Which Deluxe Resort Do You Like?

[texasvol]

Been to the parks, and stayed in the value and moderate resorts, but would like to experience a deluxe resort. Which one did you choose in the past, and which would you recomend and why?

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

We like Poly for the rooms, the restaurants, the monorail and the general vibe. We like AKL for the animals, theming, restaurants, and concierge lounge. We like Beach Club for the pool and the proximity to Epcot. The rooms at AKL and BC are both smaller than the Poly rooms, so it depends what is important to you.

We didn't love OKW - it was relaxing but inconvenient and due for a rehab (which has been completed).

 

[Kim1964]

We like YC for the pool, location, and decor.

We like WL for the decor and price.

 

[sjs314]

My choice would be WL, you can see by my ticker we are staying there for the 3rd time this October.


First thing to rememeber when chooseing to stay at a Deluxe Resort for the first time is the food options. Unlike the Value and Mod Resorts they do not have food courts as such so if you are use to eating a lot of your meals there you might have to consider that in your resort choice.

WL and AKL have the best CS options, along with the MK resorts, BC/YC not so much and BW has a few places to grab a quick bite.

If your budget is lower you can not go wrong with WL(which has boat to MK) or AKL both IMO two of the best themed resorts for the money.

Looking for peace and quiet OKW can not be beat.

I have only stayed at YC at the Epcot resorts but walking to Epcot is the best plus you have the boat to Ep/DHS

 

[michele2042]

Boardwalk. Atmosphere, the decor is wonderful, activities on the boarwalk, porch on the boardwalk and the biggest advantage for us, the proximity to Epcot and Hollywood studios. We'll be back in August.

 

[mytinyprincesses]

Poly is our FAVORITE!! Love the room size the location/monorail line and to be able to sit on the beach or in the volcano pool and see Cinderella's castle and watch the fireworks (with the music pumped in) in unbeatable!!! We have stayed at the Wilderness Lodge and loved the atmosphere it's beautiful and the Animal Kingdom Lodge was amazing but to far from the parks (with the exception of the animal kingdom) for us. If you are an Epcot fan then the BYC would be a perfect choice.. Any deluxe is wonderful and it will be hard to go back to moderate or value once you go deluxe....well except for the $$$$!! Wherever you choose you will be happy have a great trip!!

 

[ddluvsdisney]

We loved the BC for the pool, walk to Epcot and Boardwalk. We loved the GF for the monorail, Narcoossees, boat access to MK, and watching Wishes from dock. We will be staying at the Poly next month. My boys are looking forward to the pool and watching Wishes while in the pool. I also like how the Poly has a daybed in every room so I don't need to request a rollaway.
Every resort has it's own special perks. I can't even pick a favorite because I like them for different reasons.

 

[Scott MC]

I like lists.
I'll list in the order in which I've stayed.

Wilderness Lodge

Pros- We loved the location. I love being near the MK, and though you're not on the monorail loop, you still feel close. We also loved the pool and geyser and have dined in all the restaurants and loved them. The theming here is magnificent and majestic. Also, the price here is right.

Cons- I don't think the rooms are anything spectacular. I think there are better rooms at some Moderates (specifically CSR).

Dolphin
(I know it's not a Disney-owned resort, but I consider it deluxe...so there. )

Pros-The building is gorgeous, the beachy theme really makes you feel like you're on vacation and the rooms are on par with if not above and beyond any Disney deluxe resort. It's been a while since I've stayed here, but I remember the room being huge and the beds being divine. Since then, they've upgraded to Heavenly Beds, and I can't imagine how much better they've gotten. The location here is great, transportation was fine, and the food choice both at the S & D, as well as at the other Epcot resorts is overwhelming

Cons- I'm having trouble coming up with any. I guess no ME is a bummer.

