Poly or Yacht Club with 2.5 yr old?

[gottalovepluto]

I would not do the YC or BC if you plan on pool time in the afternoon. Stormalong Bay is fun and a little crazy, not really great for a little one. And it can be absolutely impossible to get chairs together in the afternoon. And as others have said, no splash pad. Look into the WIlderness Lodge, all rooms have balconies and they do have a good Club Level there. You would have to rely on busses to most parks, and there is a boat to the MK. It has 2 great pools and a splash pad. Quick service is good and Geyser Point is fantastic.

*I don’t have kids*

I love the WL vibe and their CL is nice but I would be terrified to be there with a hyperactive toddler. I would be obsessing every second in the club about them dashing out of site and climbing the railing or climbing onto a table and dropping 6 stories into the lobby. Dumb worry? Sure, it’s never been reported happening- but last time I was at MK I saw a youngin climb up on to the kiddie sink in the blink of my eye to which her mother exclaimed “Of course you could turn the bathroom into a dangerous situation!” Kid was just trying to reach the soap but like, Yeah. Yikes. Stuff happens fast.

I think I have been firmly talked out of YC/BC! Still debating the Poly and maybe considering DVC to get further from construction after all.

Is the recommendation for Wilderness Lodge over AKL just because I already said my husband was making faces about the food at AKL or do you think it would be the better choice for us anyway? The Savannah view rooms at AKL are very appealing to me if I give up my dreams of not having to fold up a stroller every day.

AKL has limited food options because it’s AKL or bus it. That’s one of the things that drove me crazy. 25 mins on the bus back from MK also did my psyche no good. Heck, 25 mins on a Disney bus didn’t do my motion sickness any favors either.

This discussion has all been very helpful - thanks everyone! Going with the feedback here and also my gut feeling on what theming/vibe we most want, I think we are going to go with the Poly, but may be reconsidering the DVC option I had ruled out to get further from the construction and to guarantee the balcony/patio. Would love any feedback on how comfortable that pull down bed is though!

I’d say Poly CL or GF. The problem with the pullouts I’ve seen at RIV aren’t the height- it’s the width. If you’re used to a bigger bed than a twin and you turn in your sleep you can give yourself some nasty WHACK!! ‘s on the dang wall board. Kinda the last thing an adult accruing random theme park bruises needs.

Poly CL- maybe no together balcony time but you could at least get individual evening me time in the club, breakfast and afternoon and evening snacks covered, and for anymore food you have a monorail’s worth of options

GF- guaranteed balcony and newly refurbished rooms. Not a food courts worth of QS options but I thought their QS was adequate and again 2 other hotels a monorail ride away.

Splashpad over SAB everyday for a toddler. I’ve seen the splash pad from windows at enchanted rose- ADORABLE. And the kids looked like they had a ball. One time I had a room overlooking RIV’s splash pad and it was also adorable but because our balcony overlooked it I saw just how much fun the kids were having. It convinced me if I ever have kids and can afford a hotel with a splash pad at Disney I’m doing it.

 

[Karebear]

I have actually been considering the Cars family suite again now that I've ruled out YC/BC and am also now scared of boat/beach noise and construction at the Poly! I think what turned me off is just the idea that sitting on the couch watching tv or something felt a little too much like every other night at home I was hoping for something of a view and some nice weather. Plus the fact that the transportation isn't as good, the resort seems really spread out and no table service restaurants at all.

But, the pool/splash pad, the theming for a toddler, the sizing of the suite, the ease of the cafeteria style dining, and the access to the Skyliner might make up for it! Also would definitely save some money over the other options I'm contemplating.

My kids are teens now but I would pick separate space over a balcony if it were me. We have had both types of rooms when our kid were little and 2 hours on the balcony can get really long if it starts to rain or something. But that is the great thing about WDW, different choices for everyone!

 

[LMO429]

I would say DEF Poly with a 2.5 year old. Pool is too big at the yacht club my kids at that aged loved the splash area and yacht club does not have that poly does. plus the kid activities on the lawn at the poly are seriously so much fun they have that a couple times of week.

