Which resort is right for my needs?

[DreamingUpDisney]

Hello!
Sooo I am in the process of planning a Disney World trip, and I want to know which resort might be the best for my trip? Now the trip isn't going to be for a while(I currently plan on going anywhere between like....November 2017 to early March 2018? anywhere between there-well, any of the less crowded dates between there anyways), but I always like to plan early, and I do need to know how much I should be saving up!
Anyways, I plan on the trip being a whopping(well, whopping to me at least) 8 days and 7 nights! I'd being doing one park a day(and then also a break day...and including the two days for Epcot and two days for Magic Kingdom...and also factoring in my departure day...), with midday park breaks each day(so I'd be in the parks in the morning and late afternoons/nights). I do already have a pretty detailed itinerary planned, though I'm attempting not to overplan until closer to the date. Anyhow...
I've narrowed down some resort choices for the trip; and I was wondering which one might be best for me? The choices being(all being deluxe):
1) The Wilderness Lodge. Cheapest of the deluxe resorts, and it is in the Magic Kingdom area? I've also heard good things about its restaurants, especially Artist's Point(or whatever the name was).
2) Contemporary Resort. It's in walking distance from the Magic Kingdom, and is also on the Monorail line so Epcot isn't *too* far away. Also staying here would mean I would have stayed at all three of the monorail resorts!
3) Boardwalk Inn. This seems to have a very convenient location, being within walking distance of not one but two parks(I think, anyways, right?). Also the rooms look kinda cute, so. There's that.
4) Polynesian Resort. I think this would be the most expensive of the group; I have been here before, when I was like...6 years old or something, but both my parents love it(in fact they love the Polynesian even more than the Grand Floridian!), and the theming seems to be the best of the bunch(based on what I've read, anyways).
So...yeah, which one? If the Beach/Yacht Club are also within walking distance of Hollywood Studios maybe I'll add them to the list as well; there's just so many resorts in Disney World I almost feel overwhelmed! Of course, nothing is set in stone since the trip would be so far away but, again, I like to plan and save early.
Sorry for the wall of text, but if anyone had any opinions or reviews of the aforementioned resorts, I'd love to see them! So I guess the biggest thing to me would be transportation of the resort? And I guess general stuff like how clean it is, how good the food is, blah blah blah.
Thanks in advanced for any advice and help!

 

[TinkFan74]

Who is going with you? Are there any children?

 

[HeyKoolaid]

These are all great choices. For me, it comes down to which type of atmosphere/experience will be most magical to you. We enjoy the Wilderness Lodge because of its' perceived seclusion, national parks decor, location, and water sports. You may find another theme more to your liking. It sounds like you have fond memories of the Poly. To answer some of your questions - we have always found it to be clean - the lobby is stunning and the people are very helpful. The WL has three great restaurants - Artist's Point, Roaring Forks, and Whispering Canyon are spot on. We particularly enjoy going to the Magic Kingdom on the launches - a bit like Harry Potter going to Hogwarts. Whatever you decide, it will be wonderful.

 

[Babsy]

I voted for the Polynesian! It is a wonderful resort and is convenient to both Epcot and the magic Kingdom! You may have been there before, but it was very long ago, it seems. The Poly has island music playing flame torches lit at night, a view across to the MK and the castle, lots of beautiful foliage, great restaurants, walking distance to the GF and very large comfortable rooms. It is right up there for my favourite resort in WDW. The only other two contenders for the 'very best' title are the CR and the GF!
YC/BC are also walking distance to both Epcot and DHS, so you might indeed want to add them to your list, depending upon who is going with you. Older kids that love to swim might enjoy this resort even more than the Poly? Well, hard to say MORE than the Poly, but lots of people love staying here and enjoying the large pool called Storm Along Bay. Although I personally prefer the MK area, I do understand the appeal to many of as a fewa stay in this area.

With such a short trip, it may not be worth the hassle to you, but you could consider a split stay. I would stay 4 nights at the Poly ( easy visits to MK and future world in Epcot) and three nights at either the YC/BC or the BWI (for World Showcase and DHS convenience). That way you get the best of all worlds and can walk or boat or monorail to three of the 4 major theme parks!

Enjoy planning!.

