which Deluxe resort is best???

[3littlepeas]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!! I posted this thread this morning and can`t beleive how many replies I got!!!!!!!thanks to every one...of course now I'm even more confused.....I have to say I'm not too "attracted" by the Poly...too `70ish for me and the CR looks..well...outdated..but after reading the nice reviews I'll have to reconsider.... I have to say that yes my kids loved MK but they were also very excited about all other theme parks..so being close to MK is not a factor, and as far as transportation is concered, we will have a car and are planning on using it, so this doesn't factor in either... I guess I just have to hope that I am enlightened in a dream or something...hi hi hi
Thanks a million!!!
Julie

 

[soccer mom]

The deluxes we have stayed at are AKL, Poly, and BC. AKL is our favorite with the Poly a close second. Like BC location because we eat most dinners and spend most evenings at Epcot, but did not care for resort at all. Probably won't stay at any Epcot resorts again. Just not thrilled with all the hustle and bustle of that area that goes on all day and night--like to visit the Boardwalk, but not to stay. We like to kick back and relax when we are at the resort and didn't feel we could do that at the BC.

Our whole family (four kids) love AKL, but we are also animal/zoo lovers. There is a zero entry pool for your young ones and food court which all deluxes do not have. Found that terribly inconvenient at BC. It is fantastic to sit on your balcony and see the animals day and night. We ate breakfast there and spent alot of our down time just relaxing on the balconey. You really feel like you are on another continent. The transportation is fantastic, you don't share a bus with any other resorts. GF is a little too stuffy for us. We've visited, but probably won't choose to stay there. The Poly was another resort we felt very relaxed at and we hope we'll find the same atmosphere at WL this November!

So what all this means is that it just depends what you expect from your resort! They all have their plusses and minuses.

 

[buzz5985]

Let your kid's choose. That's what we did. That's why I have stayed at ASMo for 2 years running. LOL But did talk the DS into AKL. My DS, 5 at the time, told me as we were gazing at the giraffes, said - too bad they couldn't bring the animals over to the other place, (ASMo) then it would be perfect, Buzz, and the Giraffes."

After all, it's all about the kids. And since you have a car, no big deal to drive to the parks. But my DS loved AK. We spent 2 days there. And never made it to Dinoland. He loved the jugglers, the acrobats, etc. Everything. Don't rush and enjoy. Janis

 

[scottygirl]

Originally posted by Tigger Woods
Not a very constructive thing to say. Some of us enjoy staying at the Swan and Dolphin, and greatly admire these Michael Graves designed Hotels.

I think it was a very constructive thing to say. The design of those hotels is garish and takes away from the feel of the Yacht and Beach Club and Boardwalk. JMHO

 

[Tigger Woods]

Snottygirl,
As the Swan/Dolphin were built long before the Boardwalk, I don't know how the S/D can take away the from the 'feel' (as you put it) of the Boardwalk. Perhaps they should have consulted you prior to construction. By the way, the subject line for this thread is 'Which Deluxe Resort Is Best', not 'Which Deluxe Resort Do You Hate Looking At'. Many of us disagree with your viewpoint, and choose not to bash the Swan/Dolphin, a major sponsor of these boards.

 

[hookedup]

We LOVE the GF!
We have a 3 year old and it is a great place for kids. The ambience is elegant - not stuffy IMO - there are tons of kids there. In fact GF has some of the best kids activities onsite at WDW. It is a beautiful elegant resort. The convenience of the monorail is great, fun pool, refillable mugs, 24 hour "fast food", magical and classy setting. I have stayed at all the MK resorts (except WL) and I would choose GF over all of them.
But that's the great thing about WDW with so many great experiences to choose from there is something that tickles nearly everyone's fancy!
Have fun & enjoy planning your trip!!!

 

[#1hockeymom]

We're just hours back from our stay at the Swan hotel and we absolutely loved it! The pool was fantastic, never had rude people taking 8 lounge chairs while being "invisible", the staff was wondeful and accomodating, and the beds were the best I have ever slept in in all of our vacations and travels, EVER! Every night I posted to the Swan/Dolphin board from my room overlooking epcot. Why? Because I could! High speed internet access included with our room.

Our best meal ever at WDW was at Palio on the main level of the Swan. There are so many restaurant choices both there and the immediate area it can't be beat! The boat rides were always ready and waiting for quick trips to Epcot and MGM. The hustle and bustle was at the boardwalk, but not in the Swan/Dolphin area. If you wanted relaxation, you just had to stay on resort property. The resort areas were finely groomed as all Disney property is.

Please don't overlook a hidden gem in the deluxe category, The DISNEY Swan and Dolphin hotels!

Debbie

 

[palmtreegirl]

Here's where we've stayed and what we thought-

AKL- LOVED it! It was very relaxing and beautiful. I'm not an animal lover(DH and kids are) but I really loved this resort for so many reasons- the decor, the feel and smell, the pool & the Mara. I really enjoy the feel of being on a vacation within a vacation. We'd definitely go back and I'd stay here with a savannah or even a pool view.

WL- LOVED it! Very pretty, loved the boat to MK and CR. I really enjoyed renting bikes and riding over to Fort Wilderness too. The water parade at night was so much fun and I loved the view from our courtyard room! Again I felt we had 2 vacation in one. We'll definitely return but only with a courtyard view.

