Don’t know if anyone has mentioned it yet, but Caribbean Beach added a new small quick service restaurant on the other side of the resort where you can refill your mug. And they’ve added some freestyle machines randomly throughout the resort. Very convenient.
We LOVE Boardwalk for its location near Epcot...love the quick boatride back to the resort after IllumiNations! Staying at Grand Floridian and Polynesian next week for the first time, so we're excited for that!
Your posting schedule couldn’t be any better!! There’s always a new video right when I have to wake up for work, so it makes getting out of bed easier knowing I’ll get my Disney fix. 🤗✨❤️
Fort Wilderness for us. Camped there 10 years now. Have stayed at Coronado, All Star Movies and Port Orleans Riverside but nothing compares to waking up in the woods and having coffee in your own lawn chair
5 лет назад+1
As my Son gets Older, we may stay in Pirate room at Carribean Beach.
I love staying at the French Quarter a small resort as you said so convenient. One stop for the buses and the food court and pool. It’s like I just walk out of my room and there they are. And I love the fact that I can take the ferry to Disney Springs. My all time favorite.
Haha 11:25...sounds like a good alternative to flying to Hawaii but I’m glad you’re taking it a step further and ACTUALLY going to HAWAII!! 🌺🌺🌺 can’t wait for those vlogs 😍
We just got back from staying at the Treehouses @ Saratoga Springs and we loved it! The boat to Disney Springs was nearby and you can park up close (if you have your own car) to your treehouse. The interior was lovely and the views are outstanding. It's so peaceful and quiet there, a great way to unwind after a day at the parks! 🌳💕
I have only ever stayed at 4 different Disney hotels (All Star Sports, Caribbean Beach, Riverside, and the Dolphin which isn't Disney anymore but at the time I went was MORE Disney than it is now). But I have resort-hopped to or visited more (Fort Wilderness, Polynesian, Contemporary, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Coronado Springs, French Quarter, Old Key West a long long time ago, and the Boardwalk part of Boardwalk). I would LOVE to stay in or visit the other value resorts, and definitely visit the other deluxe resorts. I used to love and stay at Caribbean Beach growing up, and stayed at Riverside once when Caribbean was full, and didn't really enjoy it. BUT, having gone there this past October really sparked it as being my favorite moderate resort, now. Plus, they have the BEST burger there- the Bayou Burger. Braised prime rib chunks (aka melt-in-your-mouth-goodness) atop a burger with housemade pickles and melty beer cheese sauce smothered ALL over it. MMMMMMM!!! Favorite value: [campgrounds at] Fort Wilderness; Favorite Deluxe: Animal Kingdom Lodge or Polynesian (BEFORE the remodel) I recently did an interesting budget comparison though, with the prices and for a family of 6 going next June (4 adults, 1 child, 1 baby) for the package they wanted, it was cheapest to stay in Caribbean ($3292), then Riverside ($3429), then 2 adjoining rooms at Music ($3472), then 2 Little Mermaid rooms at Art ($3878), then the suites at Art randomly assigned at check in ($3979), then the Nemo suites at Art ($4123).... and I have found that to be relatively true in general- for being a "value" resort, the Art of Animation is pretty pricey. I guess considering it's a suite that can fit 6+ people, that makes sense, but.... still. For ONE single-room (for 2 people with tickets in June) at Music, it's $1522. For one single-room at Art, it's $1725- almost $200 more expensive. It almost needs its own separate category.... And I keep saying this, but I wonder where some of the other up-and-coming resorts (cough-Star Wars-cough) will fall on the tiers. My guess is Deluxe or even DVC.... as if they need more of those..... ugh. They need more value resorts and maybe a few more moderate. Can't they just make it 8, 8, and 8? And then add more resorts incrementally, keeping it even each time. And more themed ones- not just towers like the Riviera or Bay Lake.
My favorite Disney Resort is the Contemporary. We love being able to just walk to Magic Kingdom and then being the first stop on the monorail on the way back. Plus great dining, comfortable rooms, nice heated pool (for those winter trips) and the little light parade at night, what’s not to love? We also enjoyed Animal Kingdom Lodge. They have so many activities and the staff is just lovely. Pop Century is great, we stayed there during hurricane Irma and have to say we got some of the best customer service we have ever had on property. My least favorite and where we had the worse customer service experience is Coronado Springs. The refurbished rooms are nice. But the Resort is too wide spread. Everything is either a long walk away or you have to take a buss. The pool was ok. The food was actually pretty bad, worse we have had on property. The staff was the worse part of it. Sadly the cast members we dealt with were rude, or unhelpful, or just didn’t care. It was truly a shame.
For our first and only visit to WDW last year, we stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter and loved it. It felt so intimate and quiet, and having never been to New Orleans, it was kind of fun "pretending" we were there, too.
Love the resorts! My family loves Wilderness Lodge. At Caribbean Beach, the buses can get crowded yes, but I’m glad they stop at each “village.” Will have to check out Pop Century.
Your choices are great! I would've never tried the Bison Burger at Geyser Point had it not been for your VLOG's and boy did we enjoy it!! Can't wait to have it again when we stay at WL in the spring! Thank you, Michael, for your great videos and VLOG's!!!
Great video! My favourite resort of no expense was an option is Animal Kingdom. Beautiful resort! Seeing the animals, great pool, amazing restaurants and unique theming makes it my #1 choice
We love the value resorts. We spend all our time at the parks! In 50 days we will be staying at all-star movies then Art of Animation resorts. We are planning on doing more resort hopping this time with all our dining reservations. Love the Poly and contemporary and the GF.
We used to love staying at the Caribbean Beach and were lucky to always stay at Trinidad South (walk is not too bad, but then again I love walking!). Since becoming DVC members in 2002 (Beach Club Villas being our home resort) we love staying at Boardwalk Villas mainly because of its location to Epcot and Hollywood Studios but also because the setting is fantastic.
