
Every year on our annual Walt Disney World Resort vacation, my husband and I schedule a date night. It has been a tradition we started back when we first brought our son down and has continued now with our daughter. Every year when we return, we get a lot of questions about how we manage to do it. Every year they are astonished when we inform them that yes, Walt Disney World Resorts have babysitting services onsite, meaning you don’t have to go very far at all to enjoy some special time with you and your love. And every year we get those that are quite surprised, as many have no clue that Walt Disney World Resorts even offers this service.
Want to take advantage of a date night yourself? Here are two options both of which we have used, and continue to use for both of our kids and that I highly recommend.
Children’s Activity Centers:
There are four Children’s Activity Centers on property. My son has visited three out of the four and each time has loved it more than the last time. While mom and dad are out enjoying the Parks from an adult standpoint, my son is busy doing a wide range of activities such as making special treats, learning about how things work and maybe his favorite thing, talking like a pirate. He also has made plenty of friends, laughed a lot, played games and met a couple of pretty cool characters along the way. After all, it is not every day that Captain Hook and Mr. Smee come strolling through the doors. There has been many of trips where he has talked about nothing but the time spent at these centers.
The centers accept kids ranging from 3 (must be fully potty trained) to 12, and they provide dinner and snacks throughout the night. I have to say my son was 6 when we started taking him to the Children’s Activity Center, which was the perfect age, as he was finally becoming a whole lot more social. To this day, he always asks if he is going to get to go back to one of the centers, so I suppose you can add in the kid tested, kid approved!
Children’s Activity Centers are located at:
Simba’s Cubhouse at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
Sandcastle Club at Disney’s Beach Club Resort,
Lilo’s Playhouse at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Camp Dolphin at Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel– (4-12 years)
Good to know:
- Hours may vary from center to center.
- Cost- Lilo’s Playhouse and Sandcastle Club offer a flat fee of $55 while Simba’s Clubhouse and Camp Dolphin are an hourly rate of $15 and requires a 2-hour minimum.
- Dinner is included with the cost of the services and most are open in the late afternoon/early evening until midnight!
- Perfect for those late night strolls around Epcot!
I would also recommend making reservations for the service because they are quite popular! Just like your Advanced Dining Reservations, these reservations can be done at the 180-day mark!
For more information/reservations: (407) 939-3463
For Camp Dolphin: (407) 934-4241.
Or visit the Concierge of your Walt Disney World Resort.
In-Room Sitter Services:
However if you have younger kids, or would like a more one on one experience, no worries! There is another service that can be used. The independent childcare provider, Kid’s Nite Out, will come right to your room! We use this now for our toddler and when we want more individual care, which has been great considering my daughter was a preemie, and is a little delayed than the average 1 ½ year old. These specialists are amazing. While they may not be able to give them baths, or take them to any activity that requires water, they come supplied with age appropriate toys and activities and they really know how to make your kids feel right at home.
One of my favorite things about Kids Nite Out are the sitters themselves. We have had so many wonderful ladies, but have found two that we absolutely love and have requested to use again. While the Children’s Activity Centers were great for the older kids, we have found Kid’s Nite Out to be perfect for the little ones and recommend them to those that are a little uneasy about leaving their kids behind. I love how they distract my daughter so that we can slide right on out without having to worry about a meltdown.
Good to Know:
- Ages 6 months-12 years.
- There is a 4-hour minimum and you are required to provide the sitter with a meal if you are going to be away longer than 6 hours.
- Cost- Starting at $18 for one kid per hour and goes up $3 an hour per additional child.
- For services starting after 9:00 p.m., there is a $2 fee that will be added every hour.
- There is a $10 transportation fee.
- They are available to assist you when you are in-park as well!
Reservations can be booked 3 months in advance. For reservations and further information:
Kid’s Nite Out, please call (407) 828-0920, 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM, 7 days a week or visit their website at KidsNiteOut.com.
Growing up inn the suburbs of Washington, D.C., Aleisha has never let distance stop her from enjoying Walt Disney World vacations. From an early age, whether it be on a family vacation or tagging along with a friend on her vacation, she fell in love with the magic and the joy that Disney brought. Now making her own memories as a DVC member with a Star Wars obsessed little boy, she tries to capture the same magical feelings into every day life. She has quickly established a reputation with friends, relatives and coworkers as a real-life Belle. Always with a book in her hand and available to help others plan their magical Disney vacations.
Beyond Disney, Aleisha is a lover of all genres of music; craves a good concert from time to time, considers her food allergies a blessing rather than a curse and can be seen at the good old hockey game during the NHL season.