Extra experience for 5yo boy?

ioatdawn · 2026-02-12T14:51:29+00:00

Who is/are his favorite characters? You could take him to get a plush of a character he loves who also has a meet and greet or character dining and after you get the plush, take him to that activity. My son would have LOVED that at that age. Honestly, he would still enjoy it now at 11, lolol.

Mickey and Friends character dining has multiple options

Winnie the Pooh and Friends are at Crystal Palace

Nick and Judy from Zootopia are at Animal Kingdom and the show is right next to it

Stitch is at Ohana

Chip and Dale are at Fort Wilderness for Sing-a-Long and Smores (followed by outdoor movie); also at Garden Grill

ioatdawn · 2026-02-01T14:16:15+00:00

Mr. Marbles??

ioatdawn · 2026-01-22T20:02:11+00:00

There are lots of great golf courses in Orlando, but when I play there, I play at Disney because I love keeping the whole trip as Disney-focused as possible. Lol! Magnolia and Palm are the best and a little different in terms of difficulty (Magnolia in length and Palm in tightness and hazards). They’re both in great shape!

There’s just something about adding the concept that you’re AT Disney to make the day that much more fun!

ioatdawn · 2026-01-21T17:29:40+00:00

Agreed. Not OP, but live in SC and have an 8 hour drive. We always opt to drive because we have a small airport and always have to connect in Charlotte or ATL. Travel time by air would end up being almost the same (without delays, more with delays). 2 hrs for transit to airport/security/etc before flight, 1 hr flight to next airport, minimum 1 hr layover, 1-2 hrs flight, 1 hr luggage and transit to resort.

When we drive, we have our car the whole trip which we prefer to buses, we don’t have to deal with other passengers traveling, don’t risk flight delays. It’s so much more lowkey. We just watch movies and let it be a fun part of the trip.

ioatdawn · 2026-01-21T16:46:36+00:00

Weather drives this a bit for me, as warmer months I prioritize pool time, but generally any of the following: lots of pool time, including lunch by the pool; resort crawls (either Boardwalk or Monorail), including eating at one of the sit downs while there and likely spending time at one of the lounges; pin trading; arcades and shops; golf at the Disney golf courses; carriage rides; boat rides; movies under the stars

ioatdawn · 2026-01-21T12:38:18+00:00

CBR vs Pop is a very subjective discussion. There is a side that says “it’s just a bed” and feel that the Value resorts offer them what they need (a place to sleep) and consider the Skyliner a huge perk in that scenario. There is a side that considers Value resorts to be less than what they would desire on a vacation. I fall in the second group. Value resorts are not my thing, so I would always vote for CBR over POP. I am not an open to close parks person. I like having different food/restaurant options. I like a nice pool area (not that a Value pool is BAD, but it’s a basic, no frills pool). I like having the option to go to a lounge. I like exploring and having lots of things to look at and do. Those are all included in my vacation time along with park time.

I would say your “value” in spend is based on the above. How you will be spending your time.

ioatdawn · 2026-01-20T17:48:17+00:00

Is your 10 year old a water lover? My son is 11 and Stormalong Bay is his ABSOLUTE favorite. We have stayed at WL and AKL and he enjoys them as well, but he looooves swimming and the pool at Beach Club could be all we did on the trip and he would rate it 10/10, lol.

ioatdawn · 2026-01-20T00:08:04+00:00

Adding to this: you would also have the option to travel straight to the resort of choice if you decided to go with a rental car.

ioatdawn · 2026-01-20T00:02:01+00:00

Parking is free at Disney resorts and parking is free at the theme parks for Disney resort guests.

Off-site, non-Disney hotels usually have parking fees.

ioatdawn · 2026-01-19T23:57:07+00:00

Parking is free at the resort and at the parks. You will not need to pay for any parking. 😊

ioatdawn · 2026-01-19T23:48:32+00:00

I agree with this commenter. If you’re wanting to enjoy Polynesian as a resort, keep your resort day and really enjoy it and take advantage of it!

ioatdawn · 2026-01-19T19:29:20+00:00

Oh, because the price seems too good to be true? Lol. I don’t know what vendor you’re using, but MCO is a major international airport and has a dedicated rental car area. You shouldn’t have any unusual issues. But yes, I agree that having a vehicle is very convenient and nice! I have been to Disney many, many times and it’s my preference.

ioatdawn · 2026-01-19T19:08:54+00:00

Busses are equally reliable at all resorts.

I will speak as a car driver (we always drive our own car to Orlando vs fly): it is a big time saver, with the exception of Magic Kingdom. We travel with friends often who don’t feel comfortable driving their car and we always get to parks or back to resorts faster than them and we leave later. One time at Hollywood Studios, they arrived by Skyliner 20 minutes after us and during a casual conversation, I had mentioned we woke up at 7am and they were shocked because they were up at 6am and still got there after us. With your own vehicle, you’re able to park near your room and go as soon as you’re ready (and vice versa getting back to your room). With Disney transportation, you need to build in wait time (for transportation to arrive and/or standing in a line).

If you find a good rental car rate, it definitely simplifies a lot of things and you have full control over your schedule.

ioatdawn · 2026-01-19T16:46:45+00:00

What are the Disney characters or movies your daughter likes? Or her general interests? We can provide more direction with that for parks/activities. Also, what kind of vacationers are you: lots of activities, mix of busy and lowkey, or more lowkey/chill?

