sell your favorite resort to me...

[dgtolbert222]

we are planning a trip the second week of October for 5 nights the players are (myself, DW, DD13,DD8,DD6,DD2) we have been the last 2 years '07 in October and '08 in December. We have stayed at the Contemporary both times , the monorail is so convenient with a little one and a stroller, I dont have any problems with the buses and we will have our car down there so travel to the parks is not a problem.... So the help I need this time is we want a change in resorts, please give me your favorites, why you stay there and any other great info to sell it to me. Also if you want you can give me your least favorite and why....Thank you all for helping me plan my last two trips and thanks in advance for helping me with this one :wave:

 

[slappy magoo]

Better yet, why not tell us what sort of location, amenities and other tangibles or intangibles that are important to you, ad then we can suggest what resorts fit the bill? :shrug:

FWIW, I also always have a car, but I also like having different transportation options other than bus or car to get to at least one resort. To that end, my faves (for my budget - AND the fact that I'm now DVC) tend to be Animal Kingdom Lodge, Boardwalk or Wilderness Lodge.

 

[DizneyPryncess]

My favorite is the Polynesian - hands down!

Pros:
-On the monorail
-Has a beach
-Can watch the Wishes fireworks from the beach
-Has two of the best restaurants, in my opinion, in all of WDW (Ohana & Kona).
-Has incredible theming, that always feels very magical & very Disney.

Cons:
-Price

If budget isn't an issue, this is the best hotel in the "world" :wave:

 

[krankenstein]

AKL - A savanna right below you balcony, awesome restaurants, amazing architecture, and a great store. Overall, it is the best to me.

 

[SiriusBlack]

Woah I have not been on this site in a while...

But to respond to the Original Poster...

My Favorite is the Wilderness Lodge. Due to it being a lodge, everything is compact. It has 2 restaraunts and a snack shop which allows for a few eating options at the hotel. It has a great pool and is very well themed. It is expensive, but cheaper than other luxury hotels at the world.

My Favorite Moderate resort is POFQ. It is smaller than the other moderate resorts which makes everything within walking distance. The small size can be huge when you have been walking all day at the parks anyways. And there is only one bus stop there and such. It is pretty well themed and also has a great pool.

 

[epcotWSC]

I've only stayed at Old Key West, so I'll say

Pros -
Biggest Rooms in all of Disney
Quiet
Relaxed atmosphere
Near Downtown Disney
Clean
Satellite pools are quiet, almost private
Least expensive of the Deluxe resorts.

Cons -
Not really that close to the parks (especially animal kingdom)
Big resort so buses take forever
Main pool is nice, but not really anything special
Old school TVs (not flat screen)
Older appliances, something always seem to always break down at least once


Out of all the resorts that I've visited, I've always wanted to stay at the Boardwalk or the Grand Floridian. I also loved the grounds at Port Orleans.

 

[dizzney]

Hands down the Boardwalk, but am prejudiced since we are DVC owners there

Bought there in '99 when our twins aere born, and our oldest was 7, have gone numerous times and had a blast each time

Now they're DS17, DD10, and DS10 and still love it.

Right next to Epcot and a short walk to the Studios
We eat in Epcot or on the BW
Great pool and sldie
THe BW comes alive at night which the kids love

Only con: price

But its the best!:sohappy:

 

[worldfanatic]

If money's no issue, Boardwalk. You truly are at the center of WDW. While being on the monorail line is fun & convenient. Being able to walk or boat to Epcot or DHS is amazing. Restaurants of Beach/Yacht, Swan/Dolphin, Boardwalk and World showcase are all right there.

With the demise of Pleasure Island, Boardwalk area is now the place to be in the evening. Atlantic Dance, Jellyrolls and ESPN club keep action going late into night. Bellevue lounge is also probably the biggest hidden gem amongst the Disney resort watering holes.

The Boardwalk itself, while peaceful during the day is full of energy at night. Watching Illuminations from the waterfront as performers do their thing is magical.

While the pool at Boardwalk isn't as overwhelming as Stormalong bay, it's got a great themed slide in a beautiful setting with the Swan and Disney transportaion boats in the background. Perfectly relaxing.

While my second favorites are the Yacht and Beach club. The Boardwalk seems to have just a bit more energy. I suppose if you prefer a more mellow environment with the same awesome location Yacht or Beach would be perfect.

 

[Glasgow]

I must second the AKL vote. Many hotels have all sorts of special amenities but none can compare to having a dedicated African-style savannah in it's backyard .. almost the size of a small zoo. If you've got kids and they like animals, you have to try this resort at least once.

You might be saying, hey, we've been to Animal Kingdom --- I'm not going to tell you it's better, but it's different. It's more intimate, less crowded (obviously -- both for people and animals) .. plus you can see the animals at night and early in the morning, times when you will never be able to go to AK or even to your local zoo.

Probably the main con to AKL is the location, as it takes a little longer to get to a couple of the parks, but it's not excessive, plus it has it's own dedicated buses.

If I couldn't pick AKL, I'd say one of the Boardwalk hotels as they are right in the middle of the action, as someone said above, which allows you to do things more easily at night and also without having to take a bus somewhere else. In addition to the boardwalk entertainment, there is also Fantasia Gardens within walking distance on the other side of the Swan.

 

[swimmom]

Wilderness Lodge is our favorite resort. We love the northwest lodge theme, boat transportation to MK & CR, great pool in an awesome courtyard, and that all the rooms and restaurants are in one building. You don't have to go outside to get from your room to the frontdesk, restaurants, laundry & lobby.

