If You Were Going to Blow it Out

[Airblue1]

If you had the cash and were going to blow out the property where would you stay? I am thinking of either Animal Kingdom Lodge with a view of the Savanna or the Grand Floridian, or the Contemperary during the week of Dec. 19 thru Dec. 26. Does anyone have any comments or suggestions?
Thanks

[poohbearlover15]

I agree with you on The ANiaml Kingdom Lodge! I have always wanted to stay there!

[KAT1811]

In my opinion the AK is great in theory but we, as a family, do not spend much time in our hotel room and thus the money spent on the view would be lost on us (it would be a great place for us to go on vacation if it were not in Disney). We would much prefer to be closer in proximity to the parks we visit most and those are Epcot and the MK. With that being said we would do the GF. A host of hotels right at your fingertips, dining, entertainment, the monerail, the works. Many people rave about the Poly but the GF is more our taste. So to answer your question, if it were my family, that is what we would do (and are doing in November, I cannot wait!!!)

[goofysbabe]

My pick would be the Contemperary or the Poly, which I am already checking into. We are planning a trip for Dec. 26 thru Jan. 2 and will only be staying on property 2 to 3 nights, so I wanted to be in a hotel on the monerail route. And I've always, always, always wanted to stay at the Contemperary, it's the hotel I remember the most from when I was a little girl going to WDW!

[WishingStar2006]

We stayed at the Contemporary this past December 19 - 26. We stayed in the Tower with MK view. The room was very nice (sinks in the bathroom were kinda weird) and the view was spectacular. This had always been our dream so we splurged.

I was concerned, before arriving, that there would be noise from the monorail and that it would disturb our sleep. No problems with that...never heard a thing regarding the monorail.

BUT!!!!!!! We were rudely awakened EVERY MORNING with the noise/laughter/clapping/singing/music from Chef Mickey's. I never even took that into consideration. We are a mom and two teenage sons and we were up late at the EMH and needed our sleep and there was NONE after 8:00 am....so be prepared.

It will be magical no matter where you go!

[DDuck66]

I stayed at the Concierge at the CR in 05. We had a MK view and watching the fireworks from our balcony made it all worthwhile. We were there during the MNSSHP and the fireworks shoot off from all around the park!!! We are staying at the pOLY this May with a MK view and can not wait. Any of those choices will be fantastic.

[crltkcagle]

I would love to stay at AKL or the Poly! Maybe once the kids grow up and we retire (30 years from now LOL) me and dh can stay there.

[SBETigg]

We love the Grand Floridian. It's our favorite resort. Pros: Larger rooms, great transportation options, proximity to the MK, Fireworks and Electric Water Pageant viewing, right on the lagoon, comfortable elegance. Great restaurants and lounges. Cons: Some people feel it is stuffy and/or not their style. I don't find it stuffy, personally. I find it warm and accommodating.

Pros for the Contemporary: Same as the GF with a funky pseudo-mod feel instead of the comfortable elegance. An extra pro, for tower rooms, they're all in one building, no going outside to get from room to lobby. Cons: The lobby and general areas are large and there's a cavernous kind of feeling to the place. To me, it feels more business hotel and less vacation resort.

Pros for the AKL: Slightly less expensive, somewhat smaller rooms. The lobby is unique and cozy. The feel is definitely laid back, with some fascinating touches. Great restaurants and lounges. Animals! I believe all rooms are in one building like at the Contemporary. The Cons: transportation is all by bus, and the resort feels more remote and further from parks than the others (not always a bad thing).

It really comes down to what you are looking for in a resort and your personal taste.

[garymacd]

So far, everyone has missed it.

CINDERELLA'S CASTLE.

My beloved wife just chimed in on this and said that she would like to move around and try all the deluxe for a few days especially with a stay in Contemporary in the tower and finish it off with the last few weeks in Wilderness Lodge.

We would also have our staff do all the packing and moving and unpacking so we don't have to do any of that menial stuff, including driving like maniacs to and from POFQ and getting us hot beignets for breakfast in bed.

And they better be hot, or heads will roll! :rotfl:

[princessjojo]

Poly!!! In the King K. suite.

[wire0monkey]

It would depend on who is in the party.

With my little kids (3 and 5), I like AKL because Boma is a great, fast breakfast place and they love animals. The pool is wonderful, as are the activities. Plus, I always rent a car so I can get the kids back to the room fast if there is a problem.

With teenagers, I would like to be on the monorail, so I didn't have to rent a car and so that they can have a little freedom to park hop and tour on their own without their mom. My folks did this when by brothers were 13 and 17 and they had a great time.

[May524]

I'd love to stay at the Grand Floridian! :mickey:
I've already stayed at the Poly 2x, and I'm not that interested in the Contemporary.

[#1donaldfan]

If I had the money I would like to stay at the GF in the most expensive suite with all the trimmings. Spare no expense !!! Just once in life, that would be nice, don't 'ya think?:thumbsup:

[mudpuppysmom]

This is a tough one for us as we have a few places that we'd like to try and one again:

AKL but this time in a DVC capacity (I really enjoy this resort and it actually calms me down, which DH likes that fact!)

BC beacuse of it's right at Epcot's back door (our fav park right now) plus Stormalong Bay and the Boardwalk!

