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View Full Version : Who loves the resort 'experience' as much as the parks?



Minniefan68
02-24-2009, 11:05 AM
Hi all,

Having had the good fortune to stay at the Beach Club, Boardwalk and also spend time at the Wilderness Lodge, Polynesian, Grand Floridian and Contempoary....I can definitely say that I just LOVE the resorts, just as much as, if not more than, the parks. Storm-ALong Bay is amazing, the Boardwalk and all it's activites are a lot fun, and of course the proximity to DHS and EPCOT is great. Wilderness Lodge was so impressive and I really felt like I was in the northwestern part of America. I could just spend my whole vacation hanging around the resorts enjoying the scenery and amenities.
Don't get me wrong, I love the parks and the rides, but something about being transported to another place/time at the resorts is undeneiably my favorite thing at WDW.

ibrowse17
02-24-2009, 11:11 AM
DW and I sure do! FW and the WL are our absolute faves, and we love spending time in each. On our last trip we stayed in the cabins at FW during the week before Christmas. Most of our nights found us circling the camp loops in our cart checking out all the decorated sites. It was great. Disney for us is more than just the parks, it is the whole atmosphere:thumbsup:

mouseketeer mom
02-24-2009, 11:27 AM
I don't know what I like better. The resorts or the parks. I actually probably spend more time planning our resort and resort experience than I do for our time in the parks. We love the Polynesian. When I think of WDW, thats the first thing I think of.:cloud9:

DisneyGlutton
02-24-2009, 11:29 AM
I definitely enjoy all the different resorts, but I couldn't honestly say they are in the same league as the parks. Can you imagine going to WDW and not going to the parks, but only visiting the resorts? I certainly can't. However, I can imagine going to the parks and staying off property (though it wouldn't be my first choice). In addition the the other resorts mentioned, I have to put in a good word for POFQ.

gwfx1031
02-24-2009, 12:05 PM
That is one of the reason we did DVC is because we enjoy the resorts so much. We own at OKW and AKV because those are great places to feel like you are in another part of the world.

TysMomTink
02-24-2009, 12:08 PM
I agree. On our last visit in September, we spent the mornings/lunch in the parks and then spent time in the pool and different resorts at night for dinner ('Ohana, Boma, etc.) To be honest, that was the best part of the trip. I like to see all the resorts. For us it's experiencing the magic without all the running around, waiting in line, etc.

SBETigg
02-24-2009, 12:10 PM
I do love the resorts. Our vacations are as much about resort time as they are about park time. We always have plenty of time at both, no crazy rushing around or marathon park days, and we always manage to see and do everything we want in parks, and repeat our favorites over and over. But the resort downtime is essential to our vacation enjoyment, too, which is why we almost always stay deluxe. The shops, the pools, the dining, the lounges... ahhh.

Luv Eeyore
02-24-2009, 12:57 PM
I don't think I could handle a WDW vacation without taking the time to enjoy the resort. Don't get me wrong, I love the parks, but there is just as much magic outside the parks as inside, it's just a different kind of magic.

c&d
02-24-2009, 01:34 PM
We love kicking back and hanging out at our resort.

Hanging by the pool, having DH fetch a :wine:, :sleepin: in my lounge chair does it get any better than that?

Maleficent_vf
02-24-2009, 01:49 PM
Love the parks, but I am really looking forward to being at the resorts during our trip in March.

vicster
02-24-2009, 02:10 PM
That's exactly why I will never stay offsite!!!

dismommy
02-24-2009, 05:09 PM
I love the parks (just watched the magic kingdom video today), But also love the resorts, have been staying at POFQ last 2 trips because my son loves the pool and the river. This past trip we came back to our hotel 4 days to swim some in the afternoon and hang around, also love the jazz in the lobby bar. I want to stay at the Beach Club when we can afford to, and would like to stay at wilderness lodge next trip(I've been dying to it looks so beautiful).

