Best for Infants?

[jc1delaware]

I’m hearing the contemporary resort is best for kids due to walking distance. Would you all agree? TIA.

 

[kaytieeldr]

If you're only going to Magic Kingdom and only plan to walk, sure. If you're going anywhere else, best to base your resort choice on all the factors that matter.

 

[ucf_knight]

I’m hearing the contemporary resort is best for kids due to walking distance. Would you all agree? TIA.

Our favorite resort for the kids was art of animation family suites. It made nap/bedtime with the layout that they have there so much better than a traditional room. We always drive so we have a car to go to and from the parks with. If we didn’t have a car we’d probably stay at the contemporary or
the Epcot deluxe resorts for the proximity to the parks.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

As PP noted, if you are only going primarily to MK, sure, CR is convenient. If you are going to EP/DHS, BWI and BC/YC offer walking paths to those parks. I would take a look at your park touring plan and pick a resort from there.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

CR may be convenient for parents of stroller-aged children in terms walking to MK, but there are some other aspects of the resort that we didn’t enjoy when ours were younger. Mainly no zero-entry pools and a very limited/dinky splash pad (relative to several other resorts). We love CR and have stayed there several times, but usually for shorter trips with limited pool time.

 

[TOBS2010]

I think it depends on what you are looking for in a resort. How old are your kid(s)? We started taking my kids at 2. I found they loved the pool/splash pads probably more than the parks themselves. There are better options than the contemporary for that. We do find that we spend more time in the MK than any other park, but have never found the busses to be that inconvenient. If we were at the MK late, we did take the monorail to one of the hotels and request an Uber to get back to our hotel without fighting the crowds---it was worth the extra $15-$20 for us. For us, I have found with young kids we find a great value in having a food court option for quick meals before or after the parks when I know my kids are excited, tired or not interested in a sit-down meal. If they need a nap (which honestly they rarely took on park days anyway) we could even grab food for my husband and I in route back to our room at the resort. The contemporary is one of the more expensive options---unless you really have the need to walk to and from the MK, I would explore other options personally.

 

[jc1delaware]

Our favorite resort for the kids was art of animation family suites. It made nap/bedtime with the layout that they have there so much better than a traditional room. We always drive so we have a car to go to and from the parks with. If we didn’t have a car we’d probably stay at the contemporary or
the Epcot deluxe resorts for the proximity to the parks.

We are thinking of renting a car so I guess proximity does necessarily matter. Good point.

 

[jc1delaware]

I think it depends on what you are looking for in a resort. How old are your kid(s)? We started taking my kids at 2. I found they loved the pool/splash pads probably more than the parks themselves. There are better options than the contemporary for that. We do find that we spend more time in the MK than any other park, but have never found the busses to be that inconvenient. If we were at the MK late, we did take the monorail to one of the hotels and request an Uber to get back to our hotel without fighting the crowds---it was worth the extra $15-$20 for us. For us, I have found with young kids we find a great value in having a food court option for quick meals before or after the parks when I know my kids are excited, tired or not interested in a sit-down meal. If they need a nap (which honestly they rarely took on park days anyway) we could even grab food for my husband and I in route back to our room at the resort. The contemporary is one of the more expensive options---unless you really have the need to walk to and from the MK, I would explore other options personally.

Thanks so much! Which resorts have the best quick services?

 

[jc1delaware]

CR may be convenient for parents of stroller-aged children in terms walking to MK, but there are some other aspects of the resort that we didn’t enjoy when ours were younger. Mainly no zero-entry pools and a very limited/dinky splash pad (relative to several other resorts). We love CR and have stayed there several times, but usually for shorter trips with limited pool time.

Thanks so much! Which resort would you recommend for our kids they are both going to be 2 and definitely love pools lol

 

[Nancyg56]

I think that resort preference depends on more than walking distance to a park. For instance, I know you can walk to MK from the CR, but with youngsters I would never choose that resort because I like to have a zero entry pool, plenty of area for us to walk around and relax in, and a lobby that invites us all to sit and relax. For me if I chose a monorail resort for easy access to the MK, it woudl be the Poly or the Grand. If Epcot was my prime park I would still avoid the YC and BC with young ones. That pool would be a no go for us because I found it difficult to navigate with kids. It is gynormous, twists and turns and made me a wreck the entire time my DGD, a very strong swimmer, was in it. If the pool did not matter, I would pick BC.

In general, looking back at the most relaxing resorts with my DGD, I keep POFQ in mind. It was her favorite, and mine as well. The pool is not large, there is plenty of area to walk and relax, the lobby is inviting, and that resort is small and compact.

 

[Nancyg56]

Thanks so much! Which resort would you recommend for our kids they are both going to be 2 and definitely love pools lol

I am not "dad" but I would book the Grand with two YO kids. The splash pad is awesome, and the quiet pool is zero entry, and really is quiet. The feature pool may or may not work for you, but my girls preferred the quiet pool over it.

