Which Deluxe?

[SarahC97]

My family and I are starting to plan a trip next year (around Labor Day) and we know we want to stay deluxe but can't decide which resort.

We're going to stay for 7 nights with a 7 day base ticket (no hoppers). I know we will want and need to take breaks during the day so I want to stay someplace convenient. We are probably going to do Epcot and HS only one day each, with MK 3 days and AK 2 days. We are seriously considering beach club for the pool but wonder if that's the best option since we won't be at EP or HS much. I'm worried AKL will be too far away for convenient breaks. So, where would you stay if you were touring like we plan to? BC/YC, WL, Poly or somewhere else? GF and Contemporary don't really appeal to us theme-wise and we have stayed at the Poly before, kinda want to try somewhere new. Thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[dansdad]

My family and I are starting to plan a trip next year (around Labor Day) and we know we want to stay deluxe but can't decide which resort.

We're going to stay for 7 nights with a 7 day base ticket (no hoppers). I know we will want and need to take breaks during the day so I want to stay someplace convenient. We are probably going to do Epcot and HS only one day each, with MK 3 days and AK 2 days. We are seriously considering beach club for the pool but wonder if that's the best option since we won't be at EP or HS much. I'm worried AKL will be too far away for convenient breaks. So, where would you stay if you were touring like we plan to? BC/YC, WL, Poly or somewhere else? GF and Contemporary don't really appeal to us theme-wise and we have stayed at the Poly before, kinda want to try somewhere new. Thoughts?
Thanks!

Poly will only be more convenient over the other on your MK days.

AKL will be more convenient over Poly for your AK, EP, DHS days and more convenient over BC/YC for AK.

BC/YC is centrally located so it's really convenient for all parks.

Our choice would be AKL or BC/YC.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

My family and I are starting to plan a trip next year (around Labor Day) and we know we want to stay deluxe but can't decide which resort.

We're going to stay for 7 nights with a 7 day base ticket (no hoppers). I know we will want and need to take breaks during the day so I want to stay someplace convenient. We are probably going to do Epcot and HS only one day each, with MK 3 days and AK 2 days. We are seriously considering beach club for the pool but wonder if that's the best option since we won't be at EP or HS much. I'm worried AKL will be too far away for convenient breaks. So, where would you stay if you were touring like we plan to? BC/YC, WL, Poly or somewhere else? GF and Contemporary don't really appeal to us theme-wise and we have stayed at the Poly before, kinda want to try somewhere new. Thoughts?

Thanks!

Personally, if you are only going to EP and DHS one day each, BC/YC doesn't offer much a lot of convenience. If you were getting park hoppers, it would be a different story.

If Poly and WL are your only choices in the MK area and you are mainly looking for convenience, Poly is the way to go, IMHO. You will have the monorail for your 3 MK days plus you can walk to TTC to catch the EP monorail on your EP day. That's monorail for 4 out of 3 park days. You can then bus to AK and DHS. WL is lovely, and the boat to MK is great, but the pool is very small and bus transportation to the other parks is really long as WL typically shares buses with Ft. W. BC/YC are great, but they definitely won't help with the convenience factor for 5 of your 7 park days especially if you plan to leave a park mid-day and go back in the evening. BC/YC to MK by bus is not very convenient, IMHO.

 

[vinotinto]

If you are looking for something new to you (i.e., other than Poly), I thought WL was very convenient for MK and it's a really pretty and relaxing resort.

I would suggest BC/YC if you were doing more days at DHS/EP or if you had hoppers. But, the bus to MK and AK can be a little painful from there.

 

[Shanti]

My family and I are starting to plan a trip next year (around Labor Day) and we know we want to stay deluxe but can't decide which resort.

We're going to stay for 7 nights with a 7 day base ticket (no hoppers). I know we will want and need to take breaks during the day so I want to stay someplace convenient. We are probably going to do Epcot and HS only one day each, with MK 3 days and AK 2 days. We are seriously considering beach club for the pool but wonder if that's the best option since we won't be at EP or HS much. I'm worried AKL will be too far away for convenient breaks. So, where would you stay if you were touring like we plan to? BC/YC, WL, Poly or somewhere else? GF and Contemporary don't really appeal to us theme-wise and we have stayed at the Poly before, kinda want to try somewhere new. Thoughts?

Thanks!

Since you will be attending all of the parks, and do not want to stay at a monorail resort, I would say to just stay at the resort that appeals to you most via its theming and pool. They'll be about equal in terms of convenience, once you remove the monorail resorts from the equation and mention that you'll only have 2 days total at Epcot & HS, so walking there from the Epcot resorts will only help you on 2 days.

