The campsite with tent and 2 cots were set up for me and my son when I arrived. It wasn't the same tent, that looked insulated for the cooler weather, in the pictures posted online for the campgrounds when I was browsing the WDW website, but it was okay for an overnight stay. The site was very near the comfort station which I REALLY appreciated having kidney problems. The check in was very fast. And our breakfast on the morning I left was superb to the max in the Trails End buffet restaurant. My son that normally doesn't indulge in a lot of food, he sampled a lot to be had. The fruit, waffles were his fave. When I come back I am staying in the campgrounds again. Best place for quiet when sleeping in the evening. No strollers or luggage on the walkways at the crack of dawn, or kids or water noise in the walls. Just quiet, and the multitude of stars. Gonna get to a hayride, and a campfire next time, and a horseback ride, and rent a go-cart to get around. The bathrooms were always stocked with tissue, and clean. The shower after a day on the road to airport, plane ride, and day in the park was welcomed much.
I have stayed here prior to refurbishment, this time I was able to request Jamaica building during online check in. I loved the theming, tropical planting and quiet relaxing feel of the resort from caribbean music to hammocks on beaches. The room refurb decor is very nice and the sliding doors and new queen beds were fabulous but a little more color in the room would have been a bit nicer. The morning walk over the bridges for coffee and breakfast using refillable mugs was a nice start to the day. The beach and quiet pool were always quiet and peaceful. Room was kept very clean. Only thing I don't like about moderate resorts is the small bathrooms and baths but this is the same at all moderate resorts in WDW. Food court had plenty of choices and the food was good standard, portion sizes and I liked the boxes and bags to take it as carry out back to room if desired. We had no issues with out magic bands and enjoyed fp+ using the iPhone app, however parks were busier than I anticipated for this time of year. Buses were good at getting to parks quickly, but there are many stops at this resort which need to be figured into time planning when heading for reservations. I would prefer to stay at other deluxe resorts, but given choice between longer stays and moderates and shorter at deluxe I will take moderate for the amount of time we actually spend in the room. I would not hesitate to stay here again, however I like to try new resorts and next year will be trying Coronado springs.
We enjoyed our stay here, but it did not come without issues. When we checked in at the Custom House, the agent who waited on us seemed unsure of what she was doing, stepping away from the counter a couple of times before returning and giving us a map of the property, and our packet. She did not speak very good English either. We checked in at 2:00 and the room was not ready, so she assured us we would receive a text when it was ready and wrote down the village and room # on our map. We walked over to the food court to get lunch and wait for the room. It took several trips around the court and a lot of question asking to figure out the meal plan, what exactly you get and what size, etc., as there are some exclusions. Also the menus change on an overhead board so you have to stand there and wait for the screen to change to see the whole menu. As it turns out, the agent wrote the wrong room # down on our map, and the correct room was cleaned and ready but housekeeping neglected to let the office know the room was ready. We wasted 2 hours waiting to get in our room. Finally a manager came and apologized for the whole mess. Then I was left to worry that our luggage would appear in the wrong room, so I went all the way back to the Custom House to inquire about it. There, Timmy came over to help and went above and beyond his duty. He personally found our luggage at Bell Services and arranged for Elvis to give me a ride, with our family's luggage right to our door. Other than this initial fiasco, we liked the resort.
We are a family of Disney veterans and this was our first stay at a deluxe. We chose the Contemporary with a Theme Park View purely for its location, however, it turned out to be so much more than that. We were greeted as we exited the DME and they had our information ready to go. Check in was very smooth and we were able to check our bags and head to the MK. We got our room and were able to watch wishes from the room, in fact our 11 year old was able to watch it from her bed. Since we are a MK family, this was the perfect spot for us. There was one evening that the monorail line was way too long after a long day at MK, so we decided to walk back. It took only 9 minutes as opposed to waiting from the Monorail. Truly a no-brainer. All in all, this was our best trip yet, and we look forward to many more at CR in the future.
