Best deluxe in January?

[mariamouse]

Hi all!

We (we being 4 adults: parents and two grown daughters) are planning a trip to WDW for MLK weekend 2014 and are trying to decide which deluxe to try this year.

Given the cooler weather and shorter hours in January, which deluxe would you choose? We will all stay in one room together (thankfully we get along), so a spacious room might be important.

We stayed at the BC last January and loved it (as we always do). I thought the CR, WL or AKL might be a good choice this time due to their compactness in the event that the weather is cool, but it might be nicer to stay at a resort like the Poly/GF due to the ability to travel between both resorts after transportation ceases fairly early at night. I should add that my dad will not visit the parks at all (only golfing) and will meet up with us every night for dinner, so we will eat at resort restaurants every night.

What do you all think? We're feeling so indecisive this time around!

 

[spiceycat]

wl/vwl is great for winter - love the lobby.

akl/v is great anytime

now love BLT/CR - you can walk to the MK.
take a boat to WL or FW.

look at the pictures and see which appeals to you more.

 

[Wood Nymph]

The Poly and CR have the biggest resort rooms. The WL is lovely but the rooms are a little smaller. Any of the deluxe resorts would be great. You just have to decide which one you like best.

 

[chocovrdmicears]

Normally I would say AKL (cause I LOVE it) But given your circumstances, I would pick something on the monorail line - The Poly is my favorite. Reasons: You are going to be eating at a resort each night with your Dad. That gives you 3 resorts of convenient dining choices. Also, with the shorter Park hours, having the monorail outside our door will help minimize travel time, giving you more time in MK and Epcot.

 

[katiee37]

I think AKL would be great for your dad since he would have something to do during the day that he wouldn't be able to do at home (watch animals from your room!) and there some good table service restaurants at the resort as well. If you liked BC well enough but want a chance, try YC.

 

[mariamouse]

wl/vwl is great for winter - love the lobby.

akl/v is great anytime

now love BLT/CR - you can walk to the MK.
take a boat to WL or FW.

look at the pictures and see which appeals to you more.

Thanks! We have stayed at most of the deluxes and visited the rest, but I'm just having a hard time visualizing where we would be happiest this time around. Agree with you that the WL and AKL are great in the cooler months because of the compactness and cozy lobbies!

The Poly and CR have the biggest resort rooms. The WL is lovely but the rooms are a little smaller. Any of the deluxe resorts would be great. You just have to decide which one you like best.

You're definitely right! We are considering the WL due to its lower price and proximity to MK and the monorail resorts, but are worried about the smaller room size. I don't think my dad is as into the CR theme as the Poly's, so might give that the edge. For some reason, the GF rooms feel smaller than those at the Poly. Maybe just because the rooms are a bit more busy?

Normally I would say AKL (cause I LOVE it) But given your circumstances, I would pick something on the monorail line - The Poly is my favorite. Reasons: You are going to be eating at a resort each night with your Dad. That gives you 3 resorts of convenient dining choices. Also, with the shorter Park hours, having the monorail outside our door will help minimize travel time, giving you more time in MK and Epcot.

Thanks for your insight! I think your line of thinking is most similar to mine as of now. I think we would definitely be leaning toward the Poly if not for the January 2014 construction rumors and the fact that the resort seems like more of a warm weather resort with the lush open grounds, etc. I'm wondering if the GF might feel a bit more cozy in January-- plus no construction. There might be room refurbishment going on, though? We have also stayed there twice since our last stay at the Poly.

I think AKL would be great for your dad since he would have something to do during the day that he wouldn't be able to do at home (watch animals from your room!) and there some good table service restaurants at the resort as well. If you liked BC well enough but want a chance, try YC.

Thanks! I think we still prefer the BC to YC, but would not balk at staying at the BC again. We love the AKL restaurants and resort theme, but wonder if it might feel a bit too off the beaten path. Are there a lot of activities at the resort at night for my dad to participate in?


Thank you all again for your help!

 

[jamal]

I only have one thing to add. We once stayed at AKL in early January and never saw any animals with daylight because we were at the parks during the day and when we were at the resort, it was dark! Now we only stay there when there are longer daylight hours.

 

[mariamouse]

I only have one thing to add. We once stayed at AKL in early January and never saw any animals with daylight because we were at the parks during the day and when we were at the resort, it was dark! Now we only stay there when there are longer daylight hours.

That's a really good point! Thank you.

 

[shana398]

I vote Wilderness Lodge! It's great for winter, and the room size is really not that bad at all. Also, you have the boat ride to the Magic Kingdom, which is really nice. There is the evening movie on the beach and the electrical water parade . There are nature trails, bike and boat rentals, fishing, and, plus you can take a boat to the Fort Wilderness for all of their activities, like the campfire sing a long and smores, Mickey's Backyard BBQ and the Hoop Dee Doo Revue!

