Help me choose! Which deluxe?

[Jonfw2]

Go with what your heart tells you.

Based on what you have told us, go with the Wilderness Lodge.

Great theming and a very nice pool.

Also, Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge generally are the least expensive Deluxe Resorts, often hundreds of dollars less per night than some of the other Deluxe Resorts.

I think AKL is only cheaper for a non Savannah view room. Just want to clarify.

 

[Nabas]

I think AKL is only cheaper for a non Savannah view room. Just want to clarify.

I agree. There’s a big jump in price for a Savannah view, and the OP stated they originally were leaning towards WL or AKL.

Based on the OP’s expressed love for the WL and the big jump in price for any other Deluxe, the WL makes a great deal of sense as a first Deluxe Resort stay.

 

[Jonfw2]

I agree. There’s a big jump in price for a Savannah view, and the OP stated they originally were leaning towards WL or AKL.

Based on the OP’s expressed love for the WL and the big jump in price for any other Deluxe, the WL makes a great deal of sense as a first Deluxe Resort stay.

Absolutely.

 

[PalmettoPath]

Oh please tell me your list! I'd love to know! I seriously have never ever done a deluxe before!

I love reading all of your posts so keep them coming. We've dined at Beach club and love that too!

This is our family's personal DVC list. This is specifically with respect to staying there. For example, we love visiting Wilderness Lodge and appreciate Animal Kingdom (and the grounds of both of those), but we won't likely ever stay at either one of those any more for several reasons based on past experiences at those locations. The others are all on our active list in the order below. We visit for three weeks each year and the top five below are the ones we book most often. (We own at GFV and BLT and just sold off our AK contract because we never used it -- we put the funds from that sale towards adding on to our GFV contract):

1. Grand Floridian
2. Beach Club
3. Bay Lake Tower
4. Polynesian (Bungalows over studios)
5. Saratoga Springs
6. Boardwalk
7. Riviera
8. Old Key West
9. Wilderness Lodge (Copper Creek over Boulder Ridge)
10. Animal Kingdom (Jambo over Kidani)

 

[sydneysmom]

We have twice stayed at the Grand Floridian, and we LOVED it. it was so amazing. Now, we chose that because our daughter was 4 1/2 ( for our first trip) and we knew we'd be at the MK most of the time, and wanted a monorail resort. It did not disappoint, and it did NOT feel stuffy or snooty to us. the pools were fantastic, the staff was super amazing and good food choices.

This trip, we had originally booked the Poly.... but since it's just me and my DH, we decided we are going to spend most of our time at Epcot ( Food and Wine) and HS. So we switched to the YC. ( I'm not gonna lie, the pool was the main draw for that choice !!) I think alot of it is 1. what "hits" you when you're looking at the resorts . 2. what park are you going to visit the most 3. are you going to take "resort days" or time at the pool to use the resort amenities. All of that played into our decisions. But truly, no matter which resort you pick, it's going to be AMAZING !!! I hope you have fun!

 

[rangerxenos]

Animal Kingdom Lodge is my favorite Deluxe of those I've stayed at (Wilderness Lodge, Grand Floridian and Yacht Club being the others). I've stayed there half a dozen times now, and I still love it. Three of the best restaurants on Disney property, I find it quieter than other resorts, and the architecture is gorgeous. And lets not forget the animals!

 

[Cinders1]

Hard to beat the Poly for that "vacation feel". We have also enjoyed the Boardwalk and DH favorite, the Wilderness Lodge. The monorail at the Poly sure is a nice way to get back to your room. Being able to walk to Epcot and boat to Hollywood Studios is nice at the Boardwalk. Not to mention the fun of the boardwalk itself! The Wilderness Lodge is beautiful especially during the holidays. Have not stayed at the others yet! Have a great trip whichever you choose!

 

[Ursula J]

I'm saving up for a trip next year and we're going with WL. I've stayed at YC, AKL, and WL deluxe. YC is chill and close but not *Disney* enough for the 15 year old. AKL is incredible if you have a car or can Uber or just don't mind a bit of bus waiting (we're in a big city and wait for busses often so nbd). But WL is like no other in terms of grounds, lobby, ambiance. Do it!