I only gave this an 8 because of the room. It was very clean and everything was functional but it just didn't match the first class look of the resort. The bath/shower was in its own room and very spacious which is a nice change from most hotels. But the sink area was cramped and right next to the clothes hangars. And there was no stopper in the sink basin so I had to I had to improvise to fill it up for my shave. The bed was very comfortable and the Wifi worked great. Plenty of outlets for gadgets. One strange thing: The door lock mechanism would make a noise every once in a while as if it was unlocking. When I first heard it I thought someone was coming in. It woke me up once. But the resort is simply beautiful. The CMs are fantastic, from the front desk to housekeeping and the Pepper Market. Loved the Pepper Market. Got up at dawn for breakfast each day after a nice walk from the Casitas. My only complaint is they give you way too much food! One evening I had a build your own chef salad and they really piled on the toppings. I was waiting for the CM at check-out to weigh it but they don't. Just a flat rate! Minor complaint: I wanted a resort souvenir and there was nothing in the store. I really wanted a logo polo. Transportation is not bad. There are four stops including the main building. One day my bus did have to skip stop 3 because we were full. I don't think I waited more than 15 minutes each day.
I have stayed here alot and my entire family loves it. We love the pool and being able to walk to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Beaches and Cream is awesome. Stay here.
Just what the headline reads is what you should expect from Shades of Green. I received an email the other day asking for an opinion of where the military should look for another place to establish a resort. My first thought, why not improve what we have and/or decrease funding to help decrease deficit. From entering the secure roadway to check-in, the feel of being on a military establishment is surreal. The staff on check-in was ready to be somewhere else. I proposed the question if there were any larger rooms, like a suite, available for my 6 person family and she said that there may be a room. Paused, looked at the co-worker leaning on the counter next to her and quickly proceeded to ensure me that they are all booked, without even looking in the computer or other source. Huh... Presentation of the resort showed improvement since last visit in 2009. Room resembled Holiday Inn's traditional 2 queen bed suite. Within two hours of being in the room, 1/2 the family had clogged sinuses. The carpet seems to need cleaned. Some items were updated like the tile in the bathroom floor, steel locks in bathroom doors and paint. The bathtub tile had old anchors in the tile below the shower head that would propose future moisture damage. The vent on the wall above the toilet was rigged. It had a bathroom two vent plastic cover using one of the vent sides to cover the hole in the wall. Quite silly to look at. This Hotel, I mean "Resort" is old and there are a lot of rooms so I'm sure all the rooms are not the same standard. It is the people that make the stay either a good one or a miserable one...with that said, there were some good folks and some other folks that need to find other jobs. Good luck on your endeavors.
I find most of everything good, like the rooms, the pool, (ect). The only flaws that I find, is that the food in the food court isn't too "kid friendly", and that the rooms are not big enough for groups of more than 4 or 5. Other than that, it is perfect for a great stay at Walt Disney World!
I went with family and we had a great time. Grounds, staff, rooms all fine. My issue is that I knew I had to get some important work done. I called ahead and I was told that of course the hotel has a business center. After family was asleep I went to the lobby to find the business center and get that work accomplished. There is no business center. I was told that the nearest is at one of the convention centers (not in the hotel) which of course is not open at night (closes at 4:00). I spent my evenings at the open-all-night casual restaurant where I found a table and outlet for my laptop, next to the video arcade. Next to the LOUD video arcade. The rooms have wi-fi but I couldn't work in the room while others slept. Very disappointed in something so simple. The main building was being renovated; maybe they will have some forethought and build a real workspace/business center.
In short, the resort is nice with rooms that of a cheap "Motel 6" standard. Long description below. The wife and I absolutely love the Disney parks. This was not our first time to the parks. We have been several times including our honeymoon. Our recent trip was to celebrate our sons 4th birthday. A disney travel agent actually recommended the Caribbean Beach resort because of the Disney Dining Plan that was included. We also liked the idea of the splash pad area for our toddler. Our only request was a king size bed and a refrigerator so we could keep milk. The travel agent assured our request and booked our 7 night stay. First let me tell you this resort is huge. Plan on walking. There is no way around that. There is an "internal" bus that will take you to and from locations within the resort if you don't mind the wait. The walking did not bother us as we are very active and somewhat younger adults. The resort has an "islands" theme. The grounds outer themed decor was actually very nicely kept. The walks to and from the main pool/splash pad/food court area were pleasant because of the beautiful scenery. This resort has plenty of things to do for entertainment or enjoyment away from the parks. Our travel agent failed to give us an option as to which "island" we would like to stay. The only option we were offered was "standard" room or "pirate themed" room. We opted for standard as we did not plan on spending a lot of time in the room itself anyway. Upon arrival we were told we would be staying at the "Barbados" area of the resort. Building 13 to be exact. We had an tough time communicating with the staff member at