Poly -- DS calls this the "waterfall hotel" and he keeps asking WHEN can we stay there!!

So maybe a little time at each one would be our dream!

[mrsgaribaldi]

I would stay at the Polynesian. WE did the Contemporary with a MK view and it was nice but I loved the Poly with a regular view. I would stay there for sure:thumbsup:

[jedi jen]

AK, GF, CR . . . I want to do them all, and then some (Poly, WL, BC, at least). You did say money was no object.

We have been to CR and loved it. We are trying Poly this time (CR was not available). My kids are disappointed. Can you believe that? They have loooveeed CR the past two years, like a home away from home.

Bottom line: there is no wrong answer. You are sure to have a great time.

:mickey:

[ghost of christmas past]

Ew good question. I have always dreamed of staying at the Boardwalk Inn, Steeple Chase Suite. That would be the ultimate luxury.

[mouseketeer mom]

Poly. Lagoon view concierge. Nothing else appeals as much!

[playdead88]

yeah i think i would have to go for a three bedroom deluxe villa at the boardwalk on the water or one of the suites at the poly - i think 10 days would be enough - the practical side of me is leaning toward the boardwalk villa because we love the washer and dryer in the room :) but the disney side of me says i would really love to watch wishes from my room every night! whew good thing i don't have that kinda money or i would be faced with those kind of decisions!

[baby minnie's mommy]

My beloved wife just chimed in on this and said that she would like to move around and try all the deluxe for a few days especially with a stay in Contemporary in the tower and finish it off with the last few weeks in Wilderness Lodge.

We would also have our staff do all the packing and moving and unpacking so we don't have to do any of that menial stuff, including driving like maniacs to and from POFQ and getting us hot beignets for breakfast in bed.

And they better be hot, or heads will roll! :rotfl:

:laughing: Want to share some of those lotto winnings? :laughing:

Seriously, though, consider the time of year also. Staying at a monorail resort would give you the benefit of easily visiting the other two resorts to see Christmas decorations. The monorail is such a major plus, anyway. So easy to go to MK and Epcot...go back to your room midday for a break...

We loooved our AK Lodge savanna room. Waking up to a sunrise on the savanna is beautiful, and makes you feel like you're in Africa. :) It's relaxing to take coffee out to the balcony and watch the animals. The resort is so beautiful.

However, with plenty of money we would probably stay at a monorail resort, specifically a room with a castle view.

[DisFan01]

I would pick AK Lodge for sure! :mickey:

[Kairi_7378]

If I had the $$$, I'd love to do the Poly. DH has wanted to stay there ever since he first went to Disney World as a child, and I love all of the pictures of the resort on Intercot!
If I were planning a dream vacation for DH, I would book it at the Contemporary. He loves the architecture there. If I were planning a dream vacation for myself, I would stay at AKL. I was really sold on it when I first saw the Disney ads, and was bitterly disappointed when DH said that we couldn't stay there in peak season because of the cost.

[bkfree]

For us hands down it would be Yacht CLub or Boardwalk, Lakefront and concierge.
You just cannot beat the location of these two resorts, no matter the price.
For us AKL, Grand Floridian, Poly or Contemp. cannot hold a candle to YC or BW because the location is the ultimate.

[RaRaRoundTheWorld]

I would choose the GF. My kids are preschoolers and love the MK the best. Of the Disney resorts, the GF is the one that fits our taste.

[DakotaDisney]

If I was going to blow it out or go all out and not worry at all about cost (which would be nice, but I can't) I would stay at AKL Villas or Wilderness Lodge Villas.

I normally don't see the need to spend that much for a villa, when I don't spend that much time in the room. Normally I would go for AKL or a value resort.

But if money is not a problem, it would be nice to have a family or friends gathering and have the Villa for space, kitchen etc. And as you say "Blow it Out".

[dolphinmickey9170]

The highest floor possible at Contemporary with a MK view!!

[Mikey Piano 23]

HAHAHA Great Question! :thumbsup:

I would totally go for the AKL Villas. AKL is very beautiful and completely different than anything you can get anywhere else. Where else can you wake up and look eat breakfast with giraffes outside your window!

Poly is a close second. So beautiful.

[DISNEYFIX]

I would do none of the above.
Take your money and BUY a DVC membership. I wish I knew then what I know (and own) now. This way you can have vacations to come!

[IloveDisney71]

I don't spend a lot of time in my room, but if I had a lot of money it wouldn't matter if I spent it on a view. SO I would choose the AKL with a savannah view. I would want to spend at least 2 weeks there - probably in early May or September. Not too hot and the kids would still be in school. :mickey:

[wedway76]

I think I would have to pick the Poly.

We stayed at the Contemp tower facing the MK a few years ago and it was great. We were on the end furthest from Chef Mickeys, so we didnt hear any noise from that. The room was actually nice and quiet.

We have never stayed at either the GF or the Poly, but the Poly seems to look a lot more inviting than the GF.

[javamama]

Well this year it's done for us, my dad's treating to the Poly 2 bdroom Princess Suite for 6 nights. As a kid we've done the CR a few times, so next on my list is GF so maybe next April when we go back on our annual family :mickey: trip