Tinkerbella16
Well-Known Member
I have never stayed in a deluxe but I am pretty sure my favorite is going to be Wilderness Lodge after I stay there in November! 
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Vote - Favourite Deluxe Resort
- Thread starter Pluto15
- Start date
I have never stayed in a deluxe but I am pretty sure my favorite is going to be Wilderness Lodge after I stay there in November!
You will love it. I love both the Lodges there is something about them. You could almost go there and never leave of the parks were not as much fun
With almost 40 votes cast I am pleasantly surprised both lodges are front runners and AKL way in the lead. I personally love both these resorts but thought the most expensive deluxe resorts would have a closer match. I love the atmosphere of the lodges the grounds and setting. There is no doubt all deluxe are special in their own way but these just stand out
epcotisbest
Well-Known Member
We stayed at AKL-Kidani in Sept. And it seemed it was about a 10 minute walk from the lobby to our room. Seemed much longer after a day out and about. Beautiful place though, and waking up every morning with giraffe and zebra grazing right outside the room was worth the walk. While I would not call it our favorite, it was nice to experience it once. We got up early every morning and had breakfast on the balcony, sipping coffee as the sun came up, watching the animals. We spent more time at the resort than in the parks, but that is something we have been doing for the past 10 years or so.
Sounds amazing. Really looking forward to the Savannah view. Not many places in the world able to experience this
epcotisbest
Well-Known Member
It is amazing. While there plan on experiencing the resort, not just sleeping there. So much to see and do. We decorated cookies at Boma, took the restaurants tour, ate at Boma, Jiko, Sanaa and The Mara, viewed the animals through night vision goggles, watched the outdoor movie and spent lots and lots of time at both pools. Great place.Sounds amazing. Really looking forward to the Savannah view. Not many places in the world able to experience this
networkpro
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
Call me jaded but aside from the amenities at each hotel there are other factors I consider important to my wife and I:
- Location, Location, Location. I'm on vacation and I don't what to spend lots of time in transportation queues. We'll travel to remote places for our favorite experiences (Hoop-de-Doo and Boma), but dont want to do it every morning, afternoon and evening.
- Vibrant verses noisy. Volume level doesn't necessary equate to charm. I'll leave it at that.
- Level of service. While I'm on vacation I want the option to have everything done for me if I want to pay for it.
zeebs758
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
Wilderness Lodge is my favorite. I have been camping since I was a baby so I consider myself an outdoors-men of sorts. On my first trip to Disney, my parents booked a trailer in Fort Wilderness and we loved it. They took my sister and I to the Wilderness Lodge and he said we would stay there on our next trip. Unfortunately when we were booking our next trip, the hotel was under construction and decided to book the Grand Floridian instead. Finally on our third trip to Disney, we stayed at the Wilderness Lodge and I've been in love with it ever since. There was a nine year gap in between my trips to Disney and I needed to stay there once more. My girlfriend and I stayed in WL and it was just as magical as I remember.
I Defo will. I have a separate threat you might like titled does anyone take a night off from the Parks to spend at resort. In really excited
epcotisbest
Well-Known Member
See post #8 in that thread.I Defo will. I have a separate threat you might like titled does anyone take a night off from the Parks to spend at resort. In really excited
Thanks to all 50 plus voters so far and all the comments. I'm really interested to see how the vote contributes. It may be so far all the readers have been predominantly lodge fans so keen to see if we can get 100 votes and the see where the majority sit
Philhar-Fanatic
Active Member
AKL...blew away every expectation!! We're hooked!!
75disney
Well-Known Member
I used to be a Poly girl, but after a stay at the Contemporary, it became my favorite hotel. I love watching the monorail glide by my room (we were in the garden wing) and the boats crossing Seven Seas Lagoon. I love Chef Mickey's. I love be able to hop on a monorail to go to the other monorail hotels for meals. I love being able to walk to the MK in the morning when I have energy and to ride the monorail back at the end of the day when I am tired. I love taking a boat to Fort Wilderness or Wilderness Lodge. I love being surrounded by Seven Seas Lagoon on one side and Bay Lake on the other (no other resort can boast that). I love getting off the monorail at the Grand Concourse and getting inundated with the noise and delicious smells. I love the cupcakes at the Contempo Cafe. I love the stores. Add in that it is the iconic Disney World hotel, and it surpasses all the others.
JusticeDisney
Well-Known Member
Okay, I'm ready to weigh in!
