Walt Disney World is one of the most magical vacations that you can take with the little ones in your life. Being one of the most popular destinations for families, many Guests visit with babies and toddlers. Between the characters, entertainment, attractions, and Mickey-shaped snacks, there is so much for the younger crowd to enjoy. Even if they’re not very old! So what are the best Disney World hotels for toddlers?
While there’s no doubt that Disney World is a great vacation choice for littles, the hotel that you stay at with your babies and toddlers is also an important choice! Even though families are welcome to stay at all of the resorts, some of the hotels seem to be a better fit.
Vacationing with little ones makes you think about things differently. When choosing your hotel, there are certain factors that you’ll want to consider for a Disney World hotel for toddlers. Unlike when taking an adult vacation, you most likely won’t be worried about luxurious amenities, pristine dining locations, and exquisite decor. Odds are, you’ll be looking for resorts that accommodate the youngest members of your party the best.
As a mother of young children who frequently visits Walt Disney World, I know how this planning goes! We started taking my daughter to Disney World when she was only two years old and my son started going with us while I was pregnant with him! I have experienced Disney World with both a toddler and baby in tote and I look forward to sharing tips on how to make it a smooth process.
In this article:
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Babies and Toddlers at Disney World
There’s something so magical about experiencing Disney World with little ones. To them, every part of the vacation is real. When they meet Mickey Mouse, to them, that’s really Mickey. When they hop on a clam shell and go under the sea, they’re really going on an undersea adventure with Ariel and Flounder. During Frozen Ever After, when Elsa makes it snow, she’s really using her ice powers to make that happen. At nighttime, when fireworks are sparkling in the sky and Cinderella’s Castle is lighting up, they’re really at the most magical place on earth. While they may be too young to remember these experiences, they’re having the time of their lives. You are the one who leaves with core memories of the great times that were had.
Of course, it’s not going to be magic and pixie dust at all times. When you take little humans to a place that’s often hot, busy, and outside of their daily routine, you’re going to run into some challenges. It will be important that you don’t try to push your little ones to handle more than they can. They aren’t going to be able to keep up with a fast paced, Park Open to Park Close day like you may be used to doing. Some adults can’t even handle that! This is why Disney World hotels for toddlers is so important but also knowing what is in the park to support parents.
You’ll want to make sure that they get rest when needed, stay hydrated, have full tummies, and have some time to unwind. Luckily Disney World is equipped for all of these needs! Baby Care Centers are located at all four of the theme parks. The Baby Care Centers provide a place and resources to help you and your baby or toddler take care of your needs and get ready for the rest of your Disney Day. The Baby Care Centers at Disney World include:
- Private nursing room with rocking chairs
- Changing room with tables
- Restrooms
- Feeding area with highchairs
- Kitchen with microwave and sink
- A room with a television, table, and seating
- A shop with essentials such as formula, baby food, juice, diapers, wipes, sunscreen, medicine, and clothing
While Baby Care Centers are only located at the parks, you’ll be able to find changing tables in almost every restroom on Walt Disney Resort property. Many essentials are also available for purchase at general merchandise locations. Especially in the store located at your resort! One thing that you’ll never have a shortage of at Disney World is food! Snacks will be available around every corner whenever your youngster needs to refuel.
Another thing that’s great for toddlers at Disney World are play areas. Throughout the theme parks, resorts, and even Disney Springs, you’ll be able to find either water play areas or playgrounds. These areas allow kids to let off some steam and feel a bit of normality during their vacation.
When you’re choosing your resort, you’ll most likely want to think of ones that make the experience for your little ones and yourself as smooth as possible. Is it conveniently located to the parks? How is the transportation? What are the food options like? Is the theming and style fun and appealing? These are some of the things that I’m going to discuss as we take a look at the best Walt Disney World Resort hotel for babies and toddlers!
Best Disney World Hotels for Babies and Toddlers
The absolute best Disney World hotels for babies and toddlers is Disney's Art of Animation. This resort is perfect for children and families. You can’t go wrong with the theming, dining options, transportation, options, and recreational activities.