BluewaterBrad
02-24-2009, 05:34 PM
That's exactly why I will never stay offsite!!!

Ditto!! DW and I love the whole "Disney" experience!!:mickey:

Hull-onian
03-02-2009, 12:30 PM
Me!!:yay:

Polynesian Dweller
03-02-2009, 09:00 PM
The resort is a big part of our vacation. We love spending downtime enjoying the Poly grounds and the view across the lagoon. It simply wouldn't be the same vacation without the time in the afternoons we spend at the Poly. Its almost everyday.

mom2morgan
03-02-2009, 09:11 PM
Oh, me too! Just the fun of choosing a resort is great. Last time we went, my daughter wanted to see some of the deluxe resorts we hadn't actually booked a dinner at, so we went to 3 of them just to have counter service meals! The food was unremarkable, but so much more exciting to be eating it in one of those lovely places. And then of course I took pictures of our family in the lobbies and such to mess with people and show them where we 'stayed' LOL My favourite is in front of a christmas tree and big chandelier at the Grand Floridian ;-)

pdrlkr
03-03-2009, 09:16 AM
We love the resorts, but The parks are where we spend most of our time. :thumbsup: We typically just sleep there. However a bad experience at one of the resorts can affect our overall experience.

kemps@wdw
03-05-2009, 11:00 PM
After 15 trips, and having a teen DD, we don't spend as much time in the parks as we used to. So we now have the luxury of enjoying our resort alot more. That's why we LOVE :cloud9: the WL. Our last room there was a courtyard view (upgrade) just over the Trout Pass Bar on the 4th floor. Our view overlooking the pool and Bay Lake was FAB to say the least. We found ourselves spending alot more "down time" on our balcony. This year, we plan to do a little more resort hopping.

grumpydude
03-08-2009, 03:22 PM
Staying off property to me would be like going to a football game and sitting in the car and listening to it on the radio.

Sounds crazy, :D:D:D

Soul_Power
03-09-2009, 12:54 AM
Visiting the resorts is just as much of a part of our trip as visiting the parks is! I love seeing the different themes, and it allows me to dream about resorts I want to stay at on future trips (esp. the Poly :lei:). On our first trip, I purposely made dinner reservations at other resorts so we had excuses to go there. This year, I put aside a whole day to visit the other resorts and see them in all of their holiday glory! :santa3:

pathill
03-09-2009, 10:46 AM
I pretty much prefer the resorts than the parks. Because if you're in resorts you get to move around a lot. There are places to see within the resorts and more activities to do compared to a park. :number1:

magic4ever
03-09-2009, 11:08 AM
I am so excited because this our first time staying on site! (POLY 8/09 thru 8/16) Like some of you have already said, I find that I am spending more time focusing on the resort and disney dining plan, than the parks. We have requested Tuvalu 3rd floor lagoon view. Hope we can see the castle from there....

AdventurerKim
03-09-2009, 03:31 PM
I love staying at Disney resorts! The atmosphere is always so fun! I love being at POP and remembering the toys and pop culture from my youth. :cloud9:

amd780
03-14-2009, 12:02 PM
DH and I do! We love the feeling of being immersed in the Disney magic, while staying at a uniquely themed resort. I just love how each resort has something different to offer. I'm so excited to stay at both Pop Century and the Polynesian for the first time in September! :mjump:

DawsonAR
03-14-2009, 04:45 PM
We love the resorts, we always plan some time just to spend exploring and relaxing. It is such a wonderful experience.