CR- This is the only one I didn't fall in love with. It was very nice but just too high energy for me. But if you want to stay in the middle of it all, this is the place for you, you'll never feel like you leave Disney here. The rooms are VERY bright, loud and colorful. We stayed in the North garden Wing because we got a great SOG rate though BIL, I probably wouldn't say here again though. Maybe I'll try a tower room one day for a few days but not a whole vacation. Wasn't a big fan of the food-n-fun center because it was just too crazy there for me. The main reason I didn't fall in love with the CR was that I really missed the 2 vacations in one feel. But it suits others perfectly and I enjoyed myself and don't regret staying there at all.

Polynesian- I stayed here as a child and loved it back then, I'd like to go back after we try the other deluxes some day.

The GF is a beautiful resort, we explored it last trip and want to stay there one day.

Next up- Yacht Club in August, I can't wait!!!

Let us know what you decide!

 

[sm4987]

The Contemporary. I love this resort. It makes you feel like you are in the center of the world. I really adore this resort and will go back again, and again, and again. This reosrt was really enjoyed by the whole family. It was well worth the $.

 

[GlennandAnn]

We've stayed at BWI, BWV and WL. Of course, BWV is great if you can get it, but just being at the BW is really great. The pools are really fun, and there is stuff to do all the time on the BW. Also, it's a short walk to Epcot, and a boat ride to MGM.

Ann

 

[scottygirl]

Originally posted by Tigger Woods
Snottygirl,
As the Swan/Dolphin were built long before the Boardwalk, I don't know how the S/D can take away the from the 'feel' (as you put it) of the Boardwalk. Perhaps they should have consulted you prior to construction. By the way, the subject line for this thread is 'Which Deluxe Resort Is Best', not 'Which Deluxe Resort Do You Hate Looking At'. Many of us disagree with your viewpoint, and choose not to bash the Swan/Dolphin, a major sponsor of these boards.

Sometimes the truth hurts!!! Sponsor or not.

 

[punkin]

I stayed at the Dolphin twice and loved it. The pool was great and (since we do epcot more than any other park) the location can't be beat. I like the fish (and the swan too) They are very art deco and very attractive (in my opinion).

 

[Tigger Woods]

I find it comical that someone who looks down her nose at statues of birds and fish chooses to spend her vacation at a theme park whose mascot is an over-sized rodent. Remember, dear, you're at Disney World, not Martha's Vineyard.
Big Animals = Good. Condescending Attitude = Bad.

 

[Nlihte]

My absolute favorite resorts are AKL, from which I just returned, and Poly!!! The are both so Disney!

 

[THEMEPORK]

Favorite Disney Deluxe: Grand Floridian, hands down. Classy, elegant and worth every penny. Least favorite: A tie between AKL and the Contemporary. At AKL I felt like I was sleeping in the middle of the St. Louis Zoo, with all the smells that go along with it. I found nothing 'Disney' about it, although there may have been some mice hiding in one of the animal pens. The Contemporary is in desperate need of repair. So was I, after staying there.

 

[ChristmasRadio]

When I was young (12), my Mom took me to Disney and we stayed at the Poly for half the week and then CR (those were only hotels built back then). I just remember as a kid thinking how cool CR was.

Much more recently with my DW & DKs, I've stayed at WL and the Swan. I loved both. WL is beautiful. The Swan was great also, and for the $$$ was a great deal. And as mentioned in other posts, the beds are the most comfortable I have ever slept in.

I really don't think you can go wrong with whatever you choose. I think you might want to sit down decide where you'll be spending most of your time and go from there, because with little ones, you'll appreciated being able to shoot back to your room to recharge everyone's batteries.

Have fun!

 

[buzz5985]

I was one of those that thought the Swan and Dolphin were ugly. Until I was lucky enough to be on an Illuminations Cruise - and couldn't believe how beautiful they were!!! Just my opinion - but a lot better looking than the Monorail resorts. Especially at night. Absolutely Gorgeous. A quiet elegance.

 

[Planogirl]

My personal favorite is the Polynesian. The colors are no longer brown and orange as it has been almost completely redone. The resort is modeled after actual Polynesian buildings from what I've read.

Anyway, I like the laid back and romantic atmosphere, the view of the castle and the proximity to the Grand Floridian and Contemporary.

Out of those you mentioned, I think that the Animal Kingdom Lodge is the most attractive but somewhat isolated and their rooms are a bit smaller. For convenience, you can't beat a monorail resort so the Grand Floridian might work best for you. If you decide to stay in an Epcot Resort I wouldn't stay in the Boardwalk if it were me but would go for the Yacht Club or Beach Club for the great pool. If not those, the Swan and Dolphin are actually fun resorts and I wouldn't hesitate to stay in one of them.

 

[Gail T AGAIN]

I have syayed at Poly, AKL,WL and YC. with 3 boys that age I would probably pick AKL. Just seems like boys might like the more exploring type hotel rather then being near Epcot. The poly is also nice, great pool, Oh decisions. I think no matter where you stay it is going to be fun with kids that age. Good luck in your decision and keep us posted what you decide to do.

 

[smfnj]

Julie,

1. Which deluxe resort is best?
2. What's the best attraction at WDW?
3. What ice cream flavor is best?
4. What's the best musical group of all time?

I guess my point is whatever resort you stay at and enjoyed is the best resort to you and your family. Read these boards, info on various web sites and some of the many books about WDW....hey, planning is half the fun.

Our first on-site stay was 5 nights at the Poly in Jan '91. Since then we've been back to the Poly 14 or 15 times for 8 to 12 nights each. I also enjoy the BW, 6 trips there - I just enjoy the location between Epcot and MGM, the boardwalk itself and all the restaurants in the area.

You could split your stay between 2 resorts, we've done this quite a few times. That way you can check out both on 1 trip.

These are the tough decisions in life I happily face, lol.

steve