Rank the resorts you've stayed at

[captainkidd]

1.Wilderness Lodge - Dollar for dollar, I think this is the best resort on property. Cost is less than other deluxes, but you get just as much bang for your buck. It's always clean, the theming is top-notch, and the food is great.

2.Polynesian - Rooms are huge, location is the best, food is great, and had an awesome atmosphere. Only problem with it is that it can be slightly dirty in some places.

3.Grand Floridian - Beautiful rooms, no bad views. Great location for Magic Kingdom. Can be a bit intimidating though.

4.All Star Movies - No other resort has such a cool Disney vibe to it. Best food court on property, fun swimming pools, great bus service.

5.Port Orleans Riverside - Beautiful landscaping. Boat service to DTD. Themed very well.

6.Pop Century - Like the All Stars, food court is great. Theming is just below ASMovies in my opinion.

7.Caribbean Beach Resort - Lovely grounds, great atmosphere. Sadly, the bus service is pretty bad.

8.All Star Music - Food court is OK. Atmosphere is just slightly better than Sports.

9.All Star Sports - See above.

10.Yacht Club - Biggest disappointment for me. It looks beautiful on the outside, and is beautiful in the inside. It simply lacks the Disney feel to me. Long walks from some guest rooms. Service was less than stellar for a resort in this price range. Bus service was bad.

11.Old Key West - I liked nothing about this resort except the boat to DTD. Way too big, long walk to pool and restaurants, shops. Bus service was abysmal. Felt like a retirement community.

 

[Computer Magic]

ALK - Cost for Deluxe, close to AK, theming and Savannah
WL - Boat to MK, Cost, and reminds us of Yellow Stone Park Old Faithful Inn
Beach Club - Close to Epcot, great pool, theming (nice rooms) and lake
POFQ - Cost, small and easy to get around, close DTD, and best bus service
Dixie Landings - Honeymoon, theming, cost, close to DTD during the good old days, and great memories for our early (first) visits.
Boardwalk - close to Epcot(although we are staying there again in Dec )

 

[mickeyplush]

1.Wilderness Lodge - Dollar for dollar, I think this is the best resort on property. Cost is less than other deluxes, but you get just as much bang for your buck. It's always clean, the theming is top-notch, and the food is great.

2.Polynesian - Rooms are huge, location is the best, food is great, and had an awesome atmosphere. Only problem with it is that it can be slightly dirty in some places.

3.Grand Floridian - Beautiful rooms, no bad views. Great location for Magic Kingdom. Can be a bit intimidating though.

4.All Star Movies - No other resort has such a cool Disney vibe to it. Best food court on property, fun swimming pools, great bus service.

5.Port Orleans Riverside - Beautiful landscaping. Boat service to DTD. Themed very well.

6.Pop Century - Like the All Stars, food court is great. Theming is just below ASMovies in my opinion.

7.Caribbean Beach Resort - Lovely grounds, great atmosphere. Sadly, the bus service is pretty bad.

8.All Star Music - Food court is OK. Atmosphere is just slightly better than Sports.

9.All Star Sports - See above.

10.Yacht Club - Biggest disappointment for me. It looks beautiful on the outside, and is beautiful in the inside. It simply lacks the Disney feel to me. Long walks from some guest rooms. Service was less than stellar for a resort in this price range. Bus service was bad.

11.Old Key West - I liked nothing about this resort except the boat to DTD. Way too big, long walk to pool and restaurants, shops. Bus service was abysmal. Felt like a retirement community.

I'm really glad to read this, as I just posted a question related to the W. Lodge. We switched from G. Floridian and I only have that and C. Beach to compare.

 

[BalooChicago]

For as many times as we've been (I think we're at 14 trips now) we haven't stayed at many (different) hotels.

