Which Deluxe Resort do you prefer?

[kbkids]

Just DH and I are going on an anniversary trip in October. We go with the kids several times a year and always stay in the value resorts, but we're going to splurge this time. Which Deluxe Resort do you think is the best?

 

[SnackyStacky]

You're gonna hear it all! Disney Deluxes are like ice cream cones: everyone has their own favorite.

It think most of it is personal taste. Everyone RAVES about the Wilderness Lodge. I'm not really into that theme, so I'm not too into trying that one anytime soon.

I think each deluxe has it's own charm and own outstanding offering: (bearing in mind that I have NEVER stayed at these resorts...this is just what I considered when deciding where to stay for my honeymoon)

The Grand Floridian - the flagship Disney resort. Lots of elegance and pampering here. (But not so much that you can't wear shorts in the lobby) If that's what you're looking for, this is your place! However, you will pay a LOT for it.

The Polynesian - This one, for me, seems to be the most immersive themeing wise. This was my top choice, but I just can't afford it. It seems to transport you right to the South Pacific.

The Contemporary - VIEWS, VIEWS, VIEWS! As far as I'm concerned, while a magic kingdom view is fantastic, there's not a BAD view in the contemporary tower. All of them are gorgeous. Not to mention that you are within walking distance of the magic kingdom, and the monorail glides THROUGH your hotel.

The Wilderness Lodge - while I don't have the desire to stay here, the big draw to ME seems to be the harmony of nature and architecture.

The Boardwalk - if you like nightlife, THIS is your place. It's literally right under you on the Boardwalk. Jellyrolls and the dueling pianos, Atlantic Dance Hall, and a WEALTH of dining options.

Yacht & Beach Club - you want a pool? This one has the mother of all pools. The location also can't be beat.

Animal Kingdom Lodge - I haven't stayed here, but I've visited and it's GORGEOUS! A close second to the Polynesian for immersive themeing. This was my first choice, but we're staying for 10 nights, so I wanted a LOT more dining and entertainment options without having to get into a bus, boat, or car.

I ended up picking the Beach Club for our honeymoon because we're planning on a LOT of resort time to relax with one another. The pool is a perfect, BEAUTIFUL spot to do that. We also like having tons of dining and entertainment options without having to use any kind of transportation other than our feeties!

But if money was no object, I would stay at the Polynesian in a heart beat.

 

[jaysue]

If it was just DW and I on a trip we would choose WL as it is the most romantic in our view - BC would be a close 2nd - note if money was not an issue we would choose one of the suites....

WL
BC
Poly
CR
AKL
GF
YC
BWI


thanks
jaysue

 

[Efastpitch]

My vote would be the contemporary tower, with the view of the Magic Kingdom. As high up as possible.

 

[girlsx2]

My vote is for the WL!!! We LOVED this resort!!!! We were there in Feb and it was perfect. However, my dream is to stay at the Beach Club or over at the Grand Floridian!!!

 

[Kimberle]

Well, what do you like to do? What park(s) are you planning to spend most of your time at?

We have a small child, so we like to be close to MK. We loved CR and loved WL even more. They are both wonderful resorts. The transportation is so convienent.

With 2 adults, you may prefer to be closer to Epcot/MGM. So you may want to look there.

I don't think you can go "wrong" with any of the deluxe resorts. Just pick the location you prefer and the resort "theming" you like!

 

[Bstanley]

My Votes (I've stayed at all of them more than once):

# 1 : The Polynesian : Large rooms, central AC/Htg (very quiet), true Queen sized beds, fantastic CMs, excellent theming, convenient to MK (boats and monorail) and EPCOT (monorail - a short walk to the TTC), kewl new pool - basically great in every way.

# 2 : Animal Kingdom Lodge : smaller rooms (larger rooms available if you pay the same as the Poly), AC/Htg buried in the wall (quiet), small 'Queen' sized beds, fantastic CMs, better than excellent theming, fantastic restaurants, convenient to AK (bus), kewl pool - basically great except for it's distance from the MK.

# 3 : Wilderness Lodge : smaller rooms, AC/Htg buried in the wall (quiet), small 'Queen' sized beds, fantastic CMs, excellent theming, fantastic restaurants, convenient to MK (boat), kewl pool - basically great except for the lack of a monorail

Now - the good news is - all of the Deluxes are fantastic - so whicherver one you pick will be great!

-bruce

 

[Disneyolic]

I've only stayed at the Yacht Club so I'm a little biased. However, we did choose this one because of the proximity to Epcot. It was so wonderful to be able to walk there in just a few minutes. The ferry ride to MGM was nice also. And, of course, the pool was excellent. We loved staying here and will stay here again.

~DawnMaree

 

[kozmo]

I love them all,but i always-HAVE TO-(waaa)(hehehehe) stay at that old darn" GRAND FLORIDIAN",cause thats my moms favorite place,dont i have it rough??????Its so beautiful and everyone is always nice to us,as they are at all the resorts,but this one is in the top 3 for us!

 

[AllTheWorldsAStage]

Poly is my favorite. We rely on Disney transportation, so the Poly's location can't be beat. Besides being on the MK monorail line, it is within walking distance of the TTC -- which will provide transportation to pretty much everywhere else you want to go.

 

[schumacher]

Just got back from a week at the WL.

This was our second stay here and we really like it. The theming is wonderful, it is a relaxed atmosphere and transportation has always been good however, we have decided our next trip will be to the Poly.

