Where to stay with 4 year old?

[princesspiglet]

We are planning on going in November with our 4 year old daughter. We still have not decided where to stay. My DH is military and we were thinking about Shades of Green, but I want something more "Disneyish" KWIM? We went when she was 13 months and stayed offsite and this will probably be our last trip for a few years, so I want to stay onsite. She loves Toy Story, but I am afraid ASM will be too small a room. She goes to bed around 9pm and we like to stay up and have a drink, so we want somplace that has a balcony or patio. We don't want to spend more than $300 per night. We also won't have a rental car, so we need a place with good transportation.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Minnie824]

What about Animal Kingdom Lodge? I'm not sure on pricing, but you could check on the disney site. Definitely disneyish, and they have balconies. Your DD would probably like seeing the animals also.

 

[joliesmom]

I stayed at SOG without a child and it was wonderful. With my DD(3.5) we stayed at AKL and she LOVED it. She was in love with the animals. We stayed for a short trip at ASMU when she was younger and the rooms are small and the resort is very loud.

 

[KristiKelly]

We always stay at one of the deluxe just for the balcony. We have 2 kids (soon to be 3) and it's nice to be able to put them to bed and sit on the balcony and have a couple of drinks and alone time.

I would watch mousesavers.com for codes. If you're planning on going over Thanksgiving, expect BIG crowds and pay more, I think the rest of Nov. will probably be okay. We stayed @ Animal Kingdom Lodge in 2002 when DS4 & DD2. They loved it. They would eat their cereal out on the balcony in the mornings and watch the animals. I don't think you would have any trouble getting a Savannal view for under $300, I think we paid around $200 a night and it was in April.

In 2003, we rented points for a studio at Beach Club Villas, the pool was awesome and our kids still talk about it. The location is great as well. We walked over to Boardwalk and rented the surry bikes, our kids really liked that.

Last year, we got a special, pay for 4 stay for 7 and stayed at the Polynesian. We upgraded for Lagoon view. This is probably more than a $300 night room but you might could get a good deal. DD4 loved the view of the castle across the water.

I really don't think you can go wrong with any of the resorts, they all have lots to offer. If your DD is really into the princesses and being 4, you might want to look into the Poly or Contemporary and try to get a view of the castle. It changes colors at night and you can watch the fireworks from the balcony.

Good luck!!!

 

[G&J's Mom]

I second AKL. My kids now 3 and 5 LOVED it! So did mommy! Also thought the zero entry pool was great with kids. I did not use the transportation, but although off the beaten path, AKL does not share a bus with other resorts. We paid $231 for a Savannah view with an AP in June, so I think your under $300 a night is very doable.

Hope that helps.

Denise

 

[Suzanne74]

I think for young kids, WL is good since it is SO close to MK and the theming is wonderful. Very rustic and warm - a good November choice. If you wait until AFTER Thanksgiving it is empty and the resort is beautiful for Christmas.

AKL seems to be a great one with the kids too but it isn't so close to any of the parks. Make sure you get a room close to the front desk/resort lounge. There is lots of walking otherwise and then you have to wait for a bus.

Poly has patios/balconies too and a there is the lagoon, the barefoot bar, etc... but it is more expensive.

Try not to stay at CBR or CSR as I have heard there is A LOT of walking involved at times.

I love the Epcot resort area but since dd 3 isn't a big fan of Epcot, we usually only do it one night. I hate to travel everywhere else. When she gets older, I would love to stay near Epcot.

Look for codes for great rates. Also look at all the slide shows on allearsnet.com to give you some ideas on what you would like.

You could also go to the rent/trade board for DVC members and look into renting points. We stayed in a 1 bdrm at OKW for $800 a week - it was WONDERFUL and so nice to have the extra space. We had a balcony and a living room to hang out in after dd went to bed. We are going this week for 5 nights and are splurging on Poly since it is very kids friendly and we wanted to be close to MK, dd's favorite and mine

 

[Deborah_Mary]

My first thought was the CR! My oldest dd's first trip was when she was 3 1/2 and we stayed here and she was totally hooked! We got a magical upgrade (from standard to tower w/MK view room) and it was amazing! Granted it may cost more than $300/night when you want to go... not sure, but wanted to suggested it anyway for you to consider as well. Nothing in the "world" can beat that view (in my opinion!) Plus, having access to the monorail, the walkway to MK and the boats to WL and FW is also really neat too. Housing Chef Mickey's is also a great big perk and something your 4 year old dd would probably love as well.

My 2nd choice (even though we have yet to stay there, we've walked around the grounds) would be WL due to it's very close proximity to MK.

This year we are trying out AKL and Poly, it'll be everyone's first time (except I've stayed at the Poly when I was a teen with my parents a long time ago...) so it is going to truly a different experience than what we are use to. So excited!!

Anyway, good luck and hope this helps you out!

Deb*