Help me choose!

[Anthony Suter]

My wife and I are planning an anniversary trip and want this to be a big one since we may not be able to go again soon. This will be our 3rd anniversary trip and our 5th straight year going!

We have narrowed our hotels to -

Poly
Contemporary
Boardwalk
POR (French Quarter)

We will be doing 6 or 7 nights, 4 or 5 days in the parks, 1 at Universal, a day at the spa and relaxing and a water park day. Please give me some pros and cons of each place! Currently, we are leaning toward Boardwalk or POR. If there is a better option for a Deluxe, I'm open to it. My wife just wants to be close to MK (affordably) so she can play Sorcerers most days!

 

[HairyChest]

Id pick the poly from that list or if you would consider, the grand Floridian

the contemporary lacks theming to me. From what I hear though the main draw is an atrium theme park view which would be reeeeally expensive.
POR is a nice choice howevever is a moderate and the rooms to me have a tad bit of a motel feel coming from someone who did a split stay there with the grand Floridian.

the poly will take you away to the islands with beautiful lush green grounds and tiki torches with a view of the castle that adds that magic touch. it feels so good staying there.

the grand Floridian makes you fell like you are staying on mainstreet in magic kingdom during the 1920's and is luxurious. you will feel special, and pampered. also the bright décor and the beautiful grounds in front of 7 seas lagoon is really nice. you wont understand until you stay there, its a completely different feel then when you just visit.

 

[Marthasor]

My wife and I are planning an anniversary trip and want this to be a big one since we may not be able to go again soon. This will be our 3rd anniversary trip and our 5th straight year going!

We have narrowed our hotels to -

Poly
Contemporary
Boardwalk
POR (French Quarter)

We will be doing 6 or 7 nights, 4 or 5 days in the parks, 1 at Universal, a day at the spa and relaxing and a water park day. Please give me some pros and cons of each place! Currently, we are leaning toward Boardwalk or POR. If there is a better option for a Deluxe, I'm open to it. My wife just wants to be close to MK (affordably) so she can play Sorcerers most days!

Of the resorts listed, Boardwalk would be my first choice, however, if you want to be close to MK, Boardwalk doesn't really fit the bill. Of the two MK resorts listed, I would pick Poly. The theming is beautiful and the rooms are spacious and comfortable. If Poly is pushing the budget, you might want to consider Wilderness Lodge. Gorgeous hotel, boat to MK.

 

[AllieBoo]

I would go with Poly since you want to be close to MK. It's a beautiful resort and being able to hop on the monorail to go to MK is so convenient! POFQ is a great moderate - small, quiet resort, nice hot tub and you can use the pool at POR too. There is also the boat that goes to Disney Springs.

 

[loves to dive]

If you are wanting relaxation and romance, from your choices I'd go BW. You are within walking distance to two parks, just a monorail away from MK if you have PHs. There are lots of restaurants within walking distance and it has a good vibe. Poly is close to MK, which your wife wants but it can be very loud and busy. CR is too contemporary and convention feeling for me. PORFQ is a cute resort but if I were going moderate, I'd go POR plantation side, it is a beautiful resort with lots of little nooks and crannies to just sit and relax.

 

[Anthony Suter]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm pricing out Poly and Boardwalk. Grand Floridian is one of my bucket list resorts, but I'm afraid it's priced out of our budget unless a huge discount comes out for it.

 

[riddlemethis]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm pricing out Poly and Boardwalk. Grand Floridian is one of my bucket list resorts, but I'm afraid it's priced out of our budget unless a huge discount comes out for it.

Make sure to check out DVC rentals to save some money. I prefer Beach club rooms to Boardwalk rooms. The pool is better, the poolside bar is better, the food in-resort is better, the view is better. Personal preference of course. Poly is top notch and if you DO make a reservation, try to make it 11 months out because they tend to go quick.

The downside with Poly is if you rent a bungalow, there is a chance you might be directly next to the ferry. The rooms are *so* close. I would HATE it to be in 2 or 3 nearest the ferry.

 

[Vivianne]

We've stayed at the Contemporary Garden View on the first floor and really liked it. We stayed on the first floor which has the sliding doors and you can sit outdoors on the seating area outside your room. Plus I found the rooms to be very spacious in comparison to the main building. We did have a room once with the MK view once but we were in the park so seeing the fireworks wasn't a big deal for us.

We've stayed at Wilderness Lodge 3xs and enjoyed each stay. One time, we took the boat to the resorts and resort hopped. Plus its pretty quick to get those resort ADRs.

If you opt for POFQ, I recommend a river view room. Of course, the added advantage is the boat ride to DS. Which can be relaxing.

We've never stayed at the Boardwalk. I'd ask for a room away from the boardwalk. I just wonder about the noise in the fall on the Boardwalk during the Food & Wine. We usually stay at the Dolphin and there hasn't been a time when we were on a boat without a loud intoxicated group on the boat and getting off at the Boardwalk.

The Poly is a nice location if cost is not a problem. I do find it noisy but then the rooms may be away from those areas.

This is just my opinion. Everything is about timing and circumstance. You can get a perfectly quiet room with the noisiest neighbors.

Congratulations to both of you. May you enjoy your trip and many more years together.

 

[Anthony Suter]

Thank you everyone for your feedback. After much discussion with the wife, we've decided to go with Beach Club thanks to a great discount we got! 6 nights, 7 days at the Beach Club, dinner at Le Cellier, a day at Universal, and a week back "home!"