It's Back-January Trip-A-Day Contest!

[DisneyDreamer421]

Keep having dreams about where I want to stay... but no email from Disney yet... I feel like my anxiety level is through the roof LOL

 

[RejoyceoverDisney]

Keep having dreams about where I want to stay... but no email from Disney yet... I feel like my anxiety level is through the roof LOL

How's your February Cruise plans going?
Are those all set and you packed and ready to go?

I hear you on the anxiety, but on a positive note you got the winning email so at least you know you are getting the vacation.

For me the anxiety is will I get the first email to begin with.
I feel stuck and frozen to this spot of watching and waiting.
Wasting my day away. OK so on that note, I better go do something productive. It's not like seeing the email as soon as it comes is going to change much vs seeing in a little later.

Come on Betty! I'm here waiting. My turn.

 

[SDTeaGirl]

Congrats to all the winners on here! I have been entering the contest everyday with no problems- which is nice since I have been hearing a lot of issues with that.

Since we are dreaming of where we would stay and who would come with us-

I think I would stay my top choices: GF, Poly or Contemp. I have always wanted to stay by MK on the rail- I know if I never won- I would never be able to afford to stay- so that is my dream.

We have myself, DH and my daughter- so I would let her pick one of her friends to go with us!

We would stay longer also- We would stay in the top 3 choices and then after the nights stays were gone- we would probably have to go to POP or one like that.

We were hoping to go again in 2015- but with building a new home last year out on a acreage we still have to do a ton of work, sidewalks, patio, grass, trees....It takes a lot of money to build on bare land! But I wouldn't change it for the world! We love it out in the country!

So I am hoping to win so we could have some fun time this year! My daughter really needs a vacation and so do we! I love going to Disney (been there twice now- 2012 and 2013) and seeing the joy on my daughters face- I also feel a huge relief also going- like there is no care in the world and I am like that little girl again! Disney does make dreams come true and makes you feel at home and carefree!

 

[PirateD]

I too have enjoyed this thread and all of the expressions of positive thinking and dreams! We have not been to WDW for a couple of years (feels like ages!). We were all excited to begin to plan a Christmas trip for our extended family (10 of us) this year, but my sister has just been laid off. She and the rest of us are hoping that she lands a job quickly so we can still all go but the trip is a little uncertain now. An email from Betty sure would help! A new job offer for my sis would be even better! I'm wishing and hoping for both!!

 

[RejoyceoverDisney]

Why do I keep thinking for sure this is my day to get an email?

 

[Serial]

I received my email from Disney today to start planning our trip!!!

My DH is researching Disney crowd calendars to pick the best time for us. We are cooler weather people which works well with off peak dates. I have never stayed in a Disney property, I currently have NO idea where we should stay so I am off to research...

WOO HOO!!!!

No word from Disney Parks yet... but we're hoping to receive word soon!

Meanwhile, my wife and I have been talking over dates and resort choices. We'd really appreciate anyone's thoughts as this would be our first trip to WDW.

I think we've narrowed our discussion down to a trip in November or early December. We make a trip to Disneyland every year during the holidays and just love all the holidaytime decorations. Our trip to WDW would take the place of Disneyland this year. We also can’t tolerate the heat and humidity and want to stay as far away from what we’ve heard about Orlando summers as possible.

We’ve also been talking about AKL, GF, and the Poly as our top three in that order. There’s a certain appeal to me -- less so for my wife -- about staying at a monorail resort and near MK. Disneyland is our home park so I’m just drawn to MK. Epcot and HS don’t interest me so much as they do my wife.

The Contemporary feels to us almost like a Las Vegas Strip resort – very nice but kind of generic. The draw of a monorail running through the hotel doesn’t really interest us. The Wilderness Lodge is like a duplicate of the Grand Californian, which we’ve stayed at; and while the lobby is breathtaking, especially at Christmastime, we hated the rooms. We’ve heard good things about the Poly, and expect that construction will be done by November. Still, we’ve stayed at Aulani and think that Aulani is a much nicer and more tastefully decorated resort from the pictures we’ve seen.