 

[hes122]

I love Stormalong Bay, but I don't know that it's the most small child-friendly pool on property.

 

[jamescanuck2001]

Check out the splash pad at Port Orleans French Quarter..... and consider the Disney waterparks, they each have great kiddie areas

 

[Miffy]

I'm voting for the AoA suite. I know you don't get the balcony or the view, but you get privacy and a resort your 2.5-year-old will get a huge kick out of. Also, the Skyline and a great food court.

With the money you save, you can take a Minnie van to MK. Really, nothing is all that far away from any of the resorts. Even going from AKL to MK is only a max 20-minute bus ride, and DAK is a 5-minute bus ride. (So, yeah, you should reconsider AKL too!)

 

[Wendysofftoneverland]

I've been having this debate in my head too! I do wish YC had a splash pad. The toddlers in the pictures do seem pretty occupied by the shallow sand area and the small slide on the pirate ship area, but our kid is a bit of a maniac so I could see him being captivated longer by a good splash pad. So you found your little ones were more into the splash pad than the sand area around that age?

My son loves the splash pads, starting at 20 months and still loves them now (age 7). My daughter doesn't like water in her face or on her head, so she preferred sand as a toddler. We haven't stayed at either resort, but have a reservation for Poly this summer. We just love the MK area. Great fireworks views and the Electrical Water pageant in the evenings. My kids both loved visiting the Fort Wilderness ponies at that age, which are just a couple of boat rides away from the Poly.

 

[Wendysofftoneverland]

I will look into this some more! I had ruled it out just because it didn't *feel* very kid-friendly with the overall vibe and I was thinking the quick service there was also more limited. But just googled and saw the splash pad and that does look good! My husband has only ever stayed in moderates and really likes the food-court type options there (we most recently stayed at Port Orleans Riverside in 2019 and he loved the food situation there), so I've been trying to find Deluxes that have at least one option that is sort of like that (or buffets - the man loves a buffet).

We recently did GF with a 4 year old and she loved it. Full disclosure, we only booked it because Poly was unavailable. With the whimsical Mary Poppins theming (We were in a DVC resort studio) and the Mad Hatter splashground, it was less stuffy than I thought it would be. We even spotted Donald Duck meeting guests there.

 

[Skippyboo]

OP, what time of year are you planning on going, because Florida is hot and humid most of the time so that separate room in A/C at AoA might be better than a balcony.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

Poly Garden View Club Level! Usually this is about same price as non-club theme park view.

• You guarantee your location in Hawaii building, which is perfect location (and far-removed from construction).
• The rooms at Poly are so big.
• Request ground-floor room and now the outdoors becomes part of your room.
• The club lounge is like your living room. It has a little area with kid-size furniture and TV. Plus breakfast, and snacks and drinks available all day.
• The pool at Poly is much more manageable for a little one (by that I mean for the parent who is supervising the little one). The splash pad there is top-notch. And Hawaii building is right between the 2 pools.
• If not going back to parks in evening, view the fireworks from club lounge with the soundtrack playing.
• Beach view of water parade.

We have the most amazing memories of staying here with our kids when they were really little.

 

[Pyxie]

Ugh, I hear you. I was actually pretty set on AoA because my son loves Cars, until I realized there were no balcony/patio options, which is really kind of a dealbreaker for us. That 2 hours between my son's bedtime and my bedtime is the only real vacation I'll be getting on this 'vacation' so I'm not willing to give up the outdoor space and a cocktail

Just throwing this out there. It may not be outdoor space, but if you went with a suite at AoA, you would have a completely separate living area that you and your husband could hang out in while the toddler sleeps.

ETA that it actually appears you've considered this lol. But it really is a fun resort and it sounds like your toddler would love the Cars suites.

 

[TJA]

I have actually been considering the Cars family suite again now that I've ruled out YC/BC and am also now scared of boat/beach noise and construction at the Poly! I think what turned me off is just the idea that sitting on the couch watching tv or something felt a little too much like every other night at home I was hoping for something of a view and some nice weather. Plus the fact that the transportation isn't as good, the resort seems really spread out and no table service restaurants at all.

