monorail resort worth it?

[asmit4]

I am considering renting points to stay at Bay Lake (just a studio). We will be going with a child who is under 2yo and it will be myself and my mom. (Hubby isn't into DW)....We normally stay offsite or do a value but my thought is with a toddler- being at a monorail resort is a great advantage.

Thing is the cost is about 400 more over a room at All Stars for a short 3 night trip. Do you guys really think a monorail resort with a toddler is worth it over All Stars? IF we wanted to- we could probably stay at AOA in a family suite for the same price as Bay lake studio.

LO is free and we already have park tickets so we are trying to keep this a 'budget' sort of trip.

I'm just wondering HOW much the monorail is worth. What are your thoughts? The buses are a non issue when it's just me and my mom but I see tired, hungry, sweaty kids on the bus and parents carrying strollers and well...it doesn't look pretty!

 

[WsPrincess]

We LOVE staying at CR/BLT. To us it is completely worth it. Since our kids are very young we spend the most time at MK and it is so great to not have to fold up the stroller or even wait in line to get back to the resort when we leave the park. For everyone it is different but for us we love it.

 

[MichiganDVC]

At Bay Lake, its not about the monorail so much as it is literally a 10 minute or less walk from the entrance of Bay Lake Tower to the gates of the Magic Kingdom. When we stayed there last year, it was "neat" to be that close when heading to the MK...but it was absolutely thrilling to not have to board any transportation on the way back to the resort at night!!! Especially if you have a 2 year old, it will be great for you to be so close to the Magic Kingdom on a 3 night trip.

Of course, you are also a short walk away from the monorail at Contemporary and that's very convenient.

Having said all that, the cost to stay at Bay Lake is huge. Everyone says that kids that young don't really care for the nuances of deluxe theming and all that...they only remember Mickey and the Castle and such! So if you choose All-Star or AoA, you'll still have a fabulous trip I'm sure.

 

[PlutosRHM55]

Yes, staying at a monorail resort is definitely worth it, especially if you are staying at BLT or the Contemporary because you can walk right to the Magic Kingdom, which really is a lot shorter than people think it is and the monorail can sometimes be more efficient than buses.

 

[DJSMOM]

Just stayed at CR in November with a 2 year old. Was always a dream of mine to stay there. It will never happen again. The convenience really wasn't there. The monorail isn't reliable enough as far as operation in general. We waited a long time a lot of times because it was down. Now they have cut the hours in general that the monorail runs too. The elevator from the monorail level down is very very small. There was always a line. I could have folded the stroller and taken it down the escalator but that's easier said than done with a sleeping kid. The buses to AK and HS were shared with the other area deluxes. The only convenience was the ability to walk from MK, especially when the monorail was down.

Have stayed at Poly before as well. Much better experience as far as actually getting to the monorail platform but the hours of operation being cut and the the "down" time don't make it worth it for me.


Just my 2 cents!

 

[tinkermommyof3]

We have stayed at all monorail resorts except BLT. This is our favorite area. Yes, we have stayed in Epcot area as well. Being able to have multiple transportation options--bus, boat, monorail and walking (when staying at CR) is great. Staying at the Poly gives a lot of flexibility being next to the TTC. Walk there to go to the Epcot monorail. There are even TTC buses from AK park, for example. If the Poly bus line was really long, we would take the TTC bus and walk back to the Poly. These are just a few of the MANY benefits we enjoy.