First Booking On-Site.....Any Suggestions

[bengaltider]

Just looking for some suggestions for first on-site with DW and DD(5) and DS(1.5). We have been many times but always stayed off-site. Will be DD's 5th Bday and we want it to be special. Obviously looking for convenience, amenities, etc. Booking for next October, so just getting a head start on the planning. Thanks in advance for your replies.

 

[klofan]

It really all depends on your budget. If money is no object than I would vote for one of the monorial resorts: CR, Poly, or GF. Or even the Epcot resorts: YC/BC, S/D, or BWI. But if you want to go cheap, go with All-Star Music. Its, IMO, the most quiet AS and best themed.

 

[themilesfamily]

What a great 5th birthday gift! Here are my thoughts on hotels for kids in that age bracket:

If you want something to dazzle the kids in a deluxe resort w/all the amenities:
ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE -- young ones will love watching the animals/try for a Savannah view
BEACH & YACHT CLUB -- has a wonderful pool (Stormalong Bay) with a sandy bottom/cute poolside ice cream shop -- Beaches & Cream/character dining at Cape May Cafe/walking-distance to Epcot/boat to MGM and EPCOT
WILDERNESS LODGE -- AWESOME lobby & theming/boat to Magic Kingdom

**(I've heard that boats are convenient for strollers -- push the stroller on and go)

If convenience to the Magic Kingdom, specifically, is the ultimate priority:
CONTEMPORARY -- monorail to MK/can transfer to EPCOT/some say the theming doesn't thrill the young kids
GRAND FLORIDIAN -- same thing/some say it's too formal for the young ones
POLYNESIAN -- monorail access to Magic Kingdom & Epcot/neat theme for kids

If you're looking to save some money but still stay somewhere cool:
PORT ORLEANS FRENCH QUARTER -- colorful theme/creatively-themed pool that kids love/a smaller layout, so no painfully long walk to your room with sleepy kids
POP CENTURY -- extremely kid-friendly/large, oversized, colorful decorations/will dazzle the kids just as much (if not more) than the expensive hotels/I would ask to be placed close to check-in, transportation and the food court.

 

[themilesfamily]

Oh, and by the way -- WELCOME to the DISboards!!!

 

[Colleen27]

Just looking for some suggestions for first on-site with DW and DD(5) and DS(1.5). We have been many times but always stayed off-site. Will be DD's 5th Bday and we want it to be special. Obviously looking for convenience, amenities, etc. Booking for next October, so just getting a head start on the planning. Thanks in advance for your replies.

For kids that little, I'd want to go deluxe if at all possible. More specifically, I'd look for a resort with a zero-entry pool, and none of the values/mods have them. Not all of the deluxes do either. I know that when my kids were littler, they liked that beach-style pool better than the seperate kiddie pools, because with the zero entry, they could wade in as far as they were comfortable, rather than having only 12 or 18 inches of water to splash in.

I think the Polynesian has the best amenities for little ones. The volcano pool is really cool and has a zero-entry section. Plus it is on the monorail, which makes transportation to Magic Kingdom and Epcot a breeze, and you can watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the beach at the resort, which would be nice if the little one is bothered by the noise/crowds in the park or is ready for bed before the show starts. The boat to the Magic Kingdom is also a really nice ride, especially in the evening when it starts to cool off some. It is one of the most expensive Disney resorts, though, so if you're on a budget it might not be the ideal choice.

On a smaller budget, I'd look to Port Orleans French Quarter. It is the most compact of Disney's moderately priced resorts (making for shorter walks with sleeping babies, and a quicker path to food when they're hungry in the morning!), and it has the first bus stop on the route so it is unlikely that you'll have to stand on any buses. The theme is colorful and fun, and my kids really enjoyed the pool there.

 

[themilesfamily]

Good point about the zero-entry pools! Here are the resorts that have them:

Animal Kingdom Lodge
Polynesian (the very cool volcano-themed pool)
Grand Floridian
Beach & Yacht Club (has a kiddie pool for little ones that is zero-entry -- Stormalong Bay is not zero-entry)
Saratoga Springs (Disney Vacation Club property -- but you can rent rooms and suites here often)

Correct me if I'm wrong on any of these -- but I believe this is the up-to-date list.

 

[Colleen27]

Good point about the zero-entry pools! Here are the resorts that have them:

Animal Kingdom Lodge
Polynesian (the very cool volcano-themed pool)
Grand Floridian
Beach & Yacht Club (has a kiddie pool for little ones that is zero-entry -- Stormalong Bay is not zero-entry)
Saratoga Springs (Disney Vacation Club property -- but you can rent rooms and suites here often)

Correct me if I'm wrong on any of these -- but I believe this is the up-to-date list.