Stayed at Fort Wilderness "Cabins" (RVs) back when we were little a lot. Loved it, but it was over two decades ago. Same for Grand Floridian (88)

Of the recent trips:

1. Wilderness Lodge (Multiple Trips)

My favorite by FAR. Love the hotel, the theming, the service.

2. Boardwalk (Multiple Trips)

Boardwalk is a close second, it's a great hotel, love it's convenience to Epcot and MGM.

99 1/2. Bay Lake Tower (Last trip)

I liked the design of the hotel (even if the theme wasn't overly Disney, it was high quality), loved the location (The walk to MK is awesome for someone with a 15 m.o.). But the service was beyond atrocious. Multiple, multiple, issues and screw ups which took multiple trips to the front desk, a mile and a half away at the contemporary to resolve. Service was so bad it made us question the value of going to Disney (My entire family [Parents, siblings, and their families] have been going virtually every other year since we were little. Among other things, BLT needs it's own front desk.

I'm pushing for the Poly on our next trip.

 

[mickeyplush]

I guess we made the right choice switching to W. Lodge. There are quite a few great reviews here.

 

[sparxx]

Lalalalalalalalalalala

I'm not paying attention to the bad reports about OKW. I'm headed there next month (family of 8).

I'm NOT listening!

LALALALALALALALALA

 

[polynesiangirl]

OK, some of these will be digging back into my memory somewhat...my Deluxe Resort Snobbery will no doubt show through and through.

• Polynesian
• Contemporary
• Beach Club Villas
• Yacht Club
• Animal Kingdom Lodge
• Old Key West
• Caribbean Beach
• Port Orleans Riverside
• All Star Music

Disclaimer - I have never had a "bad" experience at any of the above properties. I'd stay at pretty much any of them again, depending on what kind of a vacation experience/length of stay I was looking for.

 

[Dznycrzy]

1. Contemporary- location, location, location
2. Thes Dolphin- great view of Epcot from where we stayed
3. Shades of Green- inexpensive, deluxe resort
4. Caribbean Beach

Would love to stay at the Polynesian one day...

WDW TRIP # 13
10-10-2010
​

 

[reptar77]

We are Deluxe snobs :animwink: We have never stayed at anything else on property.

1) BLT: Location, location, location plus it is close enough to the main building for food and supplies but far enough away from the noise. Pool is small. This is our home resort for our DVC

2) AK Jambo house resort room and villas: Theming is beautiful, by far the quietest resort we have stayed at. Seriously the quietest, we actually stopped and asked how they do that. I wish they had Wi Fi in the lobby

3) Boardwalk Inn and Villas: We really like this resort on both sides. There tends to be less kids/noise. We do not like the layout or the dinning options. You have to go through the lobby to get anywhere and down outside for dinning.

4) Beach Club: Pool, Pool and Pool. Location to Epcot and staff is really great. Market place and Beaches and Cream is very convenient. Tends to be a little loud, lots and lots of kids. Wi Fi in the lobby/pool is great.

5) Yacht Club: Theming is beautiful. No as loud at the Beach Club but still lots of kids. Yachtmans steak house is one of our favorites. Mousekeeping has gotten better over the years but still needs improvement.

6) Contemp Tower: Location Location Location. The resort is much better now that it has been renovated. Tends to be noisy due to MK, Monorail, kids and Chef mickey's. I did laugh when I was laying in bed and could feel the room shake when the monorail went thru. It took me a couple of mins to figure out what it was. Coffee bar in the lobby is my favorite. Gym is kind of dungeon like, hard to explain you just have to see it.

7) Poly: Very pretty, Location is nice. We were married there . Resort rooms are ok, most do not have balconies. The layout is kind of weird. The resort is very spread out. Pool tends to be very crowded. Gym is btw Grandflo and Poly not fun to walk to in the rain. Kona coffee is awesome.

8) Grand Flo: I don't think it is worth the money. We like to go visit and stay there when it is the only place with rooms available but it doesn't blow my dress up. The resort is very large and spread out, it takes for ever for the bell serivice and valet. Gym is btw Poly and grandflo: Not fun to walk to in the rain.