LauraleeH
03-14-2009, 06:32 PM
You know, I actually enjoy the resorts MORE than the parks. Of course, nothing compares to MNSSHP in my book...but I'd rather spend the day resort hopping or relaxing in a villa than fighting smelly, rude crowds. Plus, I love to eat :thumbsup:

grumpyguy
03-18-2009, 12:16 PM
i really didn't care much about the resort we stayed at on our first visit.we've always stayed on site,that was a no-brainer at first.now however after staying at coronado where we stay is our hardest decision.the resorts are the cherry on top.a nice relaxing swim,walking the beautiful grounds you can't beat it!!

xipetotec
03-18-2009, 04:17 PM
Hi all,

Having had the good fortune to stay at the Beach Club, Boardwalk and also spend time at the Wilderness Lodge, Polynesian, Grand Floridian and Contempoary....I can definitely say that I just LOVE the resorts, just as much as, if not more than, the parks. Storm-ALong Bay is amazing, the Boardwalk and all it's activites are a lot fun, and of course the proximity to DHS and EPCOT is great. Wilderness Lodge was so impressive and I really felt like I was in the northwestern part of America. I could just spend my whole vacation hanging around the resorts enjoying the scenery and amenities.
Don't get me wrong, I love the parks and the rides, but something about being transported to another place/time at the resorts is undeneiably my favorite thing at WDW.


I know what you mean! I don't think *I* would personally say that I like it *as much* as the parks. BUT I do really love the resorts. I even love the values, an opinion not shared by some and this is coming from someone who benefits of a relative's DVC every couple of years. Staying at the Beach Club Villas is just plain awesome. Not only is the are beautiful and peaceful, not only is there great restaurants and activities nearby ( StormAlong bay, Big River Grille, JellyRolls ) but it's a 5 minute walk from Epcot, 15 minutes from DHS.

I could totally spend a week just at the resort... but I would rather have the parks too ;)

like2workout
03-18-2009, 04:22 PM
i also love the resorts. my goal is to stay in every single one of them. i really can't wait until the tree houses are up and running again -i've been wanting to stay there for a long time now.

TiggerD
03-18-2009, 06:48 PM
we love the entire Disney experience, the parks as well as the resorts. We have been staying at Pop the last 3 years and will be again in Sept. We spend time in the parks in the morning, go back to resort and relax by pool, and then head out to another park at night.

All aspects of WDW is totally awesome for us.:mickey:

PrettyMinnie
03-18-2009, 06:53 PM
I love the feeling of being in Disney. Whether walking into a resort or walking down Main Street, there is the Disney feeling that you can't get anywhere else. One trip we did some Universal as well. While the parks are expertly themed (like Disney) and the rides are fantastic, there is no comparison to the Magic of WDW. :minnie:

mousefan76
03-18-2009, 10:38 PM
My DW and DS's love the resorts. We get to go so often that we aren't stressed to spend all the time in the parks. Our favorite is the Yacht Club. And ever since my DW got introduced to the club level that is all she wants to stay on. I don't mind myself because it is such a convenience by having it there. We usually go the the parks early in the morning and then hit the room for a few hours in the afternoon to get some rest and then hit the parks in the evening until it closes. The whole experience is great but the thought of staying offsite would kinda turn me off but Disney is still Disney but we could go and stay at "our hotel" and not even visit the park even though we are season pass holders. I can't wait to go back.:mickey:

Mousemates
03-19-2009, 11:31 PM
I know what you mean! I don't think *I* would personally say that I like it *as much* as the parks. BUT I do really love the resorts. ...I could totally spend a week just at the resort... but I would rather have the parks too ;)

I concur.

Figaro
03-20-2009, 12:06 AM
I have to agree. I love working at the resorts. Many times on my day off, I explore the resorts. I go down and spent time at Y&B and Boardwalk, or head over to Grand to catch fireworks. They really do immerse you in the experience and give you that feel of being taken out of Central FL and to wherever and whenever the resort is themed. Ive found myself at the resorts more than the parks. :secret: :mickey:

DizNee143
03-20-2009, 10:42 AM
i love the resorts too!
i think its just knowing i am "in" disney is what gets me..i could easily do a vacation in disney without stepping foot in a park..and i would still be happy as anything! my husband would probably look at me weird and think im nuts..but he already doesnt "get" the whole disney thing..it would just add to the list..lol..
i love the resorts they are all so different and fun just to walk around..:mickey: