Help! Afraid to try new resort.

[lisareneeo]

I know this might sound weird but we love the Wilderness Lodge so much I am afraid to try a new resort. We have stayed at POFQ, POR then the WL 2times then CB then back to WL. We liked POFQ and POR not crazy about CBR. We love the WL. We love it not because it is a "deluxe" just because of the atmosphere. The rooms were pretty much the same at the moderates we've stayed in. My children want to try CS this fall and I would like to try either the Poly or AKL ( if we get a good AP rate) but keep thinking I am going to be wishing I was at the WL the whole time. We do not want to split our stay even though we will be there for 10-11nights. Help!!!

 

[Lou-Ann]

It sounds to me like you need to follow your heart. If you are Lodge people you are Lodge people. it gets in your blood. know one day when I was having a heart test and they simulated a heart attack I felt like I was dying......My first thought was of the Lodge. that told me that whenever I could afford the Lodge it was a no brainer. We are trying POFQ this year only because I got a killer rate at 1/2 the cost of the cheapest Lodge room. Your kids have their whole life in front of them. They need to be thrilled they are being taken to Disney. None of us know how long we have on this earth....go with what YOUR heart wants. When mama's happy, everyone is happy..........Perhaps for next year they can start earning points through school grades or cleaning their room to give em votes as to where to go......Until they earn the right either through work or money.....you are the parent........Be happy, honey. You earn that right every day you do the laundry and cook their meals.......

 

[ptrbryant]

We've been to WDW 3x (nothing compared to most of you!) and each time, we've stayed at WL/VWL. Well, this year, I ended up switching our Oct. 2005 WDW trip to May 2005 (long story!) and there was no affordable availablity at WL (and no studios at VWL, though we are on the waitlist for it). So, we're being FORCED to try something else...we'll be splitting our stay between SSR and POR and I keep trying to tell myself that we'll be at WDW, everything will be fine! But, it IS hard to think of not being at the Lodge at all!

Karla B.

 

[Eeyore2003]

I have loved all of the places I've stayed for different reasons and I think they were all wonderful. The Contemporary will always have a "soft" spot in my heart, cuz that is where we always stayed when we were with the kids over the years, but I have absolutely LOVED, OKW, BWI, BWV and AK also!!! Each has their little plusses. WL IS coming up on my list soon though. Maybe next May after Beach Club this November.

 

[Ziggie]

Throughout our many years and trips to the parks, we've managed to stay at every hotel/resort on-site with the exception of SOG and Fort Wilderness. And I totally understand what you're saying... I can relate

We've found that as we've grown older, our "favorites list" has changed. There are hotels I wouldn't go back to unless there was absolutely no other place to stay. And others, I would pay premimum dollar for time and time again.

 

[M*2]

Ziggie, you mentioned that you've stayed at about every resort. I'd love some reviews (we've only stayed at one... and liked it by the way... POFQ),
particularly since you're older and I'm assuming you're without kids at this point, which kind of ties in with my life!
Thanks!!!!
M

 

[Simba's Mom]

I can understand your dilema-it's alot of money if you find you'd rather be somewhere else. This is what I do anytime I'm considering a new resort-I book it for only the first night of my vacation, then for the rest of my vacation I return to my "tried and true", in your case that sounds like WL. I pack a little overnight bag, don't even touch my big suitcase, so moving is very easy (haven't even unpacked much to repack). This gives me a little "taste" of the resort to see if I want to return there.

 

[Deborah_Mary]

I must admit, I am one of these people too. We've only stayed at CR (besides my 2 stays at Poly with my parents) so this coming up trip it's going to be quite different and I'm a bit nervous about it even though I will be in Disney! Silly - yes, I know, but very true. Then again, I have yet to feel truly "at-home" at CR so we really want to try other resorts, but it's tough! My dh has never stayed at the Poly and this wil be his first time and our first time at AKL. We went and visited and liked what we saw last year, so we thought we'd try it out. I'm just worried about the bus transportation since I'm so use to the monorail perks with little ones.

