Disney resort for one night to enjoy amenities

[VickieMouse]

I would appreciate any and all thoughts. My head is spinning…

We (myself and 3 teens daughters) are flying down and plan to take DME from MCO. We can make any bed situation work so that is not a consideration.

What Disney resort would you recommend for one day and one overnight? The plane lands at 7:45 am so by the time we get to the resort we will still have a full day. Since it is only one night, price is not a consideration. We will not be going to the parks this day or the next. We plan to pick up a rental car the next day.

We haven’t been since 2018- not sure what’s different since then. We would love a nice pool and we love to wander a nice resort and Disney in general. After this one night, we are moving to Bonnet Creek, but we wanted one night at a Disney resort.

For reference, we have stayed at Pop, POR, Poly, YC and OKW. We liked them all, but since it is only one night, we might (or may not depending on your suggestions) like to try something new.
All ideas are appreciated and welcome!
thank you!!!

 

[karen4546]

I like Animal Kingdom Jambo House, but you will have to book DVC because the hotel side is not open-but right now there are limited amenities.

Saratoga is a short walk to Disney Springs.

Yacht/Beach have a nice pool.

Boardwalk is fun on the weekends when everything is open.

Polynesian would be a good choice and so would Copper Creek/WL.

The GF has all their restaurants open but I am not sure if CL is back. We like the bar @ GF and the Cafe. You can walk to Polynesian and hang out there shopping, snacking etc (no pool use of course).

 

[VickieMouse]

I like Animal Kingdom Jambo House, but you will have to book DVC because the hotel side is not open-but right now there are limited amenities.

Saratoga is a short walk to Disney Springs.

Yacht/Beach have a nice pool.

Boardwalk is fun on the weekends when everything is open.

Polynesian would be a good choice and so would Copper Creek/WL.

The GF has all their restaurants open but I am not sure if CL is back. We like the bar @ GF and the Cafe. You can walk to Polynesian and hang out there shopping, snacking etc (no pool use of course).

Thank you. I was thinking about Saratoga. Didn’t they just redo the studios? I’m curious about the pools. Does anyone know if they are anything special?

 

[Skippyboo]

I would say maybe WIlderness Lodge. They have most of the their dining open. You are close to the monorail resorts. The Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs is super nice. It’s relatively brand new.

 

[MomOTwins]

Just confirming this trip is in 2021 as DME is not available in 2022.

If so, your choice may be limited by what is available. Lots of resort are already sold out for many days in summer/fall.

But if everything is open and money is no object, I’d choose Grand Floridian just because it is fun to experience the flagship resort, there are lots of nice food options (especially once you factor in the ability to monorail to other resorts) and the pools are nice.

Riviera could also be a good choice. The rooms are nicer than GF, although the pools are smaller (though we still like them) and you can take a trip on the skyliner to the Boardwalk area. Really good food options onsite (and also skyliner access to food options at crescent lake).

I also LOVE wilderness lodge and their rooms were just refurbed. It is very serene and the grounds and lobby are just gorgeous. Nice pools. Geyser point is a nice place to eat but I do wish Artist Point was open. It is cheaper than the other two as well.

 

[Leight19]

In my opinion during normal times best resorts for resort only stay would be animal kingdom or old key West. Animal kingdom has the savanah and excellent dining when running full throttle (though lot if dining is closed now). Old key West has large rooms and boat to Disney springs. Without boat running and following recent refurbishments I’d add Saratoga as potential replacement.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

I'd consider Yacht & Beach for the pool. You could take the Skyliner to Riviera to look around.

I'd consider Animal Kingdom Lodge for the savannah.

I'd consider Saratoga Springs for the proximity to Disney Springs. They also have two pools with slides.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

I would appreciate any and all thoughts. My head is spinning…

We (myself and 3 teens daughters) are flying down and plan to take DME from MCO. We can make any bed situation work so that is not a consideration.

What Disney resort would you recommend for one day and one overnight? The plane lands at 7:45 am so by the time we get to the resort we will still have a full day. Since it is only one night, price is not a consideration. We will not be going to the parks this day or the next. We plan to pick up a rental car the next day.

We haven’t been since 2018- not sure what’s different since then. We would love a nice pool and we love to wander a nice resort and Disney in general. After this one night, we are moving to Bonnet Creek, but we wanted one night at a Disney resort.

For reference, we have stayed at Pop, POR, Poly, YC and OKW. We liked them all, but since it is only one night, we might (or may not depending on your suggestions) like to try something new.
All ideas are appreciated and welcome!
thank you!!!

I would do either Grand Floridian or Boardwalk. My teen girls love both. GF has some nice food options and a nice pool. If pool is your main consideration you could try Beach Club but really it's not that different than YC so I'd only stay there if the pool is your #1 deciding factor.

The gounds at GF and BW are so pretty, both have pool side activities and at GF you can do some monorail resort hopping or at BW you can stroll around and and visit YC/BC/restaurants etc.

 

[Shellyred8]

I would go with SSR. Beautiful grounds to walk around. Walking distance to DS (dining, shopping, bowling, movie theater, etc...). Several pool options, if that matters to you.

 

[VickieMouse]

Thank you for all the responses. My head might be spinning a little more now. It’s only one night, and it will be this summer so the pool is important to us. We may be limited by availability. Most of the options are still available the night we are looking, but I need to decide quickly.

I think the top choices are:

WL- What is there to do around there? How easy is it to get to the Fort? I was thinking we could rent a golf cart for the day and explore if we could do that.

SSR- Due to the proximity to Disney Springs. we love it there. I’m curious though if the resort is too big to get around without a car. Are there internal shuttles like at OKW?

Riviera- Having easy skyliner access would be great! That is something new to us so we would love to ride it. Plus we can get to the Boardwalk area which we love. I’m not sure how easy it would be to access the skyliner on days off from the parks when we are offsite. Anyone know?

CSR- I’m intrigued. We have never stayed there or seen the area, so it is a consideration. I have heard it compares to a Disney deluxe. True?

Again, I appreciate all this feedback!!

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

Thank you for all the responses. My head might be spinning a little more now. It’s only one night, and it will be this summer so the pool is important to us. We may be limited by availability. Most of the options are still available the night we are looking, but I need to decide quickly.

I think the top choices are:

WL- What is there to do around there? How easy is it to get to the Fort? I was thinking we could rent a golf cart for the day and explore if we could do that.

SSR- Due to the proximity to Disney Springs. we love it there. I’m curious though if the resort is too big to get around without a car. Are there internal shuttles like at OKW?

Riviera- Having easy skyliner access would be great! That is something new to us so we would love to ride it. Plus we can get to the Boardwalk area which we love. I’m not sure how easy it would be to access the skyliner on days off from the parks when we are offsite. Anyone know?

CSR- I’m intrigued. We have never stayed there or seen the area, so it is a consideration. I have heard it compares to a Disney deluxe. True?

Again, I appreciate all this feedback!!

WL is a boat or bus ride away from MK. They also have boats that run to the contemporary resort and Fort Wilderness but not sure if those are running. The resort is very pretty and you could always take the boat to MK and catch a monorail or bus some where else to eat. Maybe not the easiest method of transport but it would be a nice relaxing boat ride. You can swim, there is a nice pool with a slide, there is also a geyser and some pool side activities but just wanted you to know they're not the same. Think of WL as a Western National park lodge and Fort Wilderness is a disneyfied campground. Not sure how easy it is to get from WL to Fort Wilderness if there is no boat running right now.

SSR is large but having never stayed there, I don't know what the resort bus service is like. I'd presume they'd have buses at all the stops to take you around but maybe someone else can confirm.

