Anyone else have a hard time choosing a resort?

[BeccaGrace]

I've been trying to decide on a resort since NOVEMBER!!! We are going this November/December and I am having the worst time making a final decision so I can at least reserve the room...

Has anyone else had this dilemma? How have you solved it? Does anyone have any tips for my situation...Here it is:

The cast of characters: Me, DH, our DDs (4 & 2) and my mom

I've been to WDW many times but not since '97, DH went to Magic Kingdom once for 1/2 a day when he was 24 and hated it (WHAT!?!?!?) and the girls have never been...My mom has been multiple times but never stayed on site.

Here are my top 5 choices and why:
1) Wilderness Lodge--Theme (would be dh's favorite)
2) Boardwalk--Location, can send DH to ESPN club when he needs a break!
3) Beach Club--Location, good reviews
4) Poly--Monorail--I've been before and loved the convenience, especially now with kids
5) POR--Nice theme at a more reasonable price

Here are my problems with each:
1) WL--Nothing really just swayed by BWI and BC because can walk to a park...Also seems more to do within walking distance in the area of the Epcot resorts
2) Boardwalk--would need a code; don't want dh to say "We live in NJ, why did we come to FL to stay in a replica of a boardwalk that is an hour from our house?"
3) Beach Club--would need a code; this is silly but I heard there was wicker furniture in the lobby and dh HATES anything remotely having to do with wicker!!
4) Poly--Price and Theme (just not us)
5)POR--All bus transport, smaller rooms/beds--the only reason it is still in the running is on my cheapskate days when I wonder why I am considering spending so much on our trip when the girls would be happy staying anywhere!

My dilemma would be solved if they would just run the monorail over to the WL or if it was simple to walk there!!! I think I just love them all so much and want the best trip possible (in the hopes that dh will want to go back often)...I'm just usually not this indecisive and the planning would proceed so much more easily if I could make this one decision!!! Please tell me I am not the only one agonizing like this and PLEASE give me some advice to sway me in one direction!

And note--after reading all this and seeing it on paper I am really leaning towards Boardwalk or Beach Club because of the location--we are big walkers, our kids love the Epcot stuff I've shown them as much as the Magic Kingdom/MGM stuff so I think our time will be spent well split amongst the resorts rather than focused more on MK, Epcot is MY favorite & my mom's & this way she can easily go on her own. So I guess then the only issue is money and hoping for codes in which case I go middle of the road and want WL...and this is how the cycle continues over and over in my mind--PLEASE HELP!
Thank you so much!!!

 

[alliecats]

Your DH sounds a little like mine. Mine is not a huge WDW fan, although he has never said he hated it. So I would recommend one of the Boardwalk resorts, I think you have Beach Club and Boardwalk down for choices. We went last year for our first on-site stay, and his first trip in 10 years. We stayed at the Swan and we just LOVED the boardwalk area. So many choices for eating, so convenient. He really appreciated the convenience and location, and we were so much better rested due to it. Traveling on a boat and being able to walk to a park are two good options you don't get everywhere. So that would be my recommendation. And I would narrow that down to Beach Club because of the awesome pool for your DDs. I know it is hard to decide!! Such a wonderful difficult decision, though. Good luck & let us know what you decide!

 

[eeyore0062]

Usually which one we stay in depends on the budget at the time. Last year we were able to stay at the Poly. This summer we are staying at Pop. Our biggest goal right now is to stay at all of the resorts at least once. We are almost 1/2 way to our goal now.

We have stayed at:
PO-R--- nice, affordable, great ambiance, great castmembers, 2 resorts amenities for the price of one
PO-FQ--- our favorite moderate. Compact, great bus system, awesome beignets in the food court, DD loves the pool and slide and we like that we can use the amenities at both.
CBR-- too spread out. I love the color scheme and DH thinks it is too bright. Pool is rather small.
The Contemporary-- great rooms, convenient, and lots of energy. This, to us, it Walt and Mickey's resort.
The Wilderness Lodge-- DH loves it, except thinks that the room size is too small... which I tend to agree... and I think the rooms are too dark. Not my style at all. Great lobby, restaurants and pool, though.
The Polynesian-- hands down, our very favorite. Suits our personalities the best. Very relaxed and laid back, and the room size is great! Great restaurant, pool and beach area. Gorgeous lobby. Very convenient!
All Star Movies--- very cute. Rooms are small, but not overly crowded. Not impressed with the bus system. Good food court.

 

[micmacmissy]

Hands down--go with the Poly.

Our kids are the same age as yours--and you will LOVE the convenience of getting to both MK and Epcot on the monorail. The kids love the monorail...also from the Poly you will be able to see the fireworks and electrical light parade. It really is the best choice for kids, convenience, and a nice hotel.