This Disney World hotel is in the Value Resort category. This also makes things exceptionally nice for families since Disney’s Value Resorts are their most cost effective hotels. While there are other hotels in the Value Resort category that have many similarities to Art of Animation, such as the All-Star Resorts, there are downsides to staying at those resorts with babies and toddlers.
The biggest downfalls to Disney’s All-Star Resorts are their transportation options and location to the theme parks. The only transportation option at the All-Star Resorts have is bus transportation. While this is an appreciated complimentary service, it can sometimes be unpleasant. Especially with little ones.
Buses seem to take longer to make their rounds between the All-Star Resorts as opposed to others. On top of it taking a while to catch a bus, your bus trip also takes longer due to the location of the hotels. Waiting for long periods of time with little children and then having a long and potentially cramped bus ride to your destination is less than ideal. Not only will you have the children, you’ll most likely also have strollers as well as extra bags with their necessities. This makes picking a resort with convenience more of a priority.
Disney's Art of Animation
Art of Animation is not only the best Disney World resort to stay at with babies and toddlers, it's personally my favorite for family vacations. We stayed here on almost every trip that we took with our children in their younger years.
Theming
The first thing that you’ll notice about Art of Animation is its amazing theming. The decor is surrounded around four movies: The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, and Cars. These are all movies that are very popular among children and have many beloved characters in them. The whole resort is filled with bright and colorful artwork and larger than life statues that puts you right in the middle of these movies. The decorating even continues into the rooms, which are decorated to the theme of the building that they’re located in.
Rooms
The rooms are another thing that makes Art of Animation so great for those traveling with younger children. At Art of Animation, you have the option of a Standard Room or a Family Suite. The Standard Rooms are located in The Little Mermaid building while The Lion King, Finding Nemo, and Cars buildings are all filled with Family Suites. Standard Rooms sleep up to 4 and the Family Suites sleep up to 6. The Family Suites are so nice when you’re traveling with a larger group or are simply looking for extra room. Besides extra room, the Family Suites are also equipped with a kitchenette. This will make prepping your baby’s or toddler’s food so easy! The kitchenette includes a toaster, microwave, sink, mini refrigerator, and coffee maker.
Fun
For fun at Art of Animation, you’ll find three pools, an arcade, playground, bonfires, and Movies Under the Stars. The main pool is located in the center of the resort in the Finding Nemo area. This pool, The Big Blue Pool, is the largest pool in all of Walt Disney World. Surrounded by big statues of Mr. Ray, Crush, and jellyfish, your little fishies are sure to have the time of their lives! Besides the pool, there's also an area that's geared more towards babies and toddlers where they can splash around. The Schoolyard Sprayground has water jets, fountains, and a little wading pool that’s sure to please both babies and toddlers! This area is also decorated with fun statues of Nemo’s school friends!
There are also smaller pools located in The Little Mermaid area as well as the Cars area. Surrounded by Ariel, Flounder, Sebastian, and other fish friends, your little ones will feel like they’re under the sea when they’re at the Flippin' Fins Pool. Over in the Cars area, you’ll find the Cozy Cone Pool. Located in Radiator Springs, where they’ll be able to see all of their favorite cars, the Cozy Cone Pool is a great escape for your little racers. Surrounding the pool are giant cones which double as cabanas! These cabanas are first come first serve. Make sure that you grab yours in order to have a nice shady area when your littles are ready to give their tires a rest.
When your kiddos need to let off some steam at their own pace, consider stopping by the arcade or playground!
In the evening, Art of Animation has bonfires as well as Movies Under the Stars. For the bonfire, you can gather around the bonfire and roast marshmallows. This can be so fun for little ones! Afterwards, head over to The Big Blue Pool to enjoy Movies Under the Stars. Each night, you can enjoy a movie outside. Schedules of which movies are playing can be found on signs in the lobby and around the resort. If you don’t happen to see one, you can always ask a Cast Member!
