Calling all DW experts! New mom here!

[traci]

I just found this site and would love some advice from you ladies.

We are planning our first trip to DisneyWorld and my son will be almost 2 years old. Please offer any input to the following questions! I APPRECIATE your help

Which resort do you suggest?

Childcare at the resort?

Best time to go: Oct. or Nov.

How long to stay?

Top 3 things we don't want our son to miss

 

[traci]

anyone??

 

[Manon]

Hi Tracy! Welcome to Disboard!

The best resort for your family always depend on the money you have!! Value hotels are great with there colors and the big pools, moderate are nice too, more relaxing, more lanscape, and deluxe well it's deluxe!!! Very nice but much more expensive.
How long would you like to stay?? To visit all the parks I would say that you would need at least 5 to 7 days. Because with a 2 yo you have to take a break in the afternoon for naps and to relax a bit. They're just so much to see!! You could spend a hole month !!!

At Disney theres so much to see and to do, you could go eat at Characters Meals with your son, he would love it. The pools are very nice too.

If you have other questions feel free to ask!!

 

[Manon]

Oups ! I forgot! October could be nice you could do the Halloween day with Mickey and friends!! But you know any month you go, Disney is so magical that you will have the time of your life!!

 

[tbelfonti]

Which resort do you suggest? Well, that all depends on your likes and your budget. Personally I am dreaming of the trip where we can stay at the Poly. We have stayed at Contemporary (Tower), Wilderness Lodge, Coronado Springs, Caribbean Beach and the old Disney Institute. All worked for us and we would stay at any of them again.

Childcare at the resort? You would have to use an in room childcare service (Kid's Night Out, Fairy Godmother). Disney doesn't offer childcare programs for children under the age of 4. Dolphin and Swan hotels have child care programs for children 3 & up.

Best time to go: Oct. or Nov. I've never been in November, but October is gorgeous. Pretty much anytime in October or November (up until Thanksgiving week) will be pretty quiet compared to the summer months

How long to stay? Again, this is a budget and specific child issue . When we took our oldest to Disney for the first time (at 16 months) she was READY to come home after a week. If I had my way, we'd never leave

Top 3 things we don't want our son to miss Is he a Buzz fan? Then Buzz Lightyear's ride at MK. My nephew LOVED meeting Tigger at that age - it was the highlight of his trip.

 

[Jacksmom99]

Hi! I'll try to help.

Resort: Will you want to go back to the room during the day for your son to nap? (This is really suggested by most of us) If your budget can afford it I would stay at one of the monorail resorts or the Wilderness Lodge for their easy access to the Magic Kingdom. There is also the possibility of renting points from a DVC member if you'd like to have use of a kitchen, washer/dryer, and a living room to use while the little one sleeps. If you are on a budget, I really like the moderate and value resorts for different reasons. I haven't yet stayed at any of them, but are planning one night at Pop in August and my kids are really looking forward to it from the pictures they've seen.

Childcare: Only the Deluxe resorts have childcare, but only for ages 4-12. There are a couple of off-site services that will send a babysitter to your room. Two that I've heard mentioned here are Fairy Godmother's and Kid's Night Out, both with great reviews. We are actually going to use one of them for the first time in August.

Oct or Nov: I would pick Oct. if you want to get tix for the Halloween party at MK, and the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot goes from end of Sept to middle of Nov. The crowds might be smaller in Nov, but I think there's more to see as far as special events in October.

How long?: I think at least a week so you can leisurely take in the attractions at your son's pace and not rush through everything. Take a day or two and explore the resorts, play in the pools, etc.

Top 3 Things: 1) Do a character b-fast to get pictures of your son with his favorites. 2)Fantasy Land at the Magic Kingdom. 3) SpectroMagic Parade also at MK: DD loved this when she was 15mo old. She laughed and clapped the entire length of the parade.

Let me know if you have any more ???'s!

Good luck planning!!