I guess the draw of the GF is its proximity and grandeur. Also, if we’re visiting during the holidays, I can’t think of a more traditional resort to get into the festive mood. Being the most expensive deluxe resort, I doubt we’d ever stay there on our own dime so why not try it on Disney’s? That said, I’m not sure we’d choose to ever stay there because it just feels so old and stuffy. Like I said, we’re parents to a toddler, and my wife worries the GF is not very kid friendly or at least kid interesting.

I think AKL would satisfy all of us overall. My kid absolutely loves animals – I dare say more than Disney characters at this age. My wife has always wanted to go on an African safari. We definitely plan to visit AK park. The idea of waking up to animals in the savannah, spying on them at night through night vision goggles, and doing a sunrise safari all appeal to us. But we’re not familiar with the layout of WDW, and AKL seems so far removed (both good and bad) from the other parks and attractions. My biggest worry is the travel time between the hotel and parks, especially if we’re trying to make park opening or after a long day. My smaller concern is that we’re not making the most out of this prize by not staying at a pricier hotel where we ordinarily wouldn’t stay, like the GF. AKL seems to be the cheapest among the deluxe hotels and is definitely a resort where we’d stay, so it’s something we could do when/if we visit again.

Enviable choices, I know…

Good luck everyone! We appreciate all the help.

 

[pmaurer74]

No word from Disney Parks yet... but we're hoping to receive word soon!

Meanwhile, my wife and I have been talking over dates and resort choices. We'd really appreciate anyone's thoughts as this would be our first trip to WDW.



Enviable choices, I know…

Good luck everyone! We appreciate all the help.

We have gone the past two years around Dec. 13 and have found it to be a great week to go. The week before is Pop Warner and you may want to stay away from that. I have heard the week after Thanksgiving is good. We love the MVMCP so that could be cool. I would recommend the GF at Christmas, it is very nice. WL is our favorite at Christmas but you already ruled that out. If we win, we plan to go in October for the Halloween fun.

 

[Disney Mama of 2]

No word from Disney Parks yet... but we're hoping to receive word soon!

Meanwhile, my wife and I have been talking over dates and resort choices. We'd really appreciate anyone's thoughts as this would be our first trip to WDW.

I think we've narrowed our discussion down to a trip in November or early December. We make a trip to Disneyland every year during the holidays and just love all the holidaytime decorations. Our trip to WDW would take the place of Disneyland this year. We also can’t tolerate the heat and humidity and want to stay as far away from what we’ve heard about Orlando summers as possible.

We’ve also been talking about AKL, GF, and the Poly as our top three in that order. There’s a certain appeal to me -- less so for my wife -- about staying at a monorail resort and near MK. Disneyland is our home park so I’m just drawn to MK. Epcot and HS don’t interest me so much as they do my wife.

The Contemporary feels to us almost like a Las Vegas Strip resort – very nice but kind of generic. The draw of a monorail running through the hotel doesn’t really interest us. The Wilderness Lodge is like a duplicate of the Grand Californian, which we’ve stayed at; and while the lobby is breathtaking, especially at Christmastime, we hated the rooms. We’ve heard good things about the Poly, and expect that construction will be done by November. Still, we’ve stayed at Aulani and think that Aulani is a much nicer and more tastefully decorated resort from the pictures we’ve seen.

I guess the draw of the GF is its proximity and grandeur. Also, if we’re visiting during the holidays, I can’t think of a more traditional resort to get into the festive mood. Being the most expensive deluxe resort, I doubt we’d ever stay there on our own dime so why not try it on Disney’s? That said, I’m not sure we’d choose to ever stay there because it just feels so old and stuffy. Like I said, we’re parents to a toddler, and my wife worries the GF is not very kid friendly or at least kid interesting.

