Help Me Choose Our Next Disney Resort!

[buckeyegator]

Stay with Riverside. It's the best value at WDW.

I can't imagine staying at any other moderate over POR; they're all significantly worse IMO.

The Swan and Dolphin is pretty nice and a good value, but the problem there is the lack of Disney transportation. That's an annoyance to/from any park (or Disney Springs), but especially bad for the Magic Kingdom since I'm pretty sure you have to go through the TTC.



I don't like the Skyliner either -- the Skyliner's presence at a resort actually makes it a downgrade for me and I'd avoid staying at any of them due to their reliance on it.

why?

 

[LeighM]

I actually love Coronado Springs and have always had better luck with their buses than those at Riverside (and I consider Riverside my Disney home). I wouldn't recommend Destino Tower at CSR just because the room/bath set up is different and it's not as easy for multiple people to get ready at the same time if you travel with children. If you are worried about the buses, request a room in the Casitas section. It used to be that Casitas was the first bus stop for the resort and the rooms are very nice since they cater to convention guests. And I think the convention guests reduce the crowds on the buses. Your children would probably love the Mayan pyramid themed pool area - great slide and playground. The three bridges to Casitas and Cabanas have really shortened the walk time to the main lobby. We stayed at French Quarter the last time and it was just fine. I was expecting more from it because I love Riverside but the showers weren't great compared to POR and the beds were just okay. I would choose to stay at Coronado over FQ any day. Caribbean Beach was similar - just okay to us. The rooms weren't comfortable and felt aged. The food wasn't great either when we were there and I didn't like how the pool was right off the lobby and a busy path. I just felt like we were on display. I liked how the pool at Riverside was tucked away on Ole Man Island and the pool complex at Coronado is very similar to Riverside.

 

[buckeyegator]

do not understand the distain for the skyliner. outside of weather, which i do not think is a problem when the OP is coming to me it is fine, waits are waits, whether the skyliner or busses.plus the skyliner when it is running is continuos loading, you can see how long it will take, with busses you have no idea how long until it comes, plus, if a long line you might miss the first bus.

 

[UNCgolf]

do not understand the distain for the skyliner. outside of weather, which i do not think is a problem when the OP is coming to me it is fine, waits are waits, whether the skyliner or busses.plus the skyliner when it is running is continuos loading, you can see how long it will take, with busses you have no idea how long until it comes, plus, if a long line you might miss the first bus.

I don't think there's anything fundamentally wrong with it (other than the weather issues), and certainly don't think there's a problem with people liking it. Some people love it!

I just personally don't like it.

 

[the_rich]

why?

Well, I will also not stay at a skyliner resort. I rode it once and it really triggered my fear of heights.

 

[DisneyCyclones]

If you are anything like me you are always thinking about which resort is best for your next trip

Unfortunately my husband is not up for nearly as much discussion about the intricate details and pros/cons of each resort as I am, so I’m taking it to the people!

I thought if I share some relevant details about our travel party and plans, all of you experts can give me some insight on what YOU would do and why!!

1) We are a party of 4, two adults and two little girls age 3 and 9 (at time of travel). The little one may or may not still need a nap midday.

2) This will be our 5th trip to Disney World as a family with kiddos. We stayed at Polynesian (x2) Port Orleans Riverside (royal room), and Animal Kingdom Lodge. We loved them all, but me and my husband agree we probably would not go back to Animal Kingdom Lodge (although we are glad we stayed there the one time). We love Riverside and it’s bridges and calm atmosphere. We also loved the Poly but typically only stay there when traveling with extended family bc it’s not exactly in our normal price range.

3) We are traveling in February or March 2024 (will stay for 7 nights). I had had me heart set on staying at Port Orleans French Quarter, but just found their pool will be closed!! I know there are workaround (walk over to Riverside), but we are from the northeast where a trip to Florida will ALWAYS mean swimming, and hauling our stuff over to Riverside pool doesn’t feel like a good fit for us.

4) we tend to spend a good amount of time at the resort. My kids are up for rope drop but are dragging by midday, and may or may not be up for going back to the parks in the evening. As such, we want a resort with easily plenty to explore and keep kids happy (we found Animal Kingdom Lodge disappointing in this regard, believe it or not).

For this next trip I’m trying to be a big budget conscious, but really trying to find the right resort for us! For our budget, I’ve narrowed it down to the following options:

A) STAY AT PO RIVERSIDE - it’s familiar to us and we have always enjoyed our stay! Not excited about the multiple bus stop situation with an antsy toddler, but as a whole we’ve never had an issue with the buses at this resort.

