Which resort for first time trip with kids?

sarcasticblonde

DIS Veteran
Joined
May 21, 2007
We will be taking our boys to WDW for the first time Summer 2019. They will be 9 and almost 6 when we go. This will probably be the only time we take them to Disney. That being said, what is the best resort option for boys that age. We definitely would spend time at the pool and money isn't necessarily an issue. Would also think about renting DVC points for the resort. Thoughts and reasons...GO!
 
AoA is so fun for children that age. Totally Disney themed with Cars, Lion King, Nemo, and Little Mermaid areas. Also has a great pool and delicious food court. I totally recommend for first trip with children that age!
 


If money isn't an issue, I'd decide what park you plan to spend the most time in and get a hotel near there. We took our kids for the first time in May and rented a 2 bedroom villa at Bay Lake Tower. We spent most of our time at Magic Kingdom and being able to walk back and forth was worth every penny. The pool there is nothing crazy, but the kids loved it. There was hardly anyone ever down there and they rode the slide over & over.
 
Check out this website: http://**************.net/ It's all about the best resort to go to on your first visit with kids - rates all the hotels on kid appeal, which are easiest to navigate for first time visitors, etc.
 


If cost isn't a big issue the World is your oyster ( pun intended ). I'd check the above site and see what theme tickles your fancy. Some great one's off the top of my head are Beach/Yacht for the pool, AoA for the kid friendly theme, Poly for the location and pool.
 
If money didn't matter, I would say Polynesian for proximity, theme, pool, and restaurants. Unfortunately, Poly was not in our budget, so we stayed at Art of Animation in a Nemo suite, and I can say with 2 boys, it was the perfect trip. They were 4 & 7, so you may want to gauge theme/interests with your boys.
The recommendation of **************'s website is right on. He really breaks down each resort, rooms, etc. so you know exactly what you're getting.
 
We will be taking our boys to WDW for the first time Summer 2019. They will be 9 and almost 6 when we go. This will probably be the only time we take them to Disney. That being said, what is the best resort option for boys that age. We definitely would spend time at the pool and money isn't necessarily an issue. Would also think about renting DVC points for the resort. Thoughts and reasons...GO!

I just asked my 9-year old son, who has stayed at every deluxe plus AoA and POR, and he said his favorite resort is the Boardwalk. He loves the proximity to DHS and EP, the pool and the entertainment at night. We've stayed in both the resort side and villa side and I personally prefer the villas (you don't HAVE to rent points to book these, you can book directly through WDW as well). If cost isn't an issue, consider a 2-bedroom villa at BWV. You will get 2 bedrooms plus a full kitchen and washer/dryer. If that's out of your budget, the 1-bedroom villas are great as well. Regular rooms on the resort side are also lovely!

If you will spend most of your time at MK, I would recommend the Poly (in fact, unlike DS9, this is what I would recommend!). I think for a one and only visit, staying at an MK resort is the way to go. It is so iconic WDW! The Poly is gorgeous, the theme is amazing, they have two great pools, good restaurants, the monorail (plus you can walk to TTC to catch the EP monorail). It is the first resort I stayed in when I was 9 years old and it left such an impact on me and has led me back to WDW over and over again. It is super magical! If cost isn't an issue, they have club level suites there which would give you some more space (they also have bungalow villas, but they are over-the-top expensive). The regular rooms are quite spacious as well. Again, if you are willing to spend the money, Club Level at the Poly is AMAZING and you may want to consider booking a club level room. I don't think your boys would ever forget their stay there.

If Poly turns out to be out of your price range and you still want to stay in the MK area, consider Wilderness Lodge or one of the villas at Boulder Ridge or Copper Creek (maybe a two bedroom or the new cabins!). Gorgeous, fun resort with boat service to MK.
 
If money isn't a concern, stay at Beach Club/Yacht Club for Stormalong Bay and walkability to Epcot and DHS.

If you find that the price is more than you want to spend, consider Coronado Springs. It's the most deluxe of the moderates and has the most central location. The pool area is wonderful (great theming, longest mod slide, biggest hot tub, and QS & drink refill poolside), plus the tower construction and room rehabs will be complete.
 
Beach Club! No boys, but I have an 8 yo girl and her favorite deluxe resorts in order are BC, GF, Poly, AKL.
 
Beach club is great for the pool. If you don't care about the money I would say to stay at the poly. It is a great resort and being so close to MK is awesome. You can watch the fireworks from you resort. I may want to save some money on the room and add that money to a few extras on the trip. The pirate and pals cruise to watch the fireworks is a great time or something like that.
 
Poly or BW would be my recommendations.

Lots of people recommend Beach Club or Yacht club for the pool, but go on line and check it out to make sure you know what it's all about. It's a big pool and if your kids like to run around it might be hard to keep your eye on them. The theming of these two resorts is also a little on the bland side for me. It's more of a subdued feeling, IMO. If you want more vibrant theming, I would go for Poly.

I'm also going to throw out Animal Kingdom Lodge for consideration. If your kiddos love animals, this might be a good option. Keep in mind, you have to take the bus everywhere (or some other form of vehicular transportation). That is the only down side to this resort, IMO. We would stay here more often if we didn't have to take the bus everywhere.

Happy planning!
 
I would look at the resort photos, themes, pools, activities etc. and make my decision from there. Everyone has an opinion, what my family may like or not like about a resort may not be what your family may like. Example, we have no issues with taking a bus all the time. Our family thinks AKL is such a unique resort and is a type of resort that you may never have an opportunity to stay at, so that was a big draw for us.
 
For kids your ages, I'd go with Poly and agree with previous poster who said go CL if you can. That puts you in the Hawaii building with the beach and castle view on one side of the building and the Oasis pool on the other. For a "one and only trip" I'd choose Poly CL theme park view. Have a great trip!
 
I do love the BC/YC. The pool is wonderful. However, for your needs, I'd say the Poly. I'm guessing you spend most of your time at the MK. The Poly is on the Monorail. Besides the "cool" factor, it's just a short ride to the MK. You also monorail to Epcot. They have 2 pools which are wonderful for kids. You can watch the water parade and MK fireworks from the Poly beach. During our last stay, the 2 were at the same time, making watching even more magical. The soundtrack is also played on the beach.
 
I think right now, I'm vacillating between the Poly and the BC (BC would be renting points). Both seems like great options. The AKL is cool, but yeah, for me, I don't want to spend all of our time on the buses.
 
So, I just happened on your post, and I’m guessing you have already made your reservations. If you have not, I highly recommend the Polynesian. We stayed there last January with our triplet boys who were nearly 8 and it was the PERFECT resort. The proximity to Magic Kingdom for kids at that age is very important. Our boys loved the pool at the Poly. I’m sure Beach Club is very nice, but to me, monitoring a 6 and 9 year old at that pool would be too stressful. It would be a different story if they were middle or high school age. Also, the rooms at the Polynesian are huge. Choose the Poly. You won’t regret it!!
 

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