I think AKL would satisfy all of us overall. My kid absolutely loves animals – I dare say more than Disney characters at this age. My wife has always wanted to go on an African safari. We definitely plan to visit AK park. The idea of waking up to animals in the savannah, spying on them at night through night vision goggles, and doing a sunrise safari all appeal to us. But we’re not familiar with the layout of WDW, and AKL seems so far removed (both good and bad) from the other parks and attractions. My biggest worry is the travel time between the hotel and parks, especially if we’re trying to make park opening or after a long day. My smaller concern is that we’re not making the most out of this prize by not staying at a pricier hotel where we ordinarily wouldn’t stay, like the GF. AKL seems to be the cheapest among the deluxe hotels and is definitely a resort where we’d stay, so it’s something we could do when/if we visit again.

Enviable choices, I know…

Good luck everyone! We appreciate all the help.

AK is far away from most parks.

Contemporary is most definitely NOT a Las Vegas strip hotel.

Check out Epcot area. You have a lot of research to do with this being your first trip to WDW. Also don't expect to see and do it all in 4 days/5nights.

 

[Kirby]

I have an email address that I rarely use except for Disney stuff and doesn't get a lot of traffic so when I saw that there were two more emails this morning I took a few deep breathes and clicked on my inbox. Sad to say neither were the email that I was looking for.

I've entered every day sometimes with difficulty and sometimes with ease. I'm not giving up hope though.

If I won I'm not sure where I would stay. I love Port Orleans and haven't stayed at a Deluxe. My daughter and I were at WDW this last December from Nov. 30 - Dec 7. We took one day and toured the Magic Kingdom resorts, Animal Kingdom Lodge and Pop Century. We didn't quite make it to Boardwalk but did ride the boat from Hollywood Studios to Epcot a couple of times and saw the Epcot resorts from the water.

We liked the futuristic look to the Contemporary so it might be a pick for me. The Poly was just too dark and confusing. And walking the paths with all the palm trees and tropical plants was just too claustrophobic for me. Maybe if I saw it after all the construction I would change my mind but right now it's not somewhere I'd like to stay. I would like to eat at O'Hana sometime though.

We thought the Grand Floridian was just grand! Entering from the monorail level is amazing. Reminds me of the Titanic in a way. We loved the main staircase. There's lots of white everywhere. I'm not sure though that it would be the resort for me.

We also thought that AKL was out of this world. Yes, it's a ways out there but so cool. It's pretty dark inside, lots of wood and stone. We liked the indoor fire pit plus the one outside. Lots of places to sit and chat. The only thing that would keep me from this resort is the walk uphill from the buses in the evening.

It would be so cool to have the dilemma of trying to decide where to stay.............

 

[NEV2OLD4DIS]

I couldn't agree more that there is always something to see or do at Disney. I swear I could be happy on a solo trip just seeing things I want to see and not having to be the family alarm clock and soldier getting everyone up in the morning! Once everyone is up, belongings put away and we head out the door I feel like I am totally on vacation though.

I do enjoy vacationing on the Cape or elsewhere, especially somewhere new where we haven't seen it or experienced it yet. However, Disney is a vacation like no other for me so far. It's the only place we don't argue over directions, nearly go through unfamiliar red lights, argue over where we are going to have supper (as we drive around aimlessly waiting for all to agree), or have someone saying they are bored all day.

I'd just to win this trip and tell the family this is where we are heading this year! It's the only time that I can really say I enjoy getting up in the morning, not just to get things done before the crowds, but because there are so many exciting things to do! Heck, I think WHEN I win the night in the castle I will be up looking out the castle windows until 3 am if the park is open that long. I'd be too excited to sleep! Good luck to everyone during the last couple of days of this contest!

 

[lvdis]

Don't rule out AKL as one of your choices, Serial. Especially if your child loves animals. We've stayed there before and loved it! I didn't feel like it was too far away from stuff at all. We had a rental car, but we took the buses at times too. I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again. In fact, my daughter said she wants to go back and spend more time at the resort. They have a lot of activities going on there and you get a special bead when you participate in some of them, that they have you tie onto a length of cord. We weren't able to collect all the beads that trip because we didn't find out about it until near the end of our stay and we couldn't make it to all the activities. I also loved sitting out on the balcony and seeing the animals.

