Which Deluxe Resort Do You Like?

[Clare Voince]

I have stayed at Poly, GF, CR, AKL and BWI, and I enjoyed them all. I don't think you can go wrong at a Deluxe resort. I tend to prefer the monorail resorts, just because I love the monorail, and I disliked the looooong hallways at AKL and BWI. But I wouldn't let that deter me from staying there.. I just request a room close to the lobby at those resorts.

 

[toodycat]

We love the GF. Every time we've stayed or just dined there, our family has been treated like celebrities, receiving upgrades, champagne, roses, a free ride back to the WL from the GF concierge when we dined at Citrico's and missed the bus, you name it. Apart from the fantastically considerate cast members, including upper management helping us choose a room that would meet the needs of our son who is on the autism spectrum and must avoid noise, the GF's atmosphere is so beautiful and serene, the public areas are spacious and encourage you to use them and the decor's palette is subdued and classic. We love the courtyard pool and the zero entry pool. All the restaurants are great. 1900 Park Fare's character buffet is one of the best. Narcoosee's is a delightful place to dine and we love running out of the restaurant with the other customers to see the water parade and fireworks and then returning for dessert. Citrico's is fabulous and, of course, V&A is rated very highly by Mobil Travel Guide and it received the AAA Five Diamond Award. Even when we've stayed elsewhere, we have usually wound up eating at least one meal at the GF. Honestly, when we don't stay club level, we find Gasparilla's very convenient for breakfast ---and cheaper than the food courts such as the Pepper Market at CSR. The GF Cafe is also excellent for all three meals and reasonably priced. You can't beat the GF's transportation options either. Monorail, boat and bus are all available. We've stayed at the Poly twice (first time fabulous, second time disappointing and a CM was downright nasty), AKL twice, WL once, CSR twice and probably won't be staying at any of the Epcot resorts for reasons that are not a reflection on them, but on our needs as a family, and can say that the GF has always provided us with a magical vacation in every way. I would recommend it anyone,.

 

[mkoerner]

My favorite deluxe is WL without a doubt. Love the theme and the close proximity to MK. It's also an affordable deluxe option for my family.

 

[tallen429]

I have stayed at AKL-Kidani, WL, Poly and BC. Hands down BC is my favorite. We were extremely let down by Poly, which I'd wanted to stay at forever and now will never go back to. WL was fabulous but it was several years ago and now I hear it needs some work. Kidani was just ok. Great pool, but a lot of other things were lacking. We're headed back to BC in August and I'm thrilled!

 

[nblake05]

We love the GF for its graceful charm, the ease of the monorail, the turn down service with the chocolate on the pillow and the fabulous customer service. They have great restaurants, great pools, and you can watch Wishes from the docks. And honestly, at the time of year we go it isn't much more expensive than a lot of the other resorts (excpet the Poly... which I actually find dark and a bit depressing). It has an elegance but is still laced with Disney magic!

 

[cajunprincess]

Can I throw in my opinion even though I've never stayed? LOL. (My hubby keeps putting me on a budget and doesn't think staying at a Deluxe is a "necessary" part of the vacation.

However, I love the idea of staying at a resort with the monorail. The convenience of it is just wonderful. The Poly and Contemporary are my first choices (The Grand Floridian is just a little to fancy for my liking )

Happy planning in whatever you decide!

 

[DisneyMomx7]

We've stayed at the Beach Club, Yacht Club, Grand Floridian and the Polynesian.

I think they are all great resorts and all have wonderful transportation options!

Our number 1 favorite is the Beach Club!

 

[princesspeach]

I have stayed at BW and poly. I liked them both, but preffered poly. I think our next stay will be poly or gf.

 

[Sparrow624]

1. The Grand Floridian. We have never had a bad experience in any of the rooms or "levels' we have stayed at there and they are very helpful. If you want to stay by the MK....I would suggest the GF.

2. Boardwalk. In my opinion, the best hotel in the MGM/Epcot area. Great food and fun options...If you can do concierge, go for it!

