First time with baby, which hotel??! Advice please!

[Booknut]

Hi everyone,

We are hoping to start going to DLRP a couple of times a year to satisfy my Disney 'obsession' (DH calls me a 'Disbot' ).

We are expecting our first baby 1 December (a little princess!) and i'd love to go to DLRP next April and December. This may be a crazy plan but for now i'm enjoying planning it!

What i'd like to know from those of you who have been and perhaps any of you who have taken a baby/toddler, which hotel would you recommend? I know the Disneyland Hotel would be very convenient but its also quite pricey and we wanted to go for 3 nights so it would be a huge expense. Plus we're hoping to get Annual Passes as well so would like to take advantage of any specials we might get through that.

We also like the look of the Hotel Cheyenne and the Explorers (off-site). Do all the hotels have easy to catch shuttle buses? Could we take a pushchair on a shuttle bus? Can you walk from the Hotel Cheyenne or Sequoia to the resort in a reasonable amount of time?

Would love to hear your opinions on what you think would be the best hotel to stay in. Thanks for your help!

 

[DLPdaft]

Hi,

Congratulations on the news of the baby!

I can't answer all your questions, but I can say that the Cheyenne and Sequoia Lodge are an easy 10-15 pleasant walk to the entrance to the parks. You can take pushchairs on the shuttle buses, but the buses do get very full at the start and end of the day, its a mad rush with very little queuing or manners involved.

Elaine

 

[Cyrano]

We found the Hotel Cheyenne was a nice walk along with our own pram/stroller

 

[A Small World]

You will probably find Explorers a little bit too far to walk and the shuttle buses from there are a bit chaotic as they pick up from 4 hotels however you could drive from the hotel depending on how you intend getting to France in the first place.
If you get dream annual passes you can park at any Dis Hotel except Disneyland hotel free of charge.
We recently stayed at Holiday Inn (next to Explorers) and drove to New York every day and parked there rather than fight with the crowds on the buses. It is then only a short walk to the parks

 

[tracydcp]

We found the walk from the Cheyenne to the parks very pleasant with a buggy, 10 mins max it took us. Definately take your own buggy as the hire ones do not recline and would be unsuitable for a young baby.

HTH

Tracy x

 

[Tony]

We found the walk from the Cheyenne to the parks very pleasant with a buggy, 10 mins max it took us. Definately take your own buggy as the hire ones do not recline and would be unsuitable for a young baby.

HTH

Tracy x

Re: taking your own buggy. Has anyone had any problems (i.e. theft) with regard to doing this? We have a great combo - a maxi-cosi car seat that fits on a quinny zapp frame, but I'm a bit worried about leaving it in the park outside rides etc incase someone else takes a "liking" to it...

 

[BRobson]

Re: taking your own buggy. Has anyone had any problems (i.e. theft) with regard to doing this? We have a great combo - a maxi-cosi car seat that fits on a quinny zapp frame, but I'm a bit worried about leaving it in the park outside rides etc incase someone else takes a "liking" to it...

No I have never heard of a buggy going missing. Sometimes when you hire the Disney ones they get "borrowed by people that don't want to pay the hire charge!!!

I would not worry

 

[milomummy]

Tony..I have read of a few people who have taken a combination bicycle lock to fasten their buggy to something whilst on rides 'just incase'. My DS is almost 4 but we are still taking a buggy as he's a heavy little tyke (plus it's always good to have something to carry the bags on lol), don't think we'll bother buying a lock to take though, the buggy is almost 4 years old now and has seen better days, doubt anyone would want to 'borrow' it.

 

[tracydcp]

We were worried about our buggy before we went so we did take a bicycle lock with us but we didn't even use it once. Everyone leaves their buggies at the rides so we didn't worry about it at all. As long as you don't leave anything valuable on it then it should be fine.

Tracy x

 

[winchamwench]

Hi

Just to reiterate what others have said. We took a buggy a couple of years ago on our first trip and had no problems and we left coats and bits and pieces on it. I did read somewhere though that as a deterrent you could put a nappy (unused) in a nappy sack and tie it onto the handles.

Mags

 

[newnhambolton]

What sort of baby changing facilities do they have?

And do they have food warming facilities in the hotels and park?

Thanks

 

[Cyrano]

There is an excellent babycare centre beside Plazza Gardens just off the hub

 

[tracydcp]

Just a note about nappies, make sure you have enough with you each day as the baby care centre only had one size when we went and you'd have to buy the whole packet.

HTH

Tracy x

 

[Booknut]

thanks everyone for your advice. I think if we take our car we will probably stay at the Explorers and drive to the New York parking lot, that sounds sensible and is a good way to see the different hotels for the next visit!

If we go by Eurostar i'm still not sure! If I can get a free night I might splurge for the Disneyland Hotel! I keep telling DH its the best choice for the baby as its so close but just between you and me its also because I really really want to know what its like to stay at a hotel that is at the entrance to a Disney park!!!

 

[Cyrano]

thanks everyone for your advice. I think if we take our car we will probably stay at the Explorers and drive to the New York parking lot, that sounds sensible and is a good way to see the different hotels for the next visit!

Worth noting that only the Dream AP gives you the benefit of being able to park in any of the Disney Hotels except DLH

 

[flea72]

tagging on to the OP, are there any rides you can take a baby on?

our baby will be 5m when we go, and we were wondering how we could work the rides for the 2 older kids, and ourselves.

we dont want to have to queue up twice so we can all go on, so can we all go up together, then wait whilst one adult goes and then swap whos holding the baby. i know they do this on some (not all) rides at Legoland, so wondered if Disney offered the same sorta thing?

Flea

 

[Ware Bears]

Yes they do a baby swap at Disney too. You just have to mention it to the CM in charge of the ride.