check in due to a language barrier. We eventually were given a room number and sent on our way. We had many questions but due to the language barrier we decided to wait and ask someone else at a later date. Already planning the first day of our trip, we walked to our room with our luggage in tow. All happy faces until we opened the door. The first thing we noticed was mildew odor. From the doorway we could see all the filth. The green carpet was blackened to an extent that would show on the bottoms of your sock feet. The wall edge of the flooring could not have been vacuumed, ever. The first thing that came to mind after seeing this room was yuk. My wife immediately checked the beds for bed bugs. We did not find any. However the underneath side of the mattresses was nothing short of disgusting. Hair, food particles, things of unknown origin stuck like glue with dirt attached. No way was we staying in this room. It did have the refrigerator but we also asked for a king bed. This room had 2 queens. We loaded everything back into our vehicle and drove back to the main office. After explaining our concerns to now a different lady at the check in counter. She explained that she would have to go ask what she could do for us. When she returned from a room located behind the check in desk. She then informed us that there was nothing that could be done due to 100 percent occupancy. Basically the place was full so there were no other rooms available. She also blamed the bed configuration on our travel agent. So now, 980 miles from home, we were stuck. We could live with the bed arrangement however the smell and filth was enough to make us ill. With blank faces we returned to our room in disappointment. The room was very small. When taking a shower the tub would not drain quick enough and you found yourself standing in a tub full of water. The tub/shower had signs of mildew so we would not let our son take a bath but rather a shower. The windows were cloudy enough you could draw of them. Luckily for us we had brought some blankets as we slept on top of the bedding provided. Walking around the resort we noticed building 12 was completely vacant. All the blinds were raised, lights on, dressers pulled out away from the walls. Not sure what that was about. We also noticed the building to the right of the food court seemed to be ideally located and from the outside looked very clean. Unable to confirm that as we were unable to see inside the actual rooms. We did enjoy the food court as well as the pools. However we were unable to take our child to the splash pad area as it was closed for renovation? Another thing that our travel agent failed to mention. The atmosphere of this resort is very calm. Not to overly populated. Which was a nice break from the crowded parks. This resort does have potential to be great. Even with the super small rooms. But not until they do some room renovations and thereafter keep them clean. Expectedly, our son loved the parks. We have already planned a returned trip in two years. Needless to say, we will definitely not be staying at this resort.
We stayed at a 2 Bedroom Villa in September 2014. We are not DVC members, just a large family (7) with a pin code. The Resort itself is awesome and really gets 10 stars for location and recreation. Stormalong Bay is as good as advertised and our kids (ages 1,2,4,&6) had a great time. The restaurants and counter service options are plentiful and the food was above average. The marketplace could offer more in terms of meal choices, but it is on par with other Deluxe resorts. Having the walkway/boats to Epcot and Hollywood really made our trip magical. We had 4 little kids and a double stroller to take into the parks, and to not have to cram into buses for 2 of the parks really helped to keep the vacation relaxing and fun. The bus service to Animal Kingdom/Blizzard Beach was fine, but the bus to the Magic Kingdom wasn't great. That bus shares stops with the Yacht Club and wait times were long and we often had to stand in the buses the trip from our resort to the Magic Kingdom. I believe the Beach Club to Magic Kingdom is a longer trip than most, so this may account for some of the waiting. Our room was nice and spacious, but really needed updating. We had a dripping shower, loose doorknobs, and a large tear in the curtains in front of one of the balcony doors. The theming of the room was great for a deluxe resort- it really feels like a cottage in the northeast. The bathrooms were fine, but not as luxurious as other deluxe resorts such as AKV or GF. Our room had a courtyard view to one side and a view of the front entrance/luggage area on the other. We could glimpse a few of the fireworks from illuminations from our balcony but it wasn't really a theme park view. The location of our room (201) was very close to the marketplace and bus stops which was very nice. Even the farthest rooms at BCV are not too far from the main building and are much closer than other Villas (such as Animal Kingdom or Boardwalk). I'd definitely recommend this resort to anyone, but it is especially good for families with little children. I would not pay full price for a Villa though, until a refurbishment is completed in the rooms.
With a family who thinks change is bad I really had to sell us moving from one of the All-Star resorts to French Quarter. With that being said the kids are now the ones who are pushing to make sure we stay there every time we go back to Disneyworld. The atmosphere was wonderful, it was quiet, it was scenic, it was...well you get the drift. The rooms are not 5 star suites but who actually goes to Disneyworld for the rooms? The big selling point to me going into our last trip was the more central location to the four parks compared to All-Stars and that didn't disappoint as well. We shared a park bound bus with Riverside exactly once in our 10-day trip, we did share it many times on the way home but French Quarter lets off first so it didn't matter. Food is another thing that is possibly lacking but with the parks, especially Epcot, so close and Riverside a relaxing walk away you can get anything you want in minutes.
