haha, last trip was 10 days and 5 of those were spent in Magic Kingdom, yet I spent the ENTIRE DAY in the parks, coast-to-coast. Like "Well I kinda wanted to see the other resorts sometime but nooooooooo I wouldl then only have EIGHT HOURS in the park today! I need to see the Magical Friendship Faire another three times, and both parades! I don't have quite a million pictures of either!I relate to this SO much! In spite of me saying we do love to explore the resorts, we always do it on our first day in or last day out, because we go so hard at the parks (sometimes rope drop to park close) and we almost never leave the parks once we're in them.
You're right about the construction at the Poly, but we were just there in Jan. and it didn't bother us much. It didn't impact the fun of exploration at all. As far as the Swan/Dolphin, it's definitely worth exploring a bit. Both were designed by Michael Graves and they're pretty amazing. Not as "Disney" in the theming, and a walk around the outside is probably enough, but they're our go-to resorts when we want to stay in that area because of the dramatically lower cost vs. other Deluxe properties. There's an incredible walkway between the Swan and the Dolphin that is lit up at night and is really beautiful.
Also...a 10 day trip sounds like a dream! We've only ever stayed for a week, but that's starting to feel like not enough![]()
There is a huge difference in the hotels though. Its more appropriate to compare the Swolphin to BoardWalk/YC/BCHow much ARE the Swan & Dolphin, typically? Just from the WDW website I'm seeing them at $600/night, which is like three times AoA/Pop pricing, lol.
Oh my goodness, SAME. To all of ithaha, last trip was 10 days and 5 of those were spent in Magic Kingdom, yet I spent the ENTIRE DAY in the parks, coast-to-coast. Like "Well I kinda wanted to see the other resorts sometime but nooooooooo I wouldl then only have EIGHT HOURS in the park today! I need to see the Magical Friendship Faire another three times, and both parades! I don't have quite a million pictures of either!
How much ARE the Swan & Dolphin, typically? Just from the WDW website I'm seeing them at $600/night, which is like three times AoA/Pop pricing, lol.
And yeah, my trips have oddly been increasing in length for years! The first time I went, it was "just enough" at seven days (5 days in parks, 2 in Universal), then it was closer to 8 days. Then 9. Then 10 on the most recent one. Which is funny because you'd think people might do it in reverse ("gotta see everything" becomes "well I've seen most of it"... and Pop Century went from $90 a night in 2014 to $190 a night in 2020) but I learned to not necessarily go Full Hustle and cram in EVERYTHING (last time I had 2-3 Epcot days and still didn't find time for the Mexico Pavilion) and found it more fun to just wander about mid-day or something rather than make sure I did every possible ride.
I completely agree- AKL and WL are worth the time!Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge are the best for exploring, impressive architecture and lots of cozy hidden nooks and crannies. Also, Native American (WL) and African (AKL) arts and artifacts. Yes, you can view the savannah without being a resort guest. You may need a dining reservation to access the resort grounds if you arrive in your own vehicle. You can enter the grounds using Disney transportation without having a reservation.
haha I figured, but someone said they would fit my "AOA" budget, lol- not quite! How much are those other ones, most of the time?There is a huge difference in the hotels though. Its more appropriate to compare the Swolphin to BoardWalk/YC/BC
I had to look them up, but yeah- I've looked through all of them. One has POWER RANGERS in it! Thought looking at the DFB pictures I can see there's some I either glossed over or didn't know what they were about. Unless they swapped them out.Just in case you missed the Shadow Boxes in Classic Hall in Pop Century when you stayed there(or for anyone else not aware of them)they are amazing and worthy of a "deep dive".
I always say they are the most unique thing in any WDW Resort.
Do they make new ones anymore? I still have mine from 2014 or so! It’s probably still good, but I haven’t seen another book like it since a few years after that!Pick up one of the Hidden Mickey books and have fun looking for Hidden Mickeys in each Resort.
There are many of them and looking for them "moves" you all around each Resort.
Where are you staying this time?Hi all! I'm a longtime trip-goer who's about to go on a huge trip in May 5-17 with 11 park days in there. It'll be my longest trip yet, and I'm thinking of doing a "Disney bucket list" thing of actually seeing some of the resorts I've never stayed in- as a cheapskate with a retail job, I've never stayed in any thing glitzier than Art of Animation, so I'd love to actually see some of the fancier hotels on an off-day, mid-day (before I go back to the park), etc. Since I have enough time to spread around, I'm less concerned about travel time.
The hotels I've been at are Art of Animation, All-Star Movies & Pop Century. I was at the Contemporary for an hour once so I've at least seen it and the giant Mary Blair mural. One time I was at whatever resort is by Disney Springs (the one with the 3 bus stops), but only in the dark.
So I'm wondering what are the most fun ones to see? I assume Animal Kingdom Lodge is great, though I'm not sure if you can see the animals without being a guest. Boardwalk looks fun (might still be under construction?). I'm curious what other "bucket list" ones you guys have that are fun to look at or you just wanted to stay at?
Thanks!
Oh, the flamingos are still there behind the Jambo pool!!! When we stay at Jambo, it's the only room request we make - nowhere near the flamingos!! They are a loud bunch at times!!Here are a couple things I haven't seen mentioned:
1. Ft Wilderness Campground - go see Tri-Circle D ranch. This is where some of the MK horses stay.
2. If you are over exploring the Swan/Dolphin, you could walk over to Fantasia Gardens for some mini golf.
3. AKL - There's a flock of flamigos that used to be somewhere back behind the pool area (at Jambo, not Kidani). I'm not sure if they are still there, but it's a fun area to walk around. We also like sitting on rocking chairs on the public decks that overlook the animals.
I'm staying at All-Star Movies this time. I've found it to be the same experience as Pop/AOA but without the MASSIVE crowds and mile-long treks to my room, and a far better experience at concierge (those other two tend to have monster lines for concierge at all hours of the day and only 4-5 people working and taking FOREVER on each guest... while playing the same 3-4 songs on a loop all day). For whatever reason All-Star never had long lineups for that (though note that I've only stayed there once prior), and had the same kind of scenery (oversized props, etc.) as those other value resorts. Plus I typically spend zero time in my resort aside from sleeping so I usually didn't care what the rest of it was like.Where are you staying this time?
I second (or third...or fifth?) heading to AKL. I could easily spend an entire day here. You can wander and look at all the animals, take a tour of the lobby at 11am or try out the string of memories activities. We have seen single adults participate. Its not just for kids. The CM will adjust to the age group. A late breakfast a Boma would fill me up for the entire day and is "reasonably priced" for Disney.
Enjoy your really long trip and be sure to check back and tell us what you loved and didn't love,