Hello! I am planning a trip to Disney World, and need some hotel advice. We have stayed at the following hotels:
1) Port Orleans (hated it-felt it was really run down)
2) Animal Kingdom Lodge (Okay, but far away)
3) Grand Floridian (Okay-expected to be wowed, but really hated the separate buildings and felt it was just Okay)
4) Swan/Dolphin (Definitely my favorite out of them all, but really want the transportation)
With all that being said, I just feel that most Disney hotels are overpriced for the level of luxury they offer. I want to stay on property, but I would love to feel like I was actually in a luxury property for the price.
Questions:
1) Should I just forget the idea of "luxury" and do something like the Finding Nemo Suite? Or am I going to hate it even more than Port Orleans...
2) What about the Contemporary? Or the new Riviera Resort?
3) Is there a hotel I am missing or that you would suggest?
Thanks so much!!
To answer your questions in order:
1. I agree with all of those who say there's no real true on-site "luxury resort." As far as room/service quality goes, they are at best up to the standards of a basic Sheraton/Marriott/Hyatt. You are essentially paying more for some combination of bigger rooms/less garish, but still mostly more immersive theming/better transportation. For me the big thing that has kept me staying Deluxe in the past has been that they are the only hotels on property that aren't set up "motel style" and have interior hallways, but now you can get that at the Gran Destino Tower at Coronado or the Family Suites at AoA (although unless you need the space the Family Suites aren't really that much cheaper than the Deluxes). Also even then, the Poly and all but the most expensive rooms at the GF only offer rooms in separate buildings. The GDT could be a good compromise if your group isn't too big and if you prepare yourself for the garishness of the Family Suites (which are currently being renovated and toned down, albeit slowly) could work if you want the extra space (although the non-room features of the hotel are definitely more "Value"). The theming and the subtle Disney touches keep me paying the exorbitant Deluxe prices, but I would probably stick with the Swan/Dolphin in your case since you get the same quality as a Disney Deluxe at a far lower price that would more than cover the cost of losing the reduced service Magical Express.
2. As far as the Contemporary/Riviera, I would say that, along with the Yacht Club, they are the "closest" to providing a luxury hotel experience, at least as far as rooms go, the service standards are still typical for Disney Deluxes (aka far below what you would expect for the price or at a "real" luxury resort). That said, however, in addition to all the caveats I described above, they both only really do that in their more expensive rooms. The cheapest rooms at the Contemporary are in a separate building outside the main tower and the cheapest rooms at the Riviera, the "Tower Studios" are small and only offer one murphy bed. The costs to upgrade to the Tower at the Contemporary or a Deluxe Studio at the Riviera start pushing those rooms into the $500-600/night rack rate territory. You could potentially rent points to stay at the Riviera, but given the uncertainty right now and the difficulties both renters and rentees have had post-COVID, there is a risk involved.
3. If luxury is what you are really after, the only other option you might consider is the Four Seasons. It's priced around the same as the more expensive Deluxe resorts, but you are actually going to get a 5 star luxury experience both in terms of the rooms and service (which blows away CL rooms at Disney even in their lowest price rooms). Their transportation is almost as good as on-site transportation in terms of convenience (aside from having to go to the TTC at MK) and location wise its not much further from anything than the monorail Deluxes/WL is. Also their pool is second only to Stormalong Bay at the YC/BC. That said, it seems like your issue was more the fact that you didn't really receive a luxury experience that matched the exorbitant prices charged by the Disney Deluxe resorts (combined with the fact that you realized the Moderates weren't going to do it at their also exorbitant prices) than that you truly needed the luxury experience. If that's the case I would probably still stay with the Swan/Dolphin.
