questions about Atlantis

[sharibrat]

Has anybody stayed at Atlantis with (small) children that can answer some questions for me?

 

[RichNKatHolly]

Went once with 4 mo old and a 3yo. And again at 2 and 5 (twice). Had a wonderful time both trips! Feel free to ask away.

 

[alloyd1170]

Hubby & I have been there twice but without kids (1st time preggo with son, 2nd time preggo with daughter). I might be able to answer ?s too.

alison

 

[sharibrat]

Went once with 4 mo old and a 3yo. And again at 2 and 5 (twice). Had a wonderful time both trips! Feel free to ask away.

Great! My daughter is 4, I don't really have any questions for her - looks like she'll have a blast! My son is 1.

I imagine I'll be taking the stroller everywhere since the property is so large and I am hoping he'll just nap in it too. Will I find shaded areas for him to sleep? or a grassy spot near the pool to lay him on a towel in the shade?

I plan to bring along diapers, swim dipes and lots of baby food, but is there a nearby store that I can get baby food or dipes if I would run out?

Should I bring my own snacks?

I hear it is very expensive to eat - have you done the meal plan? Our 1 year old isn't too good at sitting still (in a highchair) so we are thinking burgers by the pool or pizza is going to be most of our meals. Is it really going to cost us near $100 for 3 of us to get sandwiches and sodas? (as I have read other places)

Can the kids take their toys and inner tubes in the pools?

Do they give you towels for the pools and beach?

Do they rent umbrella's for the beach?

Do the standard rooms have a fridge? Do you know if there is a common place that I can use a microwave?

Do you recall if the beds can be moved? So I could push one up against the wall and just put the 1 year old in it with me?

Any other tips???

I am soooooooooo spoiled by this Disney board and knowing all these little details about the resort! It's almost scarey to go anywhere else with kids and not know all this stuff!!

Thanks for anything you can answer and for taking the time!

 

[RichNKatHolly]

Great! My daughter is 4, I don't really have any questions for her - looks like she'll have a blast! My son is 1.

I imagine I'll be taking the stroller everywhere since the property is so large and I am hoping he'll just nap in it too. Will I find shaded areas for him to sleep? or a grassy spot near the pool to lay him on a towel in the shade?

I plan to bring along diapers, swim dipes and lots of baby food, but is there a nearby store that I can get baby food or dipes if I would run out?

Should I bring my own snacks?

I hear it is very expensive to eat - have you done the meal plan? Our 1 year old isn't too good at sitting still (in a highchair) so we are thinking burgers by the pool or pizza is going to be most of our meals. Is it really going to cost us near $100 for 3 of us to get sandwiches and sodas? (as I have read other places)

Can the kids take their toys and inner tubes in the pools?

Do they give you towels for the pools and beach?

Do they rent umbrella's for the beach?

Do the standard rooms have a fridge? Do you know if there is a common place that I can use a microwave?

Do you recall if the beds can be moved? So I could push one up against the wall and just put the 1 year old in it with me?

Any other tips???

I am soooooooooo spoiled by this Disney board and knowing all these little details about the resort! It's almost scarey to go anywhere else with kids and not know all this stuff!!

Thanks for anything you can answer and for taking the time!

First off, don't worry about a thing. You will have a GREAT time. I will ask you though, when are you going? The only problem I had with the 4 mo old was that we went in AUGUST!! I was so paranoid about the heat, sun, etc. It was no problem, but I did spend a bit of time in the room with her while the rest of my family was at the beach, etc.

Now, there is shade, beach chairs with canopies, umbrellas, etc. You do not have to rent these, you just tip the "beach boy" and he will find one for you and bring it to wherever you need it to be. By the pools, especially the smaller, kids pools, there were plenty of shaded areas to park you stroller. You will show your room key each day at the towel hut where you will get a wristband for the day and as many towels as you will need. You can go back multiple times for more - no tipped necessary there. The kids can bring all of their own toys to the beach. You can also buy those in town or at the resort (you can guess which one is the more economical option). My kids did use their own floats in the pool.

Snacks are expensive at the resort, I don't feel that they are THAT much more expensive than onsite at Disney though. I believe that we bought lunch for 4 last time for about $60. There are no fridges in the rooms, just buckets for ice. I did not inquire about a microwave and did not see any in a common area. They do not have any food court set ups like Disney. I'm sure you can ask someone to nuke a bottle of food for you at the desk, they are pretty friendly.

