** Need help choosing a WDW hotel! **

[CompleetlyRandom]

Hi guys!

So I'm trying to plan a trip for me and my boyfriend to go to WDW. We're in our mid-late 20's and LOVE Disney like 5 year olds, but also like to stay in places that create a warm, fun, and romantic atmosphere. Important things that we look for are: an awesome pool, welcoming rooms (more updated is nice), a good restaurant option at resort, and something we can afford of course.

I've been looking at moderate and deluxe resorts as well as some of the villas. So far the top ones I have on my list are..

Polynesian (has been a favorite of mine, but haven't been in a long time)
Contemporary (same as above, but almost seems a little too contemporary and not enough disney now)
Old Key West Resort (have never tried this but am very interested)
Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa (never tried this before, but like Key West, seems a bit more adult)
Caribbean Beach Resort (seems fun, but slightly too kiddish?)
Coronado Springs Resort (never been here but seems pretty nice!

It seems like these all have key to the world cards (great!) and trans to the parks (must have), but are any really really far away?

Please give me your feedback on these! I saw that a lot of people voted for the Animal Kingdom Lodge as their favorite in a recent poll, but my boyfriend doesn't really like the decor much. So if it is really great, let me know why!

Thanks so much.. it's really nice to be able to get help from people who you trust!

[disneyobsessed808]

I have never stayed at any other resort besides the value ones (which I loved); but the one I personally want to stay at the most is the Boardwalk or the Contemporary. The Boardwalk is close to Epcot and the Studios. And the Contemporary is on the monorail line, and I love the modern decor.

[PhantomVirus]

My wife and I did our Honeymoon @ the Contemporary nearly 20 years ago and are going back again this year and staying there again - more for nostalgia than anything else. The Contemporary has big rooms but can feel a bit 'cold' and not tha cozy/romantic.

The Grand Floridian has beautiful rooms especially on the top floors with vaulted ceilings and has less kids tearing around, 2 pools and is on the monorail loop.

The Poly is a dark botel - lots of dark woods and low lighting. My wife did not like it when we stayed there as she felt it was too dark for her liking - almost cavelike - but it was pretty intimate, on the monorail loop, quiet and had a nice pool (more kids than the other 2 though).

I personally have stayed (on business) at Boardwalk, Swan, Dolphin and AK Lodge and of those AK was PHENOMINAL - especially if you do the Savannah view room. Port Orleans was nice - the rooms were clean and modern, I love New Orleans and they really tried to replicate the NO lifestyle there - however food choices were limited, transportation was not so hot (buses) and there were a lot of kids in the pool - not very 'adult'.

I have heard Wilderness lodge is more adult friendly but have only visited it and never have had the opportunity to stay there - although it's only bus service which can be a pain.

Hope this helps.

[CompleetlyRandom]

It would be ideal to be on the monorail loop, but I understand that only the 3 are. I'm fine with taking buses, but I would rather have it not take FOREVER on a bus as I get easily car sick. Great information so far. Can't wait to hear more about people's experiences!

[pumbaa7287]

If you could afford it, I'd highly recommend looking in to the Yacht and Beach Club. It has the best pool in the World, with sand bottom, whirlpools, a lazy river, and the biggest slide at any of the resorts. It also has walking access to EPCOT and Boardwalk, as well as boat access to Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, Swan and Dolphin, and the Boardwalk. The atmosphere is amazing and has a really beachy feel to it.

Of the ones you listed, I'd recommend either Poly or Contemporary, simply for the ease of access with the monorail. I've stayed at Old Key West and Saratoga and both are very nice, but not as easy to get around as the others I've mentioned. I've also stayed at Caribbean which was nice, and Coronado. All I remember about Coronado is that it's HUGE. We were on the wrong end and had to walk what felt like a mile just to get to the bus stop, so if you pick it, ask for a building close to the main building where the buses are.

