Monorail Resort or a Mod With a 2 Year Old??

[scanne]

Ok, ok. I know I am VERY early in planning.......but I am suffering from MAJOR Disney withdrawl and I just want to THINK about my next trip!

I am pregnant and expecting my first baby (a little girl) in August. My DH are very excited and happy about this!!! Even more so, we just cannot wait to take her to WDW for the first time! We were thinking of taking her for her 2nd birthday, which would be sometime in summer of 2004. At first I wanted to stay at the Contemporary with a tower room and a MK view. But then I was thinking, will a 2 year old really understand what she's looking at? I mean, I have this 'vision' of taking her on the balcony and having her see Cindy's castle and just grinning from ear to ear. Then I think, "A 2 year old really won't care, will she?" So then I was thinking of a mod, either Caribbean Beach or Port Orleans. And there's the part of me that wants to splurge and stay at the Polynesian in a lagoon view concierge room.

I have 2+ years to save, and DH and I are thinking of opening a "travel" account to keep everything safe.

So would you do a monorail resort, a mod or another deluxe? Also, All Stars are not an opetion for us. DH likes his rooms spacious and All Stars are tiny.

Thanks for your opinions. Hope you don't think I'm crazy!!!

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

Well, I've stayed on both the Contemporary's Tower Club (MK side) and the Polynesian's Lagoon Concierge. Both are excellent options for a special, magical trip. The Contemporary was great, it was Walt's original and the view from the 12th floor was awesome (I couldn't imagine a better "Disney" view).

I suppose that CBR would be nice, but I'd probably go for that deluxe resort! Heck, you could even stay at the GF if you wanted to! A room in Conch Key with a Magic Kingdom view!!! And, the Alice in Wonderland theme!

I'm sure that whatever you decide, you'll have a great time! Have fun planning!

 

[disneyag]

Given our experiences, a 2 year old will want to spend most of her time at the MK. SInce you will be using a stroller with a 2 year old, a monorail resort makes the most sense. It is SOOOO easy to push a sleeping kid in a stroller onto the monorail and zip right to your hotel. When my DD was 2, we stayed at the Poly and loved the convenience.

 

[RobinMarie]

I say go with the monorail resorts for the immediate gratification kids love. I imagine a two year old will just love being so close to Mickey. I'm also imagining a melt down could be easily diffused by the close proximity.

The Polynesian concierge would be great for a couple of reasons.
1) close
2) kids to play with in the lounge while both of you relax and view the castle
3) food pickings/beverages out all day long - great for a child who takes a bite and moves on.

 

[eeyore0062]

I have to agree, with a two year old, if finances permit, you will probably be happier at the Contemporary and it will definitely be more convenient. Save the moderate resorts for when she is older, and wants to swim instead of going to the parks.

 

[Sarah]

I am a huge fan of the Copntemporary with small kids!

We stayed there when my daughter was 16 months and this was THE hotel for us! It is a brisk walk to MK, bring a stroller and off you go. Take the monorail home for a nap---or sleep in the stroller on the way back to the hotel. The rooms are big too! They brought us a full size crib and a high chair. The pool is pretty low key and there is a sandy little beach to run around on.

And dont forget Chef Mickey's downstairs(and the California Grill upstairs!!!).

We are going to stay ther again in November, when my son will be 16 months and my daughter will be 4. So say that I cant wait is to put it mildly.

AND I started to plan my son's 1st trip while he was still in utero too....lol

 

[joyful1nh]

Definately a monorail resort. We stayed at DXL with a not quite 2 year old. She was afraid of the busses, needed that mid-day return, and wanted to spend all hours at MK. And you will need to arrive at MK early because the favorite ride will be.... Dumbo

Next year we stayed at the Poly (not quite 3). Perfect! She loved the monorail, the boat, the beach, the pool. And be sure to get a balcony because then during nap time you can sit on the balcony and read/people watch instead of being in a dark room...

If $ is an issue, consider WL. Kids love the theming and you have the boat to the MK.

