Suggestions on where to book for family with a toddler

[gatorgirl72]

Hubby & I are taking our daughter, son-in-law, & 3 yo granddaughter to WDW at the beginning of September. We are awaiting ROFR on our DVC contract, and are hoping to be DVC members using our points for this trip. That said, we were looking at AKV or BLT. At BLT we could only "afford" a 1br but at AKL we could afford a 2br. I Love the proximity to the MK as that is where we will be spending our time this trip (first visit for son in law & granddaughter so it's MK only this time) but I like the space we could afford at AKL. Can anyone give me some pros/cons and personal experiences? Last note, we plan to leave the parks by late afternoon/evening each day for the day to spend some time unwinding at the pool if this makes a difference.

 

[sweatandsteel]

We rented points and stayed at AKL in a 1 bedroom the first week of December. The resort was fairly quite except our room was behind the bus stop and we heard the beeping all evening. Luckily it didn't wake up our 3 year old or 1 year old but I would recommend to stay away from the bus stop at AKL and you should be fine.

 

[SusieBea]

Hubby & I are taking our daughter, son-in-law, & 3 yo granddaughter to WDW at the beginning of September. We are awaiting ROFR on our DVC contract, and are hoping to be DVC members using our points for this trip. That said, we were looking at AKV or BLT. At BLT we could only "afford" a 1br but at AKL we could afford a 2br. I Love the proximity to the MK as that is where we will be spending our time this trip (first visit for son in law & granddaughter so it's MK only this time) but I like the space we could afford at AKL. Can anyone give me some pros/cons and personal experiences? Last note, we plan to leave the parks by late afternoon/evening each day for the day to spend some time unwinding at the pool if this makes a difference.

We've stayed at both although neither is our home resort. BLT is great for its proximity to the MK, the dining options at the Contemporary, and location on the monorail. I did not like the pool there, however, and I found it to be noisy.

I love Kidani. We always stay Savanna view, but you would not need to as there are many public viewing areas. The two pools there are wonderful. Our grandkiddos really enjoyed them. There are several good food service options there as well. I also think the bus system there works well, especially since the first pick-up (except for DTD) is kidani.

Both resorts have the extra bathroom whether 1 bedroom or 2. Oh, we also had a good experience w/ room service at Kidani which is particularly nice if you've got a tired grandchild. We didn't explore that option at BLT. Good luck!

 

[rpcvpanama]

With the one bedroom you will have a "double" sleeper sofa in the living room and a sleeper chair, no real bed. I think they might advertise the sofa as a queen but I don't find it to be that big. With a 2 bedroom, if you get a dedicated, you would get 2 beds in the second bedroom, which is very nice. We enjoyed AKL and rented a car so didn't have to rely on Disney transportation. But, that being said, AKL is a dedicated resort so the buses only go to and from Jambo and Kidani. If you do BLT and get a lake view just be aware that the darn Water Parade comes around every evening at about 10pm and is VERY VERY loud. Woke us up every night we were there, sleeping early for the marathon!!

 

[gonzalj1]

IMO it depends on your plans. If you plan to commando the parks then the room size doesn't matter too much as you'll rarely be in it.

With a little one though you might be spending more time in the room and resort in which case I would recommend choosing room size and resort amenities over location.

BLT is a very easy walk to MK and a short monorail ride to Epcot. AKV is a little out of the way but its hard ot beat the animals right outside. Even better with a Savanah View or what we call a "Surprise Savannah View" We seem to get lucky there and book standard view and have always been right on the edge of the savannah so we could see animals.

Sorry I'm not giving you any definitive answers but, like much in life, the choice really boils down to personal opinion.

 

[Lincolnshire]

Does the 3 y/o need to go back to the room for nap midday? If so I would do BLT because the commute time from MK to AKL is not insignificant. Otherwise I would personally prefer AKL for the extra space. That many adults sharing a 1 bedroom seems cramped to me. We are doing AKL in October when our kids will be 1 and 3 in part because I think they will love the animals.