FWIW, my plans:
(I myself am taking a planned hiatus from travelling to WDW, so my next trip will be somewhere about the same time period as yours. I am also beginning to plan and save as we will be taking my DD, DSIL and two grandchildren! I expect to want to stay in a two bedroom villa in Bay Lake Tower (or in a bungalow at the Poly) as well as two rooms (hopefully connecting rooms) a few nights at the Dolphin or BC/YC. So, as you can see, I need to start saving big time! this will not be a cheap trip. I expect to spend as much as I usually do on six trips for DH and )

 

[Shanti]

Hello!
I've narrowed down some resort choices for the trip; and I was wondering which one might be best for me? The choices being(all being deluxe):
1) The Wilderness Lodge. Cheapest of the deluxe resorts, and it is in the Magic Kingdom area? I've also heard good things about its restaurants, especially Artist's Point(or whatever the name was).
2) Contemporary Resort. It's in walking distance from the Magic Kingdom, and is also on the Monorail line so Epcot isn't *too* far away. Also staying here would mean I would have stayed at all three of the monorail resorts!
3) Boardwalk Inn. This seems to have a very convenient location, being within walking distance of not one but two parks(I think, anyways, right?). Also the rooms look kinda cute, so. There's that.
4) Polynesian Resort. I think this would be the most expensive of the group; I have been here before, when I was like...6 years old or something, but both my parents love it(in fact they love the Polynesian even more than the Grand Floridian!), and the theming seems to be the best of the bunch(based on what I've read, anyways).
So...yeah, which one? If the Beach/Yacht Club are also within walking distance of Hollywood Studios maybe I'll add them to the list as well; there's just so many resorts in Disney World I almost feel overwhelmed! Of course, nothing is set in stone since the trip would be so far away but, again, I like to plan and save early.
Sorry for the wall of text, but if anyone had any opinions or reviews of the aforementioned resorts, I'd love to see them! So I guess the biggest thing to me would be transportation of the resort? And I guess general stuff like how clean it is, how good the food is, blah blah blah.
Thanks in advanced for any advice and help!

If transportation is your biggest concern, I would nix the Beach Club, Yacht Club and the Boardwalk. Yes, you can easily walk to Epcot from them, and hike or boat to Hollywood Studios, but these resorts share one bus with each other, and with the Swan and Dolphin at most times of the year, stopping at a whopping total of 5 resorts for each bus ride. That adds up to a long bus ride to and from destinations other than Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

I recommend staying somewhere you haven't stayed before, so for that reason I don't recommend the Poly for you for this particular trip. The theming isn't as lush as it used to be, btw (waterfall has been removed from the lobby, bungalows now line what used to be open beach, etc.) It's still very nice, but since you've been there before, you might prefer to try something new.

The Wilderness Lodge has great theming, a gorgeous lobby and lovely pool. Its Whispering Canyon Cafe is a fun place to eat. The main drawback is that it is currently under major renovation, so check the renovation schedule with Disney before booking. Also, keep in mind that the Wilderness Lodge shares a bus (to the non-MK destinations) with a few other resorts, as well.

The Contemporary is a great place to stay due to its relaxed, modern style, and its location. Being able to walk between your resort room and the Magic Kingdom is a luxury like no other at WDW. We stayed here (in the garden wing) and loved it, and would happily stay again if it weren't so pricey.

Another bonus of staying at either the Contemporary or Wilderness Lodge is that they each share a boat to Fort Wilderness, so if you plan to attend the Hoop Dee Doo Revue dinner show or Mickey's Backyard BBQ at Fort Wilderness, you can take a boat directly from your resort to your destination. Those are the only two resorts that have direct transportation to Fort Wilderness.

In the final analysis, you really can't go wrong with any of these wonderful resorts. Welcome to the boards and have a blast on your trip!

 

[Nancyg56]

Before I vote, I would Ike to know the dynamics of the trip. WHo is going to be there, what the interests are. I love the monorail resorts, but if Epcot is the draw, and evening activities important, I would look at the Beach/Yacht Club resorts. If the MK is the focus and there are kids, I would choose the Grand or the Poly. I do not like renovations, so until I knew what phase the WL woudl be in at the time of travel, I would avoid that one. I love Animal Kingdom Lodge, so I would consider this gorgeous retreat if there is time to devote to just enjoying the resort.

 

[Hopefully]

I agree. I would like to know more of the dynamics of the trip before I vote.
I also suggest you get a good tour book like the Unofficial Guide. Some of your unknowns would easily be answered, helping in your planning.
Have Fun!!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

If transportation is your biggest concern, I would nix the Beach Club, Yacht Club and the Boardwalk. Yes, you can easily walk to Epcot from them, and hike or boat to Hollywood Studios, but these resorts share one bus with each other, and with the Swan and Dolphin at most times of the year, stopping at a whopping total of 5 resorts for each bus ride. That adds up to a long bus ride to and from destinations other than Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

This simply isn't true. The Boardwalk has it's own bus. Swan/Dolphin shares a bus. BC/YC share a bus. The Boardwalk, Swan and Dolphin used to share buses but this was changed last year.

