Opinions regardng hotel options

[disney1026]

I am very interested in hearing others' opinions on my hotel dilemna. I have finally convinced my husband to go to Disney this Fall with our daughter. She will be almost 3 years old. He had wanted to wait until she was 5 years old, but I can't wait that long!

Here is my issue: I thought staying at one of the Magic Kingdom hotels would be great with our daughter because that is likely the park we will spend the most time at. However, I then started thinking that we may want a 1-bedroom studio so that she can go to bed at night (bedtime is 8pm) and my husband and I can still be up in the living room area (rather than us having to be quiet and tip-toe around a typical hotel room). The new Art of Animation hotel would be about half the price of staying at the Poly or Contemporary. Which would you pick? I should put out there that spending $4000 (including tickets) for an MK hotel is a slightly big deal for us in terms of price. Thanks for all your help

[minnie-mouse]

I my honest opinion, a delux on the monorail is the way to go, if in your budget. We have done both Poly and CBR (not on monorail) with toddlers and can say that the monorail hotel was so much more convenient and easier to quickly get to park and get back to hotel for a nap in the middle of the day. We always requested a room with a balcony and when we put our DDs down to sleep we would sit on the balcony for a few hours to unwind. It worked great. Plus, we also found that our girls were so tired out by the excitement of the day, that at night they usually even fell asleep when we were in the room too.

[TysMomTink]

If budget allows, I agree that the monorail deluxes would allow for an ease of transportation. Be sure to use Magical Journeys too because they will definitely find you the best deal. You say you want to travel in the fall and traditionally (no guarantees here) there have been some great fall discounts released. MJ will find them for you, so you may find a better deal for a monorail hotel.

[brownie]

It sounds like price is a considerable factor for you. If price is more important than being in a Magic Kingdom resort, I'd go with the Art of Animation resort.

[SBETigg]

Sorry for the dilemma. You might consider looking into renting points for Bay Lake Tower, or the Wilderness Lodge has some studio style rooms I think. Being at a monorail resort is always preferable to me, though, and very easy with a toddler. You might also like the Beach Club with an easy walk to Epcot/ride to DHS.

[MOJoe]

If you are planning on spending a lot of time in your room, then you will want to stay in a room, and a resort, you can enjoy. A monorail resort would be best. But pricey. As a compromise, i would say the Wilderness Lodge might work. Sitting on your balcony in the evening is very pleasant. And there is a great lounge downstairs if you can sneak out for a few minutes.
Really, only you know how you live while on vacation. So the studio may be the perfect fit. My family, however, prefers the better locations.

[bunkyg]

Keep in mind that you will be tethered to the room after 8:00pm so I would suggest you look at the room itself over the resort. If the ART of A fits those needs why pay extra for a resort you can't take full advantage of?
Since your not first timers, I assume that your aware that you can purchase your tickets now and book the room only for the fall spreading some of the costs out over most of the year

[disneynarula]

I would go for Art of Animation. As a person who travels with kids I can testify that you will want a separate room for the little one.

I bet your daughter would love the rooms at Art of Animation.

If it's a "bid deal" budget wise to stay at a MK resort then why do it?

[darthmacho]

If you can save money by doing Art, do it. Why? You get the privacy that you desire, and the money you save will help you get back that much faster.

[BrerGnat]

Might be worth noting, the monorail around the MK resorts will be limited in its operation for the duration of the construction of the Grand Floridian villas, since the site is very close to the monorail tracks. So, if you are weighing the MK resort loop against the other choices strictly due to the monorail, you might want to take that out of the equation.

In your situation, I agree that having more of a suite type setup would be ideal. HOWEVER, in the Art of Animation suites, the sleeping area for the kids is actually the living room. You'd be stuck in the bedroom if you want to be in a separate area. If that works for you, then do it. However, I've seen the prices of the rooms at Art of Animation (the suites) and they are way up there.

You can often get 1br villas at Saratoga Springs, Old Key West, or AKL Kidani directly through Disney with a room discount.

I would choose the best accommodations that your budget will allow. Your 3 year old will probably get a kick out of riding the resort buses and other various transportation, so I wouldn't worry too much about location.

