Which resort is the best?

[Lorra]

This is going to be our 1st trip. Which resort would be the best to stay at and why?

 

[perla75]

Hi there,

Welcome to the Disboards!

You should provide us with a little more info about your trip-how many people in your party, how many kids, adults, when you are going, any parks you will tend to spend more time in? Any preferences as far as theming, price range, ease of transportation, amenities, if you plan to spend alot of time at the resort, use the pool...

The resorts are so individualized for different preferences. Provide a little more info and we can give you the best answers for you!

 

[pleefy]

I've stayed at all of them except Saratoga Springs and Pop Century. (okay, also not Swan/Dolphin, but I don't count those.)

My favorite is Animal Kingdom Lodge. They could take the animals out and I'd still love it...I can see animals at the zoo and don't care about that at all. It isn't the kind of place for everyone, but if you think you'll like it, you'll probably love it. I like that African stuff a lot and the minute I walk through the doors I just feel so relaxed - all that darkness is soothing.

After that:

Beach Club - very bright and happy. Love the furniture in the rooms.
Polynesian - ON THE MONORAIL!!! and is very pretty and well themed.
Grand Floridian - ON THE MONORAIL!!! and is very nice in a calm kind of way
Wilderness Lodge - Love the music, love the restaurant, similar to AKL in lobby, but less relaxing, IMO.
Old Key West - very laid back, love to sit on the patio at Good's To Go day or night

I don't like Boardwalk. I despise the Contemporary. Rather stay at mods than either of them and that's the truth.

Mods:
CSR - lovely, but hate the fee for the food court
CBR - adorable and very colorful
POR/POFQ - don't care for the themes at those, but they're good enough - if you like the theme, you're all set.

 

[Buzz2001]

CSR is a great mod resort. Awesome main pool area, transportation and food options. Check out my CSR website below for pics and info.

 

[mickeynut1]

As a pp stated, we don't have much info to go on as to how many people, your budget, etc. but 2 of our favorite resorts are the Poly and the WL . The Poly is an awesome resort with a tropical theme that has a beach you can sit and watch the fireworks, hammocks you can relax in, an awesome pool where you can see the castle while swimming, 2 great restaurants (Kona Cafe and Ohana ), it has convenient monorail service to/from the MK, and the overall ambiance of the resort is just amazing . On the other hand, the WL is also a deluxe resort but quite a bit cheaper than any of the other deluxes. It has an out-doorsy theme where the lobby is just breathtaking, there is a huge fireplace with rocking chairs around it so you can relax and take in all the surroundings, the pool is awesome, there is convenient boat service to/from the MK, and the overall ambiance is awesome as well . Good luck and happy planning .

 

[kelleigh1]

You're going to get responses for every resort. Everyone has different tastes. Hubby and I have only stayed at 2 onsite resorts so far - POFQ and CBR. POFQ is our favorite, but others would pick CBR in a heartbeat.

Many people like POP or the All-Stars, but I know that hubby and I wouldn't enjoy staying there. They're just not our style.

You've also got vastly different price ranges where the resorts might fall. So someone could say that Grand Floridian is the best, but that may be way out of your budget.

The best thing is to do some research, especially on these boards, and try to find what will suit you and your family best.

 

[Mickey23]

I'd pick CSR for a mod or POP for a value.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

You're going to get responses for every resort. Everyone has different tastes.

I don't like Boardwalk. I despise the Contemporary. Rather stay at mods than either of them and that's the truth.
Mods:
POR/POFQ - don't care for the themes at those, but they're good enough - if you like the theme, you're all set.

I just liked these two quotes together.

We absolutely love Boardwalk, Contemporary, and Port Orleans.

The hustle and bustle at Boardwalk is a lot of fun, and the Contemporary has a really cool, original Disney feel to it. I'm from the South, so Port Orleans is perfect, and very comfortable. It is a very relaxing atmosphere. We particularly like Alligator Bayou.

Of course, we are also some of the very few people that didn't care for Wilderness Lodge, as they were having transportation issues at the time, which caused feelings of abandonment.

 

[ntsammy5]

(okay, also not Swan/Dolphin, but I don't count those.)

OH NO! We'vce stayed at all value and deluxe including the Swolphin, SoG and FW and only CBR in a mod..

To be honest my favorite is SoG, but not everyone is eligible to stay there - but other than that, my favorite is the one I'm currently staying at. We really like values because they're more dynamic. Also, if you're a large family offsite homes offer amenities and prices that WDW resorts can't begin to match. So pick the one that appeals to your needs and budget and have a great trip.

 

[mmmears]

Honestly, every resort is a favorite of people on these boards. By giving us more information, we can try to steer you in the right direction for your needs/desires! Even then, you'll get alot of different ideas. They are all great, in their own way.