Port Orleans Riverside has special meaning to my husband and me. We stayed there on our postponed Honeymoon back in 1993 when it was known as Dixie Landings. We had saved up to stay for 7 nights and it was SO worth it. We had requested one of the Mansions in Magnolia Bend and stayed in Magnolia Terrace, right near the bridge crossing to Ol' Man Island and only a short walk to the main building. It was my husband's first visit to WDW and my first stay in a Disney resort. We thought we had died and gone to heaven. Fast forward 21 years and we are getting ready to spend our 23rd anniversary there in October. I have lost count of how many times we have stayed at Port Orleans Riverside but it's definitely more than we have stayed in any of the other Disney resorts, and we have stayed in many, but we never tire of it... in fact, we seem to find more hidden treasures every time we stay there. We have stayed in both the Mansions and the Bayou buildings... building 14 of the Bayou and Magnolia Terrace being our 2 favorite buildings, basically for convenience. We have watched Port Orleans grown in it's beauty as the trees and foliage has matured over the years. It is our comfortable home away from home. We never tire of sitting on the deck of Muddy Rivers with a cocktail watching the kids enjoy the activities at the pool on Ol' Man Island. We discovered for the 1st time when we stayed there in June that they offer Marshmallow toasting at the new fire pit next to Muddy Rivers nightly, weather permitting. We have taken advantage of so many of the offerings this resort has to offer. We have used the water transportation, as well as the boats for rent, many of the pools and the hot tub. We have spent many nights singing along with Piano Bob in the River Roost Lounge and playing the games in the arcade. We hope to finally take that ride in the horse drawn buggy this trip. The rooms are very comfortable and nicely appointed and the property is spotless, The Castmembers are truly some of the best on property. Bus and boat transportation are convenient and the waits are never very long. Overall, this is the diamond in the crown of Walt Disney World Resorts.
I along with my family have traveled to WDW 15 times, never before staying here. It had in my opinion the best service of any other disney resort I've been to. Beautiful scenery as well! THERE IS ONLY FAMILY'S! This means no loud, craziness like there is at the other hotels(very little at others but none is better then any!) All and all amazing
We stayed a few days ago (July 2014) in a deluxe club room. We are a family of 5, kids ages 13, 10 and 8. This resort was beautiful. The view of the Baordwalk and lagoon were stunning. We really enjoyed our stay here. The staff was great. Our only issues were: buses to MK and AK were not great and made a few stops. From MK there was standing room only. They need more buses from MK and should split BWI in busy times. One day we watched 4 buses for Downtown Disney before we saw and MK bus. Walking or boat to HS was great, and the walk to Epcot was great. We also thought our room was far away from the pool. This resort really is spread out. Last time we stayed Poly club level (Hawaii) and you just can't beat the location. Families with kids who want to do the pool a lot, beware. But the pool is really nice. The kids loved the slide and the games run by staff and the leaping horse has great pina coladas! Everything is so clean here, and the details are gorgeous. I can't say enough good things about every staff member we encountered. If you have young kids, this might not be the place for you. But for older kids, teenagers and adults, it's really nice. We all felt it was a wonderful experience and would highly recommend it.
Cleanliness - Very clean. Clean grounds. Rooms were clean except for the fact that my kids found a Lego piece on the floor beside one of the beds which leads me to believe the room wasn't vacuumed well or at all before we checked in. Theming - Great! Stayed at Boardwalk, Poly, and Contemporary before. Since the Poly was undergoing a refurb, Contemporary was booked and wanted to be near the MK (ruling out the Boardwalk) I decided to try Wilderness. I was hesitant because when I think "Walt Disney World" I don't associate NW US Lodges with Mickey Mouse. Well, I was wrong. The lobby is amazing! My wife, kids and I grabbed a Hidden Mickey scavenger hunt sheet from the front desk an explored the lodge. It's truly beautiful. Dining - Ate at the Whispering Canyon. Family style dining where they bring large portions to your table for the party to share. The food was good, not outstanding. This type of meal can be similarly experienced at the Hoop Dee Do for more money, but you get a show. Next time I want this style of dining I'll go to O'Hana over at the Poly. The Roaring Fork is the counter service dining choice. Ate there for breakfast each day. The adult breakfast platter was awesome. It was big enough for my 10 year-old son and I to split each morning. Transportation - Quick boat ride to the Magic Kingdom. Buses to the other parks. Downside - The pool and pool deck area are too small for a resort of that size. They are scheduled to refurb the pool this fall. Hopefully they'll address this. Also, the Roaring Fork is too small as well. Finally, transportation. In the mornings we would share a bus with the Grand Floridian. Even if we filled the bus enough so that some had to stand in order to go to EPCOT, we still went to the GF...and no one would get on! So an 8 minute bus ride would turn into a 20 minute ride. Also, out bus depot at the parks would always be one of the furthest from the gate. I believe the Deluxe Resort Depots should be closet. All in all I would recommend the Wilderness Lodge to anyone who hasn't stayed there and is looking for something different. As someone who stayed at the POLY back in 2010 and vowed to stay nowhere other than the POLY ever again...I must say that I am torn for my next trip. If it turns out that when it's time for me to book my 2016 trip and the Wilderness Lodge turns out to be about $1000 less for 7 nights...it'll be a "no brainer" for me and a return to the Wilderness Lodge!