Last trip we stayed at Coronado Springs. I did not notice any issues from it having a conference center or business people walking around. The newly refurbished rooms are really nice and so is the pool. I felt it gave you a lot more value for the lower price with amenities you sometimes only find at a deluxe resort.
Melissa Millstein I totally agree!! Plus the huge hot tub! One nice thing about the conference center... less noisy families, field trips, and rowdy teenagers. Lol
We love the cabins at Fort Wilderness! As a family of 5 it really is a great choice for us because we have plenty of space and enjoy not sharing walls with other guest. Plus there is sooo much to do there when you are not in the parks; dinner shoes, pools, archery, horseback riding etc. We are a short boat ride away from the Magic Kingdom which also lets us get through security faster since we go through the boat dock. I hope you get to go soon as an adult and enjoy all they have to offer! 😄
I agree, the busses at Caribbean Beach are terrible. I love that you stay at Pop Century! We are staying there for the first time in September. It’s hard to justify the price increase for the Moderates. Values have been great for us.
Buses for us have not been too bad at CBR! The only time we've found super busy is trying to leave the MK to go back to CBR. Our fix for that is to hang out on Main Street for an extra hour after closing! Shop, Eat or Take Pics - The bus line will be very short by the time you leave!
I have stayed at Pop Century the most often and will do so again. I usually just can’t afford the other resorts. But I have been lucky enough to stay at both the Poly and in one of the Fort Wilderness cabins in the past and loved them both. In just 65 days I’m staying at the Yacht Club with friends and I can’t wait!!
Pop century for the value resorts because I’m a huge fan of music the cabin at fort wilderness because I love camping and the contemporary resort because I love the futuristic feel and the fact that the monorail steps inside the resort
Doing two different hotels this September, both I have never stayed at. 1st will be one night at All Star Movies Resort, then we go on the Disney Dream for a back to back cruise, then back to Disney to stay at Old Key West Resort for 3 nights . Looking forward to both hotels and especially the cruise. One day I would like to stay at Pop Century since you seem to enjoy it and the themeing looks pretty awesome. My first resort I stayed at as a kid was Polynesian Village and a couple times as an adult. Polynesian is my favorite. I stayed at Animal Kingdom Kadani several times. I didn't know about the night vision goggles until you mentioned it in this Vlog. Next time I stay there I will have to make sure I try them out. Thanks for all the information you bring us through your Vlogs! I enjoy watching all your Vlogs. You have inspired me to one day become a passholder. #Goals
It's funny because we actually love the multiple bus stops at the Caribbean Beach.. it's nice to get dropped off within a very close distance to your room. And that's not true about the need to go to the main building to get on the busses, all of the busses come to each "country's" bus stop. Just had to clear that up because we love the Caribbean Beach, can't wait for the construction to be done and the new skyliners to be ready!!
I love Art of Animation, but you are right, the Little Mermaid rooms are very far in the back, so we usually pick PoP also. I stayed at Caribbean Beach once and didn’t like anything about it, but I loved Riverside, especially the Royal Rooms! I have not gotten to stay at a Deluxe Resort yet, but I will soon and it will be the Poly! Maybe 2021! For now it’s 10 nights at POP , Dec 2019!
I have never stayed at anything but Moderate Resorts. And our new favorite is Coronado Springs. I know they are under construction but we stayed there 2 years ago. My husband & I like it cuz we can take s walk (just the two of us) while our girls are sleeping in. Then we get up & with my Florida Daughter check on her animals & off to the Parks for a Magical Time.
We've stayed mostly moderate for the last eleven years, but now started renting DVC points! Last Fall we stayed in OKW and loved it! This Fall it's AK Kidani Village and a week at OKW again! That said, we love all the resorts!
Hi Michael. We share 2 of the 3 favorite resorts. I just stayed at Pop Century in March and totally loved it. I like there is only 1 bus stop. My favorite moderate is Port Orleans French Quarter! I am so excited to be going back there next month. I like the theme and how easy you can get to the main building. My favorite deluxe and as well as all around favorite is Wilderness Lodge. I love the theme, the pool and the fact we can take the boat to MK and other resorts. Animal Kingdom holds a special place in my heart. My kids are 22 & 26 and on our first visit with our children when they were young was staying at AK. We had a lot of magical dust on that trip. They upgraded our room to our Savannah view! AK had only been open one year when we went. Thank you for your videos!
I stayed at Caribbean Beach back in December and I was at the LAST bus stop. It was ok in the morning since we were the last to be picked up BUT it total sucked at the end of the night because we were stuck on the bus until the very end! It was a beautiful resort but I would just stay somewhere else. Also, I love Pop Century (stayed in 2006), Coronado Springs (2015) and I next month staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge and I already know it is going to be my favorite!
With the amount of different resorts, my favorite has to be Boardwalk due to it's great quality and its closeness to the parks. Another great video and wonderful channel. Keep up the great work.
I have stayed at every Resort on property except the cabins at Fort Wilderness. I can't say I was disappointed by any. But if I had to choose value would be Pop Century moderate would be Port Orleans Riverside and Deluxe would be a toss-up between Wilderness Lodge and Bay Lake Towers. Thanks for all your great videos!
Hey Michael, my family and I love Wilderness Lodge. Since we have small children we spend a lot of time at MK. The boat ride at night from MK to WL is always very relaxing and it is a fantastic way to end a wonderful evening at MK. Somewhat unfortunately, we have only stayed at the MK resorts, but I have several friends that have stayed at POR and love it. We may stay at AOA or POR our next trip. I have a friend who stayed at All-Star Sports (you know why I didn't abbreviate that ;D) on a late honeymoon trip and he said it was ok, mainly because they used it to shower and sleep.
We’ve only stayed at POP. We just love it and find it so affordable that we just keep going back. But I definitely want to stay French Quarter some day
I agree on value and moderate (POP and POFQ), but if I'm paying deluxe prices I want proximity to a park or parks that doesn't include buses. I'd choose Contemporary for the ability to walk to MK or Poly for extensive theming.
