My boyfriend and I went to stay there recently in December, and we took advantage of the online check in that got our rooms ready as soon as we arrived around 9:30 am. The first room we were in was a joke. Our drawer knobs kept coming off and the bathroom door didn't lock. We had an adjoining room door in the room and every time we'd come back to the room, the lock was in a different place. I finally called around midnight after the cable shut off to ask for a different room and didn't get switched until about 4pm the next day. The next room was nice and it was in the building next to the old room, which was the building RIGHT next to the food court and shops so it was a fabulous location. I do like this resort a lot, even though our first room wasn't that great. The hammocks are a great relaxer from walking at night as well!
I've been to wdw more than 20 times in my life and I will say I didn't have any problems away from our resort but had the ABSOLUTE worst experience at the Boardwalk Resort. I was traveling with my best friend from work and staying club level. Let me say first that wdw is my favorite vacation spot because of the level of service and this trip was my christmas present to myself and to her as she's a single mom who'd never gotten to do this type of trip. We've been looking forward to and anticipating this trip for a long time. It was planned to be totally self indulgent and a grown up girls trip (my husband and both our teenagers stayed home). I went to great lengths to ensure we had a double queen room (1st when i'd booked the trip 5 months in advance, 2nd when they sent an email from the concierge asking if we had any requests and to confirm our group details etc, 3rd when we went to the front desk the morning we checked in and a 4th time when the front desk person took us to the concierge person) all of which said we had a double queen room and i quote "no problem". Our first day started out without our "guaranteed" notification of when our room would be ready, ok not a big deal UNTIL we got back to the hotel. We got in after the park closed (around midnight) and couldn't get into our room. the front desk clerk (only person there at the time) who'd told us housekeeping would be right up to let us in finally came himself about an hour later after two phone calls to let us in, only to be told if we left the room we'd be locked out... of the king bed room (separate problem that was making me madder by the minute). his advice was "to call the front desk"... i said you were the only one at "the front desk" and he said, "yeah" and left. they offered us a roll away bed.... for club level prices i don't think so... at which point he said they had open rooms but couldn't give us an upgrade at "this time." so i ended up playing phone ignore with the front desk (put on hold and left there until the phone hung up on their end) and finally got a woman named joyce who literally hung up on me mid discussion as she told me to have a magical stay (click...end of call). We ended up having to share a bed... which i guess wouldn't have been as big of a deal if they'd handled the problem better maybe with an apology for the mix up but ooohhh no, we were given the i don't care, shut up and go away treatment. I was firm but did not raise my voice but at this point i was ready to start by breaking the phone i was staring quite dumbly at in disbelief. I've always had fabulous service at wdw and have stayed on site more times than i can count and have never EVER been treated like this. after almost 3 hours of bs (yes it's now like 330am and we'd been up about 27 hours straight) we were told they'd give us a room if and when something opened up the next day and it would be after 4pm... uh no i told them... the first queen open would be mine. they wanted us to pack and leave our things with them downstairs and i told them my stuff would stay in the current room and they could call me when our new room opened up and we'd move it then... at this point i figured they'd be a little more motivated to correct the problem if it tied up our current room and quite frankly i didn't know if they'd "forget" and we'd end up without a room at all. we were told it would be after 4 before we could get a room and i firmly told them that it didn't take 5+ hours to clean one room and that we'd be ready for the first available double room. this statement was made knowing that most people get up and go to the parks in the morning. (mentally i'm visualizing my arms swinging like a windmill hitting anyone nearby who works there). by 10am i had a phone call that they had an open room and that our things were being moved at this time to the new room... we got in a little after 3pm, couldn't get into either room and of course our things were still in the first room with more yes, more waiting to get things straightened out (it's now 5pm and there's no way to make adr's). i have always had a great time when we go to wdw but after so much bs over things that are soooo stupid you get to the point that anyone associated with the resort saying good morning you want to scream "liar" at them, you can't do any shopping because you can't have things sent back with the room problem so we weren't able to take advantage of that service either. i would NEVER again stay at the boardwalk resort even if it were free... that's how bad our experience with them was. i also thought the walk to dhs was a little scary at night for two women traveling alone... dark and isolated, and close to off property gas station with normal life type traffic and people (not the secure on site property feeling you get at some of the other wdw resorts) but that's another matter. club level offerings were way below what i've had at the gf and poly... tough chicken and beef skewers and pb & j cut into squares...are you kidding me???
AKL is my favorite hotel! I hope to stay in AKL for my birthday! I really love the shops and dining! The animals are awesome to watch right in your hotel room! For My birthday next month I hope to stay in the awesome hotel for me and my family!
Everything at the Grand Floridian is just fabulous! The service was great, the location of our room was superb and the resort was always clean. The staff was fantastic. Will stay here again!
This hotel was PERFECT for our LARGE family we took. 2 queen size beds, plus a single flip over couch! Everything was BRAND NEW. You could even smell the new carpet. HUGE T.V. to watch the weather in the mornings. Heated pool and jacuzzi. We had a pool side room, and we could see the Wishes fireworks from our balcony. We could even hear the music! Very chic bathrooms. The only thing we weren't really too tickled with was paying $5.00 a night for parking in the garage. But other than that.. it was FANTASMIC!!!! (hehehe)
CBR is my favorite Resort! The CBR has cool refreshing place to relax in the pool and Food courts and Shops are very good too! I love it! For my birthday on January 14, 2010! We will stay in CBR! This is will be awesome birthday! We Can't wait to stay in CBR for my Birthday
The room was always clean. The shower was great (I like a good shower). Plenty of towels. Our room was on the first floor of building 5 facing away from the pool and we had no noise problems it was nice and quiet. We only ate breakfast and had one pizza so I can not comment much on the food court but what we had was good and the Gentleman from Wisconsin working the evening we had the pizza was really nice. Bus service was good.
loved it fantastic views large rooms cool pool so many activities for kids and adults.
Overall I was quite happy with the resort. One of the longest water slides at any of the resorts (I checked with the lifeguards, they said the only one that might compare is the one at the Yatch Club. Decent game room, bar right at the pool. Fairly large hot tub (I visited that daily :) ). I saw many children there having a fantastic time, while it may not cater to children as much as some other resorts, it's certainly not bad for children. I didn't check out the spa/health facilities, but they offer massages, facials, and all the other stuff along with exercise equipment. Anything we called housekeeping for, we got within a reasonable amount of time. No complaints there. When you check in, the agents don't tell you that you can have the bell hops drive you to your room. I asked for a ride so we could get a short tour about the property, the person who drove us was very happy to accommodate us and enthusiastic about showing us around, which helped us get oriented on the property as the resort is extremely large. They do provide maps, but it can still be a bit daunting. The room was clean, the design was a bit odd with the sliding door, but it wasn't as bad as some people claim. I am an extremely large man and didn't have any issues so I don't get people's complaints, disney also gives you typical room layouts so you know you are getting a bit of an odd layout. The resort was very quiet, it never really got noisy at all. Bus service overall was pretty good, but on weekends tended to be somewhat sporadic. Our first day we say 3 downtown disney buses before one Hollywood studios bus. I liked the fact that our buses were typically not full, always plenty of room to sit down after a long day of walking. One time on our way to the Hoop dee doo review, the bus was empty except for us, the driver gave us a ride straight to the review instead of his original destination. That was wonderful. The Gift store is huge. Most anything you need can be found there, and quite a few things you don't hehe. Access to the Concierge desk was sporadic, typically understaffed when lots of people wanted to use it and overstaffed when no one was using it. I also think the desk needs to be open at least one hour later(preferably 2) than it is. If I had anything to complain about, it was this.
Me and my wife and parents stayed here in September of 2008. My parents gave the stay to us as a gift on us being engaged at the time and for my transitioning from active duty to the reserves after a successful enlistment. I have also stayed at this resort two times prior, once before the rennovation and once during, when we stayed at the contemporary at shades of green prices. Appearance and decor: 10. Before the rennovation, the resort was nice but kind of dingy. Today, the place looks wonderful! There are waterfalls and well manicured plants and landscapes all around. The little R/C boats were interesting for the kids (we don't have any). Nothing was peeling off the walls and the rooms were very clean and looked great! Most of the art and decorations there have some sort of USA theme to it, though not overpoweringly so. Besides that, I think SOG's theme is more than one. The exterior evokes a little of the mountains (ala Wilderness Lodge), the interior evokes a modern, contemporary type design, Garden Gallery seemed elegant, and some of the grounds were almost tropical. I feel comfortable saying that SOG incorporates design elements from Grand Floridian, Polynesian, Contemporary, and Wilderness Lodge. But then again, that's just me. Anemities: 9 There is a little mini-bx/px that sells your basic mouse merch. but also sells OTC medication, painkillers, bandaids, and blister treatments (perfect for your disney vacation). There is also a multi unit internet/gaming kiosk right off the main lobby, which charges a bit of an astronomical price for internet access. There is a coffee stand that sells little snacks and decent coffee. There is also a memoribilia shop nearby the bx/px that sells little disney trinkets and statues and such. Tickets to the park are sold there. Military STAR cards are accepted in the bx (darn on me for paying it off and cancelling my account!). Room anemities included a small table with 2 chairs, a sitting chair, a little mini sofa, and a little refrigerator (which was emptied on our request). Our room had 2 queen beds and was poolside. Wi-fi was available but just as the lobby internet kiosks, it was rather pricey. We did not experience room service but did eat breakfast downstairs in the restaurant (buffet style), which was pretty decent. Transportation: 8. Shades of Green busses used to be the Disney-owned busses on my first visit there, but now they are run by a different company and look like generic coach busses. The vehicles themselves are not the issue but the nearly 45 minute wait time to get a bus is. When we waited for the bus at MGM, it took at least 2 bus cycles for other locations before ours arrived. By that time we were all hot and a bit cranky from waiting in the sun. We went to the Hoop-dee-do revue and found out that the Shades of Green bus departs as the revue is ending, just about, so we ended up taking the bus to the polynesian and walking back to the resort. The location of the monorail is fantastic, just a brief walk away. We had fun each time we took the walk trying to spot alligators. Food/dining: 10. During the mornings, I'd sneak out while the wife was sleeping and grab a coffee at the little java stand (they sell hot chocolate too), and come back to sit on my little patio and enjoy the Orlando morning noises and smells (something wonderful about waking up and having coffee at a disney resort). Then when we'd all wake up, we'd go downstairs to The Garden Gallery for buffet breakfast (not normally a buffet guy but it was good), which had your general breakfast foods. I had no complaints about the food or the resturants whatsoever. There is also a little stand at the bus stop that sells bagels and pastries and small things like that, they even sell a boxed lunch/breakfast that you can take with you on the bus to the parks. They had good blueberry muffins for when I didn't eat breakfast at Garden Gallery. Rooms/room services: 10. Our room was clean and very well furnished and looked almost new. Your basic disney-resort tv channels were there, along with some local and international news channels. Bathrooms were clean and stocked properly with enough towels and toilet paper. As with most resorts, the general coffee maker/hair dryer/soap shampoo and conditioner freebies are provided. Alarm clocks worked fine, as well as Mickey Mouse calling to wake me up in the morning. We were glad that the A/C worked and was able to be turned down low (we like to sleep at about 65-68 degrees.). We did not try room service at all, but the housekeeping staff did their jobs wonderfully. For the family: 9. Besides having the parks closeby, the only things for the kids to do are swim in the pool, pay to drive the r/c boats, pay to play on the internet, or play in the playground. If I was a little one, I think I might get slightly bored at the hotel (if I wasnt too pooped to care at the end of the day). Adults (and some teens) will enjoy the golf course right at the front door. All in all: 9.25 (since the only negative I've found is busses). Shades of Green is a fantastic, convieniently located, reasonably priced resort. The pacing of the resort is low key and relaxed, not hectic like at, say... the contemporary. Compared to the other resorts, I'd be comfortable saying that if this resort wasn't exclusive, it'd easily be a Deluxe resort, and priced closer to the polynesian, or the contemporary. You get much much more than what you pay for. Unfortunatley, the SOG bus system is confusing and not timed very well, but it *is* free. If I was paying for the busses, I'd probably complain to management about them. Thankfully, SOG is placed close to both a monorail line and a bus stop for Polynesian. I'll stay at this resort untill I leave the reserves. Good job DoD on giving young families a chance to experience WDW at a reasonable price.
The location is the best of any wdw hotel, next to epcot-walk or take a boat to the studios, and has it's own mini water park
Just returned from 5 nights at All Star Music. 10/29-11/3. We stayed in a family suite in the Jazz building. I had requested the Calypso bldg, but was glad the wish wasn't granted. The poolis full of activity and the jazz just a bit further walk but very quiet. Everything about the resort was great, staff was wonderful, rooms were spacious...even enough room for my moms scooter (broke her foot a few weeks before travel). We gave the bedroom to my mom and my husband and I stayed on the roll out bed and the kids on the fold out chair and ottoman. The roll out bed was a bit rough, but after a day at the park, the floor would have been wonderful. We would definitely stay here again. The kids want to try a different resort next time, but would still keep this as an option.
My boyfriend and I stayed here from 9/30-10/5/09. We took advantage of online check-in before arriving at the resort. Our packet was ready for us when we arrived. We had requested a room in buildings 44, 45, or 51. We were surprised to hear that we have been upgraded to a "preferred room" in Trinidad North instead. In a few minutes, we were out the door and waiting for the Internal Shuttle (which was probably our longest bus wait of the trip...about 30 minutes). Our room had the Finding Nemo theme. Everything was cute and tropical themed. The bathrooms are a little tight, but we were expecting that. Other than that, the room was great. Mousekeeping took good care of us. The Food Court could definitely get busy but the food was fairly decent. The best part of the resort is the pool area. There is much more night activity here than other resorts I have stayed at. The cabana bar provided great drinks from nice CMs. Only down side here is, there were unsupervised kids in the hot tubs. The location definitely makes or breaks your stay here. We were lucky with the room upgrade and convenient bus stops. CBR is not a bad resort, but it may not be for everyone. This is more geared towards families so I think we'll be looking elsewhere next time.
i was very excited to be staying bay lake towers at the end of september. I had a 2 bdrm villa with 7 people in it and a friend had 1 bdrm with 4 people. i got lucky and got one of the few bake lake rooms with magic kingdom view (rm 7702) my friend not so lucky. she had a view of the contemporary first then after her 3rd room change because the rooms were filthy her view was just as bad (the hotel was not crowded) the staff (which is over at the comtemporary was treating her horribly refusing to help her move her luggage. We had ordered food to be delivered to our room and only 1/2 of it arrived. It took them 2 days to find the rest of it. The air conditiner in my room did not work for 5 out 7 days (we went out and bought fans as we had already unpacked everything and didnt want to move rooms) maintaince got it working for 2 days in middle of trip and then it stopped again. the walk to the magic kingdom was wonderful (5 min) but the pool was tiny, the waterslide nothing to write home about and it was just very boring at the hotel. for the money it cost to stay there you are far better off at the yacht and beach club, especially if you have children. if you like staying in your room a lot you may like this hotel.
