Resort you thought you wouldn't like but did?

[caryrae]

Is there a Resort you thought you wouldn't like but decided to try and ended up liking it, or is there one you are going try in the future but are unsure of?

Reason I ask is because on a different site I was looking at some personal pictures of SSR and it looked awesome. I never felt like staying there before because we are not into Horse racing and thought the Theme would not be something we would like but after seeing all the pictures and how beautiful it looked it would be a place I would try in the future.

[faline]

I can think of a few that fall into that category: Coronado Springs; Port Orleans French Quarter; POP; and Grand Floridian.

[Seasonscraps]

I didn't think I'd like the WL as much as I do. I went to the AK for dinner one night and wasn't wowed. I felt like it was very dark and thought the WL would feel the same way. I was so wrong. There's a peaceful beauty to the resort that I really enjoy.

[Mickey'sGirl]

We never had any great desire to stay at Old Key West, but did last summer due to some circumstances out of our control. We loved it ... especially our youngest son. We are staying there again in a few weeks.

On the other side, we stayed at the Wilderness Lodge a few years ago, and were so disappointed in it that we don't ever plan on staying there again. It works both ways.

I say try it out... you might just be surprised!

[Julie_Mouse]

I stayed at ASMu in '08 because we wanted the family suite for our group. I was a little disappointed when we booked the accommodations because, having only stayed at Pop Century, I pictured the All Stars as the most run-down of the value resorts.

I was pleasantly surprised! The rooms were very nice and well-kept, and I felt just as immersed in the Disney magic at ASMu as I did at Pop! :mickey:

[Ms. Mode]

We are booked at POFQ for our next trip. My DH and DD wanted to stay at a resort we haven't tried so FQ won. I've looked at pictures that really didn't impress me; however, everyone here at Intercot seem to really like it so I'm willing to give it a try. :thumbsup:

[Fastpasssteve]

Two friends and I were booked this last end of Feb-into-March at Coronado Springs. It is a lovely resort and we were very excited.

However, mother nature was not kind this last winter, and a large storm threatened our flight to Florida and the entire trip. We were unwilling to accept that fate, so we left an entire day early to avoid this catastrophe. Disney reservations would have to change our resort if we wanted to stay the entire length of our stay in one place (no moving). We were offered the Carribean Beach Resort.

Now, I had looked at pictures and was not impressed. The photos showed buildings of garish colors. Not my taste. How wrong I was! When we got there, it was lush, tropical, and all the colors made sense...in person. We got a water-view by one of the quiet pools and loved the grounds and entire atmosphere.

I am thankful for this last trip and the wonderful surprises it brought...not to mention that extra 9th day in WDW!

[Kenny1113]

AKL, I thought because of the location I would not like it that much. But we loved it! Loved the design and theme!

[Tinker Fan]

We stayed at POR only because we had 5 people and needed the trundle bed for a child (Family suites at ASMu werent available yet) and we really ended up liking it there, this year we are trying POFQ.:thumbsup:

[c&d]

Coronado Springs surprised me by how much I liked it. ASMo I was also pleasantly surprised by.

[buzznwoodysmom]

I didn't think I'd like Cornoado Springs as much as we did. We were excited about staying there and I was sure it was going to be a very nice resort, but I didn't expect to like it as much as we did. I also never wanted to stay at either of the Port Orleans resorts. I'm from Louisiana and figured when I go on vacation I want something different, if I want New Orleans I can just visit the real thing anytime I want. We took the boat from DTD to POFQ to catch a bus to AK, and I loved everything I saw. So even though I said we never would, I'm sure one day we'll stay at POFQ.

Now one resort I thought I'd fall in love with that I didn't was Beach Club. Its a wonderful resort, and we really did enjoy our stay, but I didn't love, love, love it.

[Auroring Good Time]

OKW - absolutely loved it. It is probably one of the prettiest and most private resorts.
Saratoga Springs was great too.

[crltkcagle]

Exactly my thoughts. We love POR and we will be there in 16 days!!!! :woohoo::yay::clappy::joy::minnie::sulley:

We stayed at POR only because we had 5 people and needed the trundle bed for a child (Family suites at ASMu werent available yet) and we really ended up liking it there, this year we are trying POFQ.:thumbsup:

[Mousemates]

All Star Music and Movies....if not for the little beds...they could be return destinations...love the over the top theming and watching the wide-eyed children get hyped over the giant icons and decorations.

