Help.. unsure where to stay???

[goofyLUVtigger]

HI,

I'm Kamie and my husband and I are planning our first trip to DisneyWorld sometime this year.. we are unsure of when he can get vacation time and I only have 3 weeks off from school from now until Christmas.
Our problem though is that we don't know where to stay, we wa
nt to stay on-site, but have no idea looking at the resorts what is best..
We are planning to go for our 5 year wedding anniversary, and we are 21, myself and hubby is 24, if we wait until Christmas to go we will both be a year older.
I've seen good things about the Poly, but unsure if we want to spend that much...

Any suggestions would be great!

Thanks,

Kamie
inkbounc inkbounc

 

[annemariec]

Just a quick note.

Check out: mousesavers.com! You'll see some great discounts listed. That may help your decision. That said, the Poly is wonderful IMHO. And we've stayed at the Grand Floridian also. Very nice. It's subjective as to what you like. The great thing is --- You can't go wrong! Put together a package yourself. It's the best advice I can give you. You'll save lots of money that way. Look into what park or parks you will spend the most time and try to get a resort nearby. (We tend to like the monorail resorts.) It'll cut down on travel time to and fro.

Good luck and once again, welcome!
Annemarie


edited to remove a link to a commercial site! Posting guidelines

 

[goofyLUVtigger]

Thanks...

Most of those places just spin my head in circles, although I think I am leaning towards Animal Kingdom Lodge... They have the monorail aswell right ?

Kamie

 

[cassie]

Hi Kamie

AKL is fabulous...but not on the monorail. Matter of fact it is the furthest from the parks except AK.

It's a beautiful hotel. You can't beat having the animals right off your balcony.

 

[disneyag]

Check out wdwinfo.com and wdwig.com for info on resorts. They both list prices and even have some pictures. DOn't assume you have to pay rack rate -- use the mousesavers site to help. Also, you might try dreamsunlimitedtravel.com. They are an online travel agency that ONLY deals with disney trips. It will cost you nothing and they will search for the cheapest deals for you. Have a great trip!!!!

 

[eeyore0062]

If you want a monorail resort, then the Contemporary will be your least expensive option.

You might also consider the WL... it is not on the monorail, but is in the Mk area, and many consider it perfect for a young couple. The hottubs are fabulous! It also has a feeling of being away from the hustle and bustle of the parks. It is on par with the AKL price wise, but a more convenient.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[Trekker]

The Nuts and Bolts of Disney Discounts 101

Don't forget you can get all the info on all the DI$counts right here on the DIS - just follow the links to the codes.......

 

[Ityldu]

For your first trip, I would definitely let DreamsUnlimited (DU) book the trip for you. They will work harder then anyone to get you the best rates and hard to get PS's. Your average Travel agent won't know nearly as much about Disney. It's an extremely confusing place to visit and all the websites can make it even more confusing, especially if you've never been there and don't know what everyone is talking about.

I've been there about 10 times and it still takes me about 2 days to get situated.

As far as where to stay, if money is no object, a deluxe resort is the only way to go. Then it's just a matter of what you like most. If you think you'll enjoy the MK with all the glory of the castle, then go for a resort there. Our favorites are Polynesian and WL. GF and Cont. are not for us. If you think you'll be into visiting all the spectacular shows in Epcot, BW and MGM, then I'd choose an Epcot resort. Swan and Dolphin have some fabulous discounts that are comparable in price to the moderate resorts. If you're into animals, the AKL. Be aware that you will have to take a bus to every park, even AK if you stay at AKL.

Everyone's tastes are so varied, that you won't get an answer as to which resort is the best, it all depends on your taste and what you want to get out of your vacation. IF you call DU, they will discuss all this with you. I've never used them personally, but I've heard so many fantastic things on these boards about them, that I wouldn't hesitate for a second if I had any doubts as to what I was doing.

You'll be spending a ton of money no matter what resort you choose, so you need to make the more informed decision possible.

 

[goofyLUVtigger]

Great stuff... after checking out most of the spots you guys named I have come to a few choices.. I really like the AKL, but hubby says he wants to be on the monorail, even better somewhere where the park is just a walk away.. so great info from you all... I've been to WDW 7 years ago and don't really remember alot about it, and it was with my family.. when I was 14.. I'm thinking of WL or Contem now... just checking a few things out and getting all the options... can't belive it's such a hard choice. WL is not within walking distance to a park right, but a boat ride to MK ? and contem is a walk to MK ?

Thanks

Kamie

 

[ubetiski]

Yes, you can walk from the Contemporary to the MK. It's a great walk to the park...but on the way back I always take the monorail. I am always wiped out my the end of the day. Plus the Contemporary is the first monorail stop leaving the parks.

 

[Gary M]

Kamie:

I've stayed onsite at WDW 26 times since 1992. I've stayed at the monorail resorts 9 times.(GF 8 x's and Poly once) DW and I have stayed at WL 13 times and find it to be great for the two of us. You say you have 3 weeks off between now and Christmas. If you can pick the dates you can take for a vacation I would highly suggest you guys stay at the WL during the first week or so of December. The decorations and Christmas feeling just can't be beat. As mentioned before, keep checking for discount room rates and sooner or later they will show up.

I think the monorail is over- rated as far as getting to parks faster than by boat or bus. During our Jan. and Feb. trips this year I timed the bus and boat times from the WL to the parks. The GF and Poly share a bus with the WL to AK and MGM. I noticed a couple of times in Feb. some of the GF and Poly people had to stand on the bus because it was full or nearly full by the time we reached those resorts. The boat from the WL to the MK takes anywhere from 7 to 10 minutes from the dock at the WL to the dock at MK. The monorail from the Poly to MK can't be much faster than that with the stop at the GF. The bus trip from the WL to EPCOT takes from 10-15 minutes actual travel time. If I remember right, the monorail from the GF and Poly takes you to TTC and you have to change monorails to go to EPCOT. You can walk from the POLY to TTC to get the direct monorail to EPCOT, but according to which Poly building you are in the walk will take a few minutes. A person can argue that you have to wait longer for the bus than the monorail, but I have had to wait for the monorail for several minutes many times.

If the themeing of the WL appeals to you then why not give it a try. The WL has hot tubs and the Poly doesn't. The WL has sinks outside of the bathtub and toilet area, the Poly's sinks are in the same room as the tub and toilet. The WL has balconies and first floor patios for each room, the Poly doesn't have balconies for each room. The rooms at the WL are smaller than the Poly rooms, but for the two of you this shouldn't be a problem.

We haven't stayed at the Cont. ,so I can't say anything about except it just doesn't appeal to us.

 

[DancingBear]

Contemporary is the only park within walking distance to Magic Kingdom. Monorail resorts are Contemporary, Polynesian and Grand Floridian. Wilderness Lodge has a boat to Magic Kingdom. Every other resort has boat service to Magic Kingdom.

That being said, given that it's just you two adults with no kids, I'd look at the Epcot resorts--Boardwalk, Beach Club, Yacht Club, Swan and Dolphin. You can walk (or take a boat) from any of these to both Epcot and to MGM! And you've got some nightlife on the Boardwalk.

We usually stay at the moderates 'cause I just can't bring myself to pay for the deluxes. If we didn't have access through my father to Shades of Green (we're transferred to the Contemporary for our December visit!) I'd go for the Swan and Dolphin, which is the most affordable of the Epcot resorts, given that they offer lots of discounts.