Resort advice

[Eamethyst]

Last year I surprised my mom with a room at POR, royal guest room, and she absolutely loved it. The theming of the room mostly and that “magical Disney” feel of it. It was my first time staying there as well and I really enjoyed it a lot. I’m still a newbie to many of the moderate and deluxe resorts. The other resort high up on my list, eventually is Animal Kingdom Lodge.

We are debating whether to stay at POR again, maaybe AKL, except not a fan of the location/distance to the other parks, or another resort?
Some big things on my list with a resort are:
1. The “Disney feel” and theming in the room
2. Boat transportation or maybe the skyliner
3. Recreation rentals such as bikes, golf carts (if any resort has that), boat rental.
4. Very comfortable beds

The parks we will attend the most this time will be DHS and Epcot. Maybe DAK. Will likely skip MK this time, though my mom really enjoys HEA lol.

Thanks for the help and advice!

If you were going during Christmas I would say the Grand Floridian. It is decorated for the holidays, every floor. Huge christmas tress, gingerbread houses. Piano playing. It's very elegant.

It's really about what atmosphere that you would want. Every hotel has a different theme, feel, etc. The polynesian has a boat, monorail. It's has a path for walking, running. Guests use to be able to rent pedal boats, bikes, etc. Not sure if you can anymore. Pool with a slide.

 

[Tuvalu]

If you were going during Christmas I would say the Grand Floridian. It is decorated for the holidays, every floor. Huge Christmas trees, gingerbread houses. It is decorated for the holidays, every Piano playing. It's very elegant.

This is misleading. Every floor of the GF is not decorated for the holidays. There is garland on the railing of some floors which overlook the lobby.

There is ONE large tree in the lobby and ONE gingerbread house.

The polynesian has a boat, monorail. It's has a path for walking, running. Guests use to be able to rent pedal boats, bikes, etc. Not sure if you can anymore. Pool with a slide.

Not sure how amenities a resort used to have is relevant to a current discussion on choosing where to stay.

For the record, the Poly marina no longer rents pedal boats or bikes.

 

[Tuvalu]

When I was there every floor of the Grand Floridian had decorations. They had trees, gingerbread houses, among other things.

People want advice, help, nice comments. Stop trying to correct everyone. Just because where you went the Grand Floridian it didn't have those things doesn't mean they never did.

I was at the GF this past Christmas and every December since 2009. There are smaller trees (not “huge”) in other areas of the resort, but otherwise my statement stands.

I am not trying to correct everyone. I am correcting your misstatements. People want information that is correct and relevant to the questions they are asking, something which most of your posts are missing.

 

[*Jules*]

As for a moderate resort POFQ is by far my favorite. The bus station is very convenient and the pool is extremely nice.

Now the deluxe resort I have to agree with the others that the Animal Kingdom Lodge is simply beautiful. Just walking around the resort is a treat in itself. The pool is very nice and the restaurants are some of the best in all of WDW.

I would go with the AKL.

 

[*Jules*]

Regardless if they have decorations on every single floor of the GF or not the majority of people who visit WDW feel that this resort is a very elegant resort all year around and even if they are not staying at the resort many take special trips over to the resort just to see it during the holidays and not even during the holidays. I have not had the luxury of staying there, but some day when I can afford it would love to stay at the GF Resort. The bottom line it is a beautiful resort.

 

[UNCgolf]

Regardless if they have decorations on every single floor of the GF or not the majority of people who visit WDW feel that this resort is a very elegant resort all year around and even if they are not staying at the resort many take special trips over to the resort just to see it during the holidays and not even during the holidays. I have not had the luxury of staying there, but some day when I can afford it would love to stay at the GF Resort. The bottom line it is a beautiful resort.

Better do it sooner rather than later. Chapek might completely disfigure it as CEO; there have been rumors for a while that he thinks it's old fashioned and should be updated into a modern luxury hotel (completely missing the point of the theme, unsurprisingly). The "Beauty and the Beast" lounge (in quotes because there's really nothing Beauty and the Beast about it) may just be the start.

 

[*Jules*]

Better do it sooner rather than later. Chapek might completely disfigure it as CEO; there have been rumors for a while that he thinks it's old fashioned and should be updated into a modern luxury hotel (completely missing the point of the theme, unsurprisingly). The "Beauty and the Beast" lounge (in quotes because there's really nothing Beauty and the Beast about it) may just be the start.

I hope not because right now and in the near future I don't see myself affording it.

 

[Lord Starwalker]

Based on your specific requirements, the resorts you should really consider are the Deluxe Resorts on Crescent Lake:

• Boardwalk
• Beach Club
• Swan and Dolphin
• Yacht Club

Any of these four resorts would meet the majority of your requirements. However, for the resort with the very comfortable beds would be Swan and Dolphin. Each of these resorts have excellent transportation to EPCOT and DHS.

 

[tpoly88]

Ive always had a nostalgia for the Polynesian as we always stayed there when disney first opend so i just always think of being there with my brothers and cousin, good memories. The rooms were a good size and the theme good, pool was always the most fun and i used to love the arcade they had there. latley we have stated at the wilderness lodge a bit and i like it there, AKL too. our favorite though as if late is the yacht club, rooms are big and QUIET and we can walk to Epcot. Boardwalk i always felt disconected there as i don't like the lobby area or the rooms. worst is the Saratoga, too big and i feel like im in Jacksonville at the Sawgrass resort.

 

[MissViv]

I am a BIG fan of the Deluxe hotels but last week we stayed at POFQ for the first time and it was great. The rooms do not have a lot of theming but the beds are very comfortable and the food court was great! Buses were pretty quick and we did not have any long travel times. Nice and Quiet.

Stayed at AKL last trip and I would not stay there again because of the travel times on the buses and the noise in the hallways. Very noisy when people are coming back from the parks.