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ac13
LIF Adolescent
Member since 5/09 745 total posts
Name:
A
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Disney with kids - questions
we're planning a trip to disney with our daughters (5 and 1.5 yrs). a few questions:
(1) should we stay on the grounds or off the grounds?
(2) hotel recommendations for both
(3) any tips??
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Posted 4/23/15 8:09 AM  |
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ml110
LIF Adult
Member since 1/06 5435 total posts
Name:
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Disney with kids - questions
we're going with DS in september, and he'll be almost 5. we also took him last february when he was 3...
i would say stay on Disney. with young kids, it just makes it a lot easier to go back in the middle of day if they get tired (or you do!!!) and you don't have to rent a car, bring car seats with you, etc...
as for which hotel- depends on budget. the closest one to magic kingdom is Contemporary- you can even walk there! or take the monorail (which is nice bc you don't have to fold up the stroller like you do on the bus) BUT its also $$$$ :-/ wilderness Lodge is also $$, but they have a ferry boat that goes to magic kingdom. Art of Animation is really fun and "Disney" HUGE figures from different disney movies (little mermaid, cars, lion king, finding memo) all over the resort. most of the rooms there are suites, which is nice bc you'll have 2 bathrooms. POP Century is also a fun hotel with huge figures all over. thats in their "value" category, so the rooms are really basic. Port Orleans French Quarter is nice- small to get around, with a nice pool... just depends on what you want and what "theme" you like. for me- i LOVE the Art of Animation and POP century bc they're "Disney"... BUT not to stay at. i like to stay at the ones that aren't as "Disney", so you have more low-key place to go back to after the craziness of the parks all day. We really liked Port Orleans French Quarter... and we're staying at Wilderness Lodge in September.
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| Posted 4/23/15 8:28 AM |
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MaZz
* Lovin my baby girl!!! *
Member since 2/09 6243 total posts
Name:
Gina
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Disney with kids - questions
If you decide to stay off property, we love Marriott harbour lake!!! So much for the kids to do there that you don't have to fill up your days with parks.
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| Posted 4/23/15 9:52 AM |
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SweetSarj
LIF Adult
Member since 10/09 1592 total posts
Name:
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Disney with kids - questions
We chose Art of Animation because of the theming and family suites. I know our kids will love it! Next time I would love to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge.
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| Posted 4/23/15 6:35 PM |
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DancinBarefoot
06ers Rock!!
Member since 1/07 9537 total posts
Name:
The One My Mother Gave Me ;-)
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Re: Disney with kids - questions
I would not stay off property. Being able to utilize Disney transportation to/from airport and each and every park is sooo worth the extra cost associated with Disney properties.
As for which one - as PP said, it depends on your budget. I've stayed at all 3 resorts she mentioned - Contemporary, French Quarter, and Art of Animation. At AoA I didn't stay in a suite, I stayed in a regular room. It was so tiny I would not do it with two small kids and (presumably) a double stroller. I love FQ. Everything is close together and easy to get to. The walk from the bus stop to the rooms is short, from the rooms to the pool is short, from the rooms to the restaurant is short. It's all laid out very nicely. Contemporary can't be beat for location. The Disney theming is very understated compared to AoA.
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| Posted 4/23/15 9:02 PM |
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nferrandi
too excited for words
Member since 10/05 18538 total posts
Name:
Nicole
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Re: Disney with kids - questions
Here's the question, do you want to go to Disney or be immersed in it?
We stay off site and I personally have NO desire to stay on site. We love our timeshare at Orange Lake. We love the size of the units, all the different pools, the golf, lists of restaurants close by, etc...
But some people adore being a part of Disney morning, noon and night. If you think you're family would enjoy that, then stay on site,
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| Posted 4/23/15 9:41 PM |
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BargainMama
LIF Adult
Member since 5/09 15660 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disney with kids - questions
I would stay on site. The fact that you have to park in the huge lot at the Magic Kingdom, THEN take a tram to the Transportation and Ticket Center, THEN take a boat or the monorail to the Magic Kingdom itself is such a HUGE turn off! When you stay on site and use Disney transportation, you don't have to go through all that hoopla! Especially if you leave the park later at night, and the line for the monorail (which is often broken back to the TTC), and the boat is HUGE.
