besroma Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 and why? I started over because my last thread title was confusing! We are planning and October trip. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lotsofpumpkins Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 We like to camp at Ft. Wilderness. Because of our large family, we'd either need 2 hotel rooms or a suite of some kind, so it would be very expensive. At the campground, you can have up to 10 people on a site. They do have cabins for those who prefer that. The campground is very nice; they keep it very clean and there's so much to do. Sometimes we just go and camp without going into any of the parks. ETA: October is a great time of year at Disney. Not too crowded, not too hot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura in STL Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 I have three answers for different reasons: Wilderness Lodge - this was our favorite when the kiddos were little because of its proximity to Magic Kingdom. We used to start out there several days of our trip then hop to another park. Magic Kingdom gets unbearably busy after about 2pm. Boardwalk - this is our current favorite because of its location on the Boardwalk. We like to walk to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, the kids current favorite parks, from this resort. Beach Club is also good for this, but for some reason we like Boardwalk more. Animal Kingdom Lodge - this resort has no strategic advantage, but is just a fun place! We love the animal viewing, the ambiance in the lobby, and the fireside stories. Location usually wins out because AKL is pretty far from things. This is not considering cost, as these are all deluxe resorts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 We were eating at Mexico in Epcot when our waiter said that most people stay at the same resort every time they come back. That was true for us. We were a family of five and Port Orleans Riverside was the only moderate resort that fit us all. We've continued to stay there even after we've become a family of six! We just convince another family member to come with us and we stick one of our kids in their room! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnaM Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 We cant afford the fancier resorts so out of the value we really love the Pop Century Resort. I am looking forward to perhaps trying the Art of Animation next time we go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 I like different resorts for different times and occasions as well. For our first anniversary, my dh and I stayed at Grand Floridian. Beautiful resort, very romantic and perfect for newlyweds. I wouldn't feel as comfortable bringing young kids there. Although it's absolutely gorgeous, I think kiddos would enjoy something less formal and more "kid themed". Fort Wilderness cabins are fabulous! Loved them for our family, especially in December, when it gave us a bit of a woodsy/Christmas feel, which isn't all that easy to find in Florida. The transportation is a little slower if you're not going to MK, and the pool and food offerings were lacking (although there are full size kitchens in each cabin, I'm not one to do more than cold cereal when I'm on vacation), but they are great fun as well. Too many mosquitoes in the summer for me though. Carribean Beach Resort was another place my dh and I stayed before we had kids, and we thought that was fun, too, although their buses were slower than tar. I thought it would be a great place for families, too. Great pools and a playground. Polynesian is my favorite resort for anyone. I love the theming, LOVE the restaurants ('Ohana and Kona Cafe are a must do for us, no matter where we're staying), the transportation is great and the pools are amazing. The only problem is the price. :lol: Pop Century is our favorite value (until we stay at Art of Animation, no doubt). It has a fun theme, an energetic vibe, good pool, excellent food court and efficient buses. We've loved the times we've stayed there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 ('Ohana and Kona Cafe are a must do for us, no matter where we're staying), the transportation is great and the pools are amazing. The only problem is the price. :lol: Pe! What do you order at Kona Cafe? Just curious! I may ditch my family and head over myself on our next trip1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linders Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 (edited) On the high end...one family member votes Wilderness Lodge, the others (including me) vote Animal Kingdom Lodge. WL is beautiful and relaxing, but I love sitting on the balcony watching the animals! On the mid-$ side, Caribbean Beach had 1) nice sand beach and 2) great pool. Did a low-$ Pop resort once - never again. Old Key West had nice, large condos but seemed a ways away from everything. The cabins at Fort Wilderness worked out well once we learned to just drive our car to the parks instead of using the buses (onsite residents don't pay for parking at the parks). Pools at Fort Wilderness were so-so. Hmmm..I think we've been there too often if I have so many opinions. Edited June 27, 2012 by linders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 We really enjoyed Ft. Wilderness!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 What do you order at Kona Cafe? Just curious! I may ditch my family and head over myself on our next trip1 What don't I order at Kona is probably the better question? :blush: I love it for breakfast. Love it! Tonga toast is my ultimate favorite, followed by the Macadamia-Pineapple pancakes. The Samoan is so delicious my mouth is actually watering as I type. It's poached eggs with hollandaise sauce over smoked pulled pork hash. The description doesn't come close to the taste. And, on an occasion or two, when I knew we'd be doing some marathon Disney park walking...I have indulged in the Big Kahuna. French toast, macadamia-pineapple pancakes, eggs, home fries, ham, bacon and sausage. Yeah. :blush: In my defense, I only eat one of the bacon strips and my family eats the rest of the meat. Everything else is mine, though. