Need Help! First Time Staying Deluxe!

[nfrank]

So, I bought an annual pass back in October thinking "I definitely want to come back at least for one more trip this year, and this will save me money!" Well, long story short plans kept falling through, and falling through, and falling through. However, a recent development has occurred and I will be moving abroad in August (possibly indefinitely). So I am not certain when (or even if) I will ever be able to make a trip to WDW again! So I am now bound and determined that I will be making another trip before I leave in August. I initially planned for Spring Break with friends, but that fell through.... In actuality, I'm probably grateful for that (given what I've heard about Spring Break crowds). I then thought about May, as I am a HUGE Star Wars fan (Star Wars Weekends), plus I've heard it is a good time to go. However, that looks quite possibly unlikely now as well, since I'm working on my Master's thesis currently and may not be done by May. So it is looking like my best possibility is July (likely the week of the 21st as my DSIL's birthday is that week and her and my brother would be coming with me--since I'm paying ). Okay.... Now that I've probably gone way far I will get to the point.....

When I go in July, I am well aware that I may not even be able to go to WDW again (given that I'll be living abroad), so I am determined to stay at a Deluxe (since I never have). Basically, when I begin working abroad I'll be making quite a bit in expendable income to pay off this trip relatively quickly (like, maybe 4 months). So I could feasibly afford as much as probably an Outer Bldg Theme Park View at GF. But I'm not necessarily sold on that particular resort--just giving you a "price point". Honestly, I'm having a VERY hard time picking, because they all look completely gorgeous. So would you sell me on a specific resort (and why)?

If it helps, my typical days will probably consist of 1.) up early for either breakfast/rope drop or EMH, 2.) parks from early morning until around 12 p.m., 3.) back to the resort for pool time, rest, nap, etc., 4.) then either early dinner (4 p.m. or so) and then park time or 4 p.m. back to the park with dinner in the park, and 5.) EMH in the evening (if they're offered).

Based on this, is there any specific resort you'd suggest? Also, if you know what typical park hours end up being around then in July, that'd be helpful too. I have never been in the summer. I've heard it is a mad house, but I'm sure it is better than Spring Break (crowd-wise).

THANKS!

 

[goopysolelady]

Sounds like a plan to me! I've never stayed at GF, while it's beautiful, I'm not the "GF type". My first choice of the monorail resorts would be The Poly....especially if you like the "tropical feeling". Some guest complain of it being "old and out of date" but that doesn't make it any less beautiful. You can't beat grounds like this:

The pool at sunrise:

I thought I had a room picture but all I have are photos of my family "crashed" on the bed!

I don't know if you've considered renting points for a DVC property but if you have I'd choose Bay Lake Towers. I have no idea how to go about renting points...DD is a DVC member and BLT is their home resort. I wasn't sure I'd like the contemporary theme but it's now one of my favorite resorts!

The pool from the 10th floor:

Our room was on the right hand side (behind the trees) facing Bay Lake...beautiful views!

We were in a 2 bedroom unit:

The "backyard"/pool area:

And my 3rd choice would be Wilderness Lodge. It's not on the monorail line but I LOVE the boat ride over to the MK:

The only room pictures I have are from the Villas but we've also stayed in the Main Lodge. The rooms are a little on the dark side with oversized furniture but if you're "into" rustic you'd love them!

You didn't mention any non-monorail resorts but we've stayed at the Boardwalk and really like it also. I am not a fan of the AKL or AKV's...WAY to dark for me and is so far away from everything but AK. It's a nice resort to visit but I didn't enjoy staying there as much as the others.

There are more pictures available on all the resorts in the "Resorts Photos/Videos" section if you're interested. If I had "my pick", I'd choose the Poly in a heartbeat! Good luck!

 

[Sue M]

Nice pics. We loved Poly too, and they are in the process of refurbs. So you could request a refurbed room. GF is another nice choice. I booked a split stay for this August and am looking forward to staying at GF.
WL is great. But it would depend on how many are going to be in the room. I don't think I'd want to stay there with 4.
We also love BC/YC. Being able to walk to Epcot is a huge plus, and DHS is only a 20 min walk or a boat ride away.
We also live AKL!
Really there is something special about each deluxe we've stayed in and have enjoyed them all. The only ones that don't interest me much are BWI, CR, or SSR.

I just wanted to add, just because you will be living abroad, doesn't mean you can't vacation at wdw anymore, there are plenty of people on this board who live in Europe, and elsewhere who travel to wdw.

