Help choose resort for 12 month old

[Tallync]

Hey there! I'm a first time post-er, long time lurker. My brother is getting married at Disney World in October and my 10 month old son and I will be flying down to join him and my family. My son will be 12 months when we go. We will be staying with my mom and dad. My husband is active duty so it's 50/50 whether he can get the leave time to go which adds a nice complication.

My son is a great sleeper at home. He naps twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon and goes to bed by 8 p.m. and sleeps until 6 a.m. His sleep stinks when we travel unless we co-sleep. We're going from Saturday to Wednesday. What resort would you recommend for us? I'm the only one who's been to Disney and that was almost 15 years ago and I stayed in Tampa with my aunt and uncle.

We're thinking Art of Animation because it seems very small child friendly with the zero entry pool and bright colors, but it is one of the farthest from Magic Kingdom which is a downside since we will most likely try to go back to the hotel for at least one of his naps. I would love the Contemporary for the ease of the monorail, but budget is a big factor for us and our dates fall outside of every promotion available (8/6 to 8/10).

 

[twinboysmom]

Obviously a monorail resort might be a bit more convenient but they don't come cheap. WL has a boat to MK and it's not quite as expensive. But here's my two cents. Stay wherever you want and or budget can afford. I say this as the mother to twin toddlers who have been 5 times (#6 next month!!!!!). Your sons schedule might change (my boys were down to one nap at 12 months and didn't sleep as many hours at night). Is he walking yet? If not he might not at 12 months and the zero entry pool might not be a big deal. I would look for a pool area that had a good children's play area (cbr comes to mind). As far as resorts, AoA woukd be a good fit or any of the values. They all have big icons and bold colors and are very young child friendly. One of the family suites might work well for your family and would give you a separate area for your parents to sleep and 2 bathrooms. Also a kitchenette. They are available at AoA and all star music.

I don't think it's that big of a deal going back to the resort using the buses. The monorails can be slow as well. What has worked for us is to let our boys nap in their stroller. WDW makes their schedules very unpredictable and they have a hard time settling down at the resort during the day. One of the most important things you need is a good stroller with a large canopy and a clip on battery operated fan. This helps a lot.

 

[minnie mum]

You said that you will stay with your parents. Frankly, I'd pick the resort that they want to stay at. Your son will be fine no matter where you stay. Review the resorts and their rates for your dates. Select a few that fall comfortably within your budget. Discuss these with your DH and parents.

If a smaller deluxe is in your price range, then WL might meet your needs. Otherwise any of the mods would work.

 

[MMS1125]

Can you use the military discount? I think your DH would have to be there though to use it since they require ID at check-in unless there's a way it can be taken care of ahead of time.

 

[Tallync]

I'm working on finding out now if I can get any military discount. My brother picked the weekend RIGHT AFTER military discounts end as his wedding date (slight grumble inserted here but I smile and keep my mouth shut because it's his wedding). But the people on base said they would look in to it to see what's out there otherwise.

DS is not walking yet. That's a big fat yet because he is getting very balanced and steady on his feet after he pulls up and lets go. He's actually "walked" already without actually realizing he wasn't holding on to anything but the wall. We do have a nice stroller (I did about 1000 hours of research, kind of what I'm doing now for Disney). It's a City Mini with the nice large canopy. I will invest in a fan to attach though, so thanks for that tip!

I need to learn the lingo and abbreviations. I had no idea what most of those were (other than DS and DH) lol.

 

[twinboysmom]

I'm working on finding out now if I can get any military discount. My brother picked the weekend RIGHT AFTER military discounts end as his wedding date (slight grumble inserted here but I smile and keep my mouth shut because it's his wedding). But the people on base said they would look in to it to see what's out there otherwise.

DS is not walking yet. That's a big fat yet because he is getting very balanced and steady on his feet after he pulls up and lets go. He's actually "walked" already without actually realizing he wasn't holding on to anything but the wall. We do have a nice stroller (I did about 1000 hours of research, kind of what I'm doing now for Disney). It's a City Mini with the nice large canopy. I will invest in a fan to attach though, so thanks for that tip!