Always love the Beach Club. I just wish the price was easier to pay.
This resort is beautiful, the staff is so pleasant, and we had such a magical stay here. This is the most gorgeous Disney resort we've stayed at yet!
Loved the resort, would go back any time. My only (small) complaint is the size of the rooms. They could be a little bigger (but all the other good things make up for that). Loved the atmosphere, service, the pool, the convenient restaurant, the grounds (next to the river with the river boat-taxi). Loved the background music (dixie-land/jazz).
We stayed here back in January 2012. This by far is our favorite stay! We were able to park right outside of our treehouse (small sidewalk to the treehouse) and that helped because we were able to leave my dad's wheelchair in the suv until we got ready to catch the bus. He used his cane since we werent that far from the room. The bus stop was less than 25 feet from our vehicle which helped. We never had an issue with the internal bus at all. We had a little wait for an Epcot bus one morning due to one breaking down, but it was not bad. and the buses were NEVER full. there were always empty seats. <br /> Back to the rooms. the layout of the treehouse is outstanding. the kids have plenty of room to run around and not worry about distubring anyone above or below you! they can even play out on the deck and watch the boats go by. Being January, we didnt swim, but others did. The weather was perfect. a little cool in the mornings and evenings but comfortable during the day. My neice LOVED the whirlpool bath. i put one drop of soap in with her and we almost lost her because of bubbles!!! lol...she had a blast!<br /> We never heard any buses go by and a very muted boat horn could be heard, but it was not that noticeable inside the villa at all. Planning another stay here in Feb. 2015!!!
We stayed here in May 2013 after returning from the Disney Cruise. We LOVED it! We are DVC owners at BLT and we had 6 in our group. Not enough points for a 2bdrm at BLT, but more than enough for OKW. We had plenty of room to spread out and not be on top of one another. Loved the seperate laundry room. Could shut both doors and not disturb anyone sleeping. The kitchen was a great size and the dining table was a nice size as well. Loved being on the river and watching the boats go by while we sat on the balcony. We didnt have any issues with the buses at all that I can recall. They always seemed to be one right after another. We ate at Olivia's a couple of times and the food was ok. Nothing to write home about, but it was ok. Loved the boat ride to DTD. it is a nice relaxing ride and especially at night when the lights are lit up at DTD. Beautiful! If i had to complain about anything, it would be being on the 2nd or 3rd floor of the resort. After a long day in the parks, climbing 2 flights of stairs was HARD!!! I know it is the oldest of the DVC resorts, but to me, it is still one of the nicest.
The resort itself was very nice. cute themes, but we happened to be there during a cheerleader competition! THE PLACE WAS CRAZY!!KIDS RUNNING ALL OVER THE PLACE..... all we did was TRY to sleep here. left first thing and came back as late as possible!!!!! All that aside, it is a very nice resort. We were in the basketball section on the backside, but it was not a bad spot at all.....we were facing away from the courtyard areas so it was not as bad on our side as others!
We stayed here in 2004. It was a very cute resort. Especially if you have little ones! We were in the Dalmation section and it was very close to everything! the food court was great! THE ONLY BAD THING IS BEING LAST TO PICK UP ON THE BUS! it shares buses with All Star Sports and Music, so by the time it got to Movies, the bus was already packed!!
