Disney World - Aurora, IL

A friend of mine is such a huge fan of Disney that she has started a little side travel business of helping families plan trips there. She lives in Pennsylvania and has personally been there about 60 times. Feel free to email her, her name is Sue Opp email address is ____@____.com
She can give you loads of information!

By the way, she was just there last week and said there were hardly any lines, so hard to believe. She always says the best times to go are may and october.

Hi M.

We started going to Disney right around the same time (my youngest was 2 years old). I would HIGHLY recommend staying at the Contemporary Resort. It is kid friendly, has a pool and a spot for the little ones, Chef Mickey is in the resort and the monorail goes through the resort. It is very convenient - when my little one was fussy or tired we just went back to the resort and she napped and then headed back to the park nice and fresh all in the matter of minutes!

Hope this helps! Have fun!!!!

E.

We stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and it was amazing! We literally had animals right outside the window. My kids spent hours on the balcony watching and to be honest, I think I was more impressed than they were! The pool was zero entry, perfect for little ones! The food at Jiko was the best we had at Disney and the buffet restaurant was the best buffet by far! They even had bed rails to make sure my little one did not fall off the high beds! I think a great hotel sets the tone for the whole vacation. You won't be disappointed. Have fun. Make sure to check out mousesavers.com for tips or buy the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World for everything you'll need to know!

easiest is to stay at one of the monorail hotels - the contemporary, Polynesian or Grand Floridian. Easier to get to Magic Kingdom and Epcot by taking monorail. If you stay anywhere else, you will have to take busses. Longer travel times and harder to do with strollers and small kids. will have to take a bus to Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom, but at least 2 of the 4 is easy. All hotels are toddler friendly - it's disney!

Hi M., We just got back from Disney with our 20 month old last week, and we all had a wonderful time :) We stayed at the Dolphin, which is a Disney hotel, meaning you get extra park magic hours but is not owned by Disney. (It is owned by Sheraton, and the adjoining hotel, the Swan is owned by Westin) It was located right behind Epcot and you can access that park by their boat, which was really nice. It is also next to the Beach and Yaht Club and the Boardwalk. We really enjoyed it there since it was a little cheaper than the Deluxe Disney Hotels at $249.00 per night. If I spent more money, I would have liked to stay at the Polynesian. It has Monorail, Boat and Bus services, alot to choose from to get to the different parks. This hotel rate for when we stayed there was at $280.00 per night, not too much more, but we tried to save money where we could. The nice thing about the boat and monorail is that they do not require you to fold up your stroller, if your child is asleep, which ours were many times, you can just wheel the stroller onto these things and do not have to fold them up. With the bus transportation, you do have to fold up your stroller and remove your child from that, one more thing to carry with your child and diaper bag. It just made things simpler to be able to use the transportation. E-mail me any other questions you have. Also, purchase before you go a clip on fan from Babies R Us to go onto your stroller. It was very very hot when we were there and we bought one at Disney that did not work too well. I talked to other moms there that said they bought theirs ahead at BRU and really liked it. Another thing that we brought which I was glad was diaper rash cream, from the doctor, a prescription in case our son got diaper rash, and he did, so it was nice to just have on hand. One other quick note with the Dolphin Hotel, They rent out full size cribs, they are actually slightly smaller than a full size but it was nice that it wasn't a pack and play. One more thing, purchase a bag to gate check around your stroller, we did, and were glad we did. The bag has so many black marks on it from having them store it below the plane, and I was glad the dirt and grease were not on our stroller directly, one less thing to have to clean :) Have a wonderful time!!

M.,

We are going next week to see the Flower and Garden show at Epcot and we are staying at Port Orleans, Riverside, which is a Moderate resort, which is one of our which is one of our favorite ones as it is peaceful there and not as hectic as the others. The food court is good and they have a boat that takes you to and from Downtown Disney which is a nice alternative to the buses.

As for the deluxe hotel we love the Animal Kingdom Lodge, with the animal around so the kids can see them all the time, especially in the morning, it is great. Hope you have a great time.

We just got back and stayed at Old Key West. It was our first time staying "on property" as we usually stay at my parent's time share. Anyway, I think the restort was good. But not great. The only transport to Magic Kingdom & Epcot is bus. (you can take a boat to downtown Disney though which is fun and we did) They don't have full size cribs (only pack-n-play) so we had to rent one for an outside company. Also, the restaurant selection was limited. Either semi-expensive sit down or very limited selection pool side stuff. On the bright side, our room really nice was spacious (2 bdrm) and the service was outstanding. We went to the character breakfast at O'Hana in the Polynesian and I loved that resort! Would definitely want to stay there next time. Also, that character breakfast was wonderful...it's family style to nice and quick. We found that despite reservations, we ALWAYS have to wait to get seated. However at O'Hana we were actually a little early and they seated us right away. You can call up to 90 days ahead of time and book your meals by calling 407-WDW-DINE.
Have a fantastic time!!!

