The ones I've stayed at in order of preference:
1.Wilderness Lodge - Best theme throughout the resort. The resort always seems absolutely spotless to me. It smells great inside. Best lobby by a mile. Restaurants are all very good. Though not the biggest pool, my favorite at WDW. Best hot tubs as well. Transportation is as good as any other Deluxe. Rooms are a bit smaller, but the price is less, so it's a wash. Also, of all the DVC's I've seen or stayed at, the Villas here are far and away the nicest.
2.Grand Floridian - Though I've only eaten at the food court, Grand Floridian cafe and V&A's, I love the food here. The front desk is a bit snooty, so that's a minus. The grounds, though not as pristine as Wilderness Lodge, are very clean. Rooms, though not as big as the Poly's, are the best appointed we've stayed at. Very clean, excellent mousekeeping. Transportation is so-so, but that's par for the monorail resorts. Lobby is beautiful, and it's lovely to sit down at night listening to the band.
3.Boardwalk - We've only stayed at the Villas, so can't comment much on mousekeeping, but the resort itself is fantastic. Close between #2 and #3. Honestly, though there are many restaurants to choose from, food isn't a big pull here for us. We love the bakery and ice cream shop. ESPN is crap. Haven't tried the other restaurants yet. Pool area is great. Location is awesome. Very friendly CM's, and a wonderfully executed theme. Nightlife with performers on the Boardwalk is great.
4.Polynesian - I used to love the Poly more than I do now. For over $400 per night, there should be no cobwebs around the resort, let alone as many as there are here. The lobby is nice, but the new air freshener they're pumping in is nasty. Front desk is not very helpful. Rooms are beautiful and large, though need better maintaining. Mousekeeping just OK. Food is very good, though our last experience at 'Ohana was pretty bad. The beach is lovely and the views are great. Location is awesome. Public areas aren't bad, but again, cobwebs and dirty windows are unacceptable at this price point. Also, pool is way too small for a resort with almost 1,000 rooms.
5.Yacht Club - Hated this resort. We had rude, poor service from the moment we checked in. Bus service was awful. We were given a lousy non-water view room even though we paid for a water view. They moved us, but to the very end of the hotel with a tiny balcony that you could barely see from. Honestly, it was just about the service. It was very poor. In it's defense, the Unofficial Guide says as of last year it has improved.
We're staying at the Beach Club next July. I would like to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge one day, but it's just a bit far out of the way. Really have no desire to stay at the Contemporary.
