Which deluxe resort?

[O&WMOM]

I am starting to plan a big trip in 2006. Which deluxe resort would you choose and why?

I will be traveling with my husband, 7yr old daughter and 5 yr old son. (we have stayed a AK and would like to do something differant)

Thank you in advance.

 

[PCFriar80]

We're big fans of the Epcot resorts (pick any). Walk to MGM or Epcot. Bus service is okay to AK or MK. But we enjoy our morning at a park, back to the
resort for pool time or a workout and then a late afternoon/evening at Epcot to see Illuminations, etc. There is a lot going on at WS at Epcot from 4:00 ish on.
The biggest benefit is you can "walk" back to your resort at the end of the night. The boardwalk area is also fun for evening people watching and entertainment. If you can, plan during the food and wine fest or Christmas time. That's all for now.

 

[pinkpiglettlover]

Wilderness lodge is wonderful, my children (11 & 12) have been going every year since they were 5 and love it there. We have stayed at AKL & GF and everytime we try someplace other than Wilderness they are not happy. good luck and happy planning

 

[Minnie824]

DH and I also love the Epcot area. We're going w/our 2 DDs (for their 1st trip) this Nov and staying at Beach Club. DH and I stayed at Yacht Club for our honeymoon also. The location is great and the kids would love Stormalong Bay!

 

[Bella2000]

We love Beach Club, the location, the pool. In our family we have 7yr old and 4 yr old and they love it. Very convenient walk to International Gateway and Epcot. MGM is boat ride away or a walk (at BWI it's closer).

 

[Ladyhawke10]

The grand floridian gets my vote...I've tried AKL, AKL concierge, Beach club concierge, Yacht Club, Boardwalk Inn, Wilderness Lodge concierge and the Swan, and I still would choose Grand Floridian first over anywhere else. The ambience is just sublime, and there is so much to do. I love the MK location and seven seas lagoon. The water mice and the motor launches are so much fun, and the monorail is great. There is nothing like GFs lobby or the wonderful grounds. The rooms are sooo comfortable. I just love it there.

 

[MissionMouse]

Considering the ages of your children and WDW marketing research identifing children prefer to spend the majority of their time at the Magic Kingdom, I would suggest either the CR Tower (wings are good too) or the Polynesian Resort.

These two resorts out of the three monorail resorts cater to children better than the GF. GF is very good and offer some special kid programs like Wonderland Tea Party, Pirate Cruise, but I think the other two monorail resorts do it a little better with overall kid oriented activities and settings that I think are more conducive to children. I believe Disney know this to and this is why they offer these two kid programs only at the GF along with a few other minor activities too.

The CR and PR all provide easy transportation options and a wide variety of dining options too. The PR also has the only childcare facility in the area which also is the highest rated one in WDW and children tend to enjoy the adventurous atmosphere of the PR. Kids tend to also love volcano pool too. The PR also offer easy access to the transporation center allowing quick access to the Epcot Monorail line. Great castle views at night, Electric Light Parade on the lagoon and easy viewing of Wishes from the beach. Assorted beach and water recreation activities.

The CR provides a easy 5-8 minute walk to the Magic Kingdom and is ideal on those late nights when the monorail line is long. I will note that you can not walk to the Magic Kingdom from either the PR or the GF. There is a walkway between the GF and PR that make for a very nice nightime stroll to visit either resort at night for a nightime dessert or drink.

The main concourse of the CR also provides it's own level of excitement along with its distinct decor departing from it's orginal design. Chef Mickey's at your door step along with the great dining experience of the California Grill. Great castle views at night, Electric Light Parade on the lagoon and easy viewing of Wishes from the CR observation area or the CG if you are dining there at the time of the show. Assorted beach and water recreation activities.

These are also the two original resorts when WDW opened in the early 1970's, so they are not as new as some other deluxe resorts, but the rooms are slightly larger because of this too. You can also dine very easily at any of the three monorail resorts or take a quick monorail ride over to Epcot area (Chef Mickeys (CM), 1900 Park Fare (CM), Ohana, 'Ohana Polynesian Character Breakfast, Kona Cafe, California Grill, Citricos, GF Cafe, NARCOOSSEE'S, Victoria and Albert's, Garden View Lounge Afternoon Tea-Grand Floridian, Wonderland Tea Party (GF), Pirate Cruise (GF), Spirit of Aloha Polynesian Luau, Tambu Lounge, etc).

