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Just got back from Disney a few weeks ago and I'm already planning another trip back. I stayed at POR on my most recent visit but will not be going back to stay there for a long time. So does anyone have any suggestions for a Deluxe resort. I don't have any preference on location. Thanks!
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Much depends upon your budget and needs in a resort, I think.
Are you looking for a less-expensive Deluxe or a splurge?
Will you spend time at the resort beyond the essentials? Are shops, a good pool and restaurants important to you?
Kids, no kids? Their ages and interests?
A bit more info about your needs and interests would help us suggest.
Another possibility, especially if economizing is important, is to consider renting points for a DVC stay. You’ll get a Deluxe stay for somewhat less than a regular room at that resort if it’s one with both rooms and DVC villas. The all-DVC resorts, Old Key West and Saratoga Springs, can be even more economical.
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“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
I agree with Dot that it depends on your budget and your priorities. If it's in your budget and you like to spend a lot of time in the MK then I totally recommend The Contemporary. A MK view room is awesome! It's my absolute favorite! Also, I'd like to point out that if you rent points for a DVC room there is no cancellation policy. At least there wasn't the last time I looked into it and that's why I declined going that route. The Contemporary has a walking path to the MK. The fireworks at night from your balcony are truly magical. You're so close it's like being right in the park. So many dining options available there and also the other monorail resorts. It's also very handy on a rainy day to just hop on the monorail and explore the other resorts. DH and I once took the boat to Fort Wilderness and got fried chicken dinners to go and had dinner on our balcony. It's one of my favorite memories.
Yes, it’s true that cancellation is handled very differently when renting points. How exactly varies.
DVC Rental Store offers an add-on cancellation protection plan, I know. It allows more flexibility but, of course, at additional cost. I remember thinking their policy could be worth the cost when we considered renting points once.
You can sometimes get a better deal than room rate at the pricier Deluxes by paying cash for a DVC stay booked through Disney. Availability is somewhat less likely, however.
For such a stay, you get the use of a kitchenette in a studio or fully-equipped kitchen in the 1-2+ bedroom villas. The fully equipped kitchens really are that. I was impressed by how easily I could have cooked meals in the 1br villa we had last year. There were various sized pots and pans as well as baking dishes, even wineglasses.
Also, a for-cash stay gives you full daily Mousekeeping just as in a regular room. Stays on points whether one’s own or rented do not have that without an added charge.
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“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
I know that if I could choose any deluxe resort, it would be the Polynesian. The rooms are large, the grounds are beautiful, and you get easy transportation to both Epcot and MK. And it doesn't hurt that you can get a Dole Whip in the resort. Aloha!!
A lot depends on what you are looking for and wanting to spend. Do you want to stay in one of the monorail resorts? In that case I would suggest the Grand Floridian. Would you like to stay near Epcot and DHS? Beach and Yacht Club are nice and have the best pool at WDW. If you are looking for something laid back I would recommend our favorite - Old Key West. In my opinion, no matter what you choose you can't go wrong.
My first question is what did you not like about POR so that we do not suggest a resort that has any of those same characteristics.
Without that information or any other preferences I would recommend wholeheartedly the Polynesian village resort. It is a tropical paradise as well as a Disney resort. It is very laid back and relaxing. The rooms are very spacious, we love relaxing on the beach or our balcony looking out at the lagoon and MK. Add to that the close proximity to the MK area and Epcot transportation and Dole Whips... it is a no brainer for us.
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Last edited by cattailmarsh; 09-28-2018 at 11:21 PM..
I’ll weigh in here with a very different suggestion, because we don’t care for the Poly’s atmosphere at all. I know. We’re weird as popular as the Poly is.
I just don’t find people’s raves about their favored resort very helpful in deciding because what they like and what I would can be very different.
Thus, I suggest going onto YouTube to watch resort and room tour videos for the Deluxes. You can get a really good sense that way of what about the resort might appeal to you—or wouldn’t.
For instance, a few years ago, we needed a less-expensive stay than our usual and considered a Moderate. Resort tour videos quickly enabled us to decide that the Mods didn’t have some features we prefer. But Wilderness Lodge, least expensive of the Deluxes, proved workable. We’d not have known that without watching lots of YouTube resort tour videos.
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“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” —Winnie-the-Pooh
Sorry y'all that I'm just getting back to the boards! I'm in medical school and got swamped with midterms. It will be just myself on this trip. When I stayed at POR a few weeks ago I had a variety of issues. I was in Alligator Bayou and the room was not clean at all, the fridge was broken, the tub had a leak, and the majority of the Cast Members were unusually quite rude. I worked at WDW for 2 years and I was shocked at the way the CMs were acting property wide this trip. I'm preferably looking for a monorail resort but bus resort is ok as well. I rode out Hurricane Irma at the BoardWalk but really didn't get to explore much of the resort due to being in the room or working at Studios most of the time.
I’m sorry you had a disappointing stay at POR. It has been my fav moderate resort. When I was assigned a dirty room I went back to front desk and asked for a different room. I immediately got a visit from the manager who explained what happened and apologized profusely. Turned out housekeeper didn’t understand he was supposed to clean for new guest. I hope you dealt with the issues immediately. So they could be remedied.
As to monorail resorts we love both GF and Poly. Pick which theming appeals to you. Both are great choices.
I've stayed at 3 deluxe resorts, Animal Kingdom Villas, Beach Club, and Yacht Club. My favorite has been Yacht Club. The rooms are great, the atmosphere of the hotel is amazing, very quiet and peaceful. I loved how close it is to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
After looking at all of the options the two I am most interested in are Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Poly.
We've also stayed at the Poly twice and I would highly recommend it. We have visited AK and while I would love to stay there it wouldn't go over great with DH since we tend to eat most of our meals at the resorts and he is extremely picky and would never want to eat there.
Our favorite is the Contemporary. I realize it is not to everyone’s taste, but we enjoy the convenience and the resort ambience. I always recommend that folks try to focus on where they think they’ll be spending most of their time. And especially if it’s a short trip, you don’t want to spend a lot of time just getting somewhere. I have friends who recently returned from their Beach Club trip and they loved the convenience of being so close to the Food & Wine festivities. Have fun making your decision!
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