Which resort is the most impressive?

[disneymouse]

Wilderness Lodge !

 

[tinabheart]

I think there is a 'wow' factor to most of the deluxe resorts in some manner. As another poster said - it depends on each person's individual taste. If it weren't for the monorail going through the CR, that hotel would be pretty boring to me for instance.

My pick - WL, no question!

 

[irisbud]

GF absolutly! Of course, this is just my opinion. Many people LOVE AKL, but it did absolutly nothing for us...

 

[Miffy]

If your gf likes--or loves--animals, there is nothing that can even come close to AKL, which, btw, also has a stunning lobby and tremendous Wow Factor when you enter the lodge. The experience of sitting on your balcony in a savannah-view room, watching the animals, cannot be described. Incidentally, AKL also has some of the best resort restaurants in WDW.

But, you know what your gf likes. Go here: http://allearsnet.com/acc/faq_hot.htm
where there are zillions of photographs of all the WDW resorts. If something is not to her particular taste, being at WDW is not going to make it seem better to her. For example, there are people who adore and swear by the Poly, but for me, it does zero, monorail nothwithstanding.

I agree with many of the other posters--for the most jaw-dropping entry, WL wins, with AKL a close second. None of the EPCOT area resorts have anywhere near as impressive a lobby (and, imho, the rooms are very nice, but also not all that impressive or different).

But ... take a look at all the photos at allears.net. It'll really help you.

And have a fantastic trip!

 

[mtemm]

It all depends. DH and I went on our first trip to wdw together the year before we were married. we chose dixie landings (now POR) and both fell in love with the resort. the lobby blew us away, we thought it was just beautiful and had never seen anything like that. the following year we honeymooned at the BWI and omg, the whole resort, especially the lobby, blew us right out of the water. seriously gorgeous. We've stayed at other resorts since (CBR and YC) and toured almost all of the deluxe/moderate resorts, but so far the BWI is the resort we love best.

I'd say figure out your budget, then figure out her style, then go from there. the beauty of disney is that there is so much to choose from! and if you choose to stay at one resort, you can alway visit/have dinner at a different one, so you can check them all out.

 

[musicmom3]

Wilderness Lodge gets my vote. It is jaw-dropping awesome upon first sight. But I'm sure you'll have a magical time wherever you wind up!

 

[CampbellScot]

I'm going to have chime in with my vote for the Wilderness Lodge. It is absolutely majestic...not to mention the home of Artist Point, the BEST food at WDW...IMO of course!!! It is a wonderful resort!!!

Also, can I just say that the Yacht and Beach clubs are very nice and they have the BEST pool with their own little "waterpark"...so if she enjoys hanging by the pool and that beachy feel, YC and BC could be the way to go...

that being said WL is definitely the Jaw Dropper and not as pricey per night as the other Deluxes!

 

[DOOM1001]

Here's my list of my top 5

1.Wilderness Lodge
2.Animal Kingdom Lodge
3.three way tie (Boardwalk, Yacht and Beach Club)
4.Polynesian
5.Grand Floridian

 

[bytheblood]

Values - NONE!

Moderates - CSR

Deluxes - Toss up between Wilderness Lodge and Grand Floridian

 

[karibritt01]

My vote is for CSR! We stayed there last year, and it is incredible! Its mainly a convention hotel, so less families. Walking around the lake there is incredible by moonlight. The resort is so large that it feels less crowded compared to the 'compact' resorts. Go CSR... it has plenty of WOW factor, and save your $$ for a really impressive dinner somewhere.

 

[ducklite]

Walking into the WL lobby is by far the most impressive, and definetly the most "Oh my....!!!!!" lobby that Disney has ever created IMO. I can still remember how I felt the first time walking in, looking around, listening to the background music, and soaking it all in. It's amazing!

But I can name five resorts in North America that are virtually identical. It's nothing all that original, which is why I wouldn't say it's such a wow. Nice, yes. Amazing, no.

Anne

 

[ducklite]

I may be in the minority but I disagree that the most impressive resort has to be a deluxe. It all depends on what your looking for. I love the fell of being in cancun and love CSR. Being from the NE, WL does nothing for me.

Photo by Ducky4Disney

It's way too clean and orderly to ever remind me of Cancun, or anywhere in the Caribbean or Latin America for that matter. And the Tulum ruins look nothing like that.

Anne

 

[alldiz]

I guess it depends, but, for us, it's the Wilderness Lodge. Walking into that lobby for the first time is an absolutely jaw-dropping, breathtaking experience. I'm sure others will say the Grand Floridian, but, for us, it doesn't top the Wilderness Lodge.

i agree.....
it's over the 1st minute.....love at 1st sight
Kerri

 

[irisbud]

It's way too clean and orderly to ever remind me of Cancun, or anywhere in the Caribbean or Latin America for that matter. And the Tulum ruins look nothing like that.

Anne

But I can name five resorts in North America that are virtually identical. It's nothing all that original, which is why I wouldn't say it's such a wow. Nice, yes. Amazing, no.

Anne

Even though this is true, it dosen't apply to many of the people that visit these places. There are a lot of people both here on these boards and just going to WDW who rarely travel and will never see the other resorts that are similar to WL, or will never set foot out of this country. Disney has created a nice substitue, and the fact that there may be others similar or like them dosen't make it wrong to be impressed by them. That's why it's great that WDW has so many resorts, everyone can find something that is special and unique to them!

 

[TDC Nala]

GF is ornate but too stuffy in my opinion. Just to visit, can't beat AKL. However, it's a bit off the beaten path.

 

[MJMcBride]

the lobby, restaurants, and safari make AKL #1 in my book. Easily

 

[karibritt01]

LOVE THE MILK CARTON!!!

 

[bauermj]

No love for romantic Poly?

 

[fla4fun]

I think each resort "wow"s in it's own way. If you are looking for a "lobby" wow, then AKL, WL, and GF have large, well themed, lobbies. The people who mentioned the CR were probably thinking about the first time they went from the low ceilinged lobby up the escalators into that light, bright and airy space on the 4th floor. To me, that feels more like the lobby of the CR than the actual lobby does, because other than checking in and out, most of the action is on the 4th floor.

The Epcot resorts, and the Poly, although their lobbies are well themed, are not in the same league, because they're nowhere near the same size. But they have "wow"s of their own. The grounds at the Poly are great (especially for romantic evening strolls), and the Epcot resorts area can't be beat for having wonderful pools, and great dining and recreation choices.

The moderates also have their "wow"s, because they are well themed and well laid out.

Your best bet is to think carefully about what theme would interest your GF, and then check out all the photos you can before making up your mind. I'm sure you'll find a "wow" that works.

 

[aubriee]

I've got to agree with the majority here. I just love the WL. The lobby just takes your breath away and I love getting up in the morning and looking over the pool to the lake and geiser (courtyard view). I was not impressed when we stayed at CSR, think CR looks like a giant steel toaster, and hated CBR when I was there a couple of weeks ago. GF is too stuffy. POFQ is nice, but definitely doesn't have a wow factor. I enjoyed staying in a villa at BW, (loved the location between MGM and EPCOT), but again it doesn't have that wow factor you're looking for.

AKL would get my second vote though. I just don't like the location.