Thinking about my first Deluxe vacation

[WaltzingMatilda]

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.

 

[Craig & Lisa]

But also if you want to have a kind a stay that is a home away from home, stay at OKW, the rooms are absolutely unbelieveable. In fact the 2 bedroom has a bigger kitchen than I have in my house. With a full size washer and dryer.

 

[Kadee]

I would choose WL or Beach Club. WL for amazing theming and close proximity Trails End Restaurant (Yes, we LOVE to eat!) and Beach Club for its beautiful, relaxing theming and close proximity to World Showcase. Epcot is our favorite park, so Beach Club makes more sense for us. I was just not impressed with AKL. I really thought I would be, but I guess I had it built up too much in my mind and found it to be a let-down. I mean, it is ok, but not as great as I had imagined.

 

[happymom52003]

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.

True, the monorail is faster, but we never found waiting for boats to be a problem during our 3 stays at WL. We usually waited 10 minutes or less for a boat to the MK, and more times than not we only waited a few minutes...maybe we were just lucky! But I should add we have also never been during peak sesaon. And there is also a boat that will take you to the Comtempory from the WL, which is nice when you want to go to the monorail to get to Epcot. And we spend the majority of our time at MK, so we rode the boats ALOT. However, we have a car while we are there, so I am not sure about the wait for the buses because we drive everywhere except to MK.

 

[happymom52003]

Go for late September.....Christmas will be crazy.

Very true if you go when school is out for the holidays. But if you go sometime during the first two weeks of December, it is awesome!!

 

[Jen66]

We are doing our first deluxe stay in July. I booked the GF MK view room. The theming in the GF may make it seem "stuffy" to some with all the Victorian Decor, but when we have eaten there in the past, it has not seemed like that at all. It is still WDW! My theory was, if we are going to go deluxe, then I would go all the way.
Of course, any of them are super nice, but I would choose the GF of the Poly just so you are on the monorail. My kids (10 & 12) cannot wait to stay at the GF!

 

[megpeg]

I'm going to say hands down, Polynesian.

While it is one of the most expensive deluxe resorts (just below GF in pricing) if you go later in September or after Christmas you can beat the holiday crowds AND rates. For timing my family has found that mid-November or the first week of January are perfect if you want to experience the magic of WDW at Christmas. You're not dealing with the holiday rates and the parks are less crowded. November allows you to experience MVMCP, but right after New Years is quieter in the parks and the decorations are still up. If you really want the Christmas ambiance and extremely comfortable temperatures (highs in the low to mid 70's, lows between 40 and 50) go for the first week in January. Note: in 2008 the WDW marathon is January 6 and 7, so there are slightly more crowds from that and longer bus trips due to road closures. We went during the marathon in 2006 and didn't find either of these to be significant issues, especially since the parks were not very crowded to begin with. However, if you do go during this time, make your reservations as far in advance as possible (ie August) because rooms do fill up quickly for the event.

Now for the wonders of the Poly! We've been to WDW about 10 times now, and every time we stay at the Poly. This resort has the highest rate of return guests of any resort on property. The rooms have all recently been refurnished and are beautiful. The CM's are excessively helpful and friendly and everyone greets each other with a cheerful "Aloha!" There is a very popular themed pool and a quiet pool (conveniently open 24 hours, and from tons of experience I can tell you that it's wonderful to relax in an empty heated pool after a long day at the parks.) along with the lagoon. Unfortunately swimming is no longer allowed in the lagoon, but there's access to water recreation and the beach itself is open. The scenery is magnificent, the Never Land Club and new Mona Mickey's Arcade are available for children, the restaraunts are fantastic and transportation is a breeze. The resort monorail runs directly to MK and the TTC is at most a five minute walk. The Poly has the most authentic "resort" feel, and you often think you're actually in the Pacific instead of FL. I would say this is the most family friendly of any of the MK area resorts, and there must be a reason they have the highest guest return rate! :animwink:

If you do stay here, I suggest trying to get a garden view room in the Niue or Samoa longhouse. While you can't choose your longhouse during the reservation process, the front desk staff will do everything they can to get you into your top choice during check in. Both longhouses are located in between the two pools and are right next to the Grand Ceremonial House. For convenience, these two can't be beat (30 second walk to GCH, 30 seconds to lagoon/either pool, 2 or 3 minutes to TTC, and right near the boat dock if you want to take the water launch to the MK - which I highly recommend).