If transportation is your only concern, I would look at your park days and go from there. If you are spending more time at EP and DHS, I would choose the Boardwalk. The theming is wonderful and you have a TON of restaurants and other amenities within walking distance of the resort. Yes, you will have to take a bus to MK and AK, but, again, that resort does not share a bus with any other resort (as of now. who knows what will happen in 2017/2018). We prefer Boardwalk over BC/YC because of the theming, the pool set-up and because it's closer to DHS.

Again, if transportation is your main concern, I would not pick WL. Plus the rooms are much smaller at WL and you will have less amenities - they only have 3 restaurants onsite and you would need to take a boat or bus to get elsewhere.

Of Poly and CR, Poly has much better theming and much nicer pools. However, if you are traveling with young children, it is nice to be able to walk back and forth to MK from CR. But if I had to pick my favorite of the two, it would be Poly. Plus, with Poly, you can simply walk back and forth to TTC to catch the monorail to EP.

Personally, I prefer the EP resorts because I like to be able to walk to as many parks as possible. On recent trips, I have found the monorail to be so unreliable that it simply isn't worth it to us to pay the premium on an MK monorail resort when I can't rely on the "premium" transportation.

 

[rwdavis2]

It would help if you specified what your needs were.

 

[Shellyb84]

I vote for YC/BC (the theming at BW doesn't appeal to me). It is a short walk to both Epcot and HS. We were there when the buses were shared with BW and S&D, and the bus service wasn't that bad then. BC is my favorite with Poly coming in a close second. If you are traveling with very young children, I would probably go with the Poly. Although, my DD(6) prefers BC slightly over the Poly as well (her favorite parks are EP and HS). The pool is a major selling point for her, Stormalong Bay is much nicer than the Lava Pool in our opinion.

 

[AJA]

If you have young children in the group then stay on the monorail. If it's teens and adults my vote is for the Boardwalk resorts.

 

[PaintsWindColors]

Round out your monorail experience and pick Contemporary! (I may be slightly biased because I've dreamed of staying at Contemporary for years and finally saved the money for it this year!)

 

[imthemamahere]

It all depends on the details...

Like others have asked, knowing who's going is incredibly helpful - hauling around a group of kids ages 5 and under is different from hanging with teens or doing an adults-only trip, so recommendations will change based on who's in your traveling party. It also helps to know whether you'll want to really enjoy the resort and spend time there, or whether it will mostly be a place where you crash at night. What do you prioritize on a trip - squeezing in every possible minute of park time, or relaxing back at the resort? (The atmosphere matters less if you won't spend time there. Top priority would then be location instead of specific decor, right?) Will you have your own/a rental car or will you rely on Disney transportation for everything? Do you intend to eat at the resort most of the time, or in the parks? Looking for quick service or table service dining, or a mix of both?

So, for my family of 3 (myself, my husband, and our 6 year old), we choose to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. It's also a deluxe, and typically is priced just about the same as Wilderness Lodge, so the cheapest of the deluxes. We LOVE AKL. The decor/theming is beyond amazing, and having the savanna full of animals outside our room (and visible from several points throughout the resort) is so unique. The pool is lovely - big and beautiful and so relaxing. The lobby alone is spectacular (much like the lobby at Wilderness Lodge), and such a great place to relax for a bit during an otherwise busy vacation. We make a point of spending time at the resort, not just running around the parks, during our trips, and AKL feels like a destination all to itself. We're foodies who like to eat well, so we focus more on table service meals. AKL has a great counter-service option in the Mara, and also has 3 terrific sit-down restaurants between the main Jambo House and Kidani Village. In our minds, it's the best option for food anywhere on property. We rent a car, so we can easily get to other resorts for table service meals. We also drive to the parks, and find the drive from AKL to be shorter than many people seem to fear. We haven't taken the buses ourselves, so I can't speak to Disney transportation from there.

If you have little ones, and intend to spend much of your time at Magic Kingdom, relying on Disney transport, the convenience of monorail access to two of the parks can't be beat.

If you're foodies who'll be eating a lot of meals at EPCOT, the location of the Boardwalk Inn and Yacht/Beach Club can't be underestimated.

