Anyone else have a "found my perfect resort" moment?

[gulliesmom]

I have stayed at BC, AKL, and GF and will be staying in a moderate (either CS or CBR) for the first time in May. I have enjoyed all three of my prior stays and feel like there were great things about each of the three resorts. The upcoming resort stay is part of a package for a cheer competition, so we had option to only stay at one of the two moderates in the package (no deluxe option). We won't know if it is CS or CBR for another few weeks. I have been a little nervous that after our previous three stays in the lovely deluxe resorts, we won't love this, but now that I have been watching Youtube video reviews of CBR, I am getting more excited. Maybe it will surprise us and we will love it and want to come back. I feel like many of the resorts have something special about them and I know everyone has their favorites for different reasons. Interesting because we spent Thanksgiving week at the GF (club level) and I LOVED the resort. I loved how easy it was to get to the other parks, I loved the little marina, the nice, wide grassy areas, the room was really nice, etc. One of my friends went last year and said it was her least favorite of all the resorts because she felt like they were "trying too hard", LOL. So I guess YMMV. She loves the Poly and though I have never stayed there, I feel like from what I have seen it would feel a little cheesy and too "themey" for me. I know people LOVE the Poly .

 

[TinkFan74]

Every time I visit I have to spend at least three nights at Kidani. I find it so relaxing sitting on the balcony with my coffee and watching the animals. At night we leave the balcony door open and listen to the animals as we fall asleep. It also helps that Sana’a is my favorite restaurant on property.

 

[shocker]

I'm gonna say Wilderness Lodge, it was a great trip & we'd love to go back but they keep pricing us out! Part of me wonders if all the other aspects of the trip were so great that I equate them to my resort stay?? Would sure like to give BC CR or BLT a try though. I know a few resorts we've tried that are NOT my home resorts

 

[iheartglaciers]

Is it possible to have four? hahaha. Maybe that fits my personality since we always split stay.

Maybe BW feels the most like home since we always stay at least part of our trip there. Then Poly, AKL (Kidani), and WL. There's definitely something about all four of those resorts that makes me feel like I'm home when I get there

 

[reluctantredhead]

My heart belongs fully to the BWI but I have to say I was really surprised how much we enjoyed the WL last fall. We often do a split stay with the BWI and one of the MK resorts and the WL had an AP discount that I just couldn't say no to. We ended up getting a ground floor room(which I usually hate!) yet we still really enjoyed it. We spent one night just exploring the resort and all it's little nooks and crannies. The discovery of the different fireplaces upstairs with the comfy leather couches was a big welcome surprise. Having a drink out by the lake was pleasant as well. I think we might have found our new MK resort.

The second awesome choice was a night at the WL at Christmastime. Good luck competing with that, rest of the world. It was perfect. It hit every note in an idyllic way. It didn't hurt that I was a northerner living in the south, desperately missing the wintry Christmases of my youth. But we've been back since (twice) and fully confirmed what we felt the first time we went. There's something magical about that place. We get it in the Lodge itself and at BRV. The lobby. The trains. The rooms. The totem pole. The geyser. The waterfront area before it was redesigned. The waterfront area after it was redesigned. The bubbling spring in the lobby yielding the waterfall that flows into the pool (I don't care if it's three water systems -- my heart is still warm when I see it). That place was almost perfect. I love taking the boat past the CR en route to the MK. I don't love taking buses elsewhere but it's a palatable cost to me.

ITA with both of you about the WL. Like @Disneytam I reluctantly booked there for half of our Christmas trip last year because we couldn't get the room category we wanted at the Poly. I really thought I'd hate not being on the monorail route, but we actually found the boat ride to MK easier and more convenient than the monorail (and never broke down, unlike the monorail). We saved our EP visits for the second half of our split stay (at BC), so we never had to deal with buses. But yes...agree with @Rob Huff that it was magical at Christmastime, and the CMs are so friendly and welcoming, just like at BWI. When we rebooked for our Christmas trip this year, I actually wanted to rebook the exact same room at the WL (deluxe CL) but there has been no availability so far...but I'm going to keep checking! We actually ended up getting a (fairly) last minute AP discount on the WL room last year too -- saved us $1400! Agree with @Disneytam that we may have found our new MK resort too!

 

[Minnesota!]

Yep, two of them -

AKL - sitting by the fire pit in the lobby. We do it each trip (whether we are staying there or not!). The sounds and smells meshed with the dark warmness from the fire - I could sit there all day, days on end, and say my trip was successful.

Pop - We just got back 2 weeks ago and we both had what we have taken to calling "the perfect day". It was Sunday, the 24th. We had gone to Boma for breakfast, spent some time at DS, then headed back to Pop to swim. Kids were in the pool, DH and I were at Petals, with cold beer freely flowing. We met the nicest couple and spent a few hours talking to them. The weather was perfect, the vibe was perfect, and the massive quantities of sugar, pizza, and fries consumed after the sun went down (to soak up the cold beer) was tasty! Went to bed early that night, prepping for a long Epcot day on the 25th. It was the epitome of relaxing, and just what the doctor (literally) ordered for us...

