Your favorite hotels - how do they compare to Disney?

[Kay7979]

Just for fun: what's the nicest non-Disney resort you have stayed in, and how did the room and facilities compare to your favorite Disney resort? Size? Decor? Furniture? Most can't be expected to have a theme like Disney, but I'm curious how your other favorites measure up.

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

This one blows anything that Disney has out of the water!

It has it's own waterpark......IN THE HOTEL!! It has two restaurants plus a Pizza Hut. It has a cafe also that has starbucks coffee, pastries out the guzzoo, Krispy Kreme donuts, fudge, ice cream, candy.......I could go on.

The SMALLEST room has two queens, separated by a small wall, then a queen sleeper sofa, coffee table, tv, micro, fridge.........the rooms look a lot like WL but bigger!

The lobby has a gigantic clock that "comes alive" every hour, but two or three times a day it comes alive to tell a story and sing music. there will be tons of kids sitting on the floor watching this. It goes on for 15 minutes. My kids went crazy for this. Huge fireplace also........four stories high.

At night, one of the two "mascots" (wolf or bear) comes out with one of the employees and reads a night time story to the kids in their PJ's. They sit by the fireplace and do this. Totally cool!

I think it is usually $250-$300 a night........we walked up to the desk and without even asking, she gave us the internet rate of $169, WITHOUT EVEN ASKING!!

We stayed for two nights and my kids didn't want to leave. We were in Williamsburg, VA and went to Busch Gardens. I think my kids liked the hotel better than the park(and they LOVED the park)

edite to add: they had an outdoor pool also with tons of lounge chairs all around.

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

IN the waterpark, there was also a place to get snacks/drinks/slushies.

But the hot tubs were the best part!

One was for whatever age group (children under 12 had to be with a parent). It fit 80 PEOPLE.........I'M NOT KIDDING.

The other, I think, fit around 60. This was for 21 years age and older ONLY.

And on the wall, beside each hot tub, were the latest readings from each hot tub that had to be done every hour or so....Ph level, chlorine level, temp. etc. I thought that part was great. They didn't just forget about them. They really took care of them.

And lots of lifeguards that switched places every 15 minutes. (at least it seemed like 15 minutes)

The food at the restaurants was fantastic. Far above anything that I've gotten at any food court at WDW. (and I don't have any problem with the food courts)

Needless to say, we will be back.

 

[disnut8]

My favorite non Disney place is in Peachtree City, Georgia. A Wyndham that we use for easy access to the Atlanta Motor Speedway for the NASCAR races. If you join their free club, you get a welcome "packet" that you specify. We got a bottle of wine, cheese, crackers, and two bottles of water. You can also specify what kind of pillows you want and if you want anything extra (I always get extra pillows). Plus a free USA Today and you can request (for free) a local newspaper or Wall Street Journal as well. With the club membership (for free), you just give the front desk your name, show ID and a credit card (not even scanned) and are given your keys. Takes less than a minute.

Room is very nice and everything is top notch - probably close to a Disney deluxe if not equal. Lots of towels and toiletries. My request of as high up as we can get has not yet been ignored. The staff basically trips over themselves to help you out. Even drew my mother-in-law a map to get to a restaurant I wanted to go to but forgot the directions.

Price? $79-$109/night. Gotta love it.

 

[bdcp]

Just got back almost 3 weeks ago from the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville. It's huge, and gorgeous. They have a Devine there also and we saw her one afternoon. It has 3 large atriums, two outdoor pools, one indoor pool, gym, spa, several restaurants, paths, dancing fountain, an indoor river with huge catfish and a boat ride, and is walking distance to a huge outlet mall and the Grand Ole Opry. The entire staff was very friendly.

 

[Lives4Disney]

The ROYAL HAWAIIAN!!

For spring break last year, we went to Hawaii. We had an "island suite" reserved for our family. The price was comparable ( a bit more) than a room at the GF in the main building. When we arrived after being awake for 22 hours, there were several things wrong with it - broken AC, safe, horrible sofabed for my girls to sleep on, a few others things that were not so great. I called the front desk and they upgraded us to a penthouse suite that was FABULOUS!!! The service was just outstanding. In the evenings when the ladies came to do our turn down service, if we were there, they called us by name & left tons of chocolates for our kids. The room was out of this world gorgeous. We had the most wonderful ocean view. The resort was beautiful (except our bum room) and the staff (front desk, valet, housekeeping, waitresses, room service.....) was so friendly and courteous we actually joked about the comparison between the great Hawaiian staff and some of the crabby CMs we have encountered at WDW. The food and drinks at the restaurants were outstanding, too. Everything was awesome at the Royal Hawaiian and the place was full to capacity. We got the bad room because we checked in so late. I know a lot of people excuse the WDW staff if the resorts are full and it is a busy season. Not so at the Royal Hawaiian. They just worked harder to make sure everyone had the best stay possible.

We also love the Westward Look Resort in Tucson AZ. It is a great family place with lots of fun things to do. The rooms are neat, very western/mission style with lots of character, and the service & restaurants are terrific, too! It has a neat history behind it, also. Used to be a ranch. The lobby has a "museum" of the old ranch house that they built the resort around. Some of the resort rooms are built in the old stables. The ceilings are high and beamed. They have poolside service for meals, drinks, fresh cold water......Great place to relax. You can pick any place on their 50 or more acres and order "room service"!! It is beautiful right by the mountains and great views of Tucson in the evening!

The Scottsdale Princess is great for my husband and myself!


We always return to WDW, though!! We have been to many great places, but WDW draws us back.

Lives4Disney

 

[iliketoby]

The nicest non-Disney hotel I've been to in Orlando is the Wyndham Palace. Rooms are nice and calm, bigger than Disney. It is on the Disney property, so not too far from everything.

I stayed at a Mariott that was nice, too. Full of conventioneers, but nice.

Next time I'm off-site (and January will be the last on-site for a while), I'm staying at the Gaylord. That's the one with the ducks, right? Gotta check out those ducks.

 

[4theloveofdisney]

I really had to think about this and the answer is that nothing has measured up to our expectations of staying at a Disney Hotel. In fact, our favorites all happen to be Disney hotels.

Sorry!

 

[webray]

Anyone that has stayed in a true deluxe resort with wonderful ammenities, actual clean rooms and wonderful service know that anything disney has to offer does not compare.

While we all stay at disney resorts for convenience sake, they do not live up to true resorts. Disney resorts skate on the name, they offer no perks for return guest and actually I think they expect us to thank them because they are disney..ugh.

 

[minijeanie]

Anyone that has stayed in a true deluxe resort with wonderful ammenities, actual clean rooms and wonderful service know that anything disney has to offer does not compare.

While we all stay at disney resorts for convenience sake, they do not live up to true resorts. Disney resorts skate on the name, they offer no perks for return guest and actually I think they expect us to thank them because they are disney..ugh.

Touche!!! couldn't of said it any better than you...Stayed a NYC hotel, looking at times Square with snow falling...for 1/2 the price I paid at CR concierge.

Disney is great, hotels themed nicely but quite honestly room sizes except for the Deluxe are totally inadequate. Moderates hover around $140 a nite for in reality a motel type enviornment.

For that price I can get a 4 star hotel inside corridors anywhere in USA.

but why do I stay onsite? Because it is convenient, you always have a clean room and service is great..

so will I sacrifice room size for the above..

and my answer is yes

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

I second the vote for Opryland. It is really nice and huge! I went to a convention there 2 years ago and it was over a 12 min walk from my room to the convention center.
I am so spoiled by disney services and the cleanliness fo the resorts its hard for me to stay in a regular hotel. I always end up comparing it and that's like apples vs. oranges. I don't know if I will ever be able to vacation the same again.

 

[wendypooh]

I've been to the Opryland Hotel in Nashville also, it is gorgeous!! It was a few years back at christmastime, it was amazing!!! I have never seen anything so utterly fantastic. It is decorated so beautifully, and there were carolers, and waterfalls with lights, the atruim is beyond gorgeous, there were christmas trees so beautifully decorated, it was like being in a christmas dream........, I could go on and on. I'll look for some of my pics, and post them. It is a beautiful place. Another of my favorites is the Hilton Oceanfront Resort in Hilton Head Island. We actually didn't stay here, but we ate there at the Bouy Bar, it was a really nice hotel. We actually stayed at the Palmetto Dunes Resort in a private home on Mooring Bouy. OK, I know, I've strayed from a "hotel"!!! Sorry!!! I'd say the one we stay at most is the Royal Pacific over at Universal, it is nice, I love the "island" feel. But, nothing can compare to the Opryland hotel........ it's just beyond words!!!

 

[Stepharia]

We stayed at the Opryland Gaylord after Christmas last year for a cheerleading competition and I agree it's great, except for the beds. They are not the most comfortable and small. However, we got spoiled at the Hilton in downtown Indianapolis. Out of all the hotels we've stayed at for competitions (and we stay at fairly expensive hotels) that one by far outdoes any of them. It has the most comfortable beds I think I've ever slept in. I've never stayed at one of the deluxe resorts at Disney so I don't know how it compares. But next trip we are planning to stay at either WL or AKL, so guess I can compare after that.

 

[bringerofdreams]

This one blows anything that Disney has out of the water!

It has it's own waterpark......IN THE HOTEL!! It has two restaurants plus a Pizza Hut. It has a cafe also that has starbucks coffee, pastries out the guzzoo, Krispy Kreme donuts, fudge, ice cream, candy.......I could go on.

The SMALLEST room has two queens, separated by a small wall, then a queen sleeper sofa, coffee table, tv, micro, fridge.........the rooms look a lot like WL but bigger!

The lobby has a gigantic clock that "comes alive" every hour, but two or three times a day it comes alive to tell a story and sing music. there will be tons of kids sitting on the floor watching this. It goes on for 15 minutes. My kids went crazy for this. Huge fireplace also........four stories high.

At night, one of the two "mascots" (wolf or bear) comes out with one of the employees and reads a night time story to the kids in their PJ's. They sit by the fireplace and do this. Totally cool!

I think it is usually $250-$300 a night........we walked up to the desk and without even asking, she gave us the internet rate of $169, WITHOUT EVEN ASKING!!

Oh! We just had one of these built in my area. I took a tour and it it just beautiful!!!! GREAT theming, GREAT staff. I am thinking of booking a weekend just to experience it even though it is only a few miles down the road.

 

[swilphil]

We also have a Great Wolf Lodge about 15 minutes away. The big trend is to have kids' birthday parties there. It reminds me a lot of the Wilderness Lodge, but the rooms are much nicer. My in-laws stayed in one that had a fireplace and an upstairs loft.

 

[BCV23]

Ashford Castle in Ireland is my favorite of the non Disney hotels I've stayed at. I also love the Grand Wailea on Maui.

But we also love the Polynesian. All three are so different in so many respects. Apples and oranges.

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

Next time I'm off-site (and January will be the last on-site for a while), I'm staying at the Gaylord. That's the one with the ducks, right? Gotta check out those ducks.

No, I don't think that is the Gaylord..........it's the Peabody Hotel!

 

[Denmark]

I realy like the Disney hotels, both in WDW and DLP.

... but there is lots of hotels around the world, that is superior to Disney. They dont have the Disney themes, but hotel standards is often at a much higher level.

Here is a direct link to a hotel in London, England which is at a much higher level than Grand Floridian in WDW.

Link to hotel:Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park
Direct link to pictures: Pictures

Prices for a "standard" room starts at: 800$ pr. night Picture of room
Prices for a "standard" suite starts at: 1563$ pr. night Picture of suite
A presidential suite will cost you: 4527$ pr. night Picture of suite

 

[BCV23]

Those pictures are beautiful, Denmark. Have you stayed there?

How about the Georges V in Paris. I'd love to stay there or at the Trianon someday. Anyone stayed at those?

 

[Denmark]

No i havnt stayed there, its a tad to expensive for me!