Where did you stay and a brief review

[katrinabennett]

If everyone who has stayed at Disney can give me a brief review of the resort ?
I am back at square one, I feel like, for choosing.
I love art of Animation but I worry about 'budget' as a descriptor. And to read reviews and descriptions of all 200 resorts is so much work.

[hymen]

I think you'll find a lot of people on this board rent DVC points and stay in DVC resorts. Renting can be the same price as staying at a suite in AoA or a moderate resort (like Port Orleans). There is a wide range of options, from one room that are more like a hotel room (studios) to one and two bedroom villas with full kitchens, living areas, laundry, etc.

The past 7 years we have only stayed DVC, except for an occasional night or two to bridge flight times from checkout. We have stayed at Saratofa Springs, Boardwalk, Old Key West, Bay Lake Tower, and Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Are you looking more for suites or just a single room? Price point?

[hymen]

Also, do you have young kids? Do you plan on visiting one park more than others? This can also be a factor in what resort you choose.

[littlemermaid]

Last year we stayed at Art of Animation in the Finding Nemo Suites. Very spacious, 2 full baths, great pool. Buses were quick and convenient. The onsite restaurant was good, we used it everyday for breakfast.  I didn't feel there was anything "budget" about this resort except for the price. It was clean and well maintained.
The family we traveled with stayed in the Little Mermaid room. The LM room just had 2 full beds and one bath. The LM room is the farthest from the onsite restaurant, big pool, and buses; so more walking.

I've also stayed at the Polynesian. Definitely more pricey, the pools were nice, Kona Cafe onsite was delicious. Having the monorail right there was very convenient.

[Deleted]

we have stayed at AoA in a cars suite. it was very nice. it's the nicest "budget" hotel (we've also stayed at two of the all-stars resorts). AoA is much nicer than those. AoA has a great pool, the option of a suite and is really cute for kids. it's not a bad hotel at all.

our FAVORITE is port orleans riverside. it's just home for us--it's gorgeous, cozy....we LOVE LOVE LOVE it.

we have also stayed at coronado springs (lovey...fine?) wilderness lodge (i LOVE the smell there. it's pretty convenient...very nice), caribbean beach (eh in my opinion) and two of the all stars like i said (which are nice on the budget but whatever otherwise)

[dcrunnergirl52]

Aug 7, 2016 12:29:31 GMT -5 littlemermaid said:

Last year we stayed at Art of Animation in the Finding Nemo Suites. Very spacious, 2 full baths, great pool. Buses were quick and convenient. The onsite restaurant was good, we used it everyday for breakfast.  I didn't feel there was anything "budget" about this resort except for the price. It was clean and well maintained.
The family we traveled with stayed in the Little Mermaid room. The LM room just had 2 full beds and one bath. The LM room is the farthest from the onsite restaurant, big pool, and buses; so more walking.

I've also stayed at the Polynesian. Definitely more pricey, the pools were nice, Kona Cafe onsite was delicious. Having the monorail right there was very convenient.

We did AoA this past January, and the bolded was our exact experience. We all loved it, and we'd definitely stay there again. I'm pretty snobby about hotels in general, and didn't feel like AoA was budget in any way. The theming was awesome, the kids adored it, the lobby is so cool, it was great having a little playground outside our room, etc.

The first time we went, in September 2014, we stayed at Bay Lake Tower in a one-bedroom suite, and it was great--spacious, deluxe, etc.--but I"m not sure that I could justify the price again after loving AoA. It was great to be walking distance to MK and to be able to take the monorail to Epcot, but the buses to everywhere else were miserable b/c BLT is on a shared line. So, you had to make a few other stops, and the buses were very crowded.

[ilikedonuts]

We've stayed at Pop Century twice (pre kids), Animal Kingdom Jambo twice (pre-kids), AK Kidani (with kid), and BLT 3 times (with kids).

We're staying at BLT again in October/November with 3 AoA little mermaid rooms days at the end.

AK Jambo is my favorite actual resort because it's such a unique resort with so much to do. The distance from everything though is what stops us from staying there again with kids.

BLT is just so convienent especially since we spend so much time at MK.

Pop is a great value resort that actually has discounts on regular rooms while AoA does not on their regular (non-family suites) rooms,

[read247]

A lot depends on what you're looking for.

