BC - balcony vs. patio w/ kids

[salmar]

We are hoping to book the Beach Club shortly and will be going with a 1 and a 3 year old. I hear that people like the full balcony, but wonder if it will make me nervous with tiny kids - maybe slipping under feet first? Are the slats very wide? are any covered with netting at the bottom? Do you think a patio would be safer?

Thanks!

 

[robinb]

The balconies are built to safety standards where children cannot slip under or between the slats. The biggest danger is a child climbing up on a chair or table and going over the top.

 

[TheDizMom]

I don't know about your resort since I haven't stayed there, but at the GF there is no way any kid would go over unless they were climbing. They barely had any space between the slats and the bottom and they were very high, almost up to my armpits and I am 5'3". Hopefully that calms your fears. You could also get one of those balcony or deck nets to take with you if you wanted to be sure.

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

We have stayed at BC before with a full balcony on our room and I don't think there was any way a kid could go through or under those bars. There is no netting there because its not needed. I still wouldn't let real little ones out there on their own...cause you never know with kids liking to climb, but I think the balconies are very safe.

 

[Gillian]

I don't know the BC well, but in some resorts they can run away from a patio! We felt very safe with our 2 year old at BCV.

Also, you probably know this, but a lot of the BC rooms only have a standing balcony - no room for a chair. The yacht club has mostly full balconies.

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

Also, you probably know this, but a lot of the BC rooms only have a standing balcony - no room for a chair. The yacht club has mostly full balconies.

That's true...so when you make your ressie, make sure you are not getting one of those. I wouldn't even consider those little ones a balcony...although Disney does. It's more like a ledge with a rail around it for some rooms.

 

[my_try]

Here is a picture of my kids on a Beach Club balcony from this Feb., 2007. You can kind of see how high the railings are and how far apart the rungs are. If you can request, I would still get a patio with kids as young as you have though.

 

[jodifla]

We preferred balconies to patios. With patios, little kids can just run off! You can't sit there and enjoy it. With a balcony, you can. And since you are out there when your young children are, you can supervise them so they aren't climbing.

 

[JJ&JSMOM]

I think you'll do fine as long as the chairs are kept away from the railings and watch them around the balcony. Like robinb mentioned I think thats the most dangerous is a child sliding a chair over to the railing and climbing up and possibly fall over the edge.

We had to cancel our May trip due to DD4 being sick but I was going to bring some of my DH's old work ties and tie the handles of the french doors together so no one could open the doors to the balcony but an adult. And still watch them of course. I would think they would have a lock on them as well...not sure.

 

[cara loves the poly]

The biggest problem is just keeping them off of the chairs trying to look over!