Which Deluxe Resort do you prefer?

[tippytail1]

So for the last 4 trips I have visited WDW with my husband, 2 kids, my parents and brother. Because of the size of our group we have been doing different villas each year. For our 2011 trip it will just be myself, my husband and the 2 kids. I was wondering which deluxe resorts are everyone's favorites and why. Not sure where I want to stay next year and am looking for everyone's input. Thanks as always for everyone's help!

 

[aceswild]

I like the Wilderness Lodge for the look and feel, the Boardwalk for couples, and the Polynesian for the theme, the quietness, and the proximity to the MK transportation. LOL Does that help? I haven't stayed at the Grand Floridian or SSR so I haven't checked those out. The contemporary seems like a big plus on the convenience factor (soooo close to MK!) but I don't really like the feel of the resort.

ETA: We decided after our stay at a moderate that next time we would book at the Polynesian. The kids love it there and it won't be twisting my arm to get me to go back.

 

[sydneysmom]

We LOVED the GF. I can't say enough good things about it. We went in Sept w/ our DD who was 4 at the time. We did not find it stuffy or pretentious or anything like that. It was just a lovely place. It was wonderful being on the monorail and having a character meal right in the hotel. We could hop the monorail and be in the MK within minutes... when the monorail was too crowded, we took the boat. (there was never a wait for that). We were lucky enough to be upgraded to a castle view which was just priceless.
It truly was a memorable first trip for our family...... our next trip I'm not sure that we'll spend that much. (if we don't get the 40% off code again) But it was well worth it for all the ammenities that the hotel had. And the people we encountered at the GF all went above and beyond to help make our trip special. They're just WONDERFUL there !! (and it's just a gorgeous place!!)

 

[KatMark]

We have stayed at two -- the Poly and the Contemporary -- both a number of times. We love the Poly and would be happy to go back; the CR no longer does it for us after our last stay there. We only have two others we want to try -- the AKL and the Beach Club (none of the other deluxes hold any appeal for us at all in any fashion).

So of the two we've stayed at, I would definitely pick the Poly...beautiful, relaxing, great CM's, nice rooms, watching the fireworks from the beach, etc.

 

[A_Princess'_Daddy]

We're very firmly a Boardwalk family. We love everything about it; the location, the ambiance, the service, the amenities, the hustle and bustle of the Boardwalk, the ability to walk to Epcot and DHS.

 

[jlk806]

Akl!

 

[marmar]

We've stayed at all the deluxe except the contemporary.

If you have small children, I'd recommend the Poly because of its convenience to the MK and the Epcot monorail.

If you have older kids, I'd recommend the Beach club (or the Yacht club) for access to the awesome pool.

If you want to feel like you are away from the thousands of your new friends for a few hours, I'd recommend the Wilderness Lodge. It's nice to feel some peace and quiet after being in a crowded park all day.

Now that we are old middle aged folks without children, we favor the Boardwalk.

I've stayed at the GF once, and decided it was not really worth the extra cost, especially with the transportation hassles. (Busses were always full when they finally got to the GF)

AK is just far away from everything. A long bus ride to anywhere except the AK.

 

[glassslipper2004]

The Yacht and Beach Club has the most awesome pool -- my kids loved it so much, we are going back next summer. When they were a little younger we stayed at the WL, primarily because of the bunk beds which we thought would amuse the kids and help them sleep better (I think it did). We loved the entire feel of WL, including the giant lodge/lobby and both the family restaurant and Artist Pointe. Wish the pool was a little more compelling - then we'd go back there!

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

Beach Club if it is good swimming weather - Poly otherwise, but both are good choices for us.

If it were a non-parks trip, I'd pick AKL CL because there are so many things to do at the resort and it is a destination by itself. For a parks trip, I'd prefer the convenience of the Poly or BC.

 

[WUVmyDISNEY]

At MK resort area--GF hands down. I just loved the feeling and the location.

I never thought I would say this but I no longer feel compelled to stay at a MK resort. I really love the Epcot area so much better. I love the BC there. The rooms I feel are the nicest of the Disney deluxe and the whole area is just so pretty. The transporation to Epcot and HS just can't be beat.

I did just return from the Dolphin and I most likely would always stay there in the future when staying in the Epcot area. I thought the Dolphin was a great choice and well worth the cost. 7 minute boat ride to HS too! It is on Disney property, but not Disney owned so you do not have all the disney hidden mickeys everywhere and all of the Disney art work but that's not really such an issue for us. Now, if I could get a rate comparable at BC, it would be a toss up!

 

[Mamu]

I've done a few of the deluxes and the GF Sugarloaf Lodge was our favorite. Everyone was so friendly and outgoing. Always willing to help. I know I read the resort can be stuffy, we found it to be just the opposite.

My DH had reservations about staying here, he loved the Poly, now Sugarloaf is his favorite too.

We will be trying BWI for the first time this spring. I'm excited about staying at the Boardwalk, love it there. I sure I'll miss the monorail though.