I'll be honest...at Disney, I'm perfectly happy with a "budget" room. For us it's a place to sleep, shower, use the pool and eat breakfast (which we do in the room so our preference is for a good food court over table service options). All of that makes the value resorts a great choice for us. They're clean, have the same helpful staff as the more expensive options, tend to offer great food court/counter service food options, and the atmosphere and activities are fun for my kids. My last two visits were at Pop and I have no complaints at all.

If a nicer atmosphere is important to you, I've also stayed at Old Key West (both way back when it was the original Vacation Club and more recently after DVC expanded into other properties), the Contemporary and the Poly. All were fantastic, just not worth the extra cost for us. The Poly would be my favorite of those if I had to choose. My sister, who has also stayed at all three of those in the past, is a long time DVC member whose preferred resort is the Boardwalk.

[Deleted]

The Poly- pros gorgeous, friendliest hotel staff I have ever met. Awesome pool MK fireworks easily visible from pool/ beach MOST convienent resort ( you can walk to TTC & get on Epcot monorail or take the MK monorail from the resort, OR you can take s boat launch from resort to MK OR walk to TTC & take the BIG boat over, plus you can walk to The Grand Floridian. The footprint of the resort is tiny you can walk from one side to the other in less than 10 minutes. Great onsite dining. Renting a DVC can be less than the cost of AOA rack rate

Cons - There are only regular hotel rooms, DVC studios & those crazy $$$$ bungalows. No 1-2 bedroom options. WHY ARE THE ELEVATORS SO TINY!!!! If you have a LV DVC room the boat horns can be LOUD.

AKL - Kidani Pros HOLY SHIT this place is gorgeous. I mean WOW. The animals are amazing. Has a full gym.You feel transported. Two hotels in one ( kidani & jambo) so access to two themed pools. Great dining, tons of culinary tours & animal education. 1 & 2 bedroom DVC units have 2 & 3 bathrooms. More bathrooms is a good thing. Underground parking & kidani ( only Disney resort that has this) awesome kids splash area at Kidani.
Cons- bus to everything ( but only 2 internal stops) the walk from kidani to jambo can feel long after a full day in the park ( they do have a little can to take you) some people think the decor is too " dark" I don't looooovvvee the walk from kidani to the pool at kidani as you have to go through the lobby & by a parking lot. It's not awful BUT it's just a teeny bit annoying

BLT - pros YOU CAN WALK TO MK!! Huge plus!!! Contemporary dining & shopping is right there too. Boat launch to WL & ft Wilderness. Very sleek & modern. Lobby smells like heaven. The pool isn't as cool as some others BUT you can use The Contemporary pool too. The breeze off Bay Lake at the pool is heavenly. I like the atmosphere because it FEELS like you are sleeping in tommorowland. Has the 2nd & 3rd bath in the 1-2 bedroom units. You can watch fireworks from some rooms or watch them from the Contemporary 4th floor balcony.
Cons- some people don't like the " feel" like it's not Disney enough. It's not s resort with extensive grounds, like for jogging. If you have a LV room the EWP can be loud at night. Shared busses with other resorts at non peak times, the studios are the smallest DVC studios. Tiny. Really cramped. Like for 2 people. The other rooms are much more spacious.

Old Key West- feels like " home", has boat to Disney Springs but busses to everywhere else, LARGEST DVC rooms ( the 2 bedroom is like 1300 square feet. I mean it's actually bigger than my first house. )
Good sit down dining
Cons- bus to everywhere besides Disney Springs, HUGE resort footprint. Lots of internal bus stops, no good QS option.

Port Orleans Riverside pros- nicely themed, beautiful landscaping, boat to Disney Springs, nice main pool for mod, quiet resort, Yee Haw Bob is awesome, can walk over to POFQ to swim & use QS dining as well, so double options.
Cons- busses everywhere, lots of internal bus stops, sit down dining is meh?

Pop Century - pros - basic clean & cheap, fun pools for kids, good food court, NO INTERNAL BUS STOPS, Huge icons are fun for kids, walk to AOA to eat ( you can't swim there though)
Cons busses everywhere, small beds, basic rooms, can be a long walk from bus to room & food court. Can be loud.

[lala]

The is for the last 10 years, not going back further. We are rent DVC points for a studio kind of people. We've stayed at AKL - Jambo & Kidani, Beach Club (3x) & Boardwalk. We've also used starwood points at the Swan. Next up is likely a studio at the Poly.

I dislike the AKL for all bussing and being further out. I love it for pretty much everything else - the restaurants are all great, the animals, the architecture/feel, etc.

