Biggest factors in choosing a resort?

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

I'm curious because I know everyone has such different priorities and preferences when it comes to choosing a Disney resort. What factors weigh really heavily in your resort-choosing decisions?

I know for my family, it's mostly about location, ease of transportation to the parks, and maintaining the idea of the "bubble." I want to see as few roads/cars/parking lots as possible and I want to be able to use non-bus forms of transportation as much as possible.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Location, location, location. Multiple forms of transportation and/or walking options. Convenience to other resorts to expand dining options. Fireworks viewing from the room and/or grounds.

 

[Smugpugmug]

For me the most important one is theming. Wilderness Lodge is my all time favorite resort due to it's beautiful theming especially the lobby. It has a very laid back and cozy atmosphere that I absolutely love. Same with AKL, I am in love with the theme and I don't think the Disney buses are that bad so I'll deal with them on my upcoming trip in 2 weeks. I have a savannah view at Kidani and I'm SO excited!

BC, Boardwalk, Riviera and Contemporary have better locations by far but I'm not a fan of any of their theming.

 

[Once.Upon.A.Time]

I would say theme is a big factor. So far I’ve stayed at CBR and CSR next will be BWI. Also, cost is another factor. Never really considered transportation, but excited to have good transportation with BWI.

 

[b00kbug]

We are newbies but - we picked Riviera based on 1) more than one mode of transportation and 2) long contract. We've got two young kiddos. Lots of trips ahead of us.

 

[Minnie1222]

For our trip next month, it will be the proximity to the parks that offer the extended night hours. We'll be doing our very first split stay at WDW to be near Epcot and MK on their respective nights.

For previous trips, I just picked the hotel closest to the event/attraction that we wanted to attend.

 

[Lumpy1106]

1. 1BRs need to sleep 5. That rules out CCV and BRV. Also the Poly since it doesn't have 1brs.
2. Need to be "in the bubble" - we don't want to have a car on property at all. That ruled out SSR and OKW since we've heard too many so-so stories about the buses there. Also AKV - too far out.
3. 2042 is too soon to be done. That rules out BWV and BCV

That put us in BLT or Grand Floridian. We chose BLT.

 

[ChanaC]

For me it's mostly price. On my most recent trip, we were only going for a few days and were going to be in the parks from open to close. We really only needed a safe and clean place to sleep, so we went with All-Star Music. As nice as the deluxe resorts are, for our stay it didn't make sense to spend money on amenities (restaurants, pools, etc.) that we weren't going to use. We almost choose off property this time, but mostly because at the time I was originally looking there were no value resort rooms available. They eventually did open up so we made the reservation. We might have stayed off-property, but we also wanted to take advantage of the early park hours and the ability to make Individual Attraction reservations at 7am.

 

[stinkpickle]

Definitely price. Now, that doesn't mean I stay at the cheapest option...just the most heavily discounted.

 

[hes122]

For me, a lot depends on how much time I plan to spend at the resort and what all I may want to do while I'm there. Having multiple transportation options though is preferred. I prefer to stay inside the bubble. I could stay at Pop every trip for the rest of my life and be happy. I love it there.

 

[Eastern]

Location. I really appreciate theming, but location trumps all.

 

[holden]

Our priorities are:

DVC resort
1BR or larger
Two bathrooms

So most of the time we stay at BLT or Kidani (we own at BLT).

 

[Gabby01]

Initially it was price . . . but I wound up liking the values way more than I thought I would. Now, I would definitely miss the food courts and relaxing, neutral-toned rooms if I stayed somewhere else!

I also appreciate buses as a pretty solid means of transportation, they’re weatherproof and don’t have a lot of things that can go wrong.

 

[TCRAIG]

Time of year and location - for Spring, I like VGF, for fall I like to split between Beach Club (for walk to F&W) and BLT (for walking to whatever Halloween themed after hours they offer) and in December, it’s got to be VWL/BR for the holiday vibe!

 

[isabellea]

Price, location and extras (such as Deluxe Extra Hours). That's why we chose the Dolphin instead of POFQ (for the same price including any fees and taxes).

 

[NikitaZee]

Price, resort that sleeps 5 in a room, and beauty of surroundings. Poly first choice but not always in budget - POR close second and where we'll be going next year.

 

[browneyedgirl1683]

Food, easy to navigate and a fun pool.

 

[gatormom2tots]

It has changed over the years.....

1. Prior to about 2011- it was all about the monorail resorts. We have 2-3 kids and at that time we rope dropped to stack those paper fps starting at RD. So by the time 12-1 came around we needed to take a nap so Contemporary was easiest to get back, sleep, and return. We did a trip about once a year.

2. 2012- 2019ish- we were AP holders so visited a lot...way more than we probably should have! It was often me with just a few of the kids (4 at this point) so values was fine by me. But we were a growing family of 4 to 5 to 6 so maxium capcaity became a huge feactor. Most of the "family" trips required us to stay offsite if we couldn't rent DVC points for a 2 bedroom. We also did a lot of off-site stays too. I feel in love with Coronado which sucked in terms of location but my kids loved the pool.

3. 2019+- Hubs and I discovered the BEAUTY of ADULTS ONLY trips. That means Epcot festivals and lots of pool time relaxing and someone coming by asking our drink orders. Beach/Yacht became our favorite due to location and favorite pool.

4. Current day- we don't visit the parks like we use to. But when we do we still prefer the Epcot resorts if we can swing it. Our younger kids (now 8 and 11) enjoy the pools and the Boardwalk area. We are now a family of 6 which also factors in and requires 2 rooms or a 2 bedroom dvc.

 

[jtopp]

Comfort and familiarity. We like OKW because it is always laid back, a nice foil to the chaos of the parks, but still close enough to be anywhere on property in minutes. The spacious rooms are comfortable without feeling trapped, and resort services are fabulous.

 

[Paranurse]

Location, location, location. Multiple forms of transportation and/or walking options. Convenience to other resorts to expand dining options. Fireworks viewing from the room and/or grounds.

This............minus the buses. Love monorail, walking and boats but hate the buses. If buses are the primary mode of transportation, its a deal breaker.