Hi Michael, My first visit to Disney was in 2017. We stayed for 1 night at French Quarter before going on the Disney Dream. Then after our cruise we stayed at Riverside. My favorite resort was the French Quarter. Going fort second visit this Nov and staying at Pop Century. Looking forward to it
I have been fortunate to have stayed at most of the Disney Resorts with my DVC points and also on cash reservations. For me the most immersive Disney Experience is the boardwalk and beach club resort area. I love the fact that I can access two of the theme parks plus the boardwalk and spend days just in that area without having to go outside of it. It really makes me feel like I'm on vacation. As a standalone Resort the Animal Kingdom Lodge is pretty spectacular also. Just don't love the location. Bill
Agree - The Epcot Resort Area is an amazing place! We're staying at AK Kidani for the first time next month and can't wait! We spend most of our time in the AK, so location is not so much of an issue for us!
Great choices! Here's mine.. Pop Century, Port Orleans Riverside, Contemporary. I've never stayed at any deluxe other than Contemporary but really want to try Poly or one within walking distance to Epcot :)
Nice way to start the day! I think the Pop ones are perfectly fine, but I'm not there to spend tons of time in the room. That being said, I loooved being spoiled at the Animal kingdom lodge, and Grand Floridian resort. We stayed there the first time we took our son. He was in heaven!
By far my favorite is the Beach Club! Best pool on property and love being able to walk into EPCOT and a short boat ride to Disney Studios. As for moderate, I really enjoyed the Coronado. Can't wait to see when the tower opens up there. On the value side, I have only tried a few of the All Star resorts. They were great for having a nice clean room and saving some money to spend on other areas of my vacation.
For value we like AOA, moderate weve stayed at Port orleans riverside and french qtr and enjoyed them both, the theming is great. Deluxe weve done all the epcot and all the MK resorts a number of time and its a toss up between Beach club and the Poly. Location and amenities are amazing at both.
Great video Michael! My favorite resort is Pop. Staying there allows me to go more often, and i like the new rooms. I've stayed at both Port Orleans resorts and prefer FQ. I have never stayed at a deluxe, but I have a big bday coming up in 4 years (*cough* 50 😁) and I want to treat myself and stay at Wilderness Lodge or AK Lodge. Thank you Michael! Have a magical day!
I've never stayed at a value resort but my fav's are French Quarter for moderates, Old Key West for DVC, and of course the Poly for the deluxe. The Poly is hands down the most magical of all the resorts on property.
I know this video will be EXTREMELY helpful for those weighing their options between resorts at WDW! My two favorite resorts are Port Orleans (both parts) and Pop Century!
Thank you for your review! We think alike! I have the same favorites as you and for all the same reasons. 😂 I would love to stay at AKL someday. We always stay at Pop and we do love it!
Value... Pop (only one I have been too) Moderate... Port Orleans Riverside (really liked the old Plantation vibe) Deluxe.... Drum roll......Wilderness Lodge (Pacific NW is my favorite area and so is this resort) Campgrounds though are becoming our new favorite overall... Nothing like coming home to your own camper at the end of the night.. Have a chance to stay at Shades of Green this coming Feb 2019. (Brother-in-law in military) We will see how that compares and lands on the list. Looking forward to that trip.
Omg Michael please get Nana back to the Beach Club! We stayed at the Yacht Club in September and absolutely loved it! Love this resort review. Thank you.
Khadani is a DVC resort that’s the reason they’re fewer people there. Other than renting points I’m not sure how to reserve a room there. I did notice some availability in November when I booked our trip so they might have black out dates.
Very much in sync with h you. My favorite moderate is Port Orleans-Riverside because of the boat to Disney Springs, however I would like to stay in Port Orleans - French Quarter to compare. This past May spent 3 nights at Animal Kingdom Lodge - Kidani Village. Took 1,001 photos of the animals, went on the Wanyama Safari (awesome), and ate at all three restaurants (though I wasn't impressed with Boma compared to the other two). We bought no park tickets and stayed at the resort for all three day. We upgraded to Club Level and it was a very wise choice. Great eats and drinks all day and night long. Well worth the cost, especially if you do not go to the parks. Would go back to Animal Kingdom Lodge any chance I get. Thanks for your excellent videos. Watch them almost every night just before turning in.
We're Disney Pirates, so Caribbean Beach is our Favorite! We know it's not the best resort on property, but it's where we stayed our first trip back in 2007! It has so many nostalgic memories for us! Nice video Michael and Happy Friday from the Mouse Streeters!
Value- Art of Animation family suites My husband says next time we go he’s stuck on the Cars suite. Trying to convince him to try Nemo suite. 😂 Moderate- Coronado Springs Beautiful! And while conferences are going on, it feels empty. The pool is amazing. Deluxe - Polynesian The first WDW resort I ever stayed in. I miss the big waterfall feature in the lobby, but I still appreciate the relaxed setting. The food and monorail access are amazing, too! (Boardwalk and Contemporary come in a very close 2nd and 3rd.)
Shades of Green is amazing. Stayed there twice and would have again except there is no magic express service so you are left finding your own way to and from property.
AKL Jambo House will always have a special place in my heart for many reasons and it was also our first resort we ever stayed at but Yacht and Beach are our go to resorts now mainly for their location. We love walking to EPCOT. Boardwalk we did not like at all. Our other favorites are Pop and Port Orleans, we only ever stayed in Riverside. Caribbean Beach we liked but probably would never stay at again. Art of Animation we would like to try. We just happened to be resort hopping this year and they had meet and greets in the lobby which was really nice. That’s the first time we’ve ever seen characters at a resort
I'm curious about your comment of the Grand Floridian being, "the original top-tier Disney resort", since it's the newest of the monorail resorts. The originals were the Contemporary and Polynesian, with many (including myself) thinking the Poly was always the better of the two.
VALUE: Pop Century (Stayed there last year.), MODERATE: Port Orleans Riverside (Stayed there a lot when it was Dixie Landing.), DELUXE: Grand Floridian Resort and Spa.