We love love love boardwalk area resorts. The locations & atmosphere is perfect for us b/c we are huge epcot people. The pool at the beach club is the best. Walking distance to Epcot & the studios. Also boats to both. Bus to the others. Bus is shares but hasn't been a big deal for us. If you are interested you can also get home from the MK via monorail to Epcot & then walk through (if you have hoppers and don't mind the stroll...walking through epcot at night is our favorite).

Swan - great b/c it was points and we got an alcove room. pool is good. Close to epcot & studios - shares boats w/ other boardwalk area resorts. No magical express, though. Lacks the "disney touch."

We love renting studios b/c we get a balcony, a mini kitchenette area and the sleeper sofa - I prefer that to 2 beds w/ younger kids.

[pinkpeony6210]

We've stayed at Port Orleans Riverside and All Star Music before. I have no complaints about either hotel, despite one being a "budget" hotel. We're staying at AoA in October because one of my daughters is obsessed with Ariel. We toyed around with staying at other hotels, but AoA seems like the perfect place to stay with my 4 & 6 year old at this point. The themeing is super cute!

[krystee]

If there is not a promotion like free dining, we would rent points. We stayed at Wilderness Lodge Villas for super cheap the week after Thanksgiving by doing that. When there is free dining, we tend to stay at a moderate like Caribbean Beach and request a room close to the main building. If we had a bigger budget, I would do in order from highest budget down Poly, Boardwalk or Yacht Club (I think both have balconies), and Wilderness Lodge.

[katrinabennett]

Aug 7, 2016 12:21:35 GMT -5 hymen said:

I think you'll find a lot of people on this board rent DVC points and stay in DVC resorts. Renting can be the same price as staying at a suite in AoA or a moderate resort (like Port Orleans). There is a wide range of options, from one room that are more like a hotel room (studios) to one and two bedroom villas with full kitchens, living areas, laundry, etc.

The past 7 years we have only stayed DVC, except for an occasional night or two to bridge flight times from checkout. We have stayed at Saratofa Springs, Boardwalk, Old Key West, Bay Lake Tower, and Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Are you looking more for suites or just a single room? Price point?

My daughter will be 5.
She is super into princesses but also loves everything Disney. Truly. I hope it doesn't change in the next 6 months (doubtful)
We plan to do MK for 2 days and then Epcot and/or AK. No HS this time. And one 'off' day at the resort. But we plan on afternoon breaks.
Price isn't the main factor but the most recent quote of $4900 for Poly for 5 nights seemed a bit crazy. (With tix and dining)

[hymen]

Aug 7, 2016 20:32:51 GMT -5 katrinabennett said:

Aug 7, 2016 12:21:35 GMT -5 hymen said:

I think you'll find a lot of people on this board rent DVC points and stay in DVC resorts. Renting can be the same price as staying at a suite in AoA or a moderate resort (like Port Orleans). There is a wide range of options, from one room that are more like a hotel room (studios) to one and two bedroom villas with full kitchens, living areas, laundry, etc.

The past 7 years we have only stayed DVC, except for an occasional night or two to bridge flight times from checkout. We have stayed at Saratofa Springs, Boardwalk, Old Key West, Bay Lake Tower, and Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Are you looking more for suites or just a single room? Price point?

My daughter will be 5.
She is super into princesses but also loves everything Disney. Truly. I hope it doesn't change in the next 6 months (doubtful)
We plan to do MK for 2 days and then Epcot and/or AK. No HS this time. And one 'off' day at the resort. But we plan on afternoon breaks.
Price isn't the main factor but the most recent quote of $4900 for Poly for 5 nights seemed a bit crazy. (With tix and dining)

Was the quote through Disney or DVC rentals? I would check out what DVC rental store or David's DVC rentals has available. You can calculate your cost via a calculator on both their websites for free.

[Amy]

This is harder without knowing your budget but here are my top in each category.

Value - AoA

Moderate - Port Orleans (either Riverside or French Quarter)

Deluxe - Beach Club if you want the
EPCOT area
Poly if you want the monorail
Wilderness Lodge if the other two are a bit over budget but you still want deluxe

[Deleted]

Aug 7, 2016 22:16:41 GMT -5 hymen said:

Aug 7, 2016 20:32:51 GMT -5 katrinabennett said:

My daughter will be 5.
She is super into princesses but also loves everything Disney. Truly. I hope it doesn't change in the next 6 months (doubtful)
We plan to do MK for 2 days and then Epcot and/or AK. No HS this time. And one 'off' day at the resort. But we plan on afternoon breaks.
Price isn't the main factor but the most recent quote of $4900 for Poly for 5 nights seemed a bit crazy. (With tix and dining)

Was the quote through Disney or DVC rentals? I would check out what DVC rental store or David's DVC rentals has available. You can calculate your cost via a calculator on both their websites for free.

