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Go Back   PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums > PassPorter's Walt Disney World Resort (Florida) > Staying in Style: The Resorts/Hotels at Walt Disney World
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Old 11-30-2010, 01:43 PM   #1
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The epitome of Disney

Just curious. Which Disney resort hotel is the epitome of Disney to you and why?
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Old 11-30-2010, 06:21 PM   #2
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I think it would have to be 3- the MK monorail resorts. But in particular CR, because it was Walt's vision of a future community with transportation, where families could live, work, and have transportation at your door.
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Old 12-01-2010, 12:55 AM   #3
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I think this is really tough to answer, because everyone of them has amazing theming and that's what Disney is to me. I guess the Contemporary, as the monorail going through the centre of it is just such an iconic sight.
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Old 12-01-2010, 08:34 AM   #4
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I have to agree that the Contemporary Resort is the one that I would identify immediately as Disney, since it's been at WDW from the beginning and was a place to aspire to stay at. I'd also say that All Star Movies, because of the use of Disney movies in the design.
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Old 12-01-2010, 08:37 AM   #5
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I think it would have to be 3- the MK monorail resorts. But in particular CR, because it was Walt's vision of a future community with transportation, where families could live, work, and have transportation at your door.

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Old 12-01-2010, 09:02 AM   #6
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I remember all the nature shows growing up and the Davey Crockett Shows. Wilderness Lodge screams Disney to me. The great American Adventure.
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Old 12-01-2010, 09:15 AM   #7
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I'd say either the Poly or the CR.
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Old 12-01-2010, 09:54 AM   #8
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Well .. all star movies as a Value resort because you have the Disnery Movie themes there. Having spent a few days at the Polynesian though made me feel like I was in Adventureland and even though I know Walt was not there in the building of the Poly.. boy you can feel his influence there. But I also agree about the Contempory too. If you are staying in any of the Disney Resort Hotels... you can't help but feel immersed in Disney
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Old 12-01-2010, 11:55 AM   #9
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I would say CR or GF.
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Old 12-01-2010, 12:35 PM   #10
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The Contemporary or the Poly -- purely based on the fact that Mr. Disney was involved in the original concepting/design.

But... in terms of how magical they are, I think that winds up being a very personal decision, as each theme appeals to different people for different reasons.
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Old 12-01-2010, 12:40 PM   #11
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My first ever Disney trip included a stay at the Contemporary (November 1971) and it will always mean Disney to me!
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Old 12-01-2010, 12:53 PM   #12
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I would have to say probably CR or GF. For me, its really always been GF b/c I've wanted to stay there since I first set eyes on it as a kid! For my youngest ds, he would for sure say CR! For as long as he's been able to voice his opinion, he says he wants to stay there bc it's a "real" Disney resort! LOL!! I'm not sure what category he would place the other resorts that we've stayed in before in!! LOL!!
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Old 12-01-2010, 01:06 PM   #13
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It's really hard for me to say. In most cases, "Disney" is a secondary theme at a resort, with the architecture/regional style coming first.

Currently, I'd say All-Star Movies comes closest, because those are all Disney movies. I figure Disney's Art of Animation will fall into the same category when done.

I have to go off-property for my next nomination. Disneyland Hotel. Granted, it's basic architectural style is very un-Disney - simple blocks of Bauhaus-inspired high-rise hotel. But that means the Disney "overlay" becomes all the more dominant.

They haven't built a fairytale castle-styled hotel anywhere yet (one Dream Suite in Cinderella Castle doesn't quite a "hotel" make), but I think that would be the winning choice if it existed. There are a couple of independently-run "partner" hotels with some castle theming, like Disneyland Paris' Vienna International Dream Castle hotel, but none of them quite measure-up to "fairytale-style." Dream Castle is not at all Gothic.

If the Victorian style of Main St. USA says "Disney" to you, then all the various Victorian-style resorts could be on your list - there's at least one at every Disney Resort worldwide with the exception of Anaheim. The trend towards the turreted, Hotel Del Coronado-style Victorians (GF, and the Disneyland Hotels in Paris, Hong Kong, and Tokyo) seem to be popular because they combine some elements of fairytale castle with classic Main St. Still, the Contemporary has always been paired with Tomorrowland, Wilderness Lodge, Fort Wilderness, several hotels in Paris, and even the Grand Californian pair with Frontierland, and so on. But can any one land be considered representative of something as diverse as "Disney?"

The current trend of creating heavily Disney-themed guest rooms at the resorts is bringing them closer to the concept of "most Disney," but since they represent just a fraction of the rooms at the hotel that have them, I'm not ready to nominate CBR or Disneyland Hotel solely for that reason.
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Old 12-01-2010, 01:33 PM   #14
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I think that's such a hard question to answer. For me it would be based on a memory, and just like Dave said, if one theme means "disney" to you, than that would be the epitome of Disney. For me, it would be the Contemporary, even though I've never stayed there or even have the desire too, but I just remember it being such a symbol of Disney when I was a child.
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Old 12-01-2010, 01:50 PM   #15
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I have to agree that the Contemporary Resort is the one that I would identify immediately as Disney, since it's been at WDW from the beginning and was a place to aspire to stay at. I'd also say that All Star Movies, because of the use of Disney movies in the design.
I was going to say this as well. Doesn't mean they are my favorites though.
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