What Hotels Are the Most Fun to Explore?

[A Squared]

Another vote for Wilderness Lodge. Back in 2018 DH and I stayed here and took the little free tour one morning. Very interesting as pointed out things we wouldn't have otherwise noticed.

 

[Jabroniville]

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

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!

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.

 

[OKW Lover]

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.

There is a huge difference in the hotels though. Its more appropriate to compare the Swolphin to BoardWalk/YC/BC

 

[Karalee402]

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!

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.

Oh my goodness, SAME. To all of it My kids tease me now about how many pictures I take of the very same thing. Multiple angles of the partners statue each trip, definitely. 100 pictures of the castle, yep. Once we're in the parks, it's just impossible to leave. That definitely is the benefit, like you said, of multiple trips - taking your time and enjoying the little things. We went over New Years this year and everyone told us the crowds would make it unbearable, and it was definitely crowded, but we spent HOURS doing things we hadn't done before. We spent at least an hour over on Tom Sawyer Island, and my kids absolutely loved it.

Swan/Dolphin are always cheapest if you book through the Marriott's website instead of direct with Disney. Still works the same with the MDE, but you can often save some money. And they're definitely on par with the Deluxe resorts. Last summer, we booked our family of five for a week at the Dolphin for under $300 a night, which was cheaper than the moderates at the time. They can definitely get more expensive at peak times and when they are limited in rooms, but most of the time, it's an incredible deal that gets us the perks of the Deluxe resorts for a moderate (or under!) price.

You've inspired me to look into longer trips...Disney dreaming is definitely not a bad way to spend a Saturday morning

 

[WEDWDW]

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.

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

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.

I completely agree- AKL and WL are worth the time!
You could plan on one hour to 90 minutes just looking at the gift store, lobby, the library area, artwork and savannah at AKL and hopefully get an ADR for the Boma Buffet OR sit down at the lounge and enjoy a cocktail OR just go outside by the pool area to walk around to check out all that (more savannah albeit much smaller view) and enjoy a beverage sitting at the pool bar or pool area table.
WL is expansive too with so much to see!

 

[Ensusieasm]

After a long morning at Magic Kingdom walk out the park gate and onto a boat to The Grand Floridian. Get some lunch at the quick service, then enter the Main lobby. Check out the two shops on the ground floor. Then take the glass elevator to two shops on the second floor. After 3pm have a seat in the lobby to listen to the piano player. He will take intermittent breaks and then come back to play again throughout the evening. Have a drink in the Lounge on the second floor. Take the monorail one stop back to the Magic Kingdom.

 

[Jabroniville]

There is a huge difference in the hotels though. Its more appropriate to compare the Swolphin to BoardWalk/YC/BC

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?

 

[Jabroniville]

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.

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.

 

[Jabroniville]

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.

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!

 

[RabFlmom]

My first thoughts were AK and Wilderness Lounge, but with 11 days in the park you might like the atmosphere of Port Orleans. The paths along the river are so calming and the jazz club at French Quarter with Beignets is laid back and fun, also. You can fish, ride bikes, even take a carriage ride at the resort. There is a boat you can ride between the 2 sections of the resort or even take to Disnay Springs. It is one of our favorite resorts.

 

[BarlowFamily]

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!

Where are you staying this time?

magicalresortguides.com has all the resort activities guides for WDW. Thy are updated pretty regularly, so you could check back in April/early May and see what interests you. Some ideas:

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.

Wilderness Lodge also has an enjoyable lobby tour at 9am. There used to be a hidden mickey hunt you could get a sheet for from the front desk.

Riviera and the other skyliner resorts have a skyliner scavenger hunt. You can pick up a sheet at the front desk.

Many of the resorts are offering painting and mosaic craft art classes. We're doing mosaics at AKL on our next trip and plan to do painting whenever it fits in our schedule. These are $25-35 or so and are going on pretty much every day just a different resort every day.

I've done a progressive monorail meal with a friend, stopping at all three resorts. We also did a 4 park challenge. If you have PH tickets one ride in each park taking a different transportation each time to get from park to park. You can make your own challenge.

I think pretty much every resort has an evening campfire. Roasting marshmallows or s'mores is an enjoyable (and cheapskate) way to spend an evening, especially at a Seven Seas Lagoon resort where you can watch the electrical water pageant later in the evening.

We spend days at Fort Wilderness as well, but with bicycles for easy transportation. Checking out Triple D each or renting a canoe might also interest you with a little extra transportation planning needed.

Enjoy your really long trip and be sure to check back and tell us what you loved and didn't love,

 

[Shellyred8]

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.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

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.

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!!

 

[Jabroniville]

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,

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.

Plus I don't like the Skyliner- as a solo traveler it always ends up being "an entire family, plus me" and that's super-awkward and annoying. Plus there's nothing worse than starting AND ending your day by also queuing up in a gigantic line that takes 30-40 minutes.

Though the one time I was at the Contemporary (to get a cab to a COVID test) I was struck by how they had a ton of well-dressed concierges and zero lineup at all- made me realize the value of the Deluxe Resorts, lol.

I'll be sure to share with everyone! Here's my last Trip Report with some details on my resort if anyone cares to read it (warning: LONG): https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...magic-is-back-ish-the-trip-summation.3897325/

 

[Jabroniville]

Okay! I’m on my last full day, and can report that AK Lodge and Grand Floridian are both fun. I can see what people mean about the HUGE drive from AKL to the parks- something like 25 minutes each way? I did it in the middle of the one big rainstorm we had on my trip, so didn’t miss much at MK, but I got to walk around the animal viewing area, which had lots of animals since it was raining.

Grand Floridian looks great, though the main building is almost more of a collection of restaurants. The main area is very impressive, though. Fancy looking elevators, whatever that golden cage was, and even a guy playing piano! I’d imagine you’d have to be very rich to be able to stay here for any length of time, though. 1900 Park Faire is somewhat intimate by contrast.

I haven’t had time to resort hop aside from this, though. But this takes off some “Disney Bucket List” stuff!

 

[Chili327]

I was going to make a thread asking basically the same question (maybe I still should), but I started watching this playlist of resort reviews and I love it, but they are an hour per resort, so wondering if anyone knew of a single video that covered all of them in one video? (a cliff notes version)

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3OTvS5E1CgmMRpKmAioGiTgIRHwFGySP&si

I think the closest thing I’ve seen was from “The Frugal Brit” and he covers WDW as a whole, so it’s the best thing I’ve found, but I’m trying to convince DLR friends to go to WDW.

 

[nursejackie]

Another vote for AKL lodge, we visit every time. Also love WL and any monorail resort. I haven't been to the Riviera but it's on our list for next year