[EpcotChic23]

Growing up I always stayed at either CR or Poly. For work I was sent to WDW and for our budget I could only stay at a value resort. I stayed at the Pop and I loved it. I recommend it to everyone. I thought it would bother me not being on the monorail but not one bit.

[goofy-4-disney]

Having previously stayed at only moderates or deluxes, I was surprised how much I enjoyed POP Century. Although it always seemed to be crowded, never had any problems as far as dining or busses.

[WelshieLover]

For us it was OKW. Our friends are DVC owners and asked us to come with them on a trip. They got us a 1 bedroom there. I can't tell you how much we loved it. From my signature you can see we like to stay over at EPCOT (BC/YC/BW) we still do but, OKW is beautiful and the room sizes are incredible. We really loved both our stays there.

[LVT]

We strayed from Port Orleans Riverside over to POP. I laugh whenever I arrive and don't repine over Riverside at all.

[DVC2004]

POR. We never stayed in a mod before so I didn't expect much. However, it was good! We all really liked it.

[faline]

POR. We never stayed in a mod before so I didn't expect much. However, it was good! We all really liked it.

Actually, POP is a value resort; not a moderate.

[caryrae]

Actually, POP is a value resort; not a moderate.

Unless they changed it, it does say POR not POP.:)

[E-OR]

We were surprised at how much we loved AKL. Did not think that we would get that Disney Feeling there but were surprised by how Disney it was. It is such a unique and beautiful resort. Also..POR is a moderate, (and Pop is a value) I think you might have read the last post wrong.

[vicster]

POFQ. We usually stay at WL but decided to stay at POFQ because friends were staying there. I loved it - small resort which I totally loved and the streets of New Orleans.

[disneymom2000]

This has actually happened to me twice. The Beach Club is my home resort as it was the first resort I stayed at when I went to WDW.
However, the 1st time I was taking an aunt and didn't have the funds I normally do so I couldn't book at the Beach Club and chose to stay at a moderate and booked POR. What a pleasant surprise. The room was elegant and so comfortable. It was also extremely close to one of the bus stops so when we were tired from a day at the parks we could practically jump from the bus into our room and crash.

The next time, my daughter and her friend wanted to go so I thought since it was my daughters first time in 10 yrs and her friend had never been, I would let them pick the resort (thinking they would go Beach Club or Boardwalk). They chose AKL. I was kind of disappointed but thought I would be at Disney it will be OK. I am not a fan of the dark theming but I loved it. I would get up before them in the morning and start the coffee and then we would get a cup and sit on the balcony watching the animals before heading to the parks. It made the time there so restful - not hurry hurry hurry like I am used to. I will definitely do either one of these resorts again.:thumbsup:

[Septbride2002]

I wasn't sure about The Boardwalk resort but we got such a great DVC resale with that as the home resort. I was nervous we weren't going to love it but kept telling myself we could always book at other resorts. We ended up LOVING it. I love the location, love the resturants, love the bakery, love the short walk to HS and Epcot.

~Amanda

[moe513]

great question.

[MNNHFLTX]

Pop Century. We had not-so-pleasant experiences at All Star Sports and Music and I thought I was done with Value Resorts. But Pop was a nice surprise.

[kakn7294]

I thought I'd absolutely hate POFQ - didn't like the Mardi Gras theming but chose to stay there because of the resort size. Now we love it!

[LudwigVonDrake]

Wilderness Lodge. I'm trying it for the first time in July. I'll let you know :)

[dream6]

Pop Century - I thought it would be kind of cheesy and missing the "Disney Magic." But it's now one of my favorites because of the fun atmosphere.

[TikiLounger]

We stayed in a cabin at Fort Wilderness a couple of years back because of our party size and, beforehand, I thought we'd absolutely hate it. I was pretty nervous but it turns out that we ended up loving it and having a great time. So fun...my kids REALLY loved the golf carts. The cabins are adorable and very cozy. Having a kitchen to make breakfast in everyday was very convenient...especially when so many people needed to get ready. Whoever happened to get ready first (usually me) could be in the kitchen preparing the food while others were doing what they had to do. I'd definitely stay there again.

[ryca1dreams]

My first trip as a kid (back in 197x) we got to stay at the Poly. So, growing up, all the way to having my own kids, I always wanted to go back. But, I never thought it would live up to my childhood memories and expectations.

We got to go a few years ago and stay at the Poly. Man, I really love that place. Relaxing is the best word I can use to describe it. And it brought back some memories...

[tink'72]

Great question ~ I have 2 the first was Coronado Springs. Loved it and the second was our fist visitors as DVC members at SSR. We got an additional 280 points at SSR when we purchased at AKL. I remember thinking this is going to be nothing special but we loved it and would stay there again in a heart beat!

