Cheyenne for 6 night or Sequoia for 5 nights

[nicklet]

Hi I am new here and I planning our first trip to dlp for dd's 3rd birthday in september.
How long would we need to see and do everything at a slow pace allowing for naps ?
Should i book the shorter trip for the use of a pool or should I go for the cheyenne for the extra time ? The flight times for the 5 night trip would mean an evening arrival and an early leave so we would only have 4 full days. Thanks.

 

[DLPdaft]

if you're going when the schools are back in term after the first week in September, and you're going midweek, you'll manage to do everything that a 3-year old (and their parents) want to do and see in 4 days in the parks easily. So 3 or 4 nights would be a good option I'd say.

I've hardly ever had taken time out for a swim at DLP, even if we've had a pool .

 

[ShimmerTinks]

I think i would choose the fewer nights and stay in the SL - Its a lovely Hotel, like the person posted above i think you will have enough time still to see all you need
Im staying in the Cheyenne for my first time next month! I have heard good reviews about this Hotel......but if i could choose to have a pool aswell i think i would def go for SL! Its a nice pool too. My DS loves to splash around etc. Would be nice to chill out and relax for a couple of hours in the day at the pool.

 

[ThBa]

I stayed in both hotels.

We did the Cheyenne for 4 nights inside the park and we loved it very much.
The theming is great and the bunks beds was a favorite for my kids. The breakfast was sometimes chaotic but ok. The walking distance to the park is too far, so you can use the shuttle bus which could be full sometimes.

In January we stayed at the SQL (5 nights). It was a way better hotel in my opinion. No bunk beds, but the new "Bambi" theming is very nice and the rooms are bigger. The breakfast was better too and we walked each day from your hotel to the parks.

You can see everything in 4 days inside the park. In January we were 6 days inside the park and i must say that it was enough. Not that it was boring at the end but it was enough.

We used the swimming pool at the SQL only once to see it. We loved it and it is a very nice pool but I guess I am not at Disney to go swimming.

I would choose the SQL and go for 4 days.

If you could spend the money stay longer because each day is a magical day.

Greetings from Germany

 

[cherrymarzipan]

Gosh, this is such a personal thing. I would, and we always do, choose length of stay over a pool or even a nicer hotel. We have stayed in the Cheyenne lots of times and find it fine as we like to spend all our time in the park. We have stayed in the HNY which the children appreciated for the pool more when they were older rather than when they were tiny. If by staying at the Cheyenne for longer you can also make use of the earlier arrival and/or later departure you would get more than 5 full days which allows for a slower pace and more time just wandering around soaking up the atmosphere looking at all the detail perhaps while your daughter naps in her buggy as it should be pleasant weather still in September.

Only my opinion though, everyone looks at these things differently.

 

[Isila]

I would go for longer stay
but on the other hand - walking distance is important with a little child. How often do you plan to get back to hotel?
How important is pool to you?
How many things you have planned to do while in DLP?
And how much time you actually "save" if doing 5 night trip?

 

[Strawberryblush]

Me personally would choose the extra day. We stayed for 6 days in June last time and we still didn't run out of things to do.

There is so much to do at the parks etc that I think a lot of people don't even find the time to use the pool ( We didn't when we stayed at the DH on our first stay). Also..when you take in to account how expensive it is to stay at disney I find using our time up to go swimming seems such a waste when we can do this anytime back home you know?!

Just my opinion of course...but i'd definitely pick staying that extra day over staying at the next hotel up.

 

[Strawberryblush]

Btw - We didn't use the shuttle to the parks once during our stay at the Cheyenne (We have 3 young kids). We actually enjoyed the walk to the parks everyday and didn't find it far at all.

 

[Happy Tappy]

Depending on the room you're staying in, the Cheyenne can be quicker to walk back to than Sequoia. Even if you're staying the the furthest room it's not that far to walk and there's always the shuttle buses.

I love the Cheyenne, it's brilliantly themed and is reasonably priced (for Disney!). If staying onsite, I only look at the Cheyenne or Disneyland Hotel, the hotels in between aren't worth the extra money (imho).

6 nights is too long in September if you're only planning on visiting Disney. For that reason I'd say go to Sequoia Lodge and enjoy the pool.

If you do book the Cheyenne, make sure you change the room type to the cheapest room. The more expensive options are just a little bit closer to reception (and often further from the park). It's not worth the upgrade (which they automatically apply!).

