Your favorite?

[my2lovedisney]

Hi all! I am new to this board, so forgive me if these Q's have already been asked.

My family and I are planning our second trip to WDW in September 2012. We are stuck deciding which resort to choose. Last year (September 2011) we stayed at AKL, we also stayed one night at CSR. While we loved the AKL, we found the CSR's rooms were a tad bit bigger. With lugging 2 strollers around, this was extremely helpful. We thought the AKL was beautiful, and Boma is soooo yummy! We ate b-fast there just about everyday and had dinner there about 3 times. It was very convenient to us to have a large buffet where we could fill up early in the a.m. so that we could be carried over for a light lunch later in the day.

With that being said, I am not all that familiar with the moderate resorts or any other deluxe resorts. Could you recommend your favorites. I would really prefer a resort that holds a buffet.

Thank you all!!

 

[PewamoGirl]

Hi My2lovedisney I hope the following is at least a bit helpful haha. I really enjoy staying at POFQ and POR, they are really great Moderates. Neither has a buffet, but they each have really tasty food courts. In fact, I don't know of any other resort that has a buffet. If a buffet/restaurant is important for your breakfast, BW and POLY would be good choices as well, BW has a bakery and POLY has kona. Hope this helps, have a great trip .

 

[disneybliss2]

To my knowledge, none of the moderate resorts have a buffet. Only the deluxe resorts do. Someone will come along and correct me if I'm wrong. That's not to say that the moderates don't have restaurants (POFQ doesn't have a table sit down restaurant, only quick service), just not buffets. In addition to AKL that has Boma, the resorts that I'm aware that has buffets are: Contemporary has Chef Mickeys, Polynesian has O'hana, Beach Club has Cape May Cafe, Grand Floridian has 1900 Park Fare.
With all that said, we've never stayed at a deluxe so I can't give you advice there. As far as moderates go, we love POFQ.

 

[dvcHammer]

The Pepper Market at CSR is a buffet for breakfast and lunch.

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

The Poly is really convenient, especially when you have strollers. You can stroll right on to the monorail! Unlike the buses where you have to fold them up. They also have the largest standard rooms. They do have O'Hana's which is actually family style for breakfast (with characters) and family style for dinner (no characters). While you can eat as much as you want, they do not offer has many dishes as a buffet. Of course, since you are on the monorail, you have easy access to the Grand Floridian and the Contemporary resort too. If cost isn't a big factor, then check out the Poly!

 

[mickeynut1]

The Poly is really convenient, especially when you have strollers. You can stroll right on to the monorail! Unlike the buses where you have to fold them up. They also have the largest standard rooms. They do have O'Hana's which is actually family style for breakfast (with characters) and family style for dinner (no characters). While you can eat as much as you want, they do not offer has many dishes as a buffet. Of course, since you are on the monorail, you have easy access to the Grand Floridian and the Contemporary resort too. If cost isn't a big factor, then check out the Poly!

I agree . The Poly is an awesome resort and is very convenient to the MK as well as to Epcot since you can walk to the TTC to catch the Epcot monorail . The GF and CR are also great as the GF has 1900 Park Fare for a buffet and the CR has Chef Mickey's .

 

[my2lovedisney]

Could you please tell me what the "TTC" is? Sorry, I have no idea. So, there are two monorails? I thought there was only one.

 

[Sandi]

Could you please tell me what the "TTC" is? Sorry, I have no idea. So, there are two monorails? I thought there was only one.

"TTC" is the ticket and transportation center.

There are two monorail lines. One serves the monorail resorts, TTC, and Magic Kingdom. It's basically a circle route -- well, two circles. The outside circle goes from the TTC, through the Contemporary (w/o a stop) and then to Magic Kingdom. It continues from Magic Kingdom through Grand Floridian and Polynesian (again, with no stops) and returns to the TTC. The inside circle goes the opposite way and stops at the three monorail resorts, the TTC and MK.

Then there is another monorail line that goes between the TTC and EPCOT.

Hope that helps!

 

[Kimi313]

My vote is for the Poly also. A great convenience with the strollers to MK and Epcot, you are between two great fun restaurants with buffets and characters at Cont and GF (both do breakfast and dinner) also you are just 2 stops to MK with another great buffet at Crystal Palace.

 

[tinacaplan]

We have stayed at CSR, the Beach Club, and the Poly with our three to four year old son. Each resort has its benefits and drawbacks, although I'm hard pressed to find any about the Beach Club.

My first question would be...how are you touring? Do you plan on park hopping? Does your midday break include pool time?

How big of a deal is it to you to be able to see the castle from your resort and watch the fireworks there?

For us, we really liked CSR. Had great bus service both trips and no complaints about the food at Pepper Market. The pool is among the best of all the mods, and one of the best on property. They also have a nice playground area and a kiddie splash pad.

