HELP with choosing a resort!!!!

[DisneyDear83]

Ok... so this will be my boyfriend and I's first trip to Disney World together and my first trip at all. We will be going with my brother, sis-n-law and neice and nephew. During the planning process there has MANY resort changes. Since I have never been before, everything is new to me. I have read numeroud reviews and needless to say each resort has it's pros and cons. So... if you all could just give me your opinion of which resort you would prefer out of the ones we have flip-flopped between... I would greatly appreciate it! My boyfriend and I will be getting our own room seperate from my family, however I would like to remain in the same hotel as them. If we can not, then so be it. I would like a room that does not feel cheap, has an average amount of space for two people, is clean and especially has a decent bathroom. Dingy looking bathrooms give me the willies.

So here is the list the family has looked into:
WL
AKL
CSR
Pop Century

I have also looked into CBR for my boyfriend and I alone.

[minnie-mouse]

I think you and your boyfriend would like CBR. It is a great resort. Rooms are clean and a good size for two people. Food court has many choices, bus service is good. The resort is spread out and has many pools, beaches, etc. It is a nice quiet resort and you definitely feel like you are on a carribean get away.

[SBETigg]

It is a lot easier to stay close to the people you're vacationing with, unless you foresee wanting a lot of privacy and more space of your own away from them than staying at one resort would allow. WDW transportation is pretty good, but waiting to meet up at point b could be a bit of a pain after awhile. So I would nix the idea of staying at CBR on your own. You're asking about very different resorts. What are your priorities, besides a good clean bathroom (which all WDW ideally offer)?

If you can swing the extra cost, the WL and AKL are definitely the choices to make, very exotic feel to AKL, very woodsy feel to WL. Both have immersive theming, very well done. Really unique rooms, slightly larger than at your other choices. Also larger beds. With a deluxe property, you get excellent restaurants on site, plus great shops, pools, etc. In that case, it's a matter of preference, but WL might win out for me due to location- a boatride away from MK, very convenient.

If you won't be at the resort much and don't plan to take advantage of the offerings there, maybe you would rather save money and stay at POP? Smaller rooms and bathrooms, smaller beds, pretty basic but clean and decent, still with neat theming, a food court, and pools.

A nice middle ground choice is CSR. CSR offers a slightly more upscale experience than POP, with a slightly lower price than the WL and AKL, but also very well-appointed rooms, impressive theming, an on-site restaurant, and pools. Of your choices, I would go for it and choose WL for the proximity to the MK, larger rooms and beds, and the overall feel of the resort.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

I do not think you will get a "Cheap" feeling from any disney resort....I would love to be able to stay at AKL Savannah view if I could afford it but am more than happy to be staying at a Disney's value resort....to me the room size is only slightly different between values and moderate...If you can afford a deluxe, go for it otherwise stick with POP

[faline]

If your nephew is young, I'd suggest trying to stay in the Magic Kingdom area. In that area, Wilderness Lodge would be the best choice.

For a deluxe resort, either Wilderness Lodge or Animal Kingdom Lodge would be good choices but I'd give the edge to Wilderness Lodge as noted above.

If you want a moderate, Coronado Springs is an excellent choice. It has many of the features of a deluxe for a moderate price. We've been able to request king size beds here for a party of 2.

In the value range, Pop Century is a good choice but be aware that these are really very basic rooms. We found the beds too small for our liking.

[brewcrew26]

As for the bathrooms, I have never gotten the willies from any of them. Actually, me and my brother joke how WDW has some of the best bathrooms in the entire world!

Enjoy your first trip!! Wherever you go, it will be memorable!

[AllDisney]

Have stayed at all of these resorts. My fav, from your list is AKL. The rooms are relaxing and have a bit of a cozy feel to them. The pool is very nice. The restaurants there are great....especially Jiko.

WL lodge is smaller with a mountain feel. Lobby at both WL & AKL are great places to people watch:thumbsup: Artist Point is also a great place to eat.

CSR is very nice. The pool is a great, fun place to hang out, and walking around the property is fun.

If you are thinking POP...it's a very nice place, as are all the values.

Good luck in making your choice:mickey:

[KAT1811]

Choosing a resort is always such a tough decision, especially when you have never been to WDW and have relatively no idea what to expect. We still have a tough time choosing resorts and we've been a zillion times!

Personally I would not stay at AKL. It looks like a beautiful resort with some great features (ie. the animals) but the location is less than desirable and will certainly make your commute times longer than I would like if it were me.

WL, great proximity to the MK and the other MK resorts. Just hop on the boat and you are there. Plus you have the Electrical Water Pageant going by every night, a little Disney treasure many people miss. The resort is very nicely appointed, very woodsy and warm. The restaurants are great and there is quite a bit to do in the area. You could head over to FW for a hay ride or a trail ride on horseback, FW also has a campfire movie every night, the petting zoo (great for the kids), and of course FW is also home to the Hoop-Dee-Doo Review, tons of fun!