First, let me start off by saying that my family and I have been visiting Disney World for just under 40 years, yet despite that, I do not believe that my opinion is worth any more or any less than anyone else's. In addition, I have spent time at every hotel listed in the poll and have actually stayed at the Boardwalk, Beach Club, Polynesian, Contemporary and Dolphin, so I do have somewhat of a first-hand knowledge of each resort. That said, I really do not see how you could possibly go wrong staying at any one of the places mentioned. They are all phenomenal in their own respective rights.
Anyway, my favorite of them all is the Dolphin. Here's why. First off, the lobby. With the exception of Animal Kingdom Lodge, no other place can rival the Dolphin's lobby. It is huge, it is beautiful, it is exciting, it is relaxing. The second you walk into the lobby, you think "ahhhhhhh, I'm on vacation!" I simply love hanging out in the lobby with a cup of coffee in the morning before a fun day at the parks, or a cold beer at night after a fun day at the parks. It definitely has more of an adult feel than some of the other places, but that's just fine with me. I understand what Disney World is all about and it just wouldn't be the same without the countless kids running around with smiles on their faces, but a little peaceful time every now and then hits the spot just right.
Next, the location. Situated right on the beautiful lake, it's location is the equal of places such as YC/BC and the Boardwalk. It's so easy to walk to or take a peaceful boat ride to either Epcot or Hollywood Studios, and a bus gets you everywhere else. Some of the comments in this thread about the bus running less frequently at the Dolphin then some other resorts are absurd. The bus from the Dolphin comes and goes exactly as frequently as it does at the YC/BC and the Boardwalk. Indeed, it often times shares a bus with those very other resorts.
This brings me to the pool. Now, I readily concede that there is no pool anywhere that can come even close to rivaling Stormalong Bay. After that, however, I will take the pool at the Dolphin over any other place in a heartbeat. The Dolphin has three separate pools, one with a waterfall and slide, and plenty of beautiful, relaxing space around them. It also has a sandy beach area if you want more of a beach feel. In addition to that, there's a phenomenal cabana bar located right next to the pools, where you can get just about any drink or snack you want.
Moving on, let's talk about food. The dining options at the Dolphin (and Swan) blow all other resorts to smithereens. Want a steak? Try to beat Shula's. In the mood for Italian? Get a table at Il Mulino. Like sushi? Where ya gonna go besides Kimonos. And if you want some nice seafood? Say hello to Todd English's Blue Zoo. And if you want a step down from places like that, you can try other nice little places such as Fresh (phenomenal breakfast), Fountain (decent, but nothing great food - awesome ice cream sundaes though!), or Picabu (nothing at all to write home about, but at least it is open 24 hours so you can always grab a snack or drink no matter how late you get back - how many other resorts can you say that about?).
Now let's talk accommodations. The rooms at the Dolphin (and Swan) were severely outdated and in need of drastic renovations, but that has completely occurred or is in the process of occurring as we speak. The rooms now are simply as current and as nice as anywhere on the entire property. And forget about pricing. There's simply no comparison here. I literally routinely get a suite for a couple hundred dollars less PER NIGHT than a boring standard room at YC/BC or the Boardwalk costs. And the rooms at the Dolphin have views equal to anything you can get at any of the other Epcot properties. Why anyone would intentionally pay so much more for so much less room-wise is a head-scratcher I will never solve.
Finally, let's address the theme of the hotel. No doubt that several of the other hotels have unique and pretty darn cool themes. You know what the theme of the Dolphin is, though? Class. First class. Everywhere you go, it just feels classier than he other hotels (save for the Grand Floridian). Yeah, you're not looking at nautical themes everywhere or feeling like your camping, etc., but you just feel like you are in a grand place.
Okay, I'm done now, lol. I'm sure there are many other reasons why I prefer the Dolphin but the ones I listed are just the main ones.
By the way, This is a great poll and a fun topic, and everybody has awesome perspectives that I have thoroughly enjoyed reading. Thanks for sharing, everyone, and may your next trip to Disney World be your best one ever - until the following trip, that is!
First, let me start off by saying that my family and I have been visiting Disney World for just under 40 years, yet despite that, I do not believe that my opinion is worth any more or any less than anyone else's. In addition, I have spent time at every hotel listed in the poll and have actually stayed at the Boardwalk, Beach Club, Polynesian, Contemporary and Dolphin, so I do have somewhat of a first-hand knowledge of each resort. That said, I really do not see how you could possibly go wrong staying at any one of the places mentioned. They are all phenomenal in their own respective rights.