If you anticipate spending tons of pool time with bigger kids who can swim independently, everyone raves about Stormalong Bay at Yacht/Beach Club - and for good reason. It's like having a waterpark right at the hotel. So very cool.

If theming is most important, choose the resort that seems to fit your tastes best. What atmosphere do you LIKE?

If you'll be eating several meals at other resorts beyond the one you stay at, consider budgeting for a rental car no matter where you stay. It can be a hassle (and time-consuming!) to use transportation around the World to get between resorts.

I hope something I've said helps - if you can narrow things down for the rest of us, I'm sure you'll get lots of really helpful answers.

 

[Nancyg56]

It all depends on the details...

Like others have asked, knowing who's going is incredibly helpful - hauling around a group of kids ages 5 and under is different from hanging with teens or doing an adults-only trip, so recommendations will change based on who's in your traveling party. It also helps to know whether you'll want to really enjoy the resort and spend time there, or whether it will mostly be a place where you crash at night. What do you prioritize on a trip - squeezing in every possible minute of park time, or relaxing back at the resort? (The atmosphere matters less if you won't spend time there. Top priority would then be location instead of specific decor, right?) Will you have your own/a rental car or will you rely on Disney transportation for everything? Do you intend to eat at the resort most of the time, or in the parks? Looking for quick service or table service dining, or a mix of both?

So, for my family of 3 (myself, my husband, and our 6 year old), we choose to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. It's also a deluxe, and typically is priced just about the same as Wilderness Lodge, so the cheapest of the deluxes. We LOVE AKL. The decor/theming is beyond amazing, and having the savanna full of animals outside our room (and visible from several points throughout the resort) is so unique. The pool is lovely - big and beautiful and so relaxing. The lobby alone is spectacular (much like the lobby at Wilderness Lodge), and such a great place to relax for a bit during an otherwise busy vacation. We make a point of spending time at the resort, not just running around the parks, during our trips, and AKL feels like a destination all to itself. We're foodies who like to eat well, so we focus more on table service meals. AKL has a great counter-service option in the Mara, and also has 3 terrific sit-down restaurants between the main Jambo House and Kidani Village. In our minds, it's the best option for food anywhere on property. We rent a car, so we can easily get to other resorts for table service meals. We also drive to the parks, and find the drive from AKL to be shorter than many people seem to fear. We haven't taken the buses ourselves, so I can't speak to Disney transportation from there.

If you have little ones, and intend to spend much of your time at Magic Kingdom, relying on Disney transport, the convenience of monorail access to two of the parks can't be beat.

If you're foodies who'll be eating a lot of meals at EPCOT, the location of the Boardwalk Inn and Yacht/Beach Club can't be underestimated.

If you anticipate spending tons of pool time with bigger kids who can swim independently, everyone raves about Stormalong Bay at Yacht/Beach Club - and for good reason. It's like having a waterpark right at the hotel. So very cool.

If theming is most important, choose the resort that seems to fit your tastes best. What atmosphere do you LIKE?

If you'll be eating several meals at other resorts beyond the one you stay at, consider budgeting for a rental car no matter where you stay. It can be a hassle (and time-consuming!) to use transportation around the World to get between resorts.

I hope something I've said helps - if you can narrow things down for the rest of us, I'm sure you'll get lots of really helpful answers.

You hit so many key points in determining a escort that makes sense for any individual family. WE chose the Beach Club for our December trip because some members of our group will spend a lot of time in Epcot, and the girls, both good swimmers, will like to spend time in that pool. As a Nana, I am dreading the big pool, but we will manage.

We have often chosen Monorail resorts for the MK convenience. You cannot beat it with a stick, especially if your plans include the MK and Epcot, or if you have youngsters.

AKL was a lovely stay, and animal lovers would really enjoy that gorgeous resort.

 

[Shanti]

This simply isn't true. The Boardwalk has it's own bus. Swan/Dolphin shares a bus. BC/YC share a bus. The Boardwalk, Swan and Dolphin used to share buses but this was changed last year.

It might vary by season. We stayed at Yacht Club last year, and had to share a bus with all five resorts.

 

[dansdad]

It might vary by season. We stayed at Yacht Club last year, and had to share a bus with all five resorts.

They made this change in September 2015. Were you there before or after then?

 

[Shanti]

They made this change in September 2015. Were you there before or after then?

July- that explains it.

 

[StirlingSilver83]

I vote for Contemporary...you haven't been there before plus it's a great location from both Magic Kingdom and Epcot. We loved staying at the contemporary...plus if you get a theme park view that's even better!

