Taking a 2.5 Year Old to WDW: Questions

[PortieOwner]

New to this (excellent) board and I have a few questions and I will have a few more I am sure! (I have the Unofficial Guide and I have been to WDW several times before but this is the first trip in almost 10 years and much has changed there apparently, and not all for the better)

My wife and I are hoping to take our 2.5 year old boy to WDW this coming fall. He has a whole lot of energy at times so access to a safe area outdoors to play is important. He also crashes for a fairly long afternoon nap at around 1PM each day so we need a fairly quiet place to stay (on property of course). Right now he is not that big on swimming but a kiddie or wading pool would probably be good. I am wondering how the cheapest (All Stars) resorts are? It seems like the rooms are small and the beds are small and we might have a tough time fitting in a crib for him. We also need a refrigerator for his food, and we need the room to be reasonably quiet. Also access to food is important--he has a food allergy to we have to be careful about the food we get, and also need a big variety. We will eat at least one "sit down" meal a day at a park or resort restaurant.

Someplace like Animal Kingdom Lodge or Wilderness Lodge look great (I stayed at WL close to 10 years back) but I don't know if he will appreciate the theming and/or access to animals. I recall WL being very noisy and it was hard to nap in the afternoons or even at night before the pool (noisy) closes. But he could do some amount of running around indoors in the lobby or even on the pathways around the WL.

I am also tempted by Dixie Landings (Port Orleans Riverside) or Carribean Beach Resort. They seem quieter, very spread out, and both have a food court and some sort of restaurant, but maybe those locations all all jammed in the morning and evenings?? I guess I can afford a WL hotel but we might stay for one less day than if we are at a "moderate" resort or a budget resort.

One last question--how should I schedule our trip down there from the DC area? He wakes up around 6 or 7AM, naps around 1230 or 1PM, then gets to bed by 730 or 8PM. I want to maximize our use of park passes so we don't use only a half day on each end of the trip. How should I schedule this?

I plan to get a rental car (just can't rely on slow buses, in case of a mood melt-down, and we hope to visit some other resorts like the Beach Club for their restaurants).

Thanks,

Portie

 

[EthansMom]

We really enjoyed POFQ wit our 3.5 and 1 year old. It's the smallest Moderate -- beautiful and very quiet (even though it was full up on our last trip). There is a boat you can take to go to Downtown Disney for shopping and dinner. The only downside, IMO, to POFQ is that it doesn't have it's own sit-down restaurant, but it's only a 15 minute walk to Boatwright's at POR.

The Moderates and Delux resorts have free refrigerators and coffee makers in room, but Value resorts charge extra if you want them.

As for planning your trip down to Orlando, it sounds like you're flying, so I would advice that you choose the most convenient non-stop flight.

 

[stacy6552]

Ok ok Let's see. In the value resorts, we had quiet rooms on the outside of the buildings. Also request top floor, it really helps to cut down on the noise. If you're renting a car, then I definatley wouldn't spend the extra money on a moderate. You dont really get more room space, and imho the only draw back to the values would be the lines for busses. I totally reccommend that all-star movies at this age (for us it was all about Toys Story).

Something else to consider is that if you have a big napper, a bedroom door could be very valuable to you. Consider a one bedroom at one of the home away from home resorts. They would allow you to put your child down for a nap or to bed and still be up watching tv or chatting. You will also get a full kitchen which can really help off-set the cost. IF its a budget buster consider renting points from a DVC member. The other budget option would be a cabin at FW. You will get a bedroom door, a full kitchen, a quiet corner of the resort for your location. Again the only drawback to this resort would be the transportation, but you'll have a car. AAA offers a 25% discount on the cabins, making it almost the cost of a moderste with a fridge rental.

As for flying down? We fly out of Dulles every time. Grab the flight at the cheapest time. Bring juice boxes to serve them up for take off and landing. The swallowing will help unplug his ears.

 

[Rowlf]

Portie -

I don't know where you live, but last year (and this year!), we took direct flights from National Airport. There's one leaving at 6:45 and one at 8:15 or so - the 8 one gets in at 10 something. By the time we got a car, got to the hotel, and got checked in, it was nap time. BUT... DS wouldn't sleep (he was fifteen months old at the time). So we just had an early bedtime.

We stayed at the Poly with him last year and being on the monorail worked out really well. We were only there for three nights, which turned out to work pretty well since he didn't sleep as well as at home and he was getting progressively more cranky as the days went on. (Yeah, it SEEMED like a good idea to book a room with a fireworks view. Learned my lesson on that!)

