Help from deluxe resort experts, please!

[McLiberal8]

Hey everyone!

My boyfriend and I are planning a trip to WDW in September.

I am the 'Disney expert' and this is his first time to the parks since he was 10 years old.

I have always been pretty low maintenance (would rather spend my money on food!) for my Disney vacays, so have always stayed at Pop Century. He would like to stay at a deluxe this time, which I am very excited about!

I have gone 'resort hopping' a few times, and like the feel of the Polynesian and the Contemporary, but wanted to look to the experts.

What are everyone's pros/cons of each deluxe resorts? What would you recommend, and why?

[sassy2000]

I'm not an expert. Only stayed at Poly and AKL. We love both. Here are my thoughts on each:
Poly- Great resort! The grounds are beautiful. Not too may parking lot views.The location is fantastic. Being able to hop on the monorail to MK and Epcot is fantastic. Another plus is laying in a hammock on the beach, watching the fireworks. The music is piped in so you have a great view and still get to hear the music. The pool is alot of fun. The volcano slide was a big hit with my family. Food- 2 of the best restaurants, Ohana & Kona, are here. It was nice for us to be able to get back to our room to clean up a little for dinner and then just take a quick 5 minute walk to the restaurant.
Cons: Not many. The biggest for us was Capt Cooks counter service. Very small and gets very crowded in the morning especially. Some rooms do not have a balcony.

AKL- We stayed here during Christmas which was fabulous. The huge tree in the lobby was beautiful! The whole resort is absolutely gorgeous! We love animals so having the opportunity to watch them was great. We had a pool-view room on the 3rd floor. It was located on the corner of the main walkway so all we had to do was walk out of our front door to see the animals from the window next to us.
Boma is another of our fave restaurants so that is also a plus for us staying here. The Mara (counter service) was alot better then Capt Cooks to us. Still kind of small but we liked the food choices.
Cons- Farthest away from all theme parks except AK. Bus service only. The pool is nothing remarkable. The slide is very small. Definitely liked the Poly's pool more.

Hope this helps some. :mickey:

[Mousemates]

If money is an issue at all--then To me the WL offers the most for the least. Great lobby, great pool, great views,nice location and wonderful theming throughout. Also not to be forgotton is boat access to the MK and to the CR where you can catch the monorail if you like. It also boasts my favorite restaurant food-wise (Artist Point) and a fun place to eat lunch at whispering canyon. another option if you want to do "deluxe on a dime" (or quarter anyway) is to get a water view room in the garden wing of the CR. they are great rooms for the money.

If the" money thing" does not come into play then you have to decide whether you want the convenience of locating near the eateries of epcot's world showcase and the thrill rides of the studios (YC/BC/BW) or the monorail to MK and Epcot's tomorrowland. For us the monorail has won out most recently on these splurge trips. My fave is the CR because of sentimental reasons and the fact that i like to be able to walk "home" at night and my wife's is the Poly due largely to the overall theming of the resort.

[BrerGnat]

Here are my top three (from personal experience):

If you want a ROMANTIC MK resort:

-Wilderness Lodge

If you want a high energy, FUN MK resort (with a nice adult vibe):

-Contemporary

If you like to drink and eat good food ;), and Epcot/World Showcase is your favorite area:

-Beach Club

[RBrooksC]

We stayed at the WL last time and loved it. An inexpensive Deluxe Resort that has some of the best theming I have seen.

This time we are staying at the CR. While maybe "sterile" by some standards, I love the location. It is also been the resort that has fascinated me since I first started going to WDW.

Since we have two small children, the idea of staying in the CR with a MK view was too hard to resist. So, I am looking forward to staying in this resort with the monorail in the atrium and the easy access to the MK.

Also, I am looking forward to sitting on my balcony and watching the fireworks.

[Luv4WDW]

I have stayed at the GF, Poly and Beach Club... all in club level. I have also just visited the Contemporary, all of the Boardwalk hotels and the Animal Kingdom Lodge. The GF is by far my favorite hotel, with the Beach Club a close second. I wasn't at ALL impressed with the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I hate to say it because I know so many people think it's fabulous! I especially didn't like that you have to take a bus to the Animal Kingdom! That seemed ridiculous to me. That being said... if I ever decided to be adventerous and branch out (which I know I won't :blush:) I would love to try the Boardwalk Inn. You don't hear too much about it and it looks awesome!

[WishingStar2006]

I have stayed at the GF, CR, BLT and WL. WL is my "home away from home" and as many have said it's a Deluxe at lesser price because it is not on the monorail. I love it there and go 2 to 3 times a year.

With that said, if money were not an issue I would stay at the Grand Floridian every time. The monorail, the restaurants, the MK views, the pools and the atmosphere are SOOOO relaxing!!!!

[cather74]

I have stayed at GF and the Poly. Hands down it's the Poly every time. It is an incredible place. Even the smell in the lobby makes me happy! It is so beautiful too. Watching the fireworks from the beach is so romantic!!! And ya gotta love the monorail!:tikki::fworks:

[SBETigg]

The Grand Floridian and The Polynesian are my favorites. I love the monorail location and being close to the MK. If you think you would be spending more time at Epcot, though, and World Showcase, I would check out the Beach or Yacht Club. They all have such a unique feel and so much to offer, so it all depends on what you look for in a resort and what appeals to you. I would them each over carefully together to make the choice.

[faline]

My 2 cents for what it's worth:

Poly - wonderful, romantic ambience. Great location - right on the monorail and a short walk to the Ticket and Transportation Center and/or Grand Floridian. Cons - you have to walk out of doors to access dining, shopping, and transportation.

Wilderness Lodge - very impressive lobby. Nice location near the Magic Kingdom. Able to access shopping and dining without exiting the building. Cons - you have to take bus or boat transportation wherever you'd like to go.

Contemporary / Bay Lake Tower - not overly enthusiastic about the ambience (to me, there really isn't any) but this is a terrific location with just a short walk to the Magic Kingdom. The other resorts on the monorail loop are easily accessible and is Epcot. Cons - short on atmosphere.

Grand Floridian - exceptional resort. The rooms are very large and well appointed. You're on that same monorail loop and are close to the Magic Kingdom. Cons - feels stuffy to some (though, for me, I'd describe it as feeing more elegant) and, once again, most rooms are located outside of the building containing dining and shopping.

Animal Kingdom Lodge - very similar in style to Wilderness Lodge. Very impressive lobby with most rooms (except Kidani Village vacation club rooms) in the same building where most dining (except Sanaa) and shopping are located. Cons - quite distance from most parks and the only form of transportation from this location is via bus.

Beach Club - Walking distance to both Epcot and Disney Studios. Best pool on property. Cons - while there are many dining options in the Boardwalk area, we found this not to be as convenient as we thought it might be. Many establishments sported long lines to get in at prime dining hours. Quite some distance from Magic Kingdom.

I've never stayed at Yacht Club but it is so close to the Beach Club, I would expect to have similar comments about this establishment.

Boardwald - never stayed at this location.