This has to be one of the prettier resorts. Great buildings. Loved the food court, had a variety of choices. we went in November, so it was a little too cool to swim for me, the kids did and loved it! The only thing I did not like was our room location. We were at the complete opposite side of the resort from the food court/pool. it was an obstacle course to get to the "hub" of the resort. We loved being on the "river" and even took the boat to DTD. That was an AWESOME ride. Very relaxing!!!
We stayed here and thoroughly enjoyed it. The main swimming pool was very nice! we had 3 rooms for 10 people. We were on the back side of the resort and the walk to the main building was quite a haul, but we were close to a bus stop which was more important to us. We did not care for the food court process, but I believe it has since been changed. it was rather confusing, but the food was good! all in all, it was a BEAUTIFUL resort and we would stay here again in a second!
We stayed at the Polynesian last February. There were 5 of us, my sister and her 19 y/o son, our father and another nephew, 18 y/o and myself. There was plenty of room for us and we had a TERRIFIC view of the Magic Kingdom. We were in the AOTEAROA building. We could hear the Luau if we were on the balcony or had the balcony door open, but otherwise, it never bothered us! It was a bit of a walk from our building to the Ceremonial House, but not bad at all. Loved having the boats, buses and monorail as options for transportation. The Great Ceremonial House could get crowded around O'Hana, but it was manageable. This was the 1st DELUXE resort we have stayed at other than DVC resorts. We would definitely stay here again. We walked from the TTC once for some reason, and it was a very nice stroll. Got to see a lot of the resort.
We arrived to Disney's Old Key West resort via Magical Express at about noon, and my fist impression was great! The decor at the front bus station was really nice, neat, pretty, gave a feeling you were at some other resort in Key West. Would love to point out how the lobby was set up; no main area, it was pretty much all outside, which was nice. We were very lucky that we were able to get a room close to the Hospitality House, aka lobby area, because if you didn't it would be a long walk/wait for a bus.Once we arrived at our room, there were a few problems. First of all, the room was supposed to be ready at 4, so we hung out by the pool for a while. Once it was ready, we were supposed to receive a text message confirming it. At about 4:30, we still hadn't gotten the message, so we asked front desk. They said it should be ready momentarily. We went back to the pool, but it started to pour. We knew the weather was beyond the resorts control, but we should have had a room to go to by now though. It took until about 5:15 after waiting in the gift shop (which was pretty cute) for our room to be ready.Once we got in the room, there were still a few problems. The fridge had water under it, the floor was sticky in some places, the coffee machine didn't work and there was a little gecko in the bathroom!After complaining, they said it would all be fixed while we ate dinner at Olivia's.Now to the meal- it was actually pretty good! I had a decent BBQ pork ribs. The staff was very friendly and attentive, like Disney should be!When we were back to the room, all that remained was the gecko. It creeped me out the first night, but glad to report that it didn't return for the rest of the trip!Back at the pool area, there is a really nice pool and water slide, but nothing really special. They also have nice island music playing the whole time, and Disney trivia games! There is a tennis court and some other little activities, which were funLastly, and I don't know why, but one of my favorite features was the dock that had boats that took you down a beautiful river over to DTD. So great!Overall, I do recommend that you visit this resort at least once, there are so many redeeming values to it!
OKW is beautiful. The rooms are huge and well-appointed and really give you a feel of a home away from home. Like a condo rather than a hotel room. However, the resort is so spread out that if you get the wrong room, you have to get in your car to go to the pool. I found this to be a huge inconvenience and ended up swimming in the quiet pool which was nice but not the same. I prefer resorts like Beach Club or Boardwalk where you walk to the pool from any room. Just my 2 cents.
The room at the All Stars Movie was clean, but needed updating I thought. I have stayed there few years past and the place was "spotless". This time not so much. The room was acceptable, but not the Disney standard I have known. Also the Food Court food was good. The prices are a little pricey and the place was "just a mess" most of the time. There were empty tables to sit, but the tables had not been wiped off. Could not find a clean table in the whole place. Also where you order and pick up your food was a "mess". I was not comfortable eating there. Will look for other accomodations for future visits I think.