 

[traci]

We can do the deluxe resort as far as the budget goes...is that what you would suggest? If so, which one?

Since our son is so young would you visit Just the Magic Kingdom the first time around? We plan on staying about a week. I have heard some of the parks aren't as "fun" for the younger babes!

I could hug you all for the help you are offering me. Thanks a million!!

 

[DZNYMGCFAM]

I agree that anytime you go is a magical time , but if swimming is one of the things you want to do, I would guess the sooner the better (Not really sure of temps in Oct/Nov). The resort choice depends on what you are looking to spend and what theme your family likes. I have never stayed at the value resorts so I can not tell you about those (I am sure that someone on this board can though). I have heard wonderful things about them though! The Moderate's are very nice..our favorite is the POR. We tried Corondao Springs but its theme was just not for our family (we ended back up at the POR after only one night). We have walked through CB and thought it was pretty cool. My best friend stayed there with her family one year and they loved it. Never stayed at the POFQ, it looks really nice, but its theme is not what we like. We like the rustic feeling of the POR Alligator Bayou section . We are trying the Poly this year , we have been there a few times to walk around, but never stayed there. It is a very lovely resort. We stayed at the GF on our honeymoon, but that was quite some time ago, but we absolutely loved it !! We would like to stay there again.

I would say that 5-7 nights would allow you a good amount of time to see quite a bit...not everything, but plenty. Definately come back to the resort for afternoon breaks (nap time, swimming, etc.). We have done this every year with our kids and it really helped with getting in a few more evening hours. We would come back, have a quick snack, change into our bathing suits and go to the pool for an hour or so and then come back and have the kids take a nap or lay down for quiet time (the older ones would lay there so the younger could fall asleep). Sometimes we would all end up taking naps , we get so worn out with all that we do and the heat!!

I can not help you with the childcare question, we have never needed childcare at WDW (I am not a very trusting person when it comes to my children...I had a bad childhood ).

Let's see, things not to miss....my girls all loved the "It's a small world" ride at MK even when they were only a few months old and they still love it. Country Bear Jamboree at MK. Toon Town Hall for character meets at MK (If he is not afraid of characters). My daughter was 2 1/2 last year and she loved Goofy's Barnstormer at MK. The Jungle Cruise at MK. Muppets 3D at DS. Playhouse Disney at DS. There is plenty of things for a 2 year old to enjoy at Disney I could go on forever!! I would also have a few character meals if, again, he is not afraid of them. Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary Resort is a great one (they have Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Chip and Dale). Crystal Palace in MK (They have Winnie the Pooh characters). There are plenty of others, but those two are our favorites.

Welcome to the DIS, good luck and happy planning!!

 

[DZNYMGCFAM]

We can do the deluxe resort as far as the budget goes...is that what you would suggest? If so, which one?

Since our son is so young would you visit Just the Magic Kingdom the first time around? We plan on staying about a week. I have heard some of the parks aren't as "fun" for the younger babes!

I could hug you all for the help you are offering me. Thanks a million!!

MK and DS have alot for the young ones. Epcot does not have too much. AK..it is okay they probably have a few things, but not alot....you could probably skip it and do it another time when he is older. My kids only like the Its tough to be a bug show, the Kali river rapids ride and the boneyard playarea. Everything else they are too young for or afraid to ride.

I would recommend that if you get a deluxe resort, use one that has the monorail....we are looking forward to not having to fold up the stroller everytime !!

 

[tbelfonti]

We can do the deluxe resort as far as the budget goes...is that what you would suggest? If so, which one?

Since our son is so young would you visit Just the Magic Kingdom the first time around? We plan on staying about a week. I have heard some of the parks aren't as "fun" for the younger babes!

I could hug you all for the help you are offering me. Thanks a million!!

