Where to Stay...Where to Stay...Where to Stay

[PlutoTheDog89]

Some background. Haven't been on here in a while. We used to always go for Christmas week. We went from 2009 - 2018. As an older family of 4, we each paid our own way to get away and be together for Christmas week. We stayed Coronado, then POFQ, and finally upgraded to Beach Club from 2015-2018 and were HOOKED. My dad unexpectedly passed in early 2019 and we couldn't bring ourselves to go to Disney last Christmas. We did California instead as a "tribute" to him and to try new things. We were supposed to go to Disney for Thanksgiving this year with my cousin and extended family. Figured it'd be a nice distraction if we went with a big group, but we canceled due to COVID. My sister is a teach and school is normal here in NY, so she wouldn't be able to quarantine for 2 weeks after returning. Now we've got the bug, though, and are finally ready to return.

After years of visiting WDW, we received a Pin Code for the 1/3 to early June dates. Now we feel like we NEED to go for Easter (we've been a few times for Easter and loved it). But we wanna do things differently. Since my dad passed and through COVID, we decided that we're gonna start experiencing new things. Yes, we LOVE Beach Club, but we wanna try new hotels and different style trips. Knowing we probably won't get a code again anytime soon, we wanna take advantage. So, 4-5 nights in Disney.... where would you stay?

Contemporary - Theme Park View
Pros:
- I've wanted to do this for SO long.
- If fireworks are a thing again, we can avoid the crowds and watch from our room
- Walking distance to MK

Cons:
- Fireworks may not be back yet, then it's just a cool room with a view of Magic Kingdom
- Still pricey, even with the discount. We'd basically be paying rack rate at Beach Club

Coronado - Tower
Pros:
- Never stayed there before
- We know we like Coronado from having stayed there during pre-refurb days
- Fitness center (a pro for all the resorts here, but just mentioning it since it's a moderate resort)
- Much more affordable

Cons:
- Not really a different experience, just a new location within a resort we know
- We love being close to at least one park

Riviera
Pros:
- Totally new resort. Looks really nice based on the YT videos
- Solid food options

Cons
- Gondola would be a waste. No chance my mom gets on.
- Could easily rent points for this in the future

Grand Floridian
Pros:
- Literally the only way we're ever staying there is with a substantial discount (or renting points, I guess)
- One of those "need to stay once" as a Disney fan resorts

Cons:
- Heard it's stuffy
- We'd be staying there for the wrong reasons (buying it because we can)

Saratoga
Pros:
- Close to Disney Springs. We could do a food-forward trip and eat at mostly DS restaurants
- Room renos look really nice
- Never stayed there before

Cons:
- We can easily rent points and stay there
- Not close to any parks

....So yeah, we have a big decision ahead. Would love to hear some input. I don't think we can do a split stay with the code, nor would we for a short trip.

 

[tgree9369]

If we are looking at the list above - my vote is for SSR. The obvious reason for many is the proximity to DS and the food options. This becomes even more relevant because so many of the resorts and parks have not opened all their restaurants, making ADRs that much harder to get. The fact that you can literally walk to DS is a huge plus, and as you mentioned the renos are superb. The price, while still a DVC resort. is lower than most of the Deluxe Resorts. Along the line of SSR is OKW (we stayed there last July), which is a favorite of our family and has a lot of the same feel as SSR (and the proximity to DS is a plus too and boasts the largest rooms due it being the original DVC resort). Another Deluxe that you might look at is AKL - Kidani Village - while we stayed at Jambo House, we were at Kadani just as much as Jambo. These are sister resorts, so you share all amenities, such as pools and restaurants. We absolutely loved our stay at AKL (we always stay in a Deluxe Studio, fyi). I would have to say that it is a hard choice to pick between OKW and AKL - unless proximity to a particular park is high on your list. We are headed to SSR in 50 days - this will be our first stay at SSR, although we popped over several times to check it out. I can see why you are asking for options seeing how Beach Club ranks among the top resorts for many. We have yet to stay there but it is definitely on our list (we have eaten there and Yacht club many , many times). Hope this helps - please feel free to ask any questions about OKW or AKL, as I have a ton of good things to say about both.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

If we are looking at the list above - my vote is for SSR. The obvious reason for many is the proximity to DS and the food options. This becomes even more relevant because so many of the resorts and parks have not opened all their restaurants, making ADRs that much harder to get. The fact that you can literally walk to DS is a huge plus, and as you mentioned the renos are superb. The price, while still a DVC resort. is lower than most of the Deluxe Resorts. Along the line of SSR is OKW (we stayed there last July), which is a favorite of our family and has a lot of the same feel as SSR (and the proximity to DS is a plus too and boasts the largest rooms due it being the original DVC resort). Another Deluxe that you might look at is AKL - Kidani Village - while we stayed at Jambo House, we were at Kadani just as much as Jambo. These are sister resorts, so you share all amenities, such as pools and restaurants. We absolutely loved our stay at AKL (we always stay in a Deluxe Studio, fyi). I would have to say that it is a hard choice to pick between OKW and AKL - unless proximity to a particular park is high on your list. We are headed to SSR in 50 days - this will be our first stay at SSR, although we popped over several times to check it out. I can see why you are asking for options seeing how Beach Club ranks among the top resorts for many. We have yet to stay there but it is definitely on our list (we have eaten there and Yacht club many , many times). Hope this helps - please feel free to ask any questions about OKW or AKL, as I have a ton of good things to say about both.

