Anyone else have a "found my perfect resort" moment?

[karen4546]

I feel completely at home at AKL. I love the smell, sounds, the theme. I can sit in the lobby and people watch. I think its cause AKL was the first onsite resort we stayed at. I also enjoy the Poly I very drawn to most things Hawaiian. We honeymooned in Hawaii so it has a special place in my heart.

yes ! We were at the YC for a few days before our cruise and I just didn't love it. We asked the front desk at YC if they could check availability at AKL at we switched. We love AKL but i want to try YC before our Disney Cruise. As soon as we arrived at AKL via Minnie Van and checked in, it was like being home. I told the castmember at checkin that it was good to be "home" and she said you are so sweet. I'm like no really - WE LOVE IT HERE !

 

[GPC0321]

I've only stayed at three Disney resorts: Coronado (twice), Grand Floridian (once...going again in June), and Kidani (once). Coronado was my first Disney resort experience about 20 years ago. Returned to that one in 2016 and was underwhelmed. It's strange, but even when we'd get off the bus at MK, I'd always gaze over at the Grand Floridian and say, "I want to stay there some day." The dream came true in December of 2017 (thank goodness for being able to rent DVC!). It was everything I expected and more. I hated leaving that place. Last summer, my friend and I took a short girls' trip and stayed at Kidani. Absolutely nothing wrong with Kidani or Jambo...we enjoyed our time exploring both. But on our MK day, we took the boat over to the Grand to have a little break from the park, and I got the exact same feeling you're talking about when you went to the Poly. I was showing my friend around, and we actually went into the Villas building. She had to use the restroom, so I sat in the lobby by the penguin fountain. It was definitely "home". As much as I love that entire resort, and surely the huge main lobby is stunning...there was always something about walking back into the DVC lobby that made me relax all over.

I'm still going to try some other resorts though. Beach Club and Poly are on the radar for future trips. The Grand will always hold a special place in my heart though!

 

[DISNEY1975]

I feel the same about the Poly. Although not perfect, when I stay at other resorts I just miss the Poly atmosphere and of course location. Stayed at the Yacht Club my last trip. The resort was perfect in every way. So quiet and relaxing, so close to Epcot/DHS/Boardwalk. Never had to climb Mt Everest (aka..the monorail ramps). The pool is AMAZING, plenty of dining options, the rooms are beautiful with balconies! But....I just felt so far away from "Home" Every night I felt like I was missing something, the MK area vibe, the happy people going to/leaving Ohanas, the tropical pathways, the decor, the monorail sounds etc... Although my brain was telling me to go back to Yacht Club or Beach Club (especially since we have so many dinners in Epcot), by heart told me to book the Poly. Gotta listen to the heart!

 

[SwanVT2]

Our most recent stay at SSR. It used to be the Swan with DH before DD was born. SSR was fantastic....beautiful and calm and such a reprieve from the VT winter! DD LOVED the pools. We enjoyed seeing all the birds and wildlife and walking to DS for dinner. We did enjoy BCV and BWV very much. I would say BWV is second on my list.

 

[MushuHill]

Boulder Ridge at the Wilderness Lodge. It is small and cozy. You walk in and there is a double sided fire place you can sit by in a rocking chair and read a book. It is a very short walk right out the front door to the bus stop and if you walk out the back door there is a path that leads to the boat dock with lots of beautiful trees. Don’t forget about that amazing bison burger you can get by the outside bar while you watch boats out on the water.

 

[ilovebassets]

I feel this way about Fort Wilderness and POR--the Alligator Bayou section. We rarely go to POR anymore but that's where the Disney magic began for us before we had kids. Three kids later, and we like the space of Fort Wilderness better. The best part of Fort Wilderness is pulling into the boat dock after a hectic day at MK. It just feels so peaceful.

 

[Belleandtinker]

POFQ - I could live there. It's peaceful and relaxing while minutes away from the excitement. I think it's the size - spend a crazy day at MK then go "home" to relax at POFQ.

 

[Minnie1222]

Mine used to be GF for a long time. Now it's the YC.

 

[Disneytam]

Boulder Ridge at the Wilderness Lodge. It is small and cozy. You walk in and there is a double sided fire place you can sit by in a rocking chair and read a book. It is a very short walk right out the front door to the bus stop and if you walk out the back door there is a path that leads to the boat dock with lots of beautiful trees. Don’t forget about that amazing bison burger you can get by the outside bar while you watch boats out on the water.