Are you bringing kids?

Which parks do you plan to visit (or spend the most days at)?

How much do you want to spend?

Do you want a pool and a place to sleep or a deluxe resort with spa and room-service? Or something in between?

Do you want a regular hotel room, or would you prefer a one-or-two-bedtroom villa?

All these factor into our hotel choices every time we go...
Also, your party size may determine which hotels can accomodate your family and which cannot!

Happy planning!

 

[JenLynn]

I agree with the comments of others in that it is hard to give a recommendation without having more info, but I always have an opinion, so here it goes:
Favorite Deluxe: Animal Kingdom Lodge
Favorite Moderate: Coronado Springs

 

[TJA]

This is going to be our 1st trip. Which resort would be the best to stay at and why?

If you have young kids and strollers, then you'd appreciate staying at a monorail resort or an Epcot resort for ease of getting to and from parks. You can walk to some parks, boat to some parks, and monorail to some parks -- all of these options include not having to unload and fold up your stroller like you would for a bus or car.

If you do not have young kids going, then I'd go with an Epcot resort, preferably YC or BWI. You'd have a little more of an "adult" feel at those resorts, plus the relaxation and convenience of enjoying the boardwalk activities and restaurants. You could view Illuminations every night without even entering Epcot. You could eat at different countries in Epcot every night and then just simply walk back to your resort afterward.

If money is a consideration and you want a moderate or value resort, then I don't have much advice except to say we recently stayed at POR (moderate) and loved it! It can be both a romantic resort for adults and also a fun resort for families. It has a large food court and lego and coloring play area for kids. It also has a fun pool and great playground. Only things we missed at the moderate versus staying deluxe is POR didn't have any balconies, the room door led directly to the outside, and the beds were very small (double size, I think).

 

[Coconuts]

My favorite so far, considering where we have stayed and that we have kids, is Poly . Great theming, transportation(monorail, boat, close to TTC), location(can see the castle), food, etc... It's one of the original hotels so it just feels like Disney to me

 

[karenr766]

It depends on a few things:
I have stayed at the CBR and WL. Will be going in Oct. and we'll be staying at CR. I love the WL. The proximity to WDW is great, wish it had monorail access. The aroma from WCC in the lobby is great. Good TS restaurant for families at WCC. It has an impressive and romantic lobby. When you come back from a busy day at the parks, it really has a mood altering affect. CMs are helpful, and everything is under one roof-no need to be out in the elements to go to the bus stop, restaurant, food court, or check in area.

 

[lisa3383]

Personally, my favorite is the Grand Floridian! I love the atmosphere and the relaxing calm feeling that it exudes. It has a spa and hammocks on the beach. We were in a high ceiling room facing the Magic Kingdom - great fireworks view! The CMs were very friendly and accommodating and Victoria and Alberts is to die for!

That being said, without knowing what you are interested in and what price bracket you are looking at it is very difficult to help you! For example, as nice as our stay was, it cost us $500/night which is not possible for everyone's budget.

Also, what time of year are you looking at? If its Christmas, perhaps Wilderness Lodge would be the best option for its wonderful decor? Or is the Monorail on top of your wish list? Then you would want to look into the Poly, GF , or Contemporary! Maybe Downtown Disney is the place for you? If so Saratoga Springs is a great option as you can walk there from your room!

See what I mean?

 

[suzimar57]

to us, the "best" would be either CR (castle view from your tower balcony, convenience of walking to MK, monorail!) or BC (walk to either EP or MGM)

 

[suzimar57]

(double post - sorry!)

 

[mr.mike]

Book the Grand Floridian. Now. Dont wait.

 

[toodycat]

My favorite is the Grand Floridian. The atmosphere is beautiful, the lobby is stunning, the piano music in the lobby sets a great mood, the CMs are more than kind, the floral arrangements are gorgeous and the food at all the restaurants from the quick bites to the fanciest is excellent. I also prefer to be on the monorail However, GF is not the most affordable of properties. If I couldn't book the GF, my next choice would be the AKL. The theming at that property is second to none and the price of a standard room at AKL is only slightly more than the price at a moderate. The animals in the savannah and the wit and beauty of the landscaping make AKL a close second for my favorite. Also, I love the food at Boma. Hope this helps.

 

[KatMark]

Out of the ones we have stayed at, our favorite Deluxe is the Polynesian and our favorite (and overall) Moderate is the Coronado. The only other one we really want to try is the Animal Kingdom Lodge and perhaps the Wildnerness Lodge. Do not like the Grand Floridian at all (it's just not our style at all) and we don't like the values.