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Best Resort In Disneyworld
- Thread starter rpop
- Start date
lilclerk
Well-Known Member
FYI, Fort Wilderness and the Wilderness Lodge are two very different resorts. Which were you thinking of?
Personally, I love Pop Century because I don't usually spend enough time at the resort to justify spending an arm and a leg for it. Yes, I could stay off property, but I prefer not to rent a car and Pop's bus service is great. Plus, Pop is fun, I love the decorations.
We're staying at POFQ this time because my nephew's coming with me and he'll want to spend lots of time in the pool. We'll also be renting a car to spend a few days at Universal, but I've heard that POFQ has good bus service as well.
I've also stayed at Coronado Springs, and it is an absolutely beautiful resort, but I probably wouldn't stay there again because it's so huge.
Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness both have a lot of activities, great restaurants and are just a boat ride away from the MK, so those are probably the nicest of your list there. But it really all depends on what you're looking for.
Personally, I love Pop Century because I don't usually spend enough time at the resort to justify spending an arm and a leg for it. Yes, I could stay off property, but I prefer not to rent a car and Pop's bus service is great. Plus, Pop is fun, I love the decorations.
We're staying at POFQ this time because my nephew's coming with me and he'll want to spend lots of time in the pool. We'll also be renting a car to spend a few days at Universal, but I've heard that POFQ has good bus service as well.
I've also stayed at Coronado Springs, and it is an absolutely beautiful resort, but I probably wouldn't stay there again because it's so huge.
Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness both have a lot of activities, great restaurants and are just a boat ride away from the MK, so those are probably the nicest of your list there. But it really all depends on what you're looking for.
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It's all about your own personal preference. The Port Orleans resorts are my favorites, with Riverside being my absolute favorite. The lush, beautiful grounds, great food court, gorgeous buildings, location on the river, and boat ride to Downtown Disney all make this a spectacular place to stay!! While I enjoy staying in both the mansions and Alligator Bayou section, there is nothing like taking a stroll through the mansion section at night when it is all lit up. Simply breathtaking!! Good luck with your decision!!
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blackveil88
Member
I LOOOVE the Dolphin! Dolphin is hands down my favorite hotel, with Boardwalk Villas and Contemporary tied for second place...
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Pumbas Nakasak
Heading for the great escape.
Polly for me with Kidanni a very close second, though my fave place is still the Hard Rock Hotel
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SchultzFamily
New Member
We don't care for the values and the only one we've stayed out of your list is the Coronado; we've stayed eight times and love everything about it.
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DizneyPryncess
Well-Known Member
My favorite resorts are the Polynesian and The Boardwalk. I'm staying at Port Orleans for the first time in a few weeks though, and I chose it based on rave reviews. I have heard such wonderful things about it, that I chose it out of all the values & moderates for the next trip! Couldn't afford the deluxe this time.
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One Lil Spark
EPCOT Center Defender
Out of your choices above, I'd go with Port Orleans Riverside or Wilderness Lodge :wave:
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pcarathers
Active Member
We stayed at Caribbean Beach resort our very first trip, so it is special to us for that reason. We were like a 5min walk to the food court, main pool and a bus stop, but the resort is very big.
2nd trip we stayed at Coronado and loved it, although we were on the total opposite side of the food court, but close to the main pool.
3rd trip, All Star Movies. Cute, but very crowded...last resort on the bus loop that also services, all star sports and music!
4th trip- PO Riverside. Loved the resort and all it had to offer EXCEPT again, on the opposite side of food court. Very long walk. Bus was close though. SOMETIMES SHARED BUS WITH FRENCH QUARTER.
5th trip, All Star Sports, VERY CROWDED with TEENS! 1st bus stop on the loop.
6th trip, bought into DVC at BLT.
BUT OF THE ONES WE'VE STAYED IN, I WOULD VOTE FOR PO RIVERSIDE/FQ OR CARIBBEAN BEACH.
2nd trip we stayed at Coronado and loved it, although we were on the total opposite side of the food court, but close to the main pool.
3rd trip, All Star Movies. Cute, but very crowded...last resort on the bus loop that also services, all star sports and music!
4th trip- PO Riverside. Loved the resort and all it had to offer EXCEPT again, on the opposite side of food court. Very long walk. Bus was close though. SOMETIMES SHARED BUS WITH FRENCH QUARTER.
5th trip, All Star Sports, VERY CROWDED with TEENS! 1st bus stop on the loop.
6th trip, bought into DVC at BLT.
BUT OF THE ONES WE'VE STAYED IN, I WOULD VOTE FOR PO RIVERSIDE/FQ OR CARIBBEAN BEACH.
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corey154
Active Member
I like Wilderness Lodge if you can find good prices, but if it's a budget thing then I'd go with Port Orleans. It's a great moderate. I love Wilderness Lodge because out of all the ones in the Magic Kingdom area it's the best prices (if you can find a deal, try kingdom konsultants or expedia) it's a boat ride to the magic kingdom and it's a beautiful resort, it reminds me of animal kingdom lodge minus the animals.
