Deluxe Resorts..The Hardest Decision..

[real mad hatter]

When I read people asking advice on what resort do you recommend it seems to me that the choices of deluxe are the hardest to decide on..There never seems one clear outright winner..Unlike the value or moderate resorts..According to Debs All Ears..The poll puts "Music" the favourite " Stars " resort with AoA and Pop also high in the value chart..In the moderates POFQ leads with PORS second followed by CBR and CSR bringing up the rear..Now I know these are just opinions from Disney vacationers,but I'am a bit of a statistician when it comes to reviews..Sorry. ..Some people might say it's because there's more of a choice when it comes to picking a deluxe resort,and that may be so. IMOH I think if I were to spend 14 days & nights in a deluxe resort and with the cost of around £8000 to £10000 ( $12000 to $15000 ) I would want to make sure I've picked a winner..So now eventually to my question..For all you lucky people who have stayed at a deluxe or maybe a few in your vacations..Do you find it difficult to choose ? Or do you listen to other people who recommend their favourite.?

 

[Tinkerbell397]

I have stayed at the CR 4X...obviously my favorite, the Poly 1X, WL 2X as of September and AKL 1X. I have also stayed at PORS and off property. The monorail resorts are great for obvious reasons....you hop off the monorail and you are home. The GF is a bit too "grand" for me....and quite spread out. Once you get off the monorail it is still a hike depending on the location of your room....same for the Poly. The WL has boat service to the MK and the CR (where you can hop on the monorail) but it is hike (although a very pleasant one) from the boat ramp. I just find the AKL too far from everything and a long bus ride. So obviously I prefer the CR and it's convenience to the parks....a monorail, walk or bus. Staying in the tower is "magical".....you come out of your room to the sound of the monorail picking up excited families on their way to the MK. I just love the atmosphere. I love looking down from the tower and watching the guests in Chef Mickey's. And as many times as I have stayed there, I have never heard the monorail from my room and as many times as I have stayed there, I have never failed to get goose bumps when I arrive. Take your pick....they are all wonderful but the CR is my favorite.

 

[real mad hatter]

I have stayed at the CR 4X...obviously my favorite, the Poly 1X, WL 2X as of September and AKL 1X. I have also stayed at PORS and off property. The monorail resorts are great for obvious reasons....you hop off the monorail and you are home. The GF is a bit too "grand" for me....and quite spread out. Once you get off the monorail it is still a hike depending on the location of your room....same for the Poly. The WL has boat service to the MK and the CR (where you can hop on the monorail) but it is hike (although a very pleasant one) from the boat ramp. I just find the AKL too far from everything and a long bus ride. So obviously I prefer the CR and it's convenience to the parks....a monorail, walk or bus. Staying in the tower is "magical".....you come out of your room to the sound of the monorail picking up excited families on their way to the MK. I just love the atmosphere. I love looking down from the tower and watching the guests in Chef Mickey's. And as many times as I have stayed there, I have never heard the monorail from my room and as many times as I have stayed there, I have never failed to get goose bumps when I arrive. Take your pick....they are all wonderful but the CR is my favorite.

Thanks for your input..But unless I inherit a family fortune from somewhere,it's a moderate for us..We do like to visit the deluxe resorts when staying at Disney..Agree about what you say about AKL.And also GF..The thing about the CR that kinda put me off was,and this is my opinion only,was it looked cold,not Disneyesk..Cali Grill last year was awesome,but it just didn't do it for me..It reminded me of a block of flats in Glasgow with the subway going tho the middle.

 

[coachwnh]

I'd do a split stay and pick an Epcot resort (we prefer YC) because you can walk to both Epcot and HS, and a monorail resort (our favorite is GF for convenience, followed by Contemp). I also think a savanna view at AKL is a great choice as well.

 

[Disneykidder]

Going to WDW is a lot different than going to another destination, say NYC. When I stay in NYC I stay at the same hotel each time. When I go to PA we stay at the same one, and so on. Disney is different. Each resort is themed and has its own flare. For that reason is why I want to stay at each resort to experience them all. We will be split staying (in 15 days) between BLT and AKL. (Hubby chose BLT and kiddies chose AKL)Our goal is to stay at each deluxe and then make the rounds again, staying at our favorites. When choosing a resort, recommendations are good always appreciated but again, I would still like to experience them all anyway. Next year I am hoping for BC and GF. The locations to each deluxe also play a big part in peoples decision.