For me, this is the best Disney resort. I love the themeing! That is what others usually say as the biggest defficit, but I disagree. How is a Caribbean themed room (for example) more Disney? The clean lines and graphic art are very appealing. There are plenty of hidden Mickeys around the room to give you that Disney feeling. We checked in on opening day an got to take two lithographs home with us (one Mickey and one Minnie). We have stayed at other places around the WDW, but never wanted to join DVC because there was never a place that I loved. After we got home from this trip, we purchased DVC points at BLT.
Just got back from 7 day trip Sept.28, 2009. Positively the worst i have been too yet. It started with check in, inexperienced cm's and rude management. Two rooms require two separate resevations, making it a complete hassel for dining and room charges. Rooms were not kept up, and very poor housekeeping.Food court is way too small, never ever go for breakfast, 6 different lines to wait for, and no where to eat inside. If your a family, you wont eat together, at least not warm food. The only good things were the banana cabana (great cm's here), pool, and the grounds, even though they were power washing the buildings every morning at 9 am. Overall, it's not worth the crappy service, can get that anywhere and pay alot less. I even sent email to guest services, three weeks later, still no response. CBR needs to have an overall attitude adjustment.
Positive: the resort was beautiful Negative: well first we got there at night and it took them a long time to check us in (and they were not very nice Cast Members). So, we finally got to our room, and we were really tired and ready to relax, but we couldn't because the room smelled like SMOKE! So then we had to call the front desk and ask them for a room change (which took forever!) So we had to sit in that smoke-smelling room for over an hour. Then they changed it and we thought that our vacation was going to be great from then on out! The new room was also disgusting but at least it didn't smell like smoke - this time, it smelled like diapers! The rooms here are no better than a Motel. Now, for the WALK. If you want to go eat or go to the main building for something such as drinks or something for the "convenience" store - YOU ARE IN FOR A HIKE - Put on your running shoes! The main building is VERY far from the rooms. There were many children and babies in the pools, and the pool water was not clear - it was YELLOW! What does that tell you? Also, it was very loud at night. So, when you decide that you want to stay here - DON'T!!!!!!
Our Family Can't wait to stay in ASMO! Because it's my favorite Value Resort in WDW! The Food Courts and shops looks very neat and clean! Theme of all of classic disney films that you will like! I hope our family will take Fantasia or The Love Bug! Those are my favorite disney films! Our Family Can't wait in November!
I'm from the UK, and have stayed at CBR ini 1995, 2000 & 2005. We have also stayed at Grand Floridian, Contemporary & Pop Century (so we have a variety of experiences) and have visted for meals etc most other resorts. I know that some poeple have scored CBR low because of its size and the walk envolved, but even if you are in the FURTHEST room from Port Royal, its only teh same walk as from the entrance of Epcot to Test Track (measured on Google Earth) The rooms are great, and compared to Pop Century, are massive! The layout is really great, with extra island pools, so if you want a quick dip, you don't have to go to the main pool. The spread out buildings make it less opressive than Pop Century or All Stars. Of course its not as nice asGF or Contemp, but then, its no where near the same price. All our rooms have been clean and tidy, and housekeeping has always been excellent. We've had a king size bed once, (which was fab) and two queens the other times, which are still MASSIVE. Its got GREAT themeing, and its own pirate and CBR merchandise, which is fun too. The food court is good, and is the same generic food items as you find in most other mod/budget WDW hotels. Boat hire is a plus, that you don't get at many other hotels. and personally we think teh short walks to food court or bus stops are fun and make the resort a bit more of an adventure, all teh little paths, make going anywhere an adventure for kids, especially if you are opposite food court and go over the island! All in all, for a moderate resort I think its the best, and next year are going back instead of going to GF (weighing up cost vs facilities, CBR won in our planning!)
We did tour the BLT while we stayed the the contemporary tower. We were very impressed and ended up purchasing points.
We were very please with our recent stay. We were in the tower on the 9th floor theme park view. The room was very nice, the pictures do not do it justice. I was also very impressed with the overall resort upgrade. Food options were very good and I really enjoyed the coffee bar in the lobby. I think the theme park view is a little overrated but nice to do once. I think next time I will stay in the tower with the lake view and save some money. The room was very quiet we couldn't here any resort noise. In the morning we could here the ferry horns and at night of course the fireworks. The beds did shake a little when the monorail went through but I really didn't notice it until my husband said something. We didn't have any problems with the bathroom sinks that others have noted but we did have a slow bath drain. Normally we are beach club/yatch club/boardwalk people but this resort has changed our mind. We will be staying again.
Great stay - worth the money for the location and resort. The room is huge, clean, staff is friendly and will meet your requests. Will stay here again and again. Monorail is a time saver. Ohana and kona restaurants are two of the best in WDW. Don't miss them!
My gf & I stayed here for our 3 year anniversary. The requests that I made, prior to us arriving, were taken care of. In addition, they put us on a nice 1st floor corner room looking out over the water. The resort itself was very nicely laid out, it really made you feel as though you were at a tropical paradise. Disney does go above & beyond to really make you feel like you're at that particular themed resort. There was about a less than 5 minute walk to the closest bus stop which wasn't bad. There was about a 10 minute walk (give or take) to the food court. It was good b/c we were kind of isolated from the main pool & that crowd but it took longer to get to the main courtyard. All in all, I'd stay here agin.
My husband and I just got back from a wonderful trip to WDW. The stay at the CBR was the best one yet. From getting the room I requested to the service, it was just incredible. We never waited longer than 5 minutes for a bus. In fact, there were transportation workers at the stops checking for bus times and ridership. Everything was clean and they were repainting all the railings, posts, benches, etc. I love that they have 7 different bus stops and 7 different pools! The food was also much better than when here in March. That was true for the entire WDW area. Will be going back in 2010 and will not stay anywhere else.
We stayed at the CBR twice, once June 2007 and again June 2009. Both times we enjoyed the grounds and pools. Both the main pool and the smaller pools were very well maintained. Although the main pool was busy but that is to be expected in June! The food court had many options for food and even my picky 9 year old found something he liked. The down side was the room wasn't as clean as I remembered from our first trip. My only other complaint is not necessarily Carribean Beach related but the bus system was less than efficient.
My wife and I stayed here on our honeymoon in Nov 2008. While we didn't think the room was anything special, the grounds are magnificent. It is a large place but with the connecting bridge, nothing was more than a 10 minute walk. All the tree and flowers were amazing, and the pool was very nice. I do believe that if we get back down to WDW, we would stay there again.
My family (5 adults and 1 preschooler) stayed in a two level two bedroom suite on the King Kamehameha Club Level in Jan 2007. omg this was the best room ever, the room was a full two bedroom apartment with club level service over looking the water with full view of the castle. full kitchen, dining room, 2 1/2 baths, living room w/pullout sofa, double queen room w/bathroom, huge king room with a regular bathroom and a separate one with a huge tub with space for more than one adult. fabulous service, fantastic theme, easy access to the monorail and buses. room super clean with lots of room for all of us. went off season so price wasn't to bad. would stay there again in a heartbeat. tied for first place for me in all time favorites.
We stayed at Caribbean Beach in 2003 and 2006 with a large group of around 15 people. Many of the buildings have courtyard areas with picnic tables and benches which is a nice place to gather if you have a large group. We loved the Caribbean setting, white sand beaches, tropical birds, beautiful grounds and music. We stayed in Jamaica and loved the walk across the island every day to the Old Port Royale. The bus service was always excellent and is not shared by any other resorts. The rooms are nice enough - queen beds would be a big improvement over full-size beds. The bed size is my only cricism of this resort. This year we stayed at Port Orleans Riverside because we needed a trundle bed to accomodate our family of 5. I think I now have a preference for Riverside due to the boat trip to Downtown Disney and the beauty of the grounds. Alligator Bayou is cool and shady. But, have very fond memories of Caribbean Beach. Our first trip was to Yacht Club. We enjoyed it very much but the moderates are a better value. I wouldn't pay to stay at a deluxe again.
Our family stayed at Caribbean Beach for 10 days in 2005. We really enjoyed it there. We thought the food selections were o.k. Shutters was amazing. I see that they have changed their menu though. There are a couple of things they need to change. The public areas were not as clean as they should have been. The rooms were nice, but I wish all the Moderate resorts would have 2 Queen beds instead of the double beds. The pools were great and the fact that security came around quite often was nicer. The people that thought they did not have to abide by the rules found out they were wrong.
We had the opportunity to stay at the CBR in 2003 it was the first time we took the kids to Disney . Previously my husband and I stayed in a deluxe resort. We were not prepared for the walks to the food court or the bus stop. The resort is very large my son lost his card to get into the parks and I had to get another one at the front desk to get to the front desk you have to get a bus and walk across a street to get to the front desk. It is a beautiful resort but it is big !!!!
The first hotel I stayed at was the Caribbean Beach. I was only in second grade, and loved it as a kid. I'm sure at the age, it really wouldn't have mattered where I stayed -- to some extent, that remains true. But, when I went back with my family 7 years ago -- I had a good time as well. We loved the food court, and the layout of the resort offers diversity. If you want privacy, you can find it at your island's pool. Or if you want to have a drink and socialize, the main area's pool/bar is the spot to go. As stated, the main con of the resort are the many bus stops. While the size can be an advantage if you want privacy. I think the next time I go, I'll try somewhere new because I like trying new things. But I would definitely recommend it to moms and dads who are bringing the kiddies! Great value for your money. (As far as Disney resorts go) -Dumbo
The nicest of the 3 All Stars(they're all nice), it has excellent a great set up and wonderful decorations. Giant Disney characters are wonderful for family picture taking and every detail is very well kept. Pools are great, as is taking a stroll around the whole resort for sight seeing. It is rather large and if your room is far from check in, it can be a bit of a walk to the food court and buses. Of course, these are the most quiet areas. All walking is outside, as the resort is set up simliar to most basic hotels. If scooters are common, you can't blame the bus system for being slow. If it's a popular time of year, of course things are going to be crowded (buses, food court, lobby, etc.), which is not something that can be blamed on the resort. After POP Century, this is definitely my favorite budget resort.
First of all, this resort felt more like I was staying at a cheap motel than a disney resort. The magic was definately missing. I love how each individual set of buildings has a pool, as well as there being a pool located at the food court pavilion. The shortcoming is the fact that the only hot tubs are located at the pavilion. One of them didn't work at the time, and that was two months after they finished remodeling the pool area. Each set of buildings should have there own hot tub. To me it only makes sense. Also we had some issues with some individual Disney employees. One lady at the front desk was extremely rude and seemed extremely put out by the questions we had. On top of that, she was either poorly trained or lied to us to keep from having to do anything. The jury is still out on that one. Also our housekeeper was extremely adamant about having us sign off that we didn't require cleaning. This was after the five minutes she spent knocking on the door each day while we were asleep. Disney really needs to institute do no disturb signs here. The rest of the staff went out of their way to make sure all our needs were met, which is what I am used to when I visit Disney. As many people have said there are too many stops for the bus service. They really should split it up and have a bus route for each two or three "islands". The food court is great for what it is. It is nice having a sit down restaurant in the pavilion, but they could really do with another, especially for the size of the resort. If you have the meal plan you can fill up your in room fridge with snacks and sandwiches to keep you from having to make extra trips to eat each day. Overall the stay wasn't horrible, it was Disney. But of all the times I have been to Disney, this is the only time I have had issues with my stay.
i stayed here with my teenage daughter, sister, and teenage niece in 2004 for 4 days. it was very relaxed and i loved the atmosphere. the room itself was set up well for four and very clean, bright. i have not been back since they've added the new poc themed rooms. the bus situation is much the same as when you stay in the boardwalk are resorts...to many stops so it takes you a lot longer to get around than it would from other resorts. for a moderate resort it was quiet, great for winding down and maybe honeymooners, older adults, but still beach fun for those with kids or teens. the pool is great for anyone but particularly who loved the poc movies [pirate fort theme to main pool]. personally i liked port orleans french quarter a little better (stayed with same group of people), but that again was mainly due to transportation issues.
our first trip to POP was back in April of 2004 when pop was new. It blew our minds away. the food was delicious and every CM was willing to help. Mousekeeping was amazing our hair dryer didn't work and by the time we returned to our hotel 3 hours later it was fixed. I would recommend pop to everyone. the best value hotel out there.
After 9 visits to WDW, with only one visit spent at Port Orleans due to Caribbean Beach being closed for refurbishment of the OPR facility, we are confirmed fans of Caribbean Beach. We love the theme of the resort, the food court and shopping, and the convenience of bus stops to all rooms. Martinique Building 26 is our favorite and we would probably reschedule our visit if necessary, just to be able to get a room there.
I have stayed at the Caribbean Beach 6 times (also stayed at Port Orleans Riverside and Coronado Springs). I absolutely love this resort and I look forward to staying there every bit as much as I enjoying seeing the parks. The tropical atmosphere is the best with all the palm trees and steel drum music playing throughout the resort. Everything is very clean and the service in the rooms, shops, and food court is second to none. The food court has a great variety of food and is a very relaxing place to eat. The pools are nice, though I've never even used the main pool because I prefer the quieter, less crowded area pools for a quick swim. I love staying in Aruba or Jamaica so that I can make the trip over the bridge to the food court every morning. I grew up with my entire family loving this place, and just this year I went to Disney with my girlfriend for the first time and she immediately fell in love as well. While I'd love to try a Deluxe resort, I just don't think it gets any better for the money than CBR.
