How do you choose???

[katyj26]

How do you choose which resort to stay at? We have been many times and have tried many resorts. We have loved most of them but we find it hard to choose sometimes. What criteria do you use to pick the next resort you will stay at?

 

[goodferry]

For us it depends on what kind of trip it is;

With the kids along, either Bay Lake Tower or Beach Club, they love both

With my parents along, BWV because my dad likes sitting on the Boardwalk

Couples only Food and Wine trip, Beach Club or Boardwalk

With that said we love trying new places, last trip we tried SSR and really liked it there too, it's a hard decision

 

[sydneysmom]

I know for me, it's a "feeling" when I look at the pictures of the resort. Before my DH and I got married, I went 5 times and fell in love with POR (when it used to be Dixie Landings). Only once did I stray from POR and I went to CBR. (I didn't like it at all.) At the time, it was what I could afford and I loved everything about it.

In 2010 my DH and I decided to take our DD to Disney for the first time. It was our first family trip and we wanted it to be special. My dream was always to stay at the GF. So, because we were going to be there for my birthday and it was our first family trip, we went "big"! Staying on the monorail was also a plus for us because our DD was 4 1/2 at the time and still took naps. To me it was just gorgeous. Well, we saved up and decided to stay there. We were lucky enough to get a 40% off pin code, so it made the decision very easy. I cannot even tell you how wonderful it was there... and how it ruined us for everything else!

We decided that for our trip back in 2013 we would go again to the GF. We debated staying at the YC/ BC but we kept going back to "is it going to be as good a trip as GF?". I know it would be, but we just can't shake that "what if". I know, crazy. So we've been saving and budgeting. We did decide that if we don't get a room discount, we would try the WL. Again, based on a "feeling" when we look at the resort. It just feels "like home". Just like the GF did.

So, that's my freakish non-scientific way of choosing our resort!!

 

[winthropf]

For Food & Wine trips, BC/YC/BW in that order for easy access to the festival.

Other trips, it depends mostly on the availability of public or AP discounts. I will sometimes lean toward a resort I have not stayed in before. I also take into consideration what activities I want to do on the trip. If I'm planning to see Yehaa Bob at POR, I lean to POR or POFQ. Usually discounts are more available at POR than FQ.

Some last minute trips, it may depend on where rooms are available. One last minute trip marathon weekend two years ago, the cheapest room I could find was the honeymoon suite at WL (and it was a solo trip). I wound up finding POP available through Orbitz even though Disney showed no availability and switched.

 

[ke3d98]

We have never stayed at value because if you can afford moderate or deluxe, why would you want to stay at value? I think if we did value though it would have to be AoA.
ModerateOFQ hands down <3
Deluxe:Yacht and Beach Club

any resort in the Epcot Area!!!!!

 

[tennessee]

I can afford to stay at deluxe, but choose not to. I can not see paying those prices for those hotel. We stay at some very nice hotel in chicago for that price and are far nicer.I stay value so I can go more than once a year, we like to go 2 or 3 times a year, plus we dont spend much time in the resort. But I am a big fan of values, I just love the the big icons!

 

[CindysMom]

We love the values except for the bus rides. Our whole family is going next month, so we are staying at BC for location and because we all fit in one room for less than two values.

 

[*Fantasia*]

How do I choose? First of.. I have to see how much I can spend. I pick the resort theme.

Value- Movies and Pop.. I'm okay with Sports too.
Moderate- POFQ
Deluxe- Polynesian and WL

 

[mickeynut1]

We choose by which theme/decor appeals to us. That is not to say that a resort with a particular theme will be the best, but so far having stayed at quite a few resorts in all of the years we've been going to Disney, we have loved them all. Location really isn't a factor for us as we go with the flow and aren't too concerned with how long it takes to get around, although it is nice to be convenient to the MK when staying at a monorail resort and to Epcot and DHS when staying at an Epcot resort.

 

[usd2bmd]

First it's determined by budget. We can usually afford to stay at the Moderates. We usually go on-line and look at pictures and read about the resort to see what we can do while there.

I honestly don't pay much attention to reviews because I know what is important to us as a family and I really don't expect there to be anyone who's likes and wants will be exactly what we want.

 

[gris gris]

We liked Pop when we were staying at values, now that the kids are bigger we moved onto moderates. We really really really want to stay at POFQ but are going back to CBR because there is no availability at POFQ for our dates. We did book POR in a princess room, but then decided to spend the money on an extra night and moved to CBR (POR only had princess rooms available).

CBR is way too big but the pool is really great so it's all good.

Next time maybe POFQ will be open for us!

And someday, when we can afford it, we will go back to Wilderness Lodge, and hopefully that will become the one we always stay at. Loved it there.