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 We stayed at Saratoga Springs and loved it. We got a 2 bedroom condo, with a full kitchen and living area. It was perfect for us. The 4 kids were in one bedroom and DH and I were in the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 What don't I order at Kona is probably the better question? :blush: I love it for breakfast. Love it! Tonga toast is my ultimate favorite, followed by the Macadamia-Pineapple pancakes. The Samoan is so delicious my mouth is actually watering as I type. It's poached eggs with hollandaise sauce over smoked pulled pork hash. The description doesn't come close to the taste. And, on an occasion or two, when I knew we'd be doing some marathon Disney park walking...I have indulged in the Big Kahuna. French toast, macadamia-pineapple pancakes, eggs, home fries, ham, bacon and sausage. Yeah. :blush: In my defense, I only eat one of the bacon strips and my family eats the rest of the meat. Everything else is mine, though. :lol: :drool5: Oh. my. goodness!!!! YUMMY!!!!! Should we plan on this for one of our meals? Is this sit down or counter service? We are going in Sept (long story - we had a FL vacation (non-disney) planned - then my brother planned a wedding for later on. We just HAD to book Free Dining for the difference in time!!) Anyway, we're looking for nice places to eat (not sit down -we already have those!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MommaOfalotta Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 DEFINITELY Port Orleans French Quarter! I went there as a child and LOVED it! I told my daughter all about the awesome dragon pool and she was sold-we just came back from her first trip there. She loved our resort so much:) Its right on the water and we loved taking the ferry boats. Its very beautiful scenery and the kids FLIP over the pool. We will never stay anywhere else! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 :drool5: Oh. my. goodness!!!! YUMMY!!!!! Should we plan on this for one of our meals? Is this sit down or counter service? We are going in Sept (long story - we had a FL vacation (non-disney) planned - then my brother planned a wedding for later on. We just HAD to book Free Dining for the difference in time!!) Anyway, we're looking for nice places to eat (not sit down -we already have those!). It is sit-down. It's not horribly expensive (relative to other Disney places, LOL), so we usually will pay out of pocket if my other dining ressies are already taken up. We often eat there on the morning we leave, then walk to MK from the Polynesian and say goodbye to Mickey and the castle before we have to catch the Magical Express bus to the airport. This is my favorite site for Disney food help/reviews/suggestions/photos: http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/ Their e-books are really fun for dining advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 :drool5: Oh. my. goodness!!!! YUMMY!!!!! Should we plan on this for one of our meals? Is this sit down or counter service? We are going in Sept (long story - we had a FL vacation (non-disney) planned - then my brother planned a wedding for later on. We just HAD to book Free Dining for the difference in time!!) Anyway, we're looking for nice places to eat (not sit down -we already have those!). So are we!!! My parents are taking me and the kids. The girls are super excited. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Here's a great review of Kona for breakfast, lots of fabulous photos, too. Including the infamous "Tonga toast". :drool: http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2011/04/14/guest-review-kona-cafe-breakfast/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kroe1 Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 My favorite resort is the one I am getting the biggest discount on when I call to make ressies. I have stayed at all of them multiple times except the value resorts which I have never stayed in. The moderates, deluxe, and villa resorts are all great. One can't go wrong with any of them. I basically start each ressie call with "what resort has the biggest discount available for an annual passholder?" I then make the poor cast member go through each one. Sometimes I make the ressie online at the passholder site so I can make sure the discounts are applied. I know I preach this a lot, but check into being an annual passholder even if you are going for one week. If one is staying at a deluxe resort, for example, the room savings are about $100 a day. So if you are saving $500 for the trip, then that pays for the annual pass. It is like getting a free ticket into the parks each day for one person. In addition, there is a 20% discount on merchandise for premium passholders. That's another $40 for the average $200 spender. And some of the non-Disney restaurants will give passholders a discount, but it's touch and go. The Landry owned restaurants still give 10%, I believe, to all passholders. For one dinner at T-Rex, that's a nice little bit of savings. Resort discounts for annual passholders usually come out a couple of months prior to the next block. Check online regularly to find out the latest discounts. And as a last little plug, annual passholders get to preview the new rides before they are available to the public. I love this, but I am a true ride junkie. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannie in NJ Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 I second the Kona Cafe at the Polynesian. I LOVE the macadamian pineapple pancakes (so does dd) and my sil loves the tonga toast. It is deep fried which I can't eat but sil loves it. We usually eat breakfast there a couple of times each trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krista in LA Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 We love the Beach Club - it has the best pool with a sand bottom. It's also close enough to Epcot that we would go there after coming back from another park just to get something to eat and see the fireworks. It's also within walking distance to Hollywood Studios. I feel no need to stay anywhere else. If my kids were younger we might consider something closer to Magic Kingdom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trez Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Another vote for the Polynesian here. We love the theme, the relaxed atmosphere, the pool and the access to the monorail...as well as the restaurants and Tonga toast Now if only I could find the money to go..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gracefor5 Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Love love love the Polynesian. Only been to WDW one time and had the trip of a lifetime and my kids lived everything about the hotel. I loved the ease of monorail to MK and Epcot. Easy easy Have fun!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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