Please help me pick our Disney resort...

We are going in September.

DD will be 5. DS will be turning 1 while we are there.

What do you think????

Re: Please help me pick our Disney resort...

DH and I just stayed at the Polynesian in November. We don't have any kids yet, but we did discuss how it would be so much easier to be at a monorail resort with children.

We also went to the GF for dinner. I just felt like I couldn't relax there, it's just too fancy for Disney!!

Re: Please help me pick our Disney resort...

With the kids, I really have to go with the Polynesian. Not only is a wonderful resort, but the monorail is just so convenient. This resort is *made* for families.

While I like the Grand Floridian, I don't think it is as "kid friendly" as the Polynesian.

The cabins are a great choice if you have a larger family or if you want the option of cooking some of your own meals. The cabins are in a more remote setting at Fort Wilderness, so I would give it a lower grade for it's convenience factor.

If it's in the budget, I would go with the Poly every time.

Re: Please help me pick our Disney resort...

i woudl go with the Grand Flordian. It's their primo resort... but I dont' know how kid friendly. The Poly is also gorgeous. I don't know anything about the Fort Wilderness Resort... is that the campground? if so, they are WORLDS away in price. the floridan and the poly are the deluxe resorts and unless you find a deal, expect to pay at least $200 (that would be the lower end) per night.

Re: Please help me pick our Disney resort...

i stayed at the ALL STAR MOVIES, MIGHT DUCKS hotel when i went in 2002. Its very kid friendly..LOL

they're also the most affordable. I've been dying to stay at the 80's hotel in Pop Century..one day when i go back, thats where im going.

the all star hotels have buses to all the parks and a cafeteria,as well as other dining options..but the cafeteria is right near the hotel so its easy if you have kids.

Re: Please help me pick our Disney resort...

Out of the above choices - POLY POLY POLY!!!!!!!

We just stayed there with DD (who was 15 months at the time) back in the end of Sept/beginning of Oct. I also stayed there several times as a child growing up on trips with my parents.

Why the poly is great for families.

Huge rooms (some of the largest on property) - newly renovated in the past few years. Most rooms have patio or balcony (make sure you request a balcony or patio) some building have fake balconies on the second floor. Which is great for you to sit on if you are in the room and the kdis are asleep at night or for naps.

With 2 queen beds (no king beds except for suites) and a pull out day bed. There is plenty of room for a pack n play or crib without taking away living space.

Great property - lots of places to walk around and for the kids to play -

Nice beach where you can see the castle during the day and watch the MK fireworks at night (they pump the narration/music onto the beach with rock speakers).

Nice pool - there is a huge pool with zero depth entry - which is nice for the 1 year old DD loved it! You can swim and see the castle. It has a great slide for your 5 year old - the kids were going crazy over the slide. There is also a nice sprinkler area that DD loved to run around and play in right next to the pool.

Decent restaurants:
Kona Cafe (the food was eh) but it is convenient.
Ohana - has a lilo and stitch breakfast and a regular family style dinner with music and they bring the kids up and give them lays and teach them to hula dance and they have coconut races around the dining room. DD loved this place.
The luau - I haven't gone since I was little - but they have a nice dinner show at the hotel.
There is a counter service place that was pretty good - and they even sell Dole whips (pineapple soft serve that DD loved).

Best of all the transportation.

It is the only hotel on the monorail where you can hop the monorail directly to the MK or TTC if you want to change and go to EPCOT. OR you can easily walk to the TTC and hop the EPCOT monorail directly so you don't have to change. There are also two boat launches to the monorail - one at the hotel and one at the TTC which you can walk to.

Try to request Roratonga (that was where we were and it is directly next to the great ceremonial house so easy walk for drinks, food, MK monorail and a less than 5 min walk to the TTC.

We had a car so we didn't use the bus service to the other parks.

The great part about the monorails is that you don't have to take your 1 year old out of the stroller - everyone just rolls them directly onto the monorail so you don't have to load and unload each time which makes a world of difference.

It is a great location if you want to go to other place for dinner - the contemporary is only a few monorail stops away if you want to go to Chef Mickey's.

Because it is convenient to the MK it is very easy to run back to your hotel mid day for naps/swims/rest or whatever you need to do without wasting a lot of your park time on buses.

Also makes it easy if you want to do say an early dinner at EPCOT then head over to MK for extra magic hours at night.

Honestly the GF is a very nice hotel - but it is well very adult and while nice isn't as exciting or exotic or fun for the kids like the Poly is.