First Deluxe Resort Stay

[dizneydreaming]

Hello all!

It's been a couple of years since we have been to Disney. We're planning on going again in February '19. I want to make this trip a really once in a lifetime kind of experience.

If you could stay at only one Deluxe resort, which would you choose and why? Thanks for any and all input!!

 

[Amanda&Mike]

Beach club or Boardwalk. I love walking to Epcot and HS

 

[My3SweetSuns]

Beach club or Boardwalk. I love walking to Epcot and HS

I agree with this! My first choice would be the Boardwalk Inn. I lovvvvvve that place!

 

[OneinThree]

I'd love to say GF because it's hands-down the best, but I really have to say Poly when it comes down to it.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I think it depends on which parks you want to visit most.

We've stayed at Poly and GF in the recent past and based on what I've seen at other deluxe resorts,, Polynesian is the Holy Grail from a Disney POV. Of course GF is nothing to sneer at but once again it's about your carefully honed needs.

That being said our next trip will be a split stay between the Contemporary and either BC or YC based solely on an abbreviated trip ( 5 to 6 nights), time of year (4th of July), and how many kiddos of diverse ages we are towing along (17, 12.5, 9).

I anticipate we'll spend one day @ MK as well as AK. The remainder of our time will be at Epcot, HS, DS, @ the resort and 1 of 2 water parks thus an Epcot area hotel will better serve our needs at that end.

 

[Belia]

Mine would be the Poly. Can't beat the location. GF seems too stuffy. Plus, I don't think I'll ever make it to Hawaii in this lifetime, so I figure that's as close as I'll ever get!

 

[Disneyhenry]

GF would totally be my 1st choice. We have stayed there and honestly I was worried I would feel out of place or it would seem to Richie, people might be snoody but no it’s not that way at all. The place is amazing, the staff wonderful! I loved everything about it! But it is very expensive. If you want to stay at a less expensive deluxe, CR or poly, being on the monorail is a huge plus! But if you love Epcot then BC maybe the best deluxe for you - the room are beautiful and that pool is awesome! Have fun

 

[Tksolomom]

I love AKL. It isn’t as convenient, but the bus service is good. You can’t beat waking up to coffee and sitting on your balcony watching the animals. They have great food there too.

 

[KatyWDW]

I’ve only stayed at Boardwalk and SSR in terms of deluxe resorts (adding BLT this fall). Of the two definitely Boardwalk! You just can’t beat being able to walk to two parks. Plus not to mention the awesome theme.

 

[yaya74]

AKL is a great Deluxe resort. We stayed at AKL two years ago. We booked a standard room but was able to see giraffes and other animals from our room. It was a cool experience.

I don't think you would go wrong with any of the deluxe resort. Have a great trip!!

 

[Mousemommy1]

At this point, the only deluxe we haven’t stayed at is Boardwalk (we will stay there in August). They all have their pluses and minuses. Currently I would rank them as:

-Grand Floridian
-Wilderness Lodge
-Polynesian
-Yacht Club
-Animal Kingdom Lodge (prob tied with Yacht)
-Beach Club
-Contemporary

Can’t wait to see where Boardwalk fits in!

 

[OurLaughingPlace]

We're probably among the minority here, but based on what we love (park access and pools) we pick:
Contemporary- walking in/out of the MK is incredible!!! (I know others don't like the pool here, but we like it fine)
Beach Club- SAB pool and walking in/out of Epcot with short walk/boat to DHS
As Mousemommy said, they all have their pluses and minuses. You just need to pick what's important to you before picking your resort. I see you're looking at February, so I'm not sure if pools are even something you're considering? We usually go in August, so a great pool is a must; however, we've gone at Christmas time before and still gone swimming. Good luck deciding! TBH I think that all of the Deluxe resorts are fantastic and hope to stay at them all someday!

 

[Shellyb84]

Our favorite is Beach Club, closely followed by Grand Floridian and Poly. If you were going in the summer I would definitely say BC for the pool, but Feb. weather can be iffy, so I would choose based on location. We spend the most time at Epcot so BC is great for us but if you'll be at MK a lot I would choose GF or Poly.

 

[mickeynut1]

We've stayed at all of the deluxes except YC, CR and BWI and our favorite is the Poly. With that said, we have had great stays at all the others we've tried and wouldn't hesitate to stay at any of them again. It's a hard decision (IMO) as there are so many great choices, but I would choose the one that theme/decor appeals to you the most. All of the resorts are nice, but we love the Poly's tropical atmosphere, the beach for watching the fireworks, and the ability to see the castle from just about anywhere on the Poly grounds. It's also nice being within walking distance to the TTC to catch the Epcot monorail. Good luck with your decision, but you really can't go wrong with any of them .

 

[JediBonas]

Beach Club is our favorite. You just can't beat being able to walk to both HS and Epcot IMHO. Our kids absolutely love the pool as well.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Beach Club is my favorite so far. I would like to stay at the GF one day. We are doing BWV next trip. We also did the Poly before and it didn't live up to the hype.

 

[KenHutch]

For our 5th trip in June we are staying deluxe for the 1st time at Animal Kingdom Lodge. I picked the resort (well my daughter did most of the picking) for its incredible atmosphere and its restaurants. Also as I have posted before on our last trip I took my resort hopping day and AKL was one of the places I stopped at. They went above and beyond showing the place. I was invited to wander around the pool, they showed me the restaurants (this I knew but hey it was fun) and a very kind CM even arranged for me to take a tour of a room. They really seem to want people there which was the complete opposite of the way I was treated at Beach Club. A lot of people talk about the distance but its not really that far away from the other parks. And I use bus rides as a chance to change batteries on the camera and just enjoy some air conditioning.

 

[kboo]

How many adults and how many kids?

If adults only and no kids, my order would be:

Grand Floridian
Beach Club/Yacht Club or Boardwalk
Poly
Animal Kingdom Lodge
Wilderness Lodge



With small kids (toddlers or young kids)
Grand Floridian
Animal Kingdom Lodge (animals and pools and theming and wonderful cast members and great public space)
Poly
Boardwalk
Contemporary (might move up if you're planning to go to MK a lot)
Beach/Yacht Club
Wilderness

With bigger kids, I'd move Beach/Yacht club up - the pool is great, but only with strong swimmers and more mature kids - the water slide is across the walkway to Epcot and it's not easy for toddlers.

 

[AllieBoo]

I would pick GF, because that and the Boardwalk Inn are the only two deluxes I haven't stayed at yet, and I would really like to try it. it looks so nice and I love being on the monorail.

 

[Thiago Acquaviva]

I would pick Poly!
Looks amazing and I love the theming and the food!
It's my biggest WDW dream actually