 

[DisneyDebNJ]

When I read people asking advice on what resort do you recommend it seems to me that the choices of deluxe are the hardest to decide on..There never seems one clear outright winner..Unlike the value or moderate resorts..According to Debs All Ears..The poll puts "Music" the favourite " Stars " resort with AoA and Pop also high in the value chart..In the moderates POFQ leads with PORS second followed by CBR and CSR bringing up the rear..Now I know these are just opinions from Disney vacationers,but I'am a bit of a statistician when it comes to reviews..Sorry. ..Some people might say it's because there's more of a choice when it comes to picking a deluxe resort,and that may be so. IMOH I think if I were to spend 14 days & nights in a deluxe resort and with the cost of around £8000 to £10000 ( $12000 to $15000 ) I would want to make sure I've picked a winner..So now eventually to my question..For all you lucky people who have stayed at a deluxe or maybe a few in your vacations..Do you find it difficult to choose ? Or do you listen to other people who recommend their favourite.?

Yes and Yes is my short answer. LOL As you know, tradition dictated, for years, us staying at the Polynesian (have stayed at CR and GF but always went back to the Poly) We are changing resorts this year to WL Our own @poohlover raved about it, and she was very convincing, so during last year's trip to Disney, my son and I checked it out, and LOVED it!!! (Ron was back at our resort... sick) We all decided it was time for a change, and WL won, hands down. I highly rely on alot of what is said here on wdwmagic when it comes to resorts as well as restaurants. I can tell you, this is the first year Ron is as excited as I am about vacation. Even though we prefer Deluxe, (not deluxe snobs by no means, just like the convenience of transporation options and the comfy beds) ALL the resorts are great (sans the tour groups LOL)

 

[copcarguyp71]

We have stayed at WL, BC, POFQ and CSR...to be honest I find that the high added expense of the deluxe resorts is not congruent with the level of experience we received. Everyone looks for different things in their vacation but for us mods are where it is at!

We may do Contempo next year to check it off my bucket list though since I can write off the stay due to a convention in Orlando in 2014 but if everything was out of pocket I would not spend the money. I guess it all depends on what you want out of a vacation but all I need is a good place to lay my head and to take a nice morning walk while the Mrs puts on her face in the morning.

 

[twinfo3728]

We have been lucky and stayed at moderate and deluxe. In my opinion, I prefer in this order for moderate 1 CS, 2 PORS, 3 POFQ, 4 CB. Yes CS is spread out but I love the theming and have never had any transportation issues. I do think they could upgraded the food here. you would think being a conference resort that food would be on a higher level.
PORS and POFQ are great fun! I think PORS has some of the best food. However it seems the transportation on buses is severely overloaded at times, on more then a few occasions. Not sure why but we have watched other stops have many buses come and go and PORS and POFQ stop with lines full and waiting on buses. I do like the boat option to DD, or Disney Spring now.
We have only stayed at two deluxes, Poly and Contemporary. We love both! My husband prefers the monorail resorts. I agree with the too grand feel of the Grand Floridian. I am sure it is a wonderful resort, but it seems a little stuffy, especially with kids. The Poly is my favorite. I love the tropical feel and relaxing environment. Even though MK is close, it feels like you are worlds away from everything else.

We normally stay a week total in WDW unlike lucky you and 14 days!

 

[epcotisbest]

Our number one criteria in choosing where to stay is one simple question, "Have we stayed there before?"
If not it gets priority. The excitement and fun of experiencing a new place, for us, takes precedent over familiarity. We have stayed at several deluxe and DVC units and if we can get one we have not been to yet, we will go with that one first. This past May was our first repeat at VWL and it is a great place and we took it on a short notice trip, and while fantastic and we loved it both times...we would have taken somewhere else we have not stayed yet if available for our specific dates on a last minute trip.
Example, in Sept., we are going for a week to Bay Lake Tower. Have not been there yet. When we booked it, there were several others available we have already been to including Beach Club, Boardwalk, SSR, OKW and VWL...but we grabbed BLT to experience a different place.
We also stay offsite at least once per year at some fantastic places...Last year at the Peabody...amazing place. We have also been to Omni Championsgate, Hyatt Grand Cypress, Marriott World Center, Marriott Sabal Palms, Hilton GVC International Drive and Hilton GVC SeaWorld, Orange Lake, Vistana, Vistana Villages, The Fountains, Vacation Village at Parkway and several others...with the all time best being Marriott Lakeshore Reserve, all places we would have never experienced and totally loved, if we had the Disney bubble mentality and stayed at the same place every trip.
So there you have it...we choose new experiences over tried and true and have never regretted it. Do the same with moderate resorts and value on shorter trips. 14 day overseas trips would make deciding much harder, but we drive from Georgia and usually stay from 7 to 10 days, a couple of times only 4 days.
I could eat at Boma every evening and know I would love it...but then I would miss out on so many other fantastic places to chow down...can you imagine never having tried Cali Grille because you like magic cookie bars and only fill up on them?
Just my two cents, probably only worth about one cent (unlike the most interesting man in the world whose I understand is worth $37.50).