 

[megveg]

I choose what resort based on what type of trip it is, and budget. I know I can always upgrade/downgrade resort category, and since I've only stayed at ASMu and the Polynesian, I try to pick a resort in each category (Deluxe/Mod/Value) that I haven't stayed at but would like to. I aim for the deluxe hotel, but know if my budget gets moved around for unexpected reasons, I know I can move to my next choice and still be happy.

For my F&W trip, I was thinking of booking WL because I visited there last trip and fell in love, but an Epcot area resort would make more sense so I may choose BC/YC, but I have one of the Pirate Rooms as a backup, and AoA if those two choices don't work. Not knowing what resort to choose is just another reason to go back I know that I will stay at WL one day, but it will be around for other trips (did you just say November 2014, what a great idea! )

Some people change their resorts a bunch of times before their trip comes, it's totally okay not to know right away which resort is for you Look into the ones that interest you and see what is the right fit for Your trip, Your travel group and Your budget and enjoy it

 

[hfuellgraf]

I would do AoA b/c it's new and haven't seen it yet. WE can afford to stay anywhere but it's about the kids first and they LOVE movies. We tried CBR and did not care for it--way too big to walk and get a diet coke took 20 minutes. I figure I will go to the Deluxe resorts when the kids are grown. I would rather spend my money in the parks or for a longer stay than a hotel room, which from our experience at CBR the rooms were the same. A day choosing which Hotel to stay at Disney is a good day!

 

[francie57]

For us its the Epcot resorts. We basically have our dinner at an Epcot restaurant so the convenience is wonderful. We have stayed at all the deluxes on the monorails and enjoyed GF the best. We are definitely deluxe people so the Epcot resorts are where we love stay.

 

[loveshak22]

I'm struggling with this myself

I grew up in the Orlando area so as a kid we'd go to WDW all the time but never stayed at a WDW resort. We moved out of FL when I started high school and went back to WDW a few times and always stayed with family. I didn't stay on the property until I took my DH there for his first visit and to celebrate his 30th birthday. We stayed at WL and we loved it! The hotel is gorgeous, relaxed, and it was easy enough access to everywhere. Last September I went with my parents and a 12-year old second cousin and we stayed at the POFQ. I enjoyed POFQ as well but not as much as the WL. Now my DH is ready for a second trip to WDW and we are going again in January 2013.

I made our reservation at the AKL and paid for an Arusha view. I've heard great things about the resort but when I priced the trip it's about $1,200 cheaper to stay at POFQ. We can afford the AKL but do we really want to pay that much more for a room we won't spend tons of time in? We'll be on a relaxed schedule (no kids) but we won't be in the room most of the day.

I wouldn't mind staying at WL again but my DH wants to try someplace new. I'd also like to try the Contemporary but at least at AKL we should see some giraffes, which sounds neat!

For some reason none of the other mods sound appealing to me, even though many have good reviews.

Tough decisions!!! Good luck and let us know what you decide!!!!

 

[rentayenta]

We own DVC so our criteria, for now, is staying at new resorts. We'd like to try them all.

This next trip we'll be at the THV and AKV Kidani, we'll also have arrival night at AoA. We've stayed at POR (pre-DVC), OKW, and AKV Jambo.

 

[monorailsilver]

How do I choose?

Well once I do something & I enjoy it, I don't like changing what ever it is that I liked.

So basically I stayed at the Poly in 1975 & then years later & then I started going on my own (I was a kid then & mom & dad paied).

I tried a few other resorts/did some split stays so I could still stay at the Poly for part of the trip & then met my husband.

He hated Disney. He was in panhandle working when I was at Disney one year so he drove down for a night or two. I was at All Star Sports. He hated it but was only there for 1 night.

So I finally convinced him to go to Disney & he didn't want to pay the prices & he knew he didn't want to stay at Sports. He knew I loved the Poly but again it was the cost (I was paying too so it shouldn't of mattered to him). We stayed at the WL. It was my 2nd stay there & it just wasn't where I wanted to be.

The next trip I convinced him to stay at the Poly. Well we got engaged there that trip & now he won't stay anywhere else. How could I blame him. I love the monorail, the views, the sounds & the smell.

We are going next year & I was thinking about doing a split stay but he told me no way!

Oh & we are a family of 5 so we have to go where we fit.

 

[LaurenT]

I'm DVC so it depends on a few factors.
If it's F&W, then I try to get BC, otherwise, if it's a busy time of year, or I need a hard to come by room, I stay at AKL (where I own and get the 11 month window). I love AKL, so that's not exactly a punishment for me, lol.
When I'm out of points, I stay at our offsite timeshare.
This year I ran out of points AND weeks, lol...
I wound up staying at the Dolphin - perfectly nice resort - but I am a little spoiled with the kitchens in the DVC units...
I'd like to stay on the monorail once...maybe we'll try Bay Lake.