So I can't remember when you are staying, but renting through DVC at the Poly the ONLY time your total with standard dining and PH tickets ( which you will want at The Poly ) is Christmas Week ( aka the most $$$ week of the year. ) Most other weeks are about a savings of 1000.00. I would budget 4000.00 total on the high side for 6 day hoppers, standard dining and a DVC studio at Poly. 

[was5]

Aug 7, 2016 22:16:41 GMT -5 hymen said:

Aug 7, 2016 20:32:51 GMT -5 katrinabennett said:

My daughter will be 5.
She is super into princesses but also loves everything Disney. Truly. I hope it doesn't change in the next 6 months (doubtful)
We plan to do MK for 2 days and then Epcot and/or AK. No HS this time. And one 'off' day at the resort. But we plan on afternoon breaks.
Price isn't the main factor but the most recent quote of $4900 for Poly for 5 nights seemed a bit crazy. (With tix and dining)

Was the quote through Disney or DVC rentals? I would check out what DVC rental store or David's DVC rentals has available. You can calculate your cost via a calculator on both their websites for free.

I'm sorry hymen, I have a stupid question. Are the calculators on the home pages for both of these sites? I think I've looked at both sites and I've only come away with a general idea of how much a DVC rental would cost. I must not be looking in the right place.

[Deleted]

Aug 8, 2016 9:07:30 GMT -5 was5 said:

Aug 7, 2016 22:16:41 GMT -5 hymen said:

Was the quote through Disney or DVC rentals? I would check out what DVC rental store or David's DVC rentals has available. You can calculate your cost via a calculator on both their websites for free.

I'm sorry hymen , I have a stupid question. Are the calculators on the home pages for both of these sites? I think I've looked at both sites and I've only come away with a general idea of how much a DVC rental would cost. I must not be looking in the right place.

www.dvcrequest.com/cost-calculator.asp


dvcrentalstore.com/points-calculator/

[was5]

Aug 8, 2016 9:26:22 GMT -5 @savestheday said:

Aug 8, 2016 9:07:30 GMT -5 was5 said:

I'm sorry hymen , I have a stupid question. Are the calculators on the home pages for both of these sites? I think I've looked at both sites and I've only come away with a general idea of how much a DVC rental would cost. I must not be looking in the right place.

www.dvcrequest.com/cost-calculator.asp


dvcrentalstore.com/points-calculator/

Thank you @savestheday, this is great!

[Deleted]

Aug 8, 2016 9:31:42 GMT -5 was5 said:

Aug 8, 2016 9:26:22 GMT -5 @savestheday said:

www.dvcrequest.com/cost-calculator.asp


dvcrentalstore.com/points-calculator/

Thank you @savestheday , this is great!

Your welcome! I love bringing people to the DVC Darkside! LOL! 

[nsl]

We've stayed at the Swan, the Dolphin, and the Board Walk.

The Swam and Dolphin were great for price, the rooms were very comfortable, and since our kids were really little and couldn't swim yet when we stayed there we didn't mind that those areas weren't as cool as they are in the Disney resorts. The location was incredible, and we spent a lot more time at Epcot than we'd originally planned because it was just right there. There's also a kid's club in the Dolphin that my boys really enjoyed when we went out on a date night.

The Board Walk was really fantastic for the same reasons as the Swan and Dolphin, plus the added convenience of Magical Express, a nicer pool (which we used a couple of times since our kids were swimmers by then), and more fun theming. There aren't any official resort dining options, but you're so close to the Board Walk Bakery, Flying Fish Cafe, and a few other restaurants on the Board Walk (plus the options at the other Epcot resorts) that none of us minded not having any dining in the hotel itself.

[hymen]

Because you are planning on going in 6 months, you might not be able to get a more popular resort via point rentals (Poly, Boardwalk, BLT). However, you should be able to get Old Key West, Saratoga, and AKL no problem. OKW has HUGE rooms by the way, and really nice resort grounds - the bus is a pain there, because there are 5 internal stops (same with Saratoga). Both OKW and Saratoga are a boat ride away from Disney Springs, and you can actually walk to DS from Saratoga.

