Fav resort with kids

[lovemy2girls4eva]

Which resort did your young child like the most in terms of theming, activities, pool, etc. Thanks!

 

[sponica]

Whichever one I wanted to go to that had a pool. Seriously, kids just want pools and/or playgrounds.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

DAKL by a mile.

 

[lovemy2girls4eva]

DAKL by a mile.

Thanks! This one is one I had in mind! Did you find getting to the parks was a pain?

 

[EilonwyWanderer]

With young kids I absolutely tried to stay at a monorail resort, it just makes things SO much easier. Even moreso now that the GF is connected by a walkway too. Our top favorites are Grand Floridian and Wilderness Lodge, which isn't on the monorail but has the boat and pretty quick buses for MK since you're so close. The kid water play areas in both places are great as are the pools.

I would absolutely not recommend AKL with little kids if you plan on doing a lot of the parks. Not for more than 2 or 3 days. The buses are the worst.

 

[SleeplessInTO]

Boardwalk when DD was little. Has a little kiddie pool and playground. Bonus for me was being able to push her in the stroller back from two parks to our room, without waking her up.

Now she is 6, she likes Polynesian and Wilderness Lodge for their pools and theming. So do we. Not as convenient to the parks as Boardwalk but not bad.

Honourable mention to Beach Club. She adores the lazy river. I’ll enjoy it more once she’s older and can swim properly.

Animal Kingdom lodge is fantastic - but we prefer to visit than to stay there. Rooms feel too dark for DH. The theming, animals, food, community room are all top-notch. I have great memories of sitting on the balcony looking at the animals in the savannah. DD lost interest quickly though, so checking out the viewing spots before lunch at Sanaa is what we do now.

Can I also just add that the value resorts are great? DD would rather stay at All Star Movies than most deluxes.

 

[sponica]

DAKL by a mile.

I can't wait until we're out of stroller land. I just don't want to be bus only when we still use a double stroller in parks.

 

[Schneewittchen37]

My kids really enjoyed Fort Wilderness and Caribbean Beach when they were young.

As they've gotten older, I think they appreciate the deluxe resorts now. Wilderness Lodge, Contemporary and they really loved Boardwalk (it may have been the dearly-departed scary clown pool).

 

[DaniPoppins]

When my daughter was little, she loved Art of Animation! The water play area there is great and all of the big characters and bright colors seem to really appeal to kids. With the Skyliner there now, it is a great option!

Now that my daughter is a tween, she insists that we stay at the Beach Club every trip! Lol! She LOVES the Stormalong Bay pool!

 

[PalmettoPath]

For us, Grand Floridian is a runaway leader in terms of top resort for kids. From the pools, to activities, to lobby (they love it) to wide open lawn spaces etc. Plus, MK proximity is a bonus.

 

[HopperFan]

Babies & toddlers - they didn't care. Pool & Naps and oblivious to all else. Wilderness Lodge worked very well for a small footprint, some napping & some exploring and manageable pool area. So from adult perspective this was perfect.

Elementary age - Animal Kingdom Lodge. The animals, the pool, the activities (one of the few resorts we did several of these) ... total package.

Teens - Coronado Springs was their favorite. They stayed there at all ages and always loved the pool area but as teens it became their favorite. Amenities, dining options and easy bus travel.

Adults - While they would have picked several for what they enjoy, they are budget conscious and park centric so POP Century became the favorite.

It is interesting to me how many they have no interest in staying in as teens/adults.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Thanks! This one is one I had in mind! Did you find getting to the parks was a pain?

No, I don't think the buses are nearly as inconvenient as everyone makes it seem.

I can't wait until we're out of stroller land. I just don't want to be bus only when we still use a double stroller in parks.

I think I agree with this when it comes to Caribbean Beach or the Polynesian, but the walk from the Boardwalk resorts to Hollywood Studios sucks in the summer, and the monorail transfer at the TTC to get to Epcot sucks always. I'd rather take a bus direct to some place than have to deal with transportation hubs, whether that's the TTC or the Caribbean Beach Skyliner station.

 

[Haley R]

Our son is 2 and he constantly talks about Polynesian. We’ve stayed there twice with him and loved it both times. He also really liked the cabins at fort wilderness

 

[megs1313]

AKL is the correct answer to this question.

 

[RanDIZ]

AKV! I will take any inconvenience I have to to stay here. Part of the reason I own here is because it actually feels like a vacation. Nice and secluded away from the rest of WDW. Where else can you walk out on your balcony to a Savanah?

 

[Have3Kids&aHusband]

When our kids were small they liked the Wilderness Lodge and Poly. Now that they are older they like YC the best. But we did a split stay at YC and GF this past summer and our son really enjoyed the GF. They're all teens now and he liked how GF was less crowded.

 

[hmansionlover]

AOA all the way. Three great themed pools. Larger than life characters. Stayed at Cars section and the cozy cone pool is awesome. Also access to the Skyliner. NO Brainer

 

[MrWreckless]

AoA, my kids thought the Skyliner was the best ride in all of WDW.

 

[Wendysofftoneverland]

As toddlers, they loved the values and Fort Wilderness, and were enamored with the Polynesian, though we never stayed there. Preschool age, they wanted water play areas, playgrounds, and activities. They loved Port Orleans, Saratoga Springs, and Caribbean Beach. I'm sure they would have loved other deluxes, but SSR was the only one we've stayed at so far.