I wish I could stay at them all. I have only stayed at 2 moderates and 2 value and enjoyed them all for different reasons. Of the four my favorite is French Quarter.
I always stay at Art of Animation. My girls and I love it and find it our second home since that was the 1st place we visited on our 1st family vacation. I would love to try Animal kingdom lodge and the polynesian resort. Those would be my next top picks.
My family loves the Art of Animation as well. There are only 4 of us, but when you are staying for a week or longer, the family suites are great. We've only ever stayed at Value Resorts and the larger than life, "kitschy" theming just says Disney. We've visited some of the other resorts and they look nice, but just don't seem like Disney to us. If Pop Century had family suites we would definitely stay there.
I dont have a favorite bc I have never been to Disney. Next yr we will be staying all-Music for 6 night and thats after our 5 day cruise on the disney dream
David Zeka I’ve never stayed at AS Music, but we were pretty impressed with AS Movies a few years ago! It’s a great way to save money if you are going to be spending most of your time at the parks, Disney Springs, or even in the pool!
My family has stayed at pop century and Caribbean beach many times, and animal kingdom lodge jambo house once. While I love the deluxe resorts, I simply don’t think it’s worth the extra money - I’d rather save money towards another trip. Though we were able to stay animal kingdom lodge because it was actually cheaper than port Orleans with free dining. My dream is to stay at the poly and grand Floridian one day. And I would love to try port Orleans French quarter.
I always think of the Magic Kingdom resorts as a class of their own. If I could stay anywhere for a week it would be the Polynesian Club Level. It’s absolutely amazing. Contemporary might be nice as long as you’re staying in a theme park view room, but the garden view rooms are meh at best. Not really worth the price in my opinion.
Clearly Poly wins the vote!!!!!!!!!! GREAT video Michael. Got me going this morn. 8am video release time is always spot on. Thanks again and keep up the good work.
They are, I think, in the same pricing as high-end moderates or low-end deluxes, but they are NOT technically Disney resorts. They are owned by, Sheraton or Weston or something (I forget- one of those big names). But they do share SOME amenities and perks of being Disney hotels. Kind of like, instead of being "Good Neighbor" hotels that Disney recommends and supports (but which aren't owned by Disney, nor are they particularly "close to the magic" both by proximity and by transportation), they are "Super Neighbor" hotels which are right in the heart of Disney property and get offered many more Disney perks.
Hi michael, why can disney have designated buses for each resorts? I think it will be best for the guests. I haven't stayed at any disney resorts, when I went to disney we rented a house in davenport and rented a car and drove to the parks. Also I owned a timeshare so I stay at one of those and save money. Great information, Tfs be blessed.😇
Disney does have separate buses for each resort (mostly- some DO share- but only due to proximity to each other, such as the All Star resorts or the Yacht and Beach Club resorts). At the end of the day, you go to the bus terminal and you line up in a queue for your hotel destination. But then, some resorts have multiple bus stops around the resort to bring you closer to your room rather than dumping you all at the front and having some people have to walk much further than others to get back to their room. Unless you mean have a separate bus for each bus stop- such as 6 different buses for Caribbean Beach- one for each stop- or 3 for Riverside- one for the front, one for the further mansion rooms, and one for alligator bayou rooms.... That would be interesting and beneficial.... especially at the end of the day.
Hey Michael! Gotta say love your content just recently subscribed and got to say you do a great job explaining, reviewing and showing everything disney has to offer. Do you have a fb page or a way to contact you? Was wondering if I can message you to talk about a potential opportunity. My name is Mike too, best name in the world lol anyway keep up the great work! Have a great day!
Don’t know if anyone has mentioned it yet, but Caribbean Beach added a new small quick service restaurant on the other side of the resort where you can refill your mug. And they’ve added some freestyle machines randomly throughout the resort. Very convenient.
We LOVE Boardwalk for its location near Epcot...love the quick boatride back to the resort after IllumiNations! Staying at Grand Floridian and Polynesian next week for the first time, so we're excited for that!
Your posting schedule couldn’t be any better!! There’s always a new video right when I have to wake up for work, so it makes getting out of bed easier knowing I’ll get my Disney fix. 🤗✨❤️
😊💙 so glad to hear it
Fort Wilderness for us. Camped there 10 years now. Have stayed at Coronado, All Star Movies and Port Orleans Riverside but nothing compares to waking up in the woods and having coffee in your own lawn chair
As my Son gets Older, we may stay in Pirate room at Carribean Beach.
I love staying at the French Quarter a small resort as you said so convenient. One stop for the buses and the food court and pool. It’s like I just walk out of my room and there they are. And I love the fact that I can take the ferry to Disney Springs. My all time favorite.
Haha 11:25...sounds like a good alternative to flying to Hawaii but I’m glad you’re taking it a step further and ACTUALLY going to HAWAII!! 🌺🌺🌺 can’t wait for those vlogs 😍
It’s going to be a dream come true adventure 😊✨🎉
We just got back from staying at the Treehouses @ Saratoga Springs and we loved it! The boat to Disney Springs was nearby and you can park up close (if you have your own car) to your treehouse. The interior was lovely and the views are outstanding. It's so peaceful and quiet there, a great way to unwind after a day at the parks! 🌳💕
I am about to go to school but couldn’t pass up a good Michael Kay video.
Cole Curtis 😊🎉✨👍
I have only ever stayed at 4 different Disney hotels (All Star Sports, Caribbean Beach, Riverside, and the Dolphin which isn't Disney anymore but at the time I went was MORE Disney than it is now). But I have resort-hopped to or visited more (Fort Wilderness, Polynesian, Contemporary, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Coronado Springs, French Quarter, Old Key West a long long time ago, and the Boardwalk part of Boardwalk). I would LOVE to stay in or visit the other value resorts, and definitely visit the other deluxe resorts.