 

[DreamingUpDisney]

oh, wow! was not expecting this many responses. thank you to everyone that has replied thus far!
a few more details that might help, my apologies for not including this information before:
-I would actually be the youngest on the trip! My parents would be coming along, possibly my brother(who would be in college during that time),but no one else.
-My mom is a fitness nut so I guess I need to look into hotels that at least have a good jogging path? seems like most of the deluxe hotels have health clubs, though.
-Conversely, my dad likes to lounge around at the pool so a pool would be nice; maybe a quieter pool, I dunno.
-The last time I went to Disney World...well, it was a 3 and a half day trip, so it was a little stressful; I'd like to be able to really take my time exploring the parks, which is why I'm dedicating two days to both the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, and also a break day in the middle of the trip to relax at Disney Springs and stuff.
And the specific itinerary(cant provide travel times or anything since, again, this trip wont be for a while, but hopefully this is helpful!):
Day 1-Arrival&Hollywood Studios
Day 2-Magic Kingdom part 1
Day 3-Epcot part 1
Day 4-Break
Day 5-Animal Kingdom
Day 6-Magic Kingdom part 2
Day 7-Epcot part 2
Day 8-Departure
Sorry for the late reply, there was a power outage yesterday so I didnt have internet for a while. Thanks again for all the responses! Reading over them now.

 

[imthemamahere]

oh, wow! was not expecting this many responses. thank you to everyone that has replied thus far!
a few more details that might help, my apologies for not including this information before:
-I would actually be the youngest on the trip! My parents would be coming along, possibly my brother(who would be in college during that time),but no one else.
-My mom is a fitness nut so I guess I need to look into hotels that at least have a good jogging path? seems like most of the deluxe hotels have health clubs, though.
-Conversely, my dad likes to lounge around at the pool so a pool would be nice; maybe a quieter pool, I dunno.
-The last time I went to Disney World...well, it was a 3 and a half day trip, so it was a little stressful; I'd like to be able to really take my time exploring the parks, which is why I'm dedicating two days to both the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, and also a break day in the middle of the trip to relax at Disney Springs and stuff.
And the specific itinerary(cant provide travel times or anything since, again, this trip wont be for a while, but hopefully this is helpful!):
Day 1-Arrival&Hollywood Studios
Day 2-Magic Kingdom part 1
Day 3-Epcot part 1
Day 4-Break
Day 5-Animal Kingdom
Day 6-Magic Kingdom part 2
Day 7-Epcot part 2
Day 8-Departure
Sorry for the late reply, there was a power outage yesterday so I didnt have internet for a while. Thanks again for all the responses! Reading over them now.

Ah. You'll get more tailored replies now, I think.

- Most of the deluxes have fitness centers, yes. Do keep in mind that Disney means a LOT of walking. Like, 8-10 miles a day is fairly typical. Your mom might not need additional exercise with that much walking ahead of her!

- I can't say enough good things about the pool at Animal Kingdom Lodge. But then, all of the deluxe pools are, well, deluxe - large and lovely, surrounded by lounge chairs. If your dad will want to lounge poolside, he can do so happily at any of the deluxe resorts you're considering, I think. Though the pool at any resort can get busy - on hot days, especially.

- The more time in the parks, the better! But we like to take a little downtime, whether it's an entire day or just a morning/afternoon or a quiet night. On longer trips (a week or more), we typically spend a whole day at the resort/visiting other resorts/eating a nice table service meal at a resort restaurant - especially during the Disney holiday season. The decorations, especially at the deluxe resorts, are GORGEOUS. (Think enormous gingerbread creations, lavishly-decorated/themed trees, etc) If you go between November and early January, you'll be able to enjoy the holiday atmosphere as well.

- You might want to consider budgeting for Park Hopper passes. Some people don't like/never use them, but we're big fans - the ability to start your day at one park then hop to another for the evening has given us some great flexibility on our trips. It's nice to be able to enjoy Magic Kingdom, for example, then head over to Hollywood Studios for Fantasmic - especially since right now, there isn't really a full day worth of stuff for my family to do at Hollywood Studios. For us, it's totally worth the price.

- You might also want to look at expected crowd calendars to plan out which park/day. Easywdw does the calendar that I always check, but others swear by Touring Plans... You can compare relative crowds at each park over the course of your trip, and know which days to expect to be busiest at which parks... could make your trip a bit smoother.

- Nothing wrong with looking ahead. Planning a Disney trip is lots of fun, but there's also so much to learn/know to make your trip as magical as can be. Have fun planning - even this far out!