Any of your resort choices would be great, but I didn't want you to rule out AKL just because of the location!

I told my husband if we win the trip, I would want to add days onto it so we could spend most of the time enjoying the deluxe resort for the first part of the trip (with no parks). Then we could move to a moderate or value and use our park tickets on the extra days when we are at a lesser resort! If only I could get so lucky!

I hope you have a super great trip!

 

[DisneyDreamer421]

No word from Disney Parks yet... but we're hoping to receive word soon!

Meanwhile, my wife and I have been talking over dates and resort choices. We'd really appreciate anyone's thoughts as this would be our first trip to WDW.

I think we've narrowed our discussion down to a trip in November or early December. We make a trip to Disneyland every year during the holidays and just love all the holidaytime decorations. Our trip to WDW would take the place of Disneyland this year. We also can’t tolerate the heat and humidity and want to stay as far away from what we’ve heard about Orlando summers as possible.

We’ve also been talking about AKL, GF, and the Poly as our top three in that order. There’s a certain appeal to me -- less so for my wife -- about staying at a monorail resort and near MK. Disneyland is our home park so I’m just drawn to MK. Epcot and HS don’t interest me so much as they do my wife.

The Contemporary feels to us almost like a Las Vegas Strip resort – very nice but kind of generic. The draw of a monorail running through the hotel doesn’t really interest us. The Wilderness Lodge is like a duplicate of the Grand Californian, which we’ve stayed at; and while the lobby is breathtaking, especially at Christmastime, we hated the rooms. We’ve heard good things about the Poly, and expect that construction will be done by November. Still, we’ve stayed at Aulani and think that Aulani is a much nicer and more tastefully decorated resort from the pictures we’ve seen.

I guess the draw of the GF is its proximity and grandeur. Also, if we’re visiting during the holidays, I can’t think of a more traditional resort to get into the festive mood. Being the most expensive deluxe resort, I doubt we’d ever stay there on our own dime so why not try it on Disney’s? That said, I’m not sure we’d choose to ever stay there because it just feels so old and stuffy. Like I said, we’re parents to a toddler, and my wife worries the GF is not very kid friendly or at least kid interesting.

I think AKL would satisfy all of us overall. My kid absolutely loves animals – I dare say more than Disney characters at this age. My wife has always wanted to go on an African safari. We definitely plan to visit AK park. The idea of waking up to animals in the savannah, spying on them at night through night vision goggles, and doing a sunrise safari all appeal to us. But we’re not familiar with the layout of WDW, and AKL seems so far removed (both good and bad) from the other parks and attractions. My biggest worry is the travel time between the hotel and parks, especially if we’re trying to make park opening or after a long day. My smaller concern is that we’re not making the most out of this prize by not staying at a pricier hotel where we ordinarily wouldn’t stay, like the GF. AKL seems to be the cheapest among the deluxe hotels and is definitely a resort where we’d stay, so it’s something we could do when/if we visit again.

Enviable choices, I know…

Good luck everyone! We appreciate all the help.

Serial, I haven't heard anything either...

The holiday season there is AMAZING.... the closer to Christmas the more crowds! I have been there twice so I will attempt another time... Cant wait to hear from them to start planning! Let me know if you change your mind about joining the FB page pm me.


Pixie Dust to everyone!!

 

[Disneyglobegirl]

Don't rule out AKL as one of your choices, Serial. Especially if your child loves animals. We've stayed there before and loved it! I didn't feel like it was too far away from stuff at all. We had a rental car, but we took the buses at times too. I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again. In fact, my daughter said she wants to go back and spend more time at the resort. They have a lot of activities going on there and you get a special bead when you participate in some of them, that they have you tie onto a length of cord. We weren't able to collect all the beads that trip because we didn't find out about it until near the end of our stay and we couldn't make it to all the activities. I also loved sitting out on the balcony and seeing the animals.

Any of your resort choices would be great, but I didn't want you to rule out AKL just because of the location!

