Diswithkids Disney Blog

Child Care At Disney

[fa icon="calendar"] Mon, Apr 28, 2014 @ 10:32 AM / by Becca Bell

Becca Bell

Child Care at DisneyDisney really has families in mind when it comes to vacations.  Family time is important, but so is adult time, away from the hustle and bustle of daily life.  Vacations are a great way to relax, recharge your batteries, and reconnect with your loved ones and friends without the daily activities at home.  A Disney vacation allows families the best of both worlds, a family vacation with an adult vacation all rolled in to one!

There are five kids clubs at Walt Disney World  available for potty trained children aged three to twelve. Advance reservations are recommended for all locations, except Camp Dolphin where they are required. Rates vary but start at around $16 per hour and are pro-rated for families with more than one child.  Reservations can be made up to 180 days in advance, a courtesy we offer to our vacationkids clients -

 

  • Simba's Cubhouse at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
  • Never Land Club at Disney's Polynesian Resort 
  • Cub's Den at Disney's Wilderness Lodge
  • Sandcastle Club at Disney's Beach Club Resort
  • Camp Dolphin at Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel

  Hours vary for these supervised activity centers.  Dinner is served and reservations are recommended, but walk-ins are allowed at all of the clubs, except Camp Dolphin, provided the Clubs have not reached there capacity.

In-room babysitting is another great option for adults who want to spend a little time at the pool, go shopping, or enjoy an adult meal or some adult rides at one of the theme parks.  Little ones are often in bed early which leaves parents with evening hours that can be spent stuck in their room or enjoying the night life.  Kid's Nite Out is a babysitting service that serves all of the Walt Disney World resorts for a fee.  Should you find that you feel outnumbered with the kids you can always hire a Disney babysitter to join you and help entertain the kids. 

To avoid babysitting fees many families travel with other families or grandparents.  These "free" babysitters are great for allowing the adults to take turns having a day or night to themselves while the opposite set of adults watch the kids. If you are planning this type of arrangement, do speak to your travel agent about your plans.  They can help you choose the right type of room, cabin or villa that will best suit everyone in your group. Disney offers so many sleeping arrangements. This way your little ones will have peace and quiet while your care givers can relax in an adjacent room.

The number one reason I love to book Disney Cruise vacations for my family would be the kids clubs.  If you have not considered a Cruise in the past, I really think you should! So many of our clients cannot decide between a cruise or visiting the parks. Did you know that you can easily do BOTH!  Spend a few days at Walt Disney World and then a few days at sea with a 3 or 4 night cruise to the Bahamas. It's easy to arrange and more affordable than you would think. It's also a great balance - after a few hectic days at the parks your family and kick back and be pampered on board a fabulous cruise!

All four Disney cruise ships have a Nursery, the Oceaneer Lab, the Oceaneer Club, Edge, Vibe and other age appropriate activities for your kids. Do know the nursery allows infants from 12 weeks of age and does charge an hourly fee.  The Oceaneer Lab, Oceaneer club and the Vibe offer day long, supervised actvities and are free! Your children can experience educational opportunities, hang out with characters, and make new friends.  Parents can enjoy everything the ship has to offer or experience a shore excursion.  You will need to fill out a registration form and your child will be given a bracelet to wear during the cruise that will be used to check them in and out of the clubs.

The best family vacations are the ones that are balanced and offer something for everyone to enjoy and look forward too. Sure the kids will have a great time on a Disney vacation but bes sure to schedule in a little "me" time for Mom & Dad. Remember, it's YOUR vacation too and the child care offered by Disney will give you a little fun, alone time too enjoy too.

 

 

 

 

 

Topics: Disney Vacations

Becca Bell

Written by Becca Bell

Mother of two, lover of all things Disney and family travel agent at Vacationkids.com. In her free time Becca can be found either running her kids to activities or running a marathon