Just stayed in a studio at Bay Lake tower the nights of Sept 8 and 9. As others have pointed out the security (exclusivity?) is acute, requiring the room key to even enter the lobby. The hallways and room numbers are way cool looking, very modern and sleek ... but that said, the place has zero warmth and character, none of the rich theme-ing that the other DVC properties have. The monorail access is key for me -- not just for the access to Epcot and Magic Kingdom, but for the other resorts as well. We love the restaurants at Grand Floridian and Polynesian, so it's great to be able to hop on the monorail and get there quickly (Tonga Toast for breakfast!!!) The studio was attractive, but small and not cozy in the slightest. My biggest objection is the arrangement of the bathroom sink -- it's outside the toilet/shower room, which can be convenient, but it's directly across from (and much too close to) the kitchen counter, sink and appliances. You're looking in the mirror brushing your hair and the microwave and coffee maker are literally inches behind you. Some things just belong farther away from kitchen counters. The rooftop lounge was a lovely place to experience the Wishes show (although I still prefer standing inside the park on Main Street; the castle is an important part of the choreography of that beautifully designed fireworks show). The lounge with apps and drinks and TVs and comfy couches is a pleasant way to wait for the show, and the outside viewing platform is large. There were very few people when we were there on Sept 8, but there's plenty of space for larger crowds. I'll stay there again, but will probably combine a stay there with other DVC properties.
I Can't wait to stay in the ASSports for Sophie's Birthday next month and I can wait to see the Sport Goofy gift shop and the food courts. this will be amazing place to stay for someone birthday! ASSports is will be awesome! Our family will enjoy this hotel too! I hope we stay in the Touchdown that is my favorite room theme! Thanks ASSports you bright the Sanchez family day!
I have stayed at this resort 4 times with family and my fiancee and all of us have had a magical stay each and everytime. The atmosphere is fun and relaxed, the staff are friendly, helpful and always go out of their way to make sure you have a magical stay. Out of the 4 times we have stayed here we have never had an issue with wait times for buses. We usually vacation in August and have never waited more than 15mins. During our trip 2 weeks ago a bus turned up within 5 mins every time which was fantastic. The only bus issue we had was going from Animal Kingdom to Polynesian we waited 45 mins and no buses and the same thing happened when trying to get from Saratoga Springs to the studios. I was quite shocked at how poor the bus service was at these deluxe and DVC resorts. The room was always clean and the mousekeeper made wonderful towel animals for us everyday. Every morning we saw people cleaning the quiet pools and a team cleaning the main pool and scrubbing down the sun loungers. The walkways were cleaned everyday with pressure washers and the landscaping continuously tended to. Most of this cleaning happened at 6 in the morning (breakfast time for us) and so was not intrusive to guests. The food court was pleasant however people left their empty trays and containers all over the table and walked away even though there are plenty of bins and recycling facilities, (it's laziness like this which really annoys me). That being said as soon as guests leave a table a member of staff is straight over to clean it and deal with any remains. After experiencing some of the other resorts at WDW I have to say that CBR will always be my home away from home and a visit to the world will not be the same with out staying here.
We have stayed at CB for years since our son was a child who is now grown and we still love it. The lush tropical atmosphere plays into the whole magic of Disney in taking you away to another place. While I agree with many of the other ratings that it can be quit a walk if you are staying across the bridge but it is great exercise especially on a cool crisp September morning and gets you ready for the day. There is also a 1.4 mile walkway around the lake for walkers and runners. You could have a jog to Old Port Royale have your breakfast and have a jog back. The food court is satisfactory after all it is a food court not a 4 star restaurant, good choices for all ages and picky eaters including the health concerned. I do miss a the old pool it had more fun things for kids but the remodeled one is very nice. The staff has always been pleasant and very accommodating to our needs. I remember one year when our son was little that our room attendant who we called Princess Olivia made him a different and very elaborate towel animal every day and we lined them up together all that week. Through the years CB has always done little things like that and even upgraded us for free one year when our room wasn't ready when we arrived so we didn't have to wait. I think they do try their best to give every guest and enjoyable stay and the price is reasonable. Our rooms have always been very clean and odor free, no mystery stains on beds, linens or carpets. I am sure we will enjoy many more stays at CB in fact my husband and I are going in 2 weeks for our anniversary first time doing "Disney without the kids"
We stayed at CBR every year for years. We learned to upgrade to a preferred room. We always requested Martinique Building. It is closest to the food court and convenient for bussing to the parks. Worth every penny. We did have some service issues the last time we stayed. Overall we enjoyed the feeling of leaving Disney for an island "resort" without leaving Disney property.
since we had a car, we didn't mind being at the far end of trinidad south. IT WAS WONDERFUL. if you have a car and don't mind a quick jaunt up to old port royale when you need something, ask to be here. the view was spectacular,mornign, noon or night, but the highlight was every morning when i went out my door, all you could see was the creek, the mist hovering over the creek, the wildlife waking up, and you could hear the sounds of all the animals, it was fantastic. it just felt like the start of a beautiful day in nature. it made me feel like i was far away from civilization, even though civilization was one minute away by car. the room was fine, nothing special, but the setting is beyond words. the pools are great, old port royale is very nice, boats right there, i never stayed moderate before, always deluxe, really not much difference, at least nothing that i cared about. i would go back here in a heartbeat.
The only Mod I`ve stayed at until this year, and wouldn`t hesitate to do so again. I`ve stayed at CBR in 1993, 2001, 2007 and 2008. First, it`s a Mod. You won`t get deluxe rooms or facilities, but it certainly surpassed our expectations. Helpful CMs at check in, lush, beautiful landscaping, well kept and maintained buildings and very adequate rooms. The rooms always seem to be on a continual maintainence cycle - they do get heavily used and this is one of WDWs biggest resorts - we`ve had a brand new one and an old one. The difference is clear, but with 2048 of them there are bound to be well used rooms somewhere. Thr Resort is big - one of the biggest - and so rooms further away obviously need more walking to reach with no car. Same for any large resort. If it bothers you avoid Trinidad South. Some like the seclusion, some don`t. Old Port Royale has a good choice of quick meals with long opening times. Grab and Go was open early and very handy for breakfast on the run. Pools were fine, with plenty of extras available on the lake. Location is good - next door virtually to DHS, a straight run to DAK and right behind Epcot. MK was a little further. Bus service can be slow at peek times, more an issue with WDWT than the resort itself. You get what you pay for, but at the CBR we think you get a litle more. And lots of Disney magic. This year we are at POR with friends, at their suggestion, but we would return to the CBR with no hesitation.
Absolutely a great resort. we were there last sept. for our honeymoon and loved it. The quietness of the place, the private pools, and especially the outdoor bar. The room was preferred and was looking at the lighthouse, great! The island in the middle was really cool, makes for great photo ops, as well as just some private time, nobody ever there. Never waited for buses more than 20 minutes. Way better than a value, but not a POLY. Well worth the money. Room was clean and had much space. The walk to Port Royal is but five minutes, and thats taking a stroll. Only had a a late night pizza there, so i cant talk about the food, but foodcourt had many offerings. We will be back in 5 days! This time with 3 kids, but i expect it to be the same and cant wait!
i stayed here for a week several years back just after they refurbed the pool area. i should indicate that the cheerleading championships were going on so i had to contend with a 1000 neurotics with body dysmorphic disorder during my stay, but i'll try to not to let it influence my report. first, i like to soak...in the hot tub. well despite a recent refurb of the pool area, the tub holds maybe 3-4 people...seriously. the resort is one of the largest at 2000 plus rooms. design flaw anyone? i never even sniffed the chlorine. the food is substandard in my opinion. the food court is not ample for me as i like to have a nice breakfast or buffet at least. i will say that shutters or whatever it was called then is decent a nice place to have dinner. the size of the resort is not to be underestimated. ive heard other complaints about long walks at other resorts, but this resort is amongst the worst. the theming is tip top. i felt comfortable and the tropical feel of the decor was very pleasant and relaxing. the staff were friendly and i dont recall any trouble with the room itself (no different than other moderates in that regard) in summary i wouldnt stay there again unless it meant i couldnt stay at disney at all.
I have been to the Caribbean Beach Resort about 10 times; I love it. I first booked there because of the economical price, but would always come back because I loved everything about it. I love the layout of the grounds, the 1.5 mile promenade. It is not only beautiful to look at but so peaceful to walk. I love the main pool, especially now that it has been refurbished but I love that each island has it's own pool as well. I love Port Royal - the colors, the up beat tempo of the music, the food choices and Shutters fine dining restaurant. The rooms are average, nothing spectacular, but I have nothing to complain about. I have not encountered a bad experience in all the years I have stayed there. Yes the bus situation is not ideal, I have always rented a car from the airport, so that eliminated any of those frustations. I would and will stay at the Caribbean again and would recommend it to anyone.
my wife and i stayed here for our honeymoon last october and it was better than i expected. i thought it was themed very well. the pool was kept exceptionally clean. check-in was quick. i've read stories online about how horrible it is to check in there but we experienced no issues. we always had these towel animals on our bed when we returned at night. i hear they do that all over the disney resorts so its nice to see its consistant. even though you could not go into the large lake in the middle of the resort, the white sand beaches and hammocks strung between the trees were a nice touch. we stayed in trinidad north so our walk to port royale was not bad. i think the only thing i would say was a disappointment was we could not get into the full service dining area but that was also because we did not get there until after 8pm the one night. overall our experience was great and very memorable and will definately want to stay there again
I have stayed at this resort 6+ times. We love everything about it. The food court and shops are great. I only wish they stayed open until midnight for our after park snacks. I love all the color and music! You just get happy walking in there. Tehy even pulled us in to do limbo! I dont go to the pool much but they are nice and clean. We usually drive down so I like parking lot view cause its cheaper and faster to walk to the bus station. Yes sometimes the lines to get the bus home at night are longer but thats just what happens when you stay at a cheaper and larger resort. so be prepared for it. Great facilities all around and close to the other shopping areas. ill definately be back.
We have stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort, Grand Floridian,Contemporry Tower, Contemporary Garden wing, Polyneisan, Port Orleans French Quarter and the Yacht & Beach Club(during hurricane Charlie - by the way). The Caribben Beach was te first moderate hotel we stayed at when our children were little tots. They are now 16 & 18 yrs. I only mention that becase since they have grown our choice of hotel has changed, and yours will too as your children grow. Financially, the Caribbean Beach is a decent place to stay IF YOU ARE FORTUNATE TO GET A ROOM CLOSE TO PORT ROYAL AND THE FOOD COURT. I say this because the first two times we stayed there we had such a room and it was a very nice stay. The hotel provided these mugs you could purchase that allowed you to get unlimited refills of beverages. That was very nice since our room was just a short walk away. It was a lovely routine for one of us to walk to the food court in the morning for our coffee, and at night for juices of soft drinks. The rooms are all nice and clean, and the atmosphere is generally quiet. The pool is just right for little ones. The Food Court is better than at Port Orleans. The food just seems fresher and there seems to be more of a variety. The atmosphere in the food court is bright and cheery and the children loved it. The music in the background is always peppy lending to a general happy atmosphere.....all near Port Royal. The problem we encountered the third time we stayed there was that our arrival time was later than the usual morning arrival we had experienced in the past. This led to our room not being ready when we checked in and the room location I had requested was not provided or us. Now, I know that Disney "tries" to accommodate your requests, however, BE WARNED.....THE LATER YOU ARRIVE THE LESS LIKELY YOU ARE TO GET YOUR ROOM REQUEST GRANTED, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE REQUESTING A ROOM NEAR PORT ROYALE. Obviously, most people with small children want these rooms due to their convienence. Anyway...the down side of Caribbean Beach is that if you get a room across the lagoon - well, boy, prepare yourself for a hike! First of all, gone were our coffee and beverage refills. By the time you get back to your room your coffee is cold and you've drunk your drink. Next, depending on the weather, it is certainly no fun taking that hike to the pool in your bathing suit if your are freezing by the time you get back to the room. So - all in all, THE CARIBBEAN BEACH IS A NICE MODERATE PLACE TO STAY PROVIDED YOU GET A ROOM CLOSE TO PORT ROYALE.....KNOW WHAT - STAY AT PORT ORLEANS FRENCH QUARTER INSTEAD. MUCH BETTER LAYOUT FOR THE SAME PRICE (BUT THAT'S ANOTHER REVIEW". CATCH YOU LATER I'M SURE.
The first trip my husband and I ever took together (12 years ago - wow, time flies!) was to Disney World. We were 18 and 24 years old and stayed at the CBR. It was a great stay and we really enjoyed it. The rooms were clean and BIG! We were on the main floor and just steps from one of the smaller pools. We enjoyed walking the pathways (around the lake) in the mornings/evenings and with our rental car, it was a very quick drive to the other resorts and parks. We ate only a few times at the resort, but they had a pretty good selection of food items. I would recommend staying there - to anyone! We now usually stay at either the Yacht Club or Wilderness Lodge but with this economy, I would not hesitate to stay at the CBR again!
The Caribbean beach was the first on property resort I had ever stayed at. It truly gives you the caribbean feel and I love the layout. The Old Port Royale is so well themed and has a magical quality to it that it's hard to put into words. The rooms are well situated to let you stay close to the resort center or secluded. Truly a gem!!
I stayed thier last year and had a very good time. My room was not ready when I arrived, however within the hour I was in the room. I had a preferred room looking over the pool in the Barbados units. The room was clean and CM where very friendly. It was a 5 min walk to Old Port Royale where I had breakfast every morning. The breakfast selections where adaquate since I am not a big breakfast person. All my other meals where eaten else where so I can't comment on lunch and dinner. After breakfast I went to the bus stop outside Old Port Royale and usally was on the bus with in 10 to 15 mins. The only down size is catching the bus back to the resort after and event like Illuminations or MVMCP, the buses where way overcrowed and Barbados was the last bus stop. Over all I would stay here again.