Grand Floridian

Pros- We paid for a garden-view room, and were upgraded to The Royal Palm Club concierge floor in the main building and we were on Cloud 9 the whole time. The whole experience was magical. The rooms were bright, beachy, airy, elegant and spacious. The whole place smells faintly of flowers. I loved getting up early in the morning and laying on the beach, watching the ferry start to run, and the Polynesian start to come to life. The turndown service is such a nice touch (and is given to all rooms at the resort-no other resort does this), and the cast members, who have been accused around here of being snooty, were delightful and magical. Hearing the band play from my room is a treat I'll never forget. Transportation on the monorail was a breeze and we haven't had a bad meal here...in fact Narcoossee's, as I tell people, ranks as one of the top 5 meals I've had in my life.

Cons- It's expensive....not gonna lie. And the bus transportation was so-so. We shared buses with guests at the Polynesian and Contemporary, and one time, it took me (no lie) 90 minutes to get back to the GF from DHS.


Animal Kingdom Lodge

Pros- Theming..theming...theming. Animals...animals...animals. The resort is a gorgeous oasis and manages to feel deluxe, yet beautifully carries out it's theme, without going overboard. My partner was blown away by the animals outside our balcony. The rooms are tastefully decorated and seem roomier than those at the Wilderness Lodge. Victoria Falls was beautiful and a great place to have a cocktail.

Cons- We ate at Boma (breakfast) and Jiko (dinner) and I wasn't impressed with either. Jiko has been my first signature-dining letdown. It wasn't worth the money. I also wasn't blown away by the CMs there.

Contemporary/BLT

We stayed for a week at BLT, but I'm going to lump it in with the CR, since they share amenities.

Pros-Love the monorail, the grounds are pristine, and the theme is elegant, modern, but has a wee touch of Disney whimsy. The Contempo Cafe is the best counter service I've had at a Disney resort. The buses were much better here because when returning from AK and DHS, The Contemporary/BLT is the first stop. I also like the wave and love California Grill. I've not stayed in a room at the CR, but they look beautiful from pictures I've seen and the views of course are spectacular.

Cons-Again, the staff wasn't spectacular. The CM checking us in was particularly blah and seemed bemused/irritated by a simple room request I made. Otherwise, no complaints.


Wow...whew.....are you sorry you asked?

I LOVE talking about Disney deluxe resorts!

 

[916chipndale]

we have only stayed at the poly and beach and we loved both, but we stayed at the beach club pre rehab. the poly deffinately has the bigger rooms, monorail, restaraunts amazing lobby, and excellent views. the beach ckub has smaller rooms a lot of restaraunts at the BC YC and BW, excellent location, and great pool. i personally like the poly better for the monorail ince the MK is my favorite park and the views are nice.

 

[mickeynut1]

We love all the deluxes we've stayed at, but our favorite is the Poly . We love the tropical atmosphere, the large rooms, the volcano pool is great, Captain Cooks is great for quick CS meals, and you can't beat relaxing on the beach watching the fireworks .

 

[Sue M]

It depends on your budget first. Big diff. in pricing with the deluxe. Different then the mods or values who all have the same pricing. Or close to.
The deluxe have big price jumps from WL to GF!

So in the lower end deluxe, we love both WL & AKL. Just depends what ammenities you're looking for. At WL, love boat to MK, movies on the beach, marina (we love renting searaycers, walking trail, watching the electric water parade from beach, and being close to MK & the other MK resorts for dining.

AKL has the animals, larger pool area, and larger cs, at least the seating area is larger!

We've also stayed at Poly. Huge rooms, love the theming, & landscapping, the beach, best transportation ever with monorial to MK, and short walk to Epcot monorail.

Soon to try BC

 

[MatzoRella]

Poly if traveling with kids.

Beach Club if just adults.

AKL if staying Club Level (for Sunrise Safari and food) and/or for best on-site restaurants.

WL if need to be a world away and are craving boat rides to/from MK and/or Xmas decorations.

