Help!!! Which Resort WL, AKL, Poly, Dolphin??

[Winnie Pooh Fan]

Cast - DM, DS (12), Me
Time Frame - June or July 2005

We are in the midst of planning our next trip. We need to decide on our resort to plan the rest of our trip and are having trouble making a decision.

We have stayed on site at WL and POFQ the rest have all been off site. Want a deluxe for this stay as we preferred all the extras it had.

Planning a couple days at WDW parks and waterparks, and maybe Universal/Sea World? Afternoons back at resort.

Possibilities - WL, AKL, CR, Poly, or Swan/Dolphin.

Lists of wants - Great pool (DS loves to swim), balcony, good transportation, nice room, and relaxing but fun for DS.

Thank you for any help on this.

 

[cranbiz]

You will get many opinions here, here's mine.

AKL

If you like animals, there are just so many opportunities to see them, the hidden mickey hunt, storytelling, pool, etc.

Plus Jiko and BOMA.

YMMV

 

[ecpool]

We just got back from there and thought it was great. You save big money compared to the Disney Deluxes and we thought it was a really nice hotel overall.

 

[Leota]

I was going to suggest the Swan to meet your list of priorities. The Grotto Pool is lots of fun, it is centrally located, easy transportation. Smaller than the Dolphin. We had an awesome room with a balcony overlooking the walkway to the Dolphin that I just loved the view. The Dolphin fills all those needs as well, it's just bigger. We have had great stays at both.

 

[vicb]

I have stayed at Poly 1x and BWI 2x and next trip we are staying YC for the pool. We enjoy the Epcot area much more than the MK area. There is more to do, more atmosphere, more restaurants etc.. I think your 12 yr.old son would love the BW area, ESPN, great pools at all the hotels, arcades, easy into MGM and Epcot etc...

 

[Ladyhawke10]

Cast - DM, DS (12), Me
Time Frame - June or July 2005

Possibilities - WL, AKL, CR, Poly, or Swan/Dolphin.

Lists of wants - Great pool (DS loves to swim), balcony, good transportation, nice room, and relaxing but fun for DS.

Thank you for any help on this.

Based on what you listed, I would say the Poly. The pool area is really great and so is the location on Seven Seas Lagoon. The transportation options are best of any deluxe (except equal w/ GF). At the Poly there are some buildings which lack balconies on the second floor, so be sure you ask for a room w/ a balcony (tikiman's site has great info). Many of the room have just been renovated and look very nice in pictures. The atmosphere there is great, very relaxing and nice w/ a torch lighting cermony at night and a great beach area. I love to swing on that beach swing and watch the fireworks or electric parade from the beach.

The WL is also great, as you know, but a less expensive option...but I got the sense that you might be interested in trying a new resort since you've already stayed there and were looking for options.

If you want to try staying in the Epcot area, I love the Swan/ Dolphin, too...but not as much as WL or Poly, so you may miss the Disney themeing if you stay there. Otherwise, it has a great location and the boat transportation is really fun. It's very nice to walk back from Illuminations late at night and just walk to the hotel. The beds are incredible and the rooms at both resorts have undergone renovations in the past two years. The themeing is rather intense and unusual, but the Dolphin has a great lobby and the pool area/ amenities are wonderful. The Swan is smaller, while the Dolphin is much larger but, in my opinion, has a better lobby. Also, if you get refillable mugs, the place to refill them is in the Dolphin which can be quite a trek from the Swan (especially first thing in the morning for coffee!!)

 

[Winnie Pooh Fan]

The shere size of the Dolphin/Swan complex makes me a little nervous. We enjoyed the compact feel of WL and the ease of being able to keep an eye on DS while he was swimming. Will the other resorts/pools disapoint us in this manner?

The main reason I listed Dolphin/Swan was for the location. We love the Boardwalk area and our favorite parks are Epcot/AK haven't spent much time at MGM yet.

The remoteness of AKL worries me some due to the transportation. Also since there is no lake is there a lack of activities available?

Thank you for all the the help!

 

[vicb]

Part of the reason we stayed twice at BWI was due to the pool. We liked the theming and the keister coaster water slide and the ability to sit and relax while we kept an eye on our kids. It is very easy to do so there. They have a nice pool bar there!

I too would be worried about the remoteness of AKL, but that's just my hang up. Plenty of people love it there.

You should give MGM a try, we really like that park.

 

[Ladyhawke10]

The shere size of the Dolphin/Swan complex makes me a little nervous. We enjoyed the compact feel of WL and the ease of being able to keep an eye on DS while he was swimming. Will the other resorts/pools disapoint us in this manner?

The main reason I listed Dolphin/Swan was for the location. We love the Boardwalk area and our favorite parks are Epcot/AK haven't spent much time at MGM yet.

The remoteness of AKL worries me some due to the transportation. Also since there is no lake is there a lack of activities available?

Thank you for all the the help!

I would agree with the previous poster about the Boardwalk, it has a fairly compact pool area (and a great pool theme), in the Epcot location, is a really beautiful hotel, and there is plenty to do on the Boardwalk, of course...including lake activites. I love AKL, its my second favorite hotel after GF, but I only stay there when I am hotel switching (a few nights at AKL and go to AK a lot, and then switch over the Boardwalk or GF for access to MK or Epcot areas). Otherwise if I stayed there the whole week I might feel out of the loop, and I love the boat transportation options at other deluxes. There isn't a lack of things to do at AKL--there is storytelling around fire pit, animals, a fantastic pool area, a great shop, a great informal eatery, arcade, and the hotel itself is very unique. I love it there but it does feel remote and you don't have fireworks viewing, which I love (which is why we usually move halfway through our trips). But its all in what you like. Youu might really like the Boardwalk or the Poly. Both are great choices

 

[gottaluvPluto]

We loved the Poly for the pool, location and transportation. The pool is awesome with the volcano slide!!!

 

[lovesdumbo]

I LOVE the Poly! I love the tiki torches, view of the castle all lit up a night, music...and the pool sounds like what your looking for! And the transportation is great. You can boat or monorail to MK and walk to the TTC for the direct Epcot monorail.

You should consider concierge. For the extra $100/night you get preplanning help, special check-in, breakfast, cookies in the afternoon, hot snacks at night, milk, soda, juice, desserts.....you just can't beat the convenience of the lounge.

 

[mickeygirl18976]

I know I saw alot of votes for the Poly but ours (and many other's i might add) is Wilderness. The themeing is awsome, the cm's, the food, the view, the water parade, the pool, everything about it makes us go back again and again!!!

Unfortuanately we are going as part of a business trip in two weeks so we didn't get much of a choice in where we were staying (CSR) but I am still trying to encourage my DH into upgrading to WL.

This is going to sound like a silly superstition but it has worked EVERY time we go- The first thing you do (even before you check in) is to go up to Humphry the Bear (it's a totem outside the gift shop right next to check in) and rub his nose. He has brought us sooooo much luck when we did that: We have gotten upgrades, survived through those HORRIBLE hurricanes last fall, gotten into reservations that were BOOKED, and all around had the very best luck and best times ever!!!! I learned this from a posting on the DISBOARDS and we have really taken it to heart. I told DH that even if we don't get to stay with Humphry at WL that we should at least go over and rub his nose just in case. Besides I just can't stand the thought of being in WDW and not stopping by to visit the (in my opinion) most beautiful resort on property!

 

[chrismiss56]

Hi to all

I know you didn't list BW or BC/YC on your list but I have to put my two cents in.

We have 2 DD (20 and 17) and have discovered the Epcot resort area to be the best for us. You can't beat the theming of the Boardwalk area with three deluxe hotels as well as many activities and restaurants.

Great location for getting to Epcot or MGM and when you are tired you come back and sit out by the Boardwalk and enjoy the sights.

We have stayed at the Dolphin and while it was a nice stay (and we are glad we tried it) it wasn't Disney!! You lose the Disney feel staying there.

My family's vote is the Epcot resort area and specifically The Boardwalk

Have a magical Disney Day!!