HELP! We can't decide which deluxe to choose!

[rdaughtery31]

The buy four days get three free means that we can stay at a deluxe resort this year for the same cost, actually cheaper, than the moderate. Last our family of 5 stayed at the port orleans riverside and loved it, because of the relaxation factor! We have booked the grand floridian, but now I am thinking we should change to the polynesian. Is the grand floridian fun for children or stuffy. The polynesian just looks more like it has a theme and the children will have fun, but no hot tub. After a long day the hot tub at the riverside was so nice, when it was not to crowded. Any help making this decision will be great! This will probably be our once in a life time chance to upgrade like this. Thank you so much! We have to decide quickly we are going in april and I am sure its going to be booked up soon!

[disneydreamer98]

I would pick the Wilderness Lodge! You and your kids will LOVE it! Has a nice boat ride from there to the Magic Kingdom. And there is a hot tub!!!

Our next choice would be the Poly and no, it's not too stuffy for kids!

Either way you will be just fine!

[Sorria]

My personal favorite is the Yacht Club, but I have seen that one criticized a lot for being too stuffy and not for kids. If you want a great, relaxing resort that is good for kids through, you might want to check out its sister resort, the Beach Club.

It has a huge pool, a beach by the lake, hot tubs, nightly movies now I believe, a beach volleyball area, boat rentals, surrey rentals nearby, and you can see IllumiNations every night from out on the beach, or if you're lucky your rooms' balcony. Its a great resort and one I'm sure the kids would love.

I've never stayed at the Grand Floridian so I couldn't comment on that, but I have seen plenty of kids staying there when we've gone over for meals and such. Just pick out which one you and your family like the best. Deb's Unofficial Walt Disney World Vacation Information Guide - WDW Planning Guide - Walt Disney World is a great place to read about all the resorts.

[MJMcb]

I would take the Poly myself. Great theme, on the monorail, you can walk to the TTC for the Epcot monorail. Food is great

[envypeterpan]

I remember staying at the Grand Floridian as a child and I kind of felt out of place. I felt like I was at an adult only resort for most of the stay. I don't remember it personally, but my parents always told me that I loved staying at the Poly as a kid. So Poly gets my vote.

[SnwhtNdwrfs]

My favorite resort is Wilderness Lodge. It really is like you are in another place. I love it.

[nicks10]

I really like the Beach Club, but I also wanna try the Polynesian sometime, so those would be my 2 choices.

[Brs197]

I've stayed twice at the Grand Floridian and stayed at the Wilderness Lodge last week. I would definitely stay at the Grand Floridian. I have a 5-year-old and he was honestly treated nicer at GF than at the WL. The monorail location, room quality and grounds cannot be beat at the GF. I was incredibly disappointed with the check-in process and mousekeeping at the WL. In answer to your question, I did not feel the GF was stuffy at all.

[MJMcb]

The Boardwalk is a nice place as well. My kids liked walking to Epcot. Plus, my wife enjoyed sitting on the Boardwalk for breakfast with the kids

[Keasmom]

If I had the choice I would take the Poly or the Wilderness lodge. Poly comes out ahead for me but only because I miss Hawaii so much.

[Spodie]

Any of the Epcot resorts are what I would recommend because they're within walking distance to two parks, which is a huge plus to me. We usually stay at the Boardwalk and it is SO nice just being able to walk back through the International Gateway after IllumiNations without having to walk back through the park, wait for a bus, and then stop at another resort or two before getting back to your room. If you stay for Fantasmic!, then you can just catch a boat back to your resort. It's so convenient!

I hope you guys have a great trip!

[GenralKnowledge]

I love the Beach Club. It's a quick trip to EPCOT and the Studios. It's centrally located, so everything else is relatively close. The pool is probably the best on property. Beaches and Cream is great. It's right by the Boardwalk so you can take advantage of everything it has to offer. It's across Crescent Lake from the Boardwalk, making noise less of an issue. Plus it's a lot more enjoyable to view the Boardwalk at night from the Beach Club than it is the other way around. It's become a tradition to sit on the beach late at night and watch the Boardwalk lights shimmer off the lake with a Sosa cigar and some beer... I'm not sure they allow that, but it's tradition.

In short, Beach Club.

[dolce20]

Hello,

After 32 vacations staying on WDW property, here's my humble opinion.

Your deluxe hotel choice should be based on your family's needs and desires. That's the bottom line. Here's a little something brief about each one, starting with the 2 you mentioned you're tossing between:

Grand Floridian: if you or any family members are in to tennis, spa treatments, upscale dining options, and the feeling of high-luxury prettiness, then this is the choice for you. Disney hotels are NEVER snobby - in fact, I feel like they make it a point to not be snobby at the GF. Don't even concern yourself with that. If you have a little girl, she will probably love the feminine nature of the lobby and decor in the rooms. The tennis and spa are truly first rate so if these are important things to you, go for it.

Polynesian: personally, my fave - but this is your vacation, not mine. I grew up watching the Brady Bunch (Hawaii special) and so this retro tiki themed resort presses all the right buttons for me. If you want lush landscape, a feeling like you're truly far away from the hustle and bustle of life, you'll love it here. The dining options are fun. The kids program/camp is the best on property.

A word on the other deluxes:
Yacht/Beach: my second fave - because I'm from Jersey and this turn-of-the-century "when the Jersey shore was proper and clean" theme really feels nice for me. The Yacht is incredibly handsome and a nice setting for any little (or big) boy. The Beach is soft, full of pastels, relaxing. The swimming facilities are unbelieveable so if your family is full of swimmers, you should strongly consider these hotels. The Y&B share great restaurants but better yet, you're in walking distance to the Boardwalk, Swan & Dolpin, therefore increasing your dining options. If you want LOTS of dining choices for your family, then THIS would be the place I would suggest.

Hope this helps!

PS. ANY deluxe resort is incredible in WDW. Animal Kingdom Lodge is like no other hotel in the US. Wilderness Lodge is amazing and fun. The Contemporary is retro fab and couldn't be closer to the Magic Kingdome action. Let me know if you need me to elaborate on these great options.

[Serkazong]

Don't overlook the Contemporary................So close to MK and right on the monorail loop.

[rdaughtery31]

well, we went ahead and booked the poly!! Is is true that you can see the fire works from the pool??? We are so excited!! We booked the garden view, but of corse they tried to talk us into a theme park view, so now I am trying to decide if we should upgrade. This is a big jump already for us, last year we stayed at po riverside and had a wonderful time. I am thinking that getting a garden room at the poly should be fine, but I will wonder if I should have gotten the theme park view. I have read mixed reviews, some people say they could hardly see through the trees and others say the view was amazing. Any thoughts? The monorail is a huge plus for us, the buses at the po were just so crowed at night so hopefully the monorail is better.