Riviera- beautiful resort, pool is very nice as are the rooms. If you are offsite and visiting the parks, then you can access the skyliner station via Epcot or DHS. If you are not in the parks, you will need to have a reason to be at the resort. It's hit or miss if you'll be allowed to park at the resorts without staying there. To bypass this, most people will place a mobile order or make an ADR at the resort so they have no parking issues.

CSR- If you stay in the tower rooms, then yes, it's similar to a deluxe resort but if you stay in the regular rooms, they're similar to other mods with exterior motel style entrances. The pool isn't bad, it does have a slide and there is a nice lounge that recently opened in either late 2019 or early 2020 on the lake, Three Bridges, it's a nice place to eat late in the day when it's not so hot. Also, these standard/non tower rooms were remodeled a little over a year ago and they are very nice.

 

[jamescanuck2001]

There is a paved trail from WL to FW, about a 20 minute walk.

Based on where you have stayed before, AKL and WL would be your best bet. Since you are not doing a park, AKL would be my choice, easily. Get a Savannah room, and perhaps book the Jiko - Wanyama Safari https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/e...ngdom-lodge/wanyama-resort-safari-and-dinner/

 

[Wendysofftoneverland]

There is a paved trail from WL to FW, about a 20 minute walk.

Based on where you have stayed before, AKL and WL would be your best bet. Since you are not doing a park, AKL would be my choice, easily. Get a Savannah room, and perhaps book the Jiko - Wanyama Safari https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/e...ngdom-lodge/wanyama-resort-safari-and-dinner/

I think the paved walking trail from Fort Wilderness to Wilderness Lodge is currently closed due to construction when they were going to build Reflections. However, we loved Fort Wilderness for a 1 night stay. Can rent a golf cart, ride the boat to the monorail resorts, see the horses at the barn, or canoe, horseback ride or do archery (we have never done the last 3 activities because I have preschoolers). The cabins are considered a moderate and are comparable to AoA suites in price.

 

[Wild4Walt]

Another vote for Animal Kingdom Lodge. The resort is just beautiful and stay in Jambo House vs. Kidani Village. The down side though is as of right now, most of the dining is closed.

Wilderness Lodge just got a refurb too and I like the dining at this location. It's a short boat ride to MK ( I know you're not doing parks ) and then you can walk to Grand Floridian and Poly.

 

[G719]

Thank you for all the responses. My head might be spinning a little more now. It’s only one night, and it will be this summer so the pool is important to us. We may be limited by availability. Most of the options are still available the night we are looking, but I need to decide quickly.

I think the top choices are:

WL- What is there to do around there? How easy is it to get to the Fort? I was thinking we could rent a golf cart for the day and explore if we could do that.

SSR- Due to the proximity to Disney Springs. we love it there. I’m curious though if the resort is too big to get around without a car. Are there internal shuttles like at OKW?

Riviera- Having easy skyliner access would be great! That is something new to us so we would love to ride it. Plus we can get to the Boardwalk area which we love. I’m not sure how easy it would be to access the skyliner on days off from the parks when we are offsite. Anyone know?

CSR- I’m intrigued. We have never stayed there or seen the area, so it is a consideration. I have heard it compares to a Disney deluxe. True?

Again, I appreciate all this feedback!!

There is a bus running between the fort and the lodge. The boat is only running for the MK.
The fort is currently renting golf carts to those staying at the fort.
Staying at the cabins and getting a golf cart would be fun for your one night. You can do the activities there and it would be easy to go to visit any of the other MK area resorts if you wanted to eat or look around at one of those.

 

[nkereina]

After reading the first post, the first resort that came to mind Beach Club. Since you've already stayed at Yacht Club though and know the resort/pool is there, then I'd also consider Boardwalk. There's a lot of dining options to walk to within this area, and you can also easily walk to the Skyliner which is outside Epcot's International Gateway if you wanted to ride that over to Riviera/CBR or even Pop/AOA at some point.

I also thought of Animal Kingdom Lodge. While we like it there, its never our first choice when we are doing parks because of the transportation situation there. Since that's not an issue for you as you won't be doing any parks, its a good time to try it. The pool is great and the animals are really a unique feature.