To this day my kids love Artist's Palette!

[DisneyOtaku]

POP. I was so used to the Poly that I didn't think I could handle a value resort. I was quite happy with our stay there :thumbsup:

[5MemphisTiggers]

As you can see by my sig, we've enjoyed staying at the AS Music. With 5 of us, we've stayed in the family suite and we've also booked two adjoining rooms. With each we have had plenty of room. The rooms are clean and my kids enjoy the pool and Intermission. The staff show poolside movies most nights, and they have sometimes had video game contests on that big screen. Lots of fun.

I was expecting nothing more than a crash pad when I booke the rooms, but ended up really enjoying it.

[AllDisney]

The resort that really surprised us was Coronado Springs. We loved the property and every evening we took a nice stroll around the grounds. The Pepper Market was a real pleasure as well.

[KarenP]

For me it was the Polynesian. It was the deluxe resort that least appealed to me. Once I stayed there it became my favorite Disney resort.

[Gator]

Coronado Springs. I'd heard so much negative about this resort that I never wanted to stay there. But in 06, the discounts were for CBR and CS. I'd stayed at CBR and wanted to try something different. I LOVED CS! It's my favorite of the mods now.

[eeyorepoohfan]

POP! I had only stayed on property one other time and it was Wilderness Lodge (which I loved). Well my hubby and I had a great opportunity to go to WDW last year and could only afford a value. At first I didn't think POP sounded like it was going to have much Disney feel to it since it focused on the pop culture. As I did more research and saw more pictures I became more comfortable with the idea of a value. When we arrived, I was blown away! I loved the resort! It had such a great feel to me! It was a lot of fun and were pleasantly surprised to find that the resort was very quiet during our stay! All of the cast members were very helpful and nice. We really enjoyed our stay here and are looking to book here again for our trip later this year or next! :thumbsup:

[MushuGrl]

I am a POP girl. POP is the only resort that when I thought of Disney, I thought "I can't wait get back to that resort!"

Then we tried Coronado Springs last year. We'd done CBR before and didn't really care for it, so I thought I wouldn't care for Coronado. WRONG!!! Loved it so much that my heart's torn between POP and CSR for our next trip!

[ehaimann236]

I stayed at my first Value Resort this past trip. Pop Century. I was very happy with the experience. The rooms were nice and the atmosphere was very Disney. I would be more than happy to stay again when not using DVC.

[cinderellagrl]

We always thought we wouldn't like the beach club. We had visited and weren't "blown away" like we had been by the lobbies of the Grand, Poly, and WL. We went on a last minute trip, and the bc was the only thing available- now we LOVE LOVE LOVE the BC! We have a hard time staying anywhere else!

[Georgesgirl1]

After hearing complaints about the value resorts from many people, we were more than satisfied with our stays at Pop Cenutry. Our rooms have always been quiet and are plenty big enough for what we need.

[GrmGrninGost]

For us, it was the Contemporary. I always thought it looked so sterile and empty. DS had always wanted to stay there, so we tried it. Now it is one of my favorites. (may be #1) :mickey:

[PopeCharming]

Pop Century all the way.

My previous seven (!) trips to Disney World had been funded by my parents, and they spoiled us with stays at the Contemporary, the Polynesian, and the Beach club.

But in 2009, I went, self-funded as a graduate student, which means I had to downsize considerably, and went to the Pop Century. And you what-- I liked it! I was perfectly serviceable. The room was as big as it needed to be, the service was every bit as courteous, and being a pop culture junkie, I loved the oversized icons. I even put Hall and Oates' "Kiss on my List" on my next mix-CD, since they insist on playing that song every half hour at Pop.

[disneykid@hrt]

I had read dozens of negative reviews about All Star Movies before our trip last October. I was picturing a trashy McDonald's Play Place type experience. We really LOVED it. The room was quite clean and the pool was fun. I actually liked the gift shop there better than the one at POR. It also seemed like more people were out and about at ASM. We met some really cool people on that trip. :mickey:

[thejens]

It's funny I have loved every resort I have stayed at. Our first was AKL and it was fantastic. My sister stayed at Contemporary and I felt sorry for her being unable to get the AKL. I spent time with her there, however, and grew to love the Contemporary too. We loved the Beach Club. I didn't think I'd like the Poly (too brown and kitchy) but loved it too. We have stayed one nights only at POP and ASMo and loved those too! So I am hoping we will love our first week at a moderate...POFQ here we come!