Try to bring as much of the diapers, food, etc as you need, but if you run out, you can buy it at Atlantis for big $$ or your hubby can run to town and buy them there. That is what we did - and DS3 loved the Bahamian coins we got in return, so that was an unexpected plus!

I did not try to move the beds. We did bring a twin aero with us to use.

 

[sharibrat]

Thank you so much for the reply!!!!

We have the toddler aero bed so maybe that is what we should bring too!

We are hoping to go in May so I don't think it is too super hot yet!

 

[RichNKatHolly]

Another tip: Bring rimmed hats and shades for baby and your 4 yo. The sun is very bright around Atlantis. Lots of water for that sun to reflect off of!!

You will have a really great trip - the resort is over priced, but kind of like the Deluxe hotels and fanicier restaurants in Disney.

About the snacks, little kid-friendly, mid-day snacks are hard to come by. Pack boxes of graham crackers, pretzels, etc. Our favorite and most kid-friendly place was the deli near the "yacht parking". I can't remember the name, but you could grab a bag of chips, fruit salad, yoohoo, etc. in that place. The sandwiches were very good and LARGE - good value for your money (if such a place can be found at Atlantis).

Can't wait to hear how your trip went!

 

[WDWfor5]

We just got back from Atlantis from a January 2007 trip. Our kids were DD 7, DS 5 and DS 3 so I'll try and answer your questions.

Stroller - Bring one for walking around the Marina but as for the pools/etc. I'm not sure I would. My DS 3 would have loved his, but the paths are not stroller accesible and have many steps, etc so it would be a huge pain to travel with a stroler. If you can bring a backpack or sling that would be better.

As for shaded areas, there arent't many but if you get to the pools early enough some of the chairs have sunshades on them and you could lay him down on one of these and it would work well.

PLAN TO BUY NOTHING - while you could probably find a store selling baby stuff, you'd pay dearly and it wouldn't be a lot of choices. A small bottle of sunblock would cost you over $25

Should I bring my own snacks? YES - we brought juice boxes, pringles, small bags of cookies, etc and it saved us a ton. The kids want something to drink when they're at the beach and pool and drinks there cost a lot of money and you often have to walk quite a ways to find a snack hut.

I hear it is very expensive to eat - have you done the meal plan? Our 1 year old isn't too good at sitting still (in a highchair) so we are thinking burgers by the pool or pizza is going to be most of our meals. Is it really going to cost us near $100 for 3 of us to get sandwiches and sodas? (as I have read other places) - Yes & No Food is ridiculously expensive - we went to dinner at Murray's Deli and got sandiwches, onion rings and the kids got mac & cheese kids meals and the bill was $87 The pools close at 5 pm and so do the outside food places so you can't really do dinner by the pool. The buffet's may work out well for you since the baby will be free and can eat off your plate. We loved Seagrapes on the weekends as they have clowns / face painting and a kids buffet and the food was very good. Not cheap but then nothing at Atlantis was.

Can the kids take their toys and inner tubes in the pools? Yes - we brought sand toys, snorkel gear, etc and they played with them the whole time. The favorite pool for my kids was the River Pool which they called the bathtub pool as it ws heated and it was zero entry.

Do they give you towels for the pools and beach? Yes - show your room card at the towel huts and you'll get wrist bands and towels.

Do they rent umbrella's for the beach? - Not that I know of - the lounge chairs have the attached sunshade though which was fine for us.

Do the standard rooms have a fridge? Do you know if there is a common place that I can use a microwave? None of the regular rooms have a fridge although you can probably rent one. As for microwave, I didn't see one al week.

Do you recall if the beds can be moved? So I could push one up against the wall and just put the 1 year old in it with me? Not moveable in Royal Towers as they're on pedestals. You could move a chair next to the baby's side of the bed. They also supply cribs for free from what I've read but I didn't use one so I'm not sure.

Any other tips???

I am soooooooooo spoiled by this Disney board and knowing all these little details about the resort! It's almost scarey to go anywhere else with kids and not know all this stuff!!

Thanks for anything you can answer and for taking the time![/QUOTE]

I'll try yo post my reveiw from TripAdvisor here for you later. good luck with the planning.

