WDW Deluxe Hotel Choice

[kangarooo]

Wife, 9yo girl and I:

Which deluxe hotel at WDW is best :

Animal Kingdom Lodge, BoardWalk Inn, Contemporary, Grand Floridian, Polynesian, Wilderness Lodge, Yacht Club and Beach Club, and the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin.

Which one for best :
monorail access to theme parks
night fireworks viewing
king beds
kid themes


Kangarooo!

 

[praline3001]

Wife, 9yo girl and I:

Which deluxe hotel at WDW is best :

Animal Kingdom Lodge, BoardWalk Inn, Contemporary, Grand Floridian, Polynesian, Wilderness Lodge, Yacht Club and Beach Club, and the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin.

Which one for best :
monorail access to theme parks
night fireworks viewing
king beds
kid themes


Kangarooo!

IMO Opinion... but remember EVERYONE has their own favs so you will get someone to post about each and everyone
Monorail: Grand Floridian ... the monorail loop for resorts goes
GF
MK
TTC
CR
POLY

SOOO if your staying GF, the first stop on the monorail is MK.

I love the fireworks at GF... sitting down by the Marina (if you don't have a MK view) is very peaceful and not crowded at all!!!
Not sure to a king bed ... as I have kids and we got 2 queens. The beds were super comfy and GF tries really hard to give you turn down service even ina regular room. Turn down service is such a nice thing to come "home" to after a long day.

Kid themes:
I know lots of kids like the poly. It is more casual. My kids had a blast at the GF... it was really well themed and just pretty.
They also have one of the best character meals right there in the lobby... 1900 park fare. We have done both breakfast and dinner and WOW great food and great character interactions!!!!

Also the GF just went through a refurb so all of the rooms have new bedding/ themes/ carpet... you get the idea.... all new stuff

 

[kaytieeldr]

King beds are merely a request at the Deluxe resorts. Exception MIGHT be the Swan/Dolphin, but they have little, if any, Disney theming.

It should be noted that Disney will not place you in a room with a king bed if your party consists of more than two people, unless the third person is an infant/toddler under the age of three.

You might want to head over to the DVC boards and see about renting a one-bedroom Villa from a DVC member.

 

[chip007]

Nine-year-old girls can have a lot of different tastes, so it's hard to suggest a resort without knowing more.

Some love animals (AKL), some camping and the wilderness (WL), some travel and therefore would want to be near Epcot, and some love going to the beach (Poly) or getting dressed up (GF).

For fireworks, I'd say the GF, Poly or the CR. But as for "kid themes," I think it depends on what she likes.

 

[praline3001]

Nine-year-old girls can have a lot of different tastes, so it's hard to suggest a resort without knowing more.

Some love animals (AKL), some camping and the wilderness (WL), some travel and therefore would want to be near Epcot, and some love going to the beach (Poly) or getting dressed up (GF).

For fireworks, I'd say the GF, Poly or the CR. But as for "kid themes," I think it depends on what she likes.

I want to add that when we stayed at the GF nobody was dressed up...unless they were hitting the signature dining places and then most of those were people coming from other resorts

There is a misconception about the whole dressing up thing at the GF. We wore t shirts and jeans the whole week and often looked over dressed

 

[Native NYer]

Keep in mind that you can walk to the MK from the CR.

Also while the GF is one stop away from the MK, it has already picked up guests from the CR, TTC, and Poly. So it may be crowded depending on the time of year you visit.

We were at the Poly last month and loved it. It was relaxing and tropical. Our longhouse was right in front of the beach. The Poly is also walking distance from the TTC. We walked right over to the monorail to Epcot.

If your daughter is an animal lover, AKL may be a better place. It really depends on your family's interests.

 

[frdeb1999]

We love the Poly. Love watching the fireworks in the evening from the beach or our room. The convience of the monorail being right there is wonderful. They have a ton of activities throughout the day for kids. My dd always has a wonderful time regardless of if we're at the resort or parks.

 

[WDW LifeLong Fan]

We've stayed at everyone of these multiple times and they all have their merits.

With your stated objectives, except for the King Bed, I would choose the POLY.

Good Luck with your no lose decision!

 

[Goofyz3girls]

Beach Club hands down.Especially with kids.You can go to view fireworks and ride the monorail no matter where you stay but no other place on property has a pool (Stormalong Bay) like the Beach and you can't use it if you don't stay in the resort.Besides everything else your 9yr old will remember the fun she had at the pool....and you will too.