 

[1971DBday]

1. We have stayed at the Poly 6 times total and LOVE it! It is our home resort to us. I love waking up in the morning or hanging out at the pool and being able to seethe castle. Fireworks and water pageant at night, food is great, staff friendly - great memories! We always did a GV and stayed in Samoa near the main pool. Oh and monorail to MK and walk to TTC and direct monorail to EP.

2. It's been awhile but if we had to pick another resort by MK it would be this one. A little cheaper bc it only fits up to 4 in a standard room but again beautiful resort, great food but to poly pool is better!

3. Stayed once at GF and just not for us and no interest in Contemporary - I see enough concrete at home. BLT rooms do look nice but I don't spend a lot of time in my room.

4. We are trying BC/YC this year staying at BC. Looking forward to walking to EP since we like this park in the evening and hate the mass exodus after Illuminations! And even though we love the monorail at Poly it's not always convenient. It's normally the MK route but its at least once a trip we get stuck on it or it breaks down and we have to take a different route. Back to BC - the pool is what really sold us and from reading the thread there is a lot more my family is looking forward to doing!

5. BWI - DH does not like the clown slide!

6. AKL - only convenient to AK but maybe someday since DH loves animals but we toured a little last year and it just didn't wow us. Lobby is gorgeous but that's about it.

Good luck in your choice and remember there is Disney Paris and Tokyo!

 

[patty57]

Do you know which park or parks you will spend the most time in? If MK, I agree that somewhere on the monorail or WL might be best. I have stayed at BLT, Poly and WL, but my favorite location is the Epcot area. BC and YC have SAB, which is the best pool on WDW property...so much fun. I love walking to both Epcot and DHS. I've stayed at BC quite a few times and absolutely love it. BW is also nice, but I prefer BC for SAB. My trip in May will be at the Dolphin, after staying at the Swan last June. Still get the Epcot location, but at the price of a moderate resort. Swan/Dolphin also have a very nice pool and pool bars.

 

[mickeynut1]

My first suggestion would be the Poly, followed by the GF then WL. We love the Poly for the tropical atmosphere, the large rooms, the pool, and the beach for watching the fireworks or just relaxing in a hammock. Being on the monorail is not only convenient for going to MK, but it's also great for getting to the GF and CR for shopping, dining, or just visiting. We've stayed at most of the deluxes and even though the Poly is our favorite, we've had great stays at all of them and wouldn't hesitate to stay at any of them again. I'd maybe choose the resort that the theme appeals to you the most. Good luck.

 

[nfrank]

Well, here's my current thoughts on each hotel as of now..........

Contemporary -

Likes: Gorgeous rooms, walking distance to MK, monorail, probably the best (closest) view of MK, Chef Mickey's (maybe)
Dislikes: The best view of MK also includes a view of a parking lot, the theme doesn't really scream "Disney!" to me, the pool is probably one of the worst/dullest pools on property, the only places I'd consider staying here are probably Tower/BLT rooms which are quite a bit pricier.

Polynesian -

Likes: LOVE LOVE LOOOOOOOOOOVE the themeing (probably my favorite themeing on property), great restaurants, monorail, definitely has a great relaxing vacation feel, gorgeous views and less "parking lot" views than most other resorts, transportation is awesome, very cool pool, I've wanted to stay there since the first time I visited it

Dislikes: Rooms seem a bit outdated compared to other resorts, pool doesn't seem very big compared to other resorts, I would REALLY want a balcony room which isn't really guaranteed.

Grand Floridian -

Likes: Very pretty, very close to MK, I really like 1900 Park Fare, monorail
Dislikes: Price, I feel like the themeing is meant to appeal to an older generation than me, don't really care for the room themeing either

YC/BC -

Likes: Very pretty/nice themeing (very "vacation-y" as well), walking distance to Epcot, YC/BC/BWI are all very close to each other which greatly expands shopping/dining/entertainment outlets, SAB looks like the most awesome pool on property, quick walk to HS (though HS ranks as only my 3rd favorite park), guaranteed balcony at YC
Dislikes: Not on monorail loop, makes getting to resorts that have a lot of appeal for me for dining/entertainment (i.e. Poly, GF, AKL, etc.) difficult, no guaranteed balcony at BC (which is my favorite between BC and YC)