 

[apicozzi]

I've stayed at the Grand Floridian, Contemporary, Animal Kingdom Lodge and Polynesian, so can only speak from experience of those. My favorite of the four is definitely the Polynesian. There are so many pros to staying at the Poly. The lobby is gorgeous, monorail access, beach, awesome pool, Ohana, I could keep going on. The rooms are pretty standard in my opinion; however, if you have a room with a view of the Magic Kingdom, it's very nice! In March I stayed in an Animal Kingdom Villa and that was pretty amazing as well. We had a 2 bedroom which had 3 bathrooms, kitchenette, living/dining room and three balconies overlooking the Savannah. The only reason I don't suggest AKL as my "favorite" is because of the transportation (bus only). I enjoy the quick monorail access at Polynesian, Contemporary and Grand Floridian.

Whichever Deluxe resort you choose, just keep in mind that it's Disney and will most likely surpass your expectations! A little warning though, once you've stayed in a deluxe, you probably won't want to go back to Moderate!

 

[Verstehen]

I'm not necessarily the best judge since the only deluxe I've stayed at is Wilderness Lodge, but I've stayed there three times and I LOVE it. Beautiful decor, nice rooms, good location. Love, love, love. My uncle stayed with his family at GF and weren't big fans of the atmosphere (wasn't Disney enough for them), and my grandparents stayed at Boardwalk and were underwhelmed by the theme. My other uncle stayed at Polynesian, and from what I know he did like it. I also think my mom's family stayed at Contemporary way back when it first opened, but I don't know that anyone remembers what it was like XD

 

[DizFan101]

I love the Poly too.
But i think it would be kind of neat to stay in the Contemporary because it was one of the first hotels on disney property. . I have a book

The Magic Kingdom: The First Decade and it shows the Contemporary being built. How cool is that?

but my mom says it's kind of dull. lol.

 

[skiingwife]

We normally stay at the Yacht Club or the Polynesian, doing a split stay between the two. We also have stayed at the Boardwalk, and just returned Sunday from two nights at the Contemporary. Up until now, my favorite was the Polynesian - I love the Hawaiian feel and smell of the place. I also love the decor and the pool and beach. My husband's favorite was the Yacht Club for the atmosphere and closeness to Epcot. My kids could probably go either way on the two. But after this weekend, my husband and I agree that the Contemporary is our new favorite! There is so much activity going on there. I could just stay there and never go to a park and still have plenty to do. The pools are great, and there's jetski rentals, waterskiing, parasailing, boat rentals. We liked the fact that the pools were open until midnight, whereas Stormalong Bay closed at 8:00, I believe. We loved getting on the monorail to go to Polynesian or Grand Floridian for lunch or dinner, and it was great walking to the MK. We also enjoyed eating at California Grill and Contempo Cafe. And the room was fabulous. I loved the decor. Next trip, we'll be at the Contemporary.

 

[pezaddict231]

Which resort appeals to you the most, is there one you have always wanted to stay at? I would go with that one. I think it also depends on your price range. WL and AKL are significantly cheaper than the other deluxes, because of this the rooms are smaller and the transportation options are not as convenient as the MK or Epcot area resorts. That being said, we've stayed at both and really enjoyed them. The theming is great and it's amazing to be able to see animals from your balcony (at AKL).

I've also stayed at the CR, but it wasn't themed enough for me. I think if I were in the main tower it would have been better. This was also before they changed over to a more modern room design, the rooms now look really nice.

Our favorite resort is the GF, we have stayed there twice, once in a garden view room and once in RPC. The resort is gorgeous, so many great options for dining, and so convenient to be on the monorail. We love both of the pools there. The rooms are bright and airy. All of the CM's have been great.

This trip we'll be at BWI, we haven't tried out the Epcot area yet and I love the look of the rooms here. One day we also want to stay at YC. The pool looks so fun!

 

[Lulu'sMom]

Grand Floridian and Yacht Club.

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

Gotta go with Sammie on this!

We're doing the Poly on this trip for sentimental reasons-it was our honeymoon resort and this is an anniversary trip.

But, having had stayed at all the deluxes many times over, these two we keep going back to over and over.

PS..DH does love the WL, too!