Dolan

Traveling late September 1999 with two families including three children 3-5 years old. Want centrally located resort. Some have suggested Disney Corinado. Has anyone stayed?
Other suggestions welcome. Last what are the best theme parks for kids this age?

Thanks

ilisa

Whatever you do, try to stay on property. That is about the most centrally located you can get. I haven't stayed at Coronado Springs, though I have visited it; it's beautiful. The other moderate resorts at Disney are Caribbean Beach, Port Orleans and Dixie Landings. We've stayed at CB and PO. We loved CB but were kind of ambivalent about PO, though most people tend to really like it. They are beautifully designed, clean, with excellent service. If you are on a budget, you may want to consider one of Disney's All Star Resorts. The rooms are smaller, but they range from $64 to $89, depending on the time of year. The newest All Star is All Star Movies, with building themed to such Disney movies like 101 Dalmations and Fantasia. Regarding the parks, Magic Kingdom will probably be their favorite, and the most familiar to them. Much is geared towards children that age (though adults fall in love with it as well!). Epcot will probably bore them the most. They will enjoy Animal Kingdom where they can dig for "dinosaur bones", see the animals on the safari, and pet the animals at Conservation Station. Be cautious of the "It's Tough to Be A Bug" show in the Tree of Life. It is a 3D animated show. However, young children tend can get very frightened in there. There is also alot at MGM which appeals to young children such at Muppets 3D and the "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience" playground. Remember, build in plenty of down/pool time for the children. I've seen too many parents try to drag their kids through the parks "commando style", thus, eliminating any enjoyment of WDW. Please feel free to email me if you want more info.

ilisa

Whatever you do, try to stay on property. That is about the most centrally located you can get. I haven't stayed at Coronado Springs, though I have visited it; it's beautiful. The other moderate resorts at Disney are Caribbean Beach, Port Orleans and Dixie Landings. We've stayed at CB and PO. We loved CB but were kind of ambivalent about PO, though most people tend to really like it. They are beautifully designed, clean, with excellent service. If you are on a budget, you may want to consider one of Disney's All Star Resorts. The rooms are smaller, but they range from $64 to $89, depending on the time of year. The newest All Star is All Star Movies, with building themed to such Disney movies like 101 Dalmations and Fantasia. Regarding the parks, Magic Kingdom will probably be their favorite, and the most familiar to them. Much is geared towards children that age (though adults fall in love with it as well!). Epcot will probably bore them the most. They will enjoy Animal Kingdom where they can dig for "dinosaur bones", see the animals on the safari, and pet the animals at Conservation Station. Be cautious of the "It's Tough to Be A Bug" show in the Tree of Life. It is a 3D animated show. However, young children tend can get very frightened in there. There is also alot at MGM which appeals to young children such at Muppets 3D and the "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience" playground. Remember, build in plenty of down/pool time for the children. I've seen too many parents try to drag their kids through the parks "commando style", thus, eliminating any enjoyment of WDW. Please feel free to email me if you want more info.

annemarie

You are doing exactly what I was doing about a year ago. Went back to Disney last July and stayed at the Coronado Springs. We stayed at Dixie Landings many years ago and enjoyed it. You need to know the following...definitely stay on site...the atmosphere is quite different and much classier(not stuffy, though). There is actually a Disney discussion board that I got on at that time and I got tons of info on the property. It is a great property and you will enjoy it! You can rent a frig,m which I found really helped. The thing the makes this property much better than the other moderates is their improvement on the food on site. DL and PO and CB have pretty poor quality food. We even went back to DL for old times sake in July and the food was worse than it used to be. At the Coronado the have a market kind of atmosphere where you take a card, walk around to the different stations, choose the food you want and and sit and eat, or take it back to your room. Pay on Exit. The food is a bit pricier, but it is such good quality, not greasy, yummy. We really enjoyed eating here. They had a taco station, a salad station, pasta station, burger, steak, icecream. fajitas, bakery(so good). They even had more than this and the servings are plentiful. I would never go back to the other moderates as the food is crappy(truly). Purchase a souvenir plastic cup with cover for 8.00 upon arrival(carries hot or cold and holds over 2 cups) and refill your container as much as you want. We were cheap and only bought 2, but all 4 of us used it sometimes for pop, lemonade, tea, coffee, etc. Juice is the only thing that cannot be used here as it is fresh squeezed and pricier. Get a room close to the main area, maybe in the cabanas(beach themed). The Casitas are high rised(relatively speaking), so not as good with kids. I don't know how much more info you need. Have been 5 times, recommend the Unofficial Guide to Disney and Walt Disney World for Couples with or without children are good books. The Aero travel books rates the Coronado a step above the other moderates. Why don't you email me direct for further questions about the property or places to go and visit. Annemarie

