Disney Resorts?

Question

Have you stayed at a Resort on Walt Disney World property? Did you like it? Was it worth the money? Which resort would you recommend or recommend staying away from and why?

Thanks

Answer 1

Yes, I love Walt Disney World and the Resorts on property! They're all so beautiful, and the themes are great! In my opinion, it's definitely worth the money to stay at a Disney Resort. You get special benefits, like Extra Magic Hours, transportation to the parks, and complimentary transporation to the Resorts via Disney's Magical Express. My boyfriend and I went on our most recent vacation to WDW two months ago. We stayed at Disney's Polynesian Resort for 10 nights/11 days and we were on the Platinum Plan (EVERYTHING was included.) It cost us $9,274.82 and it was worth every cent. We were upgraded to Concierge and had the most incredible view on property, a view of the Seven Seas Lagoon, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort, the Magic Kingdom Park, Cinderella Castle, Space Mountain, and Disney's Contemporary Resort. We were treated like royalty every night with gift baskets, boxes of chocolates, and signed photos of Mickey and Minnie. I always recommend Disney's Polynesian Resort. It opened the day the day the Magic Kingdom Park opened, along with Disney's Contemporary Resort. Something I learned recently is that it has the highest return rate of any of the Disney Resorts, so that means many other love it and agree it's the best. Since we've stayed at the Polynesian Resort, we've had no desire to stay at any of the others. I just know they won't compare. The Resort itself is absolutely gorgeous. There's tropical plants and flowers all over, as well as ponds, waterfalls, and fountains. The lobby has a miniature rainforest in the middle, it's really cool. There's three shops in the Resort's lobby- Boutiki, Trader Jack's, and Samoa Snacks. There's also three restaurants at the Resort- Captain Cook's, 'Ohana, and the Kona Cafe. There's also the Tambu Lounge for drinks and appetizers. Captain Cook's is just a typical quick-service Disney restaurant. You can buy burgers, individual pizzas, chicken tenders, etc. In the morning there's breakfast items, and there's also dessert items. It's open 24 hours. 'Ohana is great and quite popular. They serve breakfast and dinner family-style, and it's all-you-care-to-eat. The Kona Cafe is one of my favorite restaurants at Walt Disney World. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, regular table service style. It's a beautiful open restaurant on the second floor of the lobby. There's really cool, decorative light fixtures and fans. There's a great dessert bar, too, with a chocolate statue of Lilo & Stitch. The food at this restaurant is so good, we always eat here at least twice on our vacations. The restaurant is famous for its Tonga Toast. It's like French toast stuffed with bananas, tossed in cinnamon sugar. It's awesome! I don't even like bananas, and I liked it. At lunch or dinner, for an appetizer, I always have to have the pan-seared duck pot stickers. They are so delicious! So good, sometimes I order them from Room Service, too. Oh, and then there's the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show (the Polynesian Luau.) An all-you-care-to-eat-meal hosted by Aunt Wini at Luau Cove. Anyway... there's also an art gallery in the lobby, Wyland Galleries. For kids, there's the Neverland Club (CLUB, not Ranch.) The laundry facilities have been remodeled recently. There's plenty of washers and dryers, and a little sitting room with a TV and vending machine. There's a marina with boat rentals, and you can go on guided fishing excursions. There's two awesome pools- the volcano pool with a zero-depth entry, a waterslide, and restrooms right in the volcano, and then there's the "quiet" pool. It's not always quiet, but it's nice. I find it to be a little warmer than the volcano pool. It's big and circular. There's also a couple of beaches with hammocks. They're really nice, and great locations to watch the fireworks from the Magic Kingdom and the Electrical Water Pageant on the Seven Seas Lagoon. There's no health club/spa, but all Polynesian Guests have access to Disney's Grand Floridian Spa, which is only a short walk away. One of the best things about the Polynesian Resort is the transportation options. You can take a shuttle busto any of the parks and Downtown Disney, or take a boat to the Magic Kingdom. You can also take the Monorail to the Magic Kingdom, the Grand Floridian Resort, and the Contemporary Resort. The Monorail comes right to the second floor of the lobby. There's a walkway to the Transportation and Ticket Center where you can get on the Monorail to Epcot, and there's another walkway to the Grand Floridian Resort. Another great thing about the Polynesian is that all the rooms are being renovated (most of them are already done.) They're beautiful, and there's mini fridges and flat-screen plasma TVs, now. I love the bathrooms, they're so pretty! This Resort is great for couples, families, or even people staying solo. Everyone enjoys it. If you were to choose this Resort, here are suggestions for specific room requests- room number 1516 in the Hawaii Concierge Longhouse and room number 1221 in the Aotearoa Longhouse. Both have views of the Seven Seas Lagoon and Cinderella Castle, but the view from 1516 also includes Space Mountain and the two nearby Resorts. It's really gorgeous and well-worth the money. I also love the staff at this Resort. One morning we woke up and there was a couple cigarette butts on our patio from the people in the room above us. I just threw them away thinking it wouldn't happen again. The next morning there were 12 cigarette butts! I went down to the Concierge desk and told them about it. For the rest of our vacation no one was in the room above us.