Necessities
When vacationing with your babies and toddlers, you want to make sure that you have all of the necessities! However, sometimes things are forgotten or you unexpectedly run out. At Art of Animation’s store, Ink & Paint Shop, you’ll be able to find necessities to get you by in a pinch. If you need more diapers, wipes, clothing, snacks, etc. they have you covered!
Laundry services are also available at Art of Animation which can be VERY beneficial when you have babies or toddlers with you. We all know that a simple meal or snack can turn into a complete mess quickly. Located next to The Big Blue Pool, you’ll find a laundry room complete with washers and dryers. Laundry detergent is also available for purchase if you don’t have any on hand.
Dining
Of course for babies, you’ll have their own food with you. But when it comes to toddlers, you’ll most likely want a variety of simpler foods for them to choose from. Odds are, they aren’t going to be interested in trying exotic foods and new flavors during their trip.
Landscape of Flavors, the dining hall at Art of Animation, has a great variety of foods for families and small children. A wide variety of foods are available in bakery cases and coolers. Warm, made to order dishes are also available! While there are foods available for younger children, there are also meals for adults which makes this dining location excellent for families.
An example of some of the simpler foods that are available are:
- Breakfast
- Cereal
- Waffles and Pancakes
- Eggs
- Bacon
- Tater Tots
- Oatmeal
- Fruit
- Lunch and Dinner
- Pizza
- Pasta
- Chicken Strips
- French Fries
- Macaroni & Cheese
- Burgers
- Turkey Sandwiches
- Desserts
- Cupcakes
- Brownies
- Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bars
- Fruit Bars
- Drinks
- Juice
- Milk
- Chocolate Milk
While these are just a few examples of foods that little ones can enjoy, there are many more options! There are also actual Kids' Meals as well as Kids' Disney Check Meals available. Disney Check Meals are healthier meal options that are designed for young kids.
Pre-packaged snacks are also available at Landscape of Flavors as well as in the Ink & Paint Shop.
Transportation
Art of Animation has the additional convenience of Disney’s Skyliner. The Skyliner is Disney’s newest form of transportation. It’s a gondola system that connects multiple resorts to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. As a continuously running system, you generally have little to no wait when boarding. Which is great with anxious kiddos at the beginning of the day or tired kiddos at the end of the day.
Other transportation systems can become stressful when you’re trying to board with strollers, young children, and extra bags. When boarding the Skyliner, you won’t have the additional stress of folding down your strollers and getting all of your items ready to board. You’ll simply roll the stroller onto the gondola and have a seat. Easy! Another bonus is that they only put a certain number of Guests on the gondolas. When you’re riding the Skyliner, you’ll never be overcrowded. You’ll simply have a smooth and quick journey through the sky.
This makes traveling with babies and toddlers exceptionally easy. While I was unsure about the Skyliner when it first opened up, it quickly became my favorite forms of Disney transportation. Especially for my vacations with my kids!
Additional Qualities
Art of Animation has always been a great fit for our children and family. The kids love the resort and the Cast Members are so kind and efficient in everything that they do. However, there was one time in particular when everyone at Art of Animation went above and beyond for the children and families staying there.
When Hurricane Ian came through Orlando in 2022, Disney World closed the theme parks for a couple days and the resorts went into a lockdown mode. Before going into lockdown mode, the Cast Members at Art of Animation worked hard to put together meal kits for families to have during the closure.
Even after it was deemed safe to move around the resort again, the Cast Members at Art of Animation didn’t stop there. Since the theme parks were still closed, Disney made sure that the kids and families at Art of Animation had things to do and that fun was still had. Characters were brought to the main hall who not only took pictures with the kids, but also spent time with them. Some of the characters that came through were Jessie, Woody, Vamperina, and Rafiki. Besides bringing characters in, there were dance parties, balloons, and all of the games in the arcade were free!
While everyone was taken care of, it was clear that it was very important to the Cast Members that the children all felt safe and happy during this potentially scary and stressful time.