[CherryBlossum86]

I'm also in your age group and agree with a lot of the things you want and like. I agree with pumbaa7287, I have also stayed in all of the resorts they mentioned and loved all of them. My favorite by far is the beach club, great pool, atmosphere and restaurant. I also like old key west and I agree that saratoga is a little on the adult side but its nice. I like carribbean but it is very kiddish and I liked coronado they have a great buffet. I've liked all of these but the beach club is definately the most fun! Good luck finding a resort.

[vinylnewbie]

I have stayed at Caribbean Beach and Coronado Springs and I can say that they are both wonderful but Coronado comes out slightly ahead. I love this resort because it has a beautiful beach area with hammocks, awesome themeing (each section of the resort is themed a little differently). The only downside is that it is a little further out, located near Animal Kingdom and Blizzard Beach, but to me it wasn't that far from the other parks. The pool area is terrific and has a great slide and a hot tub. I would definitely recommend it!

[Phylers]

I'm going to go off list and agree with pumbaa7287 - it's worth checking out the Yacht and Beach Club, and I'll also second the Boardwalk.

They might not be on the monorail loop, but both of them offer a very short walk to back-door access to Epcot (via the International Gateway entrance), and they both feature easy walking paths to Studios, so for two of the main four parks, you won't have to deal with buses or boats should you prefer to have more transportation control (personally, I'll always choose to hoof it if possible ). Further, both Y&B and Boardwalk are part of the Boardwalk loop, so you'd have access to all of those restaurants in addition to the restaurants inside each resort. Iniside, Boardwalk has some great smaller bar/lounge type places, and Y&B features a number of good options, including the highly-regarded Beaches and Cream burger/fountain joint (never ate there, but have heard good things) and the equally highly-regarded Cape May Cafe clambake buffet (personally not a big fan, but I'm not into buffets).

Both also have great pools, and Boardwalk ups the ante in having two - one for everyone (which has a good bar, a slide, etc) and one that's adults-only and hidden from the other pool in a quiet courtyard (it might actually be billed as a "quiet pool," but that's really just code ).

On-list, I can't say much that hasn't been pointed out already. The monorail resorts have the monorail, but they also have higher family traffic (in direct comparison, I'd lean Contemporary, as it's seen more extensive recent upgrades). Saratoga Springs and Coronado Springs are both strictly buses-only resorts (as are Old Key West and Caribbean Beach, I think), and neither ever seems to have full buses, which I've always taken as an indicator that they see less traffic than the other properties.

Whatever you decide on, have a great time and travel safe while visiting us!

[jeffztt]

My experience from staying at resorts and/or visiting them for meals. We are DVC now, so you'll notice a trend of staying at DVC resorts. We also drive down from GA but I've tried to cover transportation aspects of each.

Contemporary & Bay Lake Tower (DVC): + Great location (walk to MK), transportation and restaurants - rooms are a little sterile if your version of romantic is B&B-ish. Overall, this is a great place to stay and if you can get a MK view watching fireworks from the balcony is a neat experience.

Animal Kingdom Lodge & Kidani Village: + Savannah views are nice, good restaurants - location/transportation isn't great as you are on the edge of the property, rooms are dark wood but not necessarily romantic. If you stay there, eat at Boma and Jiko, if you can.

Wilderness Lodge and Villas: + rustic theme and relatively good location (boats and buses are an option) - not on monorail, no resorts to walk to. Restaurants are good but not great IMO.

Old Key West: Rooms have been redone since we stayed there, but I'd stay at Saratoga Springs first. OKW doesn't have elevators if you aren't on the main floor and there isn't anything romantic about dragging luggage up a flight of stairs.

Saratoga Springs: + can walk to DTD from some buildings (close to Earl of Sandwich, Wolfgang Puck Express and Ghiradelli side of DTD). Overall, not quite Disney themed and maybe not as romantic as others, but a nice hotel. I'd stay at other deluxe resorts first, and quite frankly maybe at Port Orleans Riverside or Port Orleans French Quarter and spend the savings on some awesome meals. We are DVC and have stayed here often b/c it is the easiest resort to get rooms with short notice at.