(And you'll be doing a lot of walking no matter where you stay--don't kid yourself--being within walking distance is NOT a selling point--you're going to be on your feet all day...so take the monorail ride to get there, keep everyone's energy up!)

 

[Bobb G]

In all honesty, no. This will be our first time staying onsite, but just based on price alone, it was a no brainer....value resort.

I have a difficult time justifying paying the higher rates for mods or deluxes. We're a family of 4 with 2 DD (20 and 18 yrs old) We will be spending the vast majority of the time in the parks. We're staying at POP and only need a place to sleep and shower. If we're going to spend the majority of the time in a hotel, WDW is the last place we'd go to.

 

[javaj]

Think you're the only one having a hard time deciding? I was on the phone with Disney again today and the CM said, wow, you've changed your reservation "like 80 times!" I laughed and said it was only 50....but really it has been 3 times in the last 2 months.

I had to laugh at your BWI comment...that's how I feel about WL, we're from Colorado, and I feel like WL is just like being in Colorado.

Anyway, sounds like you Beach Club the best, so that would be my first choice for you.

 

[DJmommy]

I can sympathize, believe me. This is also our first trip in a number of years and our first one with our kids, who will be 6 and 2 by the time we go in November. I've been in the planning stages also since November and we are also from NJ. I have changed my mind almost daily about where we should stay. My DH thinks I have lost my mind and asks almost on a daily basis which resort we are staying at now?

I originally booked for the CR but I apologize to the CR fans out there, it just simply isn't my taste and it seems like an awful lot of concrete. I booked solely for the reason of being on the monorail and within walking distance to the MK which I think we will probably visit on 4 of the 7 days we will be there. Since we would only be doing a GW room, and I've read that they may seem a little outdated and showing their age I started looking for an alternative. Next step up the Poly. where I now have reservations. I am sticking with this at least this month. No really, I have considered just recently: the BC Villas, the Swan, and the WL and AKL.

The BC Villas are just too much money so can't justify it. The Swan just doesn't seem Disney to me even though we might be able to get a really good rate for a gov't discount, I just have lost interest in it. I and my DH would love the WL but for some reason I am afraid of waiting too long for buses to and from the parks, and would prefer a larger room. I was just checking out the AKL all last evening and decided that although I would love to stay there I think my kids would get so much more out of the experience when they are a little older.

So I am sticking with the Poly. I too was excited about the proximity of Epcot and being able to walk to it from the BC but from the Poly it is just a quick direct monorail over from the TTC. You can easily walk to the TTc from any longhouse, plus my DS loves trains and this will be like an adventure to him just getting to 2 of the parks. So buses only for MGM and AK. I can deal with that.

I also really like the relaxed feeling the Poly seems to have and with 2 little ones you want a very family friendly resort. Ohana sounds like great fun for dinner and they have the character bkfst too. We are also going to do Chef Mickeys probably for dinner and Crystal Palace for dinner too so they are both just a quick monorail away too.

The more I type this the more I am convincing myself that I really did make the right decision. Sure I would love to get a better rate if one comes out but I think that overall with the convenience it will be money well spent. I really want this trip to be special for all of us and I think it will be.

So don't feel alone out there. I have been and will probably have 2nd thoughts until the vacation. But consider the things most important to you and trust your gut about it.

There are always going to be other Disney vacations, so I plan on trying out some of the other resorts next time and the time after that. Some I think will be easier if you have a car which we won't on this vacation and others I think would be better when our kids are older. So don't fret. Whatever you decide I am sure will be fine.

Enjoy your trip and all the crazy planning that goes into it.

Jackie

 

[MPLsDad]

I have changed my original plans for this summer from Poly (also wanted to go, but can't justify cost) to Dolphin (teacher's rate, can't beat it) to possbily Boardwalk Villas (hopefully renting points from a DVC owner may be even less expensive than teacher rate at Dolphin).

For the OP, Disney's Boardwalk is nothing like the NJ Boardwalk IMHO. Disney's Boardwalk has a brewpub, ESPN Zone, and lacks the tackiness and seediness of many Jersey boardwalks. Give it a go if you can afford it, you'll be impressed.

 

[Bugsmom73]

I do. I would recommend sticking within your budget though. If you are hoping for Beach Club/BWI on a code, you may be out of luck. The jury is still out on whether or not Disney will continue to offer them. There will be 5 of us going in 2006. DH, myself, a friend DD who will be 4 1/2 and DS who will be 2. As much as I would love to have a deluxe for the entire stay, we can not justify it. So, we are going to do a split stay 5 days at a mod and 2 days at AKL.

 

[dreamingdisney]

I know what you're going through! This is our first trip to WDW ever and I've changed ressies four times - from AKL, to CR, AKL savannah, to Poly.