We stayed offsite in September for a weekend trip to the Halloween party, and it was insanely inconvenient to get back to our hotel from the MK. We had to wait over an hour just to get on the boat back to the TTC (monorail was not running).
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| Posted 4/23/15 9:45 PM |
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kimchee
LIF Toddler
Member since 1/07 428 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disney with kids - questions
I have stayed offsite and onsite multiple times and would try offsite next time. We would probably rent a house or condo nearby that has shuttle service to the parks.
Several years ago we stayed at a 1BR suite with kitchen at the Wyndham Bonnet resort which is minutes from Disney. It was great having the suite, esp. if you have kids! and the shuttle service saved us $$.
Recently we stayed at Disney in a 300sf room with 2 kids and hubby grumbled the entire time about having to sleep the same time as the kids and not having a microwave... never again.
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| Posted 4/23/15 10:51 PM |
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nycgirl
Angels!
Member since 3/09 7721 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disney with kids - questions
1. I prefer off site. We go frequently & never felt it was that inconvenient (with 2 young kids). You get a MUCH nicer hotel for your $ off site. We do travel light though (no strollers!!).
2. Depends on budget. You could spend less than $100 on a resort or go 5 star luxury... We've done both. Tripadvisor will rank them well. We also really liked the Universal resorts (all of them).
3. Don't stress! There are lots of ways to do Disney. A certain part will feel special: like when our DS just kissed Mickey. Have no clue what happened during the rest of the trip... Or when DD was terrified by the jungle cruise & the cheesy Disney employees who answered her question of "will we come back?" With... "I certainly hope so!". Take it slow & easy... It's sbout the experience, not how fast you can fit a number of rides in!
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| Posted 4/25/15 9:50 PM |
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Mara1017
LIF Adolescent
Member since 5/11 696 total posts
Name:
Mara
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Disney with kids - questions
We just left Disney and we stayed off site at a house. It was the best thing that we did. We went with another family and I can tell you we saved a hell of a lot more money then the $17 it cost us a day to park. It was just as easy to jump in our car to go back and take a nap and much quicker than waiting for the Disney bus and stuff. When we got back we were not stuck sitting quietly staring at our kids nap. Instead we were able to sit in the living room and hang out or by the pool in the back of the house. Definitely recommend looking into renting a house in the area.
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| Posted 4/27/15 7:58 AM |
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Travel Kerri
LIFamilies Business
Member since 5/13 258 total posts
Name:
Kerri
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Re: Disney with kids - questions
I always stay on site and most of my clients do as well.
It really depends on what you're looking to get out of the vacation. I personally love being immersed in all things Disney. I also love the convenience of hopping on the bus or the monorail and not having to drive, and while we do often rent a car the perks of not having to pay for parking every day are great too.
I specialize in Disney destinations and do not charge fees. I would love to help you plan a magical and stress free vacation. Shoot me an email and mention LIFamilies for a specical gift if you choose to book. :)
Kerri
www.TravelKerri.com
Facebook.com/TravelKerri
[email protected]
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| Posted 4/28/15 10:40 PM |
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Aries14
Can't plan life...
Member since 8/08 2860 total posts
Name:
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Disney with kids - questions
Stay on site. It makes everythig SO much easier with young kids!!
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| Posted 4/29/15 10:48 AM |
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melbalalala
Little Lady
Member since 5/07 5015 total posts
Name:
Melissa
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Re: Disney with kids - questions
I'm looking for next year, my kids will be 5.5 and almost 3. I have decided to stay off-site:
1. I want space, we will rent a condo/townhouse where everyone has their own bedroom and bathroom for a fraction of on-site rooms. I have no desire to go to bed when my kids do or keep them up because we're all in one room. DH and I need our alone time at night.
