Which deluxe resort do you recomend?

[bobjl527]

Hello everyone. After many trips to WDW together, my wife and I are seriously considering staying on Disney property at a deluxe resort next October. We have stayed at the Swan before, but that was when I worked for Starwood, the company that manages Swan and Dolphin. While it was very nice there, I felt like I was just staying at another Sheraton, not a Disney hotel. I really want to stay at POLY. Ever since I was 5 years old and saw it from the monorail, I've wanted to stay there. My wife on the other hand wants to stay at Wilderness Lodge.
I know it may be hard to compare the two. I was just wondering if any of you can give me their opinions. It is just the two of us, and we'll be celebrating our 9th wedding anniversary, so if one is more romantic than the other please let us know.
Thanks again.

 

[captainkidd]

I've only stayed at 3 deluxes - Polynesian, Wilderness Lodge, and Old Key West (actually, DVC).

Like you, the Poly was my dream resort. We stayed there this past summer for 2 weeks. Sorry to say, but it was a big disappointment for us. The monorail was perfect and it was awesome watching the fireworks from the beach, but really, that's where it ends.

The room, while large, was boring. The longhouses are in need of some TLC. The restaurants are OK, nothing to write home about. I just didn't feel that the resort was worth the amount of money they get for it.

I vote for Wilderness Lodge. We stayed there in December of last year and were regretting not staying there again the entire time we were at Poly. The rooms are nicer. The lobby was nicer. The staff was nicer. The restaurants are better. The boat ride to Magic Kingdom was fantastic. Being just a quick bike ride to Fort Wilderness was great. I actually found Wilderness Lodge MUCH more romantic. My wife and I would sit by the fireplace in the lobby. The bubbling brooks nearby were so soothing. Poly didn't feel romantic to us at all.

Bottom line for us was, Wilderness Lodge is worth every penny they get for it, and more. Polynesian not worth it - Not even close.

 

[disneychic71]

Hi! Congratulations on the anniversary. I have stayed at both resorts, and I understand that it's difficult to choose--they are both incredible! For romance, I find the Poly to be a little better, but that's probably just becuase I personally like a tropical atmosphere. At night, the pathways are lighted with torches, and you can walk to the beach to watch Wishes at night, which is very romantic. There is a constant stream of Polynesian music piped all over the resort (even underwater at the pool!). Also, the cheapest room category, Garden View, is great--the gardens are absolutely beautiful and it's hard to get a bad view. Finally, you have the convenience of the monorail.

The Wilderness Lodge has a different feel. Rather than winding through pathways from building to building, you spend your time inside navigating hallways (an advantage in bad weather, though!). But the courtyard is magnificent and bears exploration. The rooms are a little smaller, too, but if it's just the two of you there would be more than enough room.

If I had to choose and $ were not an issue, I would choose the Poly. But if you really can't decide, let the economy decide for you! The WL is usually significantly less $ than the Poly, and it is still magnificent.

Good luck!

 

[sleepybear]

Really, it all boils down to what kind of theme appeals to you most and what your plans are during the trip.

Poly has a very lush, tropical, laid-back feeling, but its amenities leave a little bit to be desired. For example. except for breakfast, you're better off going to another resort for a meal.

Wilderness Lodge manages to be majestic and cozy at the same time. Great theme, great restaurants, mediocre rooms. They can be pretty tiny.

If you're going to be spending a lot of time in your room or at the hotel, maybe the Grand Floridian would be good. The rooms are huge and comfy, there's a ton of amenities there and several stellar restaurants. It's pricey, but you are celebrating a special occasion.

 

[DisneyMusician2]

The poly is wonderful, with some great food options.

Go with Wilderness Lodge for something special, you won't be sorry. There is smply an atmosphere there you won't get at Poly. Poly is great, but if you are talking a special occassion, "cozy" is the right descriptor to WL and that is what I might be looking for.

A third option is always the Yacht and Beach Club. My wife and I love to walk into the World Showcase at night and just stroll, grab a drink...or do the same on the boardwalk, which is right next to YC. We found it to be our most relaxing spot, so much so that we spent a night hanging out in the area even though we weren't staying at the resort.

Not to confuse the heck out of you, just throwing it out there.

 

[captainkidd]

Just a word about the rooms sizes between Poly and WL - We had a room at Poly in Tokelau which was 476 sq ft. The rooms at WL are 344 sq ft. Seems like a big difference. To be honest, I could barely tell the difference, and we had 5 people in our room.

I never felt cramped in the least bit at WL. The bathroom was slightly larger at the Poly, along with the hallway and the balcony. As for room decor itself, Wilderness Lodge was much nicer than the Poly.

 

[RiversideBunny]

You should stay where your wife wants to stay and there will peace and happiness in your world.

IMHO

 

[captainkidd]

You should stay where your wife wants to stay and there will peace and happiness in your world.

IMHO

So true.

 

[krankenstein]

I just wanted to say that Animal Kingdom Lodge is awesome!! You might want to take a look at it.

 

[DisneyMusician2]

You should stay where your wife wants to stay and there will peace and happiness in your world.

IMHO

Sagely advice I would do well to remember!