Wilderness Lodge -

Likes: This was the place I remember always wanting to stay when I was a kid, really amazing lobby, boat to MK, relatively nice pool, most cost effective than other resorts (can stay club level here for cheaper than standard at Poly/GF)
Dislikes: Other than MK it seems like transportation would be slow, the dining options are less appealing than other hotel choices, no theme park view and overall less impressive views, these days I don't dig the rustic themeing like I did when I was a kid

BWI -

Likes: Closeness to BC/YC/Epcot/HS, boardwalk entertainment, all of the shopping/dining/entertainment options, most rooms have balcony or patio
Dislikes: I don't like the decor of the rooms as much as I do at some other resorts, and--of course--let us not forget the murder clown slide..... kind of a deal breaker. LOL

AKL -

Likes: Gorgeous lobby/interesting themeing, GREAT dining options, despite what others have said it seems to have transportation time that is more evenly distributed (all trips take about 20 minutes, whereas other resorts may be 10 minutes to MK but 45 minutes to Epcot), Savannah views, balconies
Dislikes: Small rooms, the resort seems very dark, to get a decent view you have to be willing to pay almost twice as much

SSR -

Likes: Meh.
Dislikes: Plentiful
Note: Not really even a contender at this point.

 

[su_A_ve]

To me, BC/YC or BLT...

 

[nfrank]

To me, BC/YC or BLT...

I won't lie.... I find myself more and more drifting toward BC. Especially with the time of year I'm going (July) where I'll only spend morning/early afternoon and evening/nights in the parks, but other time will be spent at the resort and resort pool. But there is just something about other resorts that keeps pulling me back in.....

 

[CtinaDitty]

I hope you still get the chance to visit WDW after you go abroad!

My husband and I honeymooned the exact time you are planning on going just this last year (2012). We stayed July 22-29. The crowds weren't terrible, but yes there are less crowded times.

As for the resort, we stayed at the contemporary and really did not like it. While it is a beautiful resort in a modern way, the staff was not up to Disney standards and the elevators were broken half the stay. We just had a lot of issues, outlined in my TR below if interested in reading more about them.

We did visit the Poly while on our honeymoon as it was originally between the Poly and the CR. DH chose CR because he felt Poly looked outdated. One step into the Poly and we knew that this was the resort we should have stayed at. The staff was so friendly and it was just beautiful there! It was like going to another world! We are staying at the Poly in December and I cannot wait to actually stay there!

Have a great trip!

 

[marmar]

Our #1 determining factor on resort selection is which parks will be most focused upon. When Daughter was preteen & teen we were Epcot centered and we stayed at the Beach & Yacht club alot (SAB is just awesome for that age group). When we had a disney rookie with us we stayed at the Poly so we could be near the MK & Monorail. Now that we are empty nesters and prefer the Boardwalk where we have more dining choices (Epcot, DHS, Resorts).

We have stayed at GF when I got a special price deal (too stuffy for us). We have also done the Wilderness Lodge. It was nice but the bus was shared with FT Wilderness and seemed to take forever and was always packed. We have also stayed at the AKL but it's a long bus ride to everywhere. Seeing giraffs out my window did not make up for the bus time.

Our choice is always one of the Epcot resorts. If you aren't planning on spending all your time at the MK, it's the most convenient.

BWI 5 (club level 2)
BC 3
YC 2
Poly 2
WL 1
GF 1
AKV 1

 

[MMS1125]

Are you doing a pkg with dining or opposed to a split stay? You could to BC for Epcot/DHS days then move to the Poly for MK and another day at Epcot if you want! You could go to AK from whichever

 

[kanderson89]

I won't lie.... I find myself more and more drifting toward BC. Especially with the time of year I'm going (July) where I'll only spend morning/early afternoon and evening/nights in the parks, but other time will be spent at the resort and resort pool. But there is just something about other resorts that keeps pulling me back in.....

It's so exciting but hard, isn't it? I concur with a lot of your assessment from your prior post re: all the resorts. For us, the Epcot resorts hold no appeal at all....we're not nightlife people, the grounds feel cramped, and the resorts seem all squeezed into this lagoon area. Maybe because I grew up on the beach, I've "been there, done that" in terms of a "beach club."

Poly and WL seem to keep drawing you back, maybe for nostalgia?? Disney is certainly the place to indulge that feeling. If money were no option, and we weren't going back for a long time, I might just do it up and go for the biggest, most swanky Poly room I could get. You get the beach, the monorail, good food, all in one place. Having said that, my heart is at Wildnerness Lodge because I love the water, the West, and the romance. But to each her own Enjoy!

