Babysitting Services for your Orlando Vacation
Orlando is the mecca of family vacation spots, but sometimes you need someone to keep an eye on the kids. Luckily, babysitting services are available for your Orlando vacation, either in your Orlando hotel room or vacation home rentals or in clubs at Walt Disney World. You can even hire someone to assist you while you’re in the parks.
Disney Kids Clubs
Several Disney-owned hotels have kids clubs that offer babysitting services. They’re primarily meant for people staying at Disney resorts, but anyone can use them on a space-available basis. The clubs are:
Simba’s Cubhouse at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, near Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Never Land Club at Disney’s Polynesian Resort, near the Magic Kingdom
Cub’s Den at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, near the Magic Kingdom
Sandcastle Club at Disney’s Beach Club Resort, near Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Call (407) 939-3463 for hours, prices, and availability. The clubs accept potty-trained children between the ages of four and 12.
Other Kids Clubs
The Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel is on Disney property, even though it’s not Disney owned. It operates the Camp Dolphin kids club, which is open daily from 5:30 p.m. until midnight. Kids between four and 12 can play video games, watch Disney movies and participate in supervised activities like arts and crafts. The club also serves a meal if your child is there at dinner time. Call 407-934-4241 for information and reservations.
If you eat at Shula’s Steak House, Todd English’s bluezoo, or Il Mulino New York Trattoria at the Swan and Dolphin hotels, your kids get up to two hours of free babysitting in the club. You also get up to two hours of free child care time for each qualifying spa treatment purchased at the Mandara Spa.
Babysitting Services
Kid’s Night Out is the only in-room babysitting service recommended by Walt Disney World. Sitters will stay with your children at your hotel or vacation home. You can also hire a mother’s helper to accompany your family to the theme parks. They’ll take care of infants as young as six weeks old all the way up to age 12. Kid’s Night Out caretakers all have previous child care or teaching experience and go through reference and background checks. They bring age-appropriate toys, books, games, and activities to keep the kids occupied. They’re certified in CPR and first aid. Call 800-696-8105 for current prices and reservations.
All About Kids also provides babysitting in hotels and vacation homes. Its child care workers are CPR certified and screened through both references and police background checks. Sitters will also accompany you to the theme parks if you want assistance with the kids while your family is enjoying the attractions. Cal 407-812-9300 for information on current rates and reservations.
Disney World Activities
You can get an hour or two alone by signing up your kids for special Disney World activities like a tea party with Alice and the Mad Hatter or a pirate cruise. The Wonderland Tea Party at the Grand Floridian Resort is for kids from age four to 12. They meet “Alice in Wonderland” characters, sip “tea” (apple juice), and decorate their own cupcakes. They’ll greet you excitedly with a handmade craft when you arrive to pick them up. Call (407) WDW-DINE for current costs and reservations. The tea is open to anyone, regardless of where you’re staying.
The pirate cruises depart from various Disney resorts at 9:30 a.m. on select days and last for two hours. Your little buccaneers head out on a treasure hunt that takes them across the high seas or at least the Disney World waterways. You don’t have to be staying at a Disney hotel to send your children on one of these cruises.
Departure spots include Port Orleans Riverside, which features the Bayou Pirate Cruise; the Grand Floridian, which has Disney’s Pirate Adventure; the Yacht and Beach Club, which offers the Albatross Treasure Cruise; and Caribbean Beach Resort, the Island of the Caribbean Pirate Cruise. Call 407-WDW-PLAY for days, prices, and reservations.