We've been to Disney many, many times as my husband is from Orlando. Our kids are 6 and 3 and we've stayed at the Swan, Dolphin, Old Key West (twice) and off-property - both at beach houses, the in-laws and hotels. If your daughter is primarily interested in the Princesses and Mickey, I recommend the Wilderness Resort (either a room or the villas). You can take the monorail or a ferry directly from the resort to the Magic Kingdom - which is where most of the toddler friendly activities are.

The character meals good for little ones are Chef Mickey, Winnie the Pooh at Crystal Palace, Hollywood & Vine with the Little Einsteins plus JoJo and Goliath, and the Princesses at Cinderella's Castle (pricey but the kids were starry-eyed about it.)

Finally, the website allears.net has great info as does mousesavers.com.

Good luck and have fun!!

Look up the Disney World website...they will send you a DVD for free which outlines their entire park. You can make alot of good choices from that....especially if you are taking a 2 year old! I would suggest waiting a couple of years though so that she will retain memory of her visit there. We took our 4 year old last summer. She was a hand ful! However, she talks about it all of the time! Have fun and good luck!

M.,
We took our two sons(ages 3 and 6) to Disneyworld in March. We ended up staying at Hilton Vacation Club on International Drive. It is close to downtown disney and only a short drive to the parks. It was really nice because it was a very nice 1 bedroom condo with a full kitchen, maid service, washer/dryer, screened in balcony, two really nice kid-friendly pools with bar/resturants. We went to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom and then spent the rest of the time at the resort. One thing we did not do that I wish we would have is have breakfast with the characters. Then, you don't have to worry about standing in line at the parks to see them. Another mom who was staying at our resort told us they did it early in the morning before the park opens. Our kids could only handle two days of going to the parks really. It is very tiring and overwhelming for them. Another F.Y.I...try to catch one of the parades at Magic Kingdom. The night time parade it awesome, but the afternoon one is really cool too, but not as big. However, there are only certain nights of the week when they do the nightime parade so check before you go. Have Fun!!

Every resort there is toddler friendly and great. The Beach Club and the Yacht Club have a great pool with a sand bottom and a 'beach'. Very convenient too, you can walk into Epcot and they are on the Boardwalk which has great restaurants. The Floridian and the Polynesian are on a lake with beaches. You can't go wrong with whatever you choose. We stayed at Wilderness also and our kids loved it too. But if you want a nice, fun pool, you have to do the Beachclub!! My kids are 5,3 and 1 and we've gone every year if you have any ?'s.

Hi! We just got back last Wednesday from Disney, and it was wonderful!!!! We stayed at Coronado Springs, and we really liked it. We stayed there 3 years ago as well, which is why we chose it again! My daughter was 3-1/2 then, and I was pregnant with my son. This year they were 6-1/2 and 2-1/2. My daughter at 3-1/2 remembers everything from the 1st time. At first I wished we would have waited, but my 2-1/2 year old LOVED it, especially Animal Kingdom (do the Safari where they give you a tour - it was his favorite seeing the elephants and giraffes). And he loved the characters, especially Pluto. Suggestion, go on allears.com - lots of great advice, so you can get more educated. We had a meal in the castle, and it was great, and Chef Mickey was a wonderful breakfast with the characters... If you can, make reservations! Definitely do the photopass - it is great - they will even link your camera with their pics, so it is awesome... Also, cute, we bought t-shirts of the characters that we were going to see at home, so they were alot cheaper, and it was great. And lastly, we gave our kids little presents from the Princesses and/or Mickey and the gang with a note saying it was great to see them. Each morning, they couldn't wait to see if they got a present and it was just joy. They did not have a crib, but a pack n play, but that worked just fine for us. Definitely bring your stroller (obviously), and if you don't want to, then you can rent one their (not the parks) - we had one that delivered it to our hotel, and picked it up from their - so convenient, and reasonable...Check it out...http://www.orlandostrollerrentals.com

If you want any more info, shoot me an e-mail, it was awesome!!!!

My oldest daughter moved to California a few years ago, and we have been to Disneyland 3 or 4 times since then. It's not as spread-out as Florida's WDW, is very close to the ocean, and has the same basic stuff as the Magic Kingdom. There's far less wear and tear on Mom & Dad. Check it out!