Let me begin this review by stating that I actually am for the city of New Orleans. With that being said I found this hotel to be absolutely amazing. I stayed here during my summer 2013 trip during late July. It was fabulous. The decor of the entire resort is almost an exact replica of what you would get in the French Quarter of NO. When you walk into the lobby you are first hit with that classic new orleans style architecture and decor. Truly amazing. But the hotel doesn't stop there. It follows the architecture up with the laid back atmosphere of the crescent city. I was shockingly surprised to see the quiet and relaxing vibe of the entire resort. The resort also aces the test in the food department. To me it offers a step above the average hotel food court with its fantastic big easy inspired dishes. It was especially good to me because I could get a piece of home at the food court while I was away. The rooms are the same as pretty much the rest of the moderate/value hotels. Which isn't bad as I have never been uncomfortable at a Disney Resort. Overall I found this hotel to be excellent. It gives you the feel of being in the French Quarter ( without all the partying of course ;)), it is a very peaceful and relaxing hotel, and the you cannot go wrong with most of the food selections and the food court. I would recommend Disney goers to at least experience this hotel at least once. It has become my hotel of choice.
I have been a member of DVC since 1992 however, prior to my membership I would bring my children, now grown and parents themselves, to Ft. Wilderness. To this day my kids talk about the fun they had exploring and just being there in the tranquil environment of Ft. Wilderness. We sometimes go back with my grandchildren, rent a golf cart, visit the animals, watch the shoeing of horses, see the miniature white horses, wander the grounds, play in the sand, etc. Again,myself & my youngest daughter and her two children are making reservation's for August of 2014 to partake once again on another adventure to Ft. Wilderness. I was happy to see bow & arrow lesson's & horse back riding for my grandkids of age 9. We could go anywhere and we have but this time we are going back to Ft. Wilderness. Oh, and I like taking the boat over to Magic Kingdom. We know how to visit WDW without being upset because we have to wait for a bus. Our expectation's are about enjoying what we can, when we can and yet enjoying just being together vs. trying to capture ALL of WDW in such a short window of time, it's impossible to please everyone. We always have smiles on our faces just being together.
We have stayed at the cabins four times now, and I have to say that it is the best way to go with a family of six this way you won't have to split up rooms, and there is still enough space for everyone in the cabin. The buses are really quick, I think the most we ever had to wait, was about 5min or so, not much longer than that. The ferry to the magic kingdom is always fun for kids. It's also very peaceful, I attribute this to not having neighbors butted up to your cabin. The kitchen is great for breakfast before a long day in the park, and although it is a drop down bed, it is extremely comfortable.
Upon arriving late we found our room had not been thoroughly cleaned. Called the desk and they did send someone over to vacuum. (There was popcorn all over the floor) Then, our last night there, we had come back to the room a little earlier than usual. The covers were pulled back on the bed and I dropped my keys. As I bent over to pick them up, I noticed something under the bed. Well, it looked like a years worth of stuff under that bed. First of all there was a cup from PF Chang's that had some kind of grape drink in it. An ice bucket. Crayons. And a whole lot of other things. Then I looked under the other bed. There was even an ice bucket under it! No sense in calling front desk since we were leaving in the morning. Upon checkout I asked to speak with somebody in charge. I had pictures of underneath the bed and I wanted to show them to somebody! Evidently, they must get this sort of thing all the time. She said, "oh, you don't need to speak to anyone, when you get home just call this number". I really wished I had insisted on speaking with someone so I could have shown them the pictures. The woman I called sent a voucher for 2 free nights at another value resort. Still didn't get to email her the pictures. She wasn't interested. I definitely would not stay there again!
My husband and I brought our daughters, 12 & 8 to this resort for our Disney vacation this week. We absolutely loved it. It was clean, and the staff were so helpful! The pools were large, clean, and very enjoyable. Our girls could have just stayed at the resort all week! We will definitely be back. Great value!
This is a Fantastic Resort. This resort may be a moderate resort but it is just as good, if not better, than its next door neighbours Saratoga and Old Key West.French Quarter is a lovely, friendly, pleasing resort which wont disappoint. Stayed here in Summer 2013 and the resort made me and the family so happy it truly is a great place to stay. The size of the FQ makes it great for accessibility, even at the furthest room it took around four mins at a brisk walk to get to the food court and pool area, compared to Riverside which is a good 10 mins brisk walk.Staff are friendly, great rooms, fantastic location and atmosphere. Everything you expect from Disney.