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

I have been going to WDW for over 35 years now. However, when I first started going, there weren't many on site resorts so we often stayed off property. As things started going up, we stayed at Caribbean Beach, then Port Orleans, then when values were built, we stayed at all of the All Star resorts, Pop, and Art of Animation. As you can see, we have NEVER done a deluxe. Fast forward to planning our 2023 vacation and my whole extended family is going from a Tuesday to a Tuesday and my husband says, "Why don't we go down there just the four of us (our two kids who will be 15 and 13 at the time) and go to a deluxe resort for a few days before your family gets there?" Well, now the gears are turning and while I've always DREAMED of staying at these resorts, I've never considered it! So which one would you choose? I have loved Wilderness Lodge most of my adult life when we started having dinners there. But, I also think Animal Kingdom would be awesome with a Savanna View. What are your thoughts or suggestions on any of the deluxe resorts? What are your favorites? We're just listening to everyone's thoughts! Thank you!

We've stayed at AKL but never WL, however it's on my list. I really do love the theming of WL but the location (and usually budget) is my deciding factor and I usually choose Boardwalk area resorts for this reason. The boat ride to MK is a nice perk.

AKL is great and our kids loved the animals. We did not book a savanna view room but were upgraded and that was awesome. Totally unexpected and now having done that, I don't think I would want to stay there without a savanna view room. I love the resort theming and all the details. There's also some great dining options on property. The only downside for me on AKL is the location.

Our fave deluxe....right now.....is the Boardwalk. We first stayed there in 2019 and fell in love. We now usually go between there and the Swan/Dolphin (so much cheaper) because we love the proximity to DHS/Epcot and other great dining options. It's just so nice to be able to walk to a park, take a boat or take a stroll on the boardwalk and just grab a drink and sit and relax.

Not disney owned but also awesome since it's a great location is Swan and Dolphin. You get deluxe disney perks but for moderate pricing. That's been our go to lately but next visit we'll probably do a WDW resort since my kids said they miss the disney theming.

We've done lots of mods and values too and while I don't feel like staying at a WDW deluxe is even close to comparable to any other national 5 start hotel chain, there are some perks that are really great. We love covered access to transportation, more dining options, the rooms are a bit bigger, having a balcony, a fun, upgraded pool and great locations.

 

[tobikaye]

I think we need to know if these are resort only days or are these going to still be park days. I plan to try to stay at all of the WDW resorts at some point. I have the family suites at AoA, tower rooms at CSR and anywhere at POR to knock off the value and moderate. Of the Deluxes, I have 4 covered: AKL Jambo, BWI, Rivera, and BLT.

These below resorts are the ones that I would stay again or want to stay for a resort only trip. Now, I might consider a few others for a resort only stay, but feel like I might want to visit a park from those just due to location.

• AKL: I have stayed here before and would again for a non-park stay or maybe a long weekend with 1 day at AK. It was very relaxed and I enjoyed watching the animals, relaxing in the hot tub and pool. Boma was excellent for breakfast and I wish I had been able to eat at Sanaa and Jiko.
• Rivera: This was a great stay as well and would be great for visiting other resorts or quick trips to Disney Springs. Bonus that you can see some of the fireworks, but are still a bit removed from the parks to feel like you need to go.
• YC/BC: I really want to stay at YC soon, BC would probably be okay too. I have visited both and enjoy the feel of the YC resort a bit more. It is close enough that visiting BW, Dolphin, Swan would be easy and I think one of the mini golf places is walk able from here by going through near Dolphin/Swan area. The pool along with the ability to visit the other resorts makes me feel this would be enjoyable for a non-park visit. Plus, I think you can rent the pontoons here.
• Saratoga Springs: This is probably not what I would suggest for someone's first deluxe stay, but it is a strong contender for a couple of nights before I take my sister on our cruise in October, if we get to go. We are only planning to do MNSSHP one evening. This would allow us a place to maybe visit the pool for a bit, take a surrey bike around and easy access to Disney Springs.

So, if I had never stayed at a Deluxe resort and this was either my only chance or my chances would be limited, then this would be my list:

• Grand Floridian
• Polynesian
• Yacht Club
• Animal Kingdom Jambo

 

[Anthony1971]

AKL and WL are designed by the same making the main atrium similar in Design however AKL is a much grander scale.
WL by far behind the POlY and some can see equal has the best theming.
AKL I would put more as a destination resort you can easily waste a full day (multiple) and not become bored.
Kids that age- The pool at AKL Jambo will also allow you access to Kidani which has a much better slide but the pool at Jambo itself is much nicer.
For deluxe if you going to that park everyday and waking hour there is not a lot of sense but still worth it in many respects.....
With that I have 0 issues with the buses at either I have never had an issue with around 8 stays at AKL and 3 at WL and as far as AKL being remote????
The worst bus service we have was in fact at CR stayed 4 times and POlY stayed 6 times never saw any time savings although MK is easy to get to but the rest make up for it.
pick what fits your taste.....