 

[sharibrat]

Thought of a couple more questions.........I really appreciate all the answers!

I think check in is at 3......we are looking at getting there around noon, will they hold our luggage for us? and is there a place to change into suits and enjoy the pool while we wait?

darn, forgot the other question already

 

[WDWfor5]

Thought of a couple more questions.........I really appreciate all the answers!

I think check in is at 3......we are looking at getting there around noon, will they hold our luggage for us? and is there a place to change into suits and enjoy the pool while we wait?

darn, forgot the other question already

What tower are you staying in? They do have a place to hold luggage at Royal Towers (and probably the other too butI don't know) and they have lockers but you have to ask for them as they won't volunteer that info. We got there at noon also and it we checked the luggage but no one told us about the place to change and my kid shated being hot in their NJ clothes walking around.

Also, read the reviews on tripadvisor.com - they're good and bad and you need to ignore the ones who complain about everything but they have tons of great info and tips. I know how you feel about the planning - it killed me not to have a DisBoard for Atlantis.

 

[RichNKatHolly]

Yes, they will hold your luggage. There are alot of rooms, and if it's not a high holiday season, more than likely they will have a room ready for you at noon. But, of course, don't count on that too much - I just know that we have never had to wait, but we've never even had to wait at Disney either - maybe we're just lucky that way!

There are bathrooms near the beach and pool where you can change into suits. I don't recall of there were changing rooms specifically, but definitely bathrooms.

 

[sharibrat]

Ok remembered now...........

is everything at the resort included?? like is the Dolphin Cay experience included? and the water park? or are they extra admissions?

 

[RichNKatHolly]

Ok remembered now...........

is everything at the resort included?? like is the Dolphin Cay experience included? and the water park? or are they extra admissions?

The water park is free to hotel guests. Guest of the Comfort Suites next door are also allowed to use the water park and pools/slides. I am sure Dolphin Cay is an additional charge as it is usually over $100 pp elsewhere.

 

[fan_of_small_world]

My DH and I took our children there 3 years ago when they were 5 and almost 2. First, let me say that we had an AMAZING time, and my DS (who was the 5-year-old) is still asking to go back!

I imagine I'll be taking the stroller everywhere since the property is so large and I am hoping he'll just nap in it too. Will I find shaded areas for him to sleep? or a grassy spot near the pool to lay him on a towel in the shade?

We took our stroller for our DD. You won't have a problem finding shaded places at all. You will, at first, find it difficult to get around with the stroller, as there are many paths that end in steps. Just keep a resort map in the stroller with you at all times, so you can backtrack and find a new path when needed.

I plan to bring along diapers, swim dipes and lots of baby food, but is there a nearby store that I can get baby food or dipes if I would run out?

Plan to bring everything you will need. The stuff in the shops on property is outrageously expensive. My DH did find a small grocery-type store within walking distance, and we bought milk there to have in the room. The price was over $4 for half a gallon, and that was a few years ago.

Should I bring my own snacks?

I actually packed not only snacks but breakfast as well! Our kids were (and still are) very early risers, and I knew I wouldn't want to go to breakfast in the hotel that early. So, I bought a very small Rubbermaid bucket, about 12" by 18", and it fit inside one of the suitcases. I loaded it with mini cereal boxes, breakfast bars, applesauce and friut cups, as well as snack packs of Teddy Grahams, Goldfish, etc. I was sooooooo glad I did that! Like I said above, DH got milk for the room, so we'd have cereal and fruit for most breakfasts. And, I had snacks for during the day. When we went home, it made a great place to pack breakables!

I hear it is very expensive to eat - have you done the meal plan? Our 1 year old isn't too good at sitting still (in a highchair) so we are thinking burgers by the pool or pizza is going to be most of our meals. Is it really going to cost us near $100 for 3 of us to get sandwiches and sodas? (as I have read other places)

We didn't do a meal plan, since we didn't think it would be worth it for us. We did find that, although the meals were pricy, they were very generous, and the kids usually shared an entree. Two fun places were Johnny Rockets and The Point.

Can the kids take their toys and inner tubes in the pools?

I think so.

Do they give you towels for the pools and beach?