Stormalong Bay has a zero-entry area that wraps around a sandbar, and since the pool is sand bottomed, it really is like being on a beach. I don't know if that's what you meant by the kiddie pool, because there is another, more typical round kiddie pool as well. The pool that has the zero entry doesn't get deeper than I think 3 feet, and it doesn't connect to the main pool with the lazy river & whirlpool, but it is way cooler than a typical kiddie pool! Even my 9yo loved it - he let his sister and a bunch of other little kids bury him in the sandbar.

 

[Wendi2000]

I think the Animal Kingdom Lodge is ideal for young kids... they just love the animals (so do their parents!!!) It is such a unique resort and the transportation is great (big selling point for me). The pool is really nice, there is a very big pool with zero entry and slide. There is also a kiddie pool that is probably less than a foot deep and there are two hot tubs. I was shocked to find out that the Polynesian doesn't have any hot tubs - my body really, really appreciates a good soak at the end of the night after walking the parks all day.

 

[stavidt]

Hi-

We just returned from a stay at All-Star Movies which is a value resort. I have to say for the money it was great!!! The pool was really nice. I brought my kids swimmies and they also have lifepreservers there for free if you need them. We paid the extra money to have our room closer to the food court/bus transporation. It is called a preferred room. Well worth the money.The bus transportation was also nice.

We have also stayed at Carribean Beach which is a moderate. I personally did not like this resort. Compared to All Star movies it did not match up. I think the resort was too spread out.

My favorite has been the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge. A little known secret to non-disney fans is that you can rent the villas through a DVC member. It is way cheaper than trying to do it on your own. The villas were so nice. Instead of us all squeezing into one room and trying to get the kids settled down and then sitting in the dark or simply going to sleep. My husband and I actually relaxed like adults. We had our own sitting area, balcony, fridge (nice for wine and milk), sink, washer/dryer, etc...We enjoy eating dinner at some of the more deluxe hotels during out stay and the Villas are nice and close to them as well as the Magic Kingdom. It is nice at the end of a long day to be able to take the boat back to the villas instead of holding the kids collapsing the strollers and getting on a bus.

Here is what I would do....decide how long you want to stay. You could rent a studio, a one bedroom, or two bedroom. If you have a lot of money to spend rent a villa for a week. If you want to save some cash leave for WDW on a Friday night stay at a value for Friday and Sat. then transfer to the villas on a Sunday (they are cheaper during the week) Don't worry about missing a day in the park etc... b/c the hotel will take care of your bags. Rent the villas for Sun-Thurs. You can still do the dining plan if you choose...but you can't take advantage of the promos like free dining at the villas b/c you are getting it cheaper at the rented rate.

If you are interested go the DVC rent/trade post area. You have to first figure out which season it is to determine how many points it is.....If you add up all your points and it comes to lets say 130 points then you have to find someone who is selling their points. If they are selling the points for lets say 10/pt then you can figure 130pts x 10 = $1300.00. Sounds confusing you will understand if you research it a little.

Good luck it is well worth it.

 

[bengaltider]

Thanks for all the great suggestions so far. We really haven't made a budget, and part of the reason for that is we are more concerned with value of what is spent rather than what amount is spent, if that makes sense. Leaning toward either the convenience of one of the monorail resorts, or maybe just going light on the resort, as we seem to spend so little time at the room. Once again, all of the input is extremely helpful in making those decisions. Keep em coming....

 

[alldiz]

DELUXE...
WL.....I just love this place....When you leave the parks
the place is soooo relaxing and beautiful.
Awesome lobby.....tons of nooks and crannies to explore...
Great pool...fun slide.
Geyser....bay lake.....boat to M.K or Contemp...to get to monorail.

I would stay away from AK till construction is over.
Very hit and miss there right now...

Yacht and Beach....great pool....but very large....too much work
to keep an eye on 2 small kids.

2nd choice the POLY....great location...
Cons for me are....always seems crowded and hectic...
Not guaranteed a balcony for the high price.

MODERATE.

POFQ...this place is great....Very small resort....every room is close to
everything...Yummy food court...
Very heavily themed pool....great for young kids...

If you can afford....I would not stay at a value....
They are A GREAT" VALUE "THOUGH...
Have Fun Planning
Kerri