I told my husband if we win the trip, I would want to add days onto it so we could spend most of the time enjoying the deluxe resort for the first part of the trip (with no parks). Then we could move to a moderate or value and use our park tickets on the extra days when we are at a lesser resort! If only I could get so lucky!

I hope you have a super great trip!

I definitely agree on this!!! Our last trip we stayed at AKL Savannah view and it was awesome....we saw so many animals and the resort is just so beautiful. Also enjoyed a fabulous dinner at Jiko one evening and breakfast at Boma. Also while it is tucked out of the way we never had a problem with catching buses and getting to where we needed to go. It would be tough to decide as I would love to stay at GF too and that would prob be what we would pick if we won but only because we just stayed at AKL.

 

[allysetraskos]

No word from Disney Parks yet... but we're hoping to receive word soon!

Meanwhile, my wife and I have been talking over dates and resort choices. We'd really appreciate anyone's thoughts as this would be our first trip to WDW.

I think we've narrowed our discussion down to a trip in November or early December. We make a trip to Disneyland every year during the holidays and just love all the holidaytime decorations. Our trip to WDW would take the place of Disneyland this year. We also can’t tolerate the heat and humidity and want to stay as far away from what we’ve heard about Orlando summers as possible.

We’ve also been talking about AKL, GF, and the Poly as our top three in that order. There’s a certain appeal to me -- less so for my wife -- about staying at a monorail resort and near MK. Disneyland is our home park so I’m just drawn to MK. Epcot and HS don’t interest me so much as they do my wife.

The Contemporary feels to us almost like a Las Vegas Strip resort – very nice but kind of generic. The draw of a monorail running through the hotel doesn’t really interest us. The Wilderness Lodge is like a duplicate of the Grand Californian, which we’ve stayed at; and while the lobby is breathtaking, especially at Christmastime, we hated the rooms. We’ve heard good things about the Poly, and expect that construction will be done by November. Still, we’ve stayed at Aulani and think that Aulani is a much nicer and more tastefully decorated resort from the pictures we’ve seen.

I guess the draw of the GF is its proximity and grandeur. Also, if we’re visiting during the holidays, I can’t think of a more traditional resort to get into the festive mood. Being the most expensive deluxe resort, I doubt we’d ever stay there on our own dime so why not try it on Disney’s? That said, I’m not sure we’d choose to ever stay there because it just feels so old and stuffy. Like I said, we’re parents to a toddler, and my wife worries the GF is not very kid friendly or at least kid interesting.

I think AKL would satisfy all of us overall. My kid absolutely loves animals – I dare say more than Disney characters at this age. My wife has always wanted to go on an African safari. We definitely plan to visit AK park. The idea of waking up to animals in the savannah, spying on them at night through night vision goggles, and doing a sunrise safari all appeal to us. But we’re not familiar with the layout of WDW, and AKL seems so far removed (both good and bad) from the other parks and attractions. My biggest worry is the travel time between the hotel and parks, especially if we’re trying to make park opening or after a long day. My smaller concern is that we’re not making the most out of this prize by not staying at a pricier hotel where we ordinarily wouldn’t stay, like the GF. AKL seems to be the cheapest among the deluxe hotels and is definitely a resort where we’d stay, so it’s something we could do when/if we visit again.

Enviable choices, I know…

Good luck everyone! We appreciate all the help.

So AKL is nice and all but as far as seeing animals from your rooms it depends on what kind of room you get, unless they let you specify I wouldn't put all your eggs into one basket, especially on cold days alot of the animals might not be out... We went Mid November 2014 and it was so cold 2 of the days no animals were out to play AKL is realistically more affordable, if you could spring the extra money why not consider doing your winning stay at GF and then 2 days over at AKL out of pocket? Maybe they could even offer you a discount for booking??

 

[loveshak22]

No word from Disney Parks yet... but we're hoping to receive word soon!

Meanwhile, my wife and I have been talking over dates and resort choices. We'd really appreciate anyone's thoughts as this would be our first trip to WDW.