Yes - I remember going to a little "towel hut" where we got beach towels from. I think we just had to show our room key. I think that's also where you get your wristband so you can go to the beaches and pools.

Do they rent umbrella's for the beach?

Not sure, but probably.

Do the standard rooms have a fridge? Do you know if there is a common place that I can use a microwave?

We had a small fridge in our room. I can't remember if it was standard or if we requested it. I can't think of any common areas with microwaves.

Do you recall if the beds can be moved? So I could push one up against the wall and just put the 1 year old in it with me?

I'm not sure about moving the beds, but we asked for a crib for DD and it was fine (I brought my own bedding with me for it). I'd be nervous about just putting the bed next to the wall, since it might still be possible for the baby to slip into the space between the two (especially if the bed is on a kind of platform, you know?). I think there are bed rails that you can buy that can collapse - check around for one of those to put on the baby's side if you don't want to get a crib.

Any other tips???

Things may have changed since I was there, but I remember that when we arrived at the airport, we got off the plane and had to climb a long flight of stairs with our carry-ons and stroller. Not fun. Just be ready for it and have a plan in place (my plan was, I took the kids and DH got the fun of handling all the stuff, LOL!).

The concept of "customer service" is VERY different down there! With the desk, it's more like, "I'll help you when and if I feel like it," lol. (I do have to say that the maids who cleaned the room did a very good job; it was very clean.) It's not so awful that you'll have a bad time. But, it isn't Disney, either. Just go there knowing that, and you'll be fine. Be persistant when you need to, and don't assume that the staff will take care of things on their own. You may need to call more than once for towels, and you may not get lots of friendly attention at the front desk, etc. Like I said, it won't ruin your trip at all, and I'm proof. I'm a real stickler for customer service, and I'd still love to go back again.

I will say that the staff who cares for the marine exhibits, though, was WONDERFUL!!! They really took the time to answer DS's questions (and he loves science and animals, so he asked lots of them). Also, when we went they had a children's craft each day (free for guests) somewhere near one of the pools, I think. I didn't know about it at first, so we only went one time. But they made a little foam fish Tic-Tac-Toe game. It was really cute, and again the staff there was very friendly.

People did seem to dress up a bit more a night (not formal wear or anything, but changing from shorts into nice capris or a summery skirt). I was glad that I had brought some dressier clothes with us for evening.

The only restaurant I hated was Seagrapes (it was the only buffet we tried). I took the kids there for the "Circus" themed buffet, and the service was horrible and the food was lukewarm, at best. I later heard from others that they didn't care for the buffets, either.

I don't think there are any laundry facilities (other than having your laundry sent out), so make sure you bring plenty of clothes.

We did a Dolphin Excursion and it was wonderful. It did cost extra, but I don't remember how much. We had to walk a little ways to a dock where we boarded a large boat and went to the dolphin place. There is a short info session, and then we got into wetsuits (it was January, so a bit cooler for them). Then we stood on a platform (DH held DD in his arms) in the water where the trainers had the dolphin come up to us so we could pet him, etc. We didn't swim, we stayed on the platform. Both of the kids loved it, and when we go to the Keys next year we'll be signing up for another dolphin experience.

Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions!

 

[Disney_Dreaming]

I imagine I'll be taking the stroller everywhere since the property is so large and I am hoping he'll just nap in it too. Will I find shaded areas for him to sleep? or a grassy spot near the pool to lay him on a towel in the shade?

10 of us went in May of 2006. The weather was nice but it's very humid there. My son was 3 at that time. We made the mistake of not taking a stroller (I knew we should have but I listened to my mother) so my dad and husband took turns carrying him around the grounds.

Should I bring my own snacks? Yes, bring your own snacks. We took a suitcase loaded with all kinds of goodies.

I hear it is very expensive to eat - have you done the meal plan? Our 1 year old isn't too good at sitting still (in a highchair) so we are thinking burgers by the pool or pizza is going to be most of our meals. Is it really going to cost us near $100 for 3 of us to get sandwiches and sodas?
At Cave Grill, they sell a combo for $6-8 dollars. It includes a cheeseburger, fries and coke. We had that everyday for lunch. The food was ok though. The rest of the time we ate at the buffets or Johnny Rockets. My Mom and Dad enjoyed Murray's Delicatessen a few times.

We had a great time at Atlantis and would go again!