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.

 

[captainkidd]

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.)

I feel the same way. I'm fortunate enough to take 2 trips per year. WL is perfect for the winter, and Poly is perfect for the summer.

 

[_Scar]

Do Poly.


Pineapple Dole Whips within walking distance at any time? Heeeeeeaven.

 

[PixarfortheWin]

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.

As a former castmember who worked at the Polynesian, you are wrong about the balconies. A majority of the rooms do have a balcony/patio

 

[PixarfortheWin]

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.

Sorry but you are wrong, castmembers daily clean the spiderwebs from the longhouses but you are in florida and the spiders will comeback and make them again

 

[PixarfortheWin]

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.)

If i were you i would go to the Poly, it is an amazing resort that just does everything right.

 

[captainkidd]

Sorry but you are wrong, castmembers daily clean the spiderwebs from the longhouses but you are in florida and the spiders will comeback and make them again

Sorry, but while that MAY have been the case at one time, it most certainly is not the case now. I stayed in Tokelau for 2 weeks in August, and saw spider webs on the stairs every day. I rather doubt they would be in the same place every day unless they weren't cleaned.

 

[bgraham34]

1. Wilderness Lodge
2. Old Key West
3. Treehouses first and only time 93
4. Pop Century
5. All Star Sports
6. All Star Music
7. CBR.

 

[PixarfortheWin]

Sorry, but while that MAY have been the case at one time, it most certainly is not the case now. I stayed in Tokelau for 2 weeks in August, and saw spider webs on the stairs every day. I rather doubt they would be in the same place every day unless they weren't cleaned.

Sorry but again you are mistaken, i used to see the houseperson clean the spiderwebs every morning coming into work and leaving at night i would see the spiderwebs being made again.

 

[captainkidd]

sorry but again you are mistaken, i used to see the houseperson clean the spiderwebs every morning coming into work and leaving at night i would see the spiderwebs being made again.

ok.

 

[PixarfortheWin]

ok.

There are four buildings that really get hit hard by them...Tonga, Tokelua, Fiji, and Tuvulu. I felt bad for the houseperson who had to take care of those buildings.

 

[The Incredible Schmulk]

Well, so far, we've only stayed at three, and I would rank them as follows:

1. Port Orleans French Quarter - We are two young adults with no kids. French Quarter is kind of the perfect place for us. It's cost effective, small, intimate, has a decent bar and great transporation. Of the three we've stayed at thus far, French Quarter is the one that most makes us feel like we're immersed in the WDW experience.

2. Pop Century - It's second on my list, but it's a distant second. The theme is cutesy, and great for kids, but it doesn't do much for us. The rooms were okay, though, for what they were, and at the time, we were more than happy to be able to afford the stay. I think we've outgrown the place, though.

3. Carribean Beach Resort - We got a great room in this resort. It was on the bottom floor and it overlooked the lake in the center of the buildings. Unfortunately, this place is the exact opposite of everything we like about French Quarter. It's expansive, crowded and the bus service can be horrid, depending on the time of day. I wasn't too impressed with the theme, either, which I felt was kind of uninspired.


We'll be staying at the Boardwalk Villas in November, which is one of the top three places I'd like to stay, along with the Contemporary/Bay Lake Tower and the Kidani Village Villas at Animal Kingdom Lodge.

 

[johnvree]

1. Polynesian: My favorite. Love the theme and feel of this resort. We always stay in the Hawaii and love the concierge. The Volcano Pool is great. 'Ohana and Kona Kafe are both very good restaurants (though Kona seems a bit dull compare to 'Ohana). I wish this resort had one more sit down restaurant and a good ice cream shop. I am not a fan of what they did to Capt. Cook's.

2. AKL: What's not to like about a resort you can see wild animals from your balcony? Other than feeling a bit isolated, this resort has a great theme, great pool and great restaurants.

3. Yacht Club: This was close to my second favorite. Nice rooms and the best pool on property. You can take a boat or walk to two of the parks (MGM and Epcot). And you have a ton of dining options with the restaurants at the Y&BC, the Boardwalk and the Boardwalk Inn, the Swan and Dolphin and, of course, the World Showcase.

4. Swan. Nice hotel. Didn't notice too much of difference between the Swan and the Disney-operated hotels, other than the missing theme. Great restaurant options and convenient to MGM and Epcot.

 

[Disney15]

1) Animal Kingdom Lodge
The atmosphere is great. Bomas and Jikos are outstanding rest. Mara is a great quick service rest. It is quiet and the and very relaxing.
2) Port Orleans Riverside
The food court is one of the best in the value category. The grounds are always well manicured. The individual pools help ease crowds from the main pool. And access to downtown disney by boat is a nice way to travel.
3) Carribean Beach
The food court is good but not great. Individual pools per section also help ease crowds from the main pool. The lake in the middle for renting boats is fun.
4) All Star resorts (Sports,Movies, Music)
These are all ok, always a little loud but is understandable knowing that these are family and money oriented resorts. The theme of each is great especially if you have children.
5) Contempory
I like this hotel but it is loud. We stayed in the main hotel and were able to here the monorail late into the night as well as Chef Mickey's early
in the morning.
6) Polynesian
There are only 2 things going for this resort 1. Ohana's and access to the MK via the monorail. This resort needs a lot of work. The 2 times we stayed here the rooms were dirty as well as the hallways. Disney really needs to revamp this hotel.