AKL is not located on some distant planet. I really don't get people who say it is too remote. It's not significantly more remote from MK than Beach or Yacht Club, for example. And you'll be at AK for 2 days, and AKL would be right next door. AKL is a great resort with two feature pools that all guests are allowed to use. So that's a strong contender.

Yacht & Beach Club are lovely resorts, as well, and Stormalong Bay is a phenomenal pool complex. If resort & pool time is a focus, these are also good choices.

 

[SarahC97]

Thanks everyone! It's such a tough choice!

 

[dansdad]

Thanks everyone! It's such a tough choice!

Agreed. But the beauty of it is, there is no "wrong" choice.

 

[Spunky946]

We didn’t like the yacht/beach club it was too spread out. I know you said the theme of the contemporary didn’t appeal to you, but we loved it for the convenience to mk, you can walk, and everything in one building. It’s our favorite.

Also akl isn’t that far out and it’s lovely as well, but a more spread out.

 

[SarahC97]

We didn’t like the yacht/beach club it was too spread out. I know you said the theme of the contemporary didn’t appeal to you, but we loved it for the convenience to mk, you can walk, and everything in one building. It’s our favorite.

Also akl isn’t that far out and it’s lovely as well, but a more spread out.

Honestly, I am a little afraid of the sheer size of the pool area at YC/BC and keeping track of my kids - it doesn't seem like a relaxing experience for me. And while I love where the contemporary is, I've seen the pool there and it just seems underwhelming. We're planning on utilizing the pool a lot during our stay, so that is going to matter to us. But yes, I have thought about CR just because of the fact you can walk to MK.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Honestly, I am a little afraid of the sheer size of the pool area at YC/BC and keeping track of my kids - it doesn't seem like a relaxing experience for me. And while I love where the contemporary is, I've seen the pool there and it just seems underwhelming. We're planning on utilizing the pool a lot during our stay, so that is going to matter to us. But yes, I have thought about CR just because of the fact you can walk to MK.

How old are your kids? Stormalong Bay’s setup with the big slide entrance outside the pool gate is not exactly my favorite (although we still love it).

 

[Spunky946]

Honestly, I am a little afraid of the sheer size of the pool area at YC/BC and keeping track of my kids - it doesn't seem like a relaxing experience for me. And while I love where the contemporary is, I've seen the pool there and it just seems underwhelming. We're planning on utilizing the pool a lot during our stay, so that is going to matter to us. But yes, I have thought about CR just because of the fact you can walk to MK.

Yes they are two different pools. I didn’t love the yacht pool. The sand is all over the pool and makes it hard to walk on, the lazy river is deeper then I thought it would be and the slide entrance is out on the path. On the other hand yes the contemporary pool is a little underwhelming, but it does have a nice slide. The akl pool is nice and will be open by the time you go. Personally location and the smaller feel of the resort trumps pool.

 

[Wood Nymph]

The Wilderness Lodge has great access to MK via the bus or the boat. It is an easy bus ride to Epcot or DHS from there. The bus to AK takes a little longer but that is true of any resort. The WL is a really nice resort, too.

 

[SarahC97]

How old are your kids? Stormalong Bay’s setup with the big slide entrance outside the pool gate is not exactly my favorite (although we still love it).

They're 6 and 9. Leaving the pool area for the slide makes me nervous. I like to at least keep eyes on them.

 

[reluctantredhead]

I know you said the theme of the contemporary didn’t appeal to you, but we loved it for the convenience to mk, you can walk, and everything in one building.

I resisted CR for many years for this very reason -- it just didn't seem very "Disney" to me compared to other resorts we'd stayed at before. That all changed for me one year when we got an amazing rate on a 1 BR Villa at BLT with a MK view...it was INCREDIBLE. And the room actually did feel very "Disney" to me in the same old school mod way that Space Mountain and much of Tomorrowland do...so you might want to reconsider CR. And being able to have just a short walk back to your hotel is priceless if you plan to have long days at MK and/or have MNSSHP tickets...you get to skip the crazy lines for the monorail!

Having said all that, for sheer convenience -- especially if you have small children -- IMHO you just can't beat the Poly. Monorail to MK, 5 minute walk to TTC so you only have one line and ride on the Monorail to Epcot...just awesome. I am one of those people who hates having to stand in line for the Monorail, ride it to TTC, then stand in another line, and ride it to EP, and the Poly eliminates that. Plus, they have the awesome volcano pool that my D (now 16) adored from about age 3 to age 11. It was our go-to hotel for all of our trips during those years.

Now that our D is a teenager and more interested in HS and EP, the EP resorts are our go-tos. If you're still interested in staying at an EP resort but are concerned (as I was) about being able to watch your children easily at SAB, the BWI/BWV has a pool and slide that my D likes every bit as much as SAB...and it's much easier to keep track of/watch your kids at that pool. We also love the decor and vibe of the BWI.