9) AK Kidani: Same review as our #2 but this is ranked low because it is an isolated building. It is a walk, not a very long one but still a walk, to get to Jambo house. Kidani does have a valet which is nice but the pool and gym are not connected to the building. You have to walk out front past the valet and down the sidewalk to get there. Dinning is limited.

10) Wilderness lodge: Theming is nice but that is about it. I think this is a Moderate plus resort not a Deluxe. Staff is very nice and Artist Pointe's food is very good.

We have never stayed at the Beach club villas but I'm sure they are very nice. Since they share the main building I would review them the same.

 

[Bluemoon]

I'm not paying attention to the bad reports about OKW. I'm headed there next month (family of 8).

I'm NOT listening!

LALALALALALALALALA

OKW is our favorite resort for the very reasons that most people dont like it.
We love the laid back atomosphere. The pools are quiet and it is spread out which gives you the feeling that you are away from all the crowds at the parks.

Oh yeah, we also think Olivias is the best restaurant at Disney!!!

I hope you enjoy your stay there.

 

[Korfar]

Pop Century - No sharing of buses. At least for now.

All-Star Music - Theming of the movies and movies playing on a big screen by the pool.

All-Star Sports - Like all the team logos everywhere and the oversized fields.

All-Star Music - Liked the least of all the values. The theme isn't that exciting for me.

Staying at CBR in less than a week so that may end up #1 on my list when we get back.

 

[Sloan]

lots of good experiences

Contemporary - Has been my favorite since my first stay as a kid when it first opened - was dated for a while, but with the room refurbs, back on top again - c'mon, California Grill & the Wave right there, walk to MK, Monorail in the hotel ...

Polynesian - monorail resort, beautifully done, good dining, great view - what's not to love?

Animal Kingdom Lodge - another favorite, but would be even better if it was not so isolated - Jiko, Boma, the savannas, the guides, night-vision available, decent pool - a bit spread-out, but still excellent

Beach Club - Ties with Contemporary for best location, but lacks some of the Disney feel / theming - the Stormalong Bay pool is fun - this is the perfect resort for the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival - can't beat that access ...

Port Orleans - Riverside - my stand-by - great value as a Passholder, but this place is too big - you can have a major walk to get anywhere if you're not in the 'right' building

Coronado Springs - some pretty features, but too much of a motel feel, and somehow gets very noisy

Caribbean Beach - has felt run-down to me - I've just not really enjoyed it much

All-Star Music - ummm, I guess I'm pretty spoiled - I did not like it - way too noisy, way too crowded, poor check-in / out - my first and last try with a value

 

[disneyrcks]

Wilderness Lodge-so beautiful, very comfortable, close to MK

Beach Club-great pool, location, 24hr room service, loved the layout

Polynesian-We had a huge spider problem on our balcony (not their fault but was disappointing),monorail, friendly staff, beach, theming, Ohana :slurp:

Boardwalk-beautiful with a great location, especially for young adults without kids (like us)

Saratoga Springs-loved being close to DTD, decent bus service, great pool/slide

Old Key West-room was huge!! just a little too spread out

Pop Century-see below, loved the pool bar

All Star Sports-always a great vibe, fun environment, lots of pools

Kidani-pool was a little too small for my liking (though AKL has awesome pool), for us it was too far from other late night activities, room was beautiful, savannah amazing, staff super friendly, lots of activites for families and kids

Coronado Springs-great resort just not for us

Never stayed in a bad hotel there....we have enjoyed every place we stayed at on property

 

[coltow]

1. Wilderness Lodge - it's a perfect 10, rooms, restaurants, pool, transportation are all top notch

2. Port Orleans French Quarter - I really just only wish the rooms were a little bigger. We LOVED the relaxing feel and my kids loved the pool. Transportation was good even when we shared with PORS.

