Best resort choice

StarlitNight05

StarlitNight05

DIS Veteran
Joined
Oct 6, 2016
I am in the very initial planning stages for a WDW trip in late 2020 (or early 2021). I am a DLR vet and have always wanted to experience WDW. Unfortunately, the laid back DLR style of planning has spoiled me. At the moment, one of the most perplexing issues I am having is picking from one of the many onsite resorts. I've read a few blogs like DisneyTouristBlog for some insights, but I'd love to hear from the expert DISers on this matter.

Here is some info for context, and our general "wants":
  • It'd be just me and DH. We are in our early 30s and want more of an adult vibe.
  • Looking for deluxe or moderate recommendations. This will probably be a once-in-a-lifetime trip (we are from California), so I'm leaning toward the deluxe route.
  • We do enjoy our cocktails, so it'd be nice to have a resort with good bar options.
  • We also like having good food options. We are vegetarians, so it'd be nice to have a wider variety of foods.
  • As a DLR vet, the transportation system kind of scares me at WDW. I'd prefer a less stressful experience if possible.
  • I prefer a king bed
  • Pools are not very important to us.
All thoughts are welcome! Thanks all :-)
 
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StarlitNight05 said:
I am in the very initial planning stages for a WDW trip in late 2020 (or early 2021). I am a DLR vet and have always wanted to experience WDW. Unfortunately, the laid back DLR style of planning has spoiled me. At the moment, one of the most perplexing issues I am having is picking from one of the many onsite resorts. I've read a few blogs like DisneyTouristBlog for some insights, but I'd love to hear from the expert DISers on this matter.

Here is some info for context, and our general "wants":
  • It'd be just me and DH. We are in our early 30s and want more of an adult vibe.
  • Looking for deluxe or moderate recommendations. This will probably be a once-in-a-lifetime trip (we are from California), so I'm leaning toward the deluxe route.
  • We do enjoy our cocktails, so it'd be nice to have a resort with good bar options.
  • As a DLR vet, the transportation system kind of scares me at WDW. I'd prefer a less stressful experience if possible.
  • Pools are not very important to us.
  • I really want a king bed. It's hard for me to sleep without DH and I hate cramming into a queen. Looks like WDW is similar to DLR where bed requests aren't guaranteed (unless I'm seeing that wrong). Is there a resort that has better luck with king beds?
All thoughts are welcome! Thanks all :-)
Click to expand...
A garden wing room at the Contemporary might work for you. CR has an adult vibe, and it has two good-for-adults restaurants: the Wave and California Grill. You can walk to the Magic Kingdom from it, and you can take the monorail to Epcot. CR's garden wing rooms are cheaper than their Tower building rooms, but the rooms themselves are exactly the same, and the garden wing is a lot quieter than the Tower. And it's about a 30-second walk from the Tower.

The resort is on Bay Lake, so you can see the Electric Water Pageant in the evenings. You can also watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the Contemporary.
 
Would you rather be close to EPCOT or on the monorail loop?

Contemporary would be my choice for being on the monorail loop. Any of the monorail resorts would be great though, pick the one you like the theming of the best.

EPCOT area, probably Yacht Club would be my pick, but Beach Club or Boardwalk would fit the bill as well.

Either way, consider splurging on Club Level if it's really a once in a lifetime trip.
 
I would also recommend an Epcot area resort. You can walk to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. There are lots of dining options within walking distance on the Boardwalk, at the resorts, and in the two parks. I would recommend The Boardwalk Inn. It has more of an adult vibe than BC or YC.
 


I'd suggest Epcot Area, and hopper tix.
If you're a Costco member, check out their travel page!
Also, do not count out Swan/Dolphin. A lot of ppl look right past them because they are not "Disney owned." You might like them better because they are not Disney owned. Happy researching!
 
As a lifelong WDW visitor I'm going to DL in 3 weeks and Im super stressed about NOT being able to plan anything.

Normally my answer to your resort question would be POLY POLY POLY, and it's still an excellent choice for a couple who enjoys cocktails with arguably the best bar on property at the Poly. But since DL and MK are so similar I agree an Epcot area resort may be best so you can enjoy so of the things that only WDW offers.

As a couple see if you can find a deal at Yacht Club or Boardwalk. Yacht Club is known to be the most "adults-only" of any WDE resort. Of course it will still be teaming with kids, but on a per capita ratio it may have the least. Boardwalk is great as well.

Don't overlook the Animal Kingdom lodge either.

