robyng

I think a 20 month old is too young to enjoy Disney. It's a good idea for a trip perhaps 5+ years from now. Robyn

DJ_Iceman

Is a 20-month old going to "enjoy" Costa Rica or Australia or any of the other ideas bandied about here? I think the goal at this point is for a trip the parents can enjoy, and since Disney is very child and baby friendly, I figured it would be a good choice.

But I agree with you, another trip when the little one is old enough to take it all in and remember it is also in order!

Kagehitokiri

OP said "active" and mentioned amanresorts

DJ_Iceman

Yes, but "active" can mean a lot of things. It may not be their cup of tea, but one can certainly burn a lot of calories walking around the Disney theme parks.

As for aman, the OP also mentioned Four Seasons but both references were examples of hotels they weren't sure about. They also asked for any and all advice or suggestions. So I thought maybe, for two grand a night, they'd like a suggestion other than a mass-market chain...

MikeFromTokyo

Amanresorts and most Four Seasons resorts are not mass-market.

Going to Disney world with a toddler is a ridiculous idea. This is something to save for when the child is old enough to fully enjoy it.

grumbler

Without revisiting the wisdom of spending $2000+ a night at Disney , and keeping in mind child's age, I would do FS Papagayo hands down over most of the choices raised in this thread.

CMV

Thanks very much for all the replies. We ultimately decided on a 2BR suite at the Gansevoort Turks and Caicos. We're spending Thanksgiving in Naples, one day and night in Miami (4S) and then we'll arrive at the Gansevoort on Sunday. I'll be sure to post a report. In the meantime, we'd welcome any thoughts on what to do/eat/etc. at the hotel or on the island more generally from anyone who has been there recently.

katesy

Gansevoort is a fun place to stay - not luxe from a service perspective, but the rooms, pool and beach are excellent, especially in the off season when it won't be crowded (common facilities there are a tight squeeze in high season). It's not un-kid friendly, and there's actually a nice public playground next door. You said you want to be active - my favorite things to do there are the Exhale classes at the hotel, paddleboarding through Big Blue and getting out on a boat. It's a flat island, so there's not much else to do besides long walks across Grace Bay, although I've heard there are interesting hikes on North and Middle Caicos islands (a day trip, ferry ride over). For restaurants, it's not a great food island. I think some of the casual spots are best - Smokey's (really off the beaten path place that does not cater to tourists but has some of the best food on the island), Da Conch Shack, Somewhere. The more expensive places tend to underdeliver and cost a lot more than you think they should (all food other than fish and conch is imported). Hope you have a great trip!

obscure2k

Thanks for the update. Have a great time

robyng

I've never been to the Turks/Caicos. But WRT FS Miami - the "bigger deal" restaurant hasn't been good on past visits. There's a new one there now - but I have no reason to believe it's much better than older incarnations. OTOH - the pool area is really nice. And - since you only have 1 night in Miami - you could do worse than an afternoon at the pool and a casual dinner at the outside pool bar if you don't mind eating early (closes at 6). The best restaurant close by IMO is db Bistro Moderne in downtown Miami. Robyn

CMV

There are a number of reviews of the Four Seasons Miami, so I will just touch on a few highs and lows from our stay.

Highs:
Kids: David/Jessica O had let the hotel know that we were traveling with our 20-month old daughter, so we expected a crib in our room. We did not expect that the crib would contain a brand new stuffed monkey and some toddler-friendly skin products, or that our daughter’s name would be written in stickers on the master bathroom mirror. Throughout our visit, the staff was friendly to us and went out of their way to make our daughter feel welcome. We have stayed at various luxury properties with our daughter since she has been born and the Four Seasons Miami made us feel the most welcome (by a mile). Well done.

Hard product: We had booked a one-bedroom, city view suite and were upgraded to a one-bedroom, bay view suites. This really is a nice-sized suite, with plenty of room in both the bedroom and the living room. Our daughter had a ton of fun sitting in the window seat looking out at the pool and bay and watching the boats go by. After she went to bed, my wife and I enjoyed the view and the football game on the flat-screen television.

The next day, we all enjoyed the very shallow pool with palm trees. Our daughter could run and play and we didn’t have to worry that any part of it was too deep for her.

Lows:
Restaurant/food service: We had a f/b credit, so thought we would grab dinner for our daughter and drinks for ourselves. We ordered the gnocchi with pasta Bolognese, which was bland. The lobster appetizer was overdone. Drinks were fine. Breakfast was better – especially given the outdoor setting. (The dulce de leche brioche was excellent.)

The room service cheese plate was very well done, with some interesting cheese. The ultimate low, though, was the carrots and celery sticks off the kids menu. For $5, we received 5 limp celery sticks and 4 faded carrot sticks. (I know 4S room service is expensive, but seriously?)

Checkout: Two minor, but very annoying issues. First, I had to ask to have the internet charge removed since it is included in Preferred Partner suite bookings. Second, the clerk did not know how to handle our gift card (obtained via Amex MR) and so had to summon a manager, which took some time. We had a flight to catch at MIA and so were in a bit of a hurry, which made these little annoyances seem more irritating than they should have.

Overall:
We had a very nice one-night stay and would return, especially if transiting through Miami like we were for this stay.

robyng

Too bad I was right about the food at the restaurant. OTOH - it's really kind of par for the course in Miami in general (a lot of places are better at serving hype - often with a side of attitude - than good food).

OTOH - glad you enjoyed almost everything else! Robyn