Best Deluxe with kids?

[battgyrl]

We are planning a DW vacation for August 2012 and we want the full Disney experience as our boys (7 & 9) haven't been before. As the official planner of the family, I am having a difficult time narrowing down where to stay so I seek advice from all of you experienced DW lovers!

Our needs:
*Close to services (food, pool)
*Will spend most of our time at MK (for the boys) and Epcot (Mom and Dad), though we will visit all 4 parks and Downtown Disney.
*Transportation times will be an issue - the shorter the better
*Nice pool is essential for my sanity :animwink:
*Decent beds: Queens and bunk beds ok; no double beds

I hear great things about Wilderness Lodge, but we are from Oregon so we basically live this "theme" everyday! Animal Kingdom sounds fantastic, but with picky eaters I am concerned about food choices. I think the food sounds wonderful, but my DH and boys will primarily want American fare. The Poly is also a consideration, but I've been hearing mixed reviews. Is it really worth the extra cost?

I want to feel like I'm in Disney. My DH wants "a nice hotel that is close to everything." (LOL!!) Value resorts and Villas are out. We are willing to pay extra for a nice room, but the Contemporary might just be too pricey for our budget. Should we consider splitting between two resorts? Moderates are ok too if the rooms are nice.

Thank you SO MUCH for any advice!
Maria

 

[DisneyDebNJ]

We are planning a DW vacation for August 2012 and we want the full Disney experience as our boys (7 & 9) haven't been before. As the official planner of the family, I am having a difficult time narrowing down where to stay so I seek advice from all of you experienced DW lovers!

Our needs:
*Close to services (food, pool)
*Will spend most of our time at MK (for the boys) and Epcot (Mom and Dad), though we will visit all 4 parks and Downtown Disney.
*Transportation times will be an issue - the shorter the better
*Nice pool is essential for my sanity :animwink:
*Decent beds: Queens and bunk beds ok; no double beds

I hear great things about Wilderness Lodge, but we are from Oregon so we basically live this "theme" everyday! Animal Kingdom sounds fantastic, but with picky eaters I am concerned about food choices. I think the food sounds wonderful, but my DH and boys will primarily want American fare. The Poly is also a consideration, but I've been hearing mixed reviews. Is it really worth the extra cost?

I want to feel like I'm in Disney. My DH wants "a nice hotel that is close to everything." (LOL!!) Value resorts and Villas are out. We are willing to pay extra for a nice room, but the Contemporary might just be too pricey for our budget. Should we consider splitting between two resorts? Moderates are ok too if the rooms are nice.

Thank you SO MUCH for any advice!
Maria

Hi Maria! My vote would be The Contemporary, for several reasons. Not only are you a hop, skip and a jump away from MK (walking distance actually) On top of that, alot of families with children in and around the same age as your children, frequent the Contemporay, and the pool is a great place to make new friends. Try looking at the value season for Contemporary, or wait for a package deal which happens often (either free dining or 40% off). All the deluxe hotels are around the same price. Polynesian is our all time fav, close to everything, lots of wonderful families and so much for little ones to do. Again the price of the Polynesian is about the same as Contemporary. Animal Kingdom is nice, a bit closer to Downtown Disney, but a haul to get to MK.

 

[coltow]

FYI my 7yo son would choose WL over Poly. We did have a great time at Poly and the rooms were pretty big he says the "log hotel" was just more fun. Poly lobby is always busy. We think the pool is WL is way better then Poly. I do understand that you live the theme, but it truly is a relaxing place to stay. You have MK just a short boat ride away.

 

[KeithVH]

D not forget WL is about to undergo 18 months of refurb. Poly just had one. Speaking as someone who, at one time, had 3 young kids, Poly is probably the better choice. Yes, you pay for what you get. WL is off the monorail and Contemporary, unless you're going to stay in the tower, can be a long walk (Tower prices equivalent to Poly). For the kinds, the main Poly pool is great and the QS Captain Cooks is right there in the center. Plus a quick walk to TTC for Epcot. Plus the small launch to bypass the monorail as needed.

Based on your specific criteria, I would say Poly meets the needs better than the others.

 

[marcriss]

We always like Yacht (& Beach). The pool is amazing and it's great to walk out of Epcot when it's late and not have to worry about transportation.

We always rent a car so I can't really answer about the MK bus, but you can walk to DHS and Epcot. And you can monorail to the MK from Epcot.