IMO don't stay at the Contemporary without a lot of research. There's very little "resort feel" at the contemporary.
 
For resorts with a more "adult" vibe, I would do something in the EP area. Preferences would be YC (very quiet, great newly refurbed rooms) or Boardwalk (great atmosphere at night). You will have the entire Boardwalk area at your disposal to simply walk to great restaurants and lounges. You will also be able to walk to EP (or boat) and walk/boat/gondola over to DHS. As PP mentioned, I wouldn't rule out Swan/Dolphin either. It's just between Boardwalk and YC, so the location is the same and you can book king rooms at both. You can typically get Swan/Dolphin rooms for less than the nearby WDW EP resorts.
 


Wilderness Lodge, Copper Creek, one bedroom if you can swing it. Two on-site lounges (bars) including one on the water, two restaurants, two quick service options, and you can boat to MK. Very chill and relaxing after a crazy day in the parks.

If Epcot area holds more interest consider Boardwalk. The pool is creepy but the resort is small and you can walk or boat to so many options between the boardwalk itself, Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

If you want classic Disney on the monorail, Contemporary has great views, dining, and the best access to MK.
 
Another vote for Boardwalk or Yacht club! If transportation around the property and relying on buses or Uber everyday seems overwhelming, it probably makes sense to skip the moderates and choose a deluxe on the monorail loop or at Epcot.
Being able to walk (or monorail) to at least one park and multiple dining options really reduces the complexity and potential stress.
 
I'd suggest Yacht or Beach Club. It's close to so many restaurants and lounges between YC/BC itself, the Boardwalk area, Epcot and the Swan and Dolphin. All within walking distance. There are a lot of transportation options plus it's walking distance to Epcot and to Hollywood Studios if you're OK with about 30 minutes or so walk. You may not care about the pool, but it's a very large one with lots of little alcove areas where you can move away from kids playing and actually talk to each other.
 
My husband and I did an adult-only trip in August and stayed at the Boardwalk Inn -- we loved it. The nightlife on the Boardwalk is so fun and there are some great bars and restaurants to choose from (Abracadabar is awesome). You're within walking distance to two parks and they're adding the skyliner in by then too for even more options to get you to Hollywood Studios. We took several Ubers to get to the parks in the mornings because it was simply less stressful, but we had a blast. I would highly recommend one of the Epcot area resorts, possibly staying away from Beach Club and choosing either BWI or Yacht due to there being fewer children there.
 
SarahC97 said:
My husband and I did an adult-only trip in August and stayed at the Boardwalk Inn -- we loved it. The nightlife on the Boardwalk is so fun and there are some great bars and restaurants to choose from (Abracadabar is awesome). You're within walking distance to two parks and they're adding the skyliner in by then too for even more options to get you to Hollywood Studios. We took several Ubers to get to the parks in the mornings because it was simply less stressful, but we had a blast. I would highly recommend one of the Epcot area resorts, possibly staying away from Beach Club and choosing either BWI or Yacht due to there being fewer children there.
Click to expand...
Agreed. Beach Club rooms are awesome (although I’ve heard the YC room refurb are great as well) but the resort itself felt huge to us and because of the pool it’s very popular for families AKA BUSY!!
 
If I was doing an adults only trip I'd absolutely stay at the Beach Club, Yacht Club, or Boardwalk Inn! It would be amazing to spend evenings in the Boardwalk area, or stroll over to the World Showcase.

That said, since it's your first time... there really is something great about staying on the monorail. We've done both the Contemporary and the Grand Floridian, and I'd absolutely choose the Grand. It's beautiful, and peaceful while still magical. It even smells amazing! The Contemporary felt a bit more chaotic/loud to me and the Garden Wing rooms, while lovely, didn't feel as much a "part of" the resort as did comporable rooms at the Grand IMO.
 
I think by the time your thread is full, you'll have a recommendation for just about every moderate/deluxe there is and a big tie score to figure out, but I can't resist chiming in because the resorts are so fun to think about and choose.
I have two recommendations:
1) Animal Kingdom Lodge. I'm a superfan of this resort because of it's atmosphere and food! It is simultaneously lively but laid back, and a welcome retreat after a day in the parks. The lounge/bar in the main lobby is lovely and there's always great music coming from various drum circles that pop up here and there. There are also beautiful little seating areas and lookouts to enjoy and just watch the animals. It feels more "grown up" than kiddish to me here. The restaurants are all very good and have many creative and unique options, which I think as vegetarians you may enjoy - check out the online reviews or menus if AKL makes it to the top of your elimination list. I know you said ease of transportation is important. I love the fast bus ride to Animal Kingdom - there are many good vegetarian food options there and a great lounge/bar outside of Tiffins.

