Thinking about my first Deluxe vacation

WaltzingMatilda

WaltzingMatilda

Member
For our next trip (which I haven't even booked yet, I can't decide between September and Christmas) I am on the edge of going for a Deluxe resort. I have always stayed at the French Quarter, which I love and is such an integral part of Disney to me that I can't imagine not staying there.

But if I did go Deluxe....which one? I am leaning towards the Poly because it seems more kid friendly and, well, we love Stitch. The GF seems a little stuffy (though I do think it's lovely) and I just don't like the look of the Contemporary.

Any advice is much appreciated.
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
happymom52003

happymom52003

Active Member
Have you considered the Wilderness Lodge? While there is not Monorail access, there is still boat access to the MK. We LOVE the Wilderness Lodge, and so do our kids! It is hands down our favorite.
 
Upvote 0
happymom52003

happymom52003

Active Member
I forgot to add that if you do choose Christmas, the WL decorations are amazing! The theming of the resort goes so well with Christmas. We toured all of the MK area resorts at Christmas and while they are all very nice, the Wilderness Lodge just seemed to have a more "Christmasy" feeling.:xmas:
 
Upvote 0
CAPTAIN HOOK

CAPTAIN HOOK

Well-Known Member
I've just booked our 'first Christmas' and 'first Deluxe' trip - we will be staying at AKL (with Savanah View) because we love the theming and the view from the balcony will be great. We are finishing the trip at GF purely because we want to be able to say "we've stayed there".
 
Upvote 0
elabron

elabron

New Member
The Wilderness Lodge gets my vote for ambiance.....but, if you're looking for convenience, then stay on the monorail line at the Poly.

Go for late September.....Christmas will be crazy.:eek:
 
Upvote 0
Nansafan

Nansafan

Active Member
Our first on property resort was the Poly in 1993 and so far, it is still our favorite. The ambiance, CM's, convenience, all combine to make it our favorite resort. We have stayed at the GF Concierge (my brother's treat for his 40th birthday), Contemporary 3 times, and the Yacht Club. We keep coming back to the Poly where we've stayed 7 times. My favorite Moderate is the French Quarter though the rest of the family prefers Riverside.
 
Upvote 0
tigsmom

tigsmom

Well-Known Member
The WL would be my choice too, especially at Christmas. We love the boat ride to the MK (as that is still our favorite park even though the kids are now teens), they feel very comfortable wandering around by themselves.

We loved the theming of the Poly and the convenience of the monorail and TTC being right there. Our only dislike was the fact that you had to go outside to get to the restaurants and shops, especially in the rain & at night.

Its been awhile since we have stayed in the Contemporary (in the now demolished North Wing), but we are planning on trying to get a tower room in the future.

We loved the convenience of the Boardwalk Inn and the atmosphere was quite nice, the walk to Epcot and the boat ride to MGM, but my family had issues with the food offerings there.
 
Upvote 0
elabron

elabron

New Member
WaltzingMatilda said:
For our next trip (which I haven't even booked yet, I can't decide between September and Christmas) I am on the edge of going for a Deluxe resort. I have always stayed at the French Quarter, which I love and is such an integral part of Disney to me that I can't imagine not staying there.

But if I did go Deluxe....which one? I am leaning towards the Poly because it seems more kid friendly and, well, we love Stitch. The GF seems a little stuffy (though I do think it's lovely) and I just don't like the look of the Contemporary.

Any advice is much appreciated.
Click to expand...

I've stayed at Poly twice (3rd time this Oct/Nov!:sohappy: ) and the Contemporary 4 times.......I realize that the Contemporary's lack of theme puts some people off, but the new rooms are VERY NICE!:king:

We stayed in a remodeled suite there last year, and they have really made the rooms luxurious, whereas they used to look like Tammy Faye Baker's makeup bag exploded in them. Gone are the crazy zebra-like patterns and loud colors.....they've been replaced with cherry and oak wood and earth tones. Flat panel tv's, new closets, lighting and bathroom fixtures have really made this a nice place to stay.

It is without doubt, our family's favorite resort. But, we went with the Poly this year, because I haven't stayed there since I was a little kid......in body......I still am a little kid at heart!:sohappy:
 
Upvote 0
eroyee

eroyee

Active Member
:wave: Our favorite deluxe is WL. the theming is so nice and the boat ride is fun. Plus, its such a nice, relaxing atmosphere. Doesnt seem as hectic as the Poly. give it a try!!!
 
Upvote 0
PotteryGal

PotteryGal

Active Member
WaltzingMatilda said:
For our next trip (which I haven't even booked yet, I can't decide between September and Christmas) I am on the edge of going for a Deluxe resort. I have always stayed at the French Quarter, which I love and is such an integral part of Disney to me that I can't imagine not staying there.

But if I did go Deluxe....which one? I am leaning towards the Poly because it seems more kid friendly and, well, we love Stitch. The GF seems a little stuffy (though I do think it's lovely) and I just don't like the look of the Contemporary.

Any advice is much appreciated.
Click to expand...

If price is a consideration, WL and AKL are the least expensive of the deluxes. You know, I'm going to recommend WL, Amy! :lol: It is a vacation unto itself, we felt completely at home there.
 
Upvote 0
njblackberry

njblackberry

New Member
Location, location, location...

If you want to be near Epcot, like we do, then the Yacht or Beach Club are fantastic.

If you want to be on the Monorail, we love Poly.

And WL is our overall favorite...
 
Upvote 0
Vernonpush

Vernonpush

Well-Known Member
njblackberry said:
Location, location, location...

If you want to be near Epcot, like we do, then the Yacht or Beach Club are fantastic.

If you want to be on the Monorail, we love Poly.

And WL is our overall favorite...
Click to expand...
Pick a resort that's closest to a park where you'll be spending most of your time.
We enjoy Epcot and The Studios, so for us it's The Boardwalk Inn.
 
Upvote 0
Scooter

Scooter

Well-Known Member
My wife and I just spent 8 nights at Disney's Polynesian resort and it was the most relaxing vacation I have ever had. The short walk to the Ticket and Transportation really saved us a lot of time.
Take the monorail to The Contemporary Resort and then take a boat over and visit Wildreness lodge if you like. While my family likes the theming at Wilderness Lodge, We found that there is a LOT of waiting around for transportation.You spend a lot of time waiting for buses and boats. I feel like I'm trapped and at the mercy of Disney Transportation when I stay there which is why we always stay at a Monorail resort when we can afford to.
The great thing about The Contemporary Resort is the short walk to The Magic Kingdom. It's really nice after Wishes is over and there's tons of people waiting to board crowded buses, boats and monorails. You just leave the park and take a leisurely 10 minute stroll back to your resort room.

Stay at a Monorail resort...you won't regret it.
 
Upvote 0
Iakona

Iakona

Member
I would suggest AKL.
IMHO it is the most underrated resort for Kids activities. They have a daily listing of things to do for kids including:

Storytime by the fire pit (delivered by a different cultural ambassador each evening telling stories from his/her homeland).

A "music" parade that leaves from the gift shop where the kids pick an instrument and they parade around the resort.

Cultural talks delivered by cultural ambassadors.

Animals outside your room.

Night vision goggles for viewing.

Medallion rubbing.

An amazing art collection scattered throughout the resort.

A huge hat in the lobby (and I mean huge!)
 
Upvote 0

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom