish everything you want to do at Epcot on the first visit. You might consider the Frozen sing-along show at Studios since she's a big fan.