If you can swing a deluxe resort, I would definitely go for it! We just got back from our trip and we stayed at the Contemporary in the Tower. WOW, is all I have to say. While some may consider it "outdated", we just fell in love with the location and to be able to watch the castle change colors at night? Priceless I loved to be able to walk back from the Magic Kingdom after a day in the park - it's maybe a 10 minute walk at most.

However, the theming at the Polynesian cannot be beat! The pool is just gorgeous and the grounds are beautiful. My mom (who had never stayed on property until this trip) said that the Poly will be where she stays next time!

The Grand Floridian is a beautiful hotel!

And then there is WL and AKL: Both are gorgeous hotels. The only "downfall" to them is that they are not on the monorail line so you would need to worry about bus transportation to all the parks and not just AK / MGM.

As far as taking DS to the different parks: we take our kids to all 4 theme parks. My youngest one (10 months) is very mellow baby and content to take everything in from her stroller. She enjoyed everything.

Her favorites:
Epcot: all the flowers caught her eye
MGM: Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Playhouse Disney
AK: Festival of the Lion King, Safari
MK: IASW, and believe it or not, Carousel of Progress!

 

[lovethattink]

Traci, My oldest son's 1st trip to Disney was when he was 18 months old, he is now 11 years old. We stayed at the Beach Club. He loved playing in the sand at Storm-along-bay. The theme pool at the Yaht and Beach Club. The wading area was just perfect for him! It was nice being so close to Epcot and MGM. He has always enjoyed Epcot. He loves music and the shows there always appealed to him. He did not care for most of the attractions until he was older. He was afraid of thunder and darkness and most of the attractions have 1 or the other.

When he was 2, we stayed at the Boardwalk. He didn't do as well with the pool there, as he had with the pool at Y&BC. Again we loved the location of this resort.

Now I have a 13month old. We have been staying on property once or twice a month on weekends, since last June. We have stayed at PORS, POP, All star music, all star movies and all star sports with him. He seems to enjoy all of them. Our oldest one prefers the pools at PORS, so we stay there more often.

Hope that helps.

 

[kjustice]

Don't forget the PlayHouseDisney show at MGM-Studios. You can warm him up with the shows before you go and then he'll get real excited to see Bear, Stanley, Rolie Polie and the whole gang! (Mom just might sing along as well).

Both October and November are great - and the weather is similar both months. Depends on the "event" you want to enjoy - Halloween or Food and Wine? Downtown Disney is great for Halloween without paying the additional ticket price for Mickey's Not-So-Scary. And Mom and Dad will enjoy Food and Wine at Epcot while Junior enjoys the ride. If you come a bit later - Candlelight is exceptional and sitting with your son in your arms listening to the story of Christmas is something I would recommend to EVERYONE!

I would point out that if you stay at the Wilderness Lodge busing isn't your only option - there are also boats to MK and if you get the right one you don't have to fold your stroller.

Oh, Epcot also has the squirting fountains little ones enjoy - pack a swimsuit in his diaper bag just in case!

 

[kjustice]

Ooops - forgot to make a plug for www.abbf.com. They rent some essentials you might need and deliver them right to your hotel. We're going again in June and I'm getting DVD/VCR's for the rooms.

Another thing we do is take a picture of the kids in the chair outside House of Blues each time we go (this would work anywhere). How are the growing so fast!?!?!?!

 

[eeyoresmountainpals]

Hi traci ~

You're going to have soooooo much fun!

I personally would recommend the POLY if you can afford it. We were there when our two youngest boys were very little. It's very calm and laid back. I would definitely say to stay on the monorail line. It's so much more convenient when you're travelling with a little one and with a stroller! POLY also has a zero entry pool (like walking into the water at the beach) where you can sit and let the little one walk around.

Last October was our first trip back to WDW since 1997 and we stayed at the POLY again. It seemed strange, though, travelling without strollers. My DH and I both remember our last trip in 1997 where we travelled with a twin stroller AND an umbrella stroller!!!

 

[monorailsilver]

My input:

Which resort do you suggest?

