Wilderness Lodge or Grand Floridian

[DeeBee3]

We are DVC owners at Copper Creek, but I would go for a new experience. Also, the studios are on the small side at WL in general.

I like variety so that's my opinion. We loved the 1 bedroom at AKL Kidani. It had the 2 full bathrooms and we loved that.

 

[Little E]

Just to be extra confusing, I would suggest CR. We have stayed at all three monorail resorts, and we just recently bought DVC at GF, so don't get me wrong, I LOVE the GF. However, with the ages of your kids, I think the CR is really awesome. It's an easy peasy walk to and from MK (although you can take the monorail if you'd like). It feels so...Disney. My boys at the ages of your kids LOVED watching the monorail fly through the CR, and we think the QS restaurant (Contempo Cafe) is the best on property. Lots of options for both picky and adventurous eaters.

There is a lot of hustle and bustle in the main tower if you like that energy, but we stayed in the garden wing, which is a two minute covered walk from the main tower. The GW is so totally quiet, and cheaper than the main tower. We could watch the water parade from our hotel room at night, and the rooms in the GW are identical to the rooms in the tower, in terms of their layout. There are three sleep surfaces, and the rooms and bathrooms are huge! The pools aren't as busy as they are at Poly, and there are great TS restaurants at the CR, or you can hop on the monorail and access more great QS and TS restaurants at GF or Poly.

Just something to consider. You'll have a magical time wherever you decide to stay!

 

[Mle8308]

We LOVE Wilderness Lodge for this reason, but after 4 stays in 5 years the rest of the family is getting bored. Some members want new food choices. We also had a couple frustrating bus experiences at Wilderness this year and walking to Magic Kingdom would be amazing

WL is my favorite, but I have to admit the new DVC resort studios are beautiful at the GF. And I am shocked to admit that because the GF overall reminds me of an assisted living facility. Sometimes change is good - so they say!

 

[mickeyluv'r]

They are both nice. I usually decide based on budget.

I'm not a huge fan of the dining at WL. The dining options at GF are better. You might appreciate the convenience of dining at your hotel.

The rooms are also larger at GF.

I'm also a big fan of being able to go to/from the parks quickly, so that's a plus for Gf. The walk is a little long to MK, but doable if you don't want to wait for transportation. Though this time of year it can be a little toasty to walk.

Though the rooms are smaller at WL, I like the new decor. The overall theming is fun, so we enjoy our stays there as well.

For me, I think current prices are a bit high. I'd probably choose WL, but if you have never stayed at GF, and can afford it, you might want to give it a go.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

All great tips! Our trip will be last week of April, so hopefully no construction.

FWIW, Disney has been pretty quiet on what all they have going on in terms of GF refurbs, which IMHO makes it annoying to try to plan a trip there for the near to mid term. The Big Pine Key DVC conversion lasted from roughly March through late June, so let’s round up and say 4 months. Boca Chica could be July-Oct, next building Nov-Feb, next building Mar-June, etc, etc. Not all of the upcoming buildings are the same size and they could always do multiple buildings at a time, so it’s hard to estimate the possible timeline exactly.

To use Disney’s vague phrase… ‘multi-year’… as taken from their most recent DPB post about V&A’s reopening.

The reopening of this fine dining staple comes as part of the multi-year transformation of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, honoring its rich history at Walt Disney World Resort while enhancing its iconic Victorian charm and elegance. This grand transformation began with the addition of Enchanted Rose lounge and the reimagining of Cítricos – which features sophisticated, subtle nods to beloved Disney films – and continued with the reopening of The Grand Floridian Spa. Victoria & Albert’s and the newly enhanced and expanded accommodations at The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa will open this summer. The transformation will continue with updated offerings across the resort over the coming years.

Some of our best Disney resort stays have been through renovations… but we go often and can roll with the punches. For a budget pushing/want to enjoy GF at it’s finest trip, I’d pay close attention to things to know exactly what to expect as far as any current work around the grounds. I have no qualms about staying somewhere under renovation, but expectation management is important.

Lastly, while I enjoy GF as a resort, the hotel side rooms are in relatively significant need of renovation (in my humble opinion)… so there may be an argument to be made to hold off a bit until you can book when you have a better handle on renovation status, booking a renovated room, etc.

Sorry to be a bit of a downer, just want folks to be eyes wide open about the uncertain state of affairs around GF for the foreseeable future.

 

[CGB]

If we were choosing between WL and GF, it would be WL.
WL and Poly are our favorite resorts. If you like the ambiance and atmosphere of being transported to the northwest of the Wilderness Lodge, you would probably like the tropical environment from the Poly. The beach, fireworks, monorail, and volcano are fun perks. Our kids weren't too much older than yours at the time and they had a blast. I can't comment on the GF because I could never convince the kids to stay there. Don't be afraid to try other resorts too. We stayed at Coronado Springs specifically for the pool and that pool was worth it. We got stuck at Pop once due to rescheduling a trip and discovered a super fun resort where we could spread out in two rooms. It became a repeat resort. Good luck with your choice! Your family is making some great memories!

 

[westie55]

GF and WL are my favorite resorts. We spend a lot of time in MK as my children are young. I think the GF resort studios will be nicer than Boulder Ridge as I hear BR needs a refurb (we stay in a Copper Creek 1BR). I love the variety of staying in different resorts so I would choose GF if I were you. I think WL is a better “value” but I’m quite intrigued by the new rooms at GF!