I need to learn the lingo and abbreviations. I had no idea what most of those were (other than DS and DH) lol.

Perfect WDW stroller and the fans are about $10-15 on amazon. As for abbreviations, I know we used WL which is wilderness lodge and I used cbr which is Caribbean beach resort. Ask any questions you need to.

 

[minnie mum]

I need to learn the lingo and abbreviations. I had no idea what most of those were (other than DS and DH) lol.

Here you go. There's a sticky inside the WELCOME thread on the main page that lists all the common abbrs.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1660743

 

[TJA]

Perfect stroller for disney -- we also have the City series but a double jogger (we have twins). I agree with the above poster to not be surprised if your son's sleeping patterns get out of sync. At that age in disney, my twins slept at any time of day or night in the jogger. That's where the importance of a good, comfy stroller comes into play, so you did good!

I also agree to look at resorts where the adults will be happy. Your son will be happy anywhere. You could price out the wing at CR which is much less money than the tower. And as someone else said, take a look at the WL as it's just a boat ride away from MK. If you can get a deal, the Beach Club is awesome for a child that age -- there is a large sandy section with shallow water -- that has been our favorite pool since our twins were babies. Also, you can walk to Epcot (enter in the countries) which is great for dining in the evenings.

 

[sndral]

When are you going? Just because there are no discounts now does not mean that Disney won't have future discounts you can use.
All Disney resorts are very kid friendly and at your son's age everything is new and magic - he's too young to really know that Disney is extra magic, so I agree w/ pps - choose what works for the adults, it's bound to be a bit crazy w/ the wedding, where is the wedding happening, btw? Your parents might prefer to be close to the venue.

 

[raven69david]

We took DS1 to AoA on opening day and he loved the resort. He loved playing with the designs on the carpet and it kept him entertained while crawling on the floor. Since we were the first ones ever to stay in that room, I didn't mind him crawling around. The same is not allowed when at any other resort.

I would definitely do AoA as there are many things there to keep him entertained.

 

[ExcitedDisMama]

I'm working on finding out now if I can get any military discount. My brother picked the weekend RIGHT AFTER military discounts end as his wedding date (slight grumble inserted here but I smile and keep my mouth shut because it's his wedding). But the people on base said they would look in to it to see what's out there otherwise.

DS is not walking yet. That's a big fat yet because he is getting very balanced and steady on his feet after he pulls up and lets go. He's actually "walked" already without actually realizing he wasn't holding on to anything but the wall. We do have a nice stroller (I did about 1000 hours of research, kind of what I'm doing now for Disney). It's a City Mini with the nice large canopy. I will invest in a fan to attach though, so thanks for that tip!

I need to learn the lingo and abbreviations. I had no idea what most of those were (other than DS and DH) lol.

Just FYI, they announced new military discounts yesterday, starting October 1. Check the discounts and rates boards for details. Good luck!

 

[believinthemagic]

Let me start by saying we've done value, moderate & deluxe, all with baby/toddler age children, and wherever you stay it will work out and you'll have an amazing time!

That being said, if your DH can't make the trip do you think you will always have another adult with you going to and from the hotel/park or will you sometimes be by yourself with your child? I'm just asking because I have found it can be very tricky if they fall asleep in the stroller and you are getting on & off busses carrying a folded up stroller and a baby. If you can swing a decent price on a monorail resort (contemporary, poly or Grand Floridian) you can leave them sleeping in the stroller all the way to your room. That alone can be worth its weight in gold

but if it's not possible, don't stress!! Just try to have an another adult with you on the busses so one can have the stroller and one can hold the child.

 

[disprincessatheart]

I have gotten married at disney and i have a toddler who's now been on several trips. I would say you want to be close to the wedding site and close to MK. What about renting DVC points for Bay Lake? We stay there once a year with our son and its really easy for naps and things! Shades of green is also very close and y ou might be able to stay there with or without your husband. IF they are getting married in the epcot area (boardwalk, yacht club, etc) then try the swan and dolphin!

 

[cutigerlady]

Last year we stayed at WL with our 6 month old son. It was nice being close to MK, however you should know that not every boat that goes to the MK is easy to deal with a stroller. Some of the boats will require you to remove your son from the stroller and fold it up. I think every other boat was one that you could just wheel the stroller on.