Anything on the monorail line. I personally like the Polynesian because you have monorail access to 2 parks. I hate taking the buses & I hated taking them on my last trip in 2002 with a stroller which meant taking out the diaper bag, little cooler & folding up the darn thing.

Also if you do the MK most of the time it will make it so much easier/quicker to get back to the resort to have your son nap.

Childcare at the resort?

I have never used the child care options because after all I am there to see them have fun (even though the trip is really for me!).

Best time to go: Oct. or Nov.

It is central Florida so be prepared to have long pants, long sleeve shirts & a jacket. I have been to the West Palm Beach area at this time of year & there were many cool days.

If you are looking crowd wise I don't think either time is bad other then holiday weeks.

How long to stay?

It all depends on what you want to see.

I took my dd to all 4 parks (she was 15 months old at the time) & she had fun & we will do all 4 parks in July (with my now 4 yo dd & just shy of 2yo ds).

The MK is obvious to go to.

EPCOT there are fun things too. There is the Imagination Station (Journey into your imagination) where they can play. At night some of the walkways light up. The dancing fountains are always fun. The Living Seas (what kids isn't mesmorized by fish). Plus there are different things to see in each country that your son may be amazed by even if he doesn't 'get it'. I would skip the shows though because they can be long & boring for him.

MGM, the shows, etc...I usually only spend one morning there.

AK, I am sure he will like the animals & I also only spend one am here too.

I would skip the water parks because with a child that young they are a waste of time for you to go to when you can just swim at the resort.

Top 3 things we don't want our son to miss

1. Parades.
2. The characters (the one's he knows & likes)
3. There are too many things for me to pick just 3!

I will say just make sure you take time out to leave the park for a nap/rest period. You will need it as will your son. I am not a fan of a stroller napper because I do believe a child needs down time with out al lthe hoopla going on around him/her.

Bring snacks for him to eat too while you are walking around.

We ship a box of diapers/wipes & some non-perishable food too.

We also eat breakfast in our room. This saves time & money.

 

[traci]

Does the poly have a monarail? I guess the Beach Club doesn't? I feel so uneducated! You are all such a blessing!! WE WILL HAVE A STROLLER

 

[EthansMom]

Which resort do you suggest?

We like POFQ. It's the smallest resort and therefore easier to get around with children. My kids liked the theming on our recent trip -- my 3.5 year-old especially loved the pool theme although the main pool was over his head in most spots. There is a baby pool. It's fun to take the boat from POFQ or POR to go to Downtown Disney. The big downside is that there is no sit-down restaurant -- you either have to eat at the food court, walk e
Childcare at the resort?

For a 2 year-old, you'd have to hire an outside service like Fairy Godmothers.

Best time to go: Oct. or Nov.

We like Sept. and Jan./Feb. for low crowds. I'd go for any time that is Value Season.

How long to stay?

5-6 days is good for a leisurely visit. After 6 days, my kids were ready to go home. You can do most stuff that's age appropriate and baby swap the adult rides pretty easily in 5-6 days.

Top 3 things we don't want our son to miss

Based on preferences from my 1 year old and 3.5 year old, I would go with a character meal (w/Pooh, Tigger, Eyeore, & Piglet) at Crystal Palace in MK, Country Bear Jamboree in MK, It's a Small World in MK for my top 3.

 

[lecach]

Traci: Did you post on a pregnancy board earlier today? See - I told you that this board would be very helpful!!!


Yes the poly has a monorail - the beach club does not. The Beach Club is in the boardwalk area along with Yacht club and Boardwalk Inn and is walking distance to Epcot. If you think you'll be spending most of your time in Magic Kingdom you should stay at one of the monorail hotels (Grand Floridian, Poly, Contemporary) or Wilderness Lodge since they have the boat. If I could stay anywhere I would probably choose Poly or Wilderness since the themes there appeal to me. I like GF too but I dont think DH would as much as the others.