Can you tell I'm a die-hard Poly fan?

 

[WaltzingMatilda]

Not trying to bump, just finally got a chance to read all the replies and respond.

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.

I love the FQ...visited Riverside, and while I think it is nice, the Quarter will always have my heart. Thanks for your advice..I really am leaning towards the Poly as my first Deluxe.

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.

Oh, Jenny, I am SO surprised at your recommendation...:kiss: . Thank you, honey. But girl, you know I can't do anything that even remotely suggest camping...Wilderness Lodge? Does it have indoor plumbing?

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.

I am thinking I am totally about the monorail resorts...thanks for your advice!

We are doing our first deluxe stay in July. I booked the GF MK view room. The theming in the GF may make it seem "stuffy" to some with all the Victorian Decor, but when we have eaten there in the past, it has not seemed like that at all. It is still WDW! My theory was, if we are going to go deluxe, then I would go all the way.
Of course, any of them are super nice, but I would choose the GF of the Poly just so you are on the monorail. My kids (10 & 12) cannot wait to stay at the GF!

I actually love the Victorian Era, I just feel like such a schlub in my "Mom" shorts and sensible shoes...I feel like I should look pretty when I'm there. The GF is so pretty, when I'm there I want to be pretty too! We took my mom to tea there last year and she was so upset because we were dressed for the parks, and even though I pointed out that the gentleman next to us was showing his back hair(for the record, this was my DH) through his tank top she was having none of it. I love the GF..thanks for your reply.

I'm going to say hands down, Polynesian.

While it is one of the most expensive deluxe resorts (just below GF in pricing) if you go later in September or after Christmas you can beat the holiday crowds AND rates. For timing my family has found that mid-November or the first week of January are perfect if you want to experience the magic of WDW at Christmas. You're not dealing with the holiday rates and the parks are less crowded. November allows you to experience MVMCP, but right after New Years is quieter in the parks and the decorations are still up. If you really want the Christmas ambiance and extremely comfortable temperatures (highs in the low to mid 70's, lows between 40 and 50) go for the first week in January. Note: in 2008 the WDW marathon is January 6 and 7, so there are slightly more crowds from that and longer bus trips due to road closures. We went during the marathon in 2006 and didn't find either of these to be significant issues, especially since the parks were not very crowded to begin with. However, if you do go during this time, make your reservations as far in advance as possible (ie August) because rooms do fill up quickly for the event.

Now for the wonders of the Poly! We've been to WDW about 10 times now, and every time we stay at the Poly. This resort has the highest rate of return guests of any resort on property. The rooms have all recently been refurnished and are beautiful. The CM's are excessively helpful and friendly and everyone greets each other with a cheerful "Aloha!" There is a very popular themed pool and a quiet pool (conveniently open 24 hours, and from tons of experience I can tell you that it's wonderful to relax in an empty heated pool after a long day at the parks.) along with the lagoon. Unfortunately swimming is no longer allowed in the lagoon, but there's access to water recreation and the beach itself is open. The scenery is magnificent, the Never Land Club and new Mona Mickey's Arcade are available for children, the restaraunts are fantastic and transportation is a breeze. The resort monorail runs directly to MK and the TTC is at most a five minute walk. The Poly has the most authentic "resort" feel, and you often think you're actually in the Pacific instead of FL. I would say this is the most family friendly of any of the MK area resorts, and there must be a reason they have the highest guest return rate! :animwink:

If you do stay here, I suggest trying to get a garden view room in the Niue or Samoa longhouse. While you can't choose your longhouse during the reservation process, the front desk staff will do everything they can to get you into your top choice during check in. Both longhouses are located in between the two pools and are right next to the Grand Ceremonial House. For convenience, these two can't be beat (30 second walk to GCH, 30 seconds to lagoon/either pool, 2 or 3 minutes to TTC, and right near the boat dock if you want to take the water launch to the MK - which I highly recommend).

Can you tell I'm a die-hard Poly fan?

MegPeg...I am booking the Poly. Thank you, dahling!


And thanks to everyone for your replies...I knew I could count on these boards for great advice.