 

[HelenHills]

Wilderness Lodge is just darling in Winter!

 

[mum2four]

I only have one thing to add. We once stayed at AKL in early January and never saw any animals with daylight because we were at the parks during the day and when we were at the resort, it was dark! Now we only stay there when there are longer daylight hours.

Hmmm...this is an interesting point and something I never thought about before. We are visiting the end of January and AKL is one of the resorts on our short list. I looked up the daylight hours for the week of our visit, and it looks like sunrise is around 7am and sunset around 6pm. I'll definitely keep this in mind while we're narrowing down our resort choices.

 

[kmb584]

WL screams wintertime to me! I'd love to transplant the resort to my backyard just so I could sit in the lobby with a cup of coffee and watch the snow falling outside.

 

[magicLAL12]

Hi all!

We (we being 4 adults: parents and two grown daughters) are planning a trip to WDW for MLK weekend 2014 and are trying to decide which deluxe to try this year.

Given the cooler weather and shorter hours in January, which deluxe would you choose? We will all stay in one room together (thankfully we get along), so a spacious room might be important.

We stayed at the BC last January and loved it (as we always do). I thought the CR, WL or AKL might be a good choice this time due to their compactness in the event that the weather is cool, but it might be nicer to stay at a resort like the Poly/GF due to the ability to travel between both resorts after transportation ceases fairly early at night. I should add that my dad will not visit the parks at all (only golfing) and will meet up with us every night for dinner, so we will eat at resort restaurants every night.

What do you all think? We're feeling so indecisive this time around!

We have stayed at both AKL (in June 2012) and the Boardwalk (January 2013). I'm not so sure that I would call AKL "compact"- it is quite a large resort! And I would also plan for warm weather- it was in the mid-80s our whole trip this past January. Regardless, AKL has an incredible atmosphere that I wouldn't pass up; however, the bus rides can be long to the parks and Downtown. I would personally recommend the Boardwalk, because there are plenty of things for your daughters (or anyone for that matter) to do at night on their own if they should choose. Also, it is very convenient to get to HS and Epcot from the Boardwalk.
I know it wasnt really on your list, but just thought I would throw out my 2 cents.

 

[mariamouse]

I vote Wilderness Lodge! It's great for winter, and the room size is really not that bad at all. Also, you have the boat ride to the Magic Kingdom, which is really nice. There is the evening movie on the beach and the electrical water parade . There are nature trails, bike and boat rentals, fishing, and, plus you can take a boat to the Fort Wilderness for all of their activities, like the campfire sing a long and smores, Mickey's Backyard BBQ and the Hoop Dee Doo Revue!

Wilderness Lodge is just darling in Winter!

WL screams wintertime to me! I'd love to transplant the resort to my backyard just so I could sit in the lobby with a cup of coffee and watch the snow falling outside.

Wow! Lots of WL love on here. We will plan on giving that resort a serious look (especially given the lower price point) once discounts are (hopefully) released. We prefer the restaurants at AKL, but I think the WL might be a better fit this time around due to the cozy factor and the proximity to the MK/monorail resorts. Plus, it has been over ten years since we stayed there last and my dad has never been.

We have stayed at both AKL (in June 2012) and the Boardwalk (January 2013). I'm not so sure that I would call AKL "compact"- it is quite a large resort! And I would also plan for warm weather- it was in the mid-80s our whole trip this past January. Regardless, AKL has an incredible atmosphere that I wouldn't pass up; however, the bus rides can be long to the parks and Downtown. I would personally recommend the Boardwalk, because there are plenty of things for your daughters (or anyone for that matter) to do at night on their own if they should choose. Also, it is very convenient to get to HS and Epcot from the Boardwalk.
I know it wasnt really on your list, but just thought I would throw out my 2 cents.

We would definitely consider the BWI and I agree with all of your points about the Epcot area. I think we are leaning toward MK area this time around just to switch things up from last year, but it is a beautiful resort that we will inevitably return to. And you are right about the AKL not actually being that compact (especially in comparison to the WL). What I really meant was that it is enclosed, but the two terms are definitely different! I think the constant bus rides to/from AKL might get old for us quickly when we are trying to meet up for dinner every night. Thanks for your insights!

 

[flamark]

Looking at this strictly from the golfer's viewpoint(not sure how much that enters into your equation) it is much more convenient from the MK area resorts to get to the golf courses. POLY and GF are especially close. If you then add in the ease of the monorail to it for your dining choices I would think the POLY would be the choice. Admittedly POLY is my favorite but my points do remain valid. HTH

 

[Sue M]

I love both WL & AKL but they do have the smallest rooms. So I'd go with any of the monorail resorts. I stayed at Poly one January, and loved it but missed having a hot tub.
Also there may be construction at Poly soon so I'd pick either GF or CR.