And the AKL is gorgeous and a destination in and of itself, but we stayed there once and just found it a pain to have to get transportation to all 4 parks instead of being able to walk to any. As much as we loved the actual hotel, the only way we'd stay there again would be during a very slow time of year (and do those even exist anymore???), and we'd take a Minnie Van everywhere because I don't care for the Disney buses.

So...maybe stick with the convenience of the Poly for now and save a new resort for when your kids are older? Or not! It's Disney, so it's hard to go wrong, and I'm sure you'll have a great trip no matter what you decide.

Edited for grammar.

 

[SarahC97]

I resisted CR for many years for this very reason -- it just didn't seem very "Disney" to me compared to other resorts we'd stayed at before. That all changed for me one year when we got an amazing rate on a 1 BR Villa at BLT with a MK view...it was INCREDIBLE. And the room actually did feel very "Disney" to me in the same old school mod way that Space Mountain and much of Tomorrowland do...so you might want to reconsider CR. And being able to have just a short walk back to your hotel is priceless if you plan to have long days at MK and/or have MNSSHP tickets...you get to skip the crazy lines for the monorail!

Having said all that, for sheer convenience -- especially if you have small children -- IMHO you just can't beat the Poly. Monorail to MK, 5 minute walk to TTC so you only have one line and ride on the Monorail to Epcot...just awesome. I am one of those people who hates having to stand in line for the Monorail, ride it to TTC, then stand in another line, and ride it to EP, and the Poly eliminates that. Plus, they have the awesome volcano pool that my D (now 16) adored from about age 3 to age 11. It was our go-to hotel for all of our trips during those years.

Now that our D is teenager and more interested in HS and EP, the EP resorts are our go-tos. If you're still interested in staying at an EP resort but are concerned (as I was) about being able to watch your children easily at SAB, the BWI/BWV has a pool and slide that my D liked every bit as much as SAB...and it's much easier to keep track of/watch your kids at that pool. We also love the decor and vibe of the BWI.

And the AKL is gorgeous and a destination in and of itself, but we stayed there once and just found it a pain to have to get transportation to all 4 parks instead of being able to walk to any. As much as we loved the actual hotel, the only way we'd stay there again would be during a very slow time of year (and do those even exist anymore???), and we'd take a Minnie Van everywhere because I don't care for the Disney buses.

So...maybe stick with the convenience of the Poly for now and save a new resort for when your kids are older? Or not! It's Disney, so it's hard to go wrong, and I'm sure you'll have a great trip no matter what you decide.

I have to admit, you all are really making me consider the Contemporary. How are the garden wing rooms there?

 

[GADisneyDad14]

They're 6 and 9. Leaving the pool area for the slide makes me nervous. I like to at least keep eyes on them.

Yeah, same boat here. Mine are currently 8 and 4. We make it work, but it’s not like other places which are more contained. We find ourselves being more active with them in and around the pool vs just watching, which in some ways may be a good thing.

But, it’s definitely something to factor in to your decision making depending on how you like to enjoy the pools.

(Full disclosure, we have a BC/YC stay soon and can’t wait!)

 

[reluctantredhead]

I have to admit, you all are really making me consider the Contemporary. How are the garden wing rooms there?

Not sure...never stayed in one before, but I've read good reviews.

I think I had the CR booked 4 times, but switched at the last minute, up until we got that "can't pass it up rate" at BLT. I would LOVE to stay there again, and had wanted to for our upcoming December split stay trip (WL/BC), but the room category we wanted was sold out.

FWIW, my D liked the pool and slide at CR just fine...but in fairness, I have read others state that it's a weakness of the CR.

 

[MDIME]

If ease of transportation for mid-day breaks is your main concern, you may want to consider skipping the busses and either have a rental car or go with a Minnie Van/Uber. Btw I LOVE the WL, it’s my favorite! And the pool there is nice yet also small enough to keep track of the kids. Happy planning!

 

[rwdavis2]

AKL is not located on some distant planet. I really don't get people who say it is too remote. It's not significantly more remote from MK than Beach or Yacht Club, for example. And you'll be at AK for 2 days, and AKL would be right next door. AKL is a great resort with two feature pools that all guests are allowed to use. So that's a strong contender.

I can't endorse this idea enough. It's what? Maybe 5-10 extra minutes on the bus? It's a great resort. Kids will love it. But it depends on what's most important. If it's being able to take convenient mid-day breaks then the Poly is the way to go.

 

[Captainkidd76]

Polynesian is the most convenient for both MK and Epcot, but given it's twice as expensive as Wilderness Lodge and you've never stayed there, I'd go for the Lodge. It's super convenient to the MK. BC/YC aren't convenient to MK. The Lodge, in my opinion, is the best themed resort on property. Rooms aren't as big as the Poly's, but again, about half the price.