Wow… great information so far ! My granddaughters are 9 and 8. Is the pool decent ? I keep reading things about soda mugs. At All Star, there was a food court to get some quick food and a not so bad price. Does the CR have anything that can compare to that? Also, we are not renting a car do just going to use the Monorail or bus service. Is there a way to buy some snacks and stuff for the room ?
Forgot to say, we were originally booked in the Garden Wing but thought better to upgrade to the Tower. This has been a dream of mine since I was a young boy. 50 years later and finally getting to cross this off the bucket list
A very exciting time for you! Your granddaughters are at a great age to visit WDW!
WDW has 3 levels of hotel: Deluxe, Moderate, and Value. All are on property. What you tend to pay for is level of service and ease of access to the parks.
For example, at the Deluxe Resorts, there are more WDW employees (called "Cast Members" or just CM on these threads) available to help you with check-in, etc.
Those visiting WDW tend to have 2 complaints: waiting in long lines and travel time between the hotel and one of theme parks. (WDW is 27,000 acres; it's really big.) The Deluxe Resorts tend to be close to one of WDW's theme parks and access to at least one theme park is easier.
The Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian have direct access to the Magic Kingdom (MK) via Monorail. It's also possible to walk from the Contemporary to the MK. Easy access to MK is important because it's generally considered WDW's best theme park and likely where you will spend most of your time.
Via a connecting Monorail, you can access Epcot from these 3 resorts.
The 3 "Epcot Resorts", the Beach Club, Yacht Club, and Boardwalk, are within walking or boating distance of two theme parks: Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios (DHS). The Beach Club and Yacht Club both have access to what generally is considered WDW's best hotel pool: Stormalong Bay. All the Deluxe Resort pools are nice but Stormalong Bay is almost like a mini-water park.
There are 2 other Deluxe Resorts. Wilderness Lodge, which is a short bus ride to MK (also has a slower boat) and Animal Kingdom Lodge (AKL), which is a short bus ride to WDW's fourth theme park: Disney's Animal Kingdom (DAK). If your granddaughters love animals, then consider AKL. They'll be able to see zebras, giraffes, and other animals from their room!
Beyond the Deluxe Resorts, Disney offers 3 Moderate Resorts and 5 Value Resorts. The Moderate Resorts are lovely and priced less. However, they require taking buses to all 4 of WDW's theme parks.
In general, buses are the least efficient mode of transportation at WDW. In the morning when everyone is trying to get to the parks or evening when everyone is leaving, buses can be frustrating.
WDW''s Value Resorts are much less expensive, a great way to save money, but basically are motels with some very nice Disney theming. The pools are very basic. Again, Disney themed but (for example) no water slides.
In general, the food courts tend to be better at the Value and Moderate Resorts. At these resorts, this is where most people eat. All the Deluxe Resorts have food courts but these tend to be smaller. I guess Disney thinks if you are staying at a Deluxe Resort, then you're going to eat a lot of your meals at Table Service (TS) restaurants.
I've stayed in both the Garden Wing and in the Contemporary Tower. In my mind, there's no question that staying in the Tower is more exciting. Whether it's worth the added cost is a matter of opinion. But you are living a dream that you've been waiting 50 years for, I say go for it!
All the resorts have refillable mugs that you purchase at the start of your trip and then can refill for free after that. You can use your mug at the hotel only,
not at the theme parks. Mugs can be fun but also a pain. If you head down to the food court to fill your mug and then leave directly to the theme parks, you are stuck carrying you mug for the rest of the day.
There are plenty of us on this website that have been to WDW dozens of times and are available to give you our honest opinion of what we think. (Sometimes dealing with Disney can be frustrating because when you ask them, everything is "wonderful".
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I hope you enjoy planning your trip. Don't be afraid to ask more questions!