My heart belongs fully to the BWI but I have to say I was really surprised how much we enjoyed the WL last fall. We often do a split stay with the BWI and one of the MK resorts and the WL had an AP discount that I just couldn't say no to. We ended up getting a ground floor room(which I usually hate!) yet we still really enjoyed it. We spent one night just exploring the resort and all it's little nooks and crannies. The discovery of the different fireplaces upstairs with the comfy leather couches was a big welcome surprise. Having a drink out by the lake was pleasant as well. I think we might have found our new MK resort.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

For me, it’s YC. We had so many great stays there so it’s always my first choice.

BUT, sometimes budget just doesn’t allow

Pop is my “we’re here!!!!” giddy feeling resort because it’s usually a last minute (or quick in and out park focused trip). Walking out towards the Hippy Dippy Pool makes me smile

But my new (and very surprising) favorite is CSR. I avoided it like the plague for years. But it was the price point that worked best for President’s Day trip so I took a leap of faith after seeing the new rooms. We loved the Casitas section, enjoyed all the restaurants, thought the CMs were top notch, experienced much better bus service than POR (in terms of crowding).

I just booked an unexpected trip for Labor Day to see SW:GE and CSR was the only resort on my mind. We’re trying the new Tower and I’m almost as excited about that as I am SW:GE!

 

[ID_Dismom]

Fort Wilderness cabins here too. I book other resorts with the intention of trying new things, but I always switch back. It's relaxing, calm, and peaceful, and I love watching my kids run around and play.

 

[YCFAN]

That’s how I feel about the Yacht Club. I’ve stayed at every deluxe except GF, some multiple times but I always go back to YC. It just feels like home and like I’m really on vacation!

 

[mickeynut1]

Currently staying at POFQ, and the resort is lovely. Our room is wonderful, with all of our requests met, overlooking the river. It's peaceful, the weather is amazing, our room is by all accounts clean and well appointed. I would never not recommend someone stay here.

However...

Last night we went back to the Poly for a dinner just DH and I (without the friend group we travelled with) at 'Ohana. We took the resort launch from MK, and as we were pulling in I got "that feeling". We stayed there in August for our (belated) honeymoon, and as soon as I saw the resort every piece of me relaxed. I inhaled the air, I felt at peace, it just felt so perfect. My DH looks at me and just goes "do you want to see if they have any rooms here for the rest of our trip? You love it here, I can tell just looking at you that you love it here", and he was totally right. The Poly is my resort, the one that suits me best, that gives me that Disney magic, and I can't even place why (fwiw there was no availability so no resort change for me lol).

There's nothing wrong with POFQ, we're having a great time, but the Poly just feels like home. Anyone have this experience? What's your resort that just feels perfect to you.

I feel the same way about the Poly. We like trying different resorts and while we have loved all the ones we've stayed at, the Poly will always be our favorite as there's just something about the tropical atmosphere and being close to MK. I was excited to try BWI last June, but was more excited to go back to the Poly in Oct. As soon as we pulled up to the resort, I knew I was "home". Trying YC in June and while I'm sure we'll have a nice stay, Poly will always remain my #1 fav .

I had those same feelings about the Poly. Walking thru those doors and into the beautiful lobby...seeing the castle in the distance, hearing the soft music play...my family agrees. Nothing compares to the Poly for us.

I agree

 

[toodycat]

I have been a GF cheerleader since our first trip as a family in 2001. Everything about that resort appeals to me...the theming, the decor, the landscaping, the marina, the flower arrangements, the restaurants, the lobby, the music, and the amazing CMs. It doesn’t always fit into my budget or my itinerary, but I think of it as our Disney home.

With that said, this summer DH’s employment contract terminated on schedule instead of being extended for another two years as he had been promised. This happened a week before our trip to WDW and it was really hard to justify spending nearly $6K for two rooms for 4 nights a the GF. Less than 10 days before our trip, we re-booked a two bedroom villa at Kidani. I had real misgivings, but that villa was magnificent and so spacious! Now I have two Disney homes.

 

[jenmsmith]

That’s how I feel at POFQ. We’ve stayed at almost every resort and have enjoyed most of them. But walking in the lobby, having a drink while listening to Billy and Jason after a day at the parks, strolling the lovely grounds and seeing the powdered sugar everywhere around the food court just is life giving to me.

 

[jaiminee krikit]

It’s a toss up between both PO resorts. Our first stay as a family was at FQ. I fell in love with the entire resort, everything. Then one day we took a boat ride. As soon as I saw the mansion buildings of POR I fell in love. DD prefers POR, so that is where we usually stay, but our next trip is for my birthday so we’re staying at FQ.
We tried AKL a few years ago and I thought that would be my new favorite. We even had a savanna view room. The only thing I liked about that resort was our balcony. Luckily it was a 3 way split, and as soon as we got to POR, I was content. Then after a cruise we stayed at FQ for a night and I was home.

