I’ve rounded up a few Disney expert bloggers to help share their perspective on a specific Disney related topic. I asked them all the same question, which will hopefully help my readers (YOU!) with their vacation planning decisions. For this post, I asked the experts to answer:
“What is your favorite Disney resort and why? Could you tell us one thing about your favorite resort that makes you want to stay there over and over again?”
Here is what the experts had to say:
“My favorite resort is the Polynesian. From the heavenly smells of tropical plants to the view from the beach of fireworks over Cinderella’s castle – The Polynesian has it all. Pool parties and movies on the beach are all included with your stay. Multiple options for transportation – monorail, bus, or boat, make getting to the parks quick and easy! Tonga Toast from Kona Cafe, breakfast with Lilo and Stitch at ‘Ohana, a luau with fire dancers at the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show, and the Dole Whip with rum from The Oasis Bar and Grill Pool bar make it the perfect resort. With all the options available one could have a Disney Resort only vacation right at the Polynesian. Take the monorail to the Grand Floridian for a massage at the Senses Spa. Book a guided fishing trip and leave from the dock at the Contemporary. The Polynesian is in the perfect location for any Disney vacation! ”
Laura, PixieDustQueen
“Imagine sipping on a cup of coffee while you watch the sunrise and a giraffe munches on a tree just a few feet from you. The Animal Kingdom Lodge transports you to a safari with its detailed African-inspired decor and real animals grazing in the fields. If the atmosphere doesn’t entice you then try the restaurants on property! Boma is the best buffet on Disney property (in my honest opinion) and Jiko’s is the perfect place for a romantic night out. If I had the budget, I’d move into this place!”
Kylee, Disney Travel Planner from Green Monorail Destinations
“My favourite Disney resort isn’t glamorous, but I love staying at the All Star Resorts. The over the top theming of giant movie characters, sports balls and musical instruments just scream DISNEY to me! The resorts have so much to do, we enjoy the pools, the arcade, and the walking trails. The other part I love is saving some money so I can spend more in the parks. Coming from Canada you have to save money where you can, and staying at the All Star Resorts allows us to come back more often!”
Jennifer, Will Save For Travel
“It’s so hard to pick a favorite Walt Disney World Resort® hotel. That’s like asking which child is your favorite?!? Each resort holds a special place in our heart either because of a magical memory it evokes or an amenity it offers. However, one hotel which rises above is Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. The Polynesian is a perfect combination of Disney charm with a South Seas flair.
Besides the feeling that you are staying in the middle of paradise, the Polynesian has one distinct advantage and that is its convenience. Convenience of dining… convenience of transportation to the parks… and the convenience of watching Happily Ever After from their beach.
The convenient dining options at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort range from snack locations to quick-service dining to table service restaurants. The Polynesian is also home to one of the few places to get a world famous Dole Whip outside of the parks, the Pineapple Lanai.
Another convenience of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort are the transportation options available. The Polynesian offers transportation to the parks and Disney Springs via bus, boat, Minnie Van and the Monorail. However, an option unique to the Polynesian is the ability to walk to the Ticket & Transportation Center and use those transportation options as well. This is especially true for those staying in the Moorea and Pago Pago Longhouses.
Any practically perfect day at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort should end by grabbing a chaise lounge on their white sand beach enjoying a Dole Whip while watching Happily Ever After. Like Ohana, the music is piped into the beach area for guests to enjoy.
Now that’s what I call *MAGICAL*.”
Sue, MouseQuestPodcast
“We’ve stayed at many different resorts over the years & have found that they all have good points and set backs. We really enjoyed our recent stay at Coronado Springs because of its proximity to the parks & overall layout and theme. Plus, Coronado Springs is almost always included in special offers because it is such a large resort. If you’re looking for a great price & a fun themed spot (the pool is pretty spectacular) make sure to check it out!”
Sara, Travels with Tots
“My favourite Walt Disney World resort is Coronado Springs Resort. I love the peaceful and quiet setting of Coronado Springs. The main pool area, the Dig Site, is an awesome place to spend a non-park day. There is a waterslide, hot tub, and a great little poolside bar with delicious snacks. The quiet pools around the resort are also a bonus! The grounds are beautiful and I love all of the fountains and foliage. Overall, I enjoy staying at Coronado Springs because it feels like a destination in itself. I can spend time here and really feel like I am on vacation.”
Samara, Disney Trivia Blog
Now that we’ve heard from the experts, tell me what your favorite Disney resort hotel is and why. Leave it in the comments below!
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Laura is a mom of one adorable girl with a love of all things Disney. She traveled to Disney World with her family in 2010 and was hooked. They have since been a total of over 15 times. With all her knowledge of planning Disney trips, she now wants to share that with others. She loves giving guidance, tips and advice to others planning their magical vacation!
Loved reading about all the different resorts! Thank you for putting it all together. Great job!
Thanks for your participation 🙂
Wilderness Lodge is my personal favorite!!
Wilderness Lodge is a gorgeous resort and I hear that they have a great table service restaurant there as well 🙂
I really need to keep all of these in mind for my trip!
They have so many resorts to choose from, so hard to choose because they all sound so good!
This is so helpful for me! We have kids in two different age groups — two of them toddlers, one basically an adult. It’s hard to find a property that will meet the needs of both and still be what we what it to be as well. LOADS of great information shared here. Thank you so much!!!
It does get difficult when you need to cater to different age groups, but I find Disney does a pretty good job of it. Thanks for the read! 🙂
Ive gotta pin this for when we plan our trip!! There’s so much info!!
Glad the info can help! 🙂
Thanks for updating this, when i visited disney with my wife in early 2018 i faced too much problems and then find a hotel from here. Thanks
Was shocked to see the All Star resorts on this list of best Disney resorts. Seriously? They may be the cheapest, but that’s the only thing going for them. We stayed there when we went last November and NEVER AGAIN! Out of all the resorts we’ve stayed at so far, that was the only NEVER AGAIN resort we’d had the misfortune to stay at. We arrived on a Wednesday & were out of there and in a different resort by Sunday morning. We’d have left earlier if we could have.
If you have a connecting door, be warned. You will hear everything that’s said in the room on the other side. Word for word. Not only did that make us uncomfortable because it meant we also had no privacy when we said anything, it got bad when the people in the next room started fighting. Every other word was the F word. After 30 minutes, I called the front desk. The woman on the other end of the phone could even hear everything they were yelling. She would have changed our rooms, but there weren’t any other ones available, so we were stuck staying in that room.
And there’s three All Star resorts, so you’ll be sharing a bus with two other resorts except at park opening and closing. That makes for some crowded buses and even longer bus rides since the All Star resorts are the farthest from the parks.
Mousekeeping was spotty at best. We were only there for a few days, but mousekeeping only cleaned our room once. I had to go to the front desk to get clean towels.