I am so confused! Too many choices...

[hookedup]

OMG - when I read your post I thought - wow - that I was ME this Spring when I planned our WDW for August!
It seemed the more research I did the more confused I got. I kept reading posts and changing my mind about what I thought we should do!
We (my dh and 2 yr old ds & I) went for for 6 nights and I kept second guessing our plans. We ended up at CBR for 3 nights and GF for 3 nights.
Here are the things that I would say about my experience and maybe it will be of help to you.
It was nice to be at a hotel with the monorail - BUT - I would not let that proclude you from choosing a moderate. We did love the CBR and felt that we could have been very happy there the entire time. It is fun to go to MK but we also really enjoyed MGM, Epcot and AK (some of our best pix are w/ds and characters at AK) so you have to consider that the Epcot area resorts (although they don't have monorail are walking distance to both Epcot and MGM. This does make the Dolphin a good value for the money when you factor in that great rate for a deluxe.
If you have any questions feel free to email or pm me if you have any questions or need any packing lists or anything!
PS) Our next trip is in April and we are doing PORR and Dolphin for that trip.

 

[Planogirl]

We stayed in the Polynesian when our son was little and you couldn't beat the convenience IMO. It was a very quiet resort and our son loved the beach and the bird and the character meal. He also fell madly in love with the monorails with these ending up being his favorite attraction.

I can see though that the better price for the Dolphin would be a consideration. The Dolphin is nicely located for two of the parks and certainly has a nice pool area.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[mareka]

We stayed at the boardwalk last trip and it was terrific. Location Location Location. Its next to the Swan/Dolphin. That puts you right between MGM and Epcot. They are in walking distance. The boat ride is only a few minutes.

When my grandson was 4 we stayed at the all star sports and loved it. You're in Disney - It can't be anything but WONDERFUL.

This trip we will stay at Wilderness Lodge Villas. Next trip we are going to try Animal Kingdom.

Where ever you stay you will have a great time.

 

[Mom of 5]

twixbar-

When we stayed at the Poly (Jan, '02) we payed $174 a night (AP rate) for our garden view rooms. There was a code rate for $179. The discounts were good from the beginning of January though mid-February. Oh...the code rates were annnounced in mid-October, and the AP rates came out in mid-December.

Hope this doesn't muddy up the waters even more .

 

[luvdisnee]

don't shortchange the ASMo. stay by the dalmations and you're a short walk for kids to the main bldg, pool, and laundry. The themed sculptures are fantastic and the menu is very kid friendly. We've loved our stays there.

 

[twixbar]

Oh my, everyone is full of such great advice. Too bad I can't stay everywhere! When I first started researching the resorts, I had every intention of staying at the ASMo. I know my ds would love it there. But then the more I started reading, the nicer all of the other resorts looked. I want to impress dh too, and since he's not much of a theme park fan, I think that a nice resort will make up for the trip in some way. Not that he doesn't want to go, but I want something nice in it for him too.

I think what I will do for now is secure my ressies with the Dolphin Concierge, and then when the discount rates are released, I'll see then if I should switch to the Poly or CR.

If we would stay longer than 4 nights, we could try out more than one resort. But, my 5 month old dd is staying home with my mom, and I know I will miss her way tooooo much to stay away any longer than 5 days!

 

[RAV]

Twixbar,

I have stayed at the Contemporary, Yacht Club and Swan. I think that you will really enjoy staying at either the Swan or Dolphin with that great rate. We just returned from club level at the Swan. Being able to grab breakfast at the lounge is extremely convenient. The evening snacks are very nice too. The pool is lovely, there are numerous dining choices, and both the Swan and Dolphin are within walking distance to both Epcot and MGM. You mentioned access to a food court. While there is no food court, there are many reasonably priced options such as Splash Grill and Tubbies. What ever you decide, have a wonderful time.

 

[new_yawka]

Originally posted by drewc
My parents bought into some time shares when I was in my early teens, and now that we have a brood of our own, we've gotten really spoiled by the convenience and roominess of the suite arrangement.

We're staying at the Hawthorn Suites for our trip at the end of this December, but because I'm a deranged Disney lunatic, I'm already thinking about our NEXT trip. Psst - don't tell my wife!

After reading through a lot of information and first hand accounts, I'l like to consider staying on-site. I did this once when attending a convention (I think it was at the Beach Club), and throught it was great, but didn't think we'd have enough space for our family of 5.

Is there anywhere on site that offers the "suite experience", without requiring a second mortgage on your home?

TIA!

You might want to look into renting points for a stay at one of the DVC resorts. These suites are truly the lap of luxury on Disney property. Lots of room, full kitchens....and lots more. Check out the Disney vacation club board (here on DIS) for more info. Good luck in finding something right for you.