Hotel choices with kids?

[jweb20]

This is my first time going to disney as a mother. I was last there about 12+ years ago. We always stayed at the Wilderness Lodge...

I am getting ready to book a vacation now for my own family. My husband and I plus our children (2 and 6).

I really want to stay at the Wilderness Lodge..it seems logical to be close to the Magic Kingdom. Plus I always stayed there as a child. Our trip staying here is going to cost about 4,000.

If we stay at Port Orleans it's about 1,000 less.... but I wasn't sure if it might be a pain to drive to the magic kingdom? I plan on spending 2 days there... plus going in the morning, leaving to rest/pool, then going back at night.

ANY advice or experience would be appreciated!!

 

[holbie18]

No advice, but I went through similar thoughts. We were booked originally at POFQ and then I changed our reservation to WL. We will only be there for four nights. I honestly could not decide if it was worth the upgrade. I finally decided to change it because we don't plan on going to Disney every year, this will also be my kids first time at Disney and I really wanted to make it special. I have always wanted to stay in a National Park lodge too. Also, a friend of mine pointed out that it might be possible to get to parks without having to fold up the stroller (I assume boat to MK and boat to Contemporary to monorail for Epcot). My kids are 4 and 6.5. I expect the 4 year old to fall asleep in the stroller every day/night. I also thought it would be easier to get to MK from WL instead of from PO. Finally, my husband mentioned to me that he is probably going to have to work while we are on our trip. I thought if he needs to work he'd probably go down to a lobby to do it. The WL lobby is much bigger than other resorts from what I know.

 

[Mousemommy1]

We have had 3 great trips with our kiddos and our best one by far was WL!! We stayed CL and it was amazing!!! We are staying at YC on our next trip, but it was hard not choosing WL again. You can't go wrong IMHO, totally worth it for us.

 

[dzneelvr]

I don't see any reason NOT to choose WL unless budget is an issue. It is a lovely lovely resort and so very close to MK. I'm not a big fan of changing resorts for money only (POFQ) and the drive, parking, etc. will be a hassle compared to Disney transportation. Just park the vehicle . Do WL this trip and then make an informed decision for your next trip.

 

[shell8558]

I have stayed at both resorts and I really like both of them. If price is an issue- you would not be disappointed with POR. (I actually like their pool and slide better.) Since we drive to Disney, we have driven to MK many times from the resort and it was not a problem. And we always leave the parks midday to head back to the resort for a swim to cool off. I also really enjoy the boat to DD, as well as the carriage rides that are available. Good luck!

 

[TinkerMarie]

We stayed at Wilderness Lodge in September with our 4yo, 2yo, and not-quite-1yo. I really made the choice for myself ... it's where I wanted to stay. I knew the kids (the 4 and 2yos at least) would love WDW but I figured the WL would just be another hotel to them. NOT! NOT AT ALL! They loved it!

They loved everything about it. The bridge over the stream IN THE LOBBY? Awesome! The big rocking chairs? Awesome! Bunnies in the bushes? Super awesome! A real geyser? Double awesome! And then ... the BOAT to the MK.

A monorail? Big whoop. They were all about the boat.

The 2yo is still telling total strangers about Wilderness Lodge.