I think we've narrowed our discussion down to a trip in November or early December. We make a trip to Disneyland every year during the holidays and just love all the holidaytime decorations. Our trip to WDW would take the place of Disneyland this year. We also can’t tolerate the heat and humidity and want to stay as far away from what we’ve heard about Orlando summers as possible.

We’ve also been talking about AKL, GF, and the Poly as our top three in that order. There’s a certain appeal to me -- less so for my wife -- about staying at a monorail resort and near MK. Disneyland is our home park so I’m just drawn to MK. Epcot and HS don’t interest me so much as they do my wife.

The Contemporary feels to us almost like a Las Vegas Strip resort – very nice but kind of generic. The draw of a monorail running through the hotel doesn’t really interest us. The Wilderness Lodge is like a duplicate of the Grand Californian, which we’ve stayed at; and while the lobby is breathtaking, especially at Christmastime, we hated the rooms. We’ve heard good things about the Poly, and expect that construction will be done by November. Still, we’ve stayed at Aulani and think that Aulani is a much nicer and more tastefully decorated resort from the pictures we’ve seen.

I guess the draw of the GF is its proximity and grandeur. Also, if we’re visiting during the holidays, I can’t think of a more traditional resort to get into the festive mood. Being the most expensive deluxe resort, I doubt we’d ever stay there on our own dime so why not try it on Disney’s? That said, I’m not sure we’d choose to ever stay there because it just feels so old and stuffy. Like I said, we’re parents to a toddler, and my wife worries the GF is not very kid friendly or at least kid interesting.

I think AKL would satisfy all of us overall. My kid absolutely loves animals – I dare say more than Disney characters at this age. My wife has always wanted to go on an African safari. We definitely plan to visit AK park. The idea of waking up to animals in the savannah, spying on them at night through night vision goggles, and doing a sunrise safari all appeal to us. But we’re not familiar with the layout of WDW, and AKL seems so far removed (both good and bad) from the other parks and attractions. My biggest worry is the travel time between the hotel and parks, especially if we’re trying to make park opening or after a long day. My smaller concern is that we’re not making the most out of this prize by not staying at a pricier hotel where we ordinarily wouldn’t stay, like the GF. AKL seems to be the cheapest among the deluxe hotels and is definitely a resort where we’d stay, so it’s something we could do when/if we visit again.

Enviable choices, I know…

Good luck everyone! We appreciate all the help.

So much fun planning for your first trip to WDW!! I can't speak from personal experience at staying at GF or CR. We are thinking of going the week before Thanksgiving and maybe trying CR, but I'm a little torn because like you I don't feel like it has any unique appeal. So I was thinking about Yacht Club on the Epcot side. With that being said I posted a thread asking for pros and cons of each based on my thoughts and there are a lot of people who swear CR is amazing, especially if you get a theme park view and can sit out on the balcony watching the fireworks every night. However, if we get amazingly lucky and win this contest in the next few days I think we might pick GF. Honestly, it always seemed stuffy to me but at the same time I've been thinking that I would never be able to afford to stay there myself so I might just pick it to try it out and see for myself on Disney's dime!

Now I can speak to AKL. My DH and I stayed there in late January 2013 and we loved it. We wanted an Arusha view room so upgraded to club level since it wasn't that much more from Arusha. We love nature and animals and we loved being able to watch the giraffes and other wild animals from our balcony. Plus, the resort is gorgeous. I will say we never saw much with our night vision goggles so just an FYI! We did do the sunrise safari and that also was awesome. We had a jeep pick us and maybe 5 other couples up at the hotel and we drove behind the scenes to AK and got to do a tour of Kilimanjaro Safaris at a really slow, relaxing pace. There was an animal caretaker on the tour answering all of our questions and we got really close to a lot of the animals. Then we had a private breakfast to top off the tour. I thought the sunrise safari was only for CL guests? But I may be confusing our tour with something else? Maybe you can pay to upgrade to CL at a discount and I wouldn't think it would be too outrageous?