I used to love and stay at Caribbean Beach growing up, and stayed at Riverside once when Caribbean was full, and didn't really enjoy it. BUT, having gone there this past October really sparked it as being my favorite moderate resort, now. Plus, they have the BEST burger there- the Bayou Burger. Braised prime rib chunks (aka melt-in-your-mouth-goodness) atop a burger with housemade pickles and melty beer cheese sauce smothered ALL over it. MMMMMMM!!!
Favorite value: [campgrounds at] Fort Wilderness; Favorite Deluxe: Animal Kingdom Lodge or Polynesian (BEFORE the remodel)
I recently did an interesting budget comparison though, with the prices and for a family of 6 going next June (4 adults, 1 child, 1 baby) for the package they wanted, it was cheapest to stay in Caribbean ($3292), then Riverside ($3429), then 2 adjoining rooms at Music ($3472), then 2 Little Mermaid rooms at Art ($3878), then the suites at Art randomly assigned at check in ($3979), then the Nemo suites at Art ($4123).... and I have found that to be relatively true in general- for being a "value" resort, the Art of Animation is pretty pricey. I guess considering it's a suite that can fit 6+ people, that makes sense, but.... still. For ONE single-room (for 2 people with tickets in June) at Music, it's $1522. For one single-room at Art, it's $1725- almost $200 more expensive. It almost needs its own separate category....
And I keep saying this, but I wonder where some of the other up-and-coming resorts (cough-Star Wars-cough) will fall on the tiers. My guess is Deluxe or even DVC.... as if they need more of those..... ugh. They need more value resorts and maybe a few more moderate. Can't they just make it 8, 8, and 8? And then add more resorts incrementally, keeping it even each time. And more themed ones- not just towers like the Riviera or Bay Lake.
I agree with your review of Kidani, and BC is my absolute fave.
My favorite Disney Resort is the Contemporary. We love being able to just walk to Magic Kingdom and then being the first stop on the monorail on the way back. Plus great dining, comfortable rooms, nice heated pool (for those winter trips) and the little light parade at night, what’s not to love?
We also enjoyed Animal Kingdom Lodge. They have so many activities and the staff is just lovely.
Pop Century is great, we stayed there during hurricane Irma and have to say we got some of the best customer service we have ever had on property.
My least favorite and where we had the worse customer service experience is Coronado Springs. The refurbished rooms are nice. But the Resort is too wide spread. Everything is either a long walk away or you have to take a buss. The pool was ok. The food was actually pretty bad, worse we have had on property. The staff was the worse part of it. Sadly the cast members we dealt with were rude, or unhelpful, or just didn’t care. It was truly a shame.
Your voice sounds pretty awesome Michael
For our first and only visit to WDW last year, we stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter and loved it. It felt so intimate and quiet, and having never been to New Orleans, it was kind of fun "pretending" we were there, too.
Very similar choices. Value - Pop, moderate - POFQ and deluxe - beach club.
Love the resorts! My family loves Wilderness Lodge. At Caribbean Beach, the buses can get crowded yes, but I’m glad they stop at each “village.” Will have to check out Pop Century.
Your choices are great! I would've never tried the Bison Burger at Geyser Point had it not been for your VLOG's and boy did we enjoy it!! Can't wait to have it again when we stay at WL in the spring! Thank you, Michael, for your great videos and VLOG's!!!
Great video! My favourite resort of no expense was an option is Animal Kingdom. Beautiful resort! Seeing the animals, great pool, amazing restaurants and unique theming makes it my #1 choice
Awesome to hear this! We are staying there next month for the first time! Can't wait!
We love the value resorts. We spend all our time at the parks! In 50 days we will be staying at all-star movies then Art of Animation resorts. We are planning on doing more resort hopping this time with all our dining reservations. Love the Poly and contemporary and the GF.
We used to love staying at the Caribbean Beach and were lucky to always stay at Trinidad South (walk is not too bad, but then again I love walking!). Since becoming DVC members in 2002 (Beach Club Villas being our home resort) we love staying at Boardwalk Villas mainly because of its location to Epcot and Hollywood Studios but also because the setting is fantastic.
Last trip we stayed at Coronado Springs. I did not notice any issues from it having a conference center or business people walking around. The newly refurbished rooms are really nice and so is the pool. I felt it gave you a lot more value for the lower price with amenities you sometimes only find at a deluxe resort.
Melissa Millstein I totally agree!! Plus the huge hot tub! One nice thing about the conference center... less noisy families, field trips, and rowdy teenagers. Lol
My wife and I stayed at Old Key West last year and loved it
AKL and Wilderness Lodge r on our BUCKET List!! AKL for the Savannah!! Wilderness Lodge for Closeness to MK.
I love Pop Century for comfort and familiarity and the chef's know what i like and how i like it and my gluten free diet
We love the cabins at Fort Wilderness! As a family of 5 it really is a great choice for us because we have plenty of space and enjoy not sharing walls with other guest. Plus there is sooo much to do there when you are not in the parks; dinner shoes, pools, archery, horseback riding etc. We are a short boat ride away from the Magic Kingdom which also lets us get through security faster since we go through the boat dock.
I hope you get to go soon as an adult and enjoy all they have to offer! 😄
Our two favorite resorts at Disney are Wilderness lodge and Art of animation! Wilderness lodge is amazing during Christmas! Very magical!
The Wilderness at Christmas is Amazing! We did a Holiday Resort Hopping Day last year and just loved it there!
OKW and SSR have a lot of bus stops, but that wouldn't stop me from enjoying them. CBR has great beaches with hammocks to relax. It's one of my faves.
My favorites would be Art of Animation, Port Orleans French Quarter, and Yacht Club.
I agree, the busses at Caribbean Beach are terrible. I love that you stay at Pop Century! We are staying there for the first time in September. It’s hard to justify the price increase for the Moderates. Values have been great for us.
