Which resort if bringing a small child?

[toldham]

Trying to determine which place to stay out since our daughter will just be turning 5. Was thinking of the Polynesian (monorail access) but heard that the service doesn't seem to be the same "Disney" quality there? Any thoughts? Thanks

 

[Disneylvr]

We are staying at the Poly with our 5 year old in just 19 days (WOOHOO!) so I hope we get "Disney" quality service while there! I can report back in a few weeks. We had a good experience at the Contemporary 2 years ago.

 

[tley]

Trying to determine which place to stay out since our daughter will just be turning 5. Was thinking of the Polynesian (monorail access) but heard that the service doesn't seem to be the same "Disney" quality there? Any thoughts? Thanks

It really depends on what you're looking for and what brings that twinkle to your daughter's eyes. For someone as small as 5, I would consider the value resorts (Pop Century is my choice, just for the shear fun of the resort) or AKL (if she's into animals)

 

[ElizabethB]

Grand Floridian would be perfect.

 

[Tam1067]

We love the Polynesian! We have stayed there in 2006, 2007, and we're going in 2008, too. My kids refuse to stay anywhere else.

The theming is great. The pool is nice. The rooms are among the largest on property. We've stayed at POR and WL, and the Poly is by far the best. The service we've had has always been good. Plus, the monorail access is very convenient with a smaller child.

 

[mericletwins]

Honestly, any resort would be "the one" to take your five year old to. Pick your price category and then pick the theme that appeals most to your family. We have stayed in quite a few Disney resorts and have loved every one.

 

[DaisyD]

My now 9 y/os favorite resort is the Poly. We have been taking her there since she was two. Whenever we plan the trip she always says she wants the Poly. I don't know why anyone would think there is less Disney magic there. She loves the activities, the theming, and especially playing in the sand during Wishes.

 

[Reginak]

We have been treated with "Disney" quality at every resort that we have stayed at; however, occasionally, you catch a cm on a bad day.

We loved all of the resorts, but the Poly is my husband's favorite.

Regina

 

[themcgoos]

Our first "real" stay at WDW was at the Contemporary in 2002 with our then 4 and 8 year old daughters and they/we all had a truly "Disney experience." Even the then 4 year old (now 9 year old) remembers wonderful things about that trip and they both still say it was their best vacation ever....

 

[Schmeck]

Does she like animals? My kids loved Animal Kingdom Lodge. Is she big on pools? Beach Club and Yacht Club share Stormalong Bay. If you think you're going to spend most of your time at the Magic Kingdom, then the Poly is fine.

 

[plutospup]

With a young child I would think the Poly would be great! You'll find easy monorail access to MK, and EPCOT. Also, if for some reason you're in MK, and need to return to your room quickly the Poly (or CR, or GF) are close by. I believe the Poly also has some children's activities throughout the week such as "hula dancing" your daughter might enjoy.

 

[Shmily1]

You didn't say which level of resort you wanted to stay at, but we always try to take the little ones to the values since they are decorated "fun". Even when money doesn't matter, the ASMovies is still a great place to be if you are little. Can you imagine being little and seeing the giant dalmations right out side your window? How awesome is that?

 

[TJA]

We've had some wonderful trips with our twins since they were 7 months old until now at age 4, listed below in my sig. We've always stayed deluxe mainly for the ease of getting to and from parks. If your main park will be MK, then yes it is great to stay at a monorail resort. We enjoy Poly and CR, have never stayed at GF. I wouldn't go by other people's experiences, really, because everyone has a different experience, some good and some bad all at the same resort.

WL is also a great resort that is only a boat ride away from MK, so it's easy enough to hop back to the resort for a midday break. At least I hope that's the case because we're staying there next month!

If you think you'll frequent Epcot and the Studios a lot, then BC is a great resort for your child. It has an awesome sandy-bottom pool area that makes for hours of fun for the little ones. It is the ONLY pool in Disney where I can actually relax on a chair while my kids play for hours right near me.

 

[rheffelf]

I would consider transportation in the mix. I have a 4 year old son and a 2 year old son, and we seem to go to mostly MK and Hollywood Studios. We like to stay at resorts that don't use the bus system as much since we always have stroller(s) for my sons. We like to use the boats or the monorail so you don't have to fold them up.

A five year old would be pretty happy staying anywhere in Disney I would imagine. The main thing to consider is how comfortable you want to be after LONG days in the park. WDW can be very exhausting for parents with little kids. We plan alot of our park hopping during the day around how hard or much of a hassle it would be to get to that park at that time. If the kids are tired, I would be more likely to go somewhere where I can hop on a monorail or on a boat rather than a potentially crowded bus. When we decide to stay at a resort, I would say transportation to a specific park is very important secondary only to cost to stay at the resort for us.

That being said, I love the Polynesian and you can't go wrong with any of the monorail resorts.

 

[Jaymie]

We took my son to the Poly when he was 2.5 and he still talks about it. It was his favorite by far. Although I can't imagine a 5 yr old being disappointed with any Disney hotel.

 

[Cool-Beans]

The service is as "Disney" at the Poly as it is anywhere. Problem is that the service is less "Disney" everywhere than it used to be. Or maybe we all just need to adjust or standards to what "Disney" service is now and quit thinking about what it once was, I dunno.

If you want to pick a hotel that the kid will love, go with the All Stars. Big, giant things that they'll love. Gaudy rooms that they'll think are cool. A giant, noisy food court where they'll feel at home.

If 5 year olds were to design their own hotels, they'd look very much like the All-Stars.

If you want a hotel that you'll enjoy and not have your nerves jangled by AND is an easy to commute to the exceptionally kid-pleasing Magic Kingdom, go with the Poly or the Grand Floridian.

If you want something in-between...something that is pretty, but still has a cool food court (colorful with BIG stuff) and an awesome pool/playground area (where the child can sit on the lower pyramid steps and help "open" the pool), I recommend Coronado Springs.

Good luck with your decision and have a great trip!!