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Dwarful
Well-Known Member
Of the ones you listed I"d opt for either Port Orleans or Pop. We have stayed at the values, mods. and dlx. and all three have their benefits.
Pop has its own buses...this can be huge. Last summer we stayed at Boardwalk and still shared buses at MK. Pop also has a good food court w/easy access. But the rooms and amenities won't be like the Dolphin.
Port Orleans has nicer rooms and better pools. Not quite Dolphin, but definately a step up from the values. Down side, shared buses may happen.
- how much time will you be in the room? How big is your travel party?
We just got back from a stay at Pop. We didn't spend a lot of time at the resort, so it was perfect for us. I loved that we didn't share the buses. We are going back in July and know due to heat and crowds we will be going back to the resort for swims, naps, relaxing around the resort...so we are going to Yacht Club. Also, our girls are getting older and we are feeling the need for a bit more space on longer trips. You need to take these things into consideration.
Pop has its own buses...this can be huge. Last summer we stayed at Boardwalk and still shared buses at MK. Pop also has a good food court w/easy access. But the rooms and amenities won't be like the Dolphin.
Port Orleans has nicer rooms and better pools. Not quite Dolphin, but definately a step up from the values. Down side, shared buses may happen.
- how much time will you be in the room? How big is your travel party?
We just got back from a stay at Pop. We didn't spend a lot of time at the resort, so it was perfect for us. I loved that we didn't share the buses. We are going back in July and know due to heat and crowds we will be going back to the resort for swims, naps, relaxing around the resort...so we are going to Yacht Club. Also, our girls are getting older and we are feeling the need for a bit more space on longer trips. You need to take these things into consideration.
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k.hunter30
New Member
Of the resorts you listed, I'd recommend Port Orleans French Quarter. It's the most compact, meaning less of a walk to your room every night after long days in the park. Plus the morning beignets are a wonderful treat!
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slappy magoo
Well-Known Member
Wow, you're really running the gamut with options. You're choosing between a Value resort, 2 moderates (3 if you consider Port Orleans Riverside and Port Orelans French Quarter to be two resorts) and...well, I dunno. If you meant "Fort Wilderness," then you're thinking about either camping or renting one of their cabins that sleep 6. If you're thinking about "Wilderness Lodge" you're thinking about one of the less expensive (but still incredibly nice) Deluxe resorts.
It's a lot like saying "I feel like a steak. I could go to Ruth's Chris' Steakhouse, or a Longhorn steakhouse, or I could just order a double Whopper without the bun." They'll all get the job done, but to varying degrees of satisfaction.
Personally, I wouldn't want to stay in a Value, but if I did stay in one, I'd prefer Pop. Not snobbishness, per se. I prefer larger rooms (and the Value rooms are quite small), I prefer having more dining options than just a food court at my resort, even if it's only one table service restaurant. I do spend time at my resort - I'm not just a dawn-to-dusk park commando anymore - so I like having more amenities like bike or boat rentals. I also like having more pleasant grounds for strolling. I know that large tour groups often go to Value resorts, so you run a greater (though not isolated) risk of poorly supervised kids or still-young-but-old-enough-to-know-better twentysomethings cutting loose with no one able to sufficiently rein them in. Although there are plenty of people on these boards who love the Values, it also seems like many of them are the aforementioned "park commandos" - people who mainly use the resort as a aplce to crash when the parks are closed. They'll eat breakfast at the food court, and they'll use the pools if they still have some energy to burn, but they're not aching to do a lot at the resorts either (apologies if you're amongst those that feel differently, but based on what I read on this forum alone, you're in a minority).
Moderates do afford you some more amenities, more stuff to do when you're not at the parks. Boat rentals is a nice way to spend a few hours. I'd probably opt for one of the Port Orleans resorts (have stayed at Riverside 3 times), if only for the boat ride access to Downtown Disney, which is a pleasant little "attraction" in and of itself. I'd also prefer to be closer to Boatwrights (even though it's no longer open for breakfast, man they made a kickass omelet) if we decide to have an early night at the resort, but still have a nice sit down dinner.
As far as deluxe (and DVC) resorts go, I've stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge, Wilderness Lodge, Boardwalk, and twice now at Saratoga Springs. They're all lovely and they all have a lot to offer, both in onsite amenities and location/proximity to certain parks or DTD. But when it comes to YOU - someone I don't know on the internet - asking what the best resort is for YOU, either one on your list or one you haven't considered...well, you should probably answer some questions first.
What are you looking for in a resort? Just a place to crash and shower? Or do you intend to spend some time there, relaxing poolside or perhaps doing a lot more recreational activities/dining/drinking?
Who will you be traveling with? Any young kids who'd go nuts being able to take boat rides to the Magic Kingdom? Adults who'd prefer walking distance to Epcot so they can "Drink around the world?" Animal lovers? Chronic shopaholics?
