What makes a resort your favorite?

[DPCummerbund]

I've noticed that people have a variety of different reasons for choosing their resorts - price, room size / amenities, theme, pool, restaurants / food options, transportation, etc. I'm curious as to which of these factors is most important; if all things were equal (taking price out of consideration), would you choose a resort with a great theme over one with easy access to the parks, or one with a great pool area over another with great restaurants? Which of these factors is the MOST important to you?

 

[karly05]

1) Location, location, location
2) Theme/"looks"

I love the Beach Club because of the lovely stroll to Epcot and the boat to DHS, and because it's just so pretty, the whole look and style of it is very appealing to me. I love the whole Epcot Resorts area and, if money were no object, would probably always choose to stay there.

 

[LucyBC80]

Not on the options but size does matter to me. The smallest the resort the better and that's why POFQ is my favorite. It doesn't hurt it has an awesome bus system as well. CR and BC are tied on second favorite because of their location and access to the parks.

 

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

I go for the theming

My goal is to try to stay at as many of the WDW resort as possible. We make the resort a part of our vacation and I love to explore them. Walk the grounds, hit the shops, eating at the restaurants, and explore inside the lobby/buildings, just looking at the attention to detail that Disney puts into everything. So far the WL is my favorite resort with the Poly a very close second.

 

[DPCummerbund]

I go for the theming

My goal is to try to stay at as many of the WDW resort as possible. We make the resort a part of our vacation and I love to explore them. Walk the grounds, hit the shops, eating at the restaurants, and explore inside the lobby/buildings, just looking at the attention to detail that Disney puts into everything. So far the WL is my favorite resort with the Poly a very close second.

What you said here kind of hits on one of my dilemmas (okay, one of several dilemmas) about planning my next trip (whenever that is). To me, my priorities are:
1) Resort theme
2) Transportation
3) Pool
4) Restaurants (having a good fast casual place)

I also like the idea of visiting a new place, & exploring a new resort. However, for our tastes and budget (we've had good success renting DVC points), we've already visited our favorite two (BCV and VWL). I just don't see another DVC resort that has enough other attractions that we'd really want to stay there, despite the fact that it would be new and different.

For example, having stayed at the Beach Club, the Boardwalk looked really interesting. I think I might have liked the theme even more than the Beach Club. It has the same easy access to Epcot & HS, but no Stormalong Bay. Without SAB, I just don't see why I'd stay at Boardwalk. Sure, it would be new and different, but we can walk over to the Boardwalk & eat at the restaurants when staying at BCV anyway, but you can only swim at SAB if you're staying there. New resort vs better pool?

Being huge fans of the MK, we'd be interested in staying in Bay Lake Towers. It's in easy walking distance to the MK, and and an easy monorail to Epcot, our other favorite park. The restaurants also look pretty good. However, the pools look only mediocre, and I really don't like the theme - I know some people love the CR, but it just looks like a regular hotel to me. My DW keeps reminding me that we rarely spend any time at the resorts anyway (although we're trying to change that), and easy access to MK trumps everything, but I'm just not convinced yet...

 

[Dizzytime]

Picked transportation option because we're in 'location' category being the most important factor in deciding where we stay. We come from the west coast, can only afford to come every 3-4 years to save until we can afford the Epocot resorts. Just the location thing, and the fact that we love WS!

 

[toodycat]

Our favorite is the GF and one of my reasons is the smell. All those floral arrangements give the lobby a beautiful scent We love the lobby in general and the pianist and band especially. We also love the dock at night for the fireworks and the courtyard pool. Dinner at Narcoosee's is a tradition for us. The GF rooms are nice, but without the lovely lobby and great atmosphere, they wouldn't be enough of a draw.

 

[fall08CP]

Honestly, the memories I've made there. We stayed at CSR growing up so it's very nostalgic for me. I worked at a deluxe for a few years so I have special memories there as well. That matters more than the theming or location to me

 

[Rcoast911]

I like a resort that has great walking trails/sidewalks. I love CB and Saratoga along with the Wilderness Lodge.

 

[bcrook]

I too am torn every time on choosing our resort.