 

[DisneyFan09]

Hmmm let's see.....I say The Polynesian, The Polynesian or The Polynesian!!!

 

[DAWGPOUNDAJ]

In my humble opinion I think the Polynesian is simply the best of the Deluxe resorts. I've visited every deluxe resort multiple times because my parents, as a kid, loved to look around the resorts to decide where to stay on our next trip, and I remember finding the other ones incredibly boring. However as a kid the Polynesian was fantastic! The main volcano pool is fantastic! They have a pool side bar for adults and the theming is great. The front entrance I think is the best of all of the Deluxe resorts, and the food is excellent. My only complaint about ALL of the deluxes is the lack of a food court. Kid's can be picky eaters and I definitely was one of them! The only resort I really enjoyed eating at in a restaurant (of the deluxes) was the Poly. (Mind you this does not include the AKL since I've never visited that one). Plus the polynesians service is great, it's on the monorail which is always convenient and fun to take even if you have your car there with you, and the beach there allows you great access to the fireworks. Of course all the resorts on the 7 Seas Lagoon allow this, but when we stayed at the Grand Floridian I found it rather stuffy, and we even had stuff stolen from our room and received absolutely NO help with recovering it. (It was little things stolen not real valuables but it still stung non-the-less because it was supposed to be a vacation.) The Beach Club I found over rated, the Contemporary dull, and the Swan and Dolphin not very intriguing. (From a child's persepctive as how I remember them. Now as an adult I find them a bit more tolerable but would never stay at any deluxe other than the Polynesian or AKL (were trying that one out this time around). Anyways sorry about hte rambling but just a big fan of the Polynesian here!

 

[eeyore0062]

It would be between the Polynesian or the Beach Club, for us. Depends on which parks you plan on concentrating on. There is NOTHING like staying on the monorail. The Polynesian is a very family oriented resort, but also has romance for mom and dad. The pool is great and the kids seem to love the Volcano slide. There is also an area with the squirting fountains as well as sandy beach with bench swings and hammocks. You can see Wishes from the beach. Also, it is great to wake up and hop on the monorail and in 5 minutes you are at the MK. Both of the full service restaurants are great, and the kids would LOVE 'Ohana with the Hoola Hoop contests and the Coconut races. The food is all you can eat family style and it terrific. One of my DD's favorite places to eat! The Neverland Club is fantastic for the kids... my DD begs to stay there everytime we go. I guess kids need time to meet and play with other kids their age, just as much as we need our "adult time"! We stayed at the Poly this past Oct (1st week was GREAT)! We were in Roratonga, which is next to the great ceremonial house, so very convenient to the main building and monorail and we overlooked the quiet pool. Our only request, besides the guaranteed non smoking due to allergies, was not to have a room overlooking the monorail. They outdid themselves!

The Beach Club is great if you are big fans of Epcot and MGM. The pool there is basically a mini water park, and you may have a heck of a time getting your kids to do anything else. There is also a sandy beach with bench swings there. Both resorts offer childcare so Mom and Dad can have some time to themselves. I would suggest dining at Yachtsman on parents' night out! We did, and it was marvelous! Cape May Cafe also offers a wonderful character buffet for breakfast with Goofy and friends, and the dinner buffet (no characters) is easily the best on property. Also, it is fun to go over to the Boardwalk and rent a Surrey bike, play some of the carnival games and grab a slice of pizza. Then come back and have dessert at Beaches n Cream. This is the next resort we want to stay in. Have eaten at Cape May and Yachtsman, so now it is time to try staying there!

If a balcony is high on your list, make sure to make it your main request, as not all rooms at either resort have balconies.. and the ones at the Beach Club may be somewhat small in size.

Whatever you decide, you really can't go wrong! Have a great time!