 

[2boys'mom]

A 2 yo will want a nap midday. We have done WL the last 2 years. My youngest was 23mo last year and 2 and 3/4 this year. Stay either on the monorail or at WL. At WL you can take the boat to the MK. At 2, he loved the boats, and the ducks and the birds. I doubt a view will impress a 2yo, but a character breakfast will. I am afraid if we stayed at the Contemporary then we'd eat every meal at Chef Mickey's or they would revolt. LOL! We've not done Concierge, but she could use some juice, water, and fruits, crackers, PBJ, so make sure you and your husband would get the benefits from the concierge fare. My older son was very picky and last year we got a fridge so we could keep some of the few things he would eat. He's a bit better this year.

I would avoid the buses if I could. Last year we had some tough experiences with sleepy 2yo and stroller. Takes too long to get back from Animal Kingdom for nap. An hour of screaming! This year we drove to AK, MGM even though I rented WDW strollers and we got back much quicker even with the trams to the parking lots. When they get tired, you want to get back ASAP. I also agree with the need for a balcony for the same reason. Also bring a reading lite for naps or nite.


You could do the Poly or the Contemporary, and not do lagoon view or concierge and still have the benefits of the monorail. We do love the WL. We'd like to try the Poly sometime. Avoiding Contemp to avoid Chef mIckey's marathon as above. GF is probably too formal for us. I can see my youngest racing around
there.

Also a head's up, Last year it took us 4 days to do MK due to the naps. Good Luck! and Happy Planning!

 

[RobinLyn]

I also recommend staying at any one of the 3 monorail resorts, it is more than worth the extra money when you have little ones. It can be the difference between a good vacation and a great vacation, IMHO. Since you are planning this trip ahead of time (smart thing to do!) you will be well informed and ready when the time comes. When our two boys were young we were fortunate enough to be able to stay at the Polynesian twice and then the Contemporary. Little ones get tired and so do Mom and Dad. It was so nice to quickly go back to the resort for a rest and then return to the Magic Kingdom where you will probably spend most of your time in the early years. Our sons are now teens (ach!) and still love WDW. But now we rent a car every trip which is also nice when not at a monorail resort. By the way, I graduated from Eastern High School in Gibbsboro. Small World!

RobinLyn

 

[SeaSpray]

First of all, congratulations on your upcoming delivery and baby!!!

Secondly, I think you WILL have a wonderful vacation experience whether you stay at a monorail resort or at one of the moderates (I highly recommend CBR! )

However, I think logistically speaking, you would be better off at a monorail resort because of how young your daughter will still be at that time.

I don't know which monorail resort to recommend: I have stayed at the Grand Floridian and my DSs both really liked it, it's a beautiful resort. They want to stay at the Polynesian on our next trip, it seems like a fun resort!, but I also love the idea of staying at the Contemporary because of sentimental reasons!

Happy planning!!!

 

[erikthewise]

Since you're already drooling with anticipation, definitely do it right and go with the monorail!

I'm a big Polynesian fan. There's a beach and a zero-entry pool just steps from the concierge building. But GF or CR would also be grand I'm sure.

 

[Disneydenise]

One more vote for a monorail resort. Our first trip as a family to WDW our children were 4 & 2. It was by far the most memorable and the GF was fabulous. I have the most wonderful video of our children on the beach playing in the sand. The GF has full size cribs and my son was still in a crib. DD got to sleep in the queen size bed and she thought it was Cinderella's bed. Back then they left a small box of chocolates at the turn down and a poem. Both children thought that Tinkerbelle was leaving them a treat each night. After the children were settled for the night DH and I would move to the balcony to relax and talk about our day. It was the best and well worth the additional expense for the accomodations. Later when the children were older we stayed at the moderates and they were great until they got too big to sleep in the same bed. We now need more space too so we are back to the Deluxe hotels. Thanks for the memories. Enjoy your children they grow too fast, but I guess it is the plan. I never enjoyed the tantrums at the checkout for gum and candy. I'd rather that than the worry about the car and friends though.

 

[jldriscoll]

And yet another vote for a monorail resort! We took DD's 9 mon. and 4 yrs to WL in1998. They had their BEST time outside MK at chef mickey's and riding the monorail. Our character dinner there was our second to last night and both DH and I said we wished we would have known earlier in the trip how great the CR would be for the little ones! (Though you just can't beat the "feeling" at WL!) The best part from my point of view is the quick to and from MK where we spend most our time!