 

[PixarfortheWin]

1) Animal Kingdom Lodge
The atmosphere is great. Bomas and Jikos are outstanding rest. Mara is a great quick service rest. It is quiet and the and very relaxing.
2) Port Orleans Riverside
The food court is one of the best in the value category. The grounds are always well manicured. The individual pools help ease crowds from the main pool. And access to downtown disney by boat is a nice way to travel.
3) Carribean Beach
The food court is good but not great. Individual pools per section also help ease crowds from the main pool. The lake in the middle for renting boats is fun.
4) All Star resorts (Sports,Movies, Music)
These are all ok, always a little loud but is understandable knowing that these are family and money oriented resorts. The theme of each is great especially if you have children.
5) Contempory
I like this hotel but it is loud. We stayed in the main hotel and were able to here the monorail late into the night as well as Chef Mickey's early
in the morning.
6) Polynesian
There are only 2 things going for this resort 1. Ohana's and access to the MK via the monorail. This resort needs a lot of work. The 2 times we stayed here the rooms were dirty as well as the hallways. Disney really needs to revamp this hotel.

When did you stay there? Because there is no need to revamp the rooms anymore.

One thing that people dont get about the Polynesian is the paint job in the rooms. Some people think that it is dirty when that is what the paint job is supposed to look like, it is supposed to be that polynesian rustic look, it is not dirt.

 

[PixarfortheWin]

1. Polynesian: Absolute perfect hotel, amazing food, theme, pool, everything is just perfect.
2. Yacht Club/Beach Club: near perfection, the only thing holding these two back is the fact that there is no bus to DHS.
3. AKL: nice, great theme but so out in the middle of nowhere that bus rides are extra long to other places.
4. ASR: cheap and not that good at all.....

 

[DisneyRunner]

1. Port Orleans Riverside. I like the activity level there. Boat to DTD and my husband likes the quiet pools.
2. AS Music. My husband likes the grounds. When you combine the three resorts, there is opportunity to go for a long walk.
3. Pop Century. Haven't been here in a while. I do like the single bus service and decor.
4. Coronado Springs. Disney magic was missing. I can't figure it out. The bus service seemed difficult for me to understand.

 

[captainkidd]

1. Polynesian: Absolute perfect hotel, amazing food, theme, pool, everything is just perfect.

I love the Poly, and we're staying there next July, but it's far from perfect.

1.The pool is way too small for a resort with almost 900 rooms.
2.It's the only Deluxe Resort on property with no hot tub.
3.Our room in Tokelau had numerous stains on the carpet and wall.
4.The elevators in the longhouses are too small.
5.The hallways in the longhouses smell nasty.
6.The large windows in the GCH and at Ohana are always smudged.
7.Of the Deluxe Resorts, room service menu is on the lower end.
8.There are lots of tiki torches throughout, but many don't work (or are never lit.)

With the exception of #7, these aren't opinions - They're facts.

We still stay there as the theme is amazing, great CM's, awesome food, far and away, the most convenient resort for people wanting easy transportation to both Magic Kingdom and Epcot, and very large rooms.

 

[WendyTinkerbell]

1. Grand Floridian - Beautiful!
2. AKL
3. Boardwalk
4. Beach Club
5. POP
6. Swan/Dophin
7. POR
8. CB
9. All -Stars

 

[JEANYLASER]

1. Caribbean Beach
2. Coronado Springs
3. Port Orleans Riverside
4. Contemporary
5. All-Star Movies
6. All-Star Music
7. Pop Century

 

[David Freeman]

1. Yacht/Beach Club-best pool on WDW property, also the location simply cannot be beat; close to Epcot, HS and Boardwalk for nightly activities. Also very classy without being stuffy.

2. Polynesian-Wonderful hotel, almost a dead tie with Yacht/Beach. However, the pool is VERY small and there are A LOT of screaming kids running around. The pool needs to be much larger for a resort of this size. Other than that, it's great.

3. Grand Floridian-Beautiful hotel. Aside from that, you're paying exorbitant prices for nothing more. You get the exact same amenities here that you do at any other MK or Epcot deluxe resort.

4. Wilderness Lodge-This is an interesting one. The resort is insanely awesome. The grounds and general feel of the resort are unrivaled in terms of theming and that Disney feel. If Disney had only attached the monorail line to it, I feel this would be the most popular hotel on property. The fact that you have to take a bus everywhere and a slow moving boak to MK really sucks. Not to mention the fact that you are paying for a deluxe hotel and have to share these buses and boats with people staying in tents and trailers at Fort
Wilderness. Very gross on a hot day.

5. Dolphin-Good hotel, nothing to complain about. Just the fact that it lacks the general Disney feel. Also, the walk to Epcot is much further than it looks.