My son never naps in his stroller, so we always had to go back to the room for him to get a nap. I wanted to have access to a balacony to have a spot to myself while he slept. The moderates/values won't have a balacony.

We are going back in September and are planning on staying at the BC. I like that all of the boats to HS and EP allow you to just wheel on the stroller. My family spends alot of time at these parks. We usually go to MK early in the morning and dealing with the stroller on the bus is not an issue.

 

[Tallync]

You all have been invaluable resources! I cannot thank you enough for all the suggestions. I actually just saw this morning with complete surprise and happiness that we will be able to book with military discounts starting August 17th for our trip. It is going to save us a ton of money. I contacted our travel people on base and they are going to get an official quote on the 17th with the new discounts.

As far as the wedding there is a little bit of hitch on that... I wasn't actually invited because he chose the tiny package so only 4 are allowed and he has 6 going already to accommodate the parents. To be extremely honest, he has no idea I'm going to Disney. I have no intentions of crashing his wedding, but I do want him to know he has my love and support. So I will wish him well and see him off, and that's all. It's long and complicated and I don't want to overshare, but I can't imagine not at least being there the day he gets married.

My mom has since my original post decided that having two bathrooms would be ideal for her (GI issues) and make her more comfortable. So she was thrilled to learn that AoA suites have 2 bathrooms. That pretty much sold her. And then finding out we get 30% off? Yep, we're game. I have 6 days before I can get my official quote so if I find something along the monorail for comparable, then maybe we'll change. But let's face it, probably not.

I also just discovered Shades of Green resort. I think if it was just DH and I and DS then it would be perfect. But with my parents going I like the idea that there is a separate room for them and us at night. I can't understand why the military doesn't promote this more. I just found out about it today from DIS boards. No one has mentioned it before now and DH has been in for over 5 years. What gives?!

Okay now that my dilemma with resort seems to have mostly resolved, I must start obsessing over what we're actually going to do and avoid (loud shows, scary, etc.). And then there's food...

 

[MMS1125]

If you can't swing a monorail resort I'd price the WL too. They have a boat to MK and the resort is pretty compact so food and pool are pretty close by. Only 1 bathroom though

The only places you will get 2 bathrooms without paying for a villa is AoA family suite or All Star Music Family Suite. You can get 2 rooms cheaper than a suite though.

Regardless where you stay have a great visit and I hope your brother really cherishes you being there on his wedding day even if you can't attend the actual event.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

My first reaction was going to be that any resort would be fine, in terms of being fine for your child. They are all child firendly. The deluxes do offer some pluses, but any resort is great for kids. All Disney resorts have kiddie pools, so even if the one you pick doesn't have zero depth entry, it will have a water feature he'll enjoy.

My immediate second consideration - especially with a small child - is that being at the same resort as your brother should trump everything.

I've done lots of extended family stays, and being spread across two resort is very time consuming. You spend lots of time trying to meet up with each other and coordinating arrivals.Then if you've got an infant that needs to nap...If you aren't famililar with how far apart the resorts are then you may be in for a big shock. You could easily spend well over an hour trying to go from one resort to another via bus. That's ONe trip. Mulitply it by several days and it could consume much of your time. I'm truly surpised nobody has mentioned this so far.

You also say you are on a budget, so Im guessing you are considering skipping a car as welll. Being spread across two resorts and not having a car is even worse. When we did the two resorts thing we had a car. It was still a pain. If you really want to stay away from your brother- have a car. Even then, I'd say between the two options I'd pick the resort.

Having two bathrooms is nice, but at Disney...well we manage. (yes we put four and five to a room) You can always use the bathroom by the resort restaurants or the one in the lobby (though that's a more viable option in deluxes than values). All Disney reosrt, I think have the vanity outside the shower area. Many also have two sinks. I'll grant two sinks is nice.

My suggestion is that you find a way to stay where your brother is staying. Period. If you have to modify the length of your stay to cover the cost or find another way to cut costs, or save before you go, that woudl be my choice. Soemtimes if I know a trip to WDW is coming then it's not hard to keep our budget tighter.


