Do people change resorts based on time of year of trip?

[princessap]

We usually go in February but are now planning for September 2014. Do you change resorts based on time of year?? thinking Sept will be hot and we wont be doing 14 hr days for MK and will need pool days. Should I stick with Poly??

 

[Couchy]

When I know it will be warm I book BC for Storm Along Bay. If we go in the winter I book the Dolphin. Still has a great pool in case we get lucky but it is a considerable savings and if no SAB I will take the savings

 

[pigletto]

It's not my main concern but it does factor in.
I am way more concerned with the pools when my trip is at a warm time of year. For our first Christmas season trip I picked Wilderness Lodge because it just feels Christmasy to me.
I wouldn't mind doing a budget trip to a value but would be less likely to do one during the summer because we spend so much time at the pools and my kids want a slide.
I think you'd be fine at the Poly. The pool can get crowded though IMO so you might want to take that into consideration.

 

[bowbat]

We usually go in February but are now planning for September 2014. Do you change resorts based on time of year?? thinking Sept will be hot and we wont be doing 14 hr days for MK and will need pool days. Should I stick with Poly??

We do! Convenience is a huge factor in the resort we choose, and time of year impacts our touring/vacation style. We just got back from a stay at YC, chosen both for the pool we knew we'd spending a lot of time in and its proximity to Epcot -- the only park we went to this trip. We'll be going back after Thanksgiving and staying at WL. Our priorities that trip will be the holiday decorations and proximity to MK.

I think Poly would still be a good choice. Though its pool can get crowded, September is a low-crowd time, so I think you'd be okay. And you can monorail to MK and Epcot, making it easier to come & go to the parks during the day.

 

[Karlzmom]

We do. Our primary reason for booking the BWV for our upcoming trip was to be able to walk to 2 parks when the Christmas crowds are insane..no waiting at parking lots for us!

 

[Sue M]

Yes. I think Poly would be perfect for a summer trip. We stayed in winter, and I thought, next time we book Poly would be for summer trip. We also like BC/YC for summer. Last summer we stayed at AKL, and that was good too, really nice pool, large and never felt packed.

In winter we like WL, and POFQ, I'm not concerned about the lack of quiet pools at POFQ in January. But if I'm staying at a moderate in summer, has to be POR for the quiet pool option. In summer we take afternoon breaks, and getting away from the afternoon pool party is a bonus!!

 

[princessap]

Thanks.

I like the look of stormalong bay when my kids are older...I think I would be too nervous there now with them so young! But it looks amazing for an older kids trip! I will definitely check it out for another trip.

I was contemplating between Poly and CR, but think that the poly would be better for my kids!

 

[Magic3forme]

We prefer BLT for our Xmas trips... it is an easy walk to MK.

Spring break we did BW... great to be close to 2 parks.

in the summer the kids love AK for the pools.

 

[danceintherain]

Our resort choices are usually based on cost, so yes, time of year does matter for us to some degree.

In general, we just pick based on what we want out of a resort. If I ever do a Christmas trip, I really want to stay at the Wilderness Lodge.

I can definitely see some benefit to staying in the Epcot resort area during the hottest months, because it should reduce your travel time to and from two of the parks, since you can walk.

The pool at the Poly is equally as lovely as most of the other Deluxe resorts, so I expect you can do pool days there just as easily. If you still think you'll be spending most of your park time at the Magic Kingdom (even if it's less park time than usual) then the Poly would still be convenient.

 

[princessap]

We prefer BLT for our Xmas trips... it is an easy walk to MK.

Spring break we did BW... great to be close to 2 parks.

in the summer the kids love AK for the pools.

I LOVE the look of AKL but with three kids under 7 I know we will be at MK two if not three days so would like to be closer to MK, but we are going to do a dinner there to check it out...if it wasn't far from the parks I would consider a split stay!

 

[stargazertechie]

I LOVE the look of AKL but with three kids under 7 I know we will be at MK two if not three days so would like to be closer to MK, but we are going to do a dinner there to check it out...if it wasn't far from the parks I would consider a split stay!

I'd encourage you to do the split stay anyway. Honestly, AKL is like a vacation within a vacation. The ride to MK isn't terrible (20 mins or so) and the pool is FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!


As for your original question, yes, the time of year does play into where we stay. If we're going over the Christmas holidays, we pick AKL or WL because at the price point, it's got the best decor. Though BC/YC and GF have the most mind-blowing Christmas decorations, if we're on a cash reservation those resorts are out of our budget.

If we're going in the winter outside of Christmas time, we usually stay at a value. The park hours are shorter, it's normally too cold to plan much of a swim break, so we just want a "disney" place to lay our heads at night.

In the summer- pools are the key! We're going for July 4th this year, and picked Beach Club simply for Stormalong Bay. I'm thinking this trip will be more about enjoying the resort and boardwalk area, and less about the parks.