 

[hgeisler]

Both the Poly and AKL are equally as dark imo.
AKL is a very nice resort, but if you are planning on spending more time at MK or Epcot, then you will not find it convenient.
When we stayed at the Poly, I was not really impressed. The check-in staff was not very courteous. It was an anniversary trip, and they didn't say anything about it:/ Our room was large with a lagoon view ,which did have a balcony, which was screened in and nice. The theming didn't bother me, but what did was the actual building the room was in. The resort is pretty large to tote your bags around in. When we finally got to the building, the hallways were pretty narrow, dark, and dingy. The elevator was pretty small and old as well. I thought for a deluxe, this could have been improved upon. I know there a lot of Poly fans out there. I'm just not one of them.
GF is a large resort like the Poly. There are only a couple of buildings with a decent theme park view. The resort is beautiful inside, but as you said, the theming is not for everyone, and by some, can be perceived as stuffy.It's also the last stop for the busses and the monorail, which could be crowded by the time they get to you.
After a couple of days, we switched over to the CR. Totally different story. The check-in staff was very courteous, wished us happy anniversary, and gave us two pins (which at the time, we didn't know they existed). The CM was very helpful with getting us just the right theme park view room. I really enjoyed the CR. I love the fact that the monorail runs through it, and the theming doesn't bother me. There was nothing like walking to the MK, watching the fireworks from our balcony each night, and waking up to the castle every morning
For those reasons, my choice would be CR
I haven't stayed at any of the other resorts you mentioned, so I just commented on the ones I was familiar with

 

[hillc95]

I would go POLY if you want to be on the monorail loop or BC in the Epcot area. I loved the POLY but find the boardwalk area to be more 'centrally' located to the rest of the world. On those short 2-3 day trips we take, we usually focus our attention to MK and that's when the monorail loop comes into play.

 

[mmmears]

I have stayed at the GF, Poly, BC, YC, and AKL. And as you know, they all have their pros and cons. I think WL looks gorgeous, and the theming at CR doesn't pull me in, but I won't comment on them or BWI since I find that I don't learn to appreciate a place until I've really had a chance to stay there.

Based on what you wrote, I would probably pick Poly first:

1) theming and gardens that you wont find in Europe
2) really in the middle of the magic
3) very large rooms, that are much much nicer in person than the photos IMO
4) can watch the fireworks from the beach
5) most relaxing place -- and a great resort to spend the afternoon at with the pools and beach and the view of the castle while you relax
5) easy to get to MK and Epcot
6) fun boat rentals
7) fun dining

Then I'd pick GF (but not if it's still a mess with the construction).

1) nice lagoon views
2) nice pools
3) good dining
4) close to MK
5) not stuffy, but more elegant

I'd pick YC or BC 3rd because of pool and location.

We love AKL -- we usually do a split between AKL and another more-centrally-located resort. If you can do that, I'd recommend a few days there. It's really unique and has a great atmosphere.

 

[blackacex2]

I'll chime in here and recommend the grand floridian. Staying there will fulfill your wish to get the best of disney before you move. It is marvelous and luxurious and impressive while being convenient as well. Every time I visit there I think "this is THE place to be." The poly and WL are cool but the floridian just screams A-MAZING

 

[clapton]

Have stayed at CR, Poly, WL and own BLT . That being said stayed at GF years ago and would definitely pick GF. Just love the atmosphere, the decor and the overall feeling of the resort. Can't wait to stay at GF DVC! Wherever you choose have a great trip and enjoy!

 

[nfrank]

Sounds like a plan to me! I've never stayed at GF, while it's beautiful, I'm not the "GF type". My first choice of the monorail resorts would be The Poly....especially if you like the "tropical feeling". Some guest complain of it being "old and out of date" but that doesn't make it any less beautiful. You can't beat grounds like this:

UGH! I keep looking at your Poly pictures and they keep tempting me! LOL

 

[nfrank]

I just wanted to add, just because you will be living abroad, doesn't mean you can't vacation at wdw anymore, there are plenty of people on this board who live in Europe, and elsewhere who travel to wdw.

Oh, I know.... I just know that with the 17+ hour flight (and flight cost alone) it will become much less likely. Plus, if I'm going to fly back to the States, I'd probably be more likely to visit family than go to Disney. And, unfortunately, my family is full of sour pusses who will never even go on vacation, let alone to Disney.