Which resorts are best for babies and tots?

[Cakemac]

Hey I’m wondering which resorts you’d all recommend for babies and toddlers and why? Thanks!

 

[ButterbearUK]

We stayed at coronado with an 18 month old. Resort was fine, pool is great, but the distance to the parks didn’t work for us. By the time we got to the attractions the small person was grumpy and needing food and a nap so we barely got anything done before having to take a break. The second time we went, when he was nearly 3 we split our stay Yacht Club and Grand Floridian. Both were amazing and we only had to travel to get to animal kingdom. Walking to Epcot and studios was great and the boat to MK was just so relaxing. Our little one still talks about the splash pad at GF. And the sandy beach pool at YC was brilliant, we spent so much time there just chilling out.

 

[Dreams&wishes]

Any with a splash pool. We stayed at the Polynesian and it was great. This time we will stay at CBR and hope we will still have a great time.

 

[Aj1129]

We have stayed at the Poly, GF and WL with a toddler. Each resort was wonderful and a short distance to MK. The splash areas were wonderful and my DS loved his time by the pool. We went back for naps each day and then it was short boat or monorail rail away from MK. This year DS will be 5 years old and we are staying at the YC. It will be a bit different for us on the EP side, but being able to walk to two parks will be nice.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I would take a look at your daily parks plan and pick a resort from there. If it's in a budget, pick a resort that is in closest proximity to the parks you will visit most. CR is within walking distance to MK, though accessing the monorail there with a stroller is not very convenient. Poly and GF have beautiful splash pads and Poly offers you a walking path to TTC to get the EP monorail. If you will spend a lot of time at EP and DHS, check out YC/BC and BWI. I would also consider RIV. For Skyliner access to DHS and EP, more budget-friendly resorts would include CBR, Pop and AoA. It's not easy traveling with babies and toddlers, so the easier you can make your day (wrangling strollers, diaper bags, etc.), the better it is for everyone, IMHO.

 

[sunsetbeachgal]

Do you have a budget in mind?? There is such a huge difference in price in the various resorts, it is hard to make a recommendation unless you know what price range you are interested in.

 

[Anonomom]

Definitely one that allows you to walk to one or more parks. For us, the Contemporary was a favorite with toddlers because we spent extra time at the MK and loved having walking access. YC/BC is another great choice.

 

[Babsy]

It depends upon your plans and budget and time of year. Babies and toddlers are happy where the parents are happy.

If budget isn't limited:
The CR is our first choice, as we like to spend a lot of time in the MK with small children. It is great to be able to walk to /from the MK with a stroller. However, if you plan to spend a lot of time at the resort and pool, then the Poly, GF or the YC/BC would be our choice with little ones.

 

[MomOTwins]

With small kids, taking a midday break at the resort is really helpful so they can cool off and take a nap and not have a total meltdown from heat/exhaustion later in the day. For that reason, I think deluxes are great because they are typically quicker to get back to. If those are not in the budget, I would suggest a resort with gondola access for the same reason. Also, the boats/monorails/gondolas are easier to take kids home on at the end of the day when they fall asleep in their stroller, because with buses, you have to fold up strollers.

 

[marchingstar]

I think a bit more information about who’s traveling, when you’re going, how long you’re staying, and your budget could help us give you the most helpful advice.

There’s really no one best resort. They all have their benefits and they all come with some limitations.

With a 7 month old, we decided that a studio at Poly was best for us. The layout meant we could make a bit of privacy for our baby during naps and early bedtimes, and some privacy for us too so we could enjoy ourselves after 7:00 pm.

With an almost-2-year old, we picked AKL. There’s so much to do at the resort, including a great pool and splash areas.

I will say that if you are two adults with one kid (or 3 with 2 and so on...) I don’t find it that difficult to use buses. one adult holds the kid, the other holds the stroller. Maybe it depends what you’re used to at home? If you only ever drive anywhere, transit might be an added challenge. But if you ever use public transit, I think the disney buses are manageable.

 

[KrazeeK120]

We stayed at Wilderness Lodge when our son was 18 months and it was perfect! It’s a great family resort and less expensive than most other deluxes.

 

[buzznina]

More information is needed, budget, do you plan on taking mid-day breaks, spending most of the time at the parks... Our first trip we stayed Poly because everyone said that the monorail was so much better with a stroller, they were correct about not having to fold it, which is nice. BUT, we also had to use the bus to 2 other parks and we quickly realized that all those horror stories we read, about using buses with strollers were ridiculous. Buses were never an issue with strollers, we folded the stroller while in line and I took the stroller and our bags while my DW took our DDs. Since then, we have had many trips at all 3 levels of resorts and had a great time at each We still will stay deluxe when we want to splurge though

 

[Lynne M]

Families with kids are the core of WDW's business, so all of Disney's resorts cater to babies and toddlers. There's no one that's overall "best" in that regard, it's more a matter of what's best for your family and your vacation plans.

I'd start with budget, and narrow down your resort choices from there. Who's going? How many people will be in the room? The mix of adults/kids? There are all sorts of sleeping arrangements at various resorts. Queen, king, sofabeds, daybeds, murphy beds, etc. Family suites and villas with separate bedrooms.

Then, think about your plans. Where are you going to be spending most of your time? Are you focusing on one park, maybe MK? Or do you plan to divide your time between all of the parks? What kind of transportation do you prefer? Monorail, boats, buses? Or do you want to be able to walk to one or more parks?

Once that's nailed down, look at each resort's amenities. Do you prefer food court-style dining? Table service? Do you want to be able to order room service? How about recreation? Are you good with a pool and a kiddie play area/splash pad? Or do you want more recreation options, like boat rentals?

And then, of course, there's theming to consider if that's important to you. Do you want in-your-face Disney, the French Quarter, a tropical resort, a New England-style beach resort, the Pacific Northwest?

Lots to think about, I know. Let us know the answers to some of those questions and you'll get loads of suggestions.

 

[Disneypro1]

We always did values and loved them. Still do.

 

[loves to dive]

It depends upon your plans and budget and time of year. Babies and toddlers are happy where the parents are happy.

This and Lynn Ms. entire post are the best advice you can get. The little ones aren't going to know the difference and in most cases are so happy and overwhelmed at the same time to really notice where you are staying.

 

[Lilylogan]

Art of Animation is visually appealing to little ones and the Nemo splash pad area is really fun

 

[DGsAtBLT]

I love the answer (paraphrasing) wherever their parents are happy. There is not a single resort in WDW that is not good for babies or toddlers. If one resort or one resort category is most appealing to you for any reason, that's your answer.

Otherwise the best for you will depend on your budget and touring style. In general, resorts where you don't need to rely on transportation and can walk are great for getting back and forth (which is useful with small kids). This would be CR/BLT for MK, and the crescent lake resorts for Epcot/DHS. Some people with little ones will just stay in the park without a midday break, having their child nap in a stroller, and then return to the hotel in the early evening. If that's you, proximity to the parks and ease of back and forth matters less. Strollers on the bus are not the worst thing ever, especially if you have one adult to hold the kid and one adult to wrangle the stroller.

Something else to consider might be a separate space while your child is sleeping. If this is important to you, the value and moderate resorts won't have this (in regular rooms), while the deluxe resorts will have balconies to sit on, with the exception of some rooms in some resorts. For separate space, there's also the family suites at AoA and ASMU, Fort Wilderness cabins, as well as 1 bedroom (and up) villas, and other more expensive suites.