2) Boardwalk. This resort would give you some great nightlife, bar, and food options - and is walking distance to Epcot (Hello, more food and cocktails!) and two other resorts. The bus ride to Disney Springs and Hollywood Studios is a snap from here, too. For some reason, this resort gives me a more adult vibe than others in the area. (e.g., Beach Club is a big family draw because of the pool.)

My runner up would be Polynesian - for atmosphere purposes and the fantastic bar/lounge. I find the restaurants a pretty carnivore focused, though. It's also just a monorail or boat hop away from the Grand Floridian and Contemporary, not to mention MK... The vibe there is so fun. It's definitely on my personal bucket list of Disney stays.
 
Disney creates different resorts with different atmosphere to appeal to different people. So - you are going to get recommendations for every resort - and why some folks dislike a resort someone else recommends. Here's my recommendation:

1) Look at the pictures of the resorts online. Which ambiance appeals to you?

2) Realize that at WDW the number of times you actually eat a menu at table service sit down meal at your resort probably won't be that frequently - maybe once or twice per trip. Still - it may be worth reading the menus at the table service restaurants and see which resorts have a restaurant that appeals to you. As vegetarians - some place are going to have options that appeal to you more than others.

3) Every resort - even the values - has a place that serves alcoholic drinks. I personally love the one bar area at Coronado - but note - that's a moderate resort. Others think Trader's Sams at Poly is the bees knees and want to hang out there a lot. Again - is there one that has the atmopshere of "hey - I want to hang out here" a few times?

4) Depending on your style - for a once in lifetime (or rare trip) - you might want to consider a DVC resort option as a couple. Pricey - BUT - part of WDW, moreso than DLR, is the resort experience. My most memorable trip with my significant other - AKV 1 bedroom, savanna view. Why - because we also enjoyed prepping a meal together, spending time on our balcony watching the animals, lingering over morning coffee, the great bathroom (glamorous compared to home for us!), and just having space to relax - separately and as a couple. He went to the gym once or twice, while I read my book on the balcony spending more time over coffee. Sure - we also spent LONG hours at the parks, ate at restaurants all around property, but the down time at the resort - in our room - were part of what made this such a great trip. This fit our style as a couple. The EPCOT area resorts, popularly cited as more adult, actually don't fit our style. We'll probably never stay there. Other folks would never consider AK as they feel it's too remote for them. We are currently planning another relaxing couples trip at a DVC resort - but our planning is waiting to see what transpires more with the opening of Galaxy's Edge.

5) Consider renting a car. Given you are considering a deluxe, and I suspect a longer trip, a car can give you freedom from Disney transportation - and the ability to see a bit of the Orlando area. We love the freedom to do our own spur of the moment grocery shopping. We drive to the parks most of the time, but not always depending on the mood and plans for the day. We have a favorite hole-in-the wall tacqueria we like to visit. Other folks consider NOT driving for their visit to be one of the best parts of the trip. What sounds more appealing to YOU?
 
Animal Kingdom Lodge. It's quieter, it's unique (nothing like sitting out on the balcony and watching the animals while you have your coffee in the morning!), and there are great food options.
 
Wow thank you for all the recommendations. This is amazing information! I do like hearing the pros and cons of each, so this is so very helpful. I'm known to be a bit indecisive, so I love hearing all of the personal stories :-)

My initial thought was Contemporary, but hearing more about it, it sounds to be slightly loud and chaotic. Although the monorail does seem amazing. I agree with a PP that I'm the least excited about MK since its so similar to DL. I am very excited to see the differences in the same attractions we have at DL though (and experience new ones). I'm leaning toward an EPCOT area resort since the area seems to be very up our alley. We are big nightlife people, so having the option of so many things within walking distance would be amazing. We are pretty active, so a 30 minute walk is no problem at all. Being close to Hollywood Studios would be great too -- I miss ToT so very much (darn you Guardians), and we are big Star Wars fans.

Although Animal Kingdom does sound very lovely and quiet. Poly sounds really fun too... I do like Trader Sam's at DL. I'll have to share all of this information with DH. The great thing is -- even if we don't stay at one of these places we will definitely try and visit!
 
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