 

[KidaniZen]

As you can tell from my username, the moment I walked into Kidani I knew. Jambo's not so bad either. Just AKL in general is home.

 

[BK2014]

Yes, I had that feeling the moment I walked in at BWI.

DW and I had the same feeling when we first walked into the Boardwalk in December of 2016. It was our first WDW trip together, but both had been before and had been CPs at different times in our lives. I had always wanted to stay at a monorail resort, but DW suggested trying the Boardwalk. I hesitantly agreed. I was not familiar with the EPCOT area resorts. We rented points for a BWV stay. The moment we stepped off of the MDE and walked into the lobby there was just something about it that we loved. Walking into the Magic Kingdom used to be my "I am finally here" WDW moment, now it is arriving at the Boardwalk. So much so, that within in two weeks of arriving home after that first trip we bought a DVC resale contract at BWV.

 

[Rob Huff]

We had the great benefit of living in Florida when our girls were really little (they're quite old now at 7 and 4). We became passholders and took a slew of short trips, never staying at the same place twice in an effort to try new places and get a feel for the World. We stayed offsite with family once and offsite with friends another time. It just doesn't work for me. I need to be in the bubble.

We didn't much care for CSR and were ho-hum on CBR. I love a good deal and am generally plenty frugal, but I couldn't go for ASMo. I loved BCV after a few trips there as a child, but DW was less enthused. Everyone loved Stormalong Bay, but the kiddos were too young to fully enjoy the majesty of the pools. AoA was really nice and fun, though being bound by the bus was a bummer and the standard rooms were only fine.

(EDIT: I forgot to mention that we've been on a stroll through the GF, had a meal and an excursion at the CR, and strolled through the POP at nighttime. They were all nice spots in their own ways, but they simply didn't draw us in.)

We very much enjoyed POR. The grounds at that place feel like a deluxe with the river flowing through and the swimming hole was a blast. We only ever stayed in royal rooms there and the girls loved them both times. As far as moderates go, we're done looking around. POR takes the cake.

But then, near the end of our year as passholders, we made two spectacular choices. The first was a long weekend at AKV. Holy Toledo. AKV was mesmerizing. It's such a beautiful spot with so many breathtaking attractions on site. However, one of my favorite things about Disney is leaving the car behind. Now that we live in Michigan, we're leaving the car waaaay behind us on vacation, but even living in Florida, I loved parking the car when we arrived and not seeing it again until we went home. There was something very special about that feeling. AKV's location put a chink in that plan and it bothered me. It's nearly flawless as a resort, but the location is a bummer when touring the parks.

The second awesome choice was a night at the WL at Christmastime. Good luck competing with that, rest of the world. It was perfect. It hit every note in an idyllic way. It didn't hurt that I was a northerner living in the south, desperately missing the wintry Christmases of my youth. But we've been back since (twice) and fully confirmed what we felt the first time we went. There's something magical about that place. We get it in the Lodge itself and at BRV. The lobby. The trains. The rooms. The totem pole. The geyser. The waterfront area before it was redesigned. The waterfront area after it was redesigned. The bubbling spring in the lobby yielding the waterfall that flows into the pool (I don't care if it's three water systems -- my heart is still warm when I see it). That place was almost perfect. I love taking the boat past the CR en route to the MK. I don't love taking buses elsewhere but it's a palatable cost to me.

Ironically, we bought DVC resale last year and did not buy at BRV (CCV wasn't even on sale yet, let alone on the resale market). Our last few trips featured boat rides across Seven Seas Lagoon specifically so we could hang out at the Poly, grab a meal at Captain Cook's, and even watch the fireworks from the resort. We haven't yet stayed at the Poly as a family (I stayed there as a kid), but we've gotten a similar feel on the grounds as we did at the WL. The numbers at PVB made way more sense than the numbers at BRV, plus the practical advantages of the Poly gave it a meaningful lead: having boat and monorail transportation to the MK, monorail transit to EP, and functional monorail transit to DHS (we walk between EP and DHS every trip) is unbeatable. Perhaps we'll revisit BCV or BWV when the kids get older and EP/DHS hold even greater appeal than they do now, but the Poly will always have a pristine location with lush themeing and that sealed the deal.

(I'll check back in after a few weeks once we get back from our first family stay at the Poly to see how it went.)

 

[DisneyTravelers2008]

I am so in love with the Jambo section of Animal Kingdom. I would stay there every time if i could.

But, the Boardwalk has really become a favorite as well.