Boardwalk and Beach/Yacht Club: good location, walk to Epcot and DHS, good dining options (esp if walk/boat to Epcot/Swan/Dolphin is included as an option). Not sure what the negatives are. We haven't stayed here yet as we want to stay overlooking the boardwalk, but they seem like a great resorts since we almost always visit whenever we go to WDW. Personally, we like Boardwalk slightly more than Beach and Yacht, but if pools are important Beach and Yacht may be a better option. These are both tough resorts to get as DVC members that don't have them as a home resort.

Port Orleans: We have stayed at both and like the ambiance. - restaurants and transportation don't have build in advantages like the MK or Epcot resorts.

I think that covers my experiences.

[minniemose35]

I've stayed at all of these resorts with the exception of Saratoga Springs and they are all great in their own ways. I'm sure you'll have a great time anywhere on the Disney property, but for romantic atmosphere, there's nothing like the Polynesian. We celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary there two years ago and it was wonderful. We had a MK view room and it was so nice being able to sit on the lanai (balcony) and watch the fireworks going off behind Cinderella Castle every night. O'hana and the Kona Cafe serve great food and even if you don't like the cuisine there, it's just a short monorail ride to The Wave or California Grill at the Contemporary.

Good luck in your quest and have a great time!!

[tigger for 4]

i have stayed at several of the the deluxe and now all of the moderate resorts and to tell the truth I LOVE the Caribbean Beach the best, love that they have their own bus and it is NOT kiddish... love the rooms and no you do not have to get a pirate one despite the fact they are GREAT!!!!, you get a great view of the fireworks and the food court is the BEST there, they have a wonderful variety of foods and they are really really good, they do have a nice sit down restaurant, not really private since it is in the same area of the food court, (never really wanted "romantic" since i travel with my kids and family), their are more than one pool there and the buses come , they actually show up unlike the boardwalk, I will never ever stay there again!!! the rooms smelled like skunk even the second one we were moved to, the busses never showed up and if they did they were too full from the previous resorts since the boardwalk was the last stop.. and you get dropped off from most of the parks last, (didn't make since to me). I liked the Coronado but too restrictive of the types of food, the Polynesian was AWESOME. very pricey though, and then you have to think of how much time you will be in the "room" if you want to invest into nicer dinning cost/ souvenirs or the higher cost of the resort??? I have to say I also stayed at the Dolphin for last years trade city and loved that they had the busses and the water taxi they don't have the magical express from the airport but the hotel was just beautiful and the pool, wow. We also stayed at the animal kingdom just a few months ago and watching the animals with the sunset was breathtaking and the rooms are very very beautiful.. hope this helps some.. still love the Caribbean beach the best though, very nice people at the CS and the rooms are nice and I think it boarders on a deluxe resort (hey Disney if your reading this please don't change the rating or the cost) ha ha.. hope your trip is all you hope it will be and look out for the free dinning offers they sometimes make it worth upgrading and it costs the same as a lower cost resort because of the free dinning savings. I guess you need to see what is the most important to you and then go with that.. good luck

[Return_of_Phos]

I have stayed at all of the deluxe villas and deluxe resorts and like others on here I recommend either the Yacht & Beach club resort or the Boardwalk hotel, for the same reason Phylers & Jeffztt have said. Now if you decide that you want to stay close to the Magic Kingdom then I would recommend staying at Bay Lake Towers over the Polynesian resort. Now Bay Lake Towers might be too modern but you can't beat a 5min walk to the Magic Kingdom. The only thing I did not like about the Polynesian resort was that it was too dark

[tigger for 4]

your comment on the Polynesian being too dark made me laugh Phos, brought back a memory I had forgotten about tripping over a high piece of walkway cement and almost landed on my face, your right it is very dark in most of the areas, I think they want that for special effects for the Luau. thanks for the laugh though, by the way the Luau there is a must see and the food is wonderful, too much to eat, they give you a ton of food

