Resort Choices vs, The Real Thing

[melomouse]

Hi All -

I almost never start a thread, but 2 excellent ones here have inspired me to pose a realted question -

How closely is theming related to PAST vacations or wished-for furure vacations??
How many who are regular Poly guests have actually BEEN to the South Pacific or Hawaii? Is your choice of resort somehow related to that??
Have you been to New Orleans AND stayed at POFQ??
Have you visited Bear Mountain or Yosemite and also stayed at WL???

I am thinking if I pay Poly concierge prices, I might as well BE in Hawaii for a week! After all - it IS Florida - and Disney....not what the theming is.

I have stayed at WL twice - DH had been to Yosemite as a child and I enjoyed wonderful family memories in upstate NY. Our future vacation plans did not include either of these places anytime soon.

Do you think some of us choose a WDW resort as a "reasonable facsimile" of the "real thing"?

Donning flame-retardant costume with heels to run fast!!

 

[susy]

I love Disney and have no desire to ever go anywhere else.

 

[jordanyosh]

I used to go to Yosemite every year with my family when I was young. We also went to Lake Tahoe, Mammoth and I went to church camp for 25 years at Hume Lake in Kings Canyon National Forest(Park?). So when we were at the WL last year, it immediately took me back to a different time in my life. Made me very nostalgic. I loved it there for that reason, but many others as well.....

We love the BWV for the theming. It is a dream version of what we would love our beach communities back in CA to be more like......Sure our family could go to San Diego for a week or rent a house somewhere on the Eastern seaboard, but we love the insulation that staying onsite provides. You can actually escape reality for a few days/weeks.

 

[skiwee1]

We have been to Hawaii and that was the main reason we stayed away from the Poly. To me, the Poly does not even come close to the Hawaii that I know. All this time I thought the Poly was dated and just plain cheesey. And then I gave in and tried the Poly and it is my favorite resort! It still doesn't look like Hawaii for me but more like just a tropical Florida location. I mostly like the pool and the view at the Poly. The interior colors leave a lot to be desired but it is still my favorite place. I too thought I would hate the WL because we already spend vacation in the winter skiing. The WL seemed too close the lodge we stay at so I avoided that too. Until one day we were stuck staying at the WL and again I loved the place. It wa so nice to come back to a nice cozy lodge from being in 100 degree heat outside. It actually made us feel like it was the dead of winter when we entered the WL and it was great. I hated the transportation problems and the pool there so that is why we avoid that resort now. I have avoided resorts that remind me of the real thing as I don't want to be disappointed. Now I realize they offer something different no matter what.

 

[caitycaity]

i grew up in upstate ny, have been to yosemite and yellowstone as well as many other national parks, been to the southwest, and have been to the nj and md shores.

i have stayed at the beach club, and csr, and i would love to stay at wl on our next trip.

i don't go to disney to try to find "the next best thing." that would just be silly. disney resorts are just that and that is why i like them. i also like all of the aforementioned places, but they are two seperate things to me.

 

[ducklite]

I haven't been to Africa or Hawaii, but love the AKL and Polynesian.

I've been to New Orleans and didn't much like it, but I like POFQ.

I've been to the Pacific Northwest and enjoy it, but the WL doesn't really interest me much.

I live in NJ, near the shore which I seldom go to, but love the BW.

So at least in my case the places I've enjoyed traveling to outside of WDW don't really have much bearing on where I like to stay at WDW. To me the location of the resort along with it's amenities are the primary reasons to choose it or not.

Anne

 

[billybaruch1]

I'd like to associate myself with skiwee1's remarks regarding their initial avoidance of a resort because of personal experience in the real environment. I've been all over the Caribbean (well, not everywhere, but The Bahamas, Belize, Bonaire, Cozumel, Turks & Caicos, to name a few) and I've never even visited for a look-see, much less stayed at, Disney's CBR. My reason has been that I didn't want to be disappointed. Maybe I'll "give in" and take a walk around the grounds the next time I'm in the neighborhood.

 

[*Fantasia*]

I know Disney deluxe resorts are exensive especially during peak season. I have been to Maui, Hawaii twice (Nov 2002 and Jan 2003) and it is just beautiful there. The hotels there are outstanding and the Luau is just out of this world!

I think for the kind of money Disney charges for Poly, I think I would want to just rather go back to Maui and absorb the real thing plus be surrounded with coconut trees, lots of tropical trees and flowers, the tropical fruits, the beach, ocean and the mountains and native Hawaiians.

HOWEVER...I love Royal Pacific Resort at Universal. It is South Pacific themed. This resort is just gorgeous!! I feel like I did just stepped into the South Pacific! Everyting is very new. This resort just opened no too long ago (just last summer) and the service here is superb! The Luau here is OK, but of course...there's nothing better than the real Luau in Hawaii!!

I very much doubt it if I will ever make it to Africa. So the closest thing for me to get a feel of Africa is to stay at AKL.

 

[ashejen]

I'm typically a lurker also....

I've spent about 4 months in Hawaii and been to several luaus on the beach there. Poly just doesn't interest me, even to walk around. It's almost too themed (if that makes sense). For the same reason, the luau doesn't interest me at all. It's just too much. Besides, can't have a luau without poi and lomi lomi salmon!

Then again, I live in the Pac NW and can't wait to check out WL next time we're there. I love that style of architecture....

 

[BethC1952]

This is an interesting question. I've never been to Louisiana, and if I ever go there I probably won't want to stay in the bayou, but I love PO Riverside Alligator Bayou!

I now live at the Jersey Shore (two blocks from the beach), and when I was a kid we always spent two weeks at one of the South Jersey Shore resorts (Ocean City, Wildwood, Cape May). While I wouldn't stay at the Yacht Club, Beach Club or Boardwalk, I enjoy visiting there on occasion.