This year we are staying at AKL concierge. I know cost is a factor for you, but we found concierge to be extremely worth it for us. No wait to check in, and snacks/milk always available. My DS is allergic to eggs - it was nice knowing we could just run down the hall and get a safe snack for him at any time.

I'm not sure whether we'll wish we had stayed at a monorail resort again, though, but I'm looking forward to giving AKL a try. I understand the value resorts can be pretty noisy and crowded, so you might want to keep that in mind while picking a resort. A car is probably a good idea if you are thinking of going with a value resort; I personally decided to not ever stay at one after seeing the masses of people waiting in the All Star line after MK closing right after the AS had opened. Bus after bus came, but it didn't affect the line at all. Eventually, a Disney semi truck pulling a massive bus trailer pulled up. I hadn't ever seen such a thing and I haven't seen it since, but I was pretty amazed at the huge number of people they crammed onto that thing!

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I went last September with my then 2.5 year old and an 8 month old. We stayed at WL and it was a great choice. My advice would be to forget about the rental car and stay at a resort that is close to MK. That would make up the money difference for a deluxe resort. We chose the deluxe resorts because it is so quick to get to MK. Years ago I remember going with friends and we rented a car and it took forever to get to the car. Not to mention the car was a bazillion degrees in the Florida sun.At the deluxe resorts we were able to get back to our hotel before the kids had a meltdown. The boat at WL distracted them enough and they love the monorail. We are staying at the Poly this time. I know it gets expensive, but I would forgo the rental car. WL was also very quiet at nap time. Our kids are big nappers and everyday we'd go to the room and they would have no problem. They also loved the lobby. As far as flights, we usually take a very early flight so we don't waste a day. Last trip the kids slept for a good portion of it. Good Luck! I hope this helps.

 

[Laurajean1014]

OKW or AKL is great for little ones. Both are extremely relaxing.

Both restaurants at these places are great with kids, as well. Go to the parks early and then hang out and relax while child is sleeping or hang by the pools. Maybe do a parent share for some quite time for each other.

Since he is small, try going to the parks during or after dinner hours. He may be up for it.

 

[Laurajean1014]

MK and AK have rest areas in the parks for sleepy kids. Try that if you don't want to split your park passes.

Remember: Enjoy the trip and don't worry about doing everything. It will be there when you return.

 

[PortieOwner]

Thanks for all the ideas you posted. Being in a suite would be great but I doubt we can afford one (but I'll look at the Fort Wilderness homes). Also we are hoping to get a reservation with the "free dining" which excludes the vacation club. I don't think a unit with a kitchenette will save any money either because neither of us will cook on vacation.

I would still lean towards getting a rental car--I always had one on previous trips to WDW and was glad, even when I stayed at Wilderness Lodge.

The person who wrote that a shorter trip could work better has me worried because I am concerned that the boy won't sleep enough and will get very cranky (he's great when he has his sleep and a PITA when he doesn't).

Thanks, Portie

 

[Texan Mouseketeer]

We just got back from a 7 day trip. You can see the ages of mine in my signature. Both of them slept more than they did at home because of all the excitement! I know you didn't mention our resort, Coronado Springs, but we napped every afternoon around the hours of 12-3 give or take each day (about two hour naps, not exactly the same time each day) and we only had one instance on one day of a kid running down the corridor yelling out. It lasted about 10 seconds and made the baby stir, but she settled down again. Otherwise, it was so quiet. We felt good about staying there. By day 5, they were getting pretty tired, but we slowed our pace even more and kept the last couple of days low keyed and that helped, too.

 

[KristiA]

We were just at DW in May and had a really great time. We also have a 2 yo and also 5 and 8 yo's. My 2 yo also has several food allergies.

We stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort and thought it was great. I thought the room was a little small for the two queen beds and the crib that we needed, but it worked for us. We also traveled by the bus system and this worked out really well for us. We never had to wait for more than five minutes for a bus and my little guy loved riding the bus. This was one of his highlights.

We did have the advantage of having our in-laws with us, so my father in law also pooped out around 1 p.m., and they would just hop on a bus with our son and take him back to the hotel for a nap. Usually, my son was so tired, he would fall asleep in his stroller, they would take him on the bus still asleep, and then get back to the room without him waking up. The heat really zapped him.

