best resort for young children?

[kpossible]

We have three children 1,3, 6. We would like to get connecting rooms so the 1 year old could take naps. None are good swimmers so would like a pool that is zero depth. The deluxes are out because two rooms cost too much. I have changed my mind so many times. Any advice from parents with young kids. Thank you.

 

[WDWDennis]

Only the deluxes have zero depth entry in their pools!! You could try and rent some DVC points for 2 studios at SSR or BCV, they both have zero depth pools and may still be in your budget. You can get studios on weekdays for like 9 points a night depending on season. That would put you in the $90 a night range and that includes a small kitchen.

Other than that, I would actually recommend All Stars or Pop!! I think they are the coolest too look at for young childern. All of the giant dogs and footballs and things like that would probably amaze them. At least for a little while!!

Good luck to ya!

 

[GlennandAnn]

What about POR? We recently stayed there with our 1 (now 2) year old and it was fine. The pool isn't zero depth, but there is a nice kiddie pool. The food court has plenty of options . I'd recommend a room in Alligator Bayou, building 14 (really close to the food court) and on the 1st floor. We were on the 2nd floor, and it was a bit much hauling the stroller and sleeping kid up the stairs.


Ann

 

[DisneyMomx7]

At the deluxes you can have 5 in a room. We stay at GF. They have great pools, incredibly easy access to MK, (first stop on the monorail and boats back) and all the kids activites - Pirate Cruise, Wonderland Tea Party, Grand Adventures in cooking! Despite what some people think it is Very kid friendly. We really like 1900 Park Fare for dinner - CInderella's Royal Gala. One room at an AP rate is probably comparable (maybe a little higher) than two moderate rooms. We also come back every afternoon for swim and naps and you can't beat the convenience. With three little kids (like us) I would definitely opt for one of the MK monorail hotels.

 

[kelscross]

I don't know if you are a teacher, govt. employee, or nurse, but the Swan/Dolphin offer discounts for those.

I would say for children that small if you could possibly fit it in the budget to stay deluxe. You will save money as your youngest you do not have to buy a park ticket.

You can not beat the transportation. Believe me carrying a sleepy child with a folded up stroller on the bus is no easy task. I liked the monorail because we could just wheel the kids on stroller and all. The zero entry pool was great also.

If transportation is no biggie, then try AK or WL it is a little less expensive then some of the other deluxes.

Otherwise, the ASMo was great for my girls.

 

[Terk-1]

I too agree that it would be better to get one room vs. 2. The 1-year-old will probably be sleeping in a portable crib, correct? If so, then the resorts can supply one for you, so you won't have to bring yours with you.

We found that when we stayed last week at the Pop, the one thing we missed was the ease of being able to just take a boat or monorail back to the resort for a break. Although my nephews are not as young as your children, a sleeping child at any age gets heavy to carry.

I would recommend getting one room at the Wilderness Lodge. Try and see if you can get a discount code to save $$. This is a great resort for many reasons. It's small and compact, so you don't have to walk very far to get anywhere. There is boat service to both the Magic Kingdom and to the Contemporary (monorail). We love this resort and it's our favorite deluxe (with the Polynesian a close second).

 

[princessknb]

It's POP for us!! My children (ages 3 and 8) looked at pictures of all the resorts online and other sources and absolutely voted for POP. Since this is their end of school year trip, we decided to let them pick the hotel! By the way we have stayed at the CBR and loved it also! Decisions, Decisions, Decisons !?

 

[Tigger&Belle]

One option would be the deluxe room, but one with a balcony. That would be a place to hang out when the little one was napping. Of course it isn't the same as another room, but might would help out.

Another option, is a deluxe room at WL. There aren't many discounts on those rooms, though, but it would give you a little extra space.

What is your budget and when are you going? If you really want two rooms and can afford it I would go for 2 rooms at a moderate for the nicer pool or at a value (and can then use the baby pool). All the kids would enjoy the pop jets at Pop Century and one of you can bring your 6yo to the main pool. Make sure you ask for connecting rooms.

Happy planning!

T&B

 

[minnieluvzmickey]

My kids have stayed at almost every resort at disney (they are 3, 7, 9 and 11) but when I ask them where they want to stay they always say....allstar movies......lol

I'm not going to tell them it's the cheapest disney resort.....they might change their mind.

 

[lmhall2000]

We stayed at OKW with a 1 year old, the AKL while the kids were 2,3,5 and stayed at Poly at 4,5,7....

Based on our experiences I would do the Polynesian. The pool slide is perfect for the older ones and there is zero entry. The availability of a day bed is wonderful...I don't think the resorts have them but you can bring a bedrail to slip under the daybed mattress...much more comfortable than the cribs...but even if you opt for the crib there is more room in the Poly to suit it. Having a crib in the AKL standard was extremely tight quarters.

Our kids just loved the theming, music, beach, monorail, pool, volcano slide, Peter Pan Neverland service for Dad & I to spend a dinner together...that would be my first pick....plus it's a huge plus to be on the monorail with children under 8 or 9....the lifeguards will give out safety vests for the little ones so they can go down the slide with less worry if they can't swim.

Have fun! That's a great age to go!
Tara

 

[kpossible]

Thank you all. There is so much planning with small children it is nice to know it has worked out for so many others. I would love to stay at a deluxe I just wonder how much sleep my one year old would get with two noisy sisters. Does this work out for others? Thanks again.

 

[WDW LOVR]

No one has mentioned the Cabins in Ft. Wilderness. The shallow end of the pool is a couple feet deep, but there are lots of younger kids who play on the steps with their parents nearby.

The cabins have a separate bedroom that has a double bed and a set of bunk beds. There is also a murphy bed in the living room. There would also be enough room in the bedroom for a port-a-crib if you had one (although it would be tight).

You don't mention when you are going, but there have been discounts for the Cabins that get the cost to around $150/night (or less). They also have a full kitchen including microwave, full size fridge, stove + oven combo, TV's with built in VCR's in the living room and bedroom, a deck with picnic table and a built in grill.

It's a great place for a family. The kids can be as loud as they want without offending anyone because the cabins are separated by 10-20 yards from each other.

There is also a nightly campfire sing-a-long that Chip and Dale visit, A Disney movie is shown on an outdoor screen at the campfire, a petting farm and many other things that are great for kids. My kids loved catching the lizards around the outside of the cabin.

Sorry to ramble, but my family and I love the Cabins. We have stayed in them 12 times and would continue to stay there except we recently bought into DVC. Take a look on Allearsnet.com. The pictures and descriptions are pretty good.

 

[jcemom]

We stayed in one room (me, DH, DS 10, DS 9, and DD 1) last year at AKL and it was no problem at all. For naps one of us would take DD back to the room while the other went to the pool or wherever with the boys when needed. Most times DD slept in her stroller anyway and we didn't have to worry about scheduled nap time as much as we did at home. At night we all went to sleep at pretty much the same time. DD stayed up slightly later than usual and the rest of us went to bed slightly earlier than usual.

Oh, and AKL has a zero depth entry pool...it was SO great for DD. She played in the pool much more and much easier than if it hadn't had that feature!