We have stayed at Coronado, Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Caribbean. We continue to return to the Caribbean Resort. The grounds are beautiful and quiet. We love the courtyards with the tables and chairs and bright umbrellas. The new main pool area is wonderful and the kiddie pirate area is great. The only reason I did not give it a 10 is because I think the food court is inadequate with few choices for a resort that large. We will be there again in December. Janine
We(my family)LOVE the Beach Club. The close proximity to Epcot and Disney Studios is great ! The Lake walk around is also a nice way to spend some time, in fact walks to the parks are also very nice and appear to be rarely used. This time we spent two weeks in July 09 at the BC. We find the pools to be very enjoyable especially Stormalong Bay which is by far the best pool in WDW. We found because of my special needs that the front desk was very accomodating, our room was clean and ready for us on time of check in. Advance check-in worked very very well and made it simple to check in. We did have some issues with housekeeping but they were taken care of immediately to our satisfaction. I have to say both myself and wife find that once we check-in something overcomes us and we become incredibly relaxed and truly comfortable with our surroundings. The weather was also excellent for mid July, hot but very little humidity, except for the daily shower.
We(my family)LOVE the Beach Club. The close proximity to Epcot and Disney Studios is great ! The Lake walk around is also a nice way to spend some time, in fact walks to the parks are also very nice and appear to be rarely used. This time we spent two weeks in July 09 at the BC. We find the pools to be very enjoyable especially Stormalong Bay which is by far the best pool in WDW. We found because of my special needs that the front desk was very accomodating, our room was clean and ready for us on time of check in. Advance check-in worked very very well and made it simple to check in. We did have some issues with housekeeping but they wer taken care of immediately to our satisfaction. I have to say both myself and wife find that once we check-in something overcomes us and we become incredibly relaxed and truly comfortable with our surroundings. The weather was also excellent for mid July, hot but very little humidity, except for the daily shower.
The Polynesian is by far my family's favorite. Every resort has something unique to offer but there's just something about staying here that puts it over the top. Monorail access, boat access, walking distance from TTC, the beach, the luau, the hammocks, the lobby, O'hana's, the theme, the volcano pool, the view across the lake... there's just too much to list. One of our favorite things to do is to just sit in the swing by the beach at night and take everything in. After going a hundred miles an hour and spending all day in one of the parks, it's nice to come back and relax at the Polynesian. Just awesome.
There is nothing better than arriving at 2am and seeing your sleeping boys eyes when he wakes up in the Toy Story hotels courtyard to see a gigantic Buzz Lightyear! This was the highlight of our trip, it was amazing. We spend all our time at the parks so just need a place to sleep and this is perfect. Well, for the price we need to be able to go to Disney. The rooms are small, it's a tight squeeze, but it's all we need. The only thing we had problems with was the service. Always going during less busy times I see no excuse. Waiting an hour at 11pm for them to come take care of the fact our door wouldn't unlock was very upsetting, esp after being told on the second call that no one knew about it, it was apparently not reported to the proper channels. They're not overly friendly, we don't get the nice little "plus" touches from housekeeping, no matter what we tip them... but for the price and our needs it continues to be our choice of stay at Disney and I'd recommend it to anyone.
My family had the opportunity to stay at the Poly in July we stayed in the Fiji longhouse. We had a gorgeous view I took a picture of sunrise 2 mornings just breathtaking. We did have problems with out safe but it was explained to us that only one key card would work in the safe. We didn't get a chance to go to the Luau but you could walk outside our longhouse and listen to the show before the fireworks . The fire dance guy is the best. I can't listen to Hawaiian Roller Coaster without tearing up--thanks guys. We also did not get a chance to eat at Ohana's we went peak of Summer season so it was packed. It was also nice to see that the people working at the Poly seemed like the enjoyed being there. The food is a little pricey but..eh its vacation it is what it is. Will I stay at Poly again maybe but its not my favorite
The All-Star resorts are a great value. My wife and I spend most of our time in the actual parks, so we do not need a luxury room. We love the convenience that all the All-Star resorts have to offer. All-Star Movies is pretty cool in itself. It has awesome movie memorabilia too look at. If you are a Disney fan and you don't need luxury to have a great vacation then this is a great hotel!
We have stayed at Coronado Sprins more than any resort on Disney property. The rooms are stripped down and not near as fancy and nice as the rooms in deluxe resorts. The pillows aren't that comfortable, so bring your own! I did. However, the resort is very beautiful and peaceful. People waiting at the bus stops is rare. We love the Pepper Market (food court). We have stayed in the Cabanas and the Ranchos parts of the resort. I prefer the Cabanas becuase they are closer to the lobby and have a sandy beach with hammocks. Ranchos are nice as well, but tend to be a longer walk. The gift shop is huge and has everything you could possibly need. They have drinks, snacks, gifts, toys, everything! We have only had one single experience with a cast member being disgruntled. Everyone else at Coronado Springs has treated us very well. There are a few negatives to this resort, but we don't let them bother us. To start with, the food is expensive and there are gratuities and things already added in. This is because the resort is home to conventioneers. Becuase of the conventioneers, though, the bus stops are empty and the resort seems peaceful and empty most of the time. :) The steak house restaurant there has changed. When we ate there in 2005, we loved our meal. Now, in 2009, it has changed to be more mexican authentic. It is no longer a steak house, and we recommend you avoid unless you enjoy that sort of thing. Our food wasn't very good, and our wonderful memory of the restuarant was ruined. The resort has changed since our 2005 trip, but we still love it. A lot of things about this resort make our Disney trip very relaxed, and that's the way we like it!
I booked the last 2 nights of our 2005 Disney trip at Animal Kingdom Lodge with a savanah view room as a surprise for my girlfriend. We had an amazing time! The rooms are so much better than the moderate resort rooms we normally stay in. The marble counter tops in the bathroom, bigger mirror, real decor on the walls, including very nice wall paper, all made the room so nice! Even the shower was nicer. Compared to the moderate resorts, these rooms are really decorated well and are taken care of. As for the savanah view, we loved it! We woke up every morning with breakfast (delivered to our door each morning, an ammenity not available at moderate resorts) with the animals. The giraffes were our favorite! When the weather cooled down, the giraffes would come up closer to the resort. I have atleast an hour of video footage that I took of just the savanah view. Very much worth the $$! The resort is also unbelievably close to the Animal Kingdom Park. In addition, you can walk around some of the savanahs outside and see the animals up close. If you stay here, be prepared to fill your memory cards with pictures and your tapes/hard drives with lots of video footage! There are a couple negatives to this resort. The bus station is very busy, especially in the morning. One bus stop for the entire resort isn't right (we are used to 5 bus stops at Coronado). Also, the restuarants are very different from any other resort. If you like these adventurous types of menus, then you'll love your meals. However, the only food stop we enjoyed was the snack bar next to the pool. The rest of the food at the sit down restuarants were not for us. Since we really only ate breakfast in our room, we forgot about the weird food and had patience at the bus stop. We enjoyed the end of our trip at Animal Kingdom Lodge very much! Highly recommend for animal fans!
My son and I always stay at the value resorts and ASM is by far our favorite. The rooms are clean and a nice size for the two of us. The food court has a nice varity that will apeal to everyone in your party. Overall a great place for those on a budget.
All-Star Movies are awesome to stay! and we can't wait to stay in ASMO for my birthday on January 14, 2010! And we hope to stay in Preferred room like my favorite room is Fantasia! We think to take the fantasia! and the food courts and Donald's double feature is good to window shop and eat in the food courts! We will love to stay in ASMO!
The Polynesian has always been my favorite of all the Disney resorts. It could be mostly for sentimental reasons - it was where we stayed long ago when there were only 2 resorts on property! However, the more I have visited, the more I think it's really just the ambiance of the resort! The atmosphere is great - the tropical/Hawaiian vibe is really relaxing. Although, the buildings on the ouskirts are a good walk to the main building, for the most part, everything is very easy to get to. A huge plus is that you are right on the monorail! This is perfect when you are travelling with small children and know you'll be in the Magic Kingdom for the most part. It's a quick ride back to the resort in the afternoon for a nap or some pool time. The beach and pool are great - especially since the pool remodel a few years back. The restaurants are wonderful - we go to Ohana or Kona Cafe on every single trip. The luau is also wonderful. I have nothing bad to say about this resort other than I wished I stayed there more!!
I stayed there with my family two years ago, and just loved the experience! The room was nice and clean, service was great, transportation was efficient. We loved it!!!
I've stayed at all 3 of the AllStar Resorts probably 50 or more times and I'm not being generous. For the $ you pay a night you can not complain at all. The rooms are standard rooms very clean and arent' much different then a moderate resort or even some of the deluxe resorts standard rooms either. The atmosphere is awesome,clean fun and the kids love it. You do not spend much time in the rooms and mostly even the resorts, so for a Florida Resident paying between $49-$69 a night is fantastic. Yeah sometimes you stand for a little bit for a bus (15-20)mins but if the resort is crowded then your waiting no matter where you stay. But for the price it's worth it by a landslide. The food court is fantastic a wide variety like a malls food court, the pool is huge and heated so where can you go wrong. If people keep complaining about rooms sizes and better food then go ahead and spend $350- $800 a night at a deluxe 1 or 2 bedroom resort. I'll sepnd $59 at Allstar any day and have enough $ to spend at the parks later. People stop complaining and have a good time your on vacation!!! Craig- Tarpon Springs Fl
We stayed in here January 2009. It was our first stay in a "moderate" level resort, and we just wanted to see what it would be like. We would NOT stay here again. What we LIKED: (1) Looking around from the outside, the resort is clean, well-maintained, and beautiful to look at. (2) Coming back from the parks, the building we happened to be in (Aruba) was one of the first stops the buses made, which was convenient. What we DISLIKED: (1) If you're not staying in a building closest to the main building with the check-in services or food court, then you have a LONG walk ahead of you, or a LONG wait for the resort buses to roll around to your particular stop. (2) The rooms weren't much better in terms of quality than your average Hotel 6. Beds were way too small. Bathroom was ridiculously small and cramped. We had to have various items in the room replaced by the staff, such as the tv remote and the iron. Floor was dirty, tile work around the bathroom and sink areas were dirty and cracked. (3) Food court offerings for meals were meager and inadequate. CMs working in those various stations were rude and unhelpful. (4) Location. It's basically on the outskirts of the entire Disney World Resort property. Long drives to the main parks, or waits for the buses just to take you there. Coming from regular stays in "deluxe" resorts to a stay in this "moderate" one is like night/day. We would NOT stay in a moderate again unless we absolutely had to. Very disappointing.
We stayed here in May of 2009. We thought the Poly is more Hawaiian that much of Hawaii. The room was big, clean, and had the detail we have come to expect from WDW (iPod clock radio, pretty artwork, good food, etc.) The monorail is a huge plus, as is the view and general feel of the resort. Proximity to MK is another big plus. The only cons we experienced were CM related. Had a waitress at Kona that was pathetic, one of her tables left because she never went over to them, another of her tables complained to the manager, as did we. Which brings me to my next CM, the manager of the Kona. We had asked our waitress for some water that she never brought. When we called the manager over to explain the situation he just wandered away from us and didn't bring us any water either. There were a couple of other drips on the CM front, but they are almost to be expected anymore (as many drips as there are in the general population it is unrealistic to not have them show up at WDW, however the dippy manager at Kona was probably the worst manager I have ever seen.) All in all I give the Poly an 8 out of 10. With some work on staff and some detailing they would be a 10 out of 10.
Although it is nice to stay in a posh resort sometimes, at Disney World there is so much to do that you spend very little time in your room. Isn't that the whole point? I'd rather have the money it would cost for frills to spend in the parks. I like how the resort is setup with kids in mind. We stayed in the Toy Story building and I loved the huge Buzz Lightyear and Woody in the court yard as much as my Granddaughters did. The swimming pool with Mickey the Sorcerer was awesome. Having a food court with a variety of choices is a relief when you have children. We found the food to be very good, quick and reasonably priced. It was fantastic for breakfast in the morning so we weren't wasting time in a restaurant waiting to be served and could get to the parks when they opened. I can't wait for our next trip to Disney World and our stay will either be in Pop Century or All Star Movies again.
My partner and I have been to the Polynesian twice and will be there for the third time the last week of this month - it has become our favorite Disney resort. The theming is perfect and the atmosphere is tranquil as the Polynesian transports you away from the ordinariness of everyday life. The rooms are luxurious and spacious. If you're lucky to have a view of the lagoon, and especially of Cinderella Castle, a stay at the Polynesian becomes a slice of heaven. (On our first stay in 2007 we received a free upgrade from a garden view room to a castle view room, simply because it was my birthday - what a magical gift that was!) In addition to all of this, there is Kona Cafe, which has become one of our favorite restaurants in all of WDW. We have yet to have a meal there that was less than superb. The availabilty and convenience of the monorail to MK and the close proximity to the TTC and the Epcot monorail is icing on the cake. Yes, it's expensive, but you get what you pay for.
My wife and I have stayed at the "Poly" twice, once for our honeymoon and then a year or so later....and got the same room. The resort is beautifully decorated and themed. From the lush waterfall/rock garden in the lobby and just outside, to the landscaping and whole general feel of the area, you're treated to a feeling of both being in Disney World and at the same time being in a tropical resort. It is on the more expensive side, being a "deluxe" resort AND on the monorail line and all, but its conveniences (i.e. monorail access, and proximity to the Magic Kingdom) can't be beat. And for eating establishments, 'Ohana is a MUST and Kona Cafe has its own fair share of delicious meals. The resort Cast Members are always very friendly and helpful. My only real complaint is something that has been rectified for some time now: Captain Cook's. During the two stays we had there, Captain Cook's was sorely inadequate. It was too small, had too few food choices, and really needed work. I have learned in the past year or two that it was re-done, expanded, and is much better. I would go back and stay at the Poly again in a heartbeat. I loved waking up each morning to looking out my balcony to Cinderella's Castle just across the lagoon, and enjoying a drink and watching the Magic Kingdom's nightly fireworks show from that same balcony.