 

[Tiggerfanatic]

My pick would be the Contemporary - to me nothing screams "DISNEY" like that monorail rushing right through the middle! The main pool is huge, and Chef Mickey's is right there, too. Even if you opt for the Garden Wing, it's a fairly quick walk to the monorail and bus stop. Or if you can swing the tower MK view, watching Wishes from your balconey will bring you to tears.

My 2nd choice would be Wilderness Lodge - I've never stayed there but the pictues of the bunk bed room make me think it would appeal to kids.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

I'll throw my vote in and say Yacht & Beach Club.

I know you said you'll spend the most time at MK, but will you really spend more time there than at the other three parks combined? Yeah, the monorail resorts put you right next to MK, but then it's a long bus ride to everywhere else (especially to DtD). At Yacht & Beach, you are a short walk or boat ride away from DHS and Epcot, and a medium distance away from MK, DAK and DtD.

The pool is really more like a mini-water park. It's the only resort pool where they actually check to see if you're staying at that hotel. That should tell you something. It has a sand bottom! There's movies on the beach and you're also right next to all of the great food at the Boardwalk.

Price-wise, it's in the middle: more expensive than WL or Garden Wing Contemporary, but cheaper than Poly and Contemporary Tower.

 

[bmarkelon]

I vote Contemporary, Bay Lake Towers, or WL. We have 3 little ones, now 18 months, 4 and 6. We were very happy at WL. We have stayed at BLT twice now and I think nothing tops it. It's a little quieter, less populated. AND YOU CAN WALK TO MAGIC KINGDOM!! It's my favorite choice for us still.

 

[slappy magoo]

The 3 monorail resorts will get you closest to MK. Contemporary has a walking path. Each of them has at least one nice pool.

Beach Club and Yacht Club share the nicest pool on property, almost a mini-water park, they are walking distance to Epcot, a slightly longer walk (or boat ride) to the Studios, and walking distance to the Boardwalk, as well as the Swan or Dolphin. Also very close to one of the mini golf courses on property.

I'd guess a monorail resort or Yacht Club or Beach Club would best suit your wants. Big question for you would be if you think the kids would be the type of kids who'd want to be in the parks all day and night, OR if they're the type of kids who'd prefer being in the pool all day having much more less-structured fun. And, at 7 and 9, if MK is more their speed or if they'd prefer the more action-oriented rides at the Studios (Tower of Terror, Rock n Roller Coaster, Star Tours, Toy Story Mania), or Epcot (even though Mission Space, Test Track and Soarin' aren't THAT hard-core, they tend to be a little more breathtaking than most of the MK rides). Are your kids all swept up in Disney theming, or are they just looking for thrills? That would probably answer your question as to which resort is best, more than a vote tally on the forum, IMHO.

Wilderness Lodge, you may be used to the theme, other advantages include boat rides to MK, boat rides/shuttle bus/walkway to Fort Wilderness and the amenities they have there, including if you plan to do Hoop De Doo Revue or petting zoo or horse rides, etc.

Animal Kingdom Lodge is beautiful, and the food court has plenty of familiar food that won't scare your kids. Their buffet, Boma, also tends to be picky-eater friendly, the food is familiar just spiced a little differently, plus a kids' buffet with the traditional chicken finger and mac-n-cheese if all else goes wrong. The restaurant and dining sub forum here, and at allears.net, have menus for all the restaurants so you can see if they'll satisfy their needs.

 

[docdebbi]

if transportation is your biggest issue, it's poly all the way. both MK and Epcot at your doorstep - (just walk to TTC to get Epcot monorail).
if kids' enjoyment issue is bigger than transportation, it's Animal Kingdom lodge. animals right off the balcony, day and night. Great theming, great pool, great play area, animals, animals, animals.
drive-wise its not too far from DHS and Epcot, it's clearly right at AK- you can walk.

 

[slappy magoo]

if transportation is your biggest issue, it's poly all the way. both MK and Epcot at your doorstep - (just walk to TTC to get Epcot monorail).
if kids' enjoyment issue is bigger than transportation, it's Animal Kingdom lodge. animals right off the balcony, day and night. Great theming, great pool, great play area, animals, animals, animals.
drive-wise its not too far from DHS and Epcot, it's clearly right at AK- you can walk.

No, there's no walkway between the Animal Kingdom Lodge and Animal Kingdom. Everything else you wrote is nice and I'd agree, but there is NO walkway to the Animal Kingdom park, at all.

One other advantage, because the Animal Kingdom Lodge is so far removed from any of the other resorts, it has its own dedicated bus line, it doesn't share with any of the other resorts. Of course, now that it's so much bigger with the DVC resort, I don't know how busy those buses get...