Appreciate your response! You brought up a lot of great points. Contemporary would be a DREAM, but without fireworks it's just a room with a view. Maybe it's worth saving for a split stay during Christmas. We've talked about doing Wilderness Lodge next Christmas. May be worth splurging on a theme park view for New Year's Eve and avoiding the crowds all together. In years past we'd watch the Epcot fireworks from the Yacht Club Boat Launch.

OKW would be cool. We stayed there a LONG time ago. We booked it for my high school graduation. Not sure how much it's changed since 2007. I remember it being really big and spaced out. We ate at and enjoyed Olivia's before it had its cult following. That's an option with (I believe?) a boat ride to Disney Springs.

AKL would be cool. Savannah view is also on my bucket list and may be worth exploring if we don't have fireworks and parks aren't back to "normal"

As I'm writing this, I'm thinking Yacht Club may be a good option, too. We'd have the pool and be able to spend a day or two there. Of course that's out the window if early April is cooler than usual.

 

[tgree9369]

Appreciate your response! You brought up a lot of great points. Contemporary would be a DREAM, but without fireworks it's just a room with a view. Maybe it's worth saving for a split stay during Christmas. We've talked about doing Wilderness Lodge next Christmas. May be worth splurging on a theme park view for New Year's Eve and avoiding the crowds all together. In years past we'd watch the Epcot fireworks from the Yacht Club Boat Launch.

OKW would be cool. We stayed there a LONG time ago. We booked it for my high school graduation. Not sure how much it's changed since 2007. I remember it being really big and spaced out. We ate at and enjoyed Olivia's before it had its cult following. That's an option with (I believe?) a boat ride to Disney Springs.

AKL would be cool. Savannah view is also on my bucket list and may be worth exploring if we don't have fireworks and parks aren't back to "normal"

As I'm writing this, I'm thinking Yacht Club may be a good option, too. We'd have the pool and be able to spend a day or two there. Of course that's out the window if early April is cooler than usual.

Sounds like you are heading back to Beach/Yacht Club...and I do not blame you. Again, dining options are a great bonus for staying there as well. We booked our Summer 2021 stay at AKL and added park hopper plus (I would rather have it already added) and we are assuming that the Dining Plan will be back also - point is your dining options are HUGE if you have park passes for the length of stay - you can just pop into World Showcase and that gives you another 50 eating options, plus the Boardwalk restaurants and Swan and Dauphin - all within a 10 min walk! Boat ride to Hollywood studios and access to Skyliner are a bonus. The big thing which I am seeing is an underlying factor for you is Fireworks - if that is the case Beach/Yacht Club is the BEST for the NEW Harmonious Fireworks at Epcot (which they are testing right now). I may be a bit premature on some of the things getting back to normal before Spring - however, by June, I would be willing to bet things will be pretty close to normal.

 

[quinacciani]

You way the pros and cons exactly like we do! I would really take advantage of that pin code and book a resort not as easy to book on rented points. GF is not stuffy and as much as we loved it (just returned!) I would never pay anything close to rack rates. The way to do it is with a huge discount. We're "completion-ists" so we were happy to check a big one off our list of resorts.

Alternatively, YC is amazing. We didn't pick it this past trip since we have stayed BC because and wanted something totally different, new pool etc. But we went there for breakfast and gazed around with a bit of "darn, maybe we should have stayed here" look in our eyes. Next trip!

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Alternatively, YC is amazing. We didn't pick it this past trip since we have stayed BC because and wanted something totally different, new pool etc. But we went there for breakfast and gazed around with a bit of "darn, maybe we should have stayed here" look in our eyes. Next trip!

we stayed there for Easter a few years ago and really liked it. Only downside was how big and windy it was. We often got lost on the way back to our room.

 

[RoseGold]

Disney just released the discounts for your dates, and WOW. AKL 2BR suite, Saratoga, boy is Coronado cheap!, there's a lot there right now. To me, AKL is a one of a kind resort and is straight magic. But maybe if you're all teenagers or park warriors, maybe that isn't for you. They take the animals to bed.

Booking cash is appealing with all the uncertainty right now, but you have to weigh that with needing park reservations and thus (non-refundable) tickets.

You are months too late to book a holiday at VGF, at least the DVC side. I would not book relying on fireworks, but who knows.

If you have special memories of Yacht Club, that would actually make me want to stay there more. That feeling is hard to come by.

 

[fla4fun]

What I recommend when making a resort choice is that you make a list of the amenities you need to have a good vacation and which parks you will be visiting most, and then pick the resort that has most (if not all) the amenities and has the easiest access to the parks you will visit most often. For example, I like a water feature such as a lake or waterway at my resort because I find that relaxing. I stayed at AKL once, and did not enjoy it because I missed having a water feature. There are probably things like that for you, that make the resort more enjoyable, whether it’s modes of transportation, types of restaurants, etc. You can’t really go wrong with any of your choices.