But, the pool/splash pad, the theming for a toddler, the sizing of the suite, the ease of the cafeteria style dining, and the access to the Skyliner might make up for it! Also would definitely save some money over the other options I'm contemplating.

I think I found your most recent post/thoughts. We had many trips with our kids that young and with a stroller, but they were all pre-skyliner, so I have no personal experience regarding the ease of the skyliner with a stroller. In remembering back, my kids loved ANY resort and ANY park, so I tended to choose a resort that DH and I loved. Things that were important to us back then: a balcony with great view and walk/monorail to parks. So your original 2 choices of resorts were both ones that we loved! Since you seemed to have dismissed BC/YC, I won't comment on those and my vote now goes to Poly either Lagoon View or Theme Park View. If you can find a deal, Club Level offers those 2 room types and the CL Hawaii building is in a great location - you'd just need to be sure to request "full balcony" so you don't get stuck with a second floor room. I'd make it my one and only request. DH and I loved every single night staying there. We'd put our girls to bed, grab drinks and snacks in the CL lounge, and sit on our balcony enjoying the night with a GREAT view. It was beyond relaxing and I miss those days so much. I hope you guys have the best trip!

 

[Skippyboo]

Skyliner- you can just wheel the stroller w kid in it onto the Skyliner. Don’t have to take kid out, fold stroller like you have to for buses

 

[Rory607]

I would do Poly club level. I absolutely love YC, but the pool would be stressful. I had a maniac toddler a few years ago and it would not been fun at that age! He is finally old enough that I’m not completely stressed out around water anymore. He’s 9

Club level is so great if you plan on spending a lot of time at the resort. Drinks and dessert from the lounge in the evening is one of my favorite things! I agree with requesting a ground floor. Obviously not a balcony, but the patio is nice to sit on at night.

 

[FeliciaB23]

This makes sense to me. Have you (or others) stayed in the DVC longhouses and have any thoughts on whether the queen sized pull down is actually comfortable for an adult? Also thoughts on what the view looks like for non-lagoon rooms? Is it at least tropical trees mostly or like a parking lot?

My Mom (70) and I (31) stayed in a Poly DVC Studio in November. She got the regular bed (due to us assuming it would be more comfortable than the pull down murphy bed) and I got the queen murphy. She ended up wishing for the murphy - I did offer to switch but she said no lol. The murphy mattress was slightly firmer in our room than the regular bed and was EXTREMELY comfortable. You'd never know it was a pull down.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

My Mom (70) and I (31) stayed in a Poly DVC Studio in November. She got the regular bed (due to us assuming it would be more comfortable than the pull down murphy bed) and I got the queen murphy. She ended up wishing for the murphy - I did offer to switch but she said no lol. The murphy mattress was slightly firmer in our room than the regular bed and was EXTREMELY comfortable. You'd never know it was a pull down.

Yes! I loved the murphy bed. And the pull down bed under the TV was a hit with our 10YO niece when we went last summer. And the bathrooms! So nice. We thought that room was great (plus the DVC buildings are far from the construction). But if I could swing club level, I'd choose that over the DVC rooms.

 

[hoffse]

We haven’t been yet but having traveled a fair bit with kids that age….

I would pick any of the resorts on the monorail since you will be going to MK a lot and may be on the clock to get back for nap before the meltdown starts. That would be Priority 1 for me, because at that age my kid’s behavior was like clockwork, and I had maybe a 10-15 min window for nap to start each day for it to be pleasant.

Priority 2 is pool/splash pad situation. If your kid can’t swim yet then pick one where your kid can be entertained with a splash pad. This is a safety issue and frankly should probably be Priority 1 (or tied with it) if you plan to spend a lot of time at the resort.

Priority 3 is the adult hang out space. Balconies are nice but there is only so much time you can spend there before you are hot, sweaty, and your back is aching from whatever metal or plastic chair has been placed outside. I would consider a 1 bedroom so you can put a door between yourself and your son or even consider making a request to be very close to a lobby or club level so you can put him on a monitor and sneak out for a few minutes to grab a drink together. Or take turns/swap. Or, you know, pay a babysitter to sit in the dark with him while he sleeps. I’ve done that before on vacation, and it’s actually pretty easy.