Have Fun...I've heard it said that young children don't always remember everything they see at DW, but I'm a believer they retain the joy and excitement of it all! My then DD 9 mon. now 4 yrs. looks at my Cindy castle snowglobe everyday and asks when she can go....

 

[NicsMom1500]

First of all, congratulations!

I know all about your dreams for your first trip to WDW as a family! And I wish you a magical time.

We took our son to Disney World for his 2nd birthday and our 10th anniversary this past January. We had been dreaming about this trip since before he was born. In fact, he was born 3 months premature and I cried "I just want to take him to Disney World" but I wasn't sure if I'd ever get to hold him.

Happy story: Our son is a healthy almost 2.5 year old. And he loved Disney World. He still talks about it. Choo choo, Peter Pan, Minnie, etc. Of course it's not in full sentences but he loves watching our vacation video and looking at the pictures.

We stayed at AKL, WL and GF.

I haven't stayed at the Poly but we'll be there this December.

A moderate would save you money and we've been to PO FQ which was nice but that was pre-parenthood. I'm sure we'll take our son here some time on a trip when want to go to Disney but need to save money.

The GF is lovely. If I had a girl, I'd want to take her there. I'm not certain how much your daughter will get from the view but I can tell you that our son loved the view at AKL and looking at the animals. I hope to get him a monorail view at the Poly in December. The castle view from GF is pretty far away but seeing at night is just beautiful.

If you stay at GF, remember to see the Character Caravan in the morning. It's something to see them strolling in to the lobby. Take the monorail over to Chef Mickey's for dinner.

Our son loved walking around the GF and watching the boats, etc.

You'll find that a 2 year old will be interested in the little things in life. Watching boats, swimming at the resort, etc. And I really prefer touring Disney at a 2 year old's pace. We actually sat in soaked up the atmosphere in the MK while our son watched squirrels. It was magical.
If can help further, let me know. And enjoy dreaming!! You are going to have a magical first trip (but be prepared for the little meltdowns that 2 year olds are famous for!)

Kim

 

[HoosierFantasia]

Definitely stay at a monorail resort fo rthe convenience. As a child my family always stayed at the CR. It fascinated me to see the monorail go thru the hotel and Chef Mickey's was cool. But this year we are going with our own 26 month old and staying at Poly. With the boat launch, monorail, TTC monorail to EPCOT, zero entry pool , etc. think it will be better.
Also, don't underestimate what your child will understand and comprehend while at disney World. I thought the same, but just within the last few months (after repeated viewings of Disneyland Sing-a-long videos and trip planning videos, she is starting to really understand. everytime she sees the Castle she says "Mickey's castle, I go there" You will see it in her eyes and it will probably make your eyes water a little.
Bill

 

[Bob NC]

CONGRATULATIONS!!

I don't think a 2 year old will know or care. BUT, YOU'LL know and care!! LOL, I think with a 2 year old in tow things would go much easier at a monorail resort.

 

[WilmaBud]

We took my then-18 mo. old to WDW, and we stayed in the Contemporary Tower. Can you believe we got upgraded to Concierge when we checked in? I was shocked; I didn't even know those things could happen (this was 7 years ago). Anyway, he really enjoyed the view from the Cont. We watched the fireworks and the water pageant every night. I'll never forget how excited he'd be: "Look! Works, works!" That's what he'd say about the fireworks. We walked home to the Cont. from the Magic Kingdom a few times - very convenient. We took the monorail and the boat, too, which he loved. One of my friends said, "Why are you taking him to Disney World? He won't even remember it!" I said, "I'm not taking him so he'll remember it - I'm taking him so that he has a good time while he's there." I mean, the memories are awesome, and all, but the whole point of going is to enjoy yourselves in the moment. And boy, did we!! It was a magical trip.

 

[scanne]

Thanks for all the great replies and ideas! I think we will definitely do a monorail resort.....either the Contemporary or the Polynesian. I'm leaning toward the Polynesian right now, but that may change. If I can save up enough $$$, I'd LOVE to go with LV concierge!!!!!

Again thanks for all the replies!!!!!