I've been to lodges like the Wilderness Lodge, and it brought back childhood memories that haven't surfaced in a whole lot of years!

We had planned a trip to Africa a few years ago, and it fell through at the last minute. That's a long story, but I was unable to get a visa to enter the country we were planning to visit. My husband was very disappointed, and now he loves the AKL.

I think I choose a resort because I like the way the resort is, not what it's intended to represent!

Beth

 

[DeeP]

To me the location of the resort along with it's amenities are the primary reasons to choose it or not.

Same for me.

 

[PugLover]

For my husband and I it was simply a matter of narrowing it down. We opted to stay in a moderate so we knew we would have three resort choices. We chose the "level" we wanted to stay at before we chose the resort. After the "level" was chosen then theming came into play.

My entire family lives in New Orleans and I have spent more than half my life there so Port Orleans held zero interest to me. I would like to take an hour or two during our visit to stroll the grounds but that is as far as my interest goes.

That left us with either CSR or CBR. Since we have never been to Disney all we could go by was photos we found on the Internet and other people's experiences we read about. My husband was leaning towards CSR and I was leaning towards CBR. In the end we chose CBR (yes, we have been to the Bahamas and several other Caribean resort destinations) but staying at the CBR was not an attempt to "re-create" our past vacations. To us, it just looked better in the photos and we got more positive feedback about that resort.

We will be sure to check out the other resorts when we are there as my sister/brother in law and my mom and her boyfriend have expressed great interest in doing a disney family vacation next summer.

Theming for us only came into play after the level and location were decided.

 

[Jen D]

Interesting. I think when you're a newbie and you're just flipping through Birnbaum's or the travel brochure, as I was a few years ago, the theme might be the first thing that grabs you-- since we had been to Hawaii I immediately ruled out Polynesian, because I just felt nothing would compare to real Hawaii. On the other hand, I'm a New Orleans fan, but I was still drawn to the French Quarter for the building design although I knew it wouldn't be the "real thing." The resort that really grabbed me right off were the Grand Floridian, because it seemed to offer that old-fashioned Victorian resort luxury, and the Boardwalk, because I liked the idea of having a hotel right in / over the action.

But after visiting, and more specifically, reading critical guidebooks and checking out websites, espcially the Dis, I found my expectations changed a little bit. What matters to me now is how a resort puts together an entire package-- the theming, and its integration with amenities and excellent service. My plans are to stay next at either AKL or the Poly, not just because they are the most richly themed of all WDW resorts, but becasuse of the mostly excellent reviews they get here and elsewhere.

 

[Castillo Mom]

When we had our family meeting last year about where to go for vacation in 2004, it was between WDW and the Bahamas. When we finally decided on WDW (our first trip) we saw CBR and were immediately sold. I'm still hoping to the go to the Bahamas (probably 2006) and I'm also looking forward to getting a little taste of the islands at CBR. On a side note, we specifically stayed away from Wilderness Lodge because we're not the outdoorsy type, although last year we did go to Yosemite. Even my kids don't like to camp. We stayed in a condo with all the amenities while we were there and took an air conditioned bus tour of the main sights and we had a great time. We must seem ridiculous to some people to go to such a beautiful place and not want to sleep under the stars but, well, to each his own. When we saw the them of WL, we decided it just wasn't for us. Maybe next time we'll get to stay at the Poly.

 

[NMAmy]

Well, I have to admit that after living in New Mexico for 15 years, I have absolutely no desire to stay at Coronado Springs!

We really enjoy ASMO because with all the Disney icons, it really feels magical and something that you can't really experience anywhere else. I'm not saying that when my daughter is older we won't switch to a deluxe...but for right now we're sticking with ASMO. Although she's 13 now & none of us can imagine staying anywhere else.

We've gone to DL many times and stayed at the Disneyland Hotel...and even though that's more like a regular resort, we've usually gone at Christmas and there are so many character displays around that it's pretty magical!

 

[awatt]

Loved the YC because I love New England in the summer. But its not the same as being on Nantucket. where's the ocean among other things?

Similarly we like the BW because we enjoy the Jersey shore. But its not the same.

So our choices at WDW are influenced by where we like to vacation,but are not a substitute.

 

[Danauk]

I know that this is not in Disney (as I have never been before but will be soon!!) but it is related to the thread. Last year I went to Vegas and stayed in the Venitian hotel. I chose that hotel not because I have been to the real Venice (which I have visited and is beautiful) but because I had seen and heard that it was a beautiful hotel (and it was, the upgrade we recieved to one of the high roller suites did help me get an amazing feeling for the hotel!!) When we go to disney soon we are staying in the BCV because we love the feelings of a beach club partly myself as I grew up on the coast but also because of the wonderful reviews we have heard about the resort. I guess what I am getting at is that although it is nice when a themed hotel reminds you of something you have enjoyed in the past it is not the sole reason for the choice. Last year I was happy to be in Vegas regardless of the hotel (although it made it more special to stay in one of the top hotels there) and this year I am just glad to finally get to Disney (after waiting for 27 years!)

 

[erikthewise]

We went to Hawaii the year before our first WDW trip (92). Of course I didn't expect the Polynesian would be "real Hawaii", but I was drawn to it because of our trip there. And I was not disappointed; the Polynesian does remind me of the Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu. With good reason; the designers of the Polynesian resort spent time at the Cultural Center gaining information and inspiration. It's still my favorite WDW resort.

Sure I'd love to go back to Hawaii, and we will someday, but I can fly the whole family to Orlando for less than the price of a single ticket to Hawaii.