As you can tell, I love Disney's Polynesian Resort! I love Walt Disney World! All of the Resorts on property are great, especially the Deluxe Resorts. I always go to the other Resorts to have food at the restaurants or check out the shops. I know what all the rooms look like and everything each one has to offer, and I think the Polynesian is the best. If you can't spend as much I'd recommend Disney's Boardwalk Inn, Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, or one of the Port Orleans Resorts, French Quarter or Riverside (I stayed at Port Orleans Riverside when it was called "Dixie Landings.")

Compare the fact sheets and pros and cons on this website- http://www.allearsnet.com There's also reviews of each of the Resorts.

Answer 2

Yes, I have. All of the Disney Resorts are wonderful! I would never recommend anyone to "stay away" from any of them. However, some of the Disney Resorts are geared toward families and kids, and others are better for adults traveling without children. Here are my favorites in both categories:

Traveling Adults - no kids:

Saratoga Springs Resort and Day Spa - great for golfers!
Yhat and Beach Club Resort
Caribbean Beach Resort
Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Polynesian Resort (works for both, actually)
Animal Kingdom Lodge (also works for both)
Contemporary

For Families:
All Star Resort - Disney's value resort and GREAT for kids
Animal Kingdom Lodge
Polynesian Resort
Wilderness Lodge

Staying at a Disney Resort is most definitely worth the money. You get free transportation to anywhere on Disney property, including your ride from the MCO (Orlando Int'l Airport), free package delivery to your hotel, and of course, the ultimate Disney experience. If you are on a budget and have children, I recommend the All Star. If you don't mind paying a bit more and would rather stay in a hotel wth doors that are on the inside of the building (All Star's doors lead directly outside), I recommend the moderately priced resorts such as the Port Orleans Riverside or the Coronado Springs Resort.

If you would like any help researching or planning your trip, or if you would like to read up on some fun tips and ideas, visit my Disney Vacation Services Website, I'm All Ears at:

http://im-all-ears-disney-vacation-services.blogspot.com/

Have fun!

Answer 3

I have stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Disney Institute, which is now Saratoga Springs...I think.

Both resorts were lots of fun. The Animal Kingdom is a little further than most, so your bus rides would be longer. But seeing animals outside your room is totally worth the longer rides. There are mini-fridge in each room and fabulous decor. My son loved it. Since the Disney Institute has changed, I can't give a lot of information on it. But I stayed in a villa that had a living room kitchen and bedroom. It was really nice for my family of 5.

I would totally recommend staying at the resorts. It make your experience even better because of the atmosphere. Everyone is super nice and helpful.

By staying at the resorts, you get tons of stuff. Here are the major ones that I like...
complimentary bus services to the parks and other resorts.
the Magical Express service to and from the airport.
extra hours benefits at the parks.
you don't have to rent a car if you plan on staying the whole time within Disney World.

Have a great time!

Answer 4

I've stayed at the Boardwalk, Port Orleans and Grand Floridian resorts at WDW. They were all very nice. Port Orleans was my favorite because it's more laid back and relaxing. The Grand Floridian is very elegant and the Boardwalk is a very lively resort, with the shops and restaurants along the boardwalk.

As for recommendations, it will certainly depend on budget, family size, ages, etc. If you can avoid the Value resorts and stay at one of the Moderates, you will definitely be happy. The Value resorts are o.k., but are designed more for families with small kids, so the atmosphere is more kid-friendly. The Deluxe resorts are nice, but you can save money and stay at a Moderate and have just as much fun. You may want to look into the Animal Kingdom lodge. They have rooms with a view of the savannah where the animals roam and the safari atmosphere of the resort is really great. Plus, staying at the resorts means you get free shuttles, extra magic hours, and other great benefits.