 

[NedsTJ]

Does the 3 y/o need to go back to the room for nap midday? If so I would do BLT because the commute time from MK to AKL is not insignificant. Otherwise I would personally prefer AKL for the extra space. That many adults sharing a 1 bedroom seems cramped to me. We are doing AKL in October when our kids will be 1 and 3 in part because I think they will love the animals.

I agree. While you'll be cramped in the room, the proximity to MK would make BLT my choice. Having stayed at both GFV and BLT in the past, with 2 kids under 4, staying on the Monorail loop was excellent. We prefer the GFV, but my wife and I both agree that if we'd be doing an MK only trip, we'd try to get the BLT again (even though now they're 4 and 1.5).

However, if you're staying at ALK, I definitely recommend an easily collapsible stroller, like the City Mini. Makes getting on and off those busses so much easier!

 

[nalajms]

If your plan is to go mostly to MK, then BLT may be the better option since it's a quick walk back to the hotel. However, it's a long bus ride to DHS and AK. Monorail to Epcot isn't a straight shot. You'd have to exit at transportation center, go down and around to the other monorail line.

Our preference is a split stay. BLT for all MK days, then move to another resort.

 

[SamSam]

We took twin grandsons 3 times over the past 2 years. When they were 18 months, 2 years, and 3 years. We stayed at Kidani (Savannah view) each time and I have to say they would be highly disappointed to stay anywhere else. They don't say 'We're going to Disney world", they say "We're going to Kidani". They absolutely love it.

One time we went to visit them in their home town and took them back to our hotel to spend the night with us. Oh, My Gosh! We get to our room, open the door and they both start screaming, "Not Kidani". Oh, my gosh...we were shocked but talked them through it and they ended up having fun. They just thought of every hotel with gramma and grampa woud be Kidani!!!

 

[Silver Queen]

I have to agree with SamSam. We have taken our two DGS 3 and 5 to Kidani twice and they love it. We think that it is such a pleasure to return to Kidani with its nice quiet atmosphere and the animals, especially the giraffes. Since you mention that you may be spending some time unwinding by the pool, the pool and kid's splash area at Kidani is one of the best on Disney property. In the interest of full disclosure we have to admit that we're not big BLT fans, too much concrete and glass for us.

 

[SusieBea]

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One time we went to visit them in their home town and took them back to our hotel to spend the night with us. Oh, My Gosh! We get to our room, open the door and they both start screaming, "Not Kidani". Oh, my gosh...we were shocked but talked them through it and they ended up having fun. They just thought of every hotel with gramma and grampa woud be Kidani!!!

This made me laugh. Our DD and her husband recently took their three kiddos to Chicago for a birthday treat. The kids walked into the hotel room and said - it's so small, and where's the kitchen? LOL

 

[Brian Noble]

At BLT we could only "afford" a 1br but at AKL we could afford a 2br.

With that travel party, I'd book a 2BR in a heartbeat.

 

[DisneyDiana]

Agree with the others. It's funny, there's something about Kidani that kids just love. My son has been to many Disney resorts but all he talks about is Kidani, Kidani, Kidani. We are going in June for a big family trip. He even said he doesn't care if we even go to the parks. We have APs so I told him he has to go to the parks. He said "well maybe for awhile if I have to".

 

[SamSam]

I have to agree with SamSam. We have taken our two DGS 3 and 5 to Kidani twice and they love it. We think that it is such a pleasure to return to Kidani with its nice quiet atmosphere and the animals, especially the giraffes. Since you mention that you may be spending some time unwinding by the pool, the pool and kid's splash area at Kidani is one of the best on Disney property. In the interest of full disclosure we have to admit that we're not big BLT fans, too much concrete and glass for us.

Yes, the Splash Area was a big hit with our grandsons, we made time to go every day and they LOVED it. Truly, for children Kidani is almost magical, they all seem to love it.