 

[zurgandfriend]

We have stayed in all the resorts in the Magic Kingdom area, Grand Floridian, Polynesian, Contemporary and Wilderness Lodge. For our first visit DW and I stayed at Dixie Landing but checked out the deluxes resorts and realized that was what we wanted for our next trip. We stayed at the Contemporary next and love it, but they had just finished the Wilderness Lodge so we had to try that next trip. We loved Wilderness Lodge but DW wanted to try the Grand Floridian so we did and loved it. We realized however we hadn't stayed in the Polynesian so we did... you get the picture. Now we either stay at Grand Floridian or Contemporary as DW and DS love those resorts best. I have always wanted to stay at the Yacht Club but just can't get the family to agree. We usually do a 7 or 8 day visit, If I did a 14 day stay I would do 2 different resort one in the Magic Kindom area and one in the Epcot area to break it up. You might consider something of that nature 1 week at your favorite Moderate followed but 1 week in the Wildernes Lodge, which you want to try, that way you get the best of both.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

We've only been staying onsite since 2010, but I am challenged nearly every time trying to pick "where." We picked WL once b/c of holiday décor and the boat ride being the best way for the girls to see the castle for the first time.... seemed like the best choice since we were not liking the holiday décor at the Poly and CR + AKL being too inconvenient (or so it seemed) for mid day breaks eliminated those. We picked CR once b/c we needed lots of MK convenience and needed the boldest "surprise you're at Disney World" kind of lodging- easiest WDW lodging decision I've ever made. We chose YC last trip b/c of discounts and could be guaranteed a balcony - otherwise, we would have stayed at BC (changed resorts 4x in planning- decided convenience to a park beat out theming of a Royal Room...among other things- OY!). This next trip, which has seen me change resorts 3x, we'll be at AKL b/c this "should" be a more relaxed trip and I've always wanted to try it. "IF" I can go for F&W in 2014, it will definitely be BWI. In just walking through it, I liked it more than any of the other Epcot area resorts and DH and I felt it would be the perfect place for us if we had a "kid free" trip. So, the decision process is all over the place

 

[Bob]

If somehow I had the chance to stay at The World for 14 days, I would probably split it up amongst 3 resorts. Probably one of the MK monorail resorts (Poly would be my top choice), one of Epcot/DHS resorts (Yacht Club would be my top choice) and of course our "home away from home", AKL.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I usually book what I can afford at the time but if I lean toward a deluxe I go with what sounds good for theming.

 

[CheshireCat12]

For me it would come down to the theming. Something exotic that I can't find at home.

 

[Mrsdonaldduck]

So... We are a party of five and that limits us to either a deluxe resort, a suite, or two rooms. We have been going with deluxe, going in value season, and we had been lucky enough to grab room discount promos. I think all of the resorts are incredible and i would love the opportunity to experience them all. This August we are excited to try the yacht club for part of our stay. It is value season and we are going during the 30% discount so I believe it is somewhere around $250 a night which is great! We have been staying at the monorail resorts because of the strollers and 3 little guys. So I am so excited to try somewhere new!!!! Also we are driving which saves us $2500 and allows us to put more money to the resort.

 

[PUSH]

I typically choose the one with the best shrubberies.

 

[Maelstrom Troll]

We are pretty dedicated to POP, POFQ, or YC depending on how much we want to spend. YC is pretty awesome though, so close to our favorite park! You can actually see France and Italy from the pool!

 

[mickey2008.1]

Deluxe resorts are great, but the price of them is a big factor. For us, well want a monorail resort, but look ffor the best deals, such as garden wing at CR, or 40% off poly. There is just something about monorail resorts, you can walk out your resort and alwayssee MK, fireworks, beautiful water views, great pools, lounges. I don't need a room facing MK, I can walk two minutes to see it. Plus I just love watching the monorail zoom by at any resort.

 

[Sparkle81]

I really wanted to stay at WL this trip but unfortunately, we couldn't quite stretch that far Quite happy to be staying at SSR though, as I think it will work out well with us taking our energetic toddler!

WL is definitely on the list for the future, as is CR which is on my DH bucket list. I DEFINITELY want to stay at AKL when my DS is a bit older- I know he'll love it A couple of my closest friends swear by the Poly, but I've just never fancied it for some reason. Might be the price I've been to GF for dining (1900 Park Fare and Victoria & Albert's) and although it's a beautiful resort, it's probably too fancy for us. I'd like to give either YC or BC a go at some point in the future, when my DS is older and we'll be spending more time at Epcot/DHS.

All in all, I'm absolutely no help whatsoever to anyone trying to decide

 

[ThankstoMOM]

Easy choice for us Hatter!! Always the Poly! It reeks of Hawaii and tikis(which we love) and oozes Disney out of every orifice. Other people opinions are just that, personnel opinions and don't hold much weight for me. I've stayed at other Dlx resorts and been in all of them, they are either to spread out or too pretentious(GF) Love AKL thou!!!! We are actually trying the WL villas this OCT, so that should be nice. But combo of MK view from beach, the monorail, the sights ,the sounds its a easy choice.