[Deleted]

Aug 8, 2016 9:36:04 GMT -5 hymen said:

Because you are planning on going in 6 months, you might not be able to get a more popular resort via point rentals (Poly, Boardwalk, BLT). However, you should be able to get Old Key West, Saratoga, and AKL no problem. OKW has HUGE rooms by the way, and really nice resort grounds - the bus is a pain there, because there are 5 internal stops (same with Saratoga). Both OKW and Saratoga are a boat ride away from Disney Springs, and you can actually walk to DS from Saratoga.

Poly keeps popping up with the occasional availability. I think that resort never sold out. 

[Amy]

eh, if it's truly 6 months, you are going to still see availability for most, Feb is fairly slow

[revolution]

Aug 7, 2016 20:32:51 GMT -5 katrinabennett said:

Aug 7, 2016 12:21:35 GMT -5 hymen said:

I think you'll find a lot of people on this board rent DVC points and stay in DVC resorts. Renting can be the same price as staying at a suite in AoA or a moderate resort (like Port Orleans). There is a wide range of options, from one room that are more like a hotel room (studios) to one and two bedroom villas with full kitchens, living areas, laundry, etc.

The past 7 years we have only stayed DVC, except for an occasional night or two to bridge flight times from checkout. We have stayed at Saratofa Springs, Boardwalk, Old Key West, Bay Lake Tower, and Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Are you looking more for suites or just a single room? Price point?

My daughter will be 5.
She is super into princesses but also loves everything Disney. Truly. I hope it doesn't change in the next 6 months (doubtful)
We plan to do MK for 2 days and then Epcot and/or AK. No HS this time. And one 'off' day at the resort. But we plan on afternoon breaks.
Price isn't the main factor but the most recent quote of $4900 for Poly for 5 nights seemed a bit crazy. (With tix and dining)

We stayed at Port Orleans Riverside in a Princess Tiana room. We loved it. The resort just felt like home to us. I would love to go back and do that resort again, but I am trying to experience all/most of them. DD was super excited with the theme of that room, she was 5 and into princesses when we stayed there.

Our last trip was to a tree house villa at Saratoga Springs. LOVED the tree house. The only con was having to take a bus to the main resort and then wait for a bus to the parks. But the tree house area was phenomenal for us. and the tree house was fun!

Next up is Caribbean Beach Resort. I'm excited about it. But we haven't been to it yet so I can't give you an opinion on it.

[ssmjlm]

We stayed at BLT May 2015 with 5 adults and 1, 2yo.

Pros-2bd was huge and we rented points, so it was less than 3 separate hotel rooms. The 3rd full bath was used a lot since we put E's PNP in the master bath. Loved how close it was to the monorail, we did dinner at GF 2x, MK 2x, and Epcot. We enjoyed the pool with the 2 water slides and E enjoyed the splash pad. Contemporary has the market, QS, Chef Mickey's, and the regular restaurant (really good breakfast there).

Cons-Not overly "themed." Also the buses were a bit of a pain for HS, but we had no problem with AK or going to Disney Springs twice.

We purposely wanted somewhere close we could go to mid-day. We definitely were not all day park people with a 2yo and definitely napped and went to the pool a few times.

[ilikedonuts]

Have you said your exact dates? Presidents day and the marathon tie up the last two weekends in february. i'm checking dvc availability now for a friend and its basically just AKV, OKW and SSR for the days I checked. I did not check Poly because she didn't want it.

[was5]

Aug 8, 2016 15:05:34 GMT -5 ilikedonuts said:

Have you said your exact dates? Presidents day and the marathon tie up the last two weekends in february. i'm checking dvc availability now for a friend and its basically just AKV, OKW and SSR for the days I checked. I did not check Poly because she didn't want it.

I know you were referring to the OP, but my original plan was to go the week of President's Day, 2018. After finding out that week is now one of the busy times (with the addition of marathon activities) we are looking at early January 2018. DD will just have to miss a few , or 5, days of school

[Deleted]

Aug 8, 2016 15:08:12 GMT -5 was5 said:

Aug 8, 2016 15:05:34 GMT -5 ilikedonuts said:

Have you said your exact dates? Presidents day and the marathon tie up the last two weekends in february. i'm checking dvc availability now for a friend and its basically just AKV, OKW and SSR for the days I checked. I did not check Poly because she didn't want it.

I know you were referring to the OP, but my original plan was to go the week of President's Day, 2018. After finding out that week is now one of the busy times (with the addition of marathon activities) we are looking at early January 2018. DD will just have to miss a few , or 5, days of school

I like the week of before MLK

[Deleted]

1st-18th of February is available at poly right now