 

[Memorymakerfor4]

It sounds like you love a heavily themed resort and you can't go wrong with either of these. A savanna room at Jambo would be awesome, but I'm also a huge fan of the boat ride from WL to MK and nothing beats Christmas at the Lodge. Take a look at current discounts and see if that helps.

 

[RysMomma]

Yes, I'm also loving the Poly too. When I was little, I used to beg my dad for a Monorail resort. We never did it. Now that I'm older, part of me would still love to do a monorail resort and I have also loved the Poly for many many years. And my daughter would love the Moana theme, even at 13!

But, I also love the Beach Club and the Yacht Club. Wow..these are tough decisions!

 

[JAMIESMITH]

The Polynesian has our hearts, but AKL and WL are both usually quite a bit less expensive. We had a great single night stay at AKL on a trip that was very light on park time. We enjoyed the pool and the animal viewing areas, but we still took a bus to MK and rode the monorail to The Poly for a meal at one of our favorite restaurants.

We did not love BWV and would definitely never stay there again. The transportation and dining options were terrible. We might consider BC or YC on a warm weather trip, especially if we have enough planned down time to enjoy the pool.

The Grand Floridian is on my wish list. Old Key West is a definite consideration if renting points because of the price.

 

[Katodu]

all will be amazing! You cannot go wrong!

 

[RysMomma]

We're going to go on a Saturday, when the rest of my family comes on a Tuesday. So Saturday-Tuesday. But we're thinking we may only do park tickets for 2 of those days.

 

[hhisc16]

I have been going to WDW for over 35 years now. However, when I first started going, there weren't many on site resorts so we often stayed off property. As things started going up, we stayed at Caribbean Beach, then Port Orleans, then when values were built, we stayed at all of the All Star resorts, Pop, and Art of Animation. As you can see, we have NEVER done a deluxe. Fast forward to planning our 2023 vacation and my whole extended family is going from a Tuesday to a Tuesday and my husband says, "Why don't we go down there just the four of us (our two kids who will be 15 and 13 at the time) and go to a deluxe resort for a few days before your family gets there?" Well, now the gears are turning and while I've always DREAMED of staying at these resorts, I've never considered it! So which one would you choose? I have loved Wilderness Lodge most of my adult life when we started having dinners there. But, I also think Animal Kingdom would be awesome with a Savanna View. What are your thoughts or suggestions on any of the deluxe resorts? What are your favorites? We're just listening to everyone's thoughts! Thank you!

Why don't you try a split stay with Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge since you like both of them?

Disney can transfer your luggage for you between the resorts.

 

[katyjeka]

Wilderness Lodge is my husband's favorite. We spent three nights when they first opened($180 a night!)and he fell in love with it. Our kids are huge animal lovers so AK is their favorite. AK is a little removed from everything but what a fantastic resort. Walking around at night is beautiful. We just returned from Old Faithful Inn(Yellowstone)and all I could think of was Wilderness Lodge and how bad I wanted to return.

 

[katyjeka]

AKL and WL are designed by the same making the main atrium similar in Design however AKL is a much grander scale.
WL by far behind the POlY and some can see equal has the best theming.
AKL I would put more as a destination resort you can easily waste a full day (multiple) and not become bored.
Kids that age- The pool at AKL Jambo will also allow you access to Kidani which has a much better slide but the pool at Jambo itself is much nicer.
For deluxe if you going to that park everyday and waking hour there is not a lot of sense but still worth it in many respects.....
With that I have 0 issues with the buses at either I have never had an issue with around 8 stays at AKL and 3 at WL and as far as AKL being remote????
The worst bus service we have was in fact at CR stayed 4 times and POlY stayed 6 times never saw any time savings although MK is easy to get to but the rest make up for it.
pick what fits your taste.....

We had horrible bus service at Saratoga and we've never went back. We loved the treehouses but watching three busses for Pop arrive before one of ours kind of turned us against it. Especially considering the price difference between the two. We are looking at CR for 10 nights. I'm thinking of renting points for a two bedroom but I'm reading a lot of negatives. What a hard decision!

 

[magicalfoursome]

Beware! Once you go Deluxe there is no turning back! I have stayed at all the deluxes except for Riveria. Each one has its strengths and weaknesses but you can’t go wrong with any of them. My first deluxe stay was WL and my family and I loved it! I would choose it over AKL for easier access to MK. If seeing wildlife is more important to your family them AKL is wonderful. BW and BC/YC for easy walk/boat ride to both EPCOT and DHS. Poly, GF, and Contemporary for monorail. I know I am in a minority but my least favorite deluxe to stay in is GF. It is a beautiful hotel and I love to visit but the vibe is just too formal for my tastes.