We also checked out WL and this is another resort we hope to try out in the coming trips. This visit we plan on heading over to CSR to see how it looks as it has definitely peeked dh and my interest as well.

I think eventually BC will be a bit hit once our girls get older with SAB.... so I have a few that I'd like to try out... eventually.

So you are definitely NOT alone! Just try to remember (as I'm doing now) - it can't be THAT bad... we're at DISNEY!!

Deb*

 

[Ziggie]

Ziggie, you mentioned that you've stayed at about every resort. I'd love some reviews (we've only stayed at one... and liked it by the way... POFQ),
particularly since you're older and I'm assuming you're without kids at this point, which kind of ties in with my life!
Thanks!!!!
M

It would be my pleasure sweetie!

Rather than just talk about them at length, do you have any specific ones you're interested in?

For us, our favorites include AKL, WL, BC + YC. While the Contemporary was very nice, it isn't one of our favorites. The Polynesian is very nice, but reminds us too much of where we actually live (palm trees.. that tropical feeling). We love the value resorts, but would pick All Star Sports last. Caribbean Beach is lovely and we always reserve a corner room.

We used to love Dixie Landings, but it's now gone. We stayed in a 3 room suite at WL, but weren't as pleased with it as a regular room at the Beach Club.

We've stayed at the Swan and Dolphin (each only one time) but wouldn't really go back (sorry to everyone who loves them). They just didn't give us a true *Disney* feeling.

POFQ and POR are both nice. Coronado Springs is probably our least favorite. We stayed at Boardwalk Inn when it first opened and had one of the best rooms I've ever had on site. We overlooked the courtyard and boardwalk/water area. It was glorious.

I talked about our GF experience up above. While it was lovely, I wouldn't pay that amount of money again.

We've stayed in all these hotels multiple times and we feel we've developed a good feeling for what we enjoy most.

Hope this has helped you in some way

 

[*Fantasia*]

I'm like that too. Afraid of trying new resort. So what I do is at the end of our stay, we try a new resort. If we like it we go back there again on our next trip. Basically it's a split stay. Now this time, I am thinking of Polynesian resort. I think I am going to do two nights here and then do POP and last POFQ. This way if I am dissapointed with Poly, I have something to look forward to!

I know you don't want to do a split stay... but I think it might be worth to do it. This will ease your mind on staying on the new resort cause as I have mentioned above, if it doesn't work out, you have WL to fall back on.

 

[M*2]

Okay, this may be a silly question... regarding a split stay... do you think it would be possible for two adults to just check out of the first resort and then take the Disney bus to the other hotel, bags in tow? Maybe a cab would be better.
Basically, I'm wondering if a split stay is "doable" for people who've flown in and are therefore without a car. Thanks.
M.
Went to Disney last year with DH and LOVED it. POFQ was lushly landscaped and very restful after a long day. I'd go back to Port Orleans FQ in a minute, but I also would enjoy giving the other resorts a short try.
Ziggie, thanks for the reviews.

 

[manhattan]

We have done split stays, and the hotel transferred our luggage for us. One time we went to the park and went to the second hotel and our luggage was waiting for us. Another time they took us in one of their vans to the other hotel. So yes it is doable without a car....we never rent a car at Disney.

 

[Jasminetigger]

I'm in the same boat. Our family loves Wilderness Lodge. Going back for the third straight year. Always start out talking about staying somewhere else, but then the family looks at me like I'm crazy or something. Oh well, I guess we'll just have to suffer again at the Wilderness Lodge!

 

[Cindermommy]

We are going in August for the anniversary of my 29th birthday (again!). We stayed last year at WL (loved it!), but are thinking of trying a DDRA hotel because of its proximity to DD. We've stayed at Ft. Wilderness (really didn't like it), Coronado Springs (it was ok), Caribbean Beach (very disappointed). Have you ever stayed at the DoubleTree on Hotel Plaza Boulevard or any of the other DDRA hotels??? I am very apprehensive about staying at a non-Disney resort, but we got an unbelieveble rate. Does anyone have any opinions???