Anyway, my favorite of them all is the Dolphin. Here's why. First off, the lobby. With the exception of Animal Kingdom Lodge, no other place can rival the Dolphin's lobby. It is huge, it is beautiful, it is exciting, it is relaxing. The second you walk into the lobby, you think "ahhhhhhh, I'm on vacation!" I simply love hanging out in the lobby with a cup of coffee in the morning before a fun day at the parks, or a cold beer at night after a fun day at the parks. It definitely has more of an adult feel than some of the other places, but that's just fine with me. I understand what Disney World is all about and it just wouldn't be the same without the countless kids running around with smiles on their faces, but a little peaceful time every now and then hits the spot just right.
Next, the location. Situated right on the beautiful lake, it's location is the equal of places such as YC/BC and the Boardwalk. It's so easy to walk to or take a peaceful boat ride to either Epcot or Hollywood Studios, and a bus gets you everywhere else. Some of the comments in this thread about the bus running less frequently at the Dolphin then some other resorts are absurd. The bus from the Dolphin comes and goes exactly as frequently as it does at the YC/BC and the Boardwalk. Indeed, it often times shares a bus with those very other resorts.
This brings me to the pool. Now, I readily concede that there is no pool anywhere that can come even close to rivaling Stormalong Bay. After that, however, I will take the pool at the Dolphin over any other place in a heartbeat. The Dolphin has three separate pools, one with a waterfall and slide, and plenty of beautiful, relaxing space around them. It also has a sandy beach area if you want more of a beach feel. In addition to that, there's a phenomenal cabana bar located right next to the pools, where you can get just about any drink or snack you want.
Moving on, let's talk about food. The dining options at the Dolphin (and Swan) blow all other resorts to smithereens. Want a steak? Try to beat Shula's. In the mood for Italian? Get a table at Il Mulino. Like sushi? Where ya gonna go besides Kimonos. And if you want some nice seafood? Say hello to Todd English's Blue Zoo. And if you want a step down from places like that, you can try other nice little places such as Fresh (phenomenal breakfast), Fountain (decent, but nothing great food - awesome ice cream sundaes though!), or Picabu (nothing at all to write home about, but at least it is open 24 hours so you can always grab a snack or drink no matter how late you get back - how many other resorts can you say that about?).
Now let's talk accommodations. The rooms at the Dolphin (and Swan) were severely outdated and in need of drastic renovations, but that has completely occurred or is in the process of occurring as we speak. The rooms now are simply as current and as nice as anywhere on the entire property. And forget about pricing. There's simply no comparison here. I literally routinely get a suite for a couple hundred dollars less PER NIGHT than a boring standard room at YC/BC or the Boardwalk costs. And the rooms at the Dolphin have views equal to anything you can get at any of the other Epcot properties. Why anyone would intentionally pay so much more for so much less room-wise is a head-scratcher I will never solve.
Finally, let's address the theme of the hotel. No doubt that several of the other hotels have unique and pretty darn cool themes. You know what the theme of the Dolphin is, though? Class. First class. Everywhere you go, it just feels classier than he other hotels (save for the Grand Floridian). Yeah, you're not looking at nautical themes everywhere or feeling like your camping, etc., but you just feel like you are in a grand place.
Okay, I'm done now, lol. I'm sure there are many other reasons why I prefer the Dolphin but the ones I listed are just the main ones.
By the way, This is a great poll and a fun topic, and everybody has awesome perspectives that I have thoroughly enjoyed reading. Thanks for sharing, everyone, and may your next trip to Disney World be your best one ever - until the following trip, that is!
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Can I ask what you liked about it? Booked up to go there on my vacation
Great post and really valuable. I'm going to check out the Dolphin on my upcoming trip now. Can I ask is it really different to the Swan?
JusticeDisney
Well-Known Member
They are pretty similar. They share the pools and they are a short walk from one another so you can easily enjoy the restaurants in each side. The Dolphin is bigger and tends to attract more conventions than the Swan (kinda like the YC gets more conventions than the BC). Also, the Swan is believed to be a tad "swankier" than the Dolphin. Personally, I prefer the Dolphin over the Swan, but they're both great. Also, Swan's renovations are complete but Dolphin is in the middle of them now.
I hope you have an a awesome vacation!