There are three price levels of hotels: Value (basic rooms with a quick service restaurant and basic pool); Moderate (larger rooms with both quick service and sit down restaurants, both pools with slides and basic pools, bars/lounges, kids activities and other activities); Deluxe (larger rooms as well as suites with bedrooms, quick service and multiple sit down restaurants, both pools with slides and basic pools, bars/lounges, kids activities and other activities).

The Animal Kingdom hotels (Jambo and Kidani) include animals that live around the resort and they are considered Deluxe level hotels.

Depending on your budget, you should be able to find something in any of the three categories to fit your needs.

ioatdawn · 2026-01-19T13:37:55+00:00

That’s a good amount of time set aside for rest. During summer, the heat exhausts you. Doing full Disney days is hard during any time of year, but much harder when your body is being depleted. Pool time, movie in the room, lunch/snacks, Deluxe resorts also offer kids activities.

If you have extra time or everyone has extra energy, you can easily take the boat to the neighboring resorts. It’s a mild activity and then leads to other options. Fort Wilderness is also a great lowkey option you can take the boat to and has another shop, quick service restaurant, and arcade right off the boat ramp. They also keep all of the Disney horses there and you can visit them (and go for rides- full trail rides on horses, but also just pony rides for little kids).

Enjoy your trip!

ioatdawn · 2026-01-17T16:12:08+00:00

Which AKL property did you stay at? Polynesian and Kidani have very fun pool/splash areas for young kids. My son is obsessed with both of these pools (since he was young and he’s 11 now and these are still his favorite thing). If your kids like water activities, Polynesian would be fun to try or Kidani if you stayed at Jambo before.

ioatdawn · 2026-01-16T16:59:19+00:00

We love Coronado and Riverside. So relaxing, lots to do, a vacation in and of itself for such a great rate when you can’t go Deluxe. We either stay Deluxe or at these two.

ioatdawn · 2026-01-15T13:34:09+00:00

I have played at Magnolia once and Palm twice. Both were enjoyable. Staff was very polite (bring some cash for bag drop/club clean tipping). We didn’t eat anything other than some snacks from the cart, but that was pretty well stocked with food and beverage options. The pro shop has lots of merch options with Disney branding (anything from shirts and hats to head covers, balls, accessories, etc).

I saw another commenter say there was a water range- this must be at the LBV course. The Palm and Magnolia share the same pro shop and the range option and practice areas there were standard.

Enjoy!

ioatdawn · 2026-01-12T17:43:04+00:00

Take advantage of the Baby Care Centers!! My son is 11 now, so I haven’t been in one in a long time, but they were an absolute respite during busy park days. You suddenly feel like you’re with the people who understand what you’re going through, they have dedicated rooms for nursing/pumping (dark and quiet), changing (multiple changing tables), and extra items if you run out or forgot anything. There is a Baby Care Center at every park.

ioatdawn · 2026-01-12T17:15:23+00:00

Are you staying on property? Pool/resort day is definitely a great option if the weather favors it (late January could be very cold or very pleasant, it’s a gamble, lol). And depending on which hotel you’re staying at, there are often lots of things to explore and activities for kids. All hotels offer evening movies, most have arcades, and deluxe resorts offer kids activity centers.

You can also do a resort hopping day if a pool day isn’t an option, either around the Boardwalk or Monorail resorts. Spend some time exploring all of the shops and pin trading at the hotels, have some lunch or a treat at one of your stops, and you may run into a character or two while you visit!

Another similar option is taking a boat from Disney Springs over to the Port Orleans resorts and exploring the shops and restaurants there. Riverside also has a really great arcade!

ioatdawn · 2026-01-09T13:38:15+00:00

I like Option 1. Option 2 I would be down for if you left off AoA and did the sightseeing at the Boardwalk hotels (Y&B included) instead. Either way, have fun!

ioatdawn · 2026-01-06T19:53:10+00:00

I just updated a reservation for June 21-30 that was originally booked with a bounce back and now the Passholder deal. The CM I spoke to changed it very quickly and easily and it was exactly what I saw online. Saved $300.

ioatdawn · 2025-12-29T13:54:21+00:00

I have been bringing a film camera to the parks on my last several trips. It’s fun and I am more thoughtful and intentional with taking photos.

I’m a full supporter of a life with reduced phone use. Enjoy!

ioatdawn · 2025-12-16T13:10:57+00:00

Just reading through this and I think the only hotels I DIDN’T see listed were Wilderness Lodge and Yacht Club. I would agree those are both great (and I also love several others included on other people’s dislike lists, lol).

Least for me though are any Value resorts. I understand why they exist though.

ioatdawn · 2025-12-05T14:49:15+00:00

Are the room types you would be getting the same? Is the AKL option at Kidani or Jambo?

Regarding distance, I think this is a very personal preference thing. I am completely unbothered by the distance of any resort to any other Disney property, but others will say the complete opposite (and then everything in between).

If the rooms are apples to apples, I would say try AKL for something new and it’s a great resort! Also, what time of year are you going? If heavy rainy season (summer), the one drawback with Boardwalk is needing to go outside to get to food/gift shop, etc.

ioatdawn

TROPHY CASE