 

[Strawberryblush]

Depending on the room you're staying in, the Cheyenne can be quicker to walk back to than Sequoia. Even if you're staying the the furthest room it's not that far to walk and there's always the shuttle buses.

I love the Cheyenne, it's brilliantly themed and is reasonably priced (for Disney!). If staying onsite, I only look at the Cheyenne or Disneyland Hotel, the hotels in between aren't worth the extra money (imho).

6 nights is too long in September if you're only planning on visiting Disney. For that reason I'd say go to Sequoia Lodge and enjoy the pool.

If you do book the Cheyenne, make sure you change the room type to the cheapest room. The more expensive options are just a little bit closer to reception (and often further from the park). It's not worth the upgrade (which they automatically apply!).

I guess that depends on the person who is visiting. We don't find 6 days too long.

Maybe a childless couple would find 6 days too long - but for someone with 3 young children like myself - 6 days isn't too much at all.

 

[ShimmerTinks]

when i stayed in the Santa fe, which is just across from the Cheyenne, I was expecting the walk to be quite long from what i had read before. But i have to say its not really that far away IMO, I actually enjoyed the walk to the parks, being nex to the water seeing the fish in there! There was always something to look at so maybe thats why it seemed quicker because its a nice walk.

like someone said you could prob walk to your room at the Cheyenne quicker than getting to your room at SL!

But i do love the SL!! - Im excited about staying at Cheyenne next month! My DS will love the theming.

i did say in a post above i would choose SL with a pool over Cheyenne, but when i have stayed there i did only use the pool once! somethimes at night you just want to relax in your room. Depands how often you think you will do back to your Hotel

 

[HappyPanda]

I stayed for 5nights/6Days in the Santa Fe last February. Even as two adults we didn't run out of things to do and I'd have stayed for longer if I could.

So if there was a choice between spending longer in the parks or having a nicer grade of hotel, I'd choose nights anytime!

But as someone else has said, it's a very personal choice and depends on whether you think that your trip would be enhanced greatly by being slightly closer to the parks and having the pool at your disposal.

I'm sure no matter which option you choose, you'll have an amazing time!

 

[Happy Tappy]

I guess that depends on the person who is visiting. We don't find 6 days too long.

Maybe a childless couple would find 6 days too long - but for someone with 3 young children like myself - 6 days isn't too much at all.

I have children myself and have visited that time of year. I find that we can do everything we want in around 3 days. After that we're just repeating rides, which I love but by the 7th day I think I'd be a little bit tired and Disneyed out!

Unless you're planning on visiting Paris, there's not enough to do for 7 days.

 

[Strawberryblush]

I have children myself and have visited that time of year. I find that we can do everything we want in around 3 days. After that we're just repeating rides, which I love but by the 7th day I think I'd be a little bit tired and Disneyed out!

Unless you're planning on visiting Paris, there's not enough to do for 7 days.

On our last trip we went in June and it wasn't busy then but we still wasn't "tired and disneyed out" at the end of our stay. Like I said before it just depends on the person, group, family etc....
I guess it depends on a lot of things too.... like how quickly you rush around the parks being one. If you dash from one thing to another like a whirlwind and don't stop for a breath then 3 days would be more than enough! But if like me you prefer to just stroll around at your own leisure enjoying and taking everything in at a fairly decent pace then 6 days or more is great and we're still not bored and have definitely not run out of things to do.

It's like some people choose to rush around over 3 days and then go back a few times a year (Costing more in travel) but I prefer to book more days and make the most out of that one long trip.

If we had run out of things to do.... we definitely wouldn't be spending that kind of money on booking more days each trip - onsite at disney doesn't come cheap!

 

[Strawberryblush]

I forgot to add -

On our first trip back in March 07 (4 days) we arrived late on arrival day and left early on departure day...so we really only had 2 1/2 days and we had nowhere near enough time to do everything. We didn't even enter the Village on that trip because we didn't have time. The weather was pretty bad and it was slightly busier than our June trip but this is something you have to take into consideration at any time of year really..because non of us can predict weather and crowd levels.

 

[nicklet]

Thanks everyone.

The original plan was to stay at the cheyenne for 6 nights due to the fact that this is going to be our only holiday this year.
so for that reason and because it is our first trip and dd's birthday, we wanted to take our time and enjoy every bit of the parks including the shops, the scenery and meeting as many characters as we can (dd as been on two disney cruises so is fine with the size of the characters).