B) CORONADO SPRINGS (Tower room or Preferred Room) - I like all of the dining options at this resort, but am not sure I’ll love staying in the tower, and I’m worried about having to walk all over in a regular room. The rooms here DO look great though.

C) SWAN or DOLPHIN HOTEL - I believe I can book a room at this awesome location at a cost similar to the first two hotels (I think??). The ability to walk to both Epcot and HS is super appealing, but I am really concerned about feeling like im leaving the Disney “bubble”
Every time I go back to the hotel. Any input on WHICH hotel you would choose?

If you’ve made it this far, BLESS YOU and I can’t wait to hear what you think!

Maybe I'm a little bias, but Wilderness Lodge is awesome!

 

[jpinkc]

Swan and Dolphin was great for us over the holidays (family of 4 also). Liked the hotel and Shulas on site if you want a super meal. Boats to Epcot and HS. Easy walk to Boardwalk Disney Bus stop too. We walked to Epcot in the evenings when it was nice. Might consider Wilderness Lodge isnt too bad. You can walk to Poly to catch the monorail.

 

[Ayla]

Swan and Dolphin was great for us over the holidays (family of 4 also). Liked the hotel and Shulas on site if you want a super meal. Boats to Epcot and HS. Easy walk to Boardwalk Disney Bus stop too. We walked to Epcot in the evenings when it was nice. Might consider Wilderness Lodge isnt too bad. You can walk to Poly to catch the monorail.

You can't walk to the Poly from Wilderness Lodge.

 

[UNCgolf]

You can't walk to the Poly from Wilderness Lodge.

Sure you can. It would probably take 30+ minutes and you'd be going through places you're likely not supposed to, but you could do it!

Of course, if you were actually going to do that, it would make more sense to stop at the TTC for the monorail since it's closer.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

While I can handle it for a night or two, I don't like smaller rooms for longer trips. POR is really pretty, but I felt cramped in our POR room (kids were 9 and 7 at the time). So, mods and values would be off my list. We stayed at Swan a year after that POR stay and we enjoyed it. Mind you, it was before the transportation changes, but I don't think we ever took the bus directly from Swan. We either drove our own vehicle to the parks or had a breakfast at YC/BC/BW and took a bus to a park from that resort after breakfast. We chose Swan over Dolphin because Swan has queen sized beds (Dolphin, as far as I know, is still doubles). It was the week before Christmas and Swan was more than 50% cheaper than the Epcot area resorts, so it seemed like a no brainer.

As for the bubble feeling, I actually felt more in the bubble at the Swan than I did at POR. Sure, our room didn't have a bunch of Disney touches, but our view made up for it. Being able to walk or boat to HS and Epcot is also a massive plus, especially when you look at the cost of the Disney owned deluxe resorts for your dates. Our standard view room faced BWI and HS. My brother's family and my parents also stayed at Swan with us that trip (separate rooms). My parents could see AK from their room and my brother had a view of Epcot. I paid a lot more to stay at BWV last trip and didn't get any kind of views like this. The only thing we really missed was being able to use our Magic Bands to open our room door.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

I echo AoA…with two little girls, a family suite would be perfect and they will love it! We’ve stayed there 4 times at all the buildings except for Little Mermaid (furthest away & no suites), the girls loved it and so did the big kid parents!

 

[Tom P.]

do not understand the distain for the skyliner. outside of weather, which i do not think is a problem when the OP is coming to me it is fine, waits are waits, whether the skyliner or busses.plus the skyliner when it is running is continuos loading, you can see how long it will take, with busses you have no idea how long until it comes, plus, if a long line you might miss the first bus.

For me, it's an intense fear of heights. I just can't do it. Mine is so bad that there have even been times when the monorail or Peter Pan's Flight have made me slightly nervous. I can do those, and do, but just illustrating how bad my heights issue is. The Skyliner is just a no-go for me.

 

[Skibum1970]

Depending on your budget, I would argue for either Wilderness Lodge or Riverside.

Wilderness Lodge: The hotel is stunning and it has nice grounds to just wander around. The restaurants are good and the rooms are well appointed. It is such a great hotel. It also has indoor hallways, if that matters, with a selection of both DVC and regular rooms. The DVC rooms come with a full refrigerator, stove, and kitchen sink, if you want to cook or have the ability to warm up leftovers. Definitely one of my favorite hotels. Bus service is okay. Sometimes, it shares buses with Fort Wilderness and thus you end up taking some time to get to a park. It does have a boat that goes directly to/from the Magic Kingdom.

