Which resort with a toddler?

[caroline5177]

Our first trip (looonnnng ago) when the kids were little....we opted for Contemporary. Easy walk to MK; the pool was nice and easy to navigate for them; we opted for a lagoon view room and loved seeing the"electrical water pageant" from our room at night; and the kids loved that the monorail went through the hotel. And, Chef Mickey's is on property, as well as California Grill (on my faves).

 

[danceintherain]

I've never been able to justify the cost (or not being able to cancel a point rental) but being able to walk anywhere is invaluable with toddlers. At almost 3, the nap situation is fluid, but my kids have typically napped at Disney, even after they stop napping at home. But, they've very rarely transferred well. So if they fall asleep in the stroller, then they'll wake up when we try to transition to the bus. If they fall asleep on the bus, they won't still be asleep by the time we get to the room. So, anything that allows you to keep your child in a stroller will probably be more valuable to you than space in the room.
I've always shared a room with my kids while at Disney though. Sometimes we'll put them in a bathroom. I'm also not prone to watching TV in general. I'm more likely to read or browse on my computer. DH is pretty much always passed out before the kids are....

 

[disneygolfer1985]

I would definitely suggest a 1BR. The washer/dryer and full kitchen are invaluable. As to location, I would go with BWV or BCV personally. You can walk to 2 parks and the bus rides to MK and AK are only 15 minutes. We stayed at the GFV over thanksgiving in 2019 with my 18 month daughter and the monorail had issues and it took a long time to get to the other parks not on the monorail loop. It also took about 30-45 minutes to get to Epcot from GFV. The splash pad was nice and my daughter enjoyed that. Personally, I don’t think we would ever stay at the GFV with her. I feel it is just too far away from the rest of the parks. I would rather spend my evenings in Epcot letting her explore the WS where there is more space and not as crowded as the MK.

 

[CrystalGill]

This will be our first trip with our daughter who will be almost 3 years at the time of our trip. We are planning for May 2022. My husband and I have been many times before, but planning with our daughter is new for me! We are looking at using dvc points and staying for 10 days (second guessing if this will be too long with a toddler). We have loved staying at the Grand Floridian and were thinking of doing a studio there bc of the monorail and being close to the MK. I also saw that a 1 bedroom at Old Key West was close to the same price. My husband is worried about the space in the studio if our daughter is napping but also worried about travel time back and forth to the resort for breaks. Any advice on which resort would be better - extra space vs. monorail? Open to other resort suggestions too!

I feel this question in my heart. I cannot make a decision on a resort for my kiddos first trip. They are 1 and 3. We want to travel in December and rent dvc points. Can’t make the call between and 1 bedroom and proximity to MK in a studio. I will also be driving so I will have a car. Not sure if I should just choose the resort I want and just drive myself everywhere. But, as a kid the busses and monorail were always part of the fun and experience lol

 

[GoingSince1990]

Grand Floridian or Contemporary. Such a pleasure to leave MK and just be able to walk back to your resort when all the lines for transportation are long.

 

[westie55]

This summer my kids will turn 4 and 6. We go to Disney every year. Whenever you don't have to remove a sleeping child from a stroller, it is a beautiful thing. Being on the monorail is a delight for that very reason. We rented points for a studio at GFV a few years ago. It was a great experience, but I probably won't rent points again until covid is out of the picture. I've also done the Contemporary. I like it much less than the GF, but it's equally convenient to MK and the pool is very manageable for small kids. My just turned 4 year old could go up the waterslide tower himself while I waited in the pool with DS2. Last year we stayed in a 1 BR at Riviera and it was great. The 1 BR really spoiled me. I don't cook on vacation, but we loved having the space to eat quick service in the room given that some restaurants were closed. Being able to do laundry is huge with little kids. We had a movie night which was really fun. I liked it so much that this July we are staying in a 1 BR at Copper Creek Villas. I just couldn't justify the price of the Contemporary or GF with the monorail not running to Epcot and a lot of dining at the GF being unavailable. Overall GF is my favorite resort but I'll wait until it is fully open before I pay top dollar again. Really any of the resorts are fantastic for kids. I've also taken my kids to AoA, POFQ, CBR, and SSR. We never had a bad trip. Figure out your budget then pick the resort theming you like the best. Being on the skyliner is great-- it is super fast.

 

[oyalkut]

This will be our first trip with our daughter who will be almost 3 years at the time of our trip. We are planning for May 2022. My husband and I have been many times before, but planning with our daughter is new for me! We are looking at using dvc points and staying for 10 days (second guessing if this will be too long with a toddler). We have loved staying at the Grand Floridian and were thinking of doing a studio there bc of the monorail and being close to the MK. I also saw that a 1 bedroom at Old Key West was close to the same price. My husband is worried about the space in the studio if our daughter is napping but also worried about travel time back and forth to the resort for breaks. Any advice on which resort would be better - extra space vs. monorail? Open to other resort suggestions too!

With a toddler, I would definitely pick convenience of the monorail over size of OKW rooms. You may also want to consider Bay Lake Tower which is a 5-7 minute WALK from Magic Kingdom.

When your toddler is napping, you can consider hanging out on the balcony and enjoying a cold beverage, or take a soak in a jacuzzi.

OKW is one of the furthest resorts from MK, about 30 minute drive each way, plus waiting for the bus. You would likely be giving up hours each day on commuting back and forth.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[Stratman50th]

Haha.... We took our daughter when she was almost 3, (1997). We were at Port Orleans at the time. Now called the French Quarter. We couldn't get her off the slide at the resort. We also got her a silver Mickey balloon. We could have saved a bunch on park tickets. She couldn't have cared less.

 

[bellebud]

In your situation, I'd want a 1 bedroom villa with a w/d in the room. I'd take that anywhere I could afford it. For a 10 day trip, you can really feel like you're in a little apartment in a 1 bedroom villa. And the w/d in the room is so convenient. The bedroom is perfect for your toddler to nap and go to sleep earlier than you, and you guys use the villa area and balcony. All the resorts have nice pools and play areas, your child won't know the difference.

 

[evilqueenmindy]

I vote for the 1 bedroom. (Unless you ONLY plan on going to MK)
The villas at OKW are huge, and having a room to put the sleeping baby while you can talk and do things in the other room is a huge plus.
We brought my niece as a newborn and as a 1 year old and stayed in an OKW villa (2BR, but we had extra people) it was so convenient to have the separate room and the washer dryer. Also if you are ground floor, it makes loading/unloading all the baby paraphernalia from car to room so easy.
Yes, there is a bus to contend with, but once you get the hang of folding the stroller, it’s pretty easy.