We had no trouble with food issues. The resort had a great food court with lots of selections. Not sure what food allergies you deal with, but we have dairy, peanut, egg, and wheat allergies. We were always able to find something for him to eat. Lots of chicken, burgers, hot dogs, chips, veggies, and fruits. Just ask the chefs who prepare the food, they were always willing to come out and discuss the menu with us. Sometimes, they would even bring out the cans of food and spices so I could read the ingredient lists. They were more than happy to do this. We also found lots of things throughout all the parks that he could eat.

 

[Colinsmom]

We took our DS last December at 2.25 years old and stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge. He LOVED it!! It was plenty quiet for naps, and the curtains really made the room nice and dark for him.

I'd take a convenient non-stop flight, either in the middle of the morning or over his nap time (and let him sleep). Plan on doing Downtown Disney that afternoon/evening - plenty to do, and it is free.

Have fun - it is a great age to go (we're doing it again right before DS's 3rd birthday)!

 

[Mr Poohbrain]

Portie,

You didn't mention what type of allergies your DS has, but our friend's DS is allergic to just about everything. They went down last Sept. and as long as you do a little advanced planning, the allergy thing should be okay. Just make sure to mention it when making PS, and then again when you arrive. Ask to talk to the chef, if necessary. Friends went to CP, and I remember them telling us that a chef came out and walked the food line with her, telling her what was in every dish (don't know if this is "typical". Friend is very "high maintence" and can be a little demanding - she's quite the mama bear. )

Also, you can can get a good deal on an economy car through Costco or Sams Club if you are a member. Secure a rate and then keep checking as you get closer and closer to your vacation date. I've gotten a 4-dr econ for under $100/wk on a couple of occassions (Ok, so the one was right smack in the middle of hurricane Ivan and we were the only "fools" that weren't cancelling our ressies)

I'll second (or third) what an earlier poster said about the direct flight - the quicker the better.

Lastly, something to consider when "getting the most out of your park days" - we only do parks every other day when we go down. That way, DS (2.5) doesn't get to "fried" from everything going on. On "down days" we typically catch a character breakfast at one of the hotels (my fave is O'Hana's), go to DTD, ride the monorail and/or boats (very entertaining for a 2 year old), play miniture golf, or hang out at the pool. On park days, we focus on the parks and take a mid-afternoon nap. We let DS stay up late on park days, and then let him sleep in on "down days" (scheduling the latest Char Breakfast that we can).

Hope that helps. Best of luck,

Mrs. PB

 

[Tammi67]

We went down in Dec with our 5 and 2.5 yr. old. Flew out of Dulles early morning. You can get great rates now with Independence Air. Get a non-stop. Don't plan on going at naptime thinking he will sleep. He will be all excited and by the time you get him settled down to sleep the flight will be over. Gave them lollipops and takeoff and landing. By the time we got our rental, got checked in-at WL, it was right around nap time. Put the kids down for a few hours, one would stay with them while the other checked out resort. We were on 3rd floor, pool view, and the noise was not bad at all. I would recommend this resort. We got the rental because I was like you wondering how all this would work with 2 small kids, but we never drove it to the park at all. The transpo with the busses and boats was soooo convenient. Get the free fridge, stock up on milk, oj, pbj, bread, cereal, fruit, granola bars. We took a few hard plastic bowls/plates and some plastic silverware with us. Gave the kids cereal in the am and packed a cooler to take with us to the parks with water, pbj sandwiches, fruit, snack bars, etc. The kids, and adults, could munch whenever they wanted. We would go back to the resort and nap in the afternoon. I would nap or read as well. Go back to a park in the evening. Our 2.5DD lasted doing this from Sunday until Friday, when she had a meltdown at MGM. My DH took her back to the resort and she slept and slept and slept. They came back and met us for our 4PM PS for Fantasmic and all was fine. A meltdown is bound to happen, just take it in stride and go at their pace.

 

[budly]

I have been twice with my DS1, first at 9 months and then at 2. When he was 2, we stayed a week at CR, and I cannot tell you how much we loved it. We returned to the room everyday and on the couple of days he was to excited to nap, we went to the pool. Chef Mickey's is great. At the time we went, there was no firdge in the room, but there is a convenience store that we would run down to for his milk as needed. We had no problems, and the balcony was FANTASTIC as a place to sit when he crashed at night. Also, my husband and I took turns in the gym/arcade when he napped.

