Too Many Resort Choices!!!

[becka]

We are still in the early stages of planning our 1st trip to WDW with Nathan but I am having a very difficult time trying to decide which resort would be best. I keep going over scenarios in my head and they all seem to make sense to me. I usually do not have this much trouble just deciding on a resort but when it was just DH and I everything about trip planning seemed so much simpler.

I think I have pretty much narrowed our choices down to: Poly, WL, AKL, CSR or POFQ. My current front runner seems to be the Poly (monorail access) but I just can't convince myself to actually make the call.

I like the Poly for the easy monorail access to MK and Epcot (I am thinking this is important with a stroller) but it is not my favorite theme and we have a few issues with food allergies. DH is allergic to legumes (nuts, soy, peas and beans) and so many of the dishes at the Poly restaurants he cannot eat.

I like the WL because it has the boat access to the MK and it is cheaper than the Poly.

I like the idea of AKL because we would have the balcony to watch the animals while DS is taking his naps. However, I am worried about the all bus transportation with a stroller or having to drive everywhere. I forgot to mention that DH's food allergies could also be a problem here.

We have stayed at both CSR and POFQ in the past and really enjoyed both trips. The advantage here is that we save money! The all bus transportation is also an issue here especially at POFQ. We have never found the CSR busses to be so full we could not get a seat but that happened alot with the POFQ busses since they are shared. POFQ was where we stayed for our very first trip and I kind of like the idea of taking DS there for his first trip as well. Another down side here is the lack of eating options. We will probably eat at our resort more than we usually do just because of the easy access and we won't have to drag DS everywhere to eat.

Whew...can you see why I am confused? I posted this here on the CB because I spend most of my DIS time here and you guys know 'me' and my little crew better than the resort board crowd.

What do you think? If you were in our situation which resort would you choose?

 

[aprincessmom]

I didn't have any trouble with DD's stroller on the busses. It was really light and folded down quickly (with one hand even) but wasn't an umbrella stroller. Weighed less than 5 lbs.

So in my experience strollers shouldn't be your limiting factor.

I would go for the AKL because I think your son would also love to watch the animals from the balcony. The first time we went to Orlando (WDW, Universal and SeaWorld) with DD she had just turned 3. Her favorite things --- swimming in the pool, petting animals at Fort Wilderness and SeaWorld (dolphins and rays), wearing her sandals in January, and having breakfast with Cinderella. Notice the first three could have happened anywhere in FL.

We spend one day between each park at our condo just hanging out and playing. It made for a much more enjoyable trip for all of us. Having things she could do that weren't park related -- feeding ducks at the resort, playing on the playground equipment, swimming -- really kept her happy and us less stressed. So chilling on the balcony watching animals might be something he'd really enjoy.

 

[aahmom1]

I would go with a monorail resort, if possible. You'll be so happy you did.

 

[ead79]

I would choose the Poly for the monorail access, I think. I have never traveled with a child in a stroller, but I would imagine the monorail would really be nice as far as that goes. Perhaps you could get a room with a castle view so you have something to see while Nathan naps. Now that I've said that, my second choice would be the AKL. It has super theming, and watching animals right outside your balcony is so much fun. Perhaps you could try traveling somewhere (grocery store???) with a collapsible stroller to see how long it takes to maneuver it and put it away as sort of a trial run. That way you could see if the busses at the AKL would be a problem.

As far as the food allergies go, I would just contact WDW before the trip and let them know the situation. I have heard that Disney is wonderful when it comes to being creative about dealing with food allergies.

Good luck choosing, and don't feel bad--I always have a hard time picking my resort, and I don't even have a toddler in tow.

 

[MAC3]

I voted Poly for easy access, but to be honest, I was torn between it and WL. Good Luck with your choice!

 

[kdibattista]

Definitely AKL!!! It's our favorite. I don't think we will stay anywhere else. Despite what I have heard on occassion, the transporation was great. Never waited more than 5 minutes for any bus.

 

[oldkicker]

I voted for the Poly simply because of the convenience it offers in transportation. Not just for the monorail either, but for the proximity to the TTC.

 

[cinmell]

I would go with the Polynesian for transportation and theming.

 

[goofy4tink]

You know, it's funny how the voting is going. WL is out in front, but most people actually posting are saying Poly!! I have the same problem with the Poly. I'm just not crazy about the theming there or the food choices. But I would love the transportation. So, what did I choose?? WL.

 

[helenabear]

With out a doubt given all your choices I would go with the Polynesian. I love the atmosphere there and I am sure the food allergy won't be a problem if you tell them before hand (also I rarely eat at my hotel anyway). I think it is just the nicest location being so close to the TTC and a great location being a monorail resort. Enjoy your trip!

 

[disykat]

I'd probably do the Poly too because of it's location. We stayed at SOG, but walked through the nearby Poly many times and did pick up stuff at their snack bar. I wasn't comfortable with food choices at the Poly restaurants either so we never went to a meal there, but because we were close most of our meals were in the parks. Breakfast was really the only meal we ate at our hotel and personally I feel like cross-contamination issues are less of a problem at breakfast. It would probably be pretty easy to feed him out of the room for that meal too. I'm pretty sure you can get juice and yogurt at the snack bar and you could bring cereal with you.

WDW is very good about helping with food allergies and with Nathan being so young it's really an ideal time since I assume he'll be pretty happy with limited choices. I'd just vote for being close because carrying snacks is pretty easy, but carrying a cranky toddler home can be difficult.

 

[Micca]

I think either AKL, WL or Poly are all excellent choices. The rooms at WL are a bit smaller by the way. As regards the food allergies, I don't think you'll necessarily eat more at your hotel than other restaurants. Also, all the hotels have snack bar/fast food where you can get basic burgers and hot dogs, other fast food items.

 

[WDW Poly Princess]

You can probably guess which one I voted for Poly all the way!

 

[GeorgeG]

When we first started going to WDW, there were only a few choices and we stayed at the Contemporary. After the moderates had been open for a few years, we tried the Caribbean Beach and liked it (and still do), but we stayed at the Poly last year for the first time and loved it!

We usually visit other resorts for the dining experiences and have struggled with where we might want to stay next. Perhaps there are too many choices, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

My wife would like to try the Wilderness Lodge next, but after staying at the Poly, I would certainly do that again.

 

[Jeff in BigD]

I think PO looks cool