Then a freind who went to dlp last october for 6 nights told me that it was way too long and that they were bored by the forth night, But they don't have young children and have no interest in the characters, so a bit different from us.

We really would love to spend as much time there as possible.

Then again we don't want to be bored by the end of the trip wishing we had gone for a slightly nicer hotel for a shorter amount of time.

Btw not that bothered about the pool just thought it would be an extra thing to do if we needed to fill up some time.

 

[nicklet]

Forgot to say: not planning on going back to the hotel too often maybe once a day if needed, but I am hoping dd will nap in her pushchair.

 

[jennytablina]

Thanks everyone.

The original plan was to stay at the cheyenne for 6 nights due to the fact that this is going to be our only holiday this year.
so for that reason and because it is our first trip and dd's birthday, we wanted to take our time and enjoy every bit of the parks including the shops, the scenery and meeting as many characters as we can (dd as been on two disney cruises so is fine with the size of the characters).

Then a freind who went to dlp last october for 6 nights told me that it was way too long and that they were bored by the forth night, But they don't have young children and have no interest in the characters, so a bit different from us.

In regards to time and level of enjoyment, it really depends on the pace you set - and what you plan on doing. Young kids tend to like re-riding rides they like a lot often, so I imagine your DD will be will be as happy as can be. But I'ld say 5 days is my personal limit, much as I love DLP! But everyone is different : )

If you find Disney getting a little boring, you can book a shuttle from a hotel (I know you can book this from Sequoia at least) to Val D'Europe - which has a biiiiig mall, even has a Sealife Center attraction inside and a supermarket. It only costs a little extra to do as I recall.

The pool is lovely at Sequoia : we did it once and it was lovely - the only annoying thing is the pool is a bit deeper than I like. but the jaccuzi is lovely and I have nothing but love for the steam room/sauna : ) - you'll certainly feel refreshed and relaxed afterwards (there is a shallow pool area for DD though it's outside)

Essentially it sort of boils down to how much you like relaxing, if your plan is to blitz the park and want as much time as possible to do it all in. Do the Cheyanne, it's a great hotel - kids LOVE the theme and you still have the option of taking the bus or the less cramped walk to the parks ; ) - the only downside is that due to it's huge room capacity, breakfast at Cheyanne is rarely quiet, but you can always book the Good Morning Fantasyland Breakfast!

The Sequoia is much more relaxing in terms of theme, and tends to have a bit less of a scrum at breakfast. But practically you lose a day for a pool you might not ever use, and 5 minutes off the walk to the parks. I'ld say go for the max amount of time, enjoy it - and then if you want to come back, you can always choose Sequoia next time : )

 

[River<3Mickey]

Hi, we stayed at SL between Xmas & New Year for 3 nights, 4 days, with a 2.5 year old and completely fell in love with the hotel. One of the guides, 'Unofficial', has it down as the best for families with children. Due to it being December and the late park hours we didn't visit the pool or outdoor facilities.

Have you considered staying offsite for the first night?
We stayed at the Kyriad and then got a taxi to SL first thing in the morning, checked in & left our luggage at the hotel. We were in the parks before 10am.

That would be my plan, especially as I found DD falling asleep very unexpectedly. I think it was a combination of the travelling and the sensory overload, plus new stuff to take it. Normally she needs a good half hour walk, in the quiet, to go to sleep in her pram, at Disney, in the middle of the parks she was asleep in minutes.

This meant, even though we were there for almost 4 full days, we didn't get some of the kiddy shows done in the studios. They all seem to be on at the same time. When DD, was either having a meltdown *** she needed to sleep, or was asleep. We have a bugaboo bee, which lays flat & has a huge hood, so it's fantastic for naps & she slept for hours in it. Leaving us free to visit shops, bars etc in adult peace

 

[deepblue]

We are going for 5 full days plus an overnight from travelling. We have a 4yo and a 1yo and need to go at a slow pace for their benefit. We want to have time to just soak up the atmosphere, eat and pay attention to the small things, which are just as special to them as the rides they can go on. I guess if we had older kids we'd want to run round the parks getting in the rides and we wouldn't have to work around naps and early bedtimes so a shorter trip would be all we'd need to achieve the same. I can't remember if we went for 4 or 5 days before but it wasn't too long when our daughter was just one. If you want a break from Disney then there's Val d'Europe, Paris, Versailles and further afield even.