Reg. room for 2 adults, 3 kids (all under 6), or suite?

[mommyof2boys1girl]

Another question - looking to spend 6 days at DL, probably 4 in the park, 2 gearing up and down, with 3 kids, ages 5, 3 and 1. Dh and I disagree on our room needs. Since all kids nap ~2hrs in the aft, and go to bed at 8pm, I was thinking a suite, so Mom and Dad could stay up and watch TV or something in a separate room while kids are sleeping (1 year old is incredibly light sleeper, so no noise!) Dh thinks the extra money is unecessary, and we should just "make it work" for 6 days.

Any opinions? Anyone travel with kids of similar ages, and if so, what room type did you have, and how did it work?

Thanks in advance!
Carm

 

[blackjackdelta]

We did the 1 room thing when our kids were the ages of yours but it was a max pain with not having the same needs as the kids. Since then we have always opted for the suite. The kids do not understand when the adults get cranky because everyone is in eveyone elses space. More $$ but better time with the whole experience.

Jack

 

[PrincessAbby'sMom]

I don't know if you are talking at a DL hotel or just a suite in general, but here is my opinion....

My husband, myself, daughter & my parents were all going to DL. We stayed at the Desert Inn & Suites right across from the DL park. We had a suite which consists of 2 bedrooms (2 queen beds in each) 2 bathrooms, and a sitting room w/a couch that folds into a bed. Everyone had their own bed! My 7 year old daughter wanted her own room & bed, so she took the sitting room & loved it.

It cost about $200 a night, but when we looked EARLY out before the trip it was as low as $119 a night. So, if you have time & its low - book it & decide later, no fees until 48 hours prior or maybe 24??

Enjoy & good luck!

 

[mindylovesmickey]

I agree with the pp, suites are the way to go. I have done both, and now that we have our 3rd baby, I will definitely stick with suites whenever possible. The benefits of having the extra room are great. You pay more, but it's either that or lights out at 8:30 and no recourse for anyone not ready for bed yet. And just have a little privacy is also nice.

 

[Hound 109]

Were you planning on coming off peak? (i think i remember you asking about April/May visit). Hotel Rates will fluctuate greatly between early April & early May....so much that a "suite" in May would be far less than a reg. room in April.

Also, i think you should consider one or two nights in a hotel/motel near Legoland if going off peak. You can zig when others are zagging & given your kid's ages, they would enjoy both legoland & the SD zoo.

It's only an easy 70-90 min. straight shot down I 5. Again, my opinion, but why stay at a DLR property for 6 nights if only going to park for 4 days? I'd spend those other 2 days in greater SD especially if visiting "off peak".

Have fun.

 

[Laurabearz]

I remember doing the Poly when my 3 were that young and DH and I had to camp out in the bathroom.. I took the bedspreads and made a nice lounge in there for us, to read and talk about our day. There was also a balcony we could escape too..

Since then we have seen the light.. and bought into DVC for our WDW trips, but book two connecting rooms at DLR (until that DVC opens up)

I am not sure which would be cheaper.. a suite at DLR or two rooms. We went with two standard rooms.... you might want to price that out.

 

[DangerMouse]

We cram our family with three kids into a single room when we do short trips (3 days), but for 6 days, I would definitely get a suite. That's a long time to be on top of one another.

 

[Zoemakes5]

Everyone else has already commented on the "comfort" part of it, but I wanted to add some other reasons that I'd say go with a suite....logistics.
If you have three those ages, you probably want to shower and change and get ready prior to them waking up. You can't do that if you're in one room, especially if any or all are light sleepers.
There's always the "what if's", too. What if one child doesn't adjust as easily to the whole vacation and has trouble falling asleep or staying asleep? If you're in one room, it will pretty much keep everyone up. What if someone isn't feeling well? If you need to make or take a phone call? If someone needs sound to go to sleep and the rest need silence? If someone needs the light on and everyone else needs darkness?
For my own peace of mind, I'd go with the suite. Especially because at DLR, there are so many suites within easy walking distance (honestly, I think closer than the DL hotels) that don't cost very much. We've stayed at the Desert Inn, and also done the Family Suite at Anaheim Plaza hotel. Of the two, I think I liked the Anaheim Plaza better for space.