Buses for us have not been too bad at CBR! The only time we've found super busy is trying to leave the MK to go back to CBR. Our fix for that is to hang out on Main Street for an extra hour after closing! Shop, Eat or Take Pics - The bus line will be very short by the time you leave!
I have stayed at Pop Century the most often and will do so again. I usually just can’t afford the other resorts.
But I have been lucky enough to stay at both the Poly and in one of the Fort Wilderness cabins in the past and loved them both.
In just 65 days I’m staying at the Yacht Club with friends and I can’t wait!!
I'm so thankful for this video!
The grand the best!!!! Nothing compares to it👍🏻😎
Pop century for the value resorts because I’m a huge fan of music the cabin at fort wilderness because I love camping and the contemporary resort because I love the futuristic feel and the fact that the monorail steps inside the resort
Great to know you like French Quarter. I am going to spent a week here For NYE day and the next ones...Can't wait to be there !
Value - Art of Animation
Moderate - Coronado Springs
Deluxe - Polynesian Village
Great video as always Michael! Very informative.
Doing two different hotels this September, both I have never stayed at. 1st will be one night at All Star Movies Resort, then we go on the Disney Dream for a back to back cruise, then back to Disney to stay at Old Key West Resort for 3 nights . Looking forward to both hotels and especially the cruise. One day I would like to stay at Pop Century since you seem to enjoy it and the themeing looks pretty awesome. My first resort I stayed at as a kid was Polynesian Village and a couple times as an adult. Polynesian is my favorite. I stayed at Animal Kingdom Kadani several times. I didn't know about the night vision goggles until you mentioned it in this Vlog. Next time I stay there I will have to make sure I try them out. Thanks for all the information you bring us through your Vlogs! I enjoy watching all your Vlogs. You have inspired me to one day become a passholder. #Goals
It's funny because we actually love the multiple bus stops at the Caribbean Beach.. it's nice to get dropped off within a very close distance to your room. And that's not true about the need to go to the main building to get on the busses, all of the busses come to each "country's" bus stop. Just had to clear that up because we love the Caribbean Beach, can't wait for the construction to be done and the new skyliners to be ready!!
I love Art of Animation, but you are right, the Little Mermaid rooms are very far in the back, so we usually pick PoP also. I stayed at Caribbean Beach once and didn’t like anything about it, but I loved Riverside, especially the Royal Rooms! I have not gotten to stay at a Deluxe Resort yet, but I will soon and it will be the Poly! Maybe 2021! For now it’s 10 nights at POP , Dec 2019!
If Michael ever reads this where would Saratoga Springs and Old KeyWest go? I think those are either moderates or luxury and keep up the great work!!
I have never stayed at anything but Moderate Resorts.
And our new favorite is Coronado Springs.
I know they are under construction but we stayed there 2 years ago.
My husband & I like it cuz we can take s walk (just the two of us) while our girls are sleeping in.
Then we get up & with my Florida Daughter check on her animals & off to the Parks for a Magical Time.
We've stayed mostly moderate for the last eleven years, but now started renting DVC points! Last Fall we stayed in OKW and loved it! This Fall it's AK Kidani Village and a week at OKW again! That said, we love all the resorts!
Hi Michael. We share 2 of the 3 favorite resorts. I just stayed at Pop Century in March and totally loved it. I like there is only 1 bus stop. My favorite moderate is Port Orleans French Quarter! I am so excited to be going back there next month. I like the theme and how easy you can get to the main building. My favorite deluxe and as well as all around favorite is Wilderness Lodge. I love the theme, the pool and the fact we can take the boat to MK and other resorts. Animal Kingdom holds a special place in my heart. My kids are 22 & 26 and on our first visit with our children when they were young was staying at AK. We had a lot of magical dust on that trip. They upgraded our room to our Savannah view! AK had only been open one year when we went. Thank you for your videos!
I stayed at Caribbean Beach back in December and I was at the LAST bus stop. It was ok in the morning since we were the last to be picked up BUT it total sucked at the end of the night because we were stuck on the bus until the very end! It was a beautiful resort but I would just stay somewhere else. Also, I love Pop Century (stayed in 2006), Coronado Springs (2015) and I next month staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge and I already know it is going to be my favorite!
With the amount of different resorts, my favorite has to be Boardwalk due to it's great quality and its closeness to the parks. Another great video and wonderful channel. Keep up the great work.
Ryan Sav it really is a magical underappreciated resort 😊👍
And the proximity to yummy treats! And I love Jellyrolls!! 🎵🎶🎵🎶
I have stayed at every Resort on property except the cabins at Fort Wilderness. I can't say I was disappointed by any. But if I had to choose value would be Pop Century moderate would be Port Orleans Riverside and Deluxe would be a toss-up between Wilderness Lodge and Bay Lake Towers. Thanks for all your great videos!
Hey Michael, my family and I love Wilderness Lodge. Since we have small children we spend a lot of time at MK. The boat ride at night from MK to WL is always very relaxing and it is a fantastic way to end a wonderful evening at MK. Somewhat unfortunately, we have only stayed at the MK resorts, but I have several friends that have stayed at POR and love it. We may stay at AOA or POR our next trip. I have a friend who stayed at All-Star Sports (you know why I didn't abbreviate that ;D) on a late honeymoon trip and he said it was ok, mainly because they used it to shower and sleep.
We’ve only stayed at POP. We just love it and find it so affordable that we just keep going back. But I definitely want to stay French Quarter some day
I agree on value and moderate (POP and POFQ), but if I'm paying deluxe prices I want proximity to a park or parks that doesn't include buses. I'd choose Contemporary for the ability to walk to MK or Poly for extensive theming.