I have stayed at all of the deluxe villas and deluxe resorts and like others on here I recommend either the Yacht & Beach club resort or the Boardwalk hotel, for the same reason Phylers & Jeffztt have said. Now if you decide that you want to stay close to the Magic Kingdom then I would recommend staying at Bay Lake Towers over the Polynesian resort. Now Bay Lake Towers might be too modern but you can't beat a 5min walk to the Magic Kingdom. The only thing I did not like about the Polynesian resort was that it was too dark

---------- Post added at 12:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:57 AM ----------

P.S. do yourself a favor and get the photopass and sign up for a private session, you really won't regret doing that, the site now has some really great things added to the photobook and it really is a time saver to have someone else taking the pictures for you and not lugging a big 35mm around.. just another thing for you to think about

[jeffztt]

One thing to add about the DVC resorts...there are ways to purchase points from members, although there are risks associated with the purchase. If interested in a DVC resort, it would be worth it to look into that vs. paying for the room at or near the rack rate.

[Disneyclaire]

We haven't ever stayed at any of the hotels you listed, Our next trip will be our 12th trip to Disney world with the exception of our first visit together when we stayed at the all star movies, we always stay at port Orleans riverside, and each time it just seems to get better!!!
The food court is lovely, as is the pool area, there is a fishing hole which is lots of fun and the shop is one of my favorite from any hotel at Disney.
We also love the fact that if you don't fancy getting the bus to downtown you can jump on the boat.
Wherever you decide to stay have a fantastic trip!

[Horizons1]

Personally, I'm partial to the Epcot resort area hotels. Yacht and Beach Club being my favorites. If I had to recommend any on your list, you gotta go with either Poly or Contemporary. If you go with Contemporary you must get a theme park view. You can have the music from the Wishes fireworks pumped into your room through your TV (channel 21, might be 22 now). At the Poly, the atmosphere is super relaxing, plus you can catch the fireworks from the beach. Add in the monorail and the fact that those two resorts have the biggest rooms on property and you've got yourself a magical stay.

Oh and on a dining note, the grilled beef tenderloin at The Wave at the Contemporary is one of the best steaks on WDW property hands down. I'd venture to even say I enjoyed it more than the filet at Le Cellier.

[pumbaa7287]

While I may not share Tigger for 4's views on where to stay, I do agree with her that another important factor in your decision should be "How much time will I spend in the room?" I love staying at Yacht and Beach, not because it's super fancy, but for ease of access to the parks. If you look at most of the other comments here, people who reccommend Y and B agree that it's about the ease of access. That's why we pay the big bucks. The quality of the room itself isn't as important to most people. I've stayed at All-Star Movies more times than I can count just because it was cheap, and who cares since you're usually in the parks anyways.

FYI, if choosing a room at All Star, ALWAYS choose Movies. All the Sports teams down there for tournaments always get put in the sports buildings, and all the bands get put in to the Music buildings. I've heard of a lot of people getting athlete's foot, and other minor illnesses staying at the Sports hotel, and the noise gets out of hand at both.

[CompleetlyRandom]

I ended up booking a vacation at the Polynesian (my old favorite)! I'm very excited to revisit the hotel and plan on scoping out as many other Disney hotels as i can while there! Thanks everyone for your valuable input.

[photographymom517]

If you're looking for distance to the parks -- here are the resorts closest to each.

Animal Kingdom
-AK Lodge
-All Star Sports, Music, Movies
-Coronado Springs

Magic Kingdom
-Contemporary
-Polynesian
-Wilderness Lodge
-Grand Floridian

Epcot
-Beach Club
-Yacht Club
-Boardwalk
-Caribbean Beach
-Swan/Dolphin

Hollywood Studios
(same resorts as Epcot)

Downtown Disney
-Port Orleans Riverside & French Quarter

For the MK resorts, you can travel by monorail from the Contemporary, Poly, or GF. You can travel to MK by boat from the Wilderness Lodge.

For the Epcot resorts, you are able to walk from BC/YC or Boardwalk to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. You can take a bus to any other park or DTD.

There is bus transportation to any park from each resort. You cannot transfer from a resort to another resort -- you have to first go to a park or DTD and get on a bus going to that resort. I hope that makes sense.