In life, you generally get what you pay for. At Disney's All Star Movies, the rule applies more so than ever before. They make no attempt to mask the kind of hotel at which you will be staying. It is listed as a Value Resort. The Service is still Disney Service...but done by fewer people with absolutely no intention on making you their first priority. When there are over 1000 rooms and the place is booked...you feel the pinch when asking for anything to get done. Our bags weren't delivered when they were supposed to, rooms were switched, keys didn't work...problems that weren't huge enough to ruin a trip...but problems nonetheless. Everything was resolved and I always felt like I was being cared for. The food court was mediocre...but no different than any quick service spots in the park. It was doable. Waiting for buses back to the Resort at night at park closing was a MESS. Especially coming back from Downtown Disney...there were far more people in need of transportation than they were prepared to provide... All in all, it was a place to rest your head between days in the parks...so it served its purpose. Just know that you will be getting what you pay for...
Stayed at the Poly for 10 days in early August. Great resort. Here are my pros and cons Pros: Magic Kingdom Monorail is the best transportation in the "world". Volcano slide is fun Rooms are large Service is good Being near the TTC is a great option. Cons: Way overpriced. We used the by 4 get 3 free deal, plus 2 additional nights at a room only discounted rate of $264 per night. I've stayed at Ritz Carlton resorts for about the same amount of money. Main pool is overcrowded. I had people bumping into me, swiming under me, etc. I have heard that people use the pool who are not resort guests. Thats a problem. Seeing the boat parade and/or fireworks is great, but after seeing it once or twice, its not really special anymore. Captain Cooks is too small and doesnt have enough variety. Aside from Magic Kingdom monorail, all other transportation is about as good as it is in every other resorts (slow- even the Epcot monorail)For the price, it should be better.
overall great if u have kids as a couple u need a water room
I'm a Disney Vacation Club member and I will still pay cash to stay at the Poly. We have only stayed in Concierge (Hawaii and Tonga) and I think that the Poly has the best concierge services on property. The view from the Concierge Lounge is unbeatable - the view of Cinderella Castle especially during Wishes. Even more luxurious, get a room on the 1st floor, look out your window and see the Castle and walk out onto your patio right onto the sand. Love it! My favorite bar in WDW is Tambu Lounge and one of my favorite restaurants is Ohana so staying at this resort is the best location for me and my family.
I have had the pleasure of staying at almost every resort on property, and some are truly amazing, but the one that I can't forget and keep going back to is this one. Between its older look and style, complimented with perfect "island charm" this resort reminds me of the idea of what Disney World was and many years later, still is. Now I am partial to polynesian themed anything, so I understand how some people don't feel as strongly about this place as I do, but with that said, this resort compares and surpasses the rest on the property. It never has a crowded or "over run" feeling. It realy has a feel of Polynesia, secluded from the rest of the world, yet everything you could ever want from it. The grounds are wonderful, the food is great, the staff is super and the views are some of the best in Disney. If you can stay here, stay! You won't regret it.
This restort is not only one of the best Disney Resorts i have ever stayed in but one of the best ones period! I loved it! The atmosphere is amazing. You walk in the door and you are insintly transported to the south pacific. The place even smells like it. I sware I could make a trip and stay in this restort and never actually leave. I was lucky and I could see the Magic Kingdom from my room. (If you stay here you have got to try and get one of these rooms.) We were able to sit on our balcony and watch the fireworks. I have seen Wishes more times than I can count but some how seeing it from the comfort of my own hotel room made it even more amazing. Walt Disney would be very proud to know that this resort was part of his Magical Family.
I love Captain Cooks for CS meals. My family always makes a stop here when on vacation. Tonga Toast for breakfast, pork sandwich, adult grilled cheese and of course, dole whips.
We recently stayed in the Roratonga longhouse at the Polynesian resort. Accommodations: We found Roratonga quiet, comfortable, clean and convenient to everything in the resort. The entire resort is decorated in dark woods which, sort of makes things “gloomy”. The bathroom only had one sink and the ceiling fan was on a sensor so it turned on automatically when you walked into the bathroom which tended to be annoying. The only complaint was that we had trouble with the safe in our room several times, i.e. would not program or would not open. I had read somewhere that the showers were not very hot in the morning and to shower later in the day or before bed. I found this to be true, the water just wasn’t that hot in the morning. We thought the volcano pool too small for the number of guests using it. We found the resort grounds to be clean and well kept however. Restaurants: We attended the Luau which was good but we felt the show was drawn out. We also ate breakfast at the Kona Café several times, our son particualy enjoyed the Tonga toast and the “Big Kahuna”. We did not book Ohanna as we ate there on previous trips. Captain Cook’s was good but could have had more menu items. Cast Members: I had read in “The Un-official Guide” that there was “front desk in-efficiency” and difficult cast members at the Poly. Let me say that I did not find that to be the cast at all. Instead at the Polynesian we found the cast members among some of the best we have ever encountered at WDW. As stated above we had trouble with the safe in our room on several occasions each time the issue was quickly addressed. We had an excellent vacation and a very good experience at the Polynesian. We all felt however that there was nothing to “knock your socks off” at the Polynesian as compared to the other Disney resorts we stayed at such as the Grand Canyon Concourse of the Contemporary or the lobby of the Wilderness Lodge. That said, I would recommend the Polynesian to friends as it is on the Monorail so close to the magic Kingdom and many dining locations. I would consider staying there again, It would not however be my first choice.
Ive been to Hawaii and the resort was very nice. The room needed some help. Under the bed was plywood board as a bedframe. I wouldnt go back to this resort to stay..
Stayed 7 nights in August 2009 Bathroom is smaller than other deluxe resorts, only one sink, but there is more counter surface which I prefer. The bedroom area is larger since the bathroom is smaller, another preference of mine. Room is dark with dark furnishing and poor lighting. Fridge has a tendency to overheat since it is in a closed cabinet (tip, leave the cabinet door open to cool off the fridge). Location to MK and Epcot is great, Monorail access great. Bus service was slow to DHS, MK, and DTD. Dining options were great: Ohana's, Kona Cafe and Captain Cook. Volcano Pool was great, but tended to get crowded. Pool Bar was great. Loved the fact that the pool was located next to the beach. It was easy for the kids to run back and forth from the sandy beach to the pool. Life guard staff was great and helpful. Housekeeping services were fair and slow to respond to requests. Don't know if it is a budget cut, but only received towel creations at check-in. In the past at other resorts, we have had them daily. Front desk CMs were slow and not very knowledgable when asked questions or dealing with problems. Check-in was extremely slow, even with doing online check-in (arrived at 10:30 AM, and it took 30 minutes to check in). Was pleased that room was ready when we arrived and ME luggage arrived by 12:30 PM. Room request for buildings and floors was not met, but we were located next door to the Great Ceremonial House. Tip: In the evenings there was a Photo Pass Photographer in the Great Cerimonial House (lower level) taking pictures. Great chance to get a family picture done when everyone is dressed up for dinner. Overall, we had a great vacation. Don't know that the extra cost is worth a stay at the Poly over Wilderness Lodge. Beach Club is still our favorite resort!
My family and I have recently stayed at the Poly a half dozen times in so many years, our last visit was May of this year ('09). My first visit was in '76 when I was a youngster. I rate the Poly a 9 out of 10, as no place is ever "perfect", but I will say, in my eyes, the Poly is close to a 10. First the negatives (maybe a stretch here...). -The "quiet pool" is a bit outdated and not themed. It's older and could use some updates. (My guess is that Disney is keeping the pool old-school to keep it "quiet"...so maybe that's actually a good thing). -The bathrooms, although completely refurb'ed over the past 5 years or so, are small and have poor lighting. -Price. Although there are many aspects that are difficult to put a price to (see below)...it's tough to justify $400+/night for any room. Positives: - Location, location, location (especially with 3 kids under the age of 10 who spend the majority of time in the MK). How can you beat a one minute ride to the MK via monorail ? Monorail access to EPCOT ? Monorail (or more efficiently a resort only boat ride) back to your hotel ? -Refurb'ed rooms, new walls, ceiling, floors, furniture, TV, etc. - Pool and beach (hammocks, volley ball, Tiki bar, etc.) - 2 pools (one "quiet"...see above :) and of course the Volcano pool) - Fireworks from the beach - Electric Water Parade from the beach - Sea Raycers - Surreys - Fishing - Sailing - Luau - Spa (shared with the Grand Flo) - Kona Cafe, OHana (character), Capt Cooks (now serving Dole whips)restaurants - Themeing, flora, fauna, tiki torches (the orange seeds must stay warm...:) ) We've always found our rooms to be clean and tidy. Staff has always been excellent and very accomodating. We'll be going back again in May !! I suppose as the kids get a little older we'll once again venture to some other resorts to try them out (especially to AK Lodge which I'm interested in trying as well as Beach Club). But for now, it will be the Poly for several more visits.
We've only stayed at the Poly once and that was prior to the refurb. The rooms were beautiful but the walls a bit thin....but my review is not based on my stay. When I think WDW, the Poly is one of the first things that comes to mind. It's just incredibly beautiful, both inside and out, the theming among the best of all the resorts, and is home to my absolute favorite Disney smell!
I stayed there a few years ago during Thanksgiving week. The weather was cold (unusually so) but the resort is so steeped in atmosphere, that it made all the difference. I spent some time at the pool bar and it kind of felt warmer then it actually was. The theming was exceptional, the food options - Brazilian style BBQ @ Ohana, sushi, sandwiches and phenominal coffee @ Kona, and one of the best counter service spots on all of property - Captain Cook's. The best feature (better, in my opinion than the themed pool) is the lobby. Disticntly and uniquely themed. High marks!!
I figured since there hadn't been a review written about OKW in so long that I would add mine. I have been staying here yearly for the past 9 or 10 years, and I have never had anything but a wonderful experience. I have stayed all over property and still always look forward to my OKW trips the most. The resort is beautiful, the staff friendly, and the room amenities can't be beat. I highly recommend OKW to anyone looking for a resort with a little less hustle and bustle, and a little more R&R.
I have stayed at the Contemporary many times before and have always had a nice visit. Visited there late last month for a brief two night stay. Used the online check-in and everything was ready for me, but was suprised that I had to carry my bags all the way out to the entrance to leave them with the bell hop to take to my room later. Returned at 3PM to see if my room was ready and it wasn't. Then I waited in the lobby for 15 minutes for housekeeping manager to call back. By 3:30 they gave me my room number, but when I entered the room it was totally stripped and the beds weren't made. So I picked up the phone to call down to the concierge who helped me to let her know the room wasn't ready, but the operator said he wasn't allowed to direct my call to a specific person (sounded like he was at some call center since he asked me what hotel I was calling from... something is wrong there.) Out of frustration I told him I would go back down to the front desk. On my way out I ran into housekeeping coming to finish my room. Then the bellhop arrived. So we both waited until the room was done, but they were quick. Finally got into my room. High floor with great view of bay lake and near the end of the hallway as requested. So the frustration of the check-in was all but forgotten until I went to the bathroom... no toilet paper! After learning a lesson not to call, I spotted a housekeeping cart on the opposite side and moved in for the kill. The woman gave me two rolls. Finally the vacation started. Oh, last complaint, sorry, the had this huge screen set up out by the pools showing a movie. The sound really traveled even up to my 10F room unless I closed my sliding door. It was very annoying that I just could not sit on the balcony and enjoy a quiet evening. Of course the music of my favorite electric water parade was marred with sounds of machine gun fire and screaming from the movie... Anyway, I will stay again and the comtemporary is still disney's best hotel.
My family and I stayed at this resort some time ago, however our stay was very undesireable. There were, literally hundreds of tour group kids that seemed to move about the resort unsupervised. On 3 occassions I had to call the front desk. On one occassion I went to the front desk to complain. Staff was fantastic. The resort is a fun place to stay. The food court can be extremely hectic, so plan accordingly. the resort is clean, the pools are relaxing. If you can afford to stay at a moderate, do it. But, if you can only stay at a value, then be warry. Request rooms away from tour groups. The walk is well worth the hassle of being awakened at 1 or 2 am by yelling or screaming kids. All in all, you get the Disney experience.
Before PopCentury opened up we would only stay at All Star Movies. ASM was our favorite of the three All Star Resorts. The theme is just great and though the rooms are a wee bit small, it is for sleeping and resting anyways. That was our philosophy. Now for larger families would recommend either another room adjacent or be prepared for being cramped. The bus system back when we were going wasn't too bad except of course during peak time and the buses would go to all three. There were times leaving MK we would wait over an 1 1/2 hrs. So staying at the All Star Resorts have the downfalls but the Movies is the best.
I've stayed at the poly, gf, and wilderness lodge on club level and thought they were all better than the contemporary. stayed at contemporary last week of july 2009. the woman working the concierge desk all 3 days we were there was clueless. the snack offerings were (in my opinion) sparse at best compared to the other resorts. i loved the proximity to the mk and loved being able to just walk in and to watch fireworks from balcony (we were only a few floors from the top) but would not do club level there again. room service is supposed to be 24 hours but was terrible. the room was VERY quiet and nice and dark. good cold air and lots of room in the room. gf and poly have been by far the best we've stayed at. oh and whoever thought a square sink was a good idea must have been a designer not a real human being who actually had to use it.
The shuttle from MCO was slow, as we had to drop off everyone at Sports and Music first. When we got there, the lobby was underwhelming compared to the moderates I've stayed at before. The rooms were VERY small. It was hard to fit the stroller through the doors and past the bed. That being said, the rooms were decorated in Dalmatians, which the kids loved. Also, it was easy to get the kids to leave the park when we told them we were going to see the giant dalmatian at the hotel. And giant it was - at least 30 foot tall. The kids loved it. The food court was as busy as any counter service at the parks, so no suprsie there. It had a good selection of food. The bus service was not good at all. We didn't have to share with the other AllStars, but all the buses were slow in getting there. Also, it seems the AllStars were loaded with moto-scooters...which got to board first regardless of when the showed up. The rider and all 10 of their family guests got all the prime seats. Disney really needs to fix this problem. Overall, it's still a Disney resort, so it was good. The kids LOVED it, but it's at the bottom of this adult's list.