 

[MagicalMomAZ]

Just wanted to chime in & say we too are doing the Desert Inn & Suites. We're getting a 2 room suite (4 queens, 2 baths) for $129/nt. Can't beat that!!

AND.....bc I'm neurotic I measured the distance to the gates from DI&S compared to the gates from DLH(we were debating still) on google maps......443 ydrs from PI&S....800-something from DLH.

 

[mariezp]

Another vote for a suite. We have stayed at the Anaheim Desert Inn for the past seven years. Even though there are only 4 of us we get their largest "suite" which is basically 2 rooms/4 beds and don't forget that you get 2 bathrooms, which comes in really handy. At the end of the day everyone in our family is tired and this way we have room to spread out. The girls can go to bed early while the nightowls stay up late. In the morning they can sleep late when the girls wake up early.

It all began because my hubby SNORES horribly! After loosing a few nights sleep when traveling it is now standard practice to just get a suite or 2 rooms to keep everyone well rested and happy. Additional expense but soooo worth it! No one needs a grump while on vacation!

If you can swing the added expense I would definetly go with the suite. Try to book as early as possible to get the best deals.

And whatever you do try not to skip those mid day breaks unless you want to see your children totally melt down! I learned the hard way! My daughter has never missed a rest when at DL since!

 

[jeffersonkim]

Will you guys be driving, writing the shuttle system, or walking?

How much is price a concern?

If price is a concern, you may want to consider not getting a "full" suite and perhaps getting a hotel room with two queens and a separate room with bunk beds with a 2nd bathroom. Depending on the day you go, you can end up saving quite a bit of money compared to the full suites and get a lot of the comforts you're looking for.

 

[DevilDuckie]

If it is possible financially, get a suite or two adjoining rooms. Six days is too long to "make it work" under those conditions.

 

[Disneyenthusiast]

Definitely get two connecting rooms or a suite. There are decent economy choices. It coesn't need to break the bank. I bet your hubby will be grateful later that you had some adult time and space!

 

[ploeb]

Another question - looking to spend 6 days at DL, probably 4 in the park, 2 gearing up and down, with 3 kids, ages 5, 3 and 1. Dh and I disagree on our room needs. Since all kids nap ~2hrs in the aft, and go to bed at 8pm, I was thinking a suite, so Mom and Dad could stay up and watch TV or something in a separate room while kids are sleeping (1 year old is incredibly light sleeper, so no noise!) Dh thinks the extra money is unecessary, and we should just "make it work" for 6 days.

Any opinions? Anyone travel with kids of similar ages, and if so, what room type did you have, and how did it work?

Thanks in advance!
Carm

We had a "kids Suite" the first year we went to DLR we had 3 children ages 18 mo. 1 1/2 and 6. Since we stayed off property, we never went back until the eve. It was hard,plus we were so tired!! Now we stay on site, but have never had a suite... We have had many trips since then, for 6 days at a time, and have stayed in the standard room with no problems-the kids have always just conked out I think its a matter of preference really. But keep in mind, everything is more$$$then you think it is so we have learned to put our $$ toward experiances, since we spend very little time in our room. Have a blast, you will no matter what!

 

[Karebear]

Hi there,

We just went last month with our 4 yr old and 2 yr old. Both nap and go to bed early (8:30). So, we got a suite. It was the best thing that we did! The kids never did take naps--too excited to be at Disney. But, they did go to bed early and my husband and I could stay up, watch tv, read, whatever. Plus, we could get up and shower in the morning without waking them up. We stayed at the Carousel Inn & Suites which is right across the street. As others have said, there is also Desert Inn and Suites and the Camelot Inn and Suites. There is also Portofino Inn and Suites, but they are about a 15 to 20 minute walk away. I have not stayed at the Portofino, but several of my friends love it there and kids eat for free in their restaurant. Hope that you have a great trip!