What's your favorite WDW hotel?

[6_Time_Momma]

I've never stayed onsite, but I am seriously considering it for our trip next year. What is everyone's favorite WDW hotel and why? :D Oh, and money is no object----yea, right!!

[Saffron]

The CBR!

I love the romantic, Carribean atmostphere that Disney has created. It's spread out so it feels a little isolated. Some nights a calypso band plays over by the main pool; it's very relaxing. To me, staying there is like having a vacation within a vacation. :)

[Debi]

DxL for me. The theming is wonderful, the food court is great, and the pool is great for kids. The five quiet pools are also great for kids and adults. Now that the river cruise to Downtown Disney has been brought back, what's there not to like about DxL? :)

[Kitty 34]

Right now my family is hooked on the Dolphin as we get the great Teacher's Rate but if we couldn't stay there I would love to try one of the Moderates like Coronado Springs. And some day when we find gold in the backyard or something, I'd love to stay at the Contemporary!!:)

[CaliforniaDreaming]

Well, I just love the Grand Floridian!

It is truly a special place. The magic hits you right when you pull into the resort, and you see the main building for the first time. After pulling through the guard booth and given a "have a grand day" you pull up to the valet area, and make your way inside the Grand Lobby. The string orchestra playing tunes, and the casual elegance surrounding you just makes you feel like "you've arrived"! Then, onto the rooms, they are decorated nicely in victorian patterns, with hidden Mickeys. The wallpaper (in them halls) actually has a ton of them in it!

[Ricola]

My fave would be a split stay between POFQ and AKL Concierge. I love the animals, but POFQ has a special place in our hearts.

[EROS]

Is MOTEL 6 a WDW hotel????:confused: :confused: :confused: :D :D :D

[CathyCanada]

:D EROS

If price was no object it would be the Polynesian or the Beach Club. Poly is on the monorail, great new pool, close to MK. Beach Club has that incredible pool area, walk to Epcot, boat to MGM and on the Boardwalk area. But I will always love Dixie Landings too! :D
CC

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

Of the ones I've stayed at my favs have been Old Key West and The Wilderness Lodge Villas

[Princess Michelle]

I've only stayed at the Contemporary (just once) so I guess it would be my favorite until I stay at some others and compare them. I really liked it though. :)

[Bennet]

AKL is very nice but I'm a DVC Boardwalk guy.

So Eros how many DVC point is MOTEL 6?

[amid chaos]

Old Key west.

[Blondie]

If money was no object, the Grand Floridian.

The Dolphin has won me over for life!

[SonjaB]

Hey guys! I'm going to copy this over to the Resorts Board so you can get some expert opinions from the diehards as well. I'm not going to close it here, but you all know how much I love moving things. :D :D :D

[jaguar9748]

If money is truly no object, then I would vote for one of the DVC properties. We've only stayed at Wilderness Lodge Villas which we love, but there is also the Boardwalk Villas and Old Key West with the Beach Club Villas scheduled to open this year. I would get a 1-bedroom (or 2-bedroom if you need it) which will give you a washer/dryer, full kitchen to prepare meals, and 2 rooms to spread out. Wilderness Lodge is spectacular and has 3 restaurant areas, 2 pools, beach, bike rentals, boat rentals, nature trails and so on. The Contemporary is a short boat ride away with more restaurants, more shops and access to both the Poly and the Grand Floridian. The Boardwalk Villas will put you in the heart of the Epcot resorts with many restaurants and shops within walking distance. :)

[Elmo888]

Wilderness Lodge (rustic, MK proximity, AMAZING lobby, fast food option, in-the-woods feel) and Yacht Club (a little more elegant, proximity to Epcot and restaurants, in-the-middle-of-things feel).

I have stayed at WL. I haven't stayed at YC (or BC), but I'm dying to!

Enjoy!

[ContempoSMT]

Look at my name - Contempo - Contemporary the best hotel in all of WDW, the monorail , chef mickey;s,the arcade, the view makes it the best of all the hotels
2. Grand Floridian
3. Widlerness Lodge
4. Polynesian
5. Yacht and Beach CLub

[CarolA]

Animal Kindgom Lodge!

WOW! I loved this place and all those animals!

[Patio]

I love CBR because of its Caribbean theme, pretty tropical-colored buildings, quiet pools, sandy beaches, hammocks, walking or biking around the promenade. It really is beautiful and so relaxing!! :)

[mickey7861]

My all time favorite is the Poly.......nothing beats it.
I wish they could add DVC at the Poly ......all my dreams would have come true.

[kenman]

AKL !!!!!!!!!WOW!!!!!!!WOW!!!!!!:bounce:

[Kimkimba]

The Polynesian!

I haven't been in almost 7 years (ouch), but everything I remember about the Poly is magic.
I've stayed at the Comtemporary, and it's nice, but too much hustle and bustle, and no magic.
I'm hoping the Poly is still magical as I've booked the Poly Concierge in September.
Second choice would be the Beach Club.
Third would be Old Key West.
Done tons of research!!!!!! And if I can please my homebody DH, my standoffish teen DD, and my very active and inquistive preschool DS all at the same time, I'll know my hundreds of hours of research has paid off :!)