My wife and I went there in 2007 for 5 days on vacation, and we both enjoyed the resort. Obviously I didn't expect the Ritz Carlton, but the room was relatively big (they upgraded us to a family suite for free!), clean, and for the most part quiet. With it just being the two of us, more than anything we were just looking for a place to sleep and an easy way to get to the parks. We didn't use the pool or anything, and the cafeteria was convenient for a quick meal. So, for the traveler that doesn't need a lot from their resort other than the basics, I would recommend the All Star Music.
The theme is excellent. The rooms were average. The food court was ALWAYS overcrowded. The bus situation (in '07 anyways) was terrible. That being said it's still better than music or sports, but POP beats all three hands down. If POP (our favorite) was full I'd have to reluctantly upgrade rather than stay at any All Star resort.
It's hard to beat the All Star Movies resort for the price. Compared to the more expensive resorts, the resort delivers the goods in theme, cleanliness, and the service the cast members provide. While I enjoy the more expensive resorts, it's always the value resorts that seem to be more alive. I don't know if it's all the kids playing or the larger than life decor, but there's definitely more feeling at the All Star Movies.
The theming at this resort was extremely fun. The larger than life icons were adorable. It has a fun atmosphere that excites the young children. As a parent, the ONLY drawback I did not like was the bus situation. At the time of year we went, we shared a bus with AllStar Sports and Music. Movies was the last to get on and last to get off. Being the last to get on the bus, the bus would already be packed by the time it got to AllStar Movies. This was a minor point for us, but for others, it could be a big set back.
We stayed at ASMo during our first two visits to WDW (2005 and 2007) when our daughters were young. Overall, this resort met our expectations and provided a great introduction to the accommodations offered on Disney property. It was great to be emersed in Disney with children! This resort is geared for families with kids and meets those needs very well. I never performed a white glove test, but always found the rooms to be clean, the staff very helpful and friendly, and the atmosphere perfect for our children. With two daughters, ASMo was a logical choice for our Value Resort stay--Sports didn't work for them, and Music wouldn't captivate them. The bigger-than-life characters on the grounds really made them smile! Yes, the bus rides can be longer, but I'd challenge anyone to get "home" to an off-site hotel any faster. We loved the theming, and truly enjoyed both visits. Given the limited time we actually spent in the room, ASMo was the right choice for us. We learned a lot on our first visit, and made even better plans and arrangments on our second trip. As our daughters have gotten older, we decided to move up to a Moderate (POR) this last trip (Aug 2009) in order to have a little more elbow room. This was another wonderful choice for us!
Haven't stayed there since '06 but the rooms were VERY clean. It was a little noisy though. We were in the Toy Story bldg and that seemed like a hike to bus stop and main bldg so wouldn't have wanted to stay in Fantasia or Dalmations. Pool was nice and food OK but the food court was always crowded and unless we got to the bus stop at an 'off' time there was a considerable wait both too and from the parks. Plus, you have to share them with Music and Sports. Like Pop Century a lot better!!
I first stayed here for my honeymoon in 99 . This by far the best Moderate in my opinion. The themeing is beautiful .The layout is nice. I have to say that there are some areas just too far spaced. I love the island walk,the nature all over. the food coutrt is nice .. I would like to see some changes but good. The main pool is awesome, not to mention the nice "island" pools . This has been and will continue to be our resort of choice. You can't go wrong with any Disney resort, but this one stands out .
I went to disney world for the first time ever last year, and stayed at the all-star movies resort... While it was decent as far as room size is concerned, I was a little disappointed at how few busses ran from parks to that particular hotel. On a number of occasions my friend and I would be waiting to return to the hotel from a park and many "Sports and music" Busses would pass, most of them empty, while we waited for a movies bus with many, many others.. I suppose that's the way all the all star resorts are, though.. On top of that, on our last night, the power in the ENTIRE Fantasia broomstick building, which was our building, went out, and could not be restored.. This was particularly bad because we needed the light to pack.. It took a long time, and a lot of lugging of heavy luggage, but we did thankfully get issued a new room.. Still, I suppose the stay was decent enough.
We stayed at the All Star Movies resort in February of 2009. This is an awesome resort with great photo opportunities all around the resort. The restaurant was awesome, as was the staff at the front desk. Just like the rest of the Disney resorts, the bus service to and from the parks was great. The one downside of this resort, is the distance from all of the parks. It seems like you pass every theme park, and every other resort, as well as Downtown Disney on the way back to All Star Movies. The mousecleaning staff took care of the every day stuff very well, but we found that they don't like to clean behind the furniture, or under the furniture. As I was looking under the bed, just prior to our departure, for anything that we may have dropped through the week, I found what appeared to be a year's worth of dirt and dust. It was the same way behind the furniture. All in all, I would stay there again, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a great bargain. Just check the cleanliness when you check in.
We stayed in the Fantasia/Sorcerer's Apprentice area of the resort. The theming is a lot of fun and the hotel rooms are very cheap. However, the rooms are very simple. No bells or whistles here! Themed bed spreads and a border below the ceiling is about as fancy as it gets. The Fantasia pool was big, but very basic with just a few jets of water. The cafeteria was always extremely busy. We attempted to have breakfast one morning and had a horrible time waiting in line, only to have to wait for a table after we got our food. The food was good, but just way too crowded. The moderate and deluxe resorts have better dining options that are not even close to this crowded. There are a lot of hotel rooms, so a lot of people are packed into this resort. Nights tend to be noisy with kids running around. The buses are always full, so get ready for standing room only when it's time to travel to the parks. If you are doing Disney on a very strict budget, then All Star Movies is a good choice. However, you get what you pay for! I highly recommend spending just a little more to stay in one of the wonderful moderate resorts.
Cheap , Cheerful and good value.
The All Star Movies Resort isnt all that bad. It gives you a place to sleep for a good price. The pools arent all that bad, either. If you have kids, the area is a good place to tire kids out.
I stayed here a few years ago. Way to many children running around. The busses were few and far between. I really had a very bad time. I know most people might reading this may say hey he must be hard to please but actually i'm the opposite. Pay the extra few dollars a night and stay at Port Orleans its awesome.
I like it better than other 2, newer and better theme, feels more like Disney. Last bus stop does not help, maybe they changed since I was last there in 2005, but it does make a difference.
My family and I stayed at the All Star Movies resort for two nights this past April 2009 in the Buzz Lightyear building. My wife and I have three children ages 7, 8, 14 so finding a resort that the kids enjoy is paramount. We have stayed in every moderate resort as well as the Boardwalk (twice) and Saratoga Springs. Matter of fact, we had stayed in the Coronado for 5 nights prior to switching over to All Star as we wanted to extend the vacation. This was our first value resort stay in the 8 years we have been coming and were pleasantly surprised. Upon arrival my family and I enjoyed the outward appearance of the resort. Although some may think the appearance to be tacky, we thought it was fun. We had a lot of fun walking the grounds as the kids pointed out the various disney characters that were present at every turn of the head. The grounds were clean and well kept. The room is what we expected from a value resort. The size and layout is exactly that of any other motel that we've ever stayed out. The only difference was the disney decor throughout. The room was clean and absent any odors. Rooms are not that important to my family and I as we only use them to sleep and get changed as we are constantly on the move (parks, recreation, swimming, etc). So the room was fine. The swimming pool(s)were fun. We decided to walk around all the value resorts and stop at each main theme pool. The main difference between the All Star pools and that of the moderate and deluxe resorts we stayed out were the absence of water slides. This didn't represent a problem to my wife and I but the kids noticed it immediately and were not overly enthused. Nonetheless they had fun swimming and splashing around. The food was fine, again for a value resort. It's the same as any other "cafeteria" stop at the other resorts. Without question, the main difference between the All Star (value) resorts and the moderates and deluxe's (besides the food options, recreatonal activities and main theme pools)was the amount and types of people present. We noticed that the All Star was full of families and children. We also noticed that there were several sports teams staying throughout. Obviously the value price of these resorts attract young families, clubs and sporting teams. Because of this the atmosphere tended to be much more hectic and noisier than the moderate and deluxe resorts. My family and I would stay at the All Star Movies Resort again in a heartbeat. The only caveat being we would not stay longer than two nights. If you can afford the extra $50-$75 a night (sometimes less or more) a moderate resort commands I would definately suggest staying there. The grounds, the recreational activities and food options are well worth the extra money. However, if you must save money for your trip I would highly recommend the All Star Movies resort.
After being cautioned by others that the All-Stars were rough with crowds, I found that it wasn't bad at all - especially during the holidays (Thanksgiving). My 6 year old loved The Dalmation rooms that my family had booked and we were well pleased with the layout of the resort. The selections in the food court were good and the staff were very pleasant. While the crowds at the bus lines were very heavy especially near the end of the week at Thanksgiving, the staff did quite well in calling in extra buses sometimes to alleviate the crowd. We were all well pleased with our stay and would definetly recommend the All-Star Movies!
I am posting a review that me and my wife posted from our march 2007 trip to all star resort. We go to disney 2 times a year, and half the time stay at all star. All Star Resorts are a good place to stay if you would like to be close to the parks and want a decent value. There are buses that leave to the different Disney parks and Downtown Disney every few minutes, therefore you don't need a car. The rooms are clean and there is a big cafeteria to eat, a bar to drink at, laundry facilities, an arcade and swimming pools. It's a great place for families to stay at. Keep in mind when staying here that this is a value resort so you are not going to get “top of the line” anything. But it really is a decent and convenient place to stay. Another great feature that All Star resorts offer is Magical Express transportation, which picks you up and drops you off at the airport. One complaint we have during our stay at the All Star Movie resort in early March this year was that someone had left a tray of food outside their door near us on the first day we were there, and it was nearly 3 days before housekeeping finally disposed of it. Kind of gross, but surprising because usually their services are highly efficient and our rooms are always clean. I would say from the 2 times we stayed at pop, the busses to all star are better. The advantage, take any of the busses and walk a little. In summary, stay here if you want value and convenience; don't stay here if you want to be pampered.
I agree with the other reviews. Anywhere else, this would be a destination hotel. But having stayed at most of the regular Disney hotels, this lacked the disney magic. Pool at Swan was not kid friendly at all, had to use the pool at Dolphin for a slide.
we have stayed at Asmo's several times. Our kids enjoy the theme more so than the other value resorts.. Last year we were able to upgrade to a mod but did a room only the night before at asmo's. The grounds are nice and the food court offers a variety of foods.
I have stayed at 2 value resorts, All Star Music and All Star Movies. I enjoyed the theming best at the Movies. I thought the overall atmosphere was much more "disney-like" which makes sense since that is Disney's business...movies. However, I didn't like that the Movies is furthest away. I think we were the last bus stop on that road all the All-Stars are on. Personally, I choose to spend more money and stay at a moderate or deluxe mostly for convenience, atmosphere and location (closer to the parks). But if you are on a budget, value is definitely the way to go. My family is probably going to be on a tighter budget for our 2010 trip and we are considering staying at a value resort and we already know it will be "movies" since we enjoyed the theming and look there the best. When we stayed at "Music" we had giant cowboy boots outside our building and it didn't feel very "Disney"!..."Movies" just had great ambiance and theming that made us feel DISNEY-ish everyday, but again the locaiton wasn't the greatest. I would recommend Movies over Music or Sports !
We have stayed at the All Star Movies 8 times now and have stayed in every building there. We enjoy the food and the pools. The kids are very familiar with the resort too and they love the theming. It is a great place to go is you have children. The staff is great there too. Always seem to see the same faces there. It is a great family resort.
Like most of the other posters here I have recentlee diskovered I can no longer spel or use cowrecked grammer or sintax. I think it's the water, or the africant phood.
We stayed at the All-Star movies for 7 nights at the end of this past July in the 101 Dalmatians section. It's a decent resort with an adequate food court, basic pool and basic rooms. We did get cute towel animals from the maid staff and the front desk staff was very helpful when we needed medication delivered to the resort. The rooms are indeed small but not really much smaller than other deluxe resorts I've stayed at. The only complaint I really have is the distance this resort is from everything else. Bus rides took forever and were extremely crowded and inconsistent! Now, this may be the case for all the buses but we really had a hard time getting around on a few occasions. I think I like Music a little better than this resort but for the price, it is a pretty good place to stay.
After staying in a savannah view room in the Jambo House I was really excited. The hotel rooms are extremely detailed. The wallpaper used throughout the room have very interesting designs of a map of African cities with some animal drawings on the map. The terraces gave a great exclusive and private view to see the animals. When you get to see a giraffe, cattle, or antelope walk closer and closer to your room you really feel like you are in the middle of Africa. Another great feature of this hotel is the restaurant Jiko. During my last vacation here I ate at both Jiko and California Grill. Personally I enjoyed Jiko more, I thought the food was great and that this cuisine was a unique and original one that I had never tried before.
We stayed there about 8 months ago for a couple of nights for a short layover that included a stop at Disney. We stayed in the Mighty Ducks section on the first floor. I found parking (since we had a car) to be rather convenient. I’m glad we did have a car because the bus stops were always mobbed with people. Disney's All Star Movies Resort is a basic resort. Check-in was quick and efficient, even though there were several people in line in front of us. I found the theming to be minimal, but very in-your-face Disney. The room itself is very plain and quite small, but it does the job. It is clean and the service is OK. You have a bed and a place to shower. It really reminds me of a dorm room with the motel 8 layout. The food court was simple, but no different than any other food court. The gift shop was actually better than the ones at the deluxe resorts we normally stay at. The resort itself seemed to be very far from the parks. I wasn’t unhappy with my stay there, but I don’t think I’d stay there again. If I were watching my pennies, I’d stay offsite before staying at another value resort. For the same amount of money, I could stay offsite and have a much nicer and bigger room with roughly the same distance from the parks.
I was there in mid-May and would gladly return to the resort. We were in the Toy Story portion of the resort and found ourselves spending a good deal of time simply exploring the resort after we arrived. There were some great photo opportunities amongst all of Andy's toys that were strewn about. The room was very comfortable. I enjoyed everything from the lamps on the walls to the bedspreads. We also very much enjoyed coming home each night to walk past the windows of everyone else's rooms to see what scene the housekeeping staff had arranged for everyone to view (using plush toys, towels, etc.) The food court was decent. We ate there several times late in the evening so the crowds weren't bad at all. We did observe several magical moments while dining. Kids were selected to be a chef and would assist the cast by making ice cream sundaes. We did frequently wait for 15+ minutes for the busses to run, but given that we didn't have a car and this was free, we didn't mind waiting. We also had some great impromptu conversations with other guests while we waited. The only reason I would not go back is if I choose to stay in one of the Epcot resorts within walking distance.