I'm only thirty minutes away from Disneyland (and there are only three hotels onsite), so I'm just not used to having soooo many choices to make. In the end, I'm sticking with the Poly because:

• Close proximity to MK, monorail ride to Epcot and Disney Studios.
  
• Monorail Resort - everytime my DS(12) and DD(4) see the monorail at Disneyland they shout "Look! There goes the monorail!" So I know they'll love riding it everywhere. Also, it's a relief knowing I can leave DD in her stroller.
  
• Large rooms - I know we want to spend sometime in our room, so I'll be nice to have the large space.
  
• We've never been to Hawaii, so this will give us a little taste of it.

I know it's a hard decision, but try to pick the resort that will work the best for your family - and try that first. You can always plan another trip and try another resort on your list. Good luck!

 

[kpossible]

I understand how easy it is to change your mind everyday. Just when I thought I had my mind made up doubts would creep into my mind and another resort would seem like it was the perfect resort. I have never stayed on site and we have three little ones 6, 3, and 1. My husband kept telling me "just make up your mind." What is great about these boards is that there seems to be a cheering section for each resort. I finally decided I was putting too much pressure on myself and that where ever we stay will be a fun experience. My dh insists that we need two rooms or a suite where you can close the door from sleeping kids at night and not have to have lights out at their bedtime. That means no monorail resort for us because who could afford two deluxe rooms (now wouldn't that be nice). I hope where ever you choose turns out to be just great for you family!

 

[jjohnson]

You are not alone!

I was embarrassed to call CRO today & switch to GF.

Oh yeah, I need to change my countdown AGAIN!

 

[becobscot]

I was facing the same dilemma as you. Funny my choices were almost the same as yours too! For me, substitute the POP for the Boardwalk. We ended up going with the POFQ. We were just so tired last time that we fell into bed each night. This time we plan to stay an entire week so we figured we would have some time to enjoy the resort. We made our choice based on price, central location and the beauty of the resort. If you are really leaning toward a deluxe, I personally would choose the BC(would love to stay there someday). The pool is the added bonus there. I'm sure you will have a good time no matter where you stay. If you are going during Jersey Week we may just run into each other!

 

[disneydenisel]

You are not alone. I am planning a trip for 13 during Thanksgiving week and I have made reservations, changed them, cancelled them, made new ones, put deposits down, cancelled them, etc. It was pretty much a toss up between WL/VWL and BC/BCV. For now, I am renting a 2-bedroom at BCV and the others are either staying offsite at the HGVC or at the WL. We have three rooms reserved at the WL in case they can't get the timeshare at the HGVC. If they end up at the WL, I may consider switching my BCV ressie over to the VWL at the 7-month window. And I'll transfer the WL rooms to Dreams Unlimited so that they can scout for codes.

The good news is that I paid my deposit to the DVC member who rented me points for the stay. So we are definitely going!!

 

[loribell]

Well I have been trying to decide on resorts for our Magical Gathering since last May and I still have not decided. Will make a decision in the next few weeks when codes should be coming out for June. First we were staying on my DVC points, then the trip dates changed and included a full weekend, thus to many points. I am also having to consider walking distances from parking lots for my elderly relatives that will be with us the resort.

But on to your situation. The Wilderness Lodge is my absolute favorite. If it were not for how far the parking lot is from the resort and all the extra walking that would have to be done this is where we would be staying! I feel that we need to stay at a moderate that will have parking outside of our rooms for my Aunt and Uncle. Don;t forget that the resort does have th boat transportation to the MK and the Contemporary. It may not be as good as the monorail but it comes in a close second IMHO.

If you think DH will not like the decor of the Beach Club or Boardwalk then he probably won't. I like it fine but my mother hates it. She loves the WL too. I know the convenience of the location is nice but it is a very long walk to MGM from the BC. There are the boats that will take you to either parks though. There is also more options for eating here.

I vote for Wilderness Lodge. Like I said if it weren't for the people going with us that is where I would be staying!

Good luck with your decision,
Lori

 

[kirbsam]

NO, never had that problem.

 

[chipmunkfan]

I am having the same problem I booked 6 nights at AKL, but after reading reviews I began to question my ressies. Also, many people recommend splitting the stay between two resorts, which sounds great. I finally made up my mind that I will split my stay...but between which resorts? My DH sounds like your DH's description, this is his first time so I need to make it perfect. It's a toss up btwn WL/Boardwalk or AKL/Boardwalk...or should I go one deluxe and one moderate..

 

[Gymbomom]

We have stayed at almost every Disney resort.
I would have to say, that when my children were little, I enjoyed the convience of the Poly, as they wanted to hang out at the MK the most.
But, the Beach club is awesome too. The pools, if your children like to swim are beautiful. The ESPN club is about 5 minute walk away from the beach club.