You pick: Resort for 1st time back after COVID

[e_yerger]

For people who have been back to WDW, which resort would YOU pick to stay at given the new procedures and how the parks function?

Edit: looking for people's experiences with being back at the World in it's new state (transportation being funky, limited dining options, shorter park hours etc)

 

[Dug720]

I picked Poly both for my Feb trip where I stayed in a Studio and for my 50th birthday trip in July where I will be among the first to stay in the newly refurbed rooms. Mostly because it has been a dream since I was 9.

 

[e_yerger]

I picked Poly both for my Feb trip where I stayed in a Studio and for my 50th birthday trip in July where I will be among the first to stay in the newly refurbed rooms. Mostly because it has been a dream since I was 9.

Are you doing it cash, or through DVC (either you own or you're renting)?

 

[StageTek]

For people who have been back to WDW, which resort would YOU pick to stay at given the new procedures and how the parks function?

I would pick Poly

 

[e_yerger]

I would pick Poly

Why Poly?

 

[Dug720]

Are you doing it cash, or through DVC (either you own or you're renting)?

I did the Studio cash. I prefer to give a TA my business and you can't do that renting points (plus the risk involved with that).

Rooms I thought could only be cash. But same reason as above.

 

[JulieBeeRN]

We really like OKW bc it’s relaxing and nice to get away from the crowds. There’s a full kitchen (in one bedrooms) so you can have meals in the room and keep more food than a regular room. Granted we don’t actually “cook” anything but we have picked up frozen pizzas and whatnots from Walmart.

 

[hereforthechurros]

Thought you were firm on Pop? Teasing!

If rides are your priority, access for rope drop is crucial. Deluxes, minus AKL, seem to have the best dining at the moment. Our next stay we’re doing split stay between contemporary for MK access and Boardwalk for Epcot/HS access. Boardwalk is still thin on dining options, but Contemporary has Wave, California Grill, Contemp and Chef Mickey’s for dining so it feels almost normal dining-wise.

We’ve stayed at CBR, Boardwalk, Swan & Dolphin, WL, Beach Club, AoA, Saratoga, Old Key West since reopening and would rank them as:

CBR, BW, BC - best for park access. Honorable mention to WL because the boat and his service was decent.
WL, OKW, Swan & Dolphin - best for dining

 

[e_yerger]

Thought you were firm on Pop? Teasing!

If rides are your priority, access for rope drop is crucial. Deluxes, minus AKL, seem to have the best dining at the moment. Our next stay we’re doing split stay between contemporary for MK access and Boardwalk for Epcot/HS access. Boardwalk is still thin on dining options, but Contemporary has Wave, California Grill, Contemp and Chef Mickey’s for dining so it feels almost normal dining-wise.

We’ve stayed at CBR, Boardwalk, Swan & Dolphin, WL, Beach Club, AoA, Saratoga, Old Key West since reopening and would rank them as:

CBR, BW, BC - best for park access
WL, OKW, Swan & Dolphin - best for dining

LOL calling me right out with that We are still booked at Pop, but for some reason I can't get the idea out of my head about switching to another resort! I feel like YOLOing and just booking something extravagant.

 

[hereforthechurros]

LOL calling me right out with that We are still booked at Pop, but for some reason I can't get the idea out of my head about switching to another resort! I feel like YOLOing and just booking something extravagant.

Didn’t mean to call you just being a smartass Totally feel you on booking FOMO. Resort really does make a bigger difference right now IMO!

 

[KristaZ]

Any resort in the Epcot area would be my top pick - solely for the ability to walk to two parks. Avoids most hassle with transportation right now. We've found since re-opening that our preferred strategy is a split stay between Epcot/MK area to avoid transportation as much as possible (and we purposely do AK on our moving day).

 

[kylenne]

Any resort in the Epcot area would be my top pick - solely for the ability to walk to two parks. Avoids most hassle with transportation right now. We've found since re-opening that our preferred strategy is a split stay between Epcot/MK area to avoid transportation as much as possible (and we purposely do AK on our moving day).

This is exactly my plan in May for my first trip back. 4 days at GF, then 4 at YC with AK on moving day. Being able to walk to 3 parks is huge.

 

[holden]

We own DVC and are staying at AKL Jambo in a grand villa. We picked Jambo over Kidani because I have read it is less crowded due to reduced restaurants/stores being open. We liked the idea of an almost empty resort.

 

[Missingmypooh]

Dining options are what’s the big deal for us, and pool, and transportation.

skyliner is getting wicked backed up, so prepare to stand in line no matter where (skyliner or bus) if you stay close to that!

if your doing all your time in the parks, pick on in the epcot or monorail Loop! We’ve done AOA and AKL since reopening (and ton more at Uni since it’s easier there) and have a CBR for next month (worried about the stupid pools now!)

 

[DeeBee3]

Contemporary for ease of getting to MK and other monorail places to look around. OR, a Boardwalk area resort.

 

[MomOTwins]

Riviera. With all the unsold DVC it tends to be pretty quiet, has skyliner, good dedicated bus service, and one of the best QS on property, plus one of the only character meals. Whatever you do, don’t do a split stay like we did—the impact to shortening the length of time you can book dining reservations for was pretty bad with the limited ADRs

 

[Pinkshoos]

On my trips during the pandemic, I just chose them based on how I usually choose them, which is based primarily on what I plan to do on that particular trip. I have found social distancing to be about the same at all of the resorts. They seem quieter, though.

 

[Shellyred8]

We actually have done split stays on all 4 of our post-covid trips in an effort to avoid as much bus transportation as possible. We stayed at BWV for part of our trip and did HS and EP on those days. Then we moved to BLT and did MK on those days. We did AK on our move day since we have to take a bus there regardless of where you stay (assuming you are using Disney transportation, that is). This plan served us very well during those trip. The only other time we used the bus was to get to DS.

 

[merry_nbright]

Last November we did a split stay, 2 nights at Pop, 6 nights at Bay Lake Tower. Was INCREDIBLE! Only downside was lack of food choices. I got really bored, really quick with the options.
This coming September and then November, we’re trying out Old Key West and then Saratoga Springs for location to Disney Springs for better food options.

Either way, you’ll have a great time!

 

[Evita_W]

We went with Bay Lake Tower for a lot of reasons, two bathrooms in the 1 bedroom, walking distance to Magic Kingdom, monorail to Grand Floridian for additional food options.