Riverside: Large rooms and also very comfortable. Two queen beds and some have a convertible bed that is a twin. The food court is great with a lot of selections and also a nice sitdown restaurant. Definitely bigger and has more people that Wilderness Lodge. The grounds are great to walk and to enjoy with both a feature pool and several quiet pools. Sometimes, the walk to/from the food court can seem long (especially after a long day at the park). Bus service has been decent in my opinion and, due to location, the trips to/from the parks is usually pretty quick. It has a boat that goes directly to/from Disney Springs. Though large, we find it very relaxing and enjoyable. Also, we will walk by the "river" to French Quarter to look around or do some additional shopping. To be honest, French Quarter is a close second for our choice of moderates.

 

[plutofan15]

I would throw another option out there - the cabins at Fort Wilderness Campground. When our kids were the ages of yours, that was their favorite place to stay. There is a ton of activities there. Two swimming pools, campfire sing alongs with Chip & Dale, playgrounds, pony rides, wagon rides, fishing, bike rentals, canoe/kayak rentals, and hiking trails. The boat to Magic Kingdom is quick and easy. It can take a while to get to the other parks by bus especially with the internal bus. I would recommend renting a golf cart while there if the budget allows - makes getting around much easier and the kids will have a blast. The cabins have a separate bedroom with bunk beds and a queen bed. If the kids go to bed early, you can still relax with some TV and a drink in the living area. The cabins also have a full kitchen which helps save $$$. We never cooked meals but did stock up on breakfast and snack items. There is a nice deck with a picnic table and a grill. Plus the added bonus of the cabins being stand alone so there is nobody above, below or on either side. Makes it much quieter. Worth checking out. Have a great trip,

 

[buckeyegator]

also if you have access to a camper or tent try the campsites. rates run from about 110 to around 200 a night this year at the time frame you want. same extras as far as recreation as the cabins but also much cheaper , do you have a disney visa card, get moderate discounts, but every little bit helps.,you can go to mousesavers.com, click onto the link that says disney visa card holders discount at disney world, see the discounts for all the resorts and check out each for your timeframe with the discount.

 

[Eric Graham]

Your daughters would really enjoy Akeshus Royal Dining Hall in Norway to visit the princesses there. My niece really enjoyed it. My nephew and nice also really enjoyed Winnie the Pooh And Friends at the Crystal Palace. Those two are both wonderful meals for taking your children. It was truly a magical moment in the parks when she said that she didn't really believe in the characters, but then had a meet and greet with Merida from the movie Brave and thought that she was real. Have a great trip! I would suggest strongly the Beach Club/Yacht club because of it's walking proximity to the parks, Cape May character breakfast, wonderful restaurants, and awesome pool! Hope y'all have a wonderful trip!

 

[Eric Graham]

I would seriously avoid the Poly now due to the noise construction at the DVC resort nearby.

 

[zappy]

If the price is the same I would choose Swan over Dolphin. Swan is a little closer to Hollywood Studios, the rooms IMO are a little nicer and both are the same walking distance to Epcot. Taking the boat or walking to either HS or Epcot from either hotel is such an enjoyable experience. We tend to take the boat during the day and a have nice walk back at night.

 

[DisNerd86]

If you haven't already, I highly suggest renting DVC points! We booked a studio at Old Key West for the week after New Years (12/31/23-1/5/24) through DVC Rental Store and it is about $500 less than booking the same dates through Disney at Port Orleans French Quarter. This will be our third trip booking through a DVC rental companies and we've been nothing but thrilled with the savings and the upgraded accommodations. We've now stayed at the Boardwalk, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and Old Key West - all of which would have been outside of our price point booking through Disney. Of all of these my favorite is by far The Boardwalk. I loved being able to walk to 2 parks and we all loved the pool.
We're also a family of 4 (mom/dad/2 little girls) and I like the DVC rooms for the added space and amenities. Our strategy is now to book our room through a DVC rental agency and then purchase tickets from Undercover Tourist for additional savings. Good luck planning!

 

[Raxel7851]

Swan and Dolphin was great for us over the holidays (family of 4 also). Liked the hotel and Shulas on site if you want a super meal. Boats to Epcot and HS. Easy walk to Boardwalk Disney Bus stop too. We walked to Epcot in the evenings when it was nice. Might consider Wilderness Lodge isnt too bad. You can walk to Poly to catch the monorail.

While we really like Wilderness Lodge, I’m fairly certain you’re not walking from there to the Poly.