We also did AKL a few years back and loved it but felt very isolated from Disney.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

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

Hands down our favorite is the Beach Club!

2nd favorite - Yacht Club
3rd favorite - Polynesian
4th favorite - Grand Floridian

For several years we just loved the Grand Floridian. The last two visits we had such poor customer service that DH swears we'll never stay there again.

BC - walking to EPCOT and water taxi to DHS, SAB, Beaches and Cream, fantastic cms, and just the overall atmosphere make it our favorite resort!

 

[Zife]

I've only ever stayed at AKL, but having toured most of the other deluxes, I have no real need to try any of them. I just love the way AKL looks, and I'm a big fan of wandering onto my balcony in the morning and seeing a zebra, kudu, giraffe, etc. Yes, it's a bit further from everything, but we always rent a car when we go, and the drive in the morning isn't a big deal for us.

That said, we are staying 1 night at GF next trip, just because we had to do a split stay to do Platinum for a night, and we decided to try out GF.

 

[wish*i*was*in*the*vi]

The only 2 WDW resorts I've stayed at are the Poly and AKL. Love them both, but the Poly is my favorite, hands down. I love the theme, the monorail access, and Kona cafe is one of our favorite restaurants. We always eat there several times even when we stay at AKL. The only reason we don't stay there every trip is price. AKL is a good bit cheaper and is also very nice.

 

[tippytail1]

I am always so grateful for all the help I get on the Dis. Even though we just got back from the World I am excitedly planning our next trip. And though the weather is hit or miss (we were at Beach Club last week and could not use the pool!) we love going in December and will probably be there again next December. Since our kids will still only be 5 and 2 1/2, I am excluding AKL as it is a bus only resort and folding the stroller every time we need to use the transportation is a lot of work! I think I am leaning towards Poly or GF (I do however LOVE the location of BC and BW but might try them again when I change times of the year and can use the pools). Still unsure of the the major differences b/w Poly and GF and why to lean more towards one or the other. Guess I will just continue the research and make my educated decision. Thanks again and happy travels to all!

 

[soontobehoyt]

I've been lucky enough to stay at them all excepting SSR. My personal favorites are Boardwalk and Beach Club. The location simply can't be beat and I love the resort area. The pool at the BC is every bit as great as they say, like a small, free water park almost. The variety of food and entertainment options is great, and you can see Illuminations from the beach every night.

For younger ones, MK area is usually the best as most kids love that park more than the others. If money wasn't a problem I would stay GF every time there, but Poly and Contemporary are both great as well (although I'd avoid the garden wings at Contemporary if you can).

AKL is unquestionably gorgeous and the Savannah is amazing, but the location kills it for me after I got spoiled walking to the parks or at the worst boat/monorail. Just so much nicer than a bus!

 

[cadek]

I personally love the Polynesian, and can't imagine staying anywhere else. Since I haven't stayed anywhere else besides All Star Sport many years ago, I don't have much to compare it to. I think Epcot area would interest me as it's our 2nd favorite park.

What I love about the Polynesian is the convenience of the monorail. Hate buses with kids and a stroller. Love the food at Captain Cooks. Love the zero entry pool and being able to watch fireworks over the castle from the beach or pool. Love the theme. Love the short, beautiful walk to the Transportation and Ticket Center to get on the Epcot monorail, rather than riding the resort monorail all the way around and then switching monorails.

My sister has stayed at AKL/Kidani Village in a 2br safari view, and it all looked georgeous! But again, I personally don't like buses, would miss the monorail, and being so close to MK.

But we are all different, and love things for different reasons!

 

[PinkPrincess1908]

I've stayed at the Contemporary and the Poly. Between the two the Poly wins out for me. I love the large rooms, the convenience of the monorail to MK, the TTC., and other hotels for dining. The tropical theme is great and soooo relaxing providing a nice break from the busy parks so you kind of get the best of both worlds; an exciting Disney vacation and a soothing tropical resort with a beach. You can also watch the MK fireworks from the beach. In my experience CM's there are great as well. The food in Kona Cafe is tasty. The quiet pool is relaxing and the volcano pool is awesome if you want a more active vibe. Oh, and I'm not sure if this is a factor but I also loooove the tropical drinks at the Poly I hope this helps and I wish you a magical vacation

 

[pepe of ohio]

all except one were deluxes and we've chosen the WL overall, based on location, price and cost.

We just returned from WDW and had the opportunity to stay at OKW, 2 bedroom villa and I must say, we were not impressed....room was fantastic but location of building and resort..not to our liking. No more trying (except maybe BLT) other resorts....we're down to Poly overly priced, GF not to our liking at all, AKL one stay and no thank you, CR many stays bbut renovations has ruined the old appeal from the 80's, Y&B are fine resorts, alittle pricey but we're MK area lovers, so bottom line and over 10 stays are for the WL.

 

[floridascgirl]

Best resort theming: Animal Kingdom Lodge
Best resort location: Boardwalk Inn