Orlando trip (with kids) - final planning questions!!!
 

Hi there - we are traveling mid-March to Orlando for 3 nights with a 4 year old and 2 year old. We want to do one day at Magic Kingdom and one day at SeaWorld and the rest of the time at the pool/activities (i.e.-mini-golf). Kids are bad sleepers so we either need a suite with a door between the living area or 2 rooms.

Here are my questions:
1) Which of these hotels will be best for us - Port Orleans (2 rooms), Hilton by Downtown Disney (2 rooms) or Caribe Royale (suite)? Any other suggestions?

***We have stayed at Hyatt Grand Cypress and Marriott World Center before without kids - will these hotels feel not-as-nice by comparison or are they good quality?

2) Do we need a car (since we want to do SeaWorld)?

3) Is my 2 year old free at parks (pricing is only 3 and up, right)?

Thanks!

Can't help you with hotels but if the hotel is on or close to International Drive there used to be a shuttle bus system that runs to Sea World and most other attractions. I did it with my 80ish aunt last year and it worked great.
Depending on which hotel you choose they may also have some kind of transportation, give them a call.
Also should be N/C for your 2 year old.
Have fun?

Just in case you didn't know.... a one day ticket to Sea World includes the option to come back within the same week for another day free.
This is available if you book online and in the past we've also been offered this option at the gate when leaving the park.

This does give you the option to leave the park early if you've had enough and return to catch shows you've missed or break up your pool time another day.

There's also a regular bus ($1.75 each way) that runs to Sea World (check golynx.com) if your hotel is not on the shuttle route

I would get a car. We find it far easier to get around on our schedule with our kids.

In terms of suite, you might want to consider if one of the Disney Villa Resorts fits your budget. You can get a one or two bedroom for probably not much more than two rooms.

I might suggest The Wilderness Lodge as the best option near the Magic Kingdom.

Our kids love Seaworld.

The Hilton near Downtown Disney is very basic - nothing like the Hyatt or that Marriott. And you can't be sure of getting 2 connecting rooms - so I wouldn't go for that one at all.

A suite would always be a better choice with kids that young - although I can;t comment on those specific hotels.

We stayed at the Caribe Royal in June and enjoyed it very much. There are a fair number of negative reviews of it, but we had no issues at all, and thought we got very good value for money. The only thing with very young children is that the room with the pull-out has the door to the hallway. I never trusted DS not to wander at that age, but every kid is different. Their pool is very nice too, but a number of other guests complained it was cold. I've been in warmer pools, but we certainly didn't think it was unreasonably so.
We actually stayed there for the bulk of the vacation, and moved to Port Orleans Riverside for our Magic Kingdom day, so that we could experience the "full disney" and purchase the meal plan.

The advantage of staying at Port Orleans is being able to use Disney transportation to get to Magic Kingdom. It's a nice resort, their pool is well done in a Mardi Gras type theme. The rooms are okay, not as nice as Hyatt Grand Cypress but still nice. I second the OP nix of the Hilton. Nothing special at all about it....I haven't stayed at Caribe Royale but it is in a good location for traveling to both Disney and SeaWorld. Probably about 15 minutes to each. The only hassle with Magic Kingdom is you park in their lot and then have to take a tram (or walk, if you are close enough) to the boat launch or the monorail to actually get to the front gates of the park. This can take 30 minutes! If you stay on property, the buses drop you right at the entrance to MK...something to think about?

If you've read any other Disney threads on this board, you'll know that the best way to tour Magic Kingdom is to be there when it opens and have a plan. You'll save tons of time not standing in lines and with a 4 and 2 yr old, that's not much fun. The Unofficial Guide Book has a touring plan for families with very young children that is good. It'll be crowded mid-march and if you only have one day to spend, I'd invest some time before hand making a workable plan for your family! Have fun!

Hi Margaret.

If you don't have to go to Sea World, you would not need to rent a car. I would stay in one of the Disney Hotels...depending on the day, you can either get in one hour before the park opens to the general public or you can stay 3 hours after it closes. You are given this priviledge whenever you stay in any of their hotels. So our kids always insist on staying inside the park. It's convenient and the extra times it is open to guests of the hotels are awesome. Shorter lines and wait times during these extra times will definitely be a plus when you have young kids, You can take your time during the regular hours and take naps in between. (you want to do this...:-)). We have stayed outside before and we won't do that ever again. I hated the shuttles, I hated having to drive and pay parking everytime. Staying inside Disney I find more relaxing (which is very rare whenver you visit Disney).