Family vacation with young children

We%26#39;re a family of four with 2 young boys (they will be 3 and 4 when we go to Disney/Orlando next May) and will be meeting a family with a 1 year old. My question is should we rent a house/villa with a pool, stay at a mid/low Disney resort, or stay at an off-site resort? A kitchen is very important considering the age of the children. Also, is it worth staying at Disney with children so young? We%26#39;d probably only be able to spend 3-4 hours at a time at any park.

Thanks, Steve

Family vacation with young children

Yes 79spider,

It is definitely worth staying on a Disney property especially with young children because of the easy acces to the free Disney transportation! Granted a house would offer you alot more room because the rooms at Disney resorts are on the small side, but your paying for Disney location and free transportion and also I love the Disney feel the resorts offer.

Family vacation with young children

May is a great time to come, before the Summer season. You can probably get a better deal staying at a villa property. The bigger resorts have to keep the property up and there are good prices in May. You never know what your getting with a house. I know people that have stayed at the Wyndham Palms Resort and Country Club and loved it. It%26#39;s on 192 just outside Disney. Check them out on Wyndham.com.

I have been taking my children to Disney for years. At the ages of 3 and 4 they hung in the parks from open to close with no problems. There is so much there to keep their little minds occupied. I would definately stay onsite. I would suggest a smaller resort like Port Orleans French quarter rather than the value resorts as it is easier to navigate with young ones.

I%26#39;d say when your children are a bit older, staying at a villa style unit in Disney would be worth it. Given their age and the fact that you, of necessity, be spending a lot of time at your lodging, I%26#39;d say try a villa or condo.

Though I usually rent villas these days, you may find the condo resorts, like Emerald Isle or Windsor Hills with playgrounds and shared pools, are a much better fit. You will have room and still have the option of being around other families. Some of these developments also have villas, so you can do the untimate privacy and still have access to the playground and shared pool in addition to the pool that comes with the villa. The value and moderate Disney resorts have such small rooms and no kitchens that I think the amount of time you%26#39;ll spend cooped up will drive you crazy.

Hi Steve, We are a family of five and I always rent a condo or ';villa'; with a kitchen. Two 11 year-olds and a 15 yo. We need a kitchen and the extra room. After renting condos, I will never stay in a single hotel room or suite again. Its so nice to send the kiddos to bed and still have some space to relax and visit. I have rented thru Redweek.com. I think its 10$ to join but well worth it. We went to maui in a two bedroom for a week for 890$ and are going to cancun in oct for 900$ for a beachside 2br.

I am also in the thinking stages of Orlando for next year and have looked at Sheraton Vistana Resorts / Villages and also Liki Tiki cause of its great kids water park on site. their web sites have weekly rentals. I have been to the Disney resort Hotels in LA and unless you are planning to spend BIG Bucks, I%26#39;d stay clear. Both the resorts listed above indicated they have freeshuttle service to the park. good luck !

From our experience when our kids were that age, a full kitchen isn%26#39;t really necessary (more of a bother actually as you have to keep it clean ';on holiday';). What you really need is a small fridge and microwave which most decent motels and hotels have available at little or no extra cost. If you want some privacy, adjoining rooms are usually cheaper in a hotel than a suite and more roomy and functional as well (separate bathrooms %26amp; TV%26#39;s, etc). Off site hotels also usually have free breakfast which is a big bonus for young children (price and clean-up wise). Also the kids will surprise you with how much they can do in a day at a place like Disney. Just make sure you rent the strollers (single or double) so they can nap if necessary. They are really worth the minor added expense.

We would definitely reccommend a villa. Two families can share - look for two master bedrooms with ensuites for the parents - and the rate is for the whole villa, not per room, so it can be good value. Also check location maps to be sure you are not far from Disney. We like the Windsor Hills Resort which is less than 2 miles to Disney, is close to good value family restaurants, and has a fantastic children%26#39;s playground as well as resort facilities for the family.