We stayed here in November 2012 and can't wait to go back again. The resort is very small, so it is easy to walk around - you will NOT get lost, as is the case with a lot of other resorts. We stayed in Building 4 and it is steps away from the main building and quick dine restaurant. My husband would go and grab food for us each morning and supper and he was back in minutes. Did I mention the beignets? OMG the best tasting thing you've ever had.My kids loved the dragon slide pool. It isn't huge, but it does the trick.The bussing system is great. Sometimes shares with Riverside, but mostly devoted to FQ. When it does share, FQ is usually picked up and dropped off first, so there's a plus (I've also stayed at Riverside so I can attest to this from both perspectives).The boat will take you to Downtown Disney which is handy, although give yourself some time. The boat drives pretty slowly, so if you have a reservation to get to, keep this in mind.The rooms are spacious and have everything you could need. The housekeeping did a nice job every day of cleaning the room and leaving special little 'towel' objects for my kids. We stayed for almost 2 weeks and not a problem in the whole time period we were there.Overall, this is our favorite Disney resort. We've stayed at all of the Moderates and this is by far our favorite. Food, location, price, small size, bussing, we loved it all.
Getting excited about our upcoming stay at the Yacht Club. We have always stayed there and get Lagoon/Pool View, Club Level. Yes we pay more but it is so much worthwhile. From the second we pull up to the gate until we get in the car to come home, we get that "extra special" treatment. The entire staff from bellman to Vp of events, is so courteous and genuinely friendly. The rooms are super clean and fresh looking. Transportation to any park us easy. Restaurants are very good and breakfast with Goofy at Cape May at the Beach Club is walking distance right next door. Seems like a more adult clientele staying there which suits us. Worth the price and can't wait for this Friday May 2nd to be going to our home away from home. A big 2 thumbs up!! :-) :-)
I've stayed at all 4 disney moderate resorts, and this was the best one by far. The food was AMAZING! We ate all meals there (unless at a park) and everything was homemade, plenty of options, and the desserts were incredible. It was beautifully themed. I loved walking everywhere and taking the boat to downtown disney. There were plenty of activities like fishing (cheap) and movie under the stars (FREE). We sat in a beautiful courtyard and they gave us something to lay on. Definitely do this when you go!!!!! The buses weren't that big of a deal like most are saying, in my experience. The only complaint I have was that the main pool can get pretty crowded and you have to get there early to get a chair, but there are plenty of other pools that were a good size and weren't that busy. It is a pretty big resort but that didn't bother me. I loved it and can't wait to go back! I would definitely recommend this to a friend!!
My husband, my 4 year old daughter and I stayed at the Disney Caribbean Beach Resort for 11 days last summer. We stayed in the Jamaica building in a ground floor suite. We loved our stay there. We found the hotel room to be spacious, and clean. It had a good size fridge to store our food and drinks. It also had a small breakfast table with 3 chairs that we used if we ate breakfast in room, etc. The grounds and gardens were beautiful and we loved our walk to the main building and main pool area. We were really close to the bus terminal too, but we rented a car so we didn't take the buses too much. All the staff there were really friendly and helpful too. As I said, we loved our stay there and would absolutely recommend staying there. The cafeteria, at the Caribbean resort, actually had better food than the Polynesian resort, to tell you the truth. When we go back to Disney World, the only reason why we wouldn't stay at the Caribbean Beach resort again would only be because we want to try out the other resorts for fun. But we definitely did love this one.
We booked the Dolphin last minute as a last night of vacation after staying in South Florida with family. I just had to have a little Disney fix if I was driving all the way to Florida! I thought the price was reasonable, even with the added fees. Just make sure to read the fine print. There is a service fee of $20 and a parking fee of $17. Even with those fees it was only $10 more than a value resort. So this was the smarter choice in my eyes. I could stay at All Star Music or the Dolphin on the Boardwalk for about the same price. I signed up to be a Starwood rewards member also so I will collect points for the stay.The lobby and grounds are beautiful. I loved to sit and take in the architecture and landscaping and the Dolphin and the Swan. The place doesn't have the most "Disney" feel but that was fine because my husband is not a Disney lover. It does have a bit of a business feel but it is still a great looking place. Our room was spacious but the bathroom was small and outdated. It was showing wear and tear and was about the size of a value resort bathroom. They do provide you with bottles of water and starbucks coffee in the room as part of the service charge. Personally I could purchase my own for much cheaper but it was a small perk I guess. There is also a small refrigerator in the room so I could bring my own drinks to the room. No microwave.The pool area was very spread out and a little bit of a walk from the Dolphin but still beautiful. The beach was full of kids playing in the sand and we even took our son on the swan boats, which are paddle boats. Pool towels are provided outside. There are different places for drinks and the Cabana is located outside for food as well. They provide service to poolside as well. The location is great. You can quickly walk to the Boardwalk or take the boat. There is also boat service to Epcot and Hollywood studios which can also take you to the other Boardwalk resorts. The bus service to the parks is also a plus but is a little hit or miss. This has been my experience at all Disney resorts.