Best Deluxe for 4 year old?

[Vern60]

Ha ha, it's Disney, they're ALL great for kids
My only input on Boardwalk is my kids never wanted to stay there as they feel sort of "creeped out" by the Giant Clown at the pool, otherwise I agree with all the rest, excellent location etc.

 

[dwheaton]

I was going to suggest Contemporary due to the proximity to the MK. With that out (and with you already staying at the WL), I'm going to suggest a different approach with the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Your daughter will love the animals, and it's a gorgeous resort.

 

[stinkpickle]

Pick the one you want. Kids should love any place at Disney.

 

[Nancyg56]

If want on the monorail Poly is your answer the 10 year old calls it the Moana resort if location is not an issue look at the AKL. Last year the girls spent hours not at the park but at the hotel looking at animals.

AKL is amazing and Great for kids. Kidani has a awesome splash area and you can utilize both pools. Tons of activities for the kids, all day long and into the night!

I agree with both the above posters. Kady was 4 when we stayed at AKL and it was perfect, not only for all of the adults but for her as well. I know people feel it is a distance from everything, however I did not feel that way.

If you are considering a resort off of the monorail, look to this gorgeous get-a-way that transports you far from the hectic hustle and bustle of the parks and the very "must see" resorts to a land that is the most relaxing location on property. The savannah view as well worth the upcharge for us, however it is not necessary if you want t save a little money.

The pool is inviting and safe for children. There are activities that expand well beyong the draw of those animals grazing across the many savannahs.

 

[Anthony1971]

At that age my son really like AKL it was cool to see the animals and the main thing they remember is the pool-- Jambo has a huge pool with a slide that is ok but great for kids they also have a playground. You will also have access to the Kidani side -- they do have a van-- which has the best Children's paly area of all the resorts the pool is on the smaller side but the slide is fast and much bigger than what is at Jambo. If she like slides the best ones are the Poly because it is in the dark and fast and Boardwalk is by far the fastest slide. If your husband likes WL he will like AKL Jambo as they were done by the same designer only AKL is much grander than WL and very immersive like WL although AK is busier at certain times. I personally use to love the Poly years ago stayed there the last 2 years and although I still like the resort it is not the same as it was years ago it has become way to popular for visits and more commercialized which takes away from the once very immersive feel that attracts a lot of people to WL.

 

[sethschroeder]

Animal Kingdom will have bus rides but the one to AK is really short and is where we are going with our kids because of the animals and pool areas at the resorts. Yacht/Beach Club is likely the best choice with walking to 2 parks and a great pool supposedly.

 

[Jacq7414]

Thanks for the suggestions with AKL. I may be able to convince my DH because it’s not that much more than WL. He’s just super set in his ways. He’s all like “we had a great time there. She loved it, why change and spend more when we had a great time where we were”.

If we go to AKL do we need a savannah view room? Or any one really is ok?

 

[youngdeb12]

Thanks for the suggestions with AKL. I may be able to convince my DH because it’s not that much more than WL. He’s just super set in his ways. He’s all like “we had a great time there. She loved it, why change and spend more when we had a great time where we were”.

If we go to AKL do we need a savannah view room? Or any one really is ok?

There are a bunch of standard rooms that have partial savannah views. You can see animals from all over the resort though. We took 4 kids 5 & under and they LOVED it. It was an adventure just walking down the hallways and pointing out the animals you could see through the windows.

 

[mickey2minnie1]

Poly hands down! My daughter loved it and still wishes she could enjoy it but she is a teen now, lol. The Poly is magical and we have amazing memories there.

 

[Beachmom0317]

I would honestly just stick with WL. I also have a husband who is set in his ways with some parts of our Disney vacations, and I have found it is better to sometimes just go along with his preferences-especially if they really aren't that bad (so in your case he wants to stay at WL and hey that's still a pretty good vaca!).

Additionally- we stayed at the Poly last December with our 4 year old and he was too small to go down the big slide I could see justifying the extra $1300 if you could use all the amenities, but that's a lot to not use one of the resort's main feature. Maybe you can visit the Poly on your next trip and see if you can sway him to stay there next time when your daughter is a little older and can go down big slide!

 

[Jacq7414]

I would honestly just stick with WL. I also have a husband who is set in his ways with some parts of our Disney vacations, and I have found it is better to sometimes just go along with his preferences-especially if they really aren't that bad (so in your case he wants to stay at WL and hey that's still a pretty good vaca!).