 

[eroyee]

Stay where your wife wants to stay. The WL is magnificent.....You wont be sorry. You can always stay at the POLY next time.

 

[rsoxguy]

Quick question regarding the Wilderness Lodge... are all of the standard rooms the same size? I read on a travel website that the rooms are 400 sq. ft. Are the rooms unusually small for a larger hotel, and will a room fit 3 people comfortably for down-time from the parks?

 

[Edisto Pluto]

Beach Club

 

[dave1105]

You should stay where your wife wants to stay and there will peace and happiness in your world.

IMHO

I agree with the above wholeheartedly!

We stayed at the Poly last Dec and absolutely loved it! We had a longhouse right across from the Great Ceremonial House on the first floor and enjoyed being close to the monorail and restaurants. The boat ride to MK is pretty awesome as well. This is where the DW wanted to go so I followed RiversideBunny's advice last visit.

That being said the next time we get a chance I really want to stay at the Wilderness Lodge. We went there for Dinner at Whispering Canyon and I really liked the lobby area and surrounding grounds.

 

[DisneyMusician2]

Quick question regarding the Wilderness Lodge... are all of the standard rooms the same size? I read on a travel website that the rooms are 400 sq. ft. Are the rooms unusually small for a larger hotel, and will a room fit 3 people comfortably for down-time from the parks?

You could comfortably fit three people for down-time in half that space. The WL rooms have a great feel to them, and I have stayed four people in them before with no space issue.

Then again, I have stayed in the All-Star with four adults and only a minor bathroom issue in the mornings. So maybe I need less relaxation space than some other people.

 

[rsoxguy]

You could comfortably fit three people for down-time in half that space. The WL rooms have a great feel to them, and I have stayed four people in them before with no space issue.

Then again, I have stayed in the All-Star with four adults and only a minor bathroom issue in the mornings. So maybe I need less relaxation space than some other people.

Thanks!

 

[DougK]

The Poly and WL are both special, I have stayed in both but more often at the Poly.

For a totally different treat try the Contemporary. It has the monorail running through it you know! And that Magic Kingdom view is worth every penny. (and it takes alot of pennies...)

 

[yankspy]

This is a tough one since they are similar in many ways.
1. Romance- I would give a slight edge to the Poly, since they have that beach area which is a very romantic spot to watch "Wishes" from. (WL does have a small beach area). However, the courtyard at night in the WL can be romantic as well.

2. Rooms- Both have a similar level of themeing but the roms at the Poly are larger.

3. Restaurants- I would say that "Ohana" and "Whispering Canyon" are pretty equal in food and entertainment. I would give a slight edge to "Artist Point" over "Kona Cafe" in terms of romance and food. As far as QS, I would say that "Captain Cook's" is better than "Roaring Fork".

4. Transportation- This is where the Poly has an obviously big advantage with the monorail.

When all is said and done, either one would be an excellent choice. I have stayed in both and I love them both. Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[Whimsy]

They're both amazing hotels. They've both been renovated recently so you wouldn't have to worry about having an older room at one versus the other (aka they both have flat screen TV's if that matters). With Polynesian it's obvious you have the monorail access and views of Wishes from the dock, but Poly generally costs more money that Wilderness does. With Wilderness, nothing beats the feeling of walking into a huge, majestic lobby to get to your room and back (as opposed to Polynesian's separate longhouses). The theme is entirely different that it would be hard to compare the two, but with Wilderness you definitely get a cozier feeling and with Polynesian it truly feels like you're staying a tropical resort. Pool-wise, they are both about the same, one's a volcano, and the other one's rock springs. Wilderness Lodge's rooms are indeed smaller than the ones at Polynesian. All in all, if money is no issue, stay at Poly, but if you wanna save a little money, but still get an amazing deluxe experience, go to Wilderness. Sorry that doesn't really help!

 

[tigsmom]

Quick question regarding the Wilderness Lodge... are all of the standard rooms the same size? I read on a travel website that the rooms are 400 sq. ft. Are the rooms unusually small for a larger hotel, and will a room fit 3 people comfortably for down-time from the parks?

The WL has the smallest rooms of all of the deluxes. We have stayed there 10 plus times (there are 4 of us - 2 adults & 2 kids now 20 &14) and have never had a problem.

We've stayed at the Polynesian - nice big rooms, but didn't like having to walk outside to get to everything (we stayed in one of the far houses), The Contemporary in what was the North garden Wing - very nice with small kids because we had a private beach, but really didn't like the decor), the Boardwalk Inn - loved the area because the kids love EPCOT, the rooms were large and cheerful and it wasn't noisy from the boardwalk at all. My family didn't care for the food offerings there though.
By far our favorite is the Wilderness Lodge. We love the atmosphere, the fact that you find families relaxing and playing games in the lobby, the restaurants and the proximity to the MK. You can boat over to the Contemporary to hop on the monorail or catch it outside the MK.
Many of our friends and family have stayed there and it has become their favorite too.

And if it is your anniversary trip then keep the Mrs happy and book the WL, even if you don't find it the most romantic she will be happy. And romance is where you make it. :animwink: