Trouble Deciding on Deluxe Resort

[Natasha Steele]

Our family has stayed in only value & moderate resorts. This next trip we are wanting to try out something in the deluxe category. What is everyone's favorite pick for a deluxe stay? We are a family of 4(kids age 12 & 15).

 

[Planner2012]

We have stayed at Boardwalk and loved it. Great location (walked to both EP and HS). Lots to see & do around the boardwalk. Rooms were nice and we found it very quiet for sleeping. The pool was okay. We would definitely stay there again.

Despite loving the Boardwalk we are going to stay at the Poly on our next trip. We wanted a monorail resort and we love the theme.

What is your favourite park? I would make your pick based on what park you want to be closest to.

 

[Babsy]

Deluxe resorts offer close proximity to at least one theme park. AS Planner2012 said, your favourite/most visited park is nice to have conveniently next to your resort. MK resorts are the CR, GF and Poly plus the WL. Epcot area resorts are YC/BC and BWI plus the Swan and Dolphin. The Animal Kingdom resort is the AKL.
Two other parameters that help people choose a deluxe are theme and price. Some are quite a bit more costly than others. Monorail resorts tend to be the priciest, then Epcot resorts and finally the WL and AKL. WL and AKL rooms are smaller than those at other deluxe resorts and sleep 4 not 5. Themes are very different and many truly love the immersive atmosphere of WDW hotels. You really ned to look online at pics of each one to get an idea of which style would suit your family best.

We have stayed in all of them and we prefer the MK area resorts. It is magical to me to see the castle from our resort and to walk, take a boat or ride the monorail to the MK. Perhaps the Poly might be my absolute favourite, but it is really really close. The GF and CR tower are just wonderful as well.

If your children love swimming, the the YC/BC would be a great choice with Storm Along Bay. It is a nice pool for teenagers, IMO. Our kids loved it when they were the age of yours now. Also, walking in to Epcot and even DHS (a little further away) is really nice.

Have fun choosing!! Picking which deluxe resort is a wonderful experience. I am sure that you will just love whichever one you finally choose!

 

[Sue M]

It depends on your budget. Deluxe resorts have a much wider price range than the mods or values. My fav deluxe is GF. But I’ve enjoyed every deluxe I’ve tried for different reasons. We’ve stayed at GF, Poly, WL, AKL, BC & YC. No bad choices here.
I agree with Babsy, I think the MK resort area is my fav too. There is something magical about seeing the castle from your resort. And watching the fireworks and Electric Water Parade from the resort.

 

[Natasha Steele]

Great advice from you all, thank you! Our favorite park is definitely MK & we usually spend most of our days there. Pools are important to us as well as our girls love to swim. The Polynesian has always been a dream of mine so I think that's what I'm leaning toward. Love the look of the pool area at the Beach Club too so I'll have some thinking to do. Can't wait till the 19th to book for 2019!!!

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Contemporary is good if you love MK. You can just run back and forth.

 

[epcotobsessed]

BC/YC has the best Deluxe pool, I think, and the advantage of being able to walk to Epcot and HS is huge. If MK is your favorite park, I would stay at the Poly. Their beach is the best place to watch fireworks outside of the parks, imo.

 

[OurLaughingPlace]

We love Beach Club. Our daughters have had hours and hours of fun in SAB pool. At night, they like to walk around the boardwalk and see the evening entertainment or go mini golfing at Fantasia by Swan/Dolphin area or walk for ice cream at Ample Hills or Beaches and Cream. I love doing a park in the morning, then swim in SAB in the afternoon, then head into Epcot for dinner / snacking around the world showcase each night. We like to make sure we have hoppers when we stay at Beach Club because no matter where we start our day, we love to finish it at Epcot.

 

[Natasha Steele]

That sounds nice. Epcot is very nice at night & there are a ton of restaurant choices available too. We like to have pool time each day as well. How is Cape May Cafe, have you eaten there? The menu looks great but we have yet to try it.

 

[Nancyg56]

My family's favorite location is the MK resorts, and they usually want the Poly, except my DGD, who is like her Nana: A Grand Girl.

I think the vibe at the Poly is very relaxed and tropical. The Grand is pretty darn awesome, IMO, and the pools are excellent.

We also love the BC. The location cannot be beat, and the cost is usually lower than the MK resorts.

If you do nto mind a bit of a ride to teh parks, consider AKL. It is stunning, and offers an opportunity to just escape the parks into an exotic adventure. I would commit to spending time at any resort you choose to best get the value out of the amenities you are paying for.

 

[DisneyArkie]

For my family Wilderness lodge by far. We love the laid back atmosphere. After that Yahct Club. In the middle of two parks that you can walk, which is a huge advantage...

 

[DisneyFansInNYC]

We love the Poly CL - the lounge is wonderful and watching the fireworks from the beach is lovely!!! We also love the CR for the proximity to MK and the walkway. Enjoy!

 

[SarahC97]

I have to say, I have found the MK resorts to be very hectic because they attract a lot of people not staying at the resort. I'd choose AKL or an Epcot resort before I'd stay near MK again.

 

[Magical2017]

So far, our deluxe stays have included Contemporary and AKL. I think you will find a lot of positives about any of the deluxe resorts.

We absolutely loved AKL. The kids adored all the animals and made giraffe feeders. The water play area and pools were a hit. We are at Sanaa twice.

 

[blabadie]

Our favorite for theming is Animal Kingdom Lodge followed by Wilderness Lodge. That said, our previous and next trip have been at Grand Floridian because it is our favorite monorail resort and right now (with 2 strollers) convenience trumps all. When we return in a few years We'll be down to just one stroller and we may consider returning to Animal Kingdom Lodge although we have grown to love the monorail convenience.

 

[skramer100]

Beach Club is great if you like pool time. Your kids will love it. Plus the Boardwalk at night is a ton of entertainment. We loved being able to walk into Epcot right by England and grab a pint at Rose and Crown too. Grandparents would watch kids.
If you are going around the holidays, Wilderness Lodge can not be beat. We did it 3 years ago at Christmas and coming up from South Florida pulling in I felt I was in the Pacific Northwest. Was amazing.

 

[clayfolks]

We are AKL and Poly people. The pool at Kidani is excellent and we love the quiet pool at the Poly. Getting to the MK from the Poly can be daunting in the morning because of all the people who ate an early breakfast at Ohana and then have to go through bag check before getting on the monorail. When we were there in February, that line ran all the way back to the elevators and took forever bc of all the strollers.

 

[OurLaughingPlace]

That sounds nice. Epcot is very nice at night & there are a ton of restaurant choices available too. We like to have pool time each day as well. How is Cape May Cafe, have you eaten there? The menu looks great but we have yet to try it.

We have eaten at Cape May Cafe several times, but only for breakfast. It's an enjoyable character meal and we never feel rushed here. Less chaotic than other character meals IMO. We have not done dinner here as a couple of us are not seafood lovers.

 

[dreamit]

I love the Poly and being able to see the castle from the pool. I'm from Minnesota, so I also love the tropical feeling of the resort. Though, when my daughter is a little older, I'd like to have a stay at Beach Club. We're just at a stage now where we prefer being closer to MK versus Epcot.

 

[Wild4Walt]

The Poly is our favorite ( and unfortunately everyone else too ).

IF you can't get in there take a look at WL. It's a beautiful resort and with the new addition of the Copper Creek area, in my opinion it's a contender. And it's typically at a lower price point. I've read here that some of the rooms are being refurbed here so I'd look into that before booking.