Tanya Craig

DisneyWorld is a blast always. I would suggest giving your family a real treat and staying in either The Boardwalk Inn or Villas (You can take a short walk to Epcot and view the fireworks every night) or the Yacht Club. We also like the Grand Floridian, although with Downtown Disney and everything that has grown around Epcot and MGM, the Grand Floridian seems far away. The children will delight in the Magic Kingdom and the Animal Kingdom. MGM is great for the 3D shows. Epcot is beginning to seem dated and boring, but offers a not to be missed fireworks show. We stayed in the Boardwalk Inn this past summer, the swimming pool was a blast and the rooms are beautiful and spacious. We purchased a Breakfast Package which was great, because we could go to the character breakfasts and sample all of the Disney Restaurants each day. Finally don't skip Downtown Disney, my children spent hours just playing in the jumping water.

Kirby

Just got back from a one-week stay at Fort Wilderness Cabins. Good choice if you like a quiet retreat after a busy day of park madness. 4 adults and 2-3 kids fit easily. Lotsa room for kids and a full kitchen for preparing meals. The resort itself has enough activities to fill days. Cheaper than the other condo-type accommodations at WDW. A car is best for getting to parks while staying at FW. The kids will love all the Disney parks but mainly MK. Book a late lunch at Epcot’s Garden Grill. Our kids got the characters all to themselves as the place was almost empty. Forget Rainforest Cafe. Overpriced fast food in a noisy atmosphere. You can get the same experience at McDonalds. Universal’s great, but huge. Mostly for older children and adults.

Julie

We went to Disney World in June last year and had a fantastic time. We stayed at the Yacht Club, and if you have the money to do it, I would highly recommend it. We stayed on the concierge floor, which was more expensive, but they offer a room with food from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and it was spectacular -- a great way to save money on the very expensive food. No matter where you stay, you will have a great Disney experience -- they really know how to cater to their guests. With regard to your question about parks for the kids, MGM is really geared more toward older kids, as are all the water parks. Of course, they will love the Magic Kingdom, and the Animal Kingdom was okay (although if you're short on time, you could probably miss it). Epcot had some fun educational things for the kids, too. A word of advice: If you stay at a resort on property, take advantage of the early admissions to the theme parks -- definitely worth the early morning rise to skip a lot of the crowds. Finally, I have to disagree with Kirby's opinion of the Rainforest Cafe -- we went to the one at Animal Kingdome and loved it (we had also been to one in Las Vegas). The food was great, and the kids will love the animal decor. At specific times throughout the night, the animals move and talk, etc. It was a little noisy (it rains from the ceiling), but that was part of the charm. Feel free to e-mail me for more info.

dbay

I'm sure that staying on site has all the advantages that other people have posted BUT you do pay for it. If you have unlimited dollars then go for it. There are many off property sites that offer 1 and 2 bedroom suites with great pools and free breakfasts for about 1/2 the price. If you are renting a car then you also have available to you many more eating spots. If you are staying for more than a few days then for a much nicer vacation I would recommend a suite arrangement. After a while it gets old tripping over suitcases etc. Try the various Quality Suites, Days Inn Suites, and Homewood Suites. We got an excellent deal at the Summerfield Suites in Buena Vista. We had wanted a 1 bedroom suite with 2 double beds and a pull out couch. That was not available so they gave us a 2 bathroom, 2 bedroom, full kitchen suite with free breakfast and a very nice pool for $99.00 a night. We loved it! Keep in mind that most children do get on overload from Disney and are just as happy to stay back at the hotel swimming pool. We had purchased the 5 day hopper pass and used all the days but regretted it. If they offer the tickets that never expire and you are likely to go back then consider saving a day's pass if you all run out of steam. Don't fall into the typical trap of "we paid for these tickets and you're going to have fun."

James

Ok, if you're looking at Coronado, then you are probably looking at something in the moderate category. Equivalent to this would be Dixie Landings, and you would only need ONE room. Dixie is the only hotel that has 2 Doubles & a trundle bed (pull-out). The other moderates and the value (All-Stars) only have 2 doubles and allow 4 people 3 and up....