Will you only be using Disney transportation, or will you have access to a car? As someone who's stayed at the Dolphin, you know how nice it can be to be close to 2 parks and 4 other resorts with all of their available restaurants or lounges, etc. Staying somewhere like Pop with only bus transportation, you will be more limited to what's available to you unless you have time to spend going from Pop to a park or DTD, then taking another bus to another resort (then reversing tha route when you want to go back to your resort). Staying at Port Orleans gives you boat access to DTD, and from there you'll also have boat access to Old Key West & Saratoga Springs. Staying at Fort Wilderness or Wilderness Lodge, you'll have boat/bus/walking access to the opposite "Wilderness" area, plus boats to MK, and maybe a boat to the Contemporary, either of which will also put you a monorail ride away from Poly & GF.
And finally, what's your budget? Will the length of your vacation be determined by how expensive the room is? Or do you already know you're going for a specific amount of nights, and that number won't change no matter where you stay? Because despite what I've said before, if I had a choice between 3 nights at a Deluxe resort, or 10 nights at Pop...IF those were my only two options...it'd be a close call. But if you can afford to stay at any of the resorts you picked, then you can focus on all the other questions I asked above. If you answer those, you'll probably know the answer to your question without being swayed by any of us.
It's a lot like saying "I feel like a steak. I could go to Ruth's Chris' Steakhouse, or a Longhorn steakhouse, or I could just order a double Whopper without the bun." They'll all get the job done, but to varying degrees of satisfaction.
Personally, I wouldn't want to stay in a Value, but if I did stay in one, I'd prefer Pop. Not snobbishness, per se. I prefer larger rooms (and the Value rooms are quite small), I prefer having more dining options than just a food court at my resort, even if it's only one table service restaurant. I do spend time at my resort - I'm not just a dawn-to-dusk park commando anymore - so I like having more amenities like bike or boat rentals. I also like having more pleasant grounds for strolling. I know that large tour groups often go to Value resorts, so you run a greater (though not isolated) risk of poorly supervised kids or still-young-but-old-enough-to-know-better twentysomethings cutting loose with no one able to sufficiently rein them in. Although there are plenty of people on these boards who love the Values, it also seems like many of them are the aforementioned "park commandos" - people who mainly use the resort as a aplce to crash when the parks are closed. They'll eat breakfast at the food court, and they'll use the pools if they still have some energy to burn, but they're not aching to do a lot at the resorts either (apologies if you're amongst those that feel differently, but based on what I read on this forum alone, you're in a minority).
Moderates do afford you some more amenities, more stuff to do when you're not at the parks. Boat rentals is a nice way to spend a few hours. I'd probably opt for one of the Port Orleans resorts (have stayed at Riverside 3 times), if only for the boat ride access to Downtown Disney, which is a pleasant little "attraction" in and of itself. I'd also prefer to be closer to Boatwrights (even though it's no longer open for breakfast, man they made a kickass omelet) if we decide to have an early night at the resort, but still have a nice sit down dinner.
As far as deluxe (and DVC) resorts go, I've stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge, Wilderness Lodge, Boardwalk, and twice now at Saratoga Springs. They're all lovely and they all have a lot to offer, both in onsite amenities and location/proximity to certain parks or DTD. But when it comes to YOU - someone I don't know on the internet - asking what the best resort is for YOU, either one on your list or one you haven't considered...well, you should probably answer some questions first.
What are you looking for in a resort? Just a place to crash and shower? Or do you intend to spend some time there, relaxing poolside or perhaps doing a lot more recreational activities/dining/drinking?
Who will you be traveling with? Any young kids who'd go nuts being able to take boat rides to the Magic Kingdom? Adults who'd prefer walking distance to Epcot so they can "Drink around the world?" Animal lovers? Chronic shopaholics?
Will you only be using Disney transportation, or will you have access to a car? As someone who's stayed at the Dolphin, you know how nice it can be to be close to 2 parks and 4 other resorts with all of their available restaurants or lounges, etc. Staying somewhere like Pop with only bus transportation, you will be more limited to what's available to you unless you have time to spend going from Pop to a park or DTD, then taking another bus to another resort (then reversing tha route when you want to go back to your resort). Staying at Port Orleans gives you boat access to DTD, and from there you'll also have boat access to Old Key West & Saratoga Springs. Staying at Fort Wilderness or Wilderness Lodge, you'll have boat/bus/walking access to the opposite "Wilderness" area, plus boats to MK, and maybe a boat to the Contemporary, either of which will also put you a monorail ride away from Poly & GF.
And finally, what's your budget? Will the length of your vacation be determined by how expensive the room is? Or do you already know you're going for a specific amount of nights, and that number won't change no matter where you stay? Because despite what I've said before, if I had a choice between 3 nights at a Deluxe resort, or 10 nights at Pop...IF those were my only two options...it'd be a close call. But if you can afford to stay at any of the resorts you picked, then you can focus on all the other questions I asked above. If you answer those, you'll probably know the answer to your question without being swayed by any of us.
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