 

[Spunky946]

I feel that way about the contemporary and akl.

 

[nkereina]

We love a lot of them! lol!

POR holds a special place in my heart because DH and I got engaged there, and we stayed there when we brought my in-laws and niece & nephew for their first trip. Whenever we visit or stay at POR, those great memories come rushing back and I love that.

We've stayed at CSR several times now and just love the theme and atmosphere at the resort. It feels very vacation-y to me, which is what I want while at WDW. I have concerns the vibe of the resort could change once the tower opens, but we'll see.

Beach Club is a must visit for us every trip, even if we don't stay there. It's another resort that feels like vacation to us, and we love being in such close proximity to our two favorite parks.

 

[mkla2015]

Definitely BLT for us (which is why we decided to buy there). Our trip 2 weeks ago was planned just 3 months in advance so we stayed at SSR since that was the only resort with availability and that stay just confirmed for us that BLT is our home resort! We could stay there on every trip and be completely happy.

 

[Animal]

A couple weeks after our POFQ stay in Jan/Feb 2011, we had to cancel our IVF consult appointment. Apparently there was ample pixie dust in our 3rd floor river view room in Building 6.

 

[SG131]

The grand, though I doubt it’ll be in the budget for a long time. In 2017 my mom and I had originally booked at Poly but when offers were released switching to the Grand was cheaper so we did it. It was her dream resort but I didn’t realize how much I would love it. I went to visit while I was down and I walked into that lobby and immediately wished I was staying there. This feb I stopped by the Polynesian and immediately felt like I was glad we stayed at the grand because I liked it better. Maybe one day I’ll decrease the number of trips in a year and go back to the grand.

 

[Ninja Mom]

My #1, Cabana Bay. My#2, Beach Club
~NM

 

[dlavender]

For us, it was at YC last year. While swimming in the little pool where the slide takes off, Illiminations was going off in the distance. It was awesome. Then in the morning, I snapped the picture in my avatar, a hidden Mickey came out to show us just how perfect this resort is....

Now affording it yearly... lol

 

[heidijanesmith]

We had such an incredible experience at my dream resort, the Poly. My daughter was ill and the staff went above and beyond to help her make the most of her stay while she was very ill.

It sealed the deal, the Poly has the most magical moment for us out of all of our stays.

The BWV feels like home. We came to WDW the same night my DD went to Marine boot camp. Her date changed so she left in the AM and we left the same day, just later in the evening. We booked a BWV studio as we love the EPCOT area. We checked in around midnight and found out that we were upgraded to a 1bd villa. It was amazing!! It felt like home.

We have been coming back to the BWV 1bd room every year since, we are hooked.

 

[Babsy]

All three monorail resorts - I need to see the castle from my resort!

the Poly is special to us, though, as our first resort way back when....and we love the ambiance there!

Still, we get the 'coming home' feeling when we catch our first glimpse of Cinderella's Castle from our resort.............magical!

 

[SarahC97]

I recently tried POFQ and didn't really care for it. I've stayed at the Poly, BWI, CSR, and POR but the only resort I had that moment in was CSR. We've stayed there twice and each time I was in a different section and absolutely love it. It's hands-down been my favorite resort, but I still would like to try AKL, WL, and the Contemporary sometime!

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

I recently tried POFQ and didn't really care for it. I've stayed at the Poly, BWI, CSR, and POR but the only resort I had that moment in was CSR. We've stayed there twice and each time I was in a different section and absolutely love it. It's hands-down been my favorite resort, but I still would like to try AKL, WL, and the Contemporary sometime!

What didn't you care for at POFQ?

 

[jennyq87]

Mine used to be GF for a long time. Now it's the YC.

Yacht Club is our favorite too! It’s cozy and feels like home for us. And the smell of the lobby is my FAVVVORITE Animal Kingdom would probably be my second choice. But I’m staying at the Poly in January for the first time - we will see if that changes anything!

 

[DizMinMouse]

Pop Century for us! I can’t even describe the feeling of glee I get when I first walk in there. It will always be our special place.

 

[Kelly014]

The Polynesian. The very first time we went to Disney (we were in a moderate) we went to Ohana for dinner. We strolled around the hotel and were so impressed by the pool and grounds, but it was so expensive to us as Disney newbies. Now the sticker shock has worn off and after staying at Coronado, Pop, and AKL we finally booked the Poly last year. The moment came while my husband and I were sitting together under an umbrella, Lapu Lapu in hand, watching our kids play at their awesome splash pad area...I felt home. Love the monorail, love the tropical theme, love the restaurants and Trader Sams, love the pool. We'll be back in July and I can hardly wait!