SSR- Due to the proximity to Disney Springs. we love it there. I’m curious though if the resort is too big to get around without a car. Are there internal shuttles like at OKW?

With only one night at the Disney resort, how much time would you even want to spend at Disney Springs? We visited Disney Springs more than ever on our recent trip because of the limited park hours, but if our focus was the resort, we would have wanted to stay at the resort and enjoy the amenities there.

Regardless, it is a large resort but there is an internal shuttle. I would book the Congress Park section, which is preferred, which is the closest for walking to Disney Springs.

WL- What is there to do around there? How easy is it to get to the Fort? I was thinking we could rent a golf cart for the day and explore if we could do that.

There is a boat to FW and CR from WL - I think both are running now, though I haven't been following closely. I can't speak to whether golf cart rentals are available on the fly for non-guests at FW, but I'm not sure how long it would take to check out all of FW. IMO, WL is a much better place to hang out at between the awesome pool and Geyser Point. I would boat to FW or CR for dinner perhaps.

Riviera- Having easy skyliner access would be great! That is something new to us so we would love to ride it. Plus we can get to the Boardwalk area which we love. I’m not sure how easy it would be to access the skyliner on days off from the parks when we are offsite. Anyone know?

Riviera is beautiful and you also are a quick walk to CBR if you want to check it out. But, it is easy to access the Skyliner no matter where you are staying - its at the entrance of DHS and outside the Epcot International Gateway. Anyone can hop on, ride it wherever, and then just hop back on to get back to where you started. Its easy to do any time if you want to check it out, but its best to avoid park opening and closing times.

CSR- I’m intrigued. We have never stayed there or seen the area, so it is a consideration. I have heard it compares to a Disney deluxe. True?

The Gran Destino Tower at CSR often compares to deluxe in terms of amenities, though there's no balconies. Its a booking category, so the tower differs from the standard rooms at CSR. The resort has more dining options than the typical moderate because it caters to convention/business travelers. We love CSR because of the dining options and because its centrally located for easy commuting to the parks. But, it would not be my first choice for a resort-only stay.

 

[focusondisney]

If the pool is important, I’d do Yacht or Beach club. The best pool on property. Boardwalk is right there, you can take the skyliner to Riviera, Carribean Beach & Pop to wander around or try their food court/ quick service options. Mini golf across from the Swan. The buses to Disney Springs have really improved since Disney redid the roadways a few years ago. It’s much quicker now.

 

[Skippyboo]

There is a paved trail from WL to FW, about a 20 minute walk.

Based on where you have stayed before, AKL and WL would be your best bet. Since you are not doing a park, AKL would be my choice, easily. Get a Savannah room, and perhaps book the Jiko - Wanyama Safari https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/e...ngdom-lodge/wanyama-resort-safari-and-dinner/

The hotel side of AKL Jambo isn’t open. Boma and Jiko are closed. The QS with limited hours is the only thing open.

 

[_19disnA]

You don't need to be staying at a Disney hotel to go to Disney Springs, so I wouldn't waste your one day on-site doing that. You said you are renting a car, so you could shop/eat at Disney Springs later in your vacation when staying at Bonnet Creek. Any of the monorail resorts would be fun to stay at (depending on budget/preferences) and you could ride the monorail to the other 2 resorts. Polynesian monorail stop was closed for construction, but I think it will be reopening soon.

 

[Brett Wyman]

If the pool is important, I’d do Yacht or Beach club. The best pool on property. Boardwalk is right there, you can take the skyliner to Riviera, Carribean Beach & Pop to wander around or try their food court/ quick service options. Mini golf across from the Swan. The buses to Disney Springs have really improved since Disney redid the roadways a few years ago. It’s much quicker now.

SAB is overrated, especially for an adult with three teens. Id book a cash room at the Riviera based on the OPs description. Or GF, but the non-villa rooms are dated.