I think there is more to look at than pools though. The Grand is deceptive at first. It looks kind of stuffy, but it is far from that IMO. I loved sitting in the lobby in the afternoon, listening to the Grand Pianist entertain while little Princesses danced to the music. There is a large veranda on the second floor that I believe may be a smoking area, however I never found any smokers there when I chose to enjoy a little respite on one of the chairs.

The grounds are peaceful so strolling with children woudl be a joy.

I like the Poly a lot, and that would be a choice as well, however it has been a while since I stayed there so I am not sure about the pool situation. My DD likes to stay there and chooses Auretoa as her long house. It is a slight distance from the GCH, and some do not like the monorail passing, but she loves it. She likes that the "beach" is private and loves the whisper of teh monorail. It is more restful at the end of the day she told me.

 

[TOBS2010]

Thanks so much! Which resorts have the best quick services?

We have really liked the food court at POR---it's within walking distance to POFQ's foot court as well. My kids have always loved the main pool and waterslide at POR even as young as three. When you stay at either of the port orleans resorts you have the ability to use both pools. The POFQ pool has a nice splash pad and another water slide. Some resorts don't have a QS location or the options are extremely limited---for us that is something we definitely consider, at least until our kids are older and we don't see that need anymore. But for now having PBJ, chicken tenders, pizza, yogurt, cereal etc quickly at our fingertips is helpful for us---plus as adults we have the ability for pasta, salads, carved turkey etc is nice when you are sick of the typical park food QS.

 

[SnowChaser]

We really loved staying at POFQ with our 2year old. He loved both the splash pad and the playground there, and I loved how easy the peaceful, reasonably-sized grounds were for him to walk, with a nice green space to run around.

The food court was excellent for easy, quick, and tasty meals. The bus ride or drive to MK is quick from here too.

We had a ground floor room, which was great for wrangling the stroller and to just pop outside when he got the wiggles.

This year we also stayed at the Dolphin, Pop, and Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo. Animal Kingdom Lodge was also great for the pool (splash pad is over at Kidani), playground, Simba’s Club (open for play anytime),and animals.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Thanks so much! Which resort would you recommend for our kids they are both going to be 2 and definitely love pools lol

At 2, we enjoyed the pools at places like WL (one pool has zero entry and the kids splash area is very small/manageable) and YC/BC (ours could play in the sandy beach area for hours, although Stormalong Bay is arguably better for older kids). The kids splash pad at GF was also well loved by ours, and both pools are zero entry (GF is a pretty parent-friendly resort, IMO). Poly is in the mix as well (our personal favorite).

 

[jc1delaware]

We really loved staying at POFQ with our 2year old. He loved both the splash pad and the playground there, and I loved how easy the peaceful, reasonably-sized grounds were for him to walk, with a nice green space to run around.

The food court was excellent for easy, quick, and tasty meals. The bus ride or drive to MK is quick from here too.

We had a ground floor room, which was great for wrangling the stroller and to just pop outside when he got the wiggles.

This year we also stayed at the Dolphin, Pop, and Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo. Animal Kingdom Lodge was also great for the pool (splash pad is over at Kidani), playground, Simba’s Club (open for play anytime),and animals.

Thanks so much! Do you know if PO has DVC members?

 

[kaytieeldr]

PO does not. The only Moderate with a DVC adjacent (but a separate resort) is Caribbean Beach/Riviera.

 

[Krystal659]

We love the Contemporary, but we are typically traveling in the summer when a mid-day break is a must. I have to admit that I rarely use resort pools (but Contemporary's is nothing special). Grand Floridian's splash pad/pool and ease of getting QS food from the pool would be appealing if I still had young children. We did not book there because the buildings are not all connected. At that price, I do not want to walk to the main lobby in the rain to get coffee, etc.

If I were traveling in the winter or spring, I would look at the boardwalk resorts. The pools look great at BC and YC, and you can walk to Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

 

[BanditsMommy]

Just got back from a trip with our 18 month old DS and we stayed at the Dolphin. Got a great rate online and was able to take the boats or walk to DHS and Epcot which was amazing. He loved the pools there, too. There's also a little playground/jungle gym area, but we didn't have enough time to check it out.

Not having to fold the stroller when using the boats was amazing. Since we're big Epcot fans it was nice to be able to get over there quickly for dinners and between that and the options on the Boardwalk, there was always something quick and easy to do. (Ample Hills Creamery - YUM.) Picabu is a quick service option that's open 24 hours and I loved their pizza and my husband loved their burritos. I wouldn't hesitate to go back with a young one.

You don't get magical express, but you can get a Minnie Van with car seats if you need them. If you're bringing a car seat on the plane then you can just take a regular Uber or car service or you can set up a pickup with the concierge at the Swan and Dolphin and request a car seat, too. Even with paying an extra few bucks for transportation, the savings from staying there were still significant.

 

[SteveH]

Back when our boys were toddler age, we stayed at Fort Wilderness Cabins, loved it. Kids could go down for a nap and we had space in the living room to relax and not feel we had to be ultra quiet. With the kitchen it was a big plus. Downside? Needed at Golf Cart.