The other benefit to AKL is they have really good food options. The fast service place was just OK but Boma and Jiko were delicious. Jiko has a great wine menu if that interests you and your wife! And you can take a quick shuttle to Kidani village (less than a minute or you can walk) and eat at Sanaa which we also liked. If they still have it on the menu the banana sundae with spiced cashews is amazing.

AKL is secluded but we don't have kids so we liked that. We rented a car for the first time and used it to drive to a couple of parks but I would have been fine with the bus. We were there in a slow season so maybe I would have been annoyed waiting for buses during the busy season?

Check out easywdw.com for the crowd calendar if you want help deciding when to go. I've found it pretty reliable, although not always spot-on. We've never been the week before Thanksgiving but that's when we think we may go this year because we've heard the weather is a little cooler than October and the crowds are low that week. But it's late enough that you can get a ticket to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party if you'd be interested in trying that out. And some resorts have decorations up.

The only other deluxe we've done is WL and it's beautiful as well!

Good luck deciding! If you have any questions about AKL feel free to PM me!

 

[whositsandwhatsits]

No word from Disney Parks yet... but we're hoping to receive word soon!

We’ve also been talking about AKL, GF, and the Poly as our top three in that order. There’s a certain appeal to me -- less so for my wife -- about staying at a monorail resort and near MK. Disneyland is our home park so I’m just drawn to MK. Epcot and HS don’t interest me so much as they do my wife.

I guess the draw of the GF is its proximity and grandeur. Also, if we’re visiting during the holidays, I can’t think of a more traditional resort to get into the festive mood. Being the most expensive deluxe resort, I doubt we’d ever stay there on our own dime so why not try it on Disney’s? That said, I’m not sure we’d choose to ever stay there because it just feels so old and stuffy. Like I said, we’re parents to a toddler, and my wife worries the GF is not very kid friendly or at least kid interesting.


I think AKL would satisfy all of us overall. My kid absolutely loves animals – I dare say more than Disney characters at this age. My wife has always wanted to go on an African safari. We definitely plan to visit AK park. The idea of waking up to animals in the savannah, spying on them at night through night vision goggles, and doing a sunrise safari all appeal to us. But we’re not familiar with the layout of WDW, and AKL seems so far removed (both good and bad) from the other parks and attractions. My biggest worry is the travel time between the hotel and parks, especially if we’re trying to make park opening or after a long day. My smaller concern is that we’re not making the most out of this prize by not staying at a pricier hotel where we ordinarily wouldn’t stay, like the GF. AKL seems to be the cheapest among the deluxe hotels and is definitely a resort where we’d stay, so it’s something we could do when/if we visit again.

Good luck everyone! We appreciate all the help.

Staying at a monorail resort makes life super easy with a toddler. While it may seem small, folding up a stroller and carrying it onto buses/trams can be a royal pain. And let's face it, a lot of time will be spent at MK with a little one. Plus, the view of the fireworks and Electrical Water Pageant are a bonus. There is a really fun kiddie pool at Grand Floridian, Curiouser and Curiouser, and there is fun character dining at 1900 Park Fare. Plus, the Gingerbread House during the holidays is a sight to behold.

We stayed at AKL with a then 1 and 3 year old. The boys loved it and we loved the resort. You are correct about travel. We had a car and used it exclusively. We had a Savannah View Studio in Jambo House and simply can't speak highly enough. Imagine Wilderness Lodge (or Grand Californian) with an African spin.

I know it's not on your radar, but the BoardWalk Inn is amazing. It is so much fun to be able to step outside your resort and have all kinds of entertainment available. My kids love the street performers, my husband loves the ESPN Club and the brewery and I love that we can take a boat (or walk) to Epcot or HS. It's also easier with a stroller not having to deal with busses for at least 2 parks.

Have a wonderful trip!

 

[RejoyceoverDisney]

I couldn't agree more that there is always something to see or do at Disney. I swear I could be happy on a solo trip just seeing things I want to see and not having to be the family alarm clock and soldier getting everyone up in the morning! Once everyone is up, belongings put away and we head out the door I feel like I am totally on vacation though.