 

[Stigsmom]

Contemporary! We had lake view and it was amazing. This was pre-covid and we were able to enjoy the water pageant and see Capt Hook & Mr Smee walking down the dock, but even without that, the walkway to MK is worth it. If you have always wanted to, you won’t regret it.

 

[SarahC97]

I have to say that I've stayed in a TPV at Contemporary twice and each time it's been completely magical. I would suggest staying there or Grand Floridian since it's on your bucket list and it's a place most people can only stay if they find a good discount. I don't think you could go wrong with either one.

 

[elvispursley]

I love AKL but I'd be wary at the moment. Unless things significantly change between now and April, there is not a lot "food-wise" open over there at the moment. Only Kidnani is open; pool at Jambo is open with the bar as well. It's a shame as we were seriously considering renting points to stay for our May trip. I'm taking my mom for her retirement gift, just the two of us. She wants to stay at Yacht or Beach club but no points to rent at Beach club which means $$$ if we book through Disney. Wouldn't be as bad if we went in April but that time of year, right during many Easter-breakers is a no-deal for us!

We love the Contemporary--it's an amazing resort with a great walk to MK. You've got the monorail that can take you for other food options as well! My only wish is that it had a better pool (i.e. shade) but not sure how important that is to you.

 

[jenmsmith]

We just did a split stay at Bay Lake Tower and Yacht Club. I highly recommend this, and planning your park days accordingly. To be able to walk to three parks during the course of our trip was so helpful with the need to rope drop/transportation issues of these pandemic times. Plus, it offered us the chance to try out multiple pools and a variety of dining.

 

[Marthasor]

Some background. Haven't been on here in a while. We used to always go for Christmas week. We went from 2009 - 2018. As an older family of 4, we each paid our own way to get away and be together for Christmas week. We stayed Coronado, then POFQ, and finally upgraded to Beach Club from 2015-2018 and were HOOKED. My dad unexpectedly passed in early 2019 and we couldn't bring ourselves to go to Disney last Christmas. We did California instead as a "tribute" to him and to try new things. We were supposed to go to Disney for Thanksgiving this year with my cousin and extended family. Figured it'd be a nice distraction if we went with a big group, but we canceled due to COVID. My sister is a teach and school is normal here in NY, so she wouldn't be able to quarantine for 2 weeks after returning. Now we've got the bug, though, and are finally ready to return.

After years of visiting WDW, we received a Pin Code for the 1/3 to early June dates. Now we feel like we NEED to go for Easter (we've been a few times for Easter and loved it). But we wanna do things differently. Since my dad passed and through COVID, we decided that we're gonna start experiencing new things. Yes, we LOVE Beach Club, but we wanna try new hotels and different style trips. Knowing we probably won't get a code again anytime soon, we wanna take advantage. So, 4-5 nights in Disney.... where would you stay?

Contemporary - Theme Park View
Pros:
- I've wanted to do this for SO long.
- If fireworks are a thing again, we can avoid the crowds and watch from our room
- Walking distance to MK

Cons:
- Fireworks may not be back yet, then it's just a cool room with a view of Magic Kingdom
- Still pricey, even with the discount. We'd basically be paying rack rate at Beach Club

Coronado - Tower
Pros:
- Never stayed there before
- We know we like Coronado from having stayed there during pre-refurb days
- Fitness center (a pro for all the resorts here, but just mentioning it since it's a moderate resort)
- Much more affordable

Cons:
- Not really a different experience, just a new location within a resort we know
- We love being close to at least one park

Riviera
Pros:
- Totally new resort. Looks really nice based on the YT videos
- Solid food options

Cons
- Gondola would be a waste. No chance my mom gets on.
- Could easily rent points for this in the future

Grand Floridian
Pros:
- Literally the only way we're ever staying there is with a substantial discount (or renting points, I guess)
- One of those "need to stay once" as a Disney fan resorts

Cons:
- Heard it's stuffy
- We'd be staying there for the wrong reasons (buying it because we can)

Saratoga
Pros:
- Close to Disney Springs. We could do a food-forward trip and eat at mostly DS restaurants
- Room renos look really nice
- Never stayed there before

Cons:
- We can easily rent points and stay there
- Not close to any parks

....So yeah, we have a big decision ahead. Would love to hear some input. I don't think we can do a split stay with the code, nor would we for a short trip.

My vote would be for GF. BC is also my favorite resort and I, personally, am spoiled by the perks of being able to walk to two parks, a ton of restaurants around the Boardwalk and a great pool. GF is on par with BC in terms of a resort - it's beautiful, has nice theming, a great pool and is in a great location to access MK plus the other restaurants on the monorail loop. CR is ok, but it feels like an airport hangar, IMHO, and the elevators there are always crowded. The pool is also in desperate need of a refurb. RIV is lovely, but felt very remote and if the Skyliner goes down, you have to rely on buses for everything. All of the other resorts are too remote for my taste, at this point, after staying in the EP resorts.