 

[tigsmom]

Not gonna

If I do then you may get the last room and I'll have to stay someplace else.:lol:

Seriously though, it's the Wilderness Lodge and there are so many threads on it already. If you do a search you should come up with a bunch and they almost all contain great info.

 

[sueuk]

Beach Club
- reason 1, Stormalong Bay
- reason 2, 5 minute walk to Epcot
- reason 3, short boat ride/ walk to HS
- reason 4, Boardwalk 5 minute walk round the lake
- reason 5, double the shops, restaurants etc(shares with the Yacht Club)
- reason 6, general all round fabulousness :sohappy:

 

[polynesiangirl]

My favorite is the Polynesian - hands down!

Pros:
-On the monorail
-Has a beach
-Can watch the Wishes fireworks from the beach
-Has two of the best restaurants, in my opinion, in all of WDW (Ohana & Kona).
-Has incredible theming, that always feels very magical & very Disney.

Cons:
-Price

If budget isn't an issue, this is the best hotel in the "world" :wave:

What she said. :animwink:

The theming can't be stressed enough. I have been to the South Pacific several times and every time I go to the Poly I *almost* feel like I'm back there. Disney did a really, really beautiful job with this one.

The rooms are gorgeous. I love walking around the property at night with the tiki torches all lit up. Also, the place frequently smells like gardenias.

*sigh* May better hurry up and get here; I'm ready for my own Poly fix!

 

[WDWRLD]

If I were you I wouldnt stay at POR especially if you are going the last couple weeks of June......I really dont have a reason....well....other than......Its mine allllllll mine.....

 

[charatijennings]

My family loves the Poly. My personal favorite is the Contemporary, but the rest of my family prefer the Poly--so we switch back and forth. If you're already used to being on the monorail and such a short distance to the MK, you need to stay in the same vicinity. With the age of your children, I would assume that you spend a lot more time at the MK than any other parks. And we typically like to end up each night at the MK even if we start off somewhere else in the mornings. The theming is beautiful at the Polynesian.

 

[pacochran]

Beach Club
- reason 1, Stormalong Bay
- reason 2, 5 minute walk to Epcot
- reason 3, short boat ride/ walk to HS
- reason 4, Boardwalk 5 minute walk round the lake
- reason 5, double the shops, restaurants etc(shares with the Yacht Club)
- reason 6, general all round fabulousness :sohappy:

I second this for all the same reasons. We stay at the Villas but the resort is great and love it for the above reasons.

 

[Saoirse1916]

The Contemporary was always my favorite as a kid, mostly because of the huge game room and the monorail access. The only other place I stayed was the Fort Wilderness Campground when we went just to go to River Country. The last time I was at WDW the only hotels there were the monorail ones and the campground.

 

[Prof. Aronnax]

For us it is without a doubt AKL:

Pros:
1. Savannah View Room
2. Savannah View Room
3. Theming - If you like DAK, then you'll love AKL.
a. Sounds - African Music, very exotic.
b. Smells - Mesquite/Wood-fired oven (Jiko)
c. Animal Activities - Veiwing the animals through night vision
goggles while an expert explains their activity, animal
feedings, etc.
d. Food - Mmmmm, Zebra Domes, Kenyan AA french press
coffee.
4. Did I mention Savannah View Rooms.
5. Less than a 5 minute bus ride to DAK.

Cons:
1. A slightly longer bus ride to the other 3 parks.

There is nothing quite like waking up to a giraffe eating browse right outside your window. Or imbibing in the beverage of your choice on your balcony and the only sound you can here is the steady crunching of a wildebeest's teeth on the savannah below. This resort is both extremely relaxing for the adult in you, and extremely entertaining for both the child in you and in your stoller.

 

[jmani56]

If money's no issue, Boardwalk. You truly are at the center of WDW. While being on the monorail line is fun & convenient. Being able to walk or boat to Epcot or DHS is amazing. Restaurants of Beach/Yacht, Swan/Dolphin, Boardwalk and World showcase are all right there.

With the demise of Pleasure Island, Boardwalk area is now the place to be in the evening. Atlantic Dance, Jellyrolls and ESPN club keep action going late into night. Bellevue lounge is also probably the biggest hidden gem amongst the Disney resort watering holes.

The Boardwalk itself, while peaceful during the day is full of energy at night. Watching Illuminations from the waterfront as performers do their thing is magical.

While the pool at Boardwalk isn't as overwhelming as Stormalong bay, it's got a great themed slide in a beautiful setting with the Swan and Disney transportaion boats in the background. Perfectly relaxing.

While my second favorites are the Yacht and Beach club. The Boardwalk seems to have just a bit more energy. I suppose if you prefer a more mellow environment with the same awesome location Yacht or Beach would be perfect.

Couldn't have said it better myself. Unless your favorite park is MK however, then I'd say Grand Floridian or Contemporary. To be honest you can't go wrong with any of them. Swan and Dolphin tend to be cheaper though, and are in a great area.

 

[alecshawn]

For us, its All Star Music.
1. VERY clean
2. updated
3. GREAT pool.
4. Less "busy" than the rest of the values
5. Big bang for the buck, hotel wise.
Now, if we have the extra cash, we LOVE CSR.
But, usually..we like the xtra monies for shopping at the outlet mall nearby or whatever,
We arent in the room or resort a whole lot. But when we are, Music has a great pool and we always have a nice time.