CSR is by far our favorite moderate resort and one of our most beloved resorts on WDW property. The best of all worlds for us. The resort is beautiful, very warm. The property is quite large so they have a shuttle that constantly circles Lago Dorado 24 hours a day. The pool is great, always tons of space and chairs. Depending on the ages of your niece and nephew they also have a kiddie pool where little ones can splash around. I think it is very romantic, the lake is great to take a stroll around, there is a cute little bridge all lit up with little white lights, an outside bar by the lake that you can sit and grab a drink by at night. The sangria is fabulous!!! The rooms are very nicely appointed with just enought space and you can walk right out your room and into the beautiful Florida sunshine, no dark dreary hall to trapse down. This would probably be my choice with WL coming in second. They also have a beauty salon and gym on site something none of the other moderates offer.

As far as POP I wouldn't go this route unless money is a large concern. I think that the value resorts are a great value and we have stayed there before but I think that the other resorts offer more services and activities. We thought they were great when we toured commando style and litterally just slpet and showered there. If you are looking to spend a little more time at your resort I would choose one of your other choices.

Good luck!!! Have a great trip no matter what you decide!!!! :congrats: on your 1st WDW trip, how exciting!!!!!!!!!

[Tygger7]

We've stayed at all levels of resorts...value, moderate, & deluxe. If you can swing it, hands down, go deluxe. As other posters have mentioned, I would go with WL. It's close to MK, and the electric water parade is fun to watch. I'm not a fan of AKL...we visited on our last trip and while it's really a neat place, it is quite far removed from all the parks, except AK. For us, time is precious on vacation and I want to be close to MK.

I could list hundreds of reasons on why I'd stay deluxe, but the difference in beds is worth the extra cost alone. My husband & I both "strongly disliked" the beds at Pop....they were only double-size, and the mattress was hard. Even though I was exhausted, I barely slept all night. The beds at WL were awesome!!! Very comfy mattress, and wonderful pillows.

And, we stayed 4 people in a room at WL and had plenty of room. Having the balcony is great, and a wonderful place to sit & read & drink coffee. :D

Hope you have a magical trip!!

[Mfarquar]

I would choose WL. The boat is great, the lobby is breathtaking & the proximity to MK and Epcot is great! We had a great view of the pool (which is fun because of the current), and you should definitely check out the geyser - it's like being at Yellowstone National Park! Whispering Canyon is a wacky restaurant with some Disney magic, so that's a nice place to stop too. Ask to be the Wilderness Lodge Family of the Day during your stay, and they could pick your family to raise the WL flag at the top of the resort one morning.

AKL always seems a bit dark/gloomy. It's beautiful, don't get my wrong, but it just doesn't do it for me. Also, the bus rides from there are loooong. As for rooms (I've visited my aunt when she's stayed there), they're pretty identical (as is the hotel layout itself) to the WL - I think the same architect designed them.

I've only eaten at Coronado Springs. It's a beautiful resort and has amenities the other moderates don't have. What has deterred me from staying here in the past is when conferences are here, it seems VERY crowded (especially if you get cheerleaders or dance teams).

My husband and I are trying Pop Century for this first time this September, so we're excited to check it out. I've found ASMo and ASM to be great values, but I agree with other posters - If you can swing it, the other hotels have some great resort bells and whistles.

I'm sure you'll have a WONDERFUL time. First trips are always AWESOME! :mickey::magic:

[andmomlau]

:mickey: Congratulations on your first trip to WDW! You will love it and if you are like the rest of us, quickly become addicted!!!!

We have stayed at many of the WDW properties. I have to say, by far, WL is our favorite. Their food court was marvelous, not only for our kids when they were little, (now 20 and 22) but for mom and dad as well. We actually prefer to stay there over some of the others we have been to. The travel to MK is awesome, the feeling you get walking into the lobby is like nothing else we've found at Disney, housekeeping was great! My family thinks I am nuts....I can't stand hotel bathrooms, rugs, bedspreads, whatever, and I have been fine at WL.

We are staying at PO in 2 weeks w/ our daughter and friend...we opted for this since we needed 2 rooms. The Moderate rooms have always been fine for us as well. Really, we spend so little time in the room that we don't mind the smaller size.

I agree with the reply above, however. If you are going to do things together with family, I would try, if you can afford it, to stay at the same resort. Meeting up with others isn't always easy at a resort the size of WDW. And if you haven't been there before, the size will amaze you. Have fun.

[Mousemates]

AS others have noted I'd also avoid doing split resorts, we've tried to meet up with folks not staying where we were staying before and it has generally turned out to be a frustrating thing for the party (almost always us) who ends up having to wait for someone else to arrive.

[#1disneyfan]

I would stay at WL mainly for its convenience to MK. You have bus service, but also boat service to MK.

It is a beautiful resort with plenty of dining choices.

The only resort I can speak from experience is AKL. We loved this resort too, but it is farther from most attractions.

Have a great time wherever you decide to stay.

[Goes4FastPass]

I think ANY Disney Resort will fit the specification you posted.

When considering spending more for "deluxe" at WDW...

