Babysitting advice About This Page:

[koquinn]

It's been a couple years since I've been on here, and I'm SOOOOO excited that our next trip is scheduled for Oct!! We're taking DS, which DH is pretty freaked out about, but it's a conference opportunity that I couldn't pass up so a lot of it's paid for. Woohoo!

Anyway, DS will be almost 15 months by the time we go. I know this trip won't be like our last, but we would like maybe one night to ourselves to go out to dinner, maybe do a few adult rides, etc. What's available for babysitting for such a little one? I know he can't go to the kids club or whatever it is. TIA!

[2princessmom]

I asked the same question and people have recommended Kids Nite out and Fairy Godmothers. They come to your room and those that have used them really like them. I will see if I can find the link to my post.

[Diz]

Babysitting is available, but be prepared for the cost.

Here's a couple of links...

WDW INFO - Kids Night Out

Disney even recommends them... WDW - Kids Programs

This site gives the Fairy Godmother number... WDW CO UK - Childcare at Disney

Hope these numbers help!

[koquinn]

Thanks so much!!!!

Does anyone have any personal experience with these sitters? Are they decent?? DS is super easygoing, but I'm used to leaving him with (over)qualified sitters and want to make sure these are good organizations. I can't imagine they aren't, but I'm just curious what your personal experiences have been. TIA!

[RobinKay6573]

My sister use to work for Kid's Night Out, she loved working for them but had some scheduling problems with them and they wanted her to be available every weekend which just wasn't possible. Anyway...my sister is a 1st grade teacher and I believe they do a great deal of screening to find good sitters.

[sraymer]

We scheduled Kids Nite out for Oct also. DH and I want to go out for our Anniversary while we are there. I orginally scheduled Fairy Godmothers, but Kids Nite Out is actually sanctioned by WDW so I thought I would rather go with the one that they recommend. It is a bit pricey, but Kids Nite Out is actually a couple of dollars per hour cheaper if you are going out after 9pm. As long as the sitter shows prior to 9pm the rate will stay the same. At Fairy Godmothers, the rate goes up $2 per hour for every hour you are gone past 9pm. They did tell me at Kids Nite Out that they run State and National background checks, Child Abuse Registry checks and child safety classes. They are also required to go through training with Kids Nite Out as well as a WDW Orientation. Hope this helps!

[Eeyoresmom]

I remember reading how thrilled Coastalgirl was with her sitter. You may want to PM her for details.

[coastgirl]

[ QUOTE ]
I remember reading how thrilled Coastalgirl was with her sitter. You may want to PM her for details.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good memory, yes we were very pleased with the sitter we got from Fairy Godmothers. They weren't cheap, it was $100 after tip for about 4.5 hrs, but I don't remember the rate increasing...we were out from 7-11. The sitter we used was named Joyce, if that helps. We were paired her b/c the dispatcher noticed we were from Nova Scotia, and so is Joyce. She was in her 50's, very spry, a grandmother herself, seemed very competent. She had a bagful of age-appropriate toys, which our kids LOVED, but which probably would mean less to your little one! (At 3 and 5, "new toys" is a magical phrase...) When my kids were pre-verbal I ONLY left them with fully-qualified ECE's, and very occasionally my own mom (Mom was in her 70's, not as spry as a younger grandma), so I totally hear you. Joyce seemed very well qualified, level-headed and responsible, and my kids enjoyed the evening.

Worth it, IMO. Dh and I "did" Epcot, and it was really great...

[koquinn]

Good grief. I just called Kids Night Out for prices and whatnot, and they were very professional, etc, so I decided to go ahead and book it. I called Fairy Godmothers afterwards just to compare prices, and the woman who answered the phone after about 5 rings had a thick accent - very difficult to understand and it wasn't a great connection either. Then there were kids yelling in the background, so she kept asking me to repeat everything. Finally she said, "Can you hear me?" and I guess she couldn't hear ME cuz she hung up on me!! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] I guess we'll be going with Kids Night Out!!!

[Teresa]

We've used in room childcare, arranged by the resort concierge quite a few times.
They come in with toys and lots of questions.
They will take a very detailed account of what you want and don't want DS to to. You can approve the care-giver to take him for a walk around the resort, or even into the park (you pay for the attendant) the only thing they will not do with a child is take them swimming.

They have taken my kids on walks, to the park area in the resort, to the beach area, and made sure they ate, were bathed, and asleep. And, this is with a very high strung baby and a shy, withdrawn 4 yr. old. (who was bummed when she HAD to go do stuff with us the next day)
Then, as the girls have aged, one has always been either too old or too young for the kids' clubs, so it's alwys been in-room care.

[DISNEYGOOF]

We loved Fairy Godmothers. Our FG was retired from Disney, one of the original Disney phone operators. (How cool [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img])She came to our room early at the Yacht Club (we played golf)and she just hung out in the room with all 4 of them ages 8,6,5 and 3. We had connecting rooms with another couple. She took them down to get some lunch. Our boys also stayed at the Sandcastle Club at Beach Club which they liked.

[coastgirl]

[ QUOTE ]
Good grief. I called Fairy Godmothers afterwards just to compare prices, and the woman who answered the phone after about 5 rings had a thick accent - very difficult to understand and it wasn't a great connection either. Then there were kids yelling in the background, so she kept asking me to repeat everything. Finally she said, "Can you hear me?" and I guess she couldn't hear ME cuz she hung up on me!! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] I guess we'll be going with Kids Night Out!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh, you made me laugh! Thick southern accent? If so it's the same woman we dealt with, and she seemed very busy and scattered the three times we talked. I really, really had my doubts about the service, as she seemed so disorganized, but she did totally come through. I think she has about 4 different jobs...

Glad you found something that feels right.