Which CL for a 5 yr old birthday?

[NicoleLarson]

We are taking our DD (not first stay) for her 5th birthday. We want to do a CL for at least a couple of nights. Which do you all think would be the best? We will also have a 1 yr old and will be going the end of Feb. 2014. Also listed are the ~rates that it would be for each.
AK-$335
WL-$345
BC/YC-$385
BWI-$400
Poly-$425

I didn't include CR or GF because they are just out of our price range, which the poly is pushing it but that would be the max.

 

[CarolineB]

Are you going over to the parks -- would being close to a particular park be important to you?

The weather in February might be warm enough to enjoy the nice pool at Yacht and BC or it might be just too cold.

Does the child enjoy seeing lots of animals -- AKL might be good choice.

I haven't stayed at any CL so can't comment one being better than another so I didn't vote.

 

[katrina1122]

Not to sound rude, but why does a 5 year old need to stay club level for their birthday? Isn't being in WDW enough...or to me, over the top. A simple at home birthday party is sufficient.

If I were choosing club level for DH and I we'd do AKL for the sunrise safari.

 

[Nancyg56]

I would choose AK. My DGD was 4 when we stayed CL there and it was worth every penny. The lounge is perfect for little ones, it is large enough to have an area just for kids. Kady loved it. BC is nice but HUGE! The lounge is small and the area that kids can enjoy is really just enough space to eat.

AK has a lot of children's activities, the pool is a zero entry pool and the animals kept Kady mesmerized. For a few years she kept telling us she wanted to live there.

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

I voted for Poly. The lounge is great with a wonderful view and I like the location of the Hawaii building - it's nice and central within the resort. And when traveling with little ones, I think the location of the Poly is fantastic in terms of transportation options. You have the monorail to the MK right there and from Hawaii, it's not a bad walk over to the TTC for the Epcot monorail. We prefered to walk to the TTC vs. taking the loop around and switching tracks. My second choice would be BC because the pool is amazing!

 

[Nancyg56]

Stinkerbelle- I wanted to comment on the Poly but I had no experience with CL there. My DD loves the Poly over all of the other resorts and location was one of the main reasons. The view is lovely and the grounds full and lush. We used teh quiet pool because the feature pool was very crowded, but since the quiet pool was just steps away, that was fine. When we stayed there, we kept Kady while my kids and their spouses went to the CR one night. The beach kept Kady occupied just playing in the sand while watching the little water parade go by.

I just wanted to chime in to Katrina. There are many reasons for a family to choose CL. We chose it specifically because my DGD was young and since we had no idea how she would react to the overall Disney experience, we wanted to make sure we had a great experience for our family. Disney is overwhelming and overstimulating at times and knowing that there is a quiet place to relax and extend your vacation experience is worth it to many. Frankly, for just DH and myself, we would never spend the money. When we have Kady, we'd choose CL without batting an eyelash because the dynamic of our vacation changes. FWIW- there were a lot of families with little ones at BC CL last November and it was a lifesaver for our family. We spend much less time running for coffee or a snack, it was just outsdide the door.

 

[katrina1122]

Stinkerbelle- I wanted to comment on the Poly but I had no experience with CL there. My DD loves the Poly over all of the other resorts and location was one of the main reasons. The view is lovely and the grounds full and lush. We used teh quiet pool because the feature pool was very crowded, but since the quiet pool was just steps away, that was fine. When we stayed there, we kept Kady while my kids and their spouses went to the CR one night. The beach kept Kady occupied just playing in the sand while watching the little water parade go by.

I just wanted to chime in to Katrina. There are many reasons for a family to choose CL. We chose it specifically because my DGD was young and since we had no idea how she would react to the overall Disney experience, we wanted to make sure we had a great experience for our family. Disney is overwhelming and overstimulating at times and knowing that there is a quiet place to relax and extend your vacation experience is worth it to many. Frankly, for just DH and myself, we would never spend the money. When we have Kady, we'd choose CL without batting an eyelash because the dynamic of our vacation changes. FWIW- there were a lot of families with little ones at BC CL last November and it was a lifesaver for our family. We spend much less time running for coffee or a snack, it was just outsdide the door.

I'm not disagreeing with CL, I'm disagreeing with giving it as a birthday gift to a 5 year old. They won't even know the difference.

 

[Nancyg56]

I'm not disagreeing with CL, I'm disagreeing with giving it as a birthday gift to a 5 year old. They won't even know the difference.

I think that you read way too much into the OP's post. She said she was taking her DD to Disney for her 5th birthday and wanted to stay CL> I think it is well worth it when taking a child, especially if this is a first visit. We took Kady for her 6th birthday and never gave a thought to how we phrased it. Disney was not her gift, it was where we celebrated. Her gift was separate.

 

[AliceIn]

I voted AK because I think a five year old would love that resort. My niece and nephew stayed there in December, and they got SUCH a kick out of having a bunk bed and being able to see animals from their room.

 

[NicoleLarson]

I don't think anyone is being rude but it's not her gift. My husband and I actually stayed CL at AKL last september and loved it and thought that it would be nice to stay a couple of nights, when we went back for her 5th birthday. I love birthdays and always do something big. I feel like 5 is a milestone and just wanted something special. We really loved AKL but I'm just not sure if we would use it that much since the Cl rooms are not on the same floor as the lounge and I'm afraid with 2 little ones it will become a hassle. But since most of you have said AKL, maybe I'm just over thinking it. Thanks for the responses so far, please keep them coming.

 

[dp911]

I love BWI cl and yc cl. Yc has the best pool and my 5 year old loved it

 

[mmmears]

AKL and the Poly have great CL lounges. AKL is actually my favorite (and a better price) but if you want a lounge more convenient to your room then perhaps the Poly. The Poly has a nice pool and beach for the kids, and AKL has a nice pool and the animals. Also you can watch the MK fireworks from the beach at the Poly or from the CL Lounge (while eating the yummy dessert treats). Also, the Poly CL lounge is really close to the pool, so it's easy to run up and grab a snack or a drink to enjoy by the pool.

BC/YC is a great resort, but IMO their CL lounge isn't as "special" as the other two. It sounds like you might be doing a split stay (since you said just a couple of nights at CL)... if so I would definitely consider it as a resort, but I'm on the fence on whether the CL there is "worth it" or not.

Haven't tried CL at WL or BWI so I can't comment.

Have a great trip!

 

[trishadono]

WL might be a good option for you for these reasons. The resort is not too large. It is all enclosed with elevators( easy with strollers). It is close to MK, and with kids that age you will go there the most. The club is set up on the 7th floor, so should be convenient with little ones. The geyser is fun and you can see the night water pageant and fireworks from there too. Also just a short boat ride to CR and monorail. The only down side to AKL is location compared to all the parks. If you get a snack at 5p you don't have time to leave and come back for dessert. At WL you could take a boat to MK or CR and have time to come back.
THE GOOD part is that the kids will have fun anywhere so pick a place that keeps parents happy and then the kids will be happy