Priority 4 is the bed situation. You have 9 months to teach him to sleep in a bed by himself. My son LOVED the idea of “camping” at that age so we set up a bed tent that made him feel protected and cozy to get him used to being in bed by himself. For travel he would sleep in a pull out sofa bed or even just on a bunch of blankets on the floor and thought it was hilarious and fun. Just talk it up so he’s excited about the sleep situation.

Finally, lowest priority IMO is theming, view, and food (with the caveat that you want a couple quick options for food to prevent toddler hanger - your husband needs to be more flexible here though because he’s an adult). Noise control definitely matters, but at 2.5 your son is not going to notice theming or care what the view is. He doesn’t know any differently than what you show him. And he may not be capable of sitting through long TS meals. Consider things like the pool bar for that age and whether you have access to snacks.

FWIW we are doing a garden view club level room at the Poly in October. We wanted to be close to MK, and my son is obsessed with trains and will think the monorail is a ride. He also loves the beach and is a strong swimmer, so the poly pool and beach situation is ideal. We chose club level for two key reasons - first is being guaranteed to be away from construction noise and second being very close to an endless supply of snacks and food. My son is now 5 and is mostly capable of waiting for a meal, but he goes from not hungry to absolutely starving in the blink of an eye, so having the club close by will be great. Plus it’s a real meal for breakfast and the “apps” for dinner look so heavy I think it could be a complete meal if we want it to be. Our plan is to book a table service for lunch in the parks each day to take a break and mostly eat from the club for breakfast and dinner. My son still has a pretty early bedtime, so if we don’t have a balcony or patio we will probably just swap off going to the club for a drink, or we might sneak out together for a bit if we are close enough to the club. NBD.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I would do the Poly. When my younger one was that age, she was also a "go back to the resort and nap" kind of kid. We tried, but she just never was a stroller napper. The only difference with our approach is that we'd go back to the parks for a bit after she had a solid nap. In any event, we stayed at YC in a garden view room when she was younger and the noise/vibrations from the Epcot fireworks felt and sounded like we were being bombed. Mind you, it was back in the Illuminations days, but it scared the living daylights out of her since we couldn't see that the booms were part of a pretty show in the sky. It sounded more like really bad thunder to a toddler. When we stayed at the Poly, I don't remember being able to hear MK fireworks in our room. Of course, it might be much more audible if you're in a room with a view.

 

[pixiedust33]

I think I found your most recent post/thoughts. We had many trips with our kids that young and with a stroller, but they were all pre-skyliner, so I have no personal experience regarding the ease of the skyliner with a stroller. In remembering back, my kids loved ANY resort and ANY park, so I tended to choose a resort that DH and I loved. Things that were important to us back then: a balcony with great view and walk/monorail to parks. So your original 2 choices of resorts were both ones that we loved! Since you seemed to have dismissed BC/YC, I won't comment on those and my vote now goes to Poly either Lagoon View or Theme Park View. If you can find a deal, Club Level offers those 2 room types and the CL Hawaii building is in a great location - you'd just need to be sure to request "full balcony" so you don't get stuck with a second floor room. I'd make it my one and only request. DH and I loved every single night staying there. We'd put our girls to bed, grab drinks and snacks in the CL lounge, and sit on our balcony enjoying the night with a GREAT view. It was beyond relaxing and I miss those days so much. I hope you guys have the best trip!

I think we're looking for the same things you and your DH were after! Did you ever have any issues getting the room with the balcony at the poly? I would make it my only request and I would be willing to move after a day or two if I had to to get it. I am leaning heavily towards Poly but I know I will be SO disappointed if we don't have a balcony or patio :/

 

[pixiedust33]

My Mom (70) and I (31) stayed in a Poly DVC Studio in November. She got the regular bed (due to us assuming it would be more comfortable than the pull down murphy bed) and I got the queen murphy. She ended up wishing for the murphy - I did offer to switch but she said no lol. The murphy mattress was slightly firmer in our room than the regular bed and was EXTREMELY comfortable. You'd never know it was a pull down.

Very helpful feedback! Thank you for this!