Great resort for relaxing and being away from it all. We were upgraded there when Riverside was overbooked. Since we had a baby it was nice that the room had a microwave and fridge. But we were a very far walk away from everything. There is no counter service and the sit-down restaurant wasn't that impressive. Since the buses looped through the entire resort they were packed and long rides. My wife and I talked and believe that if we were going without kids or when the kids were older and could do things on their own, then this would be a great resort to stay in. But with young kids the need to do things quick and easy is necessary.
I stayed there with DW back in 2005, so some things may have gotten better. The first issue was (and many others feel the same) the sharing of the buses. Some people don't mind sharing, but at the end of a long Disney day, the last thing you want to do is make 2 stops before you actually make it back to your hotel. The second issue was...and this may just be perception but it just seemed further away than any other place we've stayed on property. You always passed CS you always passed the big McDonalds, to get anywhere. Now for the good. Price was good, for being on property. Like the food court. Liked the theming. Everything else was to be expected for the price. I just think for the same price there is another resort that seems better. We didn't use the pool, so I can't offer an opinion on that. If we had to, I would stay there again.
My sister and I stayed there in 2003. We liked it. The food court provided many food options and the refillable mug is a great conveince. The rooms were clean and housekeeping left plenty of towels. My only complaint was the bus situation. The buses were always crowed and seemed to take a long time to arrive. In all fairness though this was 6 years ago, the problems may have been fixed. When I went in Mar.2009 we stayed at the Pop century.
I have stayed at the ASMovies 3 times over the years and have had nothing but good visits there. It is a nice value hotel, laid out very well, with ok size rooms for what you are paying. The food court is great and a fun place to visit with plenty to choose from. This was the last of the All Star resorts built so it has the same feel as the other two, but it took the best from the first two and expanded upon it. The only down side to the hotel would have to be the bus system, just like some of the other hotels that are all in a cluster, these 3 hotels can share a bus if it is during the mid day and some times at night. ASMovies being the last in the run can get a bus that is already 3/4 full pulling up to a line that would fill a normal bus. It does seem they have attempted to cut down on the sharing of the bus in the evening, but I have waited at MK for 3-4 buses because all they say is All-Star Resorts so everyone is getting on one bus to go to all 3. Until POP Century came around ASMovies was my first choice because of the price, why spend a lot money on a room you only spend a few hours in? If POP is full and you are looking to go on the inexpensive side then I would say go with ASMovies!
The AS Movie resort is my favorite out of all the Value resorts. It always seems to be the least crowded and it is the newest. The rooms aren't anything special, but none of the Value resort rooms are. The over-the-top movie theme is great of course. I really like the 101 Dalmation section. As with all of the Value resorts, the sound proofing is seriously lacking here. If you have stayed at another Value before, you know what to expect. It doesn't really bother me anymore, but light sleepers might find the extraneous noise from other guests unbearable. My other main issue with the resort is bus transportation. Movies is always the third stop on the bus shared with Sports and Music. It generally means full buses going anywhere and being the last one off coming back from the parks. During busier times of the year you can get lucky they will run separate buses for each resort at peak time. It is very hit or miss though. All in all, I would recommend the resort to anyone who is looking to save some money and views their room as just a place to sleep. If you are looking for extensive resort amenities and a luxurious room, look to the Deluxe resorts.
We stayed there in August 2006, in one of the busier time periods. We were trying to save a little bit of money. The hotel was fine, my daughter was 16 mos at the time and enjoyed it. The CMs and the rest of the staff were very helpful. The food court is what you would expect from any food court, quick fast foodish type of food. The only complaint we had was about the other guests. Compared to the moderate and deluxe resorts there seemed to be a lot more unsupervised children, rude teenagers and neglectful parents. We had a family fighting in the room next to us almost every night we were there and had to call the front desk to complain. Security responded quickly and took care of the problem. Overall I had no problem with the hotel itself just the guests that were there. In my opinion, if you can afford the extra money bump up to a moderate for a more relaxing trip.
The price is right but after that it goes down hill fast. The beds are uncomfortable, bus lines are long, food is below average, one main pool thats over crowded, rooms are very small for 2 adults and older teenagers. Don't do it unless you are on a tight budget and HAVE to stay on property. There are many spots offsite that are the same price or less and much, much better!!
I stayed here during my last visit and I will say i would definitely do it again. Each day by the pool, there was a fun little pool party for everyone. That alone would keep everyone happy. There are many recreational choices including the near Fort Wilderness for a bike ride or fishing. The theme is very interesting and different. You don't see many hotels like this. I would definitely recommend this hotel to most people.
We've stayed at the resort twice now, once in 1999 and again in 2007. In both cases we enjoyed our stay. The rooms were clean and well maintained. All of our experiences with staff were excellent. The theming is a bit over the top, but that is kind of the point. Out of the three All-Star resorts, we ended up picking the Movies resort again in 2007 because the characters/movies were more what our then 4 y/o would be familiar with. The dining court has a variety of options for various tastes, although the fare is definitely of the quick-service type. All-in-all, I would recommend the resort, if it fits into your price point for staying on site. You can definitely save money and stay in comparable accommodations off-site, but that wouldn't be part of the magic, would it? We are looking forward to upgrading to a moderate resort on our next trip, for the larger rooms and more sophisticated theming.
This hotel is so beautiful and will make you feel as far away from home as possible. I have stayed here with my family most of the times i have stayed at Disney. The workers are very friendly and take care of the place very well. There is a lot to do including the pool, Gasparillas, a spa, tennis, boating, and much much more! It also has convenient transportation including buses, the monorail, and ferries. I would definitely come back again and I can't wait to do it.
I stayed there in December 2003, and yeah I actually liked it. It's close to the parks, really comfy, and something the family can have fun in.
We have stayed at the Caribbean Beach 3 times and are going back in Sept. The resort is very large, but so quiet and beautiful. We love the food court and the gift shop and all the quiet pools.
I recently stayed at BLT from August 13-20 in a two bedroom villa. Although it was gorgeous, the living area was really small and it was themed more as a condo that you would expect to see in Miami rather than WDW. If you lost your "Key to the World" room key, you were screwed because you can't open a single door in the building without it. That was nice because not many people can sneak in that way, but its still a real pain. In order to get to the Top of the World Lounge, you have to show someone at the front desk your room key, and than they put their own key in a slot in the elevator to let you up. Kinda redundant if you ask me. The lobby area smelled like cocoa beans mixed with new paint (not very pleasant) and the music in the lobby was quite irritating. There was music playing around the pool area and outside of a couple of Jonas Bros and Miley Cyrus songs (both of which I cannot stand!), it was just rock music that had no correlation to the Disney franchise. There was no true character of the building that would make you feel as if your in the World. To me, BLT struck me as the Hard Rock Hotel minus the musical artifacts throughout the building. The only thing that BLT brought to the table was convenience. It was very convenient to hop on the monorail to go to the Magic Kingdom or to Epcot. However, I must say this, my first five nights, BLT was not at full capacity. I believe it was just under 50% filled. When day six came around, the entire building was filled and my family and I watched four monorails come and go through the station before we could get on one simply because the platform was PACKED with people! Disney should have thought that out long before the opening. Hopefully they'll fix that by putting another monorail on the line. So I guess it's not too convenient anymore. Odds are I won't be staying there again, I was very let down.
POFQ is my favorite excellent hotel with waterslides and some awesome food courts and those buildings looks cool and fresh! For My Birthday on January 14, 2010! POFQ will be the place for my 38th Birthday!
I stayed in alligator bayu and it was terrible. It took forever just to walk to our rooms and we had a terrible view. I am 4 foot 11 inches and if i were just a few inches shorter i would have needed a step ladder to just sit on the bed, i don't see how kids get up there. The electric sockets in the wall did not work, every night we tried to charge are camera's and the plugs would either fall out of the sockets or not fit, but no matter what they did not go in right.The bathrooms were pretty bad to, why are the sinks outside the bathroom it makes no sence. Also the tiles in that bathroom were terrible we talked to a women who's 7 year old grandaughter almost cracked her head open when she slipped in the bathroom because of how slippery the tiles get. The pools were terrible too. They were open untill past midnight which is both annoying since our room was by the one and extremly dangerous,and the one almost never had a life gaurd on duty. Then the one time i went to the pool a kid had thrown up there like 10 minutes ago and it still hadn't been cleaned up and the pool was still open. I came back like an hour later and the puke was still there. The resorts only redeming quility was the boat to downtown disney
This is my favorite themed of the three all star resorts but it is always the most crowded.
We stayed here from 7/30/09 - 8/3/09 in a tower room on the Bay Lake side. Our room was ready when we checked in (10:30 am!), and we were so pleased. We were in room 4611, which is the 10th floor. Our view was beautiful! DH loved the sleekness and modern design of the room. I liked the sliding doors in the bathroom, and we really liked the private toilet area. I fell in love with the square sinks - they drain better than you think that they would! Our room was very quiet - we never heard Chef Mickey's. Mousekeeping was fine. Our room was clean, and I was surprised to see that we were given more than enough toiletries for our stay. No character towels, though! The staff was very friendly. My DD fell in the lobby and busted her lip. A greeter saw what happened, and she ran and got an ice pack. She even offered to get the paramedics. We definitely didn't need that, but her concern was real and appreciated.
The resort is amazing visually. The problem I had with it was that the resort food court was too small to take care of a HUGE resort like this. Unless you have a room close to the food court, pack a lunch just for the hike there. Also, the bus set up blows! They pick up at each island which fills up the buses fast. After eating at Old Port Royal you go outside to catch a buses to a park. By this time the bus has made several stops and is three quarters full! Bigger food court and more buses!!!
We have been to WDW 11 times in the past 12 years,.....would have been more but kids where born. We have stayed at Riverside 5 times and have loved it each time! Just make sure you ask for a room as close to the food court as possible. you will love the look and the feel of the place!
I really loved the Grand Floridian. My parents and I went in February 09 and it was wonderful. We had a lagoon view room with a private balcony. The room was beautiful and the overall theming of the resort was great. Transportation to the Magic Kingdom was the best with the monorail and ferry. We never had to wait too long for buses to the other parks either. I would absolutely stay at the Grand Floridian again.
we just got back from our stay at CBR from 7/15/09 to 7/22/09. i will say this is the first moderate resort i have stayed at and before we have stayed at value resorts. the last value resort was so noisey with teenagers at night, well not here. didnt hear a sound all night. no more value resorts for me. we will be staying at CBR. it was great to have a nice pool with slides for my 6yr old son. he had a blast. everything was nice and clean, even our room was ready at 11am when we arrived. we had planned on going to the pool and waiting for the room but it was a nice susprise to get right in. it can be a bit of a walk to the main pool or the food court but there is interresort bus if you need it. overall it was a great experiance. and i will be staying there again.
Our family loves to stay at SSR. We enjoy the peaceful grounds, wonderful walking trails, terrific pools and fantastic rooms.
We have been twice in September of 2007 and 2008. Preferred rooms are the best. Close to everything. We were in Country last year and it is too far from the main building. Housekeeping was ok.
My girfriend and I have stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort twice. It has a nice laid back feel and the grounds are pretty nice. I wouldn't recommend it for couples with young children or those traveling with older individuals because the place is huge and can be quite a walk to the food court, gift shop, etc. (Old Port Royale) The food court is pretty normal with a lot of options and the gift shop is great! You can find plenty of souvenirs and things to bring back to your room. The bus rides to EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Downtown Disney are nice and short, while a ride to the Magic Kingdom is probably 10-15 minutes. The staff has always been courteous and pleasant. Nothing at all to complain about. I've enjoyed my stays here and look forward to going back.
The Pop Century is the best value resort. It has 3 pools, a cafe,lobby, gameroom, giftshop, and a friendly atmosphere. Along with twister boards and larger than life decor this is a must for the value motels.
The buses for the All-Star movies were awful came every 45 minutes to the parks. Had to share with other all-star resorts so we were the last stop. Very over crowded.
My family and I recently stayed at POFQ (June 8 thur June 15 2009). We loved the resort!! The resort was beautful with the fountains and lavish gardens. The staff was very helpful with our needs and our room was always clean with fresh towels and each day a new towel animal which my four year old niece loved. The resort is very quiet which is good after a long hot day in the parks. It makes you think it is your own private resort. The food court is also excellent. My sister loved the beignets!! Each day we would order a dozen of them to start out our day. The last two rips to WDW our fam was always stayed at a vaule resort (all star movies July 2006 and pop century July 2007). The extra money we spend to stay at the modrate resort is well worth the money. We are planning a trip in 2012 and we will be staying at POFQ.
I love Caribbean Beach! Because the rooms are awesome and shops and food courts looks awesome! And I can't wait to stay in the Caribbean Beach for my Birthday on January 14, 2010!
Our stay was 13 days in August 2007. Would definitely do it again if choosing a moderate resort. The room was typical of the other moderates, but clean and quiet. Our housekeeper entertained the teenagers everyday with new towel animals and left small trinkets as well. Transportation (middle of August) was never a problem and we didn't have to wait too long for a bus to arrive. The grounds are very well appointed and made for several nice photo opportunities. The food court was so-so and the pool at the time was in dire need of refurbishing (but has since been done). We stayed at the Riverside resort in '08 and the entire family regretted the decision and preferred Caribbean Beach.
We stayed for 3 days in August of 2008 in a waterview room that overlooked the pool and had a view of the lake. I could live at this resort and never want to leave. The grounds are absolutely beautiful and reminded us of a prior trip to Yellowstone Lodge. Our room was quiet, clean and the beds were extremely comfortable. Housekeeping did a great job each day. The staff was courteous and efficient, the best we've encountered yet after staying in three different locations. After a nightmarish stay at French Quarter Riverside, I wholeheartedly recommend Wilderness Lodge if your budget will allow. We felt as if we got what we paid for in the best sense of the word.