 

[Wood Nymph]

We love both resorts but I don't consider the monorail to Epcot to be a plus. It is actually the one thing I don't like about GF. You have to take two monorails and they take a long time.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

Out of curiosity why 2 MK days and shortchanging other parks? Just thinking about what my kids preferred at your kids’ ages and while MK is still a must do, we probably would have spent at least as much time in HS as in MK. Especially the way Genie+ seems to work - or not work - in HS.

 

[Robber Baron]

If you have stayed at WL every trip, I'd suggest staying somewhere else next time. WL is our favorite resort, I think we have stayed there 6 times. As for Deluxes, we have also stayed at Poly, Beach Club, Yacht Club, AKL, Contemporary. There isn't really anything drawing us to the Grand Floridian, but, we came *this* close to staying there last year, just because we have never been there. We have been EXTREMELY SATISFIED with every single resort we've ever stayed at, deluxes & moderates. I say take the plunge, variety is a good thing.

 

[katyjeka]

I would go with GF. We LOVE Wilderness Lodge but why not try something new?? Maybe your budget next trip won't have the wiggle room you have this time so go for it. GF is a beautiful resort and really convenient.

 

[WLSILVERCREEKSPRINGS]

Even though we're heading back to DW next month for our 15th stay at WL, I'd suggest trying something new. Over the years we've stayed at many of the deluxe resorts and even some of the moderate and value, all experiences were great and enjoyably different.

 

[Robber Baron]

I would go with GF. We LOVE Wilderness Lodge but why not try something new?? Maybe your budget next trip won't have the wiggle room you have this time so go for it. GF is a beautiful resort and really convenient.

I agree, we have stayed at resorts a couple times not because they were at the top of our list, but we knew we wanted to try them eventually and we found a price that may not be matched again.

 

[jldcherry]

Out of curiosity why 2 MK days and shortchanging other parks? Just thinking about what my kids preferred at your kids’ ages and while MK is still a must do, we probably would have spent at least as much time in HS as in MK. Especially the way Genie+ seems to work - or not work - in HS.

It's just our tradition. We love to start our week at Magic Kingdom and say goodbye to Disney with a last day at Magic Kingdom. We enjoy Hollywood Studios, but it's so much waiting in line. As long as my kids get to ride Slinky Dog twice and Star Tours several times they're happy. We get a 5 day ticket and do the other 3 parks in the middle. We're creatures of habit.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

It's just our tradition. We love to start our week at Magic Kingdom and say goodbye to Disney with a last day at Magic Kingdom. We enjoy Hollywood Studios, but it's so much waiting in line. As long as my kids get to ride Slinky Dog twice and Star Tours several times they're happy. We get a 5 day ticket and do the other 3 parks in the middle. We're creatures of habit.

That I understand! It isn’t a Disney trip if we don’t start with fish and chips and soarin and repeat soarin as the last ride.

I love Disney traditions.

 

[disney castle days]

We just stayed at GF last week, and I would 100% go WL right now.

There is a lot of construction right now, so even the lobby is very noisy. The QS options are fairly limited, although they do have Coke-free-style machines. There are not many options for picky eaters there. There was a huge lack of outlets in the room (we stayed at the VGF1), so having multiple devices is a little bit of a struggle. Also, as a side notes the murphy beds are very uncomfortable to sleep in. Lastly, if you plan on going to Epcot there is only monorail transportation to there, which may be a hassle.

 

[mrsap]

We own at both CCV & VGF. While I love them both, I’d pick GF over WL if given the chance (I actually just switched half of my upcoming trip from CCV to VGF about a week ago when the days popped up!) WL was the first deluxe we ever stayed at and will always have a special place in my heart… but there is something about the atmosphere, the pools and the property that we love when we are at GF. We love we can use both the boat and monorail, and on top of that, we’re able to walk back to the resort (if we don’t feel like waiting for a boat or monorail at the end of a MK day.) The rooms are great at VGF1, love having 2 bathrooms when in a deluxe, and you now have the option of the new rooms in VGF2 that are so beautiful! The CM’s are truly amazing there as well. Our favorite restaurant is Narcoossee’s and is a must do every trip there (a bit bummed it might be closed both visits this year, but we have backups!) lol Gaspy’s is great for quick service and the desserts are amazing! Forgot to add Enchanted Rose is great for a cocktail or even their French press coffee or cappuccino is so good!! If you’re not sure, watch some videos on YouTube and see how you feel about it!! Good luck deciding!!!

 

[jldcherry]

Thank you to all for the advice and ideas! We decided to try out the new resort studios at Grand Floridian so we can try something new. Crossing our fingers that most construction will be finished by April 2023.

 

[meine]

We are purchasing a VGF contract and would love to hear your opinions. Why did you choose the Grand Floridian in the DVC universe. What are the things about it that draws you to it?

 

[Shellyred8]

Thank you to all for the advice and ideas! We decided to try out the new resort studios at Grand Floridian so we can try something new. Crossing our fingers that most construction will be finished by April 2023.

GF was my vote for you. You really won't know if you like it until you try it. I had wanted to try it for quite a few years and finally got the chance right after they opened back up after covid. The resort and grounds are beautiful. It's a light and airy feeling to the resort, as opposed to the darker and cozy feeling at WL. Not a good or bad thing, just different.

We were at the DVC villas closer to the Poly, so we walked over there a few times for different dining options. I love the breakfast burrito at Capt Cooks, so it was nice that it was just a few minute walk away.

Have a great trip!