Boardwalk area is my favorite, but the DVC resorts don't provide the right space. AKV has been our go to resort lately, because we love the feel and the okapis. Plus we like the extra bathroom and the sleeper chair.

I think VWL would be nice to. I like the boat option to MK.

 

[Disney_Princess83]

Our favourite feature of any resort of the location. We are adults only and often after being in the parks, we will end up at DTD or the Boardwalk. If we're within walking distance to one of these things, we much prefer it then worrying about a bus or taxi at the end of the night.

I also prefer somewhere in the resort where I can get my coffee in the morning before hitting the parks. Once I'm in the parks, I like to get going.

 

[Sue M]

Theming is first for me. We haven't stayed DVC but do love both WL & BC. I agree with your Assesment of BWI. If we are staying in the Epcot area it has to be BC or YC for SAB.
We also love AKL. It's a beautiful resort with plenty to do there. We build in a mid day break to come back to our resort to enjoy the amenities, take a swim break and relax. We aren't commando type staying at the parks from opening to closing. Way too exhausting! Did that the first time! Came home needing a vacation from our vacation

 

[Wood Nymph]

I would say the theme and the location are the major things I want in a resort. I want more than just a place to sleep. We have been to the parks many times and don't need to spend all day there and go on every ride.

We like the Epcot resorts because of the relaxing atmosphere. The location is prime for easy access to Epcot and the restaurants on the Boardwalk. We will be staying for the first time at WL in February. And again our reason for choosing that resort was the theme and the location.

 

[bcrook]

I think Kidani/Jambo would be perfect if there was a dedicated train to Animal Kingdom to an "international gateway" like entrance. This would be equivalent to the boats at OKW, SS, VWL, and the boardwalk. Also similar to monorail and walk in options at other deluxes.

I love the way the train looks going to rafiki planet watch. I would like to ride that to a special gate on the west side from AKL.

 

[larryz]

All of the above except the last two.

 

[HappyGal]

I spend about 100 nights a year at different hotels for my job. And after a while they all blend together, very boring. When I'm in vacation on want to feel like I'm on vacation! POP Century is my resort of choice! My kids and I love the theming, so colorful and fun!

 

[Dallas_Lady]

All things being equal... room size and dining options would be my deciding factor. So much so that our last two trips have been offsite so we could have a condo. Debating going back onsite for the next trip, but dreading being squeezed into one room.

 

[tinkermommyof3]

First we decide on a location that we want to spend most of our vacation. For instance, like MK area so we can watch Wishes from resort any night of our vacation. Theme, Poly is our favorite. Amenities--love Poly, beach, pool, QS, TS. For our family, the resort is just as exciting as the theme parks.

 

[AliceIn]

My choice wasn't up there. For us it's about space and privacy. The amenities don't matter much. We like the family suite option over a deluxe due to the large space, private room for the adults, and the second bathroom. The AoA has fantastic theming, and the suite rooms are very nice.

 

[fla4fun]

1. Cost - what is my budget for this trip? I can't even begin to consider anything else until I know how much I can spend.

2. What is the purpose for this trip? Am I doing late night parties at MK? Will I be spending a lot of time at Epcot and DHS because of Christmas events? Is it F&G or F&W season? If there is a particular reason I'm going to WDW, then it makes sense to stay as close as possible to the park I'll be spending the most time in.

3. Time of year - Is it July? January? If it's hot and rainy, I don't want to be in a resort with separate buildings. But if the weather is more temperate and dry, separate buildings and longer walks outdoors aren't a problem.

I don't have one favorite resort, or even two favorites. I haven't really had a horrible vacation at any of them. I do prefer some resorts over others, but that doesn't mean I'll stay at a favorite if it doesn't meet those three criteria for the trip. For example, I wouldn't stay at a resort near MK in December, even though WL and CR are two resorts I really like, because most of my time will be spent enjoying the Christmas activities at Epcot and DHS. So it makes sense to stay in an Epcot resort.

I will say that the All Star resorts and AKL/AKV typically fall near the bottom of my list just because there aren't any water features nearby. I really like having a lake or waterway at my resort and those two don't have them. They also aren't close to the parks I spend the most time in.