Daughter's 1st Visit

[CK's Dad]

All,

I am planning a trip to take my 4 year old to Disney World next April. Please offer some advise on where to stay along with why you would recommend that resort. We want a place that has multiple modes of transportation so we can easily access the parks.

[AgentC]

to Intercot. A few questions before I make any suggestions. Do you plan on visiting one park more than the others? Do you have a price range?

[CK's Dad]

We will probably spend more time in MK than any others. We are only staying 5 nights and I am extremely flexible on the price range as we have priced the Beach Club, Contemporary, Polynesian and the Grand Floridian and the prices all seem fine with us.

[CK's Dad]

We are also interested in doing some character dining as my daughter is in the "Princess" phase. Please make some recommendations as we try to make it as magical as possible for her. Would you recommend dining at Cinderella's Castle or is there a better place to see the princesses?

[AgentC]

I haven't stayed at the Grand Floridian but I have stayed at Beach Club, the Polynesian and the Contemporary as well as Bay Lake Tower.

My personal favorite of what you listed is the Beach Club (or its sister resort the Yacht Club.) I like the overall atmosphere of the resort,short walk to Epcot and Stormalong Bay. It is my favorite pool. It has a small kid's pool with a mini slide as well as a large sand bottom area perfect for building sandcastle. It also has multiple jacuzzis, a big slide for adults and a lazy river.

Two things that may be a down side for you, is the quick service food locations are limited and it is not as close to MK as the others. From Beach Club, you would either need to drive, take the bus or walk through Epcot to the monorail and then switch to the MK monorail at the Ticket and Transportation. I have stayed at the Beach Club area quite a bit,but we usually drive.

If the MK locations is the most important, I would pick on of the resorts on the MK loop.

To me the biggest plus for the Contemporary is that you can walk to the Magic Kingdom. The rooms are big and very nice. The resort is very modern. You will not find a a lot of greenery there.

Between the Poly, Contemporary and Grand Floridian, I would pick the Poly. You have monorail and boat access to MK and can walk to the TTC and pick up the Epcot monorail. The resort is lush and beautiful.

You may also want to consider Wilderness Lodge. It has access to MK by boat and bus. Buses to everywhere else. I think it has some of the best theming at WDW.

I'm sure some other members will come along and give you more opinions. we all have our own favorites.

[AgentC]

We are also interested in doing some character dining as my daughter is in the "Princess" phase. Please make some recommendations as we try to make it as magical as possible for her. Would you recommend dining at Cinderella's Castle or is there a better place to see the princesses?

I would post this question in the Dining forum. You will get more answers there. I also have a 4 year old dinner. We may do Cinderella's Royal Table someday but I have not done it yet because I don't feel it is a good value.

I do recommend the Princess Meal at Akerhouse. I have done that meal several times with my daughter and she always enjoys it. It is less expensive than CRT but still comes with a photo package.

[markyv]

Welcome to Intercot CK's Dad.

I have thought a lot about your question of where to stay. My ultimate recommendation is the Contemporary Hotel. It is on the monorail loop and has boat access to the Magic Kingdom as well as The Wilderness Lodge.

If on the dining plan, you may wish to eat at Whispering Canyon Cafe in the Wilderness Lodge, and the boat transportation from the Contemporary would make this easier than if you stayed elsewhere.

All hotels are very nice, so you have to look for small advantages to base your decision on.

Who is your daughter's favorite princess? This might help with the dining suggestions.

[Tri Minnie]

I think your daughter would love Akershus. We just had lunch there for our daughter's fourth birthday. The princess interaction was fantastic. Belle was there for the initial picture. The other princesses that day were Snow White, Ariel, Cinderella, and Aurora.

I know some don't love the food here. However, we really enjoyed the meal. The lunch starts with a buffet of salads, cheeses, and deli meats. This was fine. We then ordered entrees from the menu. We found these to be delicious. I had a wonderful mushroom pasta dish, and my daughter had salmon. They also had more traditional options for children. The desserts were also a hit with our family.

It was my daughter's actual birthday, and the princesses made her feel so special. It really was quite memorable!

Have fun planning your trip.

[FiggyFan]

I would recommend Poly. We stayed there several times when DS was young. Being able to see the Castle and watch the monorails and ferry boats from the resort property really brings the Disney magic to life. The resort property is very peaceful in the evenings, which can help an excited princess wind down before her beauty sleep. And don't forget the electrical water pageant, which can be a great way to end a day. From the Poly, you have direct walking access to either the MK monorail at the Great Ceremonial House, or the Epcot Monorail at the TTC.

For an older child, I would pick BC, but at this age, you want to be right on Seven Seas Lagoon.

[DizNee143]

If price doesn't matter..then I would think about kind of theme you like better..and stay at that resort..
I've loved the Contemporary since I was little and fell in love with it even more when I stayed there for my honeymoon..I think this resort would be your best bet..great location..got a few food choices..and you have the monorail right there!
I also really love the Wilderness Lodge and it's right next door to the Contemporary. It has a log cabin feel that I just love! The only thing missing with this reort is no monorail..but we usually just take a boat over to the contemporary and get on the monorail there!
Wherever you end up I hope you and your family have a blast!

[LandFan]

Definitely Akershus for the princess dining! You get a free picture taken with Belle. I would guess you might like to eat in the Castle as well at Cinderella's Royal Table. Here you get a pic with Cinderella.

You might want to stay in the Epcot resort area... MK and AK are busses but EPCOT and DHS are boat or walking. If you have hoppers, you can also use the monorail to get to MK after you have visited EPCOT.

However, a monorail resort in the MK resort area would probably suit you better - especially if cost is not an issue and your daughter is only 4. You can take the monorail(s) to MK or EPCOT and busses to DHS and AK.