The Poly transportation options are great. The WL is great for MK but we ended up taking a cab to Epcot as the bus service was a little spotty. The parks were a bit crowded last week but we took the bus on two occasions to Epcot and it was nearly 45 minutes from the bus stop.

I have nothing bad to say about the WL as it is truly a beautiful resort but the transportation needs to be reevaluated in my opinion.

Cheers,

Schuey

 

[Miffy]

DH and I are just back from 7 nights at AKL (the countdown clock's already updated for our next trip!). If you're an animal lover, this is the place to be. We could easily vacation at AKL and never go to a park. Just sitting on the balcony staring at the animals is wonderful. The lodge is beyond gorgeous. Great restaurants, including the fast food place, the Mara. Excellent transportation--AKL is the only resort that doesn't share its buses. Beautiful pool, spectacular lobby and public seating (and animal-viewing) areas, exceptional CMs, sensational grounds and landscaping...and the animals! Atmosphere to spare. Ah...we were there just yesterday and I miss it already.

Everything else that's been said on this thread is true, too. When you figure out what it is you want from your resort, it'll be easy to choose one--and all the deluxes at WDW are fantastic.

Have fun making your decision! --miffy--

 

[momof2OH]

We just stayed at AKL concierge for the first time (2 weeks ago) and loved it. We loved it so much, we are planning on staying there from now on. It is a wonderful resort.

As other have said, they all look wonderful, it just depends on your own needs and the themeing you like.

Have fun and enjoy!!

 

[disneyholic family]

we've stayed at all of them and like them all...
read up on the themes and amenities and then pick one....
you probably can't go wrong...
my family's preferences follow, but it's really so dependent on what you're looking for...oh...and i should add, we always stay concierge level.....that also differs between the different deluxe hotels....

1. Grand Floridian -- this is our favorite of the disney resorts....don't ask me why....we just like it...i think that's the way it is for most people with all the hotels...just 'something' about it that you like or don't like....the concierge isn't nearly as nice as some of the others, but we just love this hotel best of all of them.....the room is nicest here....

2. yacht club - this is our second favorite - a fantastic swimming pool (that it shares with the beach club resort)....although this is basically the mirror image of the beach club resort, we MUCH prefer the yacht club to the beach club....go figure why....something about the decor that we prefer....the concierge here is better than at the grand floridian....the room is almost as nice as at the GF..

3. animal kingdom - this is our third favorite -- the nicest concierge but a kind of dinky sized room in comparison to the yacht club and GF.....it's a beautiful building and there's the sunrise safari for concierge guests that is really nice..

4. beach club -- we stay here only if the yacht club isn't available....but the only reason we don't like it is the decor...in everything else it's exactly like the yacht club....the concierge room is very good here as well....

5. wilderness lodge - we stayed in this one before we began staying in concierge so i can't give you a good comparison....it's a nice hotel, but the rooms are smallish (like the AKL)....

6. polynesian - we stayed in this one 18 years ago, so my comments won't be helpful....however, i can say that we did enjoy it very much....i've heard the concierge room is nice...

7. contemporary - we also stayed at this one about 17 years ago....we also enjoyed it but it was too long ago to make a decent comparison....i've heard the concierge is nice.....

8. boardwark -- our least favorite....we only stayed here once about 5 years ago...my kids hated the pool....but i know that other people swear by this hotel....

 

[csamom]

Grand Floridian hands down! It is the best with beautiful accommodations, great service, numerous amenities, great beach with cabanas, great spa, location, etc.

Plus, if this is an anniversary trip, this, in my opinion, is the most romantic.

You won't even have to leave the resort to have an incredible vacation.

 

[MandaPerry]

We have stayed at three of the deluxe hotels. We rate them as follows
1. poly
2. cont
3. wl

 

[kbkids]

Wow! Thanks for all the opinions! Still not really sure at this point where we'll stay, but I really appreciate all of your input! I doubt we'll be able to afford the concierge level - want to splurge, but want to eat too. We love MK, but we'll probably save that park for night time and the fireworks since we go so often with the kids. I'm thinking we'll do Epcot one day and then stay at the hotel the two other days and do Fantasmic one night and the fireworks at MK the other night. Hang out at the pool, maybe enjoy a massage at the spa - that kind of stuff. The AKL sounds the most intriguing to me, but I think I'd almost feel guilty about staying there without the kids. I'm kinda leaning towards the Poly at this point, but who knows. Thanks again for all the replies!

 

[Danauk]

My vote would be the Beach Club. Beautiful relaxed atmosphere, great location (MGM and epcot are my favourite parks) plus stormalong bay is the greatest pool on site. I can't wait to go back.

 

[DisneyDmbNut]

WL LODGE BABY!!!!

THE BEST!!!

 

[disneyholic family]

the AKL has a very adult feel to it...
at least it did when we were there....
so you might well enjoy it without the kids...
i understand not having the money for concierge, but if you're at the AKL you have to at least have a savannah view (where your balcony looks out on the animals).....i found that very relaxing...to just sit out there and look at the giraffes....

i agree with the other person about stormalong bay at the yacht club/beach club....i adore that pool....has it re-opened?....i'd heard it was closed for refurbishing.....

i'm sure you'll enjoy the polynesian as well....the theming there is excellent.......

whatever you pick, you won't go wrong...