I do enjoy vacationing on the Cape or elsewhere, especially somewhere new where we haven't seen it or experienced it yet. However, Disney is a vacation like no other for me so far. It's the only place we don't argue over directions, nearly go through unfamiliar red lights, argue over where we are going to have supper (as we drive around aimlessly waiting for all to agree), or have someone saying they are bored all day.

I'd just to win this trip and tell the family this is where we are heading this year! It's the only time that I can really say I enjoy getting up in the morning, not just to get things done before the crowds, but because there are so many exciting things to do! Heck, I think WHEN I win the night in the castle I will be up looking out the castle windows until 3 am if the park is open that long. I'd be too excited to sleep! Good luck to everyone during the last couple of days of this contest!

Our family dynamics/situation has limited our vacations. So this past year has really been the only real vacation that was vacation for me. I HATE being the family alarm clock and family drill sargent to move them along. That is not vacation. I did a solo trip and it was amazing.
Yes a win would make it so much easier for me to ask for someone to care for my son. He is not interested in going to Disney. At least as of last conversation he didn't want to go. We'll see if he changes his mind but he is very much a home body and a win would be so awesome to just go and enjoy deluxe with no responsibilty.

But alas, Betty is gone home now and no emails for me today.
We shall see what the days ahead bring.

 

[wendow]

I guess the draw of the GF is its proximity and grandeur. Also, if we’re visiting during the holidays, I can’t think of a more traditional resort to get into the festive mood. Being the most expensive deluxe resort, I doubt we’d ever stay there on our own dime so why not try it on Disney’s? That said, I’m not sure we’d choose to ever stay there because it just feels so old and stuffy. Like I said, we’re parents to a toddler, and my wife worries the GF is not very kid friendly or at least kid interesting.

My aunt won in last year's contest and she chose to stay at the GF. She took my two oldest dc on her ressie and my dh and our other two dc stayed at the Poly (with a nice discount ). We went in mid-December.

I have never been a fan of the GF just looking at it and we had eaten there once for a character meal (which was great!). It was nice and all but like you said, felt a bit stuffy and not kid-friendly. Well, I stand corrected after spending a lot of time there in December. That resort took my breath away! It was stunning! I could have been happy the whole week just sitting in the lobby listening to the pianist playing Christmas music, watching the families (and occasionally a bridal party) getting their pictures taken in front of the gorgeous tree, smelling the gingerbread that permeates the air, etc. It was just that great.

We did not go in the pool (wasn't our resort plus cold when we were there) but they have an "Alice" themed pool for little ones that looks so cute. And at least the week my aunt was there, the place was packed with children. I expected a bunch of old people LOL. Nope, tons of young families!

 

[DisneyDreamer421]

My aunt won in last year's contest and she chose to stay at the GF. She took my two oldest dc on her ressie and my dh and our other two dc stayed at the Poly (with a nice discount ). We went in mid-December.

I have never been a fan of the GF just looking at it and we had eaten there once for a character meal (which was great!). It was nice and all but like you said, felt a bit stuffy and not kid-friendly. Well, I stand corrected after spending a lot of time there in December. That resort took my breath away! It was stunning! I could have been happy the whole week just sitting in the lobby listening to the pianist playing Christmas music, watching the families (and occasionally a bridal party) getting their pictures taken in front of the gorgeous tree, smelling the gingerbread that permeates the air, etc. It was just that great.

We did not go in the pool (wasn't our resort plus cold when we were there) but they have an "Alice" themed pool for little ones that looks so cute. And at least the week my aunt was there, the place was packed with children. I expected a bunch of old people LOL. Nope, tons of young families!

Ive never stayed, but I was one of the bridal parties that took the pics there

 

[Disney Mama of 2]

You can't judge Disney resorts based on photos. Each resort is themed differently. The only way to truly tell is by going to the resort.

Also it's Disney! They all cater to kids! Maybe not swan and dolphin, as much.