1. Consider how much time are you going to spend at your resort. This is your first visit. You and your boyfriend will find much to enjoy and remember at WDW's theme parks.

2. Take the cost difference between the room types you're considering per night and multiply it by the number of nights you're staying.

3. Think about how else you could spend (or not add to a credit card balance) that amount. A special romantic dinner for you and your boyfriend?

4. Any of the resorts you listed will give you resort guest benefits like Extra Magic Hours.

5. Maybe saving "deluxe" for your honeymoon might be good plan...

I don't want to sound like an anti-Deluxe curmudgeon as I often seem to be on this board. I don't know anything about your situation. You may be crazy rich. I just think it's very easy for responders to urge you to "go for it".

I think ANY Disney Resort will fit the specification you posted.

[kemps@wdw]

don't you love plannin a WDW vaca?:D I guess your choice should take many factors in consideration. What's your budget? How much time do you plan on spending in your room? What type of atmosphere do you prefer? We've been satisfied w/every resort we've stayed at. As far as cleanliness, room size, and atmosphere, they all rate. However, we seem to spend less time on transportation when we've stayed @ WL, than @ the moderate and value resorts. And it just seems to move @ a little slower pace there. And as WDW vets, we tend to spend a little more time @ our resort. A suggestion...if you have a chance, take one day to "resort hop" and check out the others for yourself, and then you'll know where you'll want to stay when you go back...and you WILL go back!

[thejens]

You can't go wrong. I love AKL. I find the theming so wonderful. A more expensive Savannah room isn't necessary to see the animals. There are lots of places in the resort to view the animals. I love the pool, gift shop, Boma and Jiko, the ambiance. If you have your own cars to get to the parks I would definitely say AKL. However, if you are relying on bus I can see the Advantage of WL. On our first visit to WDW we spent very little time at the resort. You could be at WDW for 10 days and still not experience everything, so I agree with posters who advised considering the amount of time you will be at the resort. I know you will have a wonderful trip whichever you choose!

[DisneyDear83]

Thank you everyone for posting your picks! It is truly so hard to choose a resort. I have never had as hard a time choosing where to stay on other vacations as I have this time. Of course you read the good and bad reviews to each resort and just after you have looked at 1,000 pictures of the resort you're almost sure you're going to chose, something changes your mind at the last moment... Maybe it's just me being indecisive.

I keep telling myself that I am sure this will not be my first and last trip to Disney and I will have time to experience other resorts in the future. Also, although the budget is not a huge concern on my part, I would still like to get the best deal for my money that I can. As well I keep thinking that I won't be in our room that much anyway, however the reality of it is that I, as well as my family, intend to return back to the hotel midday to relax before going back out at night. So we will be there a little bit more than just to sleep. As well, I think it is even more difficult of a decision because I am trying to remain in close proximity to my family, though no matter where I stay, unless at the same resort as them, I will have to meet them at the parks. They are 99.9% sure, after multiple changes, that they are staying at CSR. Altough there are many good reviews of CSR I get a vibe from the room pictures that the room looks like a lower end moderate as compared to say CBR. Hmmm... just call me crazy! :confused:

[KAT1811]

Altough there are many good reviews of CSR I get a vibe from the room pictures that the room looks like a lower end moderate as compared to say CBR. Hmmm... just call me crazy! :confused:

I'd have to disagree. We've stayed at both and we love the CSR but do not care for the CBR at all. The rooms at CSR are bright and well taken care of. The CSR is actually offers the most out of all the moderates with the beauty salon, on site gym, and conference center. I always felt that we got the most for our money as far as the moderates are concerned. The pool theming is fabulous as well, IMHO much more inviting than CBR.

I wouldn't worry, I think you and your family made a great choice. Have a great vacation.

[Tink#64]

We have stayed in Disney Values Resorts each trip and we have absolutely no complaints. We aren't at Disney for the ammenities of the resort, but rather we spend most of our waking hours in the parks. But that said, we love the magical feel of staying at a Disney Resort, everything is always so clean, and the theming is just amazing! We've considered staying in a moderate, but we're so pleased with Pop that we actually think that an "upgrade" might not feel as "fun" to us, we have DS's 11 & 12. Right now I don't think we could justify spending more on the resort, we basically sleep & swim there. I'd rather have a little more extra to spend on other things there! But that's not saying that when the DS's get older, that we may feel like trying out one of what we consider, the more "grownup" :blush: resorts! I think everybody needs to really be honest with themselves about what they are really looking for in their WDW experience! We all have different likes & have different ideas of a great vacation in our minds and I think WDW offers enough to please everyone! But I doubt that I'd be truly disappointed at any Disney resort! :mickey:

[Mickey91]

Well, on the up side, even when you here of a Disney hotel being dirty or run down, it is by Disney standards that they are being compared. So even the worst possible room on Disney property is a very clean well kept room. If you have never stayed on property before, you will love it. We stayed one night at CSR. It is a beautiful resort. The rooms are nice and bathrooms clean. I think you will be very pleased with it.