Mom And Daughter; Animal Kingdom
  • On Jan 7, 2012
    Jennifer Asked Note: This answer was provided prior to the change to planDisney and may still contain references to Disney Parks Moms Panel.

    Experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.

    We are planning a trip for next January and will be traveling with 4 & 2 year olds. We will be flying in, so no car. What will be the best Disney hotel for our kids and convenient to get to and from parks and restaurants? $ wise, deluxe and down.

    Hi Jennifer,

    January is my favorite month to visit Walt Disney World for low crowds!

    Since Walt Disney World (WDW) is twice the size of Manhattan, there is no one hotel that will be close to everything.

    With small children, however, I absolutely would recommend being close to the Magic Kingdom. The monorail resorts (Contemporary and Bay Lake Tower, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian) are the closest resorts to the iconic park. Travel to Epcot is by monorail, and to reach the Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios, you would take a bus from your monorail resort.

    Of the hotels that I mentioned, I would highly recommend the Polynesian resort. The rooms are very large, the walk to the main building is convenient from most buildings, there's a lovely sandy beach, a pool with zero entry depth, and a 24-hour quick-service eatery, Captain Cook's.

    From here, you could easily monorail or boat to the other resorts near the Magic Kingdom for meals (Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary!).

    For a less expensive deluxe hotel, I would recommend the Wilderness Lodge. While it's not on the monorail line, it's only a short boat (or bus) ride away from the Magic Kingdom. And this hotel's beauty will have the your little ones wide-eyed when they first walk into the lobby. In fact, the adults will be in awe too!

    For a moderate, I would pick Port Orleans French Quarter. Small but charming with a great pool for kids. There's also a playground and boat transportation to Downtown Disney. My pick for a value resort would be Pop Century or the new Art of Animation resort opening in 2012. Transportation to all theme parks is via bus.

    If you narrow down your budget, and top priorities (large room, great pool, proximity to a certain park, etc.), then we can help whittle down your choices. I have a difficult time choosing a resort every time we head to WDW as there's many wonderful options!
thumbnail image for Kimberly

Meet the Panelist: Kimberly, Tennessee

I am a stay-at-home mom with a 12 year old son. I thrive on planning vacations, especially to WDW. Inspiring families to vacation at Disney with a memorable itinerary and budget-saving tips is extremely rewarding for me. Learn More About Kimberly

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