Fun resort for kids

[Atrain13]

My wife and I are wanting to go back either spring or fall of 2017. My parents will likely be joining and we have a daughter that will either be almost 3 or a few months over 3 when we go.

We went about 4 years ago and stayed at Coronado Springs. We liked it there but wanted something different and something more for kids. What would be some good resorts for a girl that age? Not interested in the all star resorts either. Thank you very much!

 

[loves to dive]

You are probably not going to like this answer but I'm going to say any of them. At 3 they are basically in wonder of everything they see. There is going to be overload in the parks so unless you plan on spending a lot of time at the resort, any of them are going to be just fine. They all have pools and all have kiddy pools. AoA has the over the top theming thing going on but personally I've never understood paying deluxe prices for a value resort. I'd go with whatever your budget will allow.

 

[ChasingLeslie]

POFQ and CBR have excellent kid splash pads, and CBR is also zero entry. If you want value, Pop and AoA are very colorful and kid friendly.

 

[Atrain13]

I was kind of afraid of that and both make sense. I just figure that in the afternoons she'll be back at the hotel napping and resting. With that said, knowing POFQ and CBR have splash pads is very useful. She loves those!

 

[Ladcassidy]

For sheer convenience with a 3-year-old, I recommend looking at a resort in the MK area. That will probably be her favorite park, and the ability to come and go quickly at nap time (or any other time) is wonderful. My family likes Wilderness Lodge the best, but the other resorts have their fans, too.

 

[Babsy]

I agree that a MK resort is the most convenient with a three year old. We liked the CR for the convenience to walk to the MK. No worries about if the monorail is running. For theming though, I would go with the Poly. It is recently refurbished and has a great new splash area for kids. Of course, if the theming of the GF us your fav, the little one will be very happy there as well.
We also like the WL, but with major renovations going on, I would steer clear of it for now. You might be fine, but if you are unlucky you could have a problem with noise at nap time. It just wouldn't be my choice until the work is finished.

If a moderate is a better fit, then the CBR is awesome if you book a preferred room. They have the best pool area of all the mods for small children, IMO. If a standard room is likely, then POFQ might work. Be aware that there is only the one small food court and no table service for dining. Many people like it despite the lack of amenities because of its small size.

Bottom line: go for the Poly, CR or GF as the very best option. CBR or POFQ as the moderate option.

Have fun choosing!

 

[Juliet25]

We stayed at POR recently and walked down to POFQ to use the splash pad. The kids loved it. I love that resort and wish we could stay there as a family of five. If you want to avoid the Values, POFQ would get my vote.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

If it's in your budget, my vote is for GF. The Victorian theme is quite "girly" and fun and they have a really cute Alice in Wonderland splash pad, plus a few character meals at the resort. A POR Royal Room would also be a lot of fun.

 

[WDWNY]

When we went to Disney when I was 6 we stayed at Pop Century and I was obsessed with it. I wouldn't let my parents book a different hotel for the next 3 trips. I loved the giant colorful icons and the bright colorful buildings. I made my parents walk around the entire resort with me and take pictures in front of the giant icons every trip.

 

[happymommy]

Choose what resort suits your taste and budget really. I didn't even consult my DH when planning our Disney trips, LOL, much less the kids. They have liked each place we've stayed though!

We sometimes go back to the room for a bit of a rest, but never with the intention of fully taking a nap. The kids would nap in the stroller comfortably, but it would have been an epic fail trying to get them to nap in the hotel room.

I would also see what budget your parents are comfortable with, and consider things they may enjoy. I like the Epcot resorts a lot, as it's nice to go for a walk around the Boardwalk in the morning with my coffee, and we like the ability to walk to other resorts and into Epcot. Our first trip as a family of 4 (kids were 2 and 4) we stayed for 10 days in a one bedroom BWV, and it was a great trip! Nice to have the kitchen for snacks (I could make a simple breakfast or some noodles or something for them in the evening), and the washer/dryer was nice!

Although I've stayed there 4 times, now AKL is not my favorite. We stayed at Kidani last trip, and we like to go to counter service places to grab a bite to eat. It was a hike or we had to take the shuttle just to get to the Mara. Plus it felt so isolated.

My new favorite resort when it's just DD and me is Pop. I like having a huge food court with lots of selections, and the room is just fine! I can't get over how expensive Disney resorts have gotten, so I just feel more comfortable spending less (we really don't spend a ton of time in the room anyway).

 

[Shanti]

My wife and I are wanting to go back either spring or fall of 2017. My parents will likely be joining and we have a daughter that will either be almost 3 or a few months over 3 when we go.

We went about 4 years ago and stayed at Coronado Springs. We liked it there but wanted something different and something more for kids. What would be some good resorts for a girl that age? Not interested in the all star resorts either. Thank you very much!

Try the Port Orleans Riverside Royal Rooms.