 

[Denmark]

Well i have had many "problems" to deside which resort/resorts to pick.
So i got an idea, and did as follows:

I made a spredsheet in Microsoft Excel.

I typed, starting from 2nd colum and then 3rd and so on, all deluxe resorts in the Magic Kingdom area, and all the Deluxe resorts in the Epcot area.

In the left side of my spredsheet, 1 st. colum, i wrote the following things:

Location, Resort Theme, Transportation, Number of rooms (meaning: lots of rooms = too big a resort to get around on foot), Resort size (meaning: lots of acres of land = too big to walk around), Room size, Room standard (meaning: room decor = nice/ok/bad), Resort standard (meaning: overall how nice/ok/not ok facilities does the resort have), Pool Theme/size, Price (meaning: cheap/ok/expensive), Restaurants, Noice (expected noise level, its a guess, i know), Entertainment, Fireworks, Park view, Resort color sceme (meaning: very nice, nice, ugly), Room view (standard), Room view (water/pool/lagoon etc.), Entertainment lagoons (meaning: events like EWP).

I then gave each each thing a rating: From 1 to 5 points (5 being the best).

Below each resort i then added the points together, the resort with most points total, was the one i picked.

I also made an extra sum below each resort, where i added the points together, with the things i tought was most important to me!.

If you dont have a spredsheet program, just use a piece of paper.

Easy, takes only 1 hours tops, and then you know by yourself that you have picked the resort that have the most pluses over others that you have thought about!.

I picked Wilderness Lodge (Woods view) and Beach Club (Pool view).

 

[tubachick]

Boy, I guess there are alot of us that like to stay in our comfort zone. I try to pick a new resort but end up where I am comfortable. at WL.

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

To the OP....I feel your pain, sistah! You can see in my siggy where I have stayed. We just got back from OKW and there was nothing wrong with it...it just wasn't WL!!!!

May I suggest you try AKL? hat is now my second favorite resort. It was done by the same architect as WL, and there are a lot of simialrities. Was never interested in it before, because I did not think I would like an "African" theme. if I had a choice of going to Africa or going to The Pacific Northwest, I would choose the Northwest. BUT...the theming is tastfully done, and the restaurants, IMHO, far surpass the WL restaurants. Also, I like the pool at AKL better. I also think there are more kids activities at the AKL.

Now, the WL definitely has better transportation. You are closer to lots of stuff. but please try AKL. I bet you will love it and it may be a nice change of pace!

 

[Ziggie]

We are going in August for the anniversary of my 29th birthday (again!). We stayed last year at WL (loved it!), but are thinking of trying a DDRA hotel because of its proximity to DD. We've stayed at Ft. Wilderness (really didn't like it), Coronado Springs (it was ok), Caribbean Beach (very disappointed). Have you ever stayed at the DoubleTree on Hotel Plaza Boulevard or any of the other DDRA hotels??? I am very apprehensive about staying at a non-Disney resort, but we got an unbelieveble rate. Does anyone have any opinions???

We've stayed at most of the hotels in the DDRA and some of them were very nice. However, the last time we did that DD was still in elementary school (she's married now). My only regret was staying at the Grosvenor, I will never do that again. Uncaring (almost rude staff), blood on various parts of the walkways, and kitchen help doing things outside the building that would make your stomach turn.

The Double Tree was very nice ~

 

[Ziggie]

One other thing I'd like to mention (for what it's worth). If you and your family really enjoy one hotel over another (and you feel trepidation in switching to another), go with your heart. Stay where you are most comfortable and happy. These are trips you plan for several months (some even years) and there is no reason to change places just because you feel as if you should.

For people like us, if we reserve a room in a hotel at Disney that doesn't exactly thrill us, it's different. We go home, and in a few months, turn around and go back. Not everyone can do that. If you feel a split stay is something you'd like to try, do that. But don't feel pressured to try another hotel just because there are so many to chose from.

Do you know what I mean?

 

[Beka'sMom]

I am in the same scenario...
trying Animal Kingdom Lodge for the first time, have stayed primarily at Beach Club in the past few years, but is not available this year w/AP discounts.
Hoping to love it as much!