WDW Experts--Help!

[thf913]

DH and I will be taking our 2 DS's to WDW for their first time in Jan. 2008. They will be ages 4 and 13 months at the time of the trip. We can't decide where to stay. We have narrowed our choices to POR, CBR, Poly, or WL. What do you recommend? We assume we will spend most of our time at MK and MGM but we also plan to visit Epcot and AK. Any help will be appreciated.

 

[trivial]

In your situation, I would rent DVC points and stay at the Beach Club Villas or BoardWalk Villas. Both are in close proximity to Epcot and MGM, which we would be visiting for about half of our stay.

 

[Junebugwv]

With young children I think the Polynesian would be great. Access to the monorail is great when you are using strollers.

 

[VAgal76]

I'd have to say WL. The boat ride to WL is not bad. The monorail is usually crowded and we typically end up taking the boat back to Poly or GF anyway. No need to get hung up on the monorail thing.

If you're going to focus on MK then just stay at a MK resort. They have reliable bus transportation to MGM, Ecpot and AK. I have to say the WL resort wouldn't be a bad choice at all. You're close to MK and it's much less expensive than the Poly. Service at WL has improved quite a bit since my last stay in 2004.

From WL, you can even take the bus to Contemporary and hop on the monorail to Epcot (you'll need to transfer at TTC though). If you really don't want to take the bus.

With such small children are wanting to have some separate sleeping quarters? If so, then you might want to check into DVC properties. WL has DVC property. It's smaller so it's harder to get into, but if you plan far enough out it's doable. With a 1 bdrm you'll have your kitchen, washer/dryer. The DVC building is next to the main hotel. It's nicely decorated. I was very pleased with my stay. Pay ahead of time for daily housekeeping, but I found it wasn't necessary for a short stay. You can get a lot bang for your buck Sun-Thur with renting point. It might be more cost effective to pay cash for the weekend portion of your stay. You can even have them combine the two reservations once you get there so you don't have move rooms. There's lots of info on renting points on the DVC rent/trade board. I've had good experiences doing this both times. I was even more surprised being a concierge level only stayer about how happy I was with DVC.

 

[eliza61]

DH and I will be taking our 2 DS's to WDW for their first time in Jan. 2008. They will be ages 4 and 13 months at the time of the trip. We can't decide where to stay. We have narrowed our choices to POR, CBR, Poly, or WL. What do you recommend? We assume we will spend most of our time at MK and MGM but we also plan to visit Epcot and AK. Any help will be appreciated.

I would probably go with either the Poly or the WL, my motto is sort of "stay near the place you like to play". When my kids were smaller and we spent the majority of time at the MK. I loved being close to that. WL is my favorite and it's very easy access to the MK. The resort is awesome.

 

[jimmytammy]

Poly or WL would be my choice in your situation. If MK is going to be where you want to be most of the time, these 2 make the most sense. WL would be a little more laid back, and amenities, restaurants, store are closer in to your rooms than Poly rooms are.

BTW, you may notice my pics below, so I may seem a bit biased towards WL over any other resort, but it really is a lovely, peaceful place. It can be a bit of an escape from the park atmosphere, and a bit romantic, even with kids in tow.

 

[Lilolvr]

Poly!!

 

[cinderlexa's mom]

Stayed at Poly with a baby. It was a life saver.

Stayed at YC with a baby--didn't help much because we had to travel a lot to MK...we were there way more than we had planned.

 

[jlcd]

I prefer a resort near the Magic Kingdom with young kids. If $$ is not an issue, my vote is for the Poly. The rooms are larger and you have the monorail. I also found the tropical feel very relaxing. Otherwise the Wilderness lodge is great too! On our first trip our kids were 3 and 6 and we stayed in the cabins at Fort Wilderness and loved it. Lots of space, a full kitchen, separate bedroom and your own deck area. It was like having a small cottage. I would definately recommend renting a golf cart to get around if you stay there.

Have fun wherever you stay!

 

[erikthewise]

I agree -- the Polynesian is wonderful if money is not an issue. WL is also nice for young children. We visited WL for an afternoon when our oldest was 13 months, and he got a big thrill out of walking back and forth over the small bridge in the lobby! From either resort you can take a boat to MK, which is a thrill in itself for young children. CBR is OK but HUGE and the walk from your room to the main building could be a long one. This may or may not be a problem for you but I think it's undesirable with young ones. If you want to stay at a moderate, I'd suggest POFQ as it's a lot smaller than CBR or POR.

 

[f7prez]

Poly, for the monorail. With young children, it will be a life saver.
Plus the Volcano pool is zero entry and right on the beach.

 

[thf913]

Thanks for the suggestions. DH and I have not been to WDW since 2000 and we have never stayed in a Disney Resort. I appreciate everyone's assistance! Keep 'em coming!

 

[hoosll]

Natch - I vote for WL

It is a very compact resort, close to MK (great boat ride) with great atmosphere, bunnies, ducks, geyser ...

 

[Poly Pal]

I would definitely stay at the Polynesian over all your other choices.

The monorail will make your travels to and from the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT so much easier! You can roll on, roll off and get all the way back to your room without ever having to take your tired or sleeping children out of the stroller(s).

With the boats (an option from WL and the Polynesian) you do have to remove the child from the stroller before boarding. With all busses you need to remove the child from the stroller and fold the stroller while carrying a sleeping infant / toddler. At park opening and closing the busses can be very crowded and DO NOT count on anyone giving up there seat so that you and your child can sit (been there done that!) I challenge you to try this by taking a short bus ride with a tired child and a stroller at home before you make your resort decision!

Wherever you stay, have a great trip!

 

[Poly Pal]

I forgot to add that I would also rent a car if it is within your budget. Getting to the parks that are not on the monorail requires taking a bus (well, you can take a boat to MGM from YC/BC/BW). With small children it is so much easier to just plop them in their car seats when they are pooped out rather than negotiating the trip with strollers on the busses.

Have fun!

 

[simonkodousek]

My vote goes to the Polynesian because of it's monorail access to the Magic Kingdom. It is a very short walk to the Ticket & Transportation Center where you can hop on a monorail to Epcot. Bus service was very good, as was ferry service.

Not to mention the excellent rooms. They are HUGE! Housekeeping was good, the room was in great condition, and so were the grounds. The pools were nice, and the Great Ceremonial House felt like another huge room because you could relax in the lobby, sit in the lounge, and try some of the supurb restaurants.

Oh, how I miss the Polynesian...