Which Resort?

[avaalexis]

My husband and I and are taking our 5 year old daughter to Disney World for her birthday. We are trying to decide what hotel to stay at. We are willing to spend either at the moderate or the deluxe hotels we just want to make sure we get the best for the money.

 

[mickeynut1]

My husband and I and are taking our 5 year old daughter to Disney World for her birthday. We are trying to decide what hotel to stay at. We are willing to spend either at the moderate or the deluxe hotels we just want to make sure we get the best for the money.

There are so many great choices for everyone's tastes/budget, but our favorite is the Poly for several reasons:

- it's just 2 monorail stops from MK
- it's convenient to a variety of dining and shopping options at the CR and GF
- the rooms are large and spacious with all rooms having a daybed
- the pool is great as it backs up to the beach with a distant view of the castle while swimming
- the beach is great for watching the fireworks
- Captain Cooks is great for quick CS meals/snacks

Another favorite of ours is the WL:

- close proximity to MK via boat
- pool is great
- lobby is beautiful and provides a relaxing atmosphere
- Roaring Forks is great for quick CS meals/snacks
- transportation is good (both bus and boat)
- convenient to the CR via boat for dining and shopping options
- a deluxe resort without the high price tag like those on the monorail

You will get a lot of different opinions, so I would look at all of the resorts that interest you and choose by the one that fits your budget as well as the theme/decor you like best. Good luck and happy planning .

 

[Happyjen27]

At Disney time is money! For that reason I choose the monorail resorts right now. When my twins are older and not napping or needing a mid-day break, we will explore the moderates a bit, as well as the deluxes in the Epcot area. But for now, being close to the MK is key.

My twins were 5 last year and we stayed at the POLY. It was great, but the rooms did not suit us.

This year we are staying at the Contemporary. The pictures of the rooms appear to suit us better, and it's still on the monorail and convenient to the MK.

We consider transportation to be very influential in our decision (time is money! An extra 20 minutes each way to a park is less time for fun!), second to that is a good Quick Serve restaurant because sometimes at the end of a long day, my kids don't want to go out to eat at a sit down place, they want to grab a flat bread at the resort QS and eat in the room in their jammies. Next is the theming of the resort.

 

[maryandtyson]

I second Wilderness Lodge for location, wonderful theming and Deluxe at a lower price. Stayed there twice and we loved it. Your 5 year old will enjoy the boat to MK and the pool. My DDs were 6 and 4 when we stayed there the first time and both gasped in awe at the lobby. Be sure to eat at Whispering Canyon - super fun for kids and grown ups. Try to catch the rubber duckie race at the pool too.

 

[VeeHam]

I would check out pictures of the resorts and decide which you like the best. What time of year are you planning on going?

 

[jhryb]

If you can afford to stay at the Poly then this is my favorite - both for theming and for convenience. If you would prefer to spend a bit less then I would suggest the Wilderness Lodge.

 

[DJFan88]

Don't forget you can see the Electrical Water Parade go by at night at the Poly too, and I think WL. CR can walk over to seeit??

 

[wishing4PA]

OP, how long are you planning to stay?
Does your DD have a favorite princess? (Is she into the princesses? Or does a giraffe or a pirate excite her more?)
Do you plan to drive more or use Disney's transportation?

 

[avaalexis]

OP, how long are you planning to stay?
Does your DD have a favorite princess? (Is she into the princesses? Or does a giraffe or a pirate excite her more?)
Do you plan to drive more or use Disney's transportation?

We plan on staying for a week in March
She loves the princesses especially belle and ariel but she also loves toy story and monsters inc. SHe is also an animal lover but not a pirate person
We plan on Disney transportation the entire time.

 

[wishing4PA]

We plan on staying for a week in March
She loves the princesses especially belle and ariel but she also loves toy story and monsters inc. SHe is also an animal lover but not a pirate person
We plan on Disney transportation the entire time.

Thanks! I only asked because
- if she was Tiana-crazy your DD might love Port Orleans French Quarter. I haven't stayed there, but it's pretty popular on the boards.
- if she was totally animal crazy and you were planning to drive to the parks anyhow, the Animal Kingdom Lodge sounds fantastic. But I'm not sure I'd pick that over a monorail resort if using Disney transportation.

So, given her age and the fact that you didn't rule out deluxe, I would have to agree with the prior posters who suggested the deluxe resorts near MK. If it were me, I'd just look at the pictures and pick one of the following that appealed to me in pictures: Contemporary, Polynesian, or Grand Floridian due to the monorail access. (Boats are also available or you can walk from the CR.) Or the Wilderness Lodge, because it also is just a pretty boat ride away from the Magic Kingdom (no monorail there though). I don't think you can go wrong with any of them, but my only experience staying in one of the 4 was at the Poly.

 

[avaalexis]

thank you guys so much for the help. We have looked at all the hotels and have decided that the Polynesian might be a little too expensive for us. What are your thoughts on Animal Kingdom Lodge vs. Wilderness lodge or Contemporary?

I like that the contemporary has the monorail and is close to MK but I also love Animal Kingdom park and all the animals and I think the hotel could be really cool. The Wilderness seems cool too and y'all mentioned that a few times. So what are your thoughts?

 

[melissafox18]

thank you guys so much for the help. We have looked at all the hotels and have decided that the Polynesian might be a little too expensive for us. What are your thoughts on Animal Kingdom Lodge vs. Wilderness lodge or Contemporary?

I like that the contemporary has the monorail and is close to MK but I also love Animal Kingdom park and all the animals and I think the hotel could be really cool. The Wilderness seems cool too and y'all mentioned that a few times. So what are your thoughts?

IMO AKL is wayyyyyy out there (it would drive me crazy to sit on a bus all the way to MK and back and I'm an adult). We were considering Wilderness Lodge when we booked our latest trip and it looks beautiful. It was #2 or 3 on my list!

The less expensive rooms at contemporary are a bit of a walk to get to the monorail. Take a peek at map of the resort and you'll see what I mean.

At Disney you definitely pay for convenience!

 

[mirage0306]

If you can afford to stay at the Poly then this is my favorite - both for theming and for convenience. If you would prefer to spend a bit less then I would suggest the Wilderness Lodge.

Ditto this!

 

[mirage0306]

IMO AKL is wayyyyyy out there (it would drive me crazy to sit on a bus all the way to MK and back and I'm an adult). We were considering Wilderness Lodge when we booked our latest trip and it looks beautiful. It was #2 or 3 on my list!

The less expensive rooms at contemporary are a bit of a walk to get to the monorail. Take a peek at map of the resort and you'll see what I mean.

At Disney you definitely pay for convenience!

FWIW, it's only about a 15 minute bus ride to MK. it's really, really, not that bad.

 

[wishing4PA]

FWIW, it's only about a 15 minute bus ride to MK. it's really, really, not that bad.

Also, FWIW, when my own DD was 4, almost 5, she loved the Disney buses. (We don't have them here, so it was another fun "ride" for her.)

WL for location, AKL if the theming appeals to you more. You'd survive the bus ride.

 

[Bree]

I like the pool at WL better than CR. We stayed in a bunk bed room that my kids just loved. However, I like the food court better at CR and the Wave was always easy to get into for breakfast without an ADR. Whispering Canyon can be hard to get into for breakfast if you wake up an decide on a whim that you don't want to eat in your room or have counter service.

 

[GrumpyBelle]

I would pick AKL...the bus isn't shared so the ride isn't too bad IMO. Where else could your DD wake up and see giraffes first thing in the morning. My kids (although older) pick this as their favorite. It really has a unique feel to it.