2. There are rental communities that are just as close, drive-time wise, to the parks as the Disney bus service.
3. As a kid I loved staying onsite and taking the buses around Disney but I was older, 8 and 10 when I went and was patient about the fact that I had to wait for a bus, then watch it drop everyone off,etc. Now I'll have no patience for that. Take me to my car, parking tram, and get my kids back to nap
HOWEVER, I am a little nervous that I won't get to book dining and FP+ reservations as early as those staying on-site, that's the only perk I'm going to miss having.
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| Posted 4/29/15 11:37 AM |
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dianadrw
LIF Adult
Member since 5/06 2092 total posts
Name:
Me
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Re: Disney with kids - questions
Posted by melbalalala
HOWEVER, I am a little nervous that I won't get to book dining and FP+ reservations as early as those staying on-site, that's the only perk I'm going to miss having.
Don't be nervous. You can book dining at the same 180 day window as those guests staying onsite. FP+ is a different story. That you will only be able to book at a 30 day window. If you're going off peak you should still be ok. I just got back from a trip on Monday and I was changing my FPs the day before and day of park visits. You may not get the headliners (7 dwarfs mine train, Anna & Elsa character meet, parade FPs) but you'll definitely be able to get FPs.
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| Posted 4/30/15 8:57 AM |
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BargainMama
LIF Adult
Member since 5/09 15660 total posts
Name:
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Re: Disney with kids - questions
Posted by melbalalala
I'm looking for next year, my kids will be 5.5 and almost 3. I have decided to stay off-site:
1. I want space, we will rent a condo/townhouse where everyone has their own bedroom and bathroom for a fraction of on-site rooms. I have no desire to go to bed when my kids do or keep them up because we're all in one room. DH and I need our alone time at night.
2. There are rental communities that are just as close, drive-time wise, to the parks as the Disney bus service.
3. As a kid I loved staying onsite and taking the buses around Disney but I was older, 8 and 10 when I went and was patient about the fact that I had to wait for a bus, then watch it drop everyone off,etc. Now I'll have no patience for that. Take me to my car, parking tram, and get my kids back to nap
HOWEVER, I am a little nervous that I won't get to book dining and FP+ reservations as early as those staying on-site, that's the only perk I'm going to miss having.
We have been 4 times since the beginning of 2014, and usually never book a trip more than 2 months in advance, and have never had an issue getting headliner rides with FP+ on short notice.
Another nice thing is that Splash Mountain and Space Mountain are broken down at least once a day, so if you have a Fast Pass for those, they issue you a recovery Fast Pass, which will include a bunch of other rides. One day we received a recovery pass good for ANY park.
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| Posted 4/30/15 1:07 PM |
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melbalalala
Little Lady
Member since 5/07 5015 total posts
Name:
Melissa
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Re: Disney with kids - questions
Posted by dianadrw
Posted by melbalalala
HOWEVER, I am a little nervous that I won't get to book dining and FP+ reservations as early as those staying on-site, that's the only perk I'm going to miss having.
Don't be nervous. You can book dining at the same 180 day window as those guests staying onsite. FP+ is a different story. That you will only be able to book at a 30 day window. If you're going off peak you should still be ok. I just got back from a trip on Monday and I was changing my FPs the day before and day of park visits. You may not get the headliners (7 dwarfs mine train, Anna & Elsa character meet, parade FPs) but you'll definitely be able to get FPs.
Good to know, we're going off-peak so I'm hoping that's the case!
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| Posted 4/30/15 9:13 PM |
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Kissy331
My two miracles!
Member since 5/06 17826 total posts
Name:
Kristen
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Re: Disney with kids - questions
We just came back & stayed at Bay Lake Towers on property attached to Contemporary. First off, the hotel is not decorated "disney" which was great so its not all in your face. But the convience was great. It's on the monorail & 5 min walk (direct path) to Magic Kingdom. With a stroller, it's the most convient way to go
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| Posted 5/4/15 8:36 PM |
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