Which resort?

[Alyssa Hamilton]

I am booking a trip for August and need help! Wondering which resort to stay at. My choices are between Grand Floridian, AKL, and wilderness lodge. Is just my boyfriend and I. We plan on spending some down time at the resort.

 

[Hopefully]

What do you like? Have you looked at pictures of each online? Which theme appeals most to you? What about restaurants - is one resort better than another?
These are the kind of questions you need to be considering and answer for yourself.
All are nice resorts.
The rooms at the GF will be larger than at the others.

 

[shanew21]

Depends on a few things.

Where will you spend most of your time? If it's Magic Kingdom, then Wilderness or GF are probably better choices than Animal Kingdom.

What is your budget? If cost isn't an option, GF is the "nicest" of the 3, but also the most expensive. I use "nicest" in quotes because it's themed to be more about luxury than anything (Wilderness and AK have more of a real theme).

Also take a look at the restaurant choices available in each.

 

[BigredNole]

It comes down to the atmosphere you want to be in. People may get mad at me, but GF is built off the city I grew up in and is very Keeping Up with the Jones's. There are people that stay there just to keep their ranking position within their social circle. AKL and WL are much more laid back with tons of fun atmosphere. Very nice for couples.

In the end, it comes down to what you are looking for. If it were me and money weren't an issue (I don't think that is an issue since GF is on the list), I would be looking at AKL, Poly, and Boardwalk. Poly because of the tropical feel, great bars, and restaurants. Plus, MK is right there. AKL because it is one of my favorite resorts. Where else can you stay on a savannah without being in Africa? Boardwalk because of the location and all of the nighttime entertainment. Epcot and DHS are right there. Nightlife on the BW is fun as well. You can always cruise WS at night. You can see MK fireworks.

 

[shanew21]

It comes down to the atmosphere you want to be in. People may get mad at me, but GF is built off the city I grew up in and is very Keeping Up with the Jones's. There are people that stay there just to keep their ranking position within their social circle. AKL and WL are much more laid back with tons of fun atmosphere. Very nice for couples.

In the end, it comes down to what you are looking for. If it were me and money weren't an issue (I don't think that is an issue since GF is on the list), I would be looking at AKL, Poly, and Boardwalk. Poly because of the tropical feel, great bars, and restaurants. Plus, MK is right there. AKL because it is one of my favorite resorts. Where else can you stay on a savannah without being in Africa? Boardwalk because of the location and all of the nighttime entertainment. Epcot and DHS are right there. Nightlife on the BW is fun as well. You can always cruise WS at night. You can see MK fireworks.

I would second looking at the Poly. You get the monorail just as GF does, but it has a much better (in my opinion) theme and the restaurants are excellent.

 

[wdwthanksgiving]

We are big fans of Wilderness Lodge - love the water transportation to MK and the welcoming "lodge feel" of the lobby. It has a great pool, good restaurants and the bus services seem to do well. It is considerably less expensive than the GF and a lot more relaxed. If you really want to be on the monorail then you might look at Poly - we like the new renovation and there are some good restaurants there plus Trader Sam's is a fun bar. AKL is a fantastic hotel but not as convenient as others --we always try to eat dinner there one night to enjoy the hotel lobby, deck and fire pits. Good luck with your decision!

 

[shanew21]

Wilderness Lodge may also still be under construction during those dates. Not sure.

 

[rwdavis2]

As was mentioned, Look up the resorts online. They all have their pluses and minuses. Depends on what you want to do with your off time. I've stayed at AKL and WL and prefer AKL. I would never bother with GF as there is nothing about that appeals to us to spend the extra money to stay there.

 

[mickeynut1]

I am booking a trip for August and need help! Wondering which resort to stay at. My choices are between Grand Floridian, AKL, and wilderness lodge. Is just my boyfriend and I. We plan on spending some down time at the resort.

We've stayed at all 3 and I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. The GF rooms are quite a bit larger than WL & AKL, but with just 2 of you, the smaller room should be fine. All of them have great themes/atmospheres, great pools, and great dining options. With that said, I would look at pictures of all of them and choose the one that appeals to you the most. Good luck deciding, although I think you'll have a great time no matter which one you choose as all 3 are great resorts (IMO).

 

[JuniorSkipper]

My fave of the 3 is probably GF. I just can't get over how much I enjoyed my stay there. Don't get me wrong WL and AKL are both up there too! For me personally it also has to to do with transportation too. One tiny tiny downside for me was the buses are a bit longer from AKL and as a person who likes to just go back to the resort for an hour to rest is was a little more time consuming at AKL, but once again that's just me. The animals at AKL are so amazing to see, so I totally agree with the fact that the atmosphere at AKL was phenomenal. WL is absolutely stunning as well, but as a person who comes from a place where I live in a cabin surrounded by woods and pine trees this reminded me of home. WL has a much more relaxed feel which is very nice. I also quite enjoy the water transportation to MK. I would say overall though my all time favorite resort is GF I just feel like such a princess staying there everything is so put together and elegant. walking into that gorgeous lobby and hearing the band is just amazing to me.

 

[rosiebean]

I'd chose either a monorail loop or Epcot area deluxe for easy access to parks and larger rooms (even with two people). Just look at the resorts, see which aesthetic appeals most to your taste, look at amenities (number of pools, restaurants and their menus, spa, etc.), and go from there.

Good luck!

 

[Shanti]

I am booking a trip for August and need help! Wondering which resort to stay at. My choices are between Grand Floridian, AKL, and wilderness lodge. Is just my boyfriend and I. We plan on spending some down time at the resort.

I recommend either Grand Floridian or Animal Kingdom Lodge- which one will depend on your tastes and plans.

Wilderness Lodge shares a bus with the Grand Floridian and Polynesian, which makes transportation take longer to Epcot, Animal Kingdom & Hollywood Studios. The only way to get from Wilderness Lodge to & from Magic Kingdom is by boat, which is cute, but not quick, so that nullifies the fact that Wilderness Lodge is somewhat close to Magic Kingdom. Wilderness Lodge currently has some construction work going on. Its rooms are also the smallest of the deluxe WDW resorts.

If money is no object and your top priority is convenient access to Magic Kingdom and Epcot, then stay at the Grand Floridian. You can travel via monorail (the most convenient form of WDW transport) to MK & Epcot from the Grand Floridian. You can also take the monorail from GF to the other monorail resorts (Contemporary and Polynesian), which is convenient if you want to dine at one of those resort's restaurants. However, the GF shares buses to Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom with Wilderness Lodge and the Polynesian, so that slows things down to those parks.

If a leisurely resort experience is your top priority, I'd pick Animal Kingdom Lodge. It is beautifully decorated, has a laid back vibe, and lots of vegetation (even tall bamboo towering over the hot tub), which makes things feel more peaceful. The views of the animals are great, & there is no odor despite their proximity. Its lobby is also less crowded & hectic than Grand Floridian, because it has fewer non-guests stopping by for meals. Guests at AKL get to use two feature pools, the one at Jambo House, and the one at Kidani Village. AKL has dedicated buses, so even though its location is relatively remote, it doesn't take that long to get to the parks. AKL also has excellent restaurants, both table service and quick service.