going with 2 young kids in hotel room

[Mickfarland4]

When we go next year I can't see how it would be a "vacation" if all four of us are in one tiny room(boys 3 and 5). As I was watching them play football the other night in the living room WBC sounded better and better! What do you do with high energy kids in one little room? I am assuming you will say they will be so tired from the parks that they won't act like this but, what do YOU do during naps also? A balcany, living room, and seperate bedrooms sound very appealing to me! Help me decide between POR or off site at WBC(where we would have lots of room to spread out)! I have not been here in over 15 years and DH in a long time as well. This will be the kid's first trip.

 

[6elginfans]

Naps - I know there are people that head back to their room for naps, but we have always just let our kids nap in their strollers. For Me, the thought of getting on a bus/car and heading back to the room to watch a kid sleep is not in my vacation plan.
Energy- most likely they will be very tired, but on the odd chance you need to expend energy there are a few options. We have stay at POR for the past 4 years. You can swim at one of the small pools. You can walk to the main building to people watch. In the afternoon they have activities at the main pool. You can take a boat ride to Downtown Disney.

 

[jessicamouse]

I have two small boys that were the same age as yours when we went last Christmas. I was worried about the same thing. Every time we go to Chicago or someplace like that for a weekend I regret the hotel experience because it ends up being more stressful. However our Disney trip was completely different. We were out late every night the kids were exhausted and fell asleep on the bus every ride home . We didn't worry about getting up too early and just let them sleep in until they were ready to get up which was usually by 9 AM. To be fair my kids are not nappers. But I really did feel like the excitement of Disney kept them happy and the bus ride home helped bedtime go very smoothly. All that said, we hardly saw our room so I would go with whatever is most cost-effective for your family.

 

[wiigirl]

Naps and breaks

 

[amomma23]

I think it depends on what type of vacation you want. If you plan to spend a fair amount of time in your room, a bigger place might be better. For us, the room is just a place to sleep and shower. If we're not at a park, we're at the pool or DTD. We always say Disney is the one place our boys don't fight.

 

[Ladcassidy]

Get the bigger place. No reason for everyone to sit in the dark while the boys nap or sleep.

 

[su_A_ve]

It's a matter of convenience and budget. If you can afford it, by all means. At the same time, you know your kids and should know how to work their schedules around.

Keep them busy the whole day, they'll be exhausted when they hit the bed, however many kids, come crashing down (big tantrums), while others just simply go out. In that case, they need naps and breaks to make them go down easy.

My .02..

 

[savannahcat]

We always stayed offsite when the kids were younger. Our kids were simply better behaved when we kept their sleep schedule as close to normal as possible. Having the extra space after they went to bed for the night was invaluable!

We now own DVC and like to stay onsite for the location, but I expect that we will still do some budget trips in an offsite condo now and then. Maybe we are odd in that we enjoy both types of trips.

 

[kpm76]

Offsite has no appeal to me. I like to be "inside the gates" and feel the magic all the time. But everyone is different.

I would go deluxe before moving offsite. The Poly rooms are huge and the resort has great transportation. Any of the Epcot area resorts are wonderful as well. Our kids are 6 and 2 but we visit a few times/year and have taken the kids from 4 months old on so we have experience traveling with very small ones, toddlers etc. Our DD6 was always been an excellent sleeper and needed naps so we would head back to the resort for a few hours, let her nap and DH and I would relax on the balcony. Everyone was happy! DS2 is not a consistent napper and never has been so we don't have to break as much for him but we always let the kids be our guide....if they are cranky, tired etc, we break.

For a first trip, the kids will be super excited but also a bit overwhelmed. Staying at a deluxe will give you more space but the transportation is convenient enough that you can break without losing too much time traveling back and forth.

 

[AJA]

They will be exhausted 99% of the time, as will you lol!


Honestly at that age I found my DD wanted to be with me and DH while on vacation and out of her normal routine anyway. Even if you had extra room they'll probably be near you anyway.

If it were me, I would def stay on site while they are so little!!

When they're older and more independent then go for the extra privacy.

 

[ElizabethB]

Why not try a family suite at a value resort? Like Art of Animation. Separate room with queen size bed for mom and dad. Two bathrooms. Kitchenette. Two TVs.

Or, the Fort Wilderness Cabins. Bedroom separate from the living area. Fold down bed in the living area if parents don't want to sleep in the same room as the kids. One large bathroom. Full kitchen. Big deck for the boys to run around on.

Or, try a one bedroom Disney vacation club villa. King bed for mom and dad. Split bathroom. Full kitchen. Pull out sofa bed for the boys. Washer/dryer. Jacuzzi tub.

I also agree that the boys will be tired out. If you want to be really close to MK and don't mind one room, stay at the Contemporary Resort. You can walk over to MK with the boys in strollers and walk back the same way. Easy to return to the hotel for time in the pool or a nap. The CR rooms are spacious and nice. There is a nice balcony or patio for most of the rooms where parents can relax while the kids sleep.

Just a few thoughts.

 

[funantiques]

No strollers. Have them walk. They will be exhausted and fall asleep quickly.

 

[Palendat]

We have gone through what the OP has gone through. We have usually gone with extended family and we usually just parked ourselves outside the room, on the walkway , enjoyed a relaxing drink and reminisced about the day. Our boys slept with the door ajar without a problem.

 

[Haley]

We are debating the same thing- it will be 2 adults and our 2 year old though.

At first I was thinking a AoA suite but I don't want her sleeping alone on the table bed or sofa bed - they are near the door and I don't want to be in the back bedroom with her having free reign to the bathroom/kitchenette. And she won't sleep with us in bed.

So I think we are going to do a deluxe resort and when she naps we'll probably want to take a nap. When she goes to bed, we'll sit out on the balcony with drink/snack.

I know on our last trip we would usually be out until 9-10pm and dd would fall asleep in her stroller or on the bus. And then she would sleep in later than usual in the morning- it was great.

 

[HM]

We first went when my kids had just turned 4 and 6. We tried to go back for a nap the first full day back at room in ASMu. It did not work. Their energy level was too high. For the rest of the week, we just skipped nap time (they didn't nap at home at that point anyway) and just went at their pace for the rest of the week. They slept fine at night.

Hope it works out for your OP.

We've always shared a hotel room with our kids (now 19 and 17). One of my sisters on the other hand refuses to do so and always gets some sort of suite.