M.,

Well I guess I am in the minority here, but I don't think staying on site is worth it. We took my daughter to Disney when she was 21 months old. We stayed at a Residence Inn (Marriott) off site that was very close to the parks. We went to Animal Kingdom and the main park. Parking at the parks is really cheap. I can't remember the exact dollar amount, but it was very cheap. So we had about a 5 minute drive to the parks but we had a 2 bedroom room with a kitchenette and living room. Marriott had a great deal at the time, but I would bet they have even better deals now, with the economy the way it is. I loved having the kitchenette and the living room space while we were there. If you are staying during the week you can even make a grocery list and they will go shopping for you.

Good Luck,
D.

we just got back last week. Our daughter is 3 and she had the best time! We stayed at Old Key West, which has larger rooms although if you choose to stay on property, I think any hotel will be a good choice. They're all kid/family friendly. Find the one that fits your budget and go with it. Allears.net has photos and reviews that are very helpful.

I HIGHLY recommend the character meals. We did Chef Mickey's and Cinderella's Royal Table. They are pricey, but it beats waiting in the lines and heat to see the characters in the parks. My daughter got tons of pictures with the characters and we even bought a chef's hat in the Contemporary & all the characters at Chef Mickey's signed the hat and her autograph book. It's an adorable souvineer.

Fall will have the best rates and weather. If it's still hot in the day time, you may want to head to the parks in the evenings. Lines are shorter and it's cooler. Have a great time-it's such a magical place!

We also loved the Animal Kingdom Lodge. It has a very earthy look and feel, with lots of African art to look at. If you prefer a "crisp and clean" look, then try a different one.

With toddlers, I feel it is a must to stay on property. The transportation system and flexibility to move around to any Disney location is invaluable. Be sure to rent the stollers at the parks so you don't have to drag your own.

Just do tons of preplanning, so when you are there, you can enjoy every second of this fantastic place. We can't wait to go back.

we stayed at the port orleans french quarter with my at the time 3 year old and 1 year old. It was great.. the shuttle service was fantastic.. the food court was great, and the pool was descent (you can use riverside's pool as well). It was very quiet.. didn't hear any noise in the room. If you go.. don't plan on spending the whole day at the park.. make sure you go back for a nap. Good luck!!! You will have the time of your life.. best memory for yourself to see the excitement on her face. I know she is too young and won't remember it.. but that is what pictures are for =) You can always go back in a few years again...I was ready to go back right when I got home.

An option if you want to save some money is not to stay on the Disney property and rent a condo or a house through a website like www.vrbo.com. (Vacation Rentals by Owner). We're going this summer, and I found a 3 bedroom condo with a pool and playground about 10 minutes from Disney for $600 for the whole week. I'm excited because having our own condo with a kitchen allows us to cook some meals so we don't have to eat out all the time. (Breakfast alone costs our family around $20/day. I can buy a box of cereal, some bananas and milk for $6 and I'm set for the week.)

Compared to the cheapest Disney packages, we're getting more space, a kitchen, and saving at least $800-$1200. True, we don't have the convenience of just taking the monorail every day, but I'm hoping it'll be worth it.

Good luck, and enjoy your vacation!

Hey M.- done this way too many times, but going back again. I highly recommend the Wilderness Lodge. Everytime we go there, I find a different reason why this is a great resort. 1) there is a boat that will take you to the Magic Kingdom and there usually is not a wait. This proved perfect for us because when we first went, I had a 2 1/2 y.o. and 9 month old and we would go to the park, come back for naps and go back to the park. 2) we were able to see the fireworks from our hotel room. That is of course if you were on that side of the building, but when we went with our 3rd child, my husband took the other 2 to the Magic Kingdom to watch the fireworks and me and the baby watched them outside of the hotel so we didn't have to fight the crowds. 3) the Wilderness Lodge has both a sit down and be served restaurant and a cafeteria style restaurant as well as a gift shop that has food, like ice cream and milk. I've never stayed at a hotel on the monorail, but I would guess that is even better in the way of transportation and the Contemporary has the restaurant that hosts Character Breakfast which I would highly suggests. Good Luck and HAVE FUN!

They are all kid friendly. It just depends on the type of ammenities you would like and how much you want to spend.

We've been to Disney many, many times as my husband is from Orlando. Our kids are 6 and 3 and we've stayed at the Swan, Dolphin, Old Key West (twice) and off-property - both at beach houses, the in-laws and hotels. If your daughter is primarily interested in the Princesses and Mickey, I recommend the Wilderness Resort (either a room or the villas). You can take the monorail or a ferry directly from the resort to the Magic Kingdom - which is where most of the toddler friendly activities are.

The character meals good for little ones are Chef Mickey, Winnie the Pooh at Crystal Palace, Hollywood & Vine with the Little Einsteins plus JoJo and Goliath, and the Princesses at Cinderella's Castle (pricey but the kids were starry-eyed about it.)

Finally, the website allears.net has great info as does mousesavers.com.

Good luck and have fun!!