 

[tink1970]

DD's first trip was when she was almost 3. We stayed at the Contemporary Resort for the convenience of walking to MK. Her favorite ride was...the playground Second was the pool... I figured out she didn't care about deluxe amenities as much as I did, for sure.

The next several were either mod or value. Her favorites were Pop (far and away-but I'd consider AofA either Little Mermaid rooms or one of the suites) and POFQ (dragon slide at the pool, beignets). The buses were kind of a pain to take her back and forth for a nap which I did daily because with a little one that is so important (for my sanity!).

Bottom line is younger kids are amused by little things at any of the resorts so it comes down to what your budget can tolerate and what your family will enjoy.

 

[monorailsilver]

You are probably not going to like this answer but I'm going to say any of them. At 3 they are basically in wonder of everything they see. There is going to be overload in the parks so unless you plan on spending a lot of time at the resort, any of them are going to be just fine. They all have pools and all have kiddy pools. AoA has the over the top theming thing going on but personally I've never understood paying deluxe prices for a value resort. I'd go with whatever your budget will allow.

I agree with that as well.

If there is a pool and Mickey everywhere she will be happy!

 

[Shellyb84]

I would vote for the Poly. They have a great splash area and zero entry. The pool and splash pad at CBR was WAY too crowded for us. Also the BC pool has a very nice, shallow area with sand she would probably enjoy. BC is my DD's favorite resort.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Try the Port Orleans Riverside Royal Rooms.

Remember that they only sleep four, so you would either have to go before she turns three or book two rooms.

 

[Atrain13]

I really wish the Poly and GF weren't so expensive. Do the resort rooms have more space than the POFQ? I'm not so worried about the price as my wife would be. If there's more room then I could possibly talk her into those.

 

[Babsy]

I really wish the Poly and GF weren't so expensive. Do the resort rooms have more space than the POFQ? I'm not so worried about the price as my wife would be. If there's more room then I could possibly talk her into those.

Yes, the rooms are much larger (>400 sq ft) than the rooms in POFQ or CSR(314 sq ft). They also have more comfortable seating, and nearly all rooms at the GF have balconies. the Poly have 1/3 rooms with a balcony, 1/3 rooms with a patio door opening to a rail and 1/3 rooms on the ground floor with a patio. The deluxe resorts have more amenities and dining options as well.


With a child in a stroller such as your little one, it is much more convenient to be able to use the monorail and not have to fold the stroller to take it aboard a bus every time that you are going somewhere. From the Poly you have particularly easy access to the MK and the Epcot monorails.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Yes, the rooms are much larger (>400 sq ft) than the rooms in POFQ or CSR(314 sq ft). They also have more comfortable seating, and nearly all rooms at the GF have balconies. the Poly have 1/3 rooms with a balcony, 1/3 rooms with a patio door opening to a rail and 1/3 rooms on the ground floor with a patio. The deluxe resorts have more amenities and dining options as well.


With a child in a stroller such as your little one, it is much more convenient to be able to use the monorail and not have to fold the stroller to take it aboard a bus every time that you are going somewhere. From the Poly you have particularly easy access to the MK and the Epcot monorails.

Sometimes when you are boarding the monorail, they may ask you to remove your child from the stroller and fold it up. It just depends on how crowded it is.

 

[mister morrow]

I think that you and your family should stay at a MK area resort.

So that limits you to:

Contemporary, BL, GF, Cabins at FW, Poly, WL

The ones I think that are the most "kid-friendly" are The Grand Floridian, Poly, Contemporary, or WL.

Contemporary-
pros:
-monorail to other resorts and parks
-a short walk to MK
-large rooms
cons:
-noise from Chef Mickey's
if you stay: request a MK view room (which will cost more) at the opposite end of CM

Polynesian-
pros:
-monorail
-short walk to TTC to get to Epcot
-amazing theming
-view of MK fireworks
cons:
-price
-shared buses

Wilderness Lodge-
pros:
-most affordable (of the ones I mentioned)
-theming
-view of the electrical water pageant
cons:
-under construction until 2017
-quick boat ride to MK
-shared buses

Grand Floridian-
pros:
-theming
-monorail
-view of MK
cons:
-shared buses
-price

Of these resorts the Poly, and GF have the most kid friendly pools. If

If you stay at any of the mentioned resorts, you may have to upgrade to a villa hence your party size.

Have a good trip!

 

[RedOne3781]

For what it's worth, the very first thing I remember in my entire life is the first trip to Disney World that I took in 1984 when I was three years old.
I have a very very vivid memory of taking the ferry to Magic Kingdom, wanting to feed all of the birds, and waking my dad up at the crack of dawn to go to the pool.

My point: there is a chance your child will remember bits and pieces of this vacation, but I don't think the resort will really matter to them at this point.

That being said: Art of Animation and/or Pop Century seem like good choices as far as theming geared towards the younger set, while Contemporary/Poly/Grand Floridian offer a lot of convience if you are spending a lot of time at Magic Kingdom and plan on taking mid day breaks.