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Mom And Daughter; Magic Kingdom; Cinderella's Castle; AA; Mickey Balloon
  • On Jul 13, 2012
    Robyn from MI 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.

    Hi. We are starting to look into options to wdw around sept/ oct. We have a 3yr old and a 1y old. We are on a budget and I'm wondering where the best place to stay is, has anyone stayed at a reg hotel with shuttle service and exten disney hrs w/ pool?

    Robyn,

    I would suggest to you that with children that young, the Extra Magic Hours are wonderful perks that you may just not get to take much advantage of. When I traveled with my girls when they were younger we found that waking them up just to get to a park at opening time was a recipe for disaster. And of course keeping them up much later than usual was also a mistake.

    I would take that out of the equation and just find a hotel that is a good deal, is close to Walt Disney World, and can offer reliable shuttle service. When you check them out, confirm the frequency/schedule of the park shuttles, what their routes are (do they hit all four parks, or do they have separate ones going to each of the four parks?), and what they charge you for the service.

    I also think that you should strongly consider the Value resorts. With younger kids you should find the rooms in the original Value resorts (All Stars and Pop Century) will be more than big enough for four, and the bus system Disney provides is very reliable.

    However, to your very specific question. The best non-Disney owned resort I can think of that has Extra Magic Hours, a shuttle service, and has a good pool is the Hilton by Downtown Disney. Technically the Swan and Dolphin would also apply,though you may consider them like a Disney resort in most respects. But I would check into the Hilton. I have stayed there many times and it is fine. The walking distance to Downtown Disney is a nice plus as well.

    Write me back if you have any follow up questions!

    Have a magical vacation!
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Meet the Panelist: Doug, Indiana

I am one of the Dads on the planDisney Panel, and I love to help parents plan their vacation, with a focus on showing them how it can be fun for them too. I am also here to help Dads plan some nice surprises for the Moms in their life (they deserve it!). Learn More About Doug

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