 

[GoGoBeans]

We love AKL. Boma and Jiko are two of our favorite restaurants and the lobby/resort has such a great vibe to it. Love sitting around all the seating areas or outside at the pool. It's a fave of both DH and the kids too. What we don't like is that it's so far out there and we're not fans of the bus.

We did BLT last year. It was awesome to be walking distance to MK and on the monorail. But the hotel was cold and boring IMO. Wave was okay, California Grill was a let down and the Contempo Cafe was terrible.

We've done the Poly and would stay there again but we're trying BC this year because of the pool and being able to walk (and eat) at Epcot F&W.

But truly, my heart belongs to AKL.

 

[Sammie]

Grand Floridian and Yacht Club.

Both for the same reasons pools, restaurants, location, decor, staff and wonderful beds.

 

[*Pixiedust1438*]

I have stayed at: GF, WL, Poly, Contemporary, & BC. I have visited the Boardwalk, S&D, and AKL (I think that's all of them).

I LOVE the GF, Poly, & BC, however, I think unless money is no object, they are all very overpriced, and for us at least, just too expensive.

The theme of the Boardwalk does not appeal to me whatsoever, however it did look like a nice resort and it is in a great area.

I enjoy the Contemporary for both the decor & convenience, however, DH doesn't like it, and it's not my favorite.

S&D looked very nice, has a lot of great dinning options, good location, and great pools. However, for us, not having the option of the ME is a major drawback, although the prices are much less here than the "Disney" deluxes.

We went to AKL to dine at Jiko, and also spent time by the pool and walking around. The resort was very pretty, however, in order to get a room with a good view, (which I would not stay here otherwise) it pretty pricey, and AKL is also so far away from everything, I don't think I would stay here.

And that brings me to my favorite, WL. I feel that for the price, this is by far the best Deluxe. It is convenient to MK but feels a world away from the hustle & bustle of Disney IMO, I loved being able to come back after a long day in the theme parks and really relax. The lobby is amazing, the pool is my favorite in all or WDW (although the slide is not the best), and our room was beautiful, with a great view of the castle. We also LOVE Artist Point for dinner. This is one of the cheapest, & newest, Deulxes. We love it.

 

[dragonfly57005]

Many people love the Poly. It is really special to have MK in center view and to walk to the TTC.

I'm more of a fan of the GF. I don't find it stuffy at all. I like the open airy rooms. The pools are a better fit for my kids.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I like the Contemporary for the Resort Monorail access, walkway to the Magic Kingdom and the biggest rooms among the Deluxe Resorts.

I like the Boardwalk Inn because their Club Level Cast Members are simply the best, theme, atmosphere, plus they have walkways to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

 

[vettegirl]

My favorite deluxe is the GF. The resort is flawless in my opinion, and it smells so good in the lobby. The CMs are so friendly and they really do go out of their way to make you feel special. Also I love the GF bath products you get in the room, the body butter is the best. Being on the monorail is also a huge plus as well.

 

[joeytdog]

we have only stayed DVC at BLT, BCV, and BWV

I think my favorite would be GF, but like PP said its expesnive

If the pool is your thing, than BCV hands down plus I like the boat to DHS

BLT is awesome if you utilize the monorail (restaurant choices, etc)

Really you cant go wrong with any deluxe JIMO

 

[AllieV]

As a kid, we always stayed at Polynesian and I always thought it was too spread out to be convenient. As an adult, I love the Boardwalk for its nightlife (clubs, restaurants, bars, free entertainment). My first stay with BWI was in 98 and I paid over $200 a night for the tiniest room I've ever had outside of Europe and it was ground floor next to the bus walkway. It was noisy at the worst times of day.

However, we've since stayed only at the Boardwalk villas via renting from a DVC owner. Those are fabulous. Not crazy about the decor or the long walks, but the boardwalk in general is a great place to stay. You can walk to four other resorts in just a few minutes, or go to Epcot every night for a fab dinner.