Anyone Who Watched the Travel Channel's Resort Shows...

[WildernessBride]

Here's a question for all of you out there...did anyone who watched the Travel Channel's Disney resort programs yesterday change their mind about how they felt about these hotels after seeing the programs?? I ask because we are tried and true WL lovers ( my DH and I), we were even married there, but after seeing the shows, with my DD and DS who are 7.5 and 3.5, the kids were raving about the Beach Club and said they wouldn't mind going there, which is just beyond comprehension to my DH!!! Even I was swayed slightly,I liked BC and GF and, although I wouldn't write this with my husband in the room, I would even stay there! I wished they had a show for every resort!!

But what do you think?? Did they have any impact on your feelings about the resorts they showed or change your view about the one you love??

 

[WildernessBride]

 

[Lives4Disney]

Funny you should ask.....I am a GF and YC girl, but after seeing the AKL I would like to stay a few nts there now. On previous WDW stays, we visited AKL, ate at Boma, walked around outside and thought it was neat but had no interest in staying......now I would love to try it. The decor of the rooms(LOVE that suite they showed with the domed ceiling!!!!wow) and animal views and all the cool African items and music throughout the resort that I saw on the TV show is drawing me in. I don't think I'd spend a whole stay there because I prefer to be closer to the action and AK is not our favorite park by a long shot - but just a couple nts to enjoy what the AKL has to offer.

Lives4Disney

 

[michaelwilliammidd]

I understand what your saying about staying at a different resort when you have always stayed at a particular one in the past. When DW and I went for our honeymoon we stayed at CBR, which was also my first onsite resort stay. Ever since then CBR will always be my favorite WDW resort no matter where else I stay. We have since stayed at POR, POFQ and POP and while I loved all of them, I'll never feel the same way about them that I do about CBR.

 

[WildernessBride]

That room was so nice, the domed ceiling was definately cool. Those shows also made me long to go Club level, there are some really nice conceirge suites.

 

[WildernessBride]

I understand what your saying about staying at a different resort when you have always stayed at a particular one in the past. When DW and I went for our honeymoon we stayed at CBR, which was also my first onsite resort stay. Ever since then CBR will always be my favorite WDW resort no matter where else I stay. We have since stayed at POR, POFQ and POP and while I loved all of them, I'll never feel the same way about them that I do about CBR.

My DH is hooked on WL and he just will not change!! I did, however, get my DH to say that he may one day stay at the Poly, but that would be well into the future!! I can understand though, WL is very nice, we have a history there in getting married and it was our children's resort on the first time they went to WDW, so a lot of happy memories are there! But... I wouldn't mind maybe a split stay once and expand our horizons a bit.

 

[mickeystoontown]

After watching the Travel Channel yesterday, I am even more pumped up about our June, 2008 stay at the Wilderness Lodge. A stay at the WL has always been a dream of our's but we just couldn't justify spending the extra money. We finally decided to just take the plunge and book a stay there.

Although the shows didn't change my mind about our 2008 stay, we did say that we would consider a stay at the AKL in 2009.

 

[simonkodousek]

I watched all the WDW Travel Channel shows yesterday, and I am definitely going to try for the Animal Kingdom Lodge next year.

 

[eliza61]

I watched most of them (missed the one on the polynesian ) while the WL is DH and my favorites, my kids definitely perfer the BC. We have a goal of staying at every moderate and Deluxe resort so the shows were fun to watch.
I wish they would do a show on the moderates.

E

 

[Poohbear123]

After watching the Travel Channel yesterday, I am even more pumped up about our June, 2008 stay at the Wilderness Lodge. A stay at the WL has always been a dream of our's but we just couldn't justify spending the extra money. We finally decided to just take the plunge and book a stay there.

Although the shows didn't change my mind about our 2008 stay, we did say that we would consider a stay at the AKL in 2009.

Me too, I am staying at WL in Feb. for my 50th! Hope I can get a great Fl. Resident rate! I stayed at AKL last Feb. it was GREAT!

 

[Baby Yeti]

After watching yesterday, my husband decided he might like to stay at the Yacht Club, which he was never interested in before. Also, I called and booked the Royal Kuba Suite at AKL for our January trip as a surprise for my DS's 10th birthday! I just couldn't resist, and we've always wanted to stay there.

 

[Lilolvr]

Watched all the shows yesterday. They were great! They've been updated too.