Keep up the great vlogs.❤️😀
Hi Michael, My first visit to Disney was in 2017. We stayed for 1 night at French Quarter before going on the Disney Dream. Then after our cruise we stayed at Riverside. My favorite resort was the French Quarter. Going fort second visit this Nov and staying at Pop Century. Looking forward to it
I have been fortunate to have stayed at most of the Disney Resorts with my DVC points and also on cash reservations. For me the most immersive Disney Experience is the boardwalk and beach club resort area. I love the fact that I can access two of the theme parks plus the boardwalk and spend days just in that area without having to go outside of it. It really makes me feel like I'm on vacation. As a standalone Resort the Animal Kingdom Lodge is pretty spectacular also. Just don't love the location. Bill
No doubt about it, those are fantastic resorts! Stormalong bay draws me back 🌊
Michael Kay me too. I really love the dvc rooms at the poly. Perfect for a family of 5
Agree - The Epcot Resort Area is an amazing place! We're staying at AK Kidani for the first time next month and can't wait! We spend most of our time in the AK, so location is not so much of an issue for us!
Which DVC rooms at the poly are you referring to ? The poly has studios and the mega $ bungalows .@@BillEricPhotography
Great choices! Here's mine.. Pop Century, Port Orleans Riverside, Contemporary. I've never stayed at any deluxe other than Contemporary but really want to try Poly or one within walking distance to Epcot :)
I Love POP!
Nice way to start the day! I think the Pop ones are perfectly fine, but I'm not there to spend tons of time in the room. That being said, I loooved being spoiled at the Animal kingdom lodge, and Grand Floridian resort. We stayed there the first time we took our son. He was in heaven!
By far my favorite is the Beach Club! Best pool on property and love being able to walk into EPCOT and a short boat ride to Disney Studios. As for moderate, I really enjoyed the Coronado. Can't wait to see when the tower opens up there. On the value side, I have only tried a few of the All Star resorts. They were great for having a nice clean room and saving some money to spend on other areas of my vacation.
For value we like AOA, moderate weve stayed at Port orleans riverside and french qtr and enjoyed them both, the theming is great. Deluxe weve done all the epcot and all the MK resorts a number of time and its a toss up between Beach club and the Poly. Location and amenities are amazing at both.
Great video Michael! My favorite resort is Pop. Staying there allows me to go more often, and i like the new rooms. I've stayed at both Port Orleans resorts and prefer FQ. I have never stayed at a deluxe, but I have a big bday coming up in 4 years (*cough* 50 😁) and I want to treat myself and stay at Wilderness Lodge or AK Lodge. Thank you Michael! Have a magical day!
I've never stayed at a value resort but my fav's are French Quarter for moderates, Old Key West for DVC, and of course the Poly for the deluxe. The Poly is hands down the most magical of all the resorts on property.
I know this video will be EXTREMELY helpful for those weighing their options between resorts at WDW! My two favorite resorts are Port Orleans (both parts) and Pop Century!
My favorites are All star movies, PORFQ and Yacht club!!
Great video Michael!
I totally agree with you about enjoying places where food court and buses aren't so far away. Save walking for the park. 🙂
👍 exactly
Definitely something to think about when booking one of the large resorts!
Thank you for your review! We think alike! I have the same favorites as you and for all the same reasons. 😂 I would love to stay at AKL someday. We always stay at Pop and we do love it!
Value... Pop (only one I have been too)
Moderate... Port Orleans Riverside (really liked the old Plantation vibe)
Deluxe.... Drum roll......Wilderness Lodge (Pacific NW is my favorite area and so is this resort)
Campgrounds though are becoming our new favorite overall... Nothing like coming home to your own camper at the end of the night.. Have a chance to stay at Shades of Green this coming Feb 2019. (Brother-in-law in military) We will see how that compares and lands on the list. Looking forward to that trip.
I’ve never stayed on property ever. I’m looking forward to Spring. I chose the cabins! I’m hoping it’s great!
Omg Michael please get Nana back to the Beach Club! We stayed at the Yacht Club in September and absolutely loved it! Love this resort review. Thank you.
You and I have the same standards. I WANT SMALL! Haha :)
Glad I’m not alone there
I stayed at the All Star Music. It was Great. The only thing I didn't like was that they played Frozen every night for the pool movies.
To most, the room is the least priority, their going for the parks. I have no favorite, but I like staying at BC (pool), BW, Poly, BLT and SSR.
Kidani Village, Port Orleans Riverside, and Art of Animation for us!
Khadani is a DVC resort that’s the reason they’re fewer people there. Other than renting points I’m not sure how to reserve a room there. I did notice some availability in November when I booked our trip so they might have black out dates.
Very much in sync with h you. My favorite moderate is Port Orleans-Riverside because of the boat to Disney Springs, however I would like to stay in Port Orleans - French Quarter to compare. This past May spent 3 nights at Animal Kingdom Lodge - Kidani Village. Took 1,001 photos of the animals, went on the Wanyama Safari (awesome), and ate at all three restaurants (though I wasn't impressed with Boma compared to the other two). We bought no park tickets and stayed at the resort for all three day. We upgraded to Club Level and it was a very wise choice. Great eats and drinks all day and night long. Well worth the cost, especially if you do not go to the parks. Would go back to Animal Kingdom Lodge any chance I get. Thanks for your excellent videos. Watch them almost every night just before turning in.
We're Disney Pirates, so Caribbean Beach is our Favorite! We know it's not the best resort on property, but it's where we stayed our first trip back in 2007! It has so many nostalgic memories for us! Nice video Michael and Happy Friday from the Mouse Streeters!
Value- Art of Animation family suites My husband says next time we go he’s stuck on the Cars suite. Trying to convince him to try Nemo suite. 😂
Moderate- Coronado Springs Beautiful! And while conferences are going on, it feels empty. The pool is amazing.
Deluxe - Polynesian The first WDW resort I ever stayed in. I miss the big waterfall feature in the lobby, but I still appreciate the relaxed setting. The food and monorail access are amazing, too! (Boardwalk and Contemporary come in a very close 2nd and 3rd.)
my favorites are Pop Century, Coronado Springs (only moderate i have stayed and visited so a little bias) and AK Jambo House.
Shades of Green is amazing. Stayed there twice and would have again except there is no magic express service so you are left finding your own way to and from property.