Other Great Disney Resorts for Babies and Toddlers
There are two other Walt Disney World Resort hotels that are exceptional for babies and toddlers. These are Disney’s Pop Century Resort and Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
Disney's Pop Century Resort
Pop Century Resort is very similar to Art of Animation. The biggest difference is that there are no Family Suites at Pop Century. Only Standard Rooms are available. Besides that, Pop Century is equally as great for stays with babies and toddlers. This is also another resort that I have personally stayed at with my own small children.
Pop Century shares the same qualities as Art of Animation. While the theming isn’t as Disney as it is at Art of Animation, it is full of bright colors, large statues, and fun decor that kids love. It’s also equipped with similar dining, activities, and also has access to the Skyliner!
Disney's Contemporary Resort
The Contemporary Resort stands out due to its easy access to Magic Kingdom as one of the best Disney World hotels for toddlers. When it comes to Disney World vacations, the most popular park is without a doubt Magic Kingdom. The Contemporary Resort not only has easy access with the Monorail, but it’s also within walking distance of the park! The fact that you can avoid transportation all together is a great convenience. Sometimes, rather than loading everyone onto a transportation system, it’s easier to just take a short stroll.
The Contemporary Resort also has a great character breakfast opportunity for littles. While you don’t have to stay at this resort to dine here, it is a nice addition to your stay! They will be able to dine with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, and Pluto! Also, with the convenience of the Monorail, you can easily head over to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort if you wish to take part in their character breakfast! At ‘Ohana, your children can experience a fun Hawaiian-themed breakfast with Mickey, Pluto, Stitch, and Lilo! I have taken part in this breakfast multiple times and both babies and toddlers truly enjoy the character interactions here.
Plan Your Disney World Vacation
While planning your vacation to Walt Disney World, don’t forget that your babies and toddlers are more than welcome at ALL of the Disney World resorts. The resorts that are listed in this article are simply ones that I believe you and your babies will enjoy staying at the most! When you’re at Walt Disney World, you truly can’t pick a bad hotel. Your little ones will have the time of their life no matter which resort you stay at.
If you’d like more information about other hotels at Disney World, take a look at our article about the Best Disney World Hotels! Additionally, if you would like assistance choosing a Disney World resort that’s right for you, the agents at Get Away Today are more than happy to help! Reach out today to get your free quote! With Get Away Today helping with your Disney vacation planning, you and your little ones are sure to have the best time on your magical vacation to Walt Disney World!
Plan Your Walt Disney World Vacation
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Frequently Asked Questions
On your Disney World hotel reservation, you are required to include all Guests that will be staying in the room, including infants. However, an infant (up to one) does not count towards your room maximum. For example, if your party includes 4 adults and 1 infant, you'll still be able to book a room that specifically states that it Sleeps up to 4 Guests.
Yes, babies under 2 are free at Disney! At Disney World, all children 2 years of age or younger are free, children ages 3-9 are priced as children, and any Guest ages 10+ are priced as adults.
Yes, I truly believe that it is very much worth it to go to Disney World with a 2 year old. With the types of attractions and entertainment that are at Disney World, 2 year olds are able to do so much! I have taken both of my children at the age of 2 and they both had a great time at this age. Not only do they have an amazing time, it's also a great experience for the adults who are able to watch these little ones experience the magic of Disney.
Yes, Disney has cribs available for babies. If you need one, you'll simply note it on your reservation or let them know at the front desk when you arrive. I will note that when I requested a crib for my little ones at Disney World, what I actually received was a Pack ‘n Play. This was fine for our family and got the job done, but this may not be what some families are looking for.
Thanks for this list! Our next trip to WDW will be with a 3-year old and 5-year old so we need all the suggestions we can get. ? We took my son when he was two, before his sister arrived, and stayed at Pop Century and loved it! The wading pool with fountain jets was perfect for him to splash around in without being too deep, and he spent at least an hour there every day. It was a great location with the Skyliner right there, also! I think for our next trip we might venture over to Art of Animation and take advantage of the extra space you can get with a family suite.