 

[MonkersMama]

It was so much fun watching all the shows yesterday - so fun to dream. We're staying at the Pop in November, but DH and I said that in the future we'll try the BC or the WL.

Our DS (3) watched along with us and he went absolutely CRAZY when he saw the "Kitchen Sink" being made at the Beaches and Cream. He asked us to rewind it on the DVR 5 times! We decided that since his 4th bday falls on our trip, that rather than have a cake ordered, we'll make a special trip there for this monster ice cream sundae! He'll lose it!

 

[Mickiethepooh]

I deffinately prefer the Beach Club, by the way I have seen individual shows on the Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge, the Polynesian, and Animal Kingdom lodge at various points on Great Hotels.

 

[grimley1968]

I enjoy those shows, and have seen them multiple times.

However, I do wish Samantha would just check into a regular room, and not the concierge/deluxe/suite types of rooms. The rooms she's checking into on those shows are rooms that are out of the budgets of most people, including me.

It'd be nice to see her just check into a room with one king or two queen beds, with the standard layout, and maybe with the nicer views. Show the room quickly, and then get to the rest of the resort's features, and cover those in more detail.

When she shows these rooms with the huge tubs in the bathrooms, the extra bedrooms, the concierge service, it sort of depresses me, actually, as I will likely never be able to justify that kind of expense for a Disney vacation. While she's showing off the Presidential Suites, that is time that could have been devoted to showing more of the common areas of the resort (the lobby, pools, shops, restaurants) that everyone who stays there could experience.

She does show the common areas somewhat, but it'd be nice to see more of that and less of the small minority of rooms that have the Presidential Suite types of features.

 

[WildernessBride]

I enjoy those shows, and have seen them multiple times.

However, I do wish Samantha would just check into a regular room, and not the concierge/deluxe/suite types of rooms. The rooms she's checking into on those shows are rooms that are out of the budgets of most people, including me.

It'd be nice to see her just check into a room with one king or two queen beds, with the standard layout, and maybe with the nicer views. Show the room quickly, and then get to the rest of the resort's features, and cover those in more detail.

When she shows these rooms with the huge tubs in the bathrooms, the extra bedrooms, the concierge service, it sort of depresses me, actually, as I will likely never be able to justify that kind of expense for a Disney vacation. While she's showing off the Presidential Suites, that is time that could have been devoted to showing more of the common areas of the resort (the lobby, pools, shops, restaurants) that everyone who stays there could experience.

She does show the common areas somewhat, but it'd be nice to see more of that and less of the small minority of rooms that have the Presidential Suite types of features.

I must agree with you, it would be nice to see what the average traveller will experience when it comes to the room they will get. Its cool to see the other side, watching it on TV is as close as I am likely to get!!! I did promise my DD that if we ever win the lottery we will spend a month at WL on the
7th floor....we are dreamers

 

[raven69david]

It didnt' change my mind. We are AKL loyal and will continue to be for many trips to come.

 

[rcraw45425]

We've seen the shows and have stayed at all but AKL, so I guess it didn't change our minds. If AKL was attached to something we might consider it but even my kids don't have a desire to stay there. DD10's comment was "open up your door the balcony to see a giraffe pooping, no thanks!" We always enjoy staying at the other hotels though, but I don't recall ever seeing a show on the Poly. We have also stayed at Portofino Bay (switched over there from Hard Rock after seeing the Great Hotels show), so I guess it does occasionally influence. I just wish they'd make a new round of the shows with the updated decors and feature real people in real situations, not CL, Presidential Suites and so on.

 

[shyjade]

I saw the AKL show last year and that helped "push me over the edge" and convinced me to stay there last September. Yes, it's a gorgeous resort and although we had a bad experience with our room/customer service (or lack thereof with our problem), we loved the resort.

Now I wish they would have a show on the Poly, since that is where we are staying this fall...

 

[DisneyMomx7]

It didn't change my mind but did help me get "pumped up" for our 1st WL stay. We've stayed at GF and YC (and loved them) but since we are paying for 4 rooms for our Magical Gathering WL is a little easier to swallow (financially speaking). Our youngest kids know about the big "Christmas Eve" surprise and I was worried they wouldn't like WL but they loved what they saw on the Travel Channel.

The thing we're having a hard time deciding now is when the Grand Gathering is over (1 week) DH, me and the three younger kids are staying on for 5-7 days and now we have to go back to deciding between GF and YC!

BTW I don't understand why they don't have a Polynesian Great Hotels episode.