SofG has its own busses that leave from the lower level OR walk over to the poly And catch the monorail.
Nola Riggs yeah that doesn't help get from the airport to the hotel. That was the part that sucked.
AKL Jambo House will always have a special place in my heart for many reasons and it was also our first resort we ever stayed at but Yacht and Beach are our go to resorts now mainly for their location. We love walking to EPCOT. Boardwalk we did not like at all. Our other favorites are Pop and Port Orleans, we only ever stayed in Riverside. Caribbean Beach we liked but probably would never stay at again. Art of Animation we would like to try. We just happened to be resort hopping this year and they had meet and greets in the lobby which was really nice. That’s the first time we’ve ever seen characters at a resort
I'm curious about your comment of the Grand Floridian being, "the original top-tier Disney resort", since it's the newest of the monorail resorts. The originals were the Contemporary and Polynesian, with many (including myself) thinking the Poly was always the better of the two.
VALUE: Pop Century (Stayed there last year.), MODERATE: Port Orleans Riverside (Stayed there a lot when it was Dixie Landing.), DELUXE: Grand Floridian Resort and Spa.
😊👍✨
Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter
On my next trip I am staying at all star sports resort 👍
Hey Michael, you have any updates on your MVMCP trip?
I thought you would pick the Polynesian overall. We will be at the Polynesian and Grand Floridian in December and have never stayed at either resort.
I wish I could stay at them all. I have only stayed at 2 moderates and 2 value and enjoyed them all for different reasons. Of the four my favorite is French Quarter.
it would be great to get your opinion of Fort Wilderness!
I always stay at Art of Animation. My girls and I love it and find it our second home since that was the 1st place we visited on our 1st family vacation. I would love to try Animal kingdom lodge and the polynesian resort. Those would be my next top picks.
The themeing at art of animation really is top notch!
Love AofA! We stay there when ever we evacuate for Hurricanes, as the family suites are perfect for that! The Big Blue Pool is so much fun!
My family loves the Art of Animation as well. There are only 4 of us, but when you are staying for a week or longer, the family suites are great. We've only ever stayed at Value Resorts and the larger than life, "kitschy" theming just says Disney. We've visited some of the other resorts and they look nice, but just don't seem like Disney to us. If Pop Century had family suites we would definitely stay there.
More resorts should add family suites, as they really are great for family's of four or more! Agree - Pop is definitely a fun resort!
I wish for a few solo traveler rooms. I.d love to be able to have my own room and not share with the kids and grandkids.
Is the boat transportation from one of the Port Orleans resorts to Disney Springs free?
I’m going to Disney today
So what is Dolphin and Swan considered?
I dont have a favorite bc I have never been to Disney. Next yr we will be staying all-Music for 6 night and thats after our 5 day cruise on the disney dream
David Zeka I’ve never stayed at AS Music, but we were pretty impressed with AS Movies a few years ago! It’s a great way to save money if you are going to be spending most of your time at the parks, Disney Springs, or even in the pool!
Oh, and we were just on the Dream in February. Hope you have a blast!!
My family has stayed at pop century and Caribbean beach many times, and animal kingdom lodge jambo house once. While I love the deluxe resorts, I simply don’t think it’s worth the extra money - I’d rather save money towards another trip. Though we were able to stay animal kingdom lodge because it was actually cheaper than port Orleans with free dining. My dream is to stay at the poly and grand Floridian one day. And I would love to try port Orleans French quarter.
Never been this early lol :-D
Hunter Vandermark yay! Glad to see you bright and early
I always think of the Magic Kingdom resorts as a class of their own. If I could stay anywhere for a week it would be the Polynesian Club Level. It’s absolutely amazing. Contemporary might be nice as long as you’re staying in a theme park view room, but the garden view rooms are meh at best. Not really worth the price in my opinion.
see you in 4 days DISNEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Clearly Poly wins the vote!!!!!!!!!! GREAT video Michael. Got me going this morn. 8am video release time is always spot on. Thanks again and keep up the good work.
So glad you enjoy it! Thank you 😊👍
What about the swan and dolphin
how about ranking the dvc resortys in a video
Did you miss the Swan and Dolphin? 😂 My mom loves those hotels a lot. I think the Swan and Dolphin are moderate right?
They are, I think, in the same pricing as high-end moderates or low-end deluxes, but they are NOT technically Disney resorts. They are owned by, Sheraton or Weston or something (I forget- one of those big names). But they do share SOME amenities and perks of being Disney hotels. Kind of like, instead of being "Good Neighbor" hotels that Disney recommends and supports (but which aren't owned by Disney, nor are they particularly "close to the magic" both by proximity and by transportation), they are "Super Neighbor" hotels which are right in the heart of Disney property and get offered many more Disney perks.
Hi michael, why can disney have designated buses for each resorts? I think it will be best for the guests. I haven't stayed at any disney resorts, when I went to disney we rented a house in davenport and rented a car and drove to the parks. Also I owned a timeshare so I stay at one of those and save money. Great information, Tfs be blessed.😇
Disney does have separate buses for each resort (mostly- some DO share- but only due to proximity to each other, such as the All Star resorts or the Yacht and Beach Club resorts). At the end of the day, you go to the bus terminal and you line up in a queue for your hotel destination. But then, some resorts have multiple bus stops around the resort to bring you closer to your room rather than dumping you all at the front and having some people have to walk much further than others to get back to their room. Unless you mean have a separate bus for each bus stop- such as 6 different buses for Caribbean Beach- one for each stop- or 3 for Riverside- one for the front, one for the further mansion rooms, and one for alligator bayou rooms.... That would be interesting and beneficial.... especially at the end of the day.
Hey Michael! Gotta say love your content just recently subscribed and got to say you do a great job explaining, reviewing and showing everything disney has to offer. Do you have a fb page or a way to contact you? Was wondering if I can message you to talk about a potential opportunity. My name is Mike too, best name in the world lol anyway keep up the great work! Have a great day!
Coronado Springs is too corporate