3. Poly - we found transportation to DHS, AK and DTD to be difficult, LONG bus waits. Theming is great, monorail cannot be beat to MK and we loved Kona for breakfast.

4. Pop - My boys really like it here, they like looking at all the "big" toys. It's great when on a budget. Transportation is good, I just want some more shade at the bus area. Food Court is pretty good just super crowded in the mornings

5. Music - I had zero expectations for my 1st stay at value and was very surprised. I expected very loud and it wasn't. I liked that we could walk to the other AS resorts to get a new view. The food court was great. We had car so cannot comment on transportation

6. Yacht Club - DH and I were NOT happy here. We were in a room all the way at the end of a wing. We were not thrilled with Beaches & Cream at all. And found it hard to get a quick snack or drink any where at night. This was our 1st trip with no car. We liked walking to EPCOT but the rest was terrible! We waited close to 30 mns for every bus. And the boat was so bad from DHS that I wrote Disney a letter. FYI it doesn't run thunderstorms, if you are on boat they do not let you off no matter how much water is pouring into it. I get it was safety issue, but the boat easily had a foot (if not more) of water in it and we were forced to wait the storm out.

7. Coronado Springs - This was the 1st place I ever stayed on property and so it will always have a special place in my heart. We had car so cannot say how transportation is. The Pepper Market was not at all what we had hoped for. We did really like the pool, but that was about it.

 

[captainkidd]

Polynesian-We had a huge spider problem on our balcony (not their fault but was disappointing)

Yes and no. Disney can't control all the insects outside, but this is an issue they have had at the Poly specifically for some time. There are cobwebs all over the stairs of the longhouses. While the grounds themselves are beautifully maintaned, the exterior of the longhouses are not.

 

[WondersOfLife]

I've never stayed at any of the resorts except the time when I was 3 years old, can't remember which one.

I've dreamed of staying at the music resort. I play the piano, I know how to play the star wars theme song, linus & lucy, the pink panther, now i'm learning the tiki room. Anyone know if you're allowed to bring a keyboard into the room? :lookaroun:animwink:

 

[captainkidd]

I've never stayed at any of the resorts except the time when I was 3 years old, can't remember which one.

I've dreamed of staying at the music resort. I play the piano, I know how to play the star wars theme song, linus & lucy, the pink panther, now i'm learning the tiki room. Anyone know if you're allowed to bring a keyboard into the room? :lookaroun:animwink:

:lookaroun

 

[WDW 3]

1. Shades of Green - size, price & location (small resort with large rooms)

2. POFQ - size and atmosphere (so peaceful)

3. Contemporary - Location and monorail access are great, but it was way to busy (conference center).

 

[wvdisneyfamily]

Reading this thread makes me want to change my mind and forget the Poly for another trip to the WL. :lookaroun I'm nervous now. I love the WL. My living room is a tribute to it. (It's decorated in WL theming.)

 

[devoy1701]

1) Wilderness Lodge
2) Caribbean Beach
3) Contemporary
4) Coronado Springs
5) All-Star Music

 

[hsisthebest]

1. Grand Floridian- Had Honeymoon there in the turret room... best experience ever
2. AK villas- Watching the animals from the balcony never gets old.
3. POFQ- Like the smaller layout, good food, lots of quiet areas if desired.
4. Yacht Club- Being from the midwest with murky lakes and rivers it's fun to pretend to be an east-coaster for a while.
5. Coronado- Great for young couples to hang out/swim/drink, of course now we have kids so its a little to spread out.
6. Poly- I went pre-renovations and the rooms seemed barely above a moderate, and counter service food is lacking.
7.POP- Fun resort with kids. Nicely themed resort and rooms, lots to enjoy for the price.
8. POR- Nice resort but theme is weaker compared to most others.
?? Boardwalk- Staying at the Villas for 10 days in Nov. I'll let you know where it ranks!