One more tidbit...What makes the Contemproary great is not taking the monorail to MK. It's that you can WALK to MK. It's often quicker than taking the monorail, esp if you are going from CR towards MK. (Because then you have to ride the monorail past the other resorts)

Oh, one more thing, generally speaking AoA is likely to have less discounts than the other resorts, since it's the newest resort. If you really decide that's where you wnat to be, bok quickly as discounted rooms will go quickly.

 

[Tallync]

My first reaction was going to be that any resort would be fine, in terms of being fine for your child. They are all child firendly. The deluxes do offer some pluses, but any resort is great for kids. All Disney resorts have kiddie pools, so even if the one you pick doesn't have zero depth entry, it will have a water feature he'll enjoy.

My immediate second consideration - especially with a small child - is that being at the same resort as your brother should trump everything.

I've done lots of extended family stays, and being spread across two resort is very time consuming. You spend lots of time trying to meet up with each other and coordinating arrivals.Then if you've got an infant that needs to nap...If you aren't famililar with how far apart the resorts are then you may be in for a big shock. You could easily spend well over an hour trying to go from one resort to another via bus. That's ONe trip. Mulitply it by several days and it could consume much of your time. I'm truly surpised nobody has mentioned this so far.

You also say you are on a budget, so Im guessing you are considering skipping a car as welll. Being spread across two resorts and not having a car is even worse. When we did the two resorts thing we had a car. It was still a pain. If you really want to stay away from your brother- have a car. Even then, I'd say between the two options I'd pick the resort.

Having two bathrooms is nice, but at Disney...well we manage. (yes we put four and five to a room) You can always use the bathroom by the resort restaurants or the one in the lobby (though that's a more viable option in deluxes than values). All Disney reosrt, I think have the vanity outside the shower area. Many also have two sinks. I'll grant two sinks is nice.

My suggestion is that you find a way to stay where your brother is staying. Period. If you have to modify the length of your stay to cover the cost or find another way to cut costs, or save before you go, that woudl be my choice. Soemtimes if I know a trip to WDW is coming then it's not hard to keep our budget tighter.


One more tidbit...What makes the Contemproary great is not taking the monorail to MK. It's that you can WALK to MK. It's often quicker than taking the monorail, esp if you are going from CR towards MK. (Because then you have to ride the monorail past the other resorts)

Oh, one more thing, generally speaking AoA is likely to have less discounts than the other resorts, since it's the newest resort. If you really decide that's where you wnat to be, bok quickly as discounted rooms will go quickly.

I think no one mentioned my brother because, well, like I said, I'm not actually going to the wedding. This is also his honeymoon and I in no way want him to feel obligated to spend it with us. It is something I considered at one point. He's staying at Port Orleans. But then I realized his fiance may not be thrilled that we all decided to stay right around the corner. We're big on family and things and she's.... adapting to that. So most of the inconvenience falls on my parents who will be at the wedding, at the Floridian.

It is something to take in to consideration. If we can covertly find out whether or not our staying nearby would make them uncomfortable. I didn't think about it much beyond the initial "He would probably hate that" as far as being close. Thanks!

 

[danceintherain]

I think AoA is an excellent choice for your situation. Another option would be two rooms somewhere. They won't guarantee connecting rooms, but you'd get two bathrooms etc. With the co-sleeping, I recommend getting a room with a king bed, especially if your DH ends up coming. If you get a suite at AoA, you'll only have a queen bed and various pull outs.

Zero entry pools are excellent with toddlers, especially new walkers.
As you've seen, AoA has one, as does AKL and CBR (those are the only ones I can think of off the top of my head, but there may be others).

Shades of Green does have 2 room suites that sleep 6 or 8, so that's an option. They're a little more pricey and book fast. It would have the same issues with sleeping arrangements as AoA.
The issue I've always had with Shades of Green is that the transportation isn't as convenient, IMO. They run two bus routes: one to Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios and the other to the Ticket & Transportation Center where you can catch the monorail to Magic Kingdom or Epcot. It's directly across the street from the Polynesian, but that's not necessarily convenient with a toddler. They also don't participate in Magical Express and you have to pay for parking if you have a car.