Which of these resorts would you recommend

[carlnlisa]

Well you could also look at the cabins at Ft Wilderness....I personally don't think I would like staying in one but they do sleep 6 people, they are a more expensive moderate option and a bit cheaper if they are discounted than the list of deluxe resorts you have listed. My grandkids who are 9 and 7 now love going to the Chip and Dale campfire they do nightly there. The entire area is very laid back and woodsy and it is a boat ride or bus ride to all the parks. My brother in law stayed in one of them years ago with his family and they rented one of those golf carts to get around the resort because it is quite sprawling. Alot of onsite activities for kids too. In fact my grandkids told me if we could stay there they were sure their pawpaw would come back to WDW for a visit...lol...I was like well fine y'all can all stay in a cabin I will be up at the lodge...lol...
Anyways, I wouldn't worry too much about other guests observations about appearances, half the time I look like I am still in my pjs wandering around the world, and people tend to be really absorbed in their own families and experiences at WDW. There are fat people and skinny people and all different colored people and tatted people and pierced people that visit WDW and we all seem to look right at home there.
If you think GF would be a bit too pretentious then definitely consider one of the EPCOT area resorts. Whether Boardwalk or Beach Club or Yacht Club they are all wonderful resorts. If you really want to stay on a monorail resort then the CONT or BLT might be perfect for your family and it definitely has a great location in reference to MK and good food choices and speaks of the modern look Walt Disney himself loved. I would avoid the POLY this year because of all the construction. Grand Floridian would be my first choice for the reasons I listed earlier.
Another less expensive option onsite is the moderate resort Port Orleans Riverside. It is close to the Downtown Disney area and I think can sleep a family of 5. I ate a Boatwright's last November for the first time and saw the lobby there and it looks like a really nice resort. There was a horse and carriage outside giving buggy rides to people. It has a boat marina and you can take the boat to Downtown Disney from that resort.
Good luck with your selection process!

we live in Australia in a central Queensland coal mining town where our house backs on to bushland so staying there wouldn't worry us to much but i don't think i would feel like i am on holiday either lol price doesn't worry us to much and i am a bit of a hotel snob lol so that is why i am hoping to go for a deluxe resort plus it is our first os holiday as a family so we want to make it special and splurge a bit

 

[carlnlisa]

thanks everyone for your replies unfortunately we haven't made a decision yet but have gotten a little closer and eliminated the yacht club. While the villas at the grand floridian look so nice and so luxurious the beach club and boardwalk in look like they have amazing pools for the kids and the boardwalk looks like it would be a lot of fun.

 

[Lord_Vader]

thanks everyone for your replies unfortunately we haven't made a decision yet but have gotten a little closer and eliminated the yacht club. While the villas at the grand floridian look so nice and so luxurious the beach club and boardwalk in look like they have amazing pools for the kids and the boardwalk looks like it would be a lot of fun.

We visited the BWI twice in 2013 with both visits being nothing short of fantastic. We requested and were provided a room overlooking the boardwalk, over the bakery and over the arcade this Christmas. We really enjoyed sitting on the balcony watching the performers and in general people watching in the late evenings. The rooms are quite large compared to the moderates and the appointments were generally very good, even brought us a couple dozen extra hangers when requested for our shirts and such. The views are nothing short of fantastic at night. The staff we encountered was the best we have had at any resort at WDW hands down, both visits.

The distance from the elevators to the BW overlook rooms can be considered a long way but we quickly got used to the long meandering hallway and was well worth the extra distance. There are no dining options inside the resort proper, all are on the boardwalk which is not a problem unless it is raining which does happen at times, the lounge on the main floor (2nd) does have basic pastries from the bakery which allowed us to eat something quick inside on the one morning it did rain on our trip.

 

[jlsHouston]

we live in Australia in a central Queensland coal mining town where our house backs on to bushland so staying there wouldn't worry us to much but i don't think i would feel like i am on holiday either lol price doesn't worry us to much and i am a bit of a hotel snob lol so that is why i am hoping to go for a deluxe resort plus it is our first os holiday as a family so we want to make it special and splurge a bit

Wow Austrailia, you will be coming a very long way! Definitely worth the splurge. I kind of view the cabins as too much like camping too and have shied away from staying at that property. Honestly the Epcot resorts are really wonderful for all the reasons everyone has listed. One of the reasons I think I preferred the Boardwalk pool over the BC pool is it is so much easier to keep track of my grandkids...Stormalong Bay is so sprawling I end up in the water alot more to be close to the kids. But as another poster has commented alot of the food options for Boardwalk are outside walkup service and the tables are outside...so there are times you make some adjustments depending on weather. But still at either of those resorts you have so many close by food options that it barely matters.

Did you mention what time of year you were thinking of attending ? I'm assuming summer or early fall time since you mentioned wanting to do the water parks....be prepared for the FLORIDA HEAT!!

 

[carlnlisa]

Wow Austrailia, you will be coming a very long way! Definitely worth the splurge. I kind of view the cabins as too much like camping too and have shied away from staying at that property. Honestly the Epcot resorts are really wonderful for all the reasons everyone has listed. One of the reasons I think I preferred the Boardwalk pool over the BC pool is it is so much easier to keep track of my grandkids...Stormalong Bay is so sprawling I end up in the water alot more to be close to the kids. But as another poster has commented alot of the food options for Boardwalk are outside walkup service and the tables are outside...so there are times you make some adjustments depending on weather. But still at either of those resorts you have so many close by food options that it barely matters.

Did you mention what time of year you were thinking of attending ? I'm assuming summer or early fall time since you mentioned wanting to do the water parks....be prepared for the FLORIDA HEAT!!

We are hoping for early September, which i know makes it to early to book so for right now i am trying to gather as much info on the resorts as possible so when the time comes to book i will know already which one we prefer. I can't imagine the heat being any worse then here, we have had temps reaching 46C for the last week i think i might melt if it gets any higher lol

 

[luv]

I haven't stayed in BLT or the GF villas, but have stayed in the hotels themselves.

From that list, I like the villas at the Beach Club best, so thats where I'd go. But I think you'll be happy with whatever you pick.

 

[jlsHouston]

We are hoping for early September, which i know makes it to early to book so for right now i am trying to gather as much info on the resorts as possible so when the time comes to book i will know already which one we prefer. I can't imagine the heat being any worse then here, we have had temps reaching 46C for the last week i think i might melt if it gets any higher lol

ah you poor thing, it gets hot like that down here too on the gulf coast then you add humidity and it's like a steam bath....Lately though we have been freezing our toes off....

September will be a good month for the pools and the water parks, still plenty hot in Florida!