[princess angel]

my favorite resort is the Yacht Club!!!
I love everything about it! the theming, location, service, decor, and storm a long bay, which is the most amazing pool! especially the hidden hottubs in the rocks!!! :) :) :)
there is som much to do staying at the YC! the BW is right there, the S/D is a right there to with lots of restuarants and mini golf! you can rent a surrey bike at the BW, see jugglers, play games.... etc....
also being a quick walk to epcot and mgm can't be beat! the bus to Mk is only 10 - 15 minutes!

but, the reason I like the YC best is the outstanding service we get there! so personalized, its amazing!!!

I'd have to say 2nd would be the GF! not one negative thing about it, always had an excellent stay, just absolutely love the theming, but YC wins out on location and activity for me!!! :)

Laura :)

[DC7800]

Contemporary Resort. The monorail and Magic Kingdom next door are reasons enough, but I could list a few hundred other reasons it's our favorite...

[shrpgrl]

Ok,I have stayed at FW trailers 3x, DI club suites and Treehouses, CSR, ASMo, BWV x4, OKW x3, AKL and WL.

My favorite would have to be WL and AKl just because of theming.

For space you can't beat OKW or BWV 2 bedrooms.

The trailers offered us a kitchen and lots of outdoor activities.

ASMo saved us money and the food court was good. Rooms were small but since there was only 2 of us it was ok.

CSR was ok but the walk to the front was long and the pool was closed several times for convention guests when we went to use it.

[Bob NC]

My fave used to be the Polynesian. Since I stayed at CSR last year that is now my favorite. I like the grounds, landscaping, Pepper Market, HOT TUB!!!!!, and pool area.

[dove]

Yes, yes, CSR! It's wonderful and affordable! :D

[sassafrass]

I would have to say the contemporary is my favorite resort.

[Poohbear123]

I am sure no-one will agree with me, but I LOVE: All Star Sports!:D I have also stayed at Coronado Springs and vote that my #2 resort!;)

[DeeCee]

Port Orleans Riverside is my favorite. I have to stay there for part of every trip.

Animal Kingdom Lodge and Yacht Club are a close 2nd and 3rd.

[J. Thornhill]

The Polynesian and AKL are pretty close for me, but I give the Polynesian the slightest edge for location, location, location!
AKL is themed to the max!

J.-

[DisneyVillans]

Yacht Club concierge ! Love the atmosphere, love the location - MGM is our favorite and it's only a boat ride away and the best restaurants are a short walk to Epcot, love STORM ALONG BAY!

[sewnmomma]

I liked WL,DL &CB,but I loved AKL.I would go back there in a minute.

[newbee]

We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge and absolutely loved it! I highly recommend it- a great value. We went in the beginning of December which is a great time to go. Christmas decor without the crowds of later Dec. I think that Dixie Landings is also nice- the amenities are better there but I prefer to be in a hotel and not walk all over the place. It rains often in Orlando and we had to run through some horrible lightning storms to eat!
This past May , we stayed at the Contemporary, which I didn't like. Was not worth the mega bucks we paid. I didn't like the decor although my kids did. Pool area was sorry. Wish I had been at the Polynesian. Even more , I wish that I had stayed at Wilderness Lodge but we have too many children (4) for one room. I am disappointed that with all that we paid, the deluxe resorts don't have better pool areas. Having the monorail is nice but I don't know that it made a difference. In fact, it was faster sometimes to walk to Magic Kingdom! And for $300 per night, they can't provide coffee and a coffee pot.
As a teen in the 80's, we stayed at the Contemporary and we liked it. We also stayed in the Villas on the golf course. My favorite in those times were the TReehouse Villas! It had this cool tub. I remember my grandmother making me turn off the water, but I could've filled it up to my neck! I remember going every summer and would like my kids to have that too, but Disney must have been a lot cheaper back then!!!
I love, love to stay on site but with Disney no longer having Early Entry, we are going to maybe stay offsite the next time we go for a long time. But before that we are going for a short trip and staying at Fort Wilderness. Newbee

[dbcahill]

Of the ones at which we've stayed (man, what lengths I'll go to in order to avoide ending the sentence with a preposition), each had their own reasons/benefits:

Contemporary - Was very close to MK, which was all that was there back then. Shouldn't count for this list.

POFQ - Loved the theming and the smaller cozy feeling of the resort.

AKL - Great theming again. However, I think that after three days, my money is better spent elsewhere. We're spending only two of seven nights there next month.

BWV - Not great rooms (we had a studio) but great transportation. We love Epcot and walking there was phenomenal. Also, the nightlife is pretty amazing.

Coronado - Stayed only one night at the end of a trip. Neat pool, but too spread out for my tastes.

Wyndham Palace - Incredible room, great view of DD. Used the DD transportation to get to most places (except for first thing in the morning) and just walked across the street to our hotel. Would stay there again in a heartbeat.

POR - Will let you know in a month. In 2000, I picked POFQ over POR due to many things I'd read about the size in the guidebooks. Many posts on this and other sites have led me to believe that this isn't a problem.

[MAC3]

OK,

I give my vote to Boardwalk.... location, action & Luna park doesn't stink either....