Based on glowing reviews, we decided to stay at Riverside during August of 2008. We have stayed at Caribbean Beach, AK Lodge and Wilderness Lodge. The grounds are fabulous and the food court was great. But the management is the worst ever. First our water view room was facing the parking lot. We were then moved to a totally tree obstructed view. During our stay, they decided to completely remove the tree and all the bushes using bulldozers at (I'm not kidding) 6:30 am. This went on for 3 days. Considering we're on west coast time, that was the equivalent of 3:00 am. There were no advance notifications of our room area being under refurbishment and I had done my homework ahead of time. Management had nothing but excuses and straight out lied that the work was being done because of the hurricane - yet another staff member explained that they had hired the contractors several months in advance of the work. Mgmt did not offer to move us or satisfy us in any way. A room credit was provide by the Travel Company, not the resort. A room credit did not make our stay pleasant. In fact, we had to ARGUE with management about the time and finally had to provide them with video proof! Horrible experience! On the other hand, we moved ourselves to Wilderness Lodge and had the BEST time, BEST service and a terrific QUIET room. I'll never stay at the Riverside again. I want to relax on vacation, not fight with castmembers.
I can't wait to stay in the All-Star Movies in January 14,2010! This will be awesome! I love Disney Movies including Fantasia! I hope to stay in the Fantasia room!
we just got back from a 10 day visit and it was amazing. it was our first visit and we found the people very friendly even in the parks. we would diffently go again and stay there.
My sister and I visit WDW once a year and have stayed at the Pop Century six times since it opened. We just love the restful atmosphere. We always request a room in the back of the sixties overlooking the lake. It is so nice to wake up and look outside to see the water. We are always amazed at the wildlife. On one trip, we awoke to a strange noise and walked out on our third floor balcony to see two big birds below in the grass. Found out later that they were sandhill cranes. While feeding bread to the fish we also saw a large turtle and a snakebird flew into the water.along the lake path in the morning and evening you can see many waterfowl.
On my daughter and my first trip together to Disney we decieded to take Grandma. After an accident at our home airport I was worried about her getting around the resort and the parks. Upon arriving at Magical Express check in they saw that she was in a wheelchair and took over from there. When we arrived at the resort the cast members had a wheelchair on hand and waiting for us to use. I asked about renting it for the week and they quickly told me that it was for us to use anytime we needed it and that they would be happy to store it for us after we got back everynight and bring it back to us in the morning. Wow, wait a weight lifted off my shoulders as not to have to worry about that all week. In general the cast members made our stay magical in everyway poosible. We were already planning our next trip back before we ever left. Of course because of the great service in never even crossed our mind to change resorts for our upcoming trip.... Thanks for everything the staff at POP did to make our trip truly magical!!!
I have stayed at the Grand Floridian twice now, each time was amazing. The service is incredible the rooms are elegant the lobby really is breath taking. I have never seen that grand of a lobby in my life. The food here is to die for. The only problem is the prices, because though I feel it's worth the price, that is still a lot of money!! But I really love this hotel and HIGHLY reccommend it for whoever is undecided on where to stay at Walt Disney World.
We stayed at the Grand Floridian for the week of July 4th 2008. We had a Fantastic time. The rooms were great. The weather was awsome not to hot. We love the atmosphere of the Grand Floridian. Every Staff memeber went out of their way to make our stay the best. We will return to the Grand Floridian in 2010 for the 4th of July again! Can't wait.. it's just amazing and breath taking.
We stayed at Dixie Landings for our Honeymoon in 1997. Since then we have stayed at French Quarter, All-Star Sports, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Old Key West, Boardwalk and Coronado Springs. All were nice and enjoyable with great service, but we will not stay at the All Star resorts again due to room size and food court choices. Dixie Landings/Riverside is the best choice for value in a resort. The rooms are comfortable in size, the food court has nice choices with a great water wheel, the pool was very enjoyable and the resort was easy to navigate. We have toured nearly all of the other resorts on our visits and feel that the walking distance from rooms to central buildings or transportation is not terrible. You really feel right at home in the resort and the price range is just perfect for the accomodations. Our next trip we will be staying at Riverside. Coronado Springs was a close second, however the pool is a very long walk from many rooms and the main building.
Myself (F 23) and my DH (23) took our DD3 for her first WDW trip 4/29-5/6 and we absolutely loved it here! This was mine and DH's 3rd stay at Coronado Springs. Our DD LOVED the pool area! We had a renovated room adn the new room decor is just gorgeous! The fact that they are now queen beds rather than doubles was great since we are used to a queen at home! We loved the mornign walks from our room to El Centro and we had a short walk to the pool and bus stop. The busses were a bit off this trip but this was the slowest time we have ever been to Disney so it was fine by us to wait for 15 minutes for a bus as well as only 15 minutes for attractions at the park! because this is a convention resort there are less kids running around! It makes it much more relaxing! The few times you run into conventioneers does not make this resort feel any less "disney" to me! I just appreciate the resort for what it is!
We stayed at the Grand Floridian for the first time from 4/13-4/18 and it was fabulous! We had always dreamed of one day staying there, and when we found out that our entire 5-Night Stay would be only $150 more total than the Polynesian we said Yes! The entire trip itself was Grand, beginning with being upgraded on our Flight to First Class. The hotel was great looking even from the DME Bus going in ;) We did have to wait 2 hrs from after we checked in until we got our room, but it was well worth the wait and we also got to just take time and "smell the roses" that we normally might not have done if we didn't have time. When I first saw the Grand Floridian Map at home, It appeared as if Boca Chica was miles away from the main building and I almost freaked out when I found our room was in that building, but the layout of the hotel is great. It wasn't more than a 2 minute walk from the Boca Chica lobby to the main building (and the Grounds are so well kept it was very enjoyable) We got upgraded from a Standard View to a Pool View and had a great view of the Courtyard Pool. As for Food, we only had a chance to Dine at Gasparilla's & The GF Cafe as we didn't make Breakfast reservations. Gasparilla was very convenient and nice, if not maybe a little slow when ordering pizza or burgers. The GF Cafe had great views, along with nice views of the Courtyard area outside from inside. Again, Food Service was a bit slow, but the food was great and the meal was relaxing. As for Transportation, The Monorail outside was so convenient. We were able to leave our room at 9:50 and be at the Magic Kingdom just in time for the Opening Ceremony...can't do that anywhere else! Busses - We experienced none of the problems mentioned with the Busses. We visited in Peak Season and the busses coming were Empty & private, and since only 3 routes service the resort they were very efficient. One day 3 busses arrived at once going to AK, so we actually had a private bus the entire time! Even if there was a larger crowd waiting for the busses, the bus stop was completely shaded and probably had 10 benches for guests to sit on while waiting...very convenient also. We never used the boat system, but it seemed very efficient. I saw boats arriving at the MK the same time as us taking the monorail, departing at the same time. Being Tonga Toast People, we loved eating at the Polynesian for Breakfast...and it is a scenic & quick 10 minute walk from the GF Tower Building to the Great Ceremonial House which we loved. Our Room was great...Looked newly refurbished, Everything was Spotless. We had a brand new LG HD TV (plagued by a finicky remote, however). The Staff was so helpful and courteous. We accidently put one of our Bathrobes in the hamper with the towels and the front desk said they would make sure they wouldn't accidentally chargeus for it. The H20 Toiletries were great...I heard that their Spa line (which the GF Carries) is great and it definitely was. I left a note for our Mousekeeper asking if she could leave some extras so I could take them home and we were surprised with Complimentary Full-Sized H20 Spa Shampoo & Lotion bottles....We were thrilled! The beds were turned down every night and chocolates were left on them, and the Balcony was very nice. The Pools were also very refreshing after a day at the parks. (The only bad thing were covers for the lights in the bottom of the Courtyard pool that hurt your foot if you stepped on them .. watch out for those!) Overall the experience was probably our best Disney trip yet, out of about 10 we have done. It was the most we ever payed per night for a hotel, but it was well worth it and we can't wait to return!
Loved this resort and would definitely stay here again. If you're on a budget, this is the place to stay. I'm sure there are nicer resorts on the premises, but the rooms are clean and spacious, the restaurant is quite good, and, of course, transportation directly to the parks.
Saratoga springs is one of the worst resorts on the property.
The Best hotel in the entire WORLD! It is great for kids and adults. It also has a great pool. Also try beach's and cream soda shop.
We stayed here in October 2008 for our Honeymoon. I know, not much romance, but it was within our budget. We stayed in a preferred room that close to the main building. We loved the simple accomodations and the main swimming pool. Our room was in the Fantasia Building with one king bed and a mini fridge. After a long day at the parks the first day, we were greeted by baloons and an autographed picture from Mickey and Minnie congratulating us on our Honeymoon. After that, Mousekeeping would leave something different in our room made from towels (we took everything home). The staff was great and answered every question we had. We drove our car down from Delaware, so we did not use the hotel transportation, however, the buses appeared to come fairly quickly. The food court had a very good selection of items. We would definately stay here again and plan to return at the end of 2009 (if the economy allows us). Lots of kids having a great Disney experience while we were there. Absolutely recommend to anyone wanting to go to Disney on a budget!
POP Century is Awesome in my book! perfect 10! I can't wait to stay there again! I hope our family love to stay in theme of the 60's, 70's and 80's that's why! Everything POP is awesome shop and dining in the same place! I love to buy the dvd of BOLT on DVD in Everything POP!
My wife and I stayed there some time ago. The Shower was not clean, the cooks behind the counter at the restraunt was rude, the cashier seemed not wanting to take order, and soda was flat. the dining area was filthy, with dirty table. It has probably done better since, but i will not stay there again.
First, the decor from the time you check in to the furthest hotel room on the grounds is amazing. It seemed like we found something interesting everytime we went out. We stayed in the 60's complex and could not have picked a better area to be in. The pool was great, it was close to the shops and food, and even had a bar. Second, the room itself was a little small but big enough to hold a family of four. The beds weren't that comfortable and a queen sized would have been preferable, but that's nitpicking. We had a few issues with a broken fan in the bathroom and non-working hairdryer, but they were all fixed the day we reported it to maintenance. Housekeeping also responded to whatever we asked for, which was nice. Third, the kids loved the pools, arcade, and shopping in the hotel. The lifeguards were always on the lookout and cleanliness was of most importance both outside and inside the pool. The pool shut down one afternoon due to one child's "accident". While the shopping wasn't as exciting an experince as in the parks, our store had a fair representation of what you could get in greater varieties in the parks. While a bit expensive, we also had any essentials we may need while on vacation available, which we ended up needing, anyway. The arcade had a decent selection of games and the kids had a blast reloading their cards and picking their gifts, using the tickets they had "won" there. Fourth, the food we had there was pretty good. The muffin I had tasted fresh and the hot food my wife and kids ate was indeed hot. The selctions for breakfast, lunch, and dinner seemed fair, if not a little pricey. That's Disney, I guess. The $13.99 refillable mug seemed popular at our resort but they used to be $8.99 and 4 ounces bigger a few years ago. We ended up getting our drinks in the machine on our floor. I'm sure it's still not a bad deal for the mug. Finally, everyone we dealt with was friendly. I spoke to a Vacation Club lady who very pleasant and didn't spnd any of our time trying to sell me anything or get me to go on a tour. While the food area got a bit messy by midday, the entire complex was very clean and well kept. They were even doing some outdoor painting during our stay. While I probably would not stay there again to try a different hotel, I would recommend anyone else with kids head over to Pop Century. You will have great time.
I stayed at the Caribbean Beach resort for a wedding. It was a beautiful resort, but that might be the only nice thing I have to say about it. We waited for a bus over 45 mins more than once, it just never came. It would have been easier to digest had they came and been full. Our air conditioning didn't work, but the resort was full so they couldn't move us. Also, our bath drain didn't flow properly and the tub would fill with water. There were about 40 rooms that weekend taken at this resort by our friends and family and unfortunately, quite a few people has issues...
The Gaylord Palms is a real hidden gem around WDW. Firstly, it's very close to WDW, infact so close that it takes less than 2 minutes to drive from the parking lot to the WDW entry sign. The closest WDW resort to the Gaylord Palms would be Pop Century. The actual resort is a destination in itself. The main atrium area is a fully covered, air conditioned tropical oasis. It's full of plants, trees, water, rockwork, even live gators. The rooms are first class, as are the dining locations. This resort is probably the best in the WDW area. If you can look beyond it not being on the monorail beam, it eclipses the best of what WDW has to offer. If you can get the WDWMAGIC rates of around $150-$200, this place is also a real bargain. It has more of a feel of a $300 - $400 per night resort. Give it a go on your next trip, you wont be dissapointed.
My mother and I took a trip together in November 2008, and I decided we should try POFQ...something new, haven't been there yet but have stayed at Riverside. This resort is the one I'll be coming back to every year. It is beautiful...the pastel colors, the gardens, river, everything. No matter what building they put you in, you will be close.. we were in Building 1, first floor, corner room...love the corner rooms for the 2 windows! The rooms were very clean and they even left us towel animals a few times throughout the week! The foodcourt was never crowded, so waiting was never an issue..LOVED the Beignets yummmm!!!!! We never really shared busses with POR at all...maybe twice and both times it took foreverrrr to get where we needed to be. It was a very slow week of the year, and we had our own busses the majority of the week, which was fantastic! The boat to DTD is a great perk for staying at Port Orleans...so relaxing to get away from the busses and just hang out at Downtown Disney. All in all, I love this resort and will be definately coming back this year in November. From the moment we stepped off of DME, we were greeted by a nice man who gave us beads and made sure everything was ok prior to checking-in... it really was wonderful. This is why I come back to WDW every year. See ya soon French Quarter!!!!!
I loved this resort it was nice and spread out not with buildings right next to you which was great! Walking at night was beautiful and peaceful walking through the gardens getting to your building. the beds were slightly uncomfortable though. If you stay there look at the bedspread closely and u will find hidden mickeys! My friend found 15 and I found 10! The only bad part was waiting for buses. We waited a while and the annoying part was a Epcot one would leave and about a minute later another Epcot one will come! So it can be annoying having to wait! The food was Great and so was everything else about the place!