 

[Scuttle]

Go with the Poly if your mainly going to epcot and MK. It's the best resort for that with TTC being right there.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

If the kids are into swimming you can't beat Yacht/Beach Club, the pool is amazing. The hotel also has the character breakfast at Cape May Cafe, an arcade and the Sandcastle Club if they are interested in those things too. Plus you can walk to Epcot and take the boat to DHS. And you can always get ice cream at Beaches and Cream. :slurp:

Contemporary would be my second reccommendation. The arcade is the best in WDW, it has Chef Mickey's and as already mentioned you can walk to MK from the hotel. That's a big plus after a long day in that park to not have to deal with getting back to TTC. Also if you take the monorail back to the resort it's the first stop. The garden wing rooms are also less expensive than the other on-monorail hotels.

 

[battgyrl]

Thanks everyone for your responses! I think we have narrowed down our picks to Yacht Club, Contemporary or the Poly. We are planning to go mid August 2012, so I will keep an eye out for deals. It sounds like Poly or Contemporary would be the most convenient to MK, but my kids are really excited about the Yacht Club pools. Now we have to decide how long to stay!

Thanks again - this forum is such a wealth of knowledge!
Maria

 

[NewfieFan]

Thanks everyone for your responses! I think we have narrowed down our picks to Yacht Club, Contemporary or the Poly. We are planning to go mid August 2012, so I will keep an eye out for deals. It sounds like Poly or Contemporary would be the most convenient to MK, but my kids are really excited about the Yacht Club pools. Now we have to decide how long to stay!

Thanks again - this forum is such a wealth of knowledge!
Maria

I think you'll be happy with the Yacht Club! That whole resort area is just beautiful and when the sun goes down it becomes even more beautiful. I love looking at the lights of the Boardwalk from across the lagoon. There's lots of food choices in the area (and you can even walk into Epcot's World Showcase for a bite to eat).

The pool is huge amounts of fun. We love the little lazy river that's there... I could float around there all day!

 

[SeaCastle]

I'd go with The Beach Club or the Polynesian. The Beach Club has hands-down the best pool on property, and is within spitting distance of EPCOT and MGM Studios, as well as a short bus ride from the Magic Kingdom.

The Poly has a decent pool, but the best transportation options.

 

[NikiMouse]

My boys are 4 and 8 and would say POLY !! They love it there. They love the monorail on site, the Volcano Pool and the beach to watch wishes at night. I love the almost romantic atmosphere at night with the torches lit around the grounds. By far my top choice although we dont stay there often being Disney Vaction Club members.

We stayed at Contemporary (Bay Lake Towers) last October and unfortunately I was not impressed. I was not happy with the lack of food options at the counter service place there.

We have not yet stayed at Yacht or Beach club but hope to soon.

Either way you will not be disappointed. :animwink:

 

[<3caseyscorner]

the DH and i love AKL!! the pool is awesome, the food is sooooo yummy!! Boma breakfast buffet is american and amazing! Dinner at Boma is African flare but also offers a variety of american. Mara (quick service rest) is also american, you can choose african food is you like. Jiko is another restaurant that is there and heard great things! plus many resorts have 1 bus for a few resorts, meaning packed buses and sometimes having to wait for another. AkL has one bus for just AKL!!! Animals outside your balcony is breath taking! at night they have these night vision goggles that u can put on and see the animals! your boys would love that!!

 

[NikiMouse]

the DH and i love AKL!! the pool is awesome, the food is sooooo yummy!! plus many resorts have 1 bus for a few resorts, meaning packed buses and sometimes having to wait for another. AkL has one bus for just AKL!!! Animals outside your balcony is breath taking! at night they have these night vision goggles that u can put on and see the animals! your boys would love that!!

We are staying here for our first time in November. We are very excited about the savannah view!! and the pool!!

 

[cslafferty]

For our first trip my kids were 9, 11, & 13. We couldn't decide between WL and the Contemporary, so we split the vacation and did both. We splurged and got a tower room at the Contemporary with a MK view. The kids absolutely loved it! They thought it was so cool that the monorail went through the hotel, they loved Chef Mickey's, and being able to walk to the MK saved us so much time. Also, we were able to have a great view of the fireworks from our balcony, saving us the hastle of the closing crowds. They loved the pool at WL, and liked taking the ferry to the MK, but didn't like the long bus rides to get to everywhere else - they missed the monorail! I would say if you can swing it, go Contemporary!