Lol that is true. We have always enjoyed it there, I should just be happy he’s agreeing to go again

 

[robinb]

I hate to be a wet blanket, but 4-year olds don’t really care. They are just as happy at the All Stars as they are at the GF.

Choose the resort based on your own needs.

 

[Brett Wyman]

I hate to be a wet blanket, but 4-year olds don’t really care. They are just as happy at the All Stars as they are at the GF.

Choose the resort based on your own needs.

I was just typing the same thing. My adult opinion is the Poly has the best mix of all monorail resorts for young kids though.

 

[robinb]

I was just typing the same thing. My adult opinion is the Poly has the best mix of all monorail resorts for young kids though.

I love the Polynesian but I’ve always thought it was more of a “fantasy” resort for adults. I don’t really find it any more advantageous for kids other than its proximity to the MK. I believe the most kid friendly deluxe resort is Animal Kingdom Lodge/Villas. Yes, it’s far away from most parks but that can be an advantage. When you get there you feel like you are in a world apart.

 

[Jacq7414]

I hate to be a wet blanket, but 4-year olds don’t really care. They are just as happy at the All Stars as they are at the GF.

Choose the resort based on your own needs.

No wet blanket at all. I was just really looking for a good splash pad for her. And we were the ones who didn’t want to stay at an All Star.

We are just going to go back to WL. Thanks for the help everyone!

 

[TiggerTrigger]

We tried WL when ours were 2 and 4, but found the rooms to be a bit too cramped for all of their stuff and their double stroller. In light of this, we opted to skip AKL until they were stroller free, since the rooms are the same size. My younger one is terrified of clowns, so Boardwalk has always been a hard no. We've been to YC/BC, but the kids were just kind of meh on it...even with Stormalong Bay. So, that brings us to the monorail resorts. GF doesn't seem to appeal to anyone. They prefer the pool at the Poly, but the Contemporary's convenience still gives it the win for me. We didn't have to wait on a boat, bus or monorail if we were in MK and someone really needed a nap, we were an easy boat ride to WL, and of course...monorail access is also nice. The monorail resorts also have the biggest rooms, so that helped with all of their stuff too!

 

[MomOTwins]

Thanks for the suggestions with AKL. I may be able to convince my DH because it’s not that much more than WL. He’s just super set in his ways. He’s all like “we had a great time there. She loved it, why change and spend more when we had a great time where we were”.

If we go to AKL do we need a savannah view room? Or any one really is ok?

Savannah room is totally optional: you can see the animals from pretty much anywhere in the resort, and how much time are you really going to spend in your room anyway? My one caveat is that if your little one still does a nap in the room (I'm guessing no by 4, but each kid is different) a savannah room might be nice for mom and dad to hang out on. Otherwise feel free to save your money and enjoy the animals from the outdoor pathways, walkways in the halls, lobby and overlooks

 

[Have3Kids&aHusband]

We brought our daughter when she was almost 2 and almost 3 and stayed at the WL both times. My husband really liked it but I’m thinking about trying a different resort next trip. Looking to go next summer. Either for 6 nights or do 2-3 nights after a cruise. Just have to price it out.

We loved the proximity to magic kingdom and she really enjoyed the pool. We walked through the contemporary and was not a fan - so my husband does not want to go there. I don’t really care about being on the monorail but would to go to a park without the need of a bus.

I was thinking either the Boardwalk or the Beach Club, but then I heard the pool at the beach club might be too big for someone her age. Any insights?

Or should we just stick to the WL since it is the cheapest out of the deluxes lol

I think the Poly would be a great choice. The pool is a lot of fun and not too overwhelming. My kids loved the Poly when we stayed there. They were 3, 5 & 7 at the time. It was a great choice for getting to the Magic Kingdom & Epcot. We have stayed at WL with the kids and loved it there too. But our kids loved the Poly pool a lot more and enjoyed going on the monorail. The kids also loved being able to get a Dole Whip right at the resort.

 

[toodycat]

GF is my favorite forever. The pools is very child friendly and you can’t beat the monorail. However, both AKL and BWI are strong contenders as well. The pools are not overwhelming for a small child. At AKL, you can get a savannah room and watch the animals, which is great for grown-ups and kids alike.

 

[Jacq7414]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. My husband really is unwilling to spend the extra money to stay at the Poly or GF so we decided to just go to the WL again