When he was 9 months, we spent two days in AllStar Sports with my disney commando parents (thankfully in another room). Because we were with the commandos, we did not return to the room. My son did sleep in the stroller in the parks which allowed us to ride the adult rides while my mom watched him. He finally engaged in a screaming fit that lasted about 30 minutes outside the Brown Derby at about 8:00. Once we were seated, he was fine, and in retrospect, I think it got us a table more quickly.

I strongly recommend a monorail resort, but if your budget won't allow it, we had no problem in Allstar Sports.

 

[PortieOwner]

Thanks for all the great advice and sharing your experiences. I feel better about taking the boy to WDW now, it sounds like he will enjoy it. I am still not sure which resort to pick but I spent today at a very expensive hotel in the DC area for a conference and the place was such a pit compared to any WDW resort hotel I can recall visiting. So I guess no matter where I stay it will be nicer than a lot of the hotels you find in the "real world".

My boy had an egg allergy, which is a shame because he loves pancakes and waffles (he gets egg-free ones at home) and he won't be able to eat those Mickey Mouse pancakes and waffles.

Thanks, Portie

 

[cwnhokie]

Well I might as well throw in my 2 cents. We went in May with DS2.5 and DS4. DS4 is the wild one and DS2.5 is pretty easy going. We stayed off property so I can't help with your resort choice. Although we had no difficutlies with staying off-property. It took us about 20 mins to get to the parks, no traffic, no crowds.

Check out www.mousesavers.com and the transportation boards for the rental car. We were able to get one for $99 for the week with the codes on mousesavers with National. I kept rebooking everytime the rates went down.

We flew out of BWI on SW, going down we left at 12:30 and they both slept the whole way. Coming home we left at 9:30 and DS2 slept the whole way again. (Probably exhausted from the trip) We did take his carseat on the plane so that he would have a familiar seat to fall asleep in. Our flight was $49 each way so it was cheaper than driving, even with the rental car.

A couple times he slept in the stroller in the parks, one time we went back for a nap, and they took good naps on the non park days. One tip that we found was, when we parked it was easier to push the strollers and walk rather than folding them up to get on the tram. Then we could just push them on the monorails and never had to fold them up and take all the stuff out.

Take time to enjoy the small stuff, everything is amazing to them. Play in the water, look at the animals, enjoy the resort, stuff like that. Have fun and most of all enjoy the magic on the little one's face!

 

[2d_star_to_the_right]

We have stayed at many of the Disney resorts and haven't found any of them to be excessively noisy. All can accomodate a small refridge. If you do the All Stars you would do better with a top floor room and one away from the main pool and eating hall. At the moderates- it would be similar. YOu don't want to be TOO far away because you have to walk there for your meals and enjoyement. I recall a baby pool at WL but since my kids are all great swimmers (2,5,7) I don't recall what other hotels offer.

Regardless of where you stay- you probably don't have to worry about sleep in the least. Your child is going to be soooooooooooo tired from all of the stimulation and activity that sleep is not going to be disturbed. He will drop like a bowling ball. All rooms have darkening shades so naps are no problem either. He may adjust his times based on your day. With young children it is always eaisest to be on the monorail but that is not always affordable so if not I would go for more days that way you can pack less into a day and enjoy your time more!
just thoughts

 

[indylaw99]

I'm a little late to the party, but I did want to say that we always stay at WL now with our little ones for a couple of reasons--1) the close proximity to MK to get back and forth for naps, 2) the ease of getting off and on the boat with a stroller as opposed to collapsing it for the busses, and 3) the villas. I would think about maybe renting points from someone. We rented our points out to someone at the last minute in February and they got a steal on their rooms. It especially works if you can stay Sunday through Friday.

Tricia

 

[PortieOwner]

Again, this is really helpful.

Right now I am leaning towards Coronado Springs, but researching AK Lodge and thinking a bit about Wilderness Lodge too. My big reservation about Coronado Springs is that it sounds like food service there is not great (I loved the food court at Dixie Landings, didn't like the snack bar at Wilderness Lodge that much). I am plowing through resort and restaurant and food court reviews over on allears.net.

Also, if I were to rent someone's Vacation Club property how would I find them? Ebay?

Thanks, Portie

 

[indylaw99]

Actually, there is a DVC Rent/Trade board here on DISboards. The people on there are great and will show you the ropes. That is where we rented ours.

Tricia