Have fun!

Answer 5

I definitely recommend staying at a Disney Resort. Whatever you can afford, it is worth the money. We always stay at one of the "value" resorts because the price is right! (Pop Century is my favorite) . The free transportation can't be beat. (although sometimes you might have to wait for 2 buses to pass before you can catch a ride- but it still beats fighting traffic, etc)

We usually leave one of the parks early to check out the other resorts. This year we spent time at the Grand Floridian. You can walk the grounds, relax in the lobby, browse the shops or eat in the restaurants without paying the price of sleeping there! The pricier resorts are nice if you plan on spending a bit of time there. We like the "value" resorts because basically we are just sleeping and showering there, and prefer to spend the money on other things.

Whatever you choose for a resort, make the most of it! Have a great time!

Answer 6

They are awesome. If you want to see Disney World, the resorts are the best way to do it.

Advantages -
You can park your car and forget about it. Disney provides buses, monorail, and boat transportation everywhere on Disney property for free.
If you get tired and want to relax in the middle of the day, you can hop back to your hotel for a nap or swim, then go back to another theme park in the evening.
If you buy souveniers at the theme parks, they can be delivered right to your room for free.
Resort guests get to enter certain theme parks early and stay late every day - several hours later in some cases. The park changes daily.

I've stayed at the All Star resorts, Port Orleans, Yacht Club, and Floridian.
The cheaper resorts are nice, but basic. Similar to a Holiday Inn or such. They are farther from the theme parks (longer bus rides) but still much closer than staying off property.
The best hotel is the Floridian, but very expensive. Its on the monorail line, so you can ride right to the front gate of the Magic Kingdom right from the hotel. You can also see the fireworks every night from your room, rent boats, and the resteraunts there are amazing.
My favorite is the Yacht and Beach clubs. They are hidden behind Epcot at a place called the Boardwalk. The back gate of Epcot is only a short walk, and you can take a boat to MGM. It also has the best hotel pool, with water slides, lazy river, and sand beaches.

Answer 7

Disney resorts are great. There is free transportation from your hotel to every place on property. They are beautiful and still have have that Disney charm even after you leave the theme parks. If you have the money, splurge for a Deluxe Resort. The best one is the Grand Floridian. Next are the moderate resorts. They are still beautiful and great, but with less of a price. I would reccomend the Coronado Springs. Last are the value resorts. They aren't so great. But for the price, you get what you get. I reccomend the Pop Century.

Enjoy your vacation!

Answer 8

First of all, staying on property is definitely the way to go. The nightly rate for a value resort (All Stars or Pop Century) is usually the same as the local Motel 6 or Super 8. But the benefits of staying on property are enormous, plus you never have to drive anywhere or look for a parking place.

My family has stayed at Port Orleans - French Quarter, Port Orleans - Riverside, Caribbean Beach (twice), All Star Movies, and Coronado Springs. My favorite was POFQ.

Answer 9

My family goes every year, and we usually stay at Caribbean Beach. All of the Disney resorts have good transportation systems to get around, and that makes it so much easier than dealing with other hotels' shuttles or a rental car. Caribbean Beach is nice because it isn't the most expensive but it doesn't feel like a bargain hotel. The food court is great. On mornings when we aren't trying to get early into the parks my husband would go over to the food court and get us bagels, drinks, etc., so we could eat breakfast while we were getting ready. They also have delivery pizza which is actually not ridiculously expensive.

Answer 10

Most of the Disney resorts are nice. It all depends on how much money you have to spend for the room. I have stayed at the Grand Floridian, All Star Resort and the Dolphin Hotel. I enjyed all of them. Try looking at the Disney website and you can see all of the resorts and prices. Good Luck KG

Answer 11

1) Yes, several times, at both Caribbean Beach and the Contemporary

2) Yes, absolutely!

3) Yes, it was to us, due to the convenience of transportation and not having to fight for a parking space or have to drive anywhere after a long day at the parks. There were sometimes waits for transportation, but to us it was worth it.

4) We stay away from the All Star and Pop Culture resorts, because we don't have kids. We prefer Caribbean Beach because it's convenient to Epcot and MGM (which is where we spend most of our time), but I would love to stay at Animal Kingdom Resort some time.