Resort advice please!

[belle7708]

I am planning to book a celebratory graduation/new job trip from August 29 - September 3 and need some resort advice. There will just be two of us - myself and DBF - and we are foodies who will likely upgrade from free dining to the deluxe dining plan, as well as add the water park option to our tickets. We have stayed at CSR three times before and AKL once. Here are the resorts/base prices I'm considering. Which would you recommend? Are the monorail resorts really worth the price increase?

CSR ($2050)
OKW ($2670)
SSR ($2670)
WL ($2745)
AKL - Kindani ($2935)
CR ($3700)
GF ($3780)

Ideally, we would like a nice pool and a gym, but are pretty open otherwise. Also, since we are going at the end of August I'm not sure whether we should factor in the heat/humidity to our resort choice and try to be closer to the parks or on the monorail. TIA!

 

[Wood Nymph]

The WL would be great. It is $1,000 less than the monorail resorts. The bus to MK takes 5 minutes and the boats take about 12 minutes. There is even a second boat that just travels between WL, CR and FW which will get you to the monorail for ADRs.

WL has a nice health club and two really nice pools. The resort is compact and everything is under one roof.

 

[Babsy]

Well, because you have been to CSR and AKL, I would look at doing something different for a special trip. In the August/Sept heat I would choose a convenient to the parks resort, so from your list that would be a choice between the GF or CR or WL. (SSR and OKW are nice, but a bit inconvenient to the parks, IMO) WL has some construction starting around that time so I would look elsewhere. You state that a nice pool is important, so that narrows the decision down to the GF! (The CR pool is nice but plain.)

Are the monorail resorts worth the price increase? They are to me. Other people would say no, they are not worth the extra for them.
It really is a question of budget, what you are looking for in a resort, how you plan to spend your time on this trip and personal preference.

If the luxury resorts are within your budget, this category offers the most amenities for guests. If you want extras available at your resort such as TS dining, hot tubs, transportation other than buses and proximity to theme parks then a luxury resort is right for you. (could be moderate or deluxe). If you prefer a large, well appointed room with a balcony, then a deluxe resort is the right choice. If you plan to spend a lot of time relaxing at the resort, a deluxe resort may be abetter choice for you. Finally, do you prefer a fun atmosphere with reminders of Disney animation everywhere you look or do you like a quiet peaceful resort where you can calm down after the fast pace of theme park touring? Disney touches abound, but are more subtle in deluxe resorts.

Enjoy!

 

[lala5176]

I agree...Wilderness Lodge. You will be close to lots of great restaurants. It is considerably cheaper than the monorail resorts and it is a nice resort to be at with your BF

 

[HopperFan]

I vote Wilderness Lodge too!

 

[spiceycat]

now you are going doing free dinning - but would have though you would appreciate the food/wine festivals a little better?

 

[terri33inne]

Did you look at any of the Epcot resorts? If you're foodies there are so many choices within walking distance of BW, and BC/YC. Also, did you run the numbers getting a room discount vs the free dining? Sometimes staying deluxe the room discount saves you more than free dining.

To answer your question, in my opinion if it's in your budget the location of deluxe resorts is why I'm willing to pay deluxe prices.

Keep in mind with the monorail resorts you share buses to the other parks... WL will either head to GF, or FtWilderness, and CR & Poly can share as well. At the Epcot resorts BC & YC share, but the bus stops are very close, and BWI shares with Swan & Dolphin.

 

[spiceycat]

P

 

[ProTraderColin]

As foodies, your best food resort options are AKL and GF. If you are going to spend a lot of time in the parks, the monorail resorts are much nicer for transportation than the buses. I think all the resorts have nice pools. The higher prices for deluxe resorts are justifiable.

 

[belle7708]

Thanks for the advice so far! I will check the availability at WL since it seems that has gotten good recommendations. We are unfortunately tied to August for our vacation because I will start my job in September, but we have been during food and wine before and it was great!

 

[Dano13]

Out of what you listed I would definitely go with the wilderness lodge. But you should definitely check out the boardwalk inn or the beach club. I always try to stay of crescent lake with BWI being our favorite. Walking to epcot and being a 10-15 minute boat ride to DHS can't be beat. And as a foodie being able to walk directly into the world showcase in epcot you would be in paradise.