[disneynarula]

You don't have to put your daughter to bed in the living area at AofA. You can put her in the bedroom and then sleep on the pull down bed yourselves. That is our plan!

[BrerGnat]

You don't have to put your daughter to bed in the living area at AofA. You can put her in the bedroom and then sleep on the pull down bed yourselves. That is our plan!

Wow, you're giving your child the king sized bed and you are taking a pull out couch! My kids would never get that luxury.

OP, we stayed in a suite in a Sheraton once, with a setup similar to AofA, where there was a king bed bedroom with bathroom, and then living room with pull out couch, table and chairs, television, etc. We had our kids sleep in the living room. It worked out well. We just shut ourselves in the bedroom once they went to bed and watched t.v. in there. As long as there is a television in the bedroom, you'll be okay. Your child will likely fall asleep rather quickly, and won't wake up if one of you needs to leave the room.

I do have to say, though, that your child might be okay staying up a bit past normal bedtime. I know all about keeping them on a schedule and all, but at WDW, YOU and your husband will be wiped out after a day. You'll probably go to bed right around the same time as your child. And, if you stay up too late, you'll regret it the next day.

[VWL Mom]

One thing to keep in mind is that AofA will still be under construction in the fall so not sure if you want to deal with that.

If you want to be near MK I agree with MOJoe's suggestion of checking out the WL rates. The convenience of a 5 minute bus ride or the relaxing boat ride makes travel back in forth a snap. Another plus is the balcony where DH and I spent many a night when my oldest was a baby.

[minnie-mouse]

You'll probably go to bed right around the same time as your child. And, if you stay up too late, you'll regret it the next day.

This is sooo true! We thought we would be staying up late on our last trip, but most nights if we were not out at park, we were asleep by 10pm and up at 7. You will be exhausted.

[wdwfansince75]

Another option would be the Cabins at Ft. Wilderness....Most space for the money...and you can park your car right outside the cabin, and use either Disney or your own vehicle to go to the parks...particularly flexible for return to the cabin. The two of you have the options of the living room or the deck after DD goes to bed. Love the boat to the MK.
Also, allows you to save on meals, and to insure that your toddler always has something they like available for meals, especially breakfast.

[Jillirose]

Agree with Wilderness Lodge suggestions I think your hubby will really like, and the food and proximity to MK is great!

[debbymc4]

I, too, agree with WL. We loved the boat to the MK. Same benefit as the monorail resorts, but much less expensive.

[MonoMan]

We have traveled to WDW numerous time with a small child and definitely appreciate staying at a place with more transportation options than a bus and having the ability to "stay awake" while the child sleeps. I would recommend you consider that a one bedroom villa has a full kitchen and laundry facilities. This may or may not be important to you. If they are not important you might want to check into the availability of a Junior Suite at the WL. Although not on the monorail, they have boat transportation to the Contemporary and the Magic Kingdom, as well as the normal bus transportation. If you're staying at a deluxe solely to make transportation quicker, you can always budget for a taxi when the child is tried and you're not willing to wait for the bus.

[eandrsmom]

We stayed in the FW cabins on our last trip. They were great! I have 4 kids, ranging in age from 4 to 13, and it was a great place for us. Everyone had plenty of space. We did drive our own car to and from the parks. We took the boat directly to MK. The thing that I REALLY liked was the ability to park your car right outside the cabin. It was nice after a long day or for an afternoon nap. Nobody wants to drag a tired, little one through a hot parking lot and crowded lobby.

[Disney Doll]

I've taken lots of trips with my kids in that age range and I don't think you will need the extra bedroom. We typically stay in a studio with a queen bed and a pull out couch in the same room.
Even with naps and early evenings my kids are usually so worn out that falling asleep is not an issue. Plus, AoA isn't really that cheap. If you are going to spend that kind of money you could get a much nicer room elsewhere. I think transportation is a bigger factor. Monorail is ideal, but you will pay a premium for any monorail resort. Wilderness Lodge is a great compromise. We stayed there last year and loved it.