The Beach Club was fantastic! We are big pool people and Storm Along Bay is amazing. My son could dig in the sand and play in very shallow water while my husband and I took turns in the lazy river. My son also really liked the kiddie slide on the back end of the pirate ship there.

We loved walking into EPCOT in the evening and we could get on all our favorite rides there (Nemo, Spaceship Earth, Mexico boat ride) easily at that time of day.

Cape May buffet has a great breakfast with characters and there is a buffet served at Captain's Grill, which is at the Yacht Club right next door.

Beach Club rooms were bright and sunny, with fluffy white linens. Another big plus was the separate vanity/toilet area.

We just back from the Poly a few days ago and were not as thrilled. The pool is very small. Rooms are huge, though, and we could pull our patio chairs out onto the lawn next to our room and watch the fireworks from MK everynight. So, if that really interests you, then the Poly would be a good choice, especially if you don't really care too much about the pool.

 

[my2lovedisney]

We have stayed at CSR, the Beach Club, and the Poly with our three to four year old son. Each resort has its benefits and drawbacks, although I'm hard pressed to find any about the Beach Club.

My first question would be...how are you touring? Do you plan on park hopping? Does your midday break include pool time?

How big of a deal is it to you to be able to see the castle from your resort and watch the fireworks there?

For us, we really liked CSR. Had great bus service both trips and no complaints about the food at Pepper Market. The pool is among the best of all the mods, and one of the best on property. They also have a nice playground area and a kiddie splash pad.

The Beach Club was fantastic! We are big pool people and Storm Along Bay is amazing. My son could dig in the sand and play in very shallow water while my husband and I took turns in the lazy river. My son also really liked the kiddie slide on the back end of the pirate ship there.

We loved walking into EPCOT in the evening and we could get on all our favorite rides there (Nemo, Spaceship Earth, Mexico boat ride) easily at that time of day.

Cape May buffet has a great breakfast with characters and there is a buffet served at Captain's Grill, which is at the Yacht Club right next door.

Beach Club rooms were bright and sunny, with fluffy white linens. Another big plus was the separate vanity/toilet area.

We just back from the Poly a few days ago and were not as thrilled. The pool is very small. Rooms are huge, though, and we could pull our patio chairs out onto the lawn next to our room and watch the fireworks from MK everynight. So, if that really interests you, then the Poly would be a good choice, especially if you don't really care too much about the pool.

You are enticing me to look into the BC! We were at Epcot and HS more last year than MK, my daughter was a huge fan of The Tower of Terror riding it 11times in a row at 4! So, that was always her go to, once she got her fix we moved on. I'm thinking staying closer to Epcot and HS is our way to go, we also love DTD. While the monorail would be a great advantage, we won't be at MK everyday. We never used our pool last year, but I am thinking this year will be a bit different!

The BC is sounding dreamy When you stayed at CSR did you have the buffet b-fast? And b-fast or dinner at the TS restuarant? How were those if you did?

 

[kapoof]

wow you have a brave daughter! i rode tower of terror once, never again! the beach club is very nice with a awesome pool your kids will enjoy plus you can walk to epcot and hollywood studios or take a boat. they also have nice big rooms and lots of dining choices in the ecopt resorts and epcot. not to confuse you but the poly is wonderful too! have fun choosing..you can't go wrong here!

 

[Mamu]

Deluxe-GF Sugarloaf Lodge and BWI Innkeepers Club

Moderates-POR

 

[billfatora]

Families with children tend to head toward "the Monorail Resorts", but I have found some of the happiest parents, pool-side, at "Storm-a-long Bay" ! (That's the name of the "pool", shared by "The Yacht & Beach Club Resorts" - it's huge... some sections are very "child-safe", and it's known for being the "Best On-Property Pool !")

If you (and your fearless daughter ) enjoy EPCOT and DHS, then The Beach Club, IMHO, would be your absolute best choice.

Cape May Cafe' (in the Resort) offers one of the best "buffet breakfasts" on-property, and a wonderful "Clam-Bake Buffet Dinner", as well. You have "The Yachtman's Steakhouse" for fine-dining, "Beaches & Cream" for burgers (Best on Property!) and Ice Cream, a few options just a boat-ride away at "The Boardwalk"; and let's not forget the very short (5 - 7 minute) walk (or short boat-ride) to "The International Gateway", the "back entrance" to EPCOT, where you have all sorts of "International Dining" to choose from... or, again, the short walk (15 to 20 minutes) or boat-ride, to DHS, where you have a few more restaurant options.

Strollers aren't a problem for the walk to EPCOT or DHS, and they are allowed on the boats. As for everywhere else, just a short walk out the front lobby to the "Bus Stop" for "The Magic Kingdom", "The Animal Kingdom" and "Downtown Disney".

If you have an "attachment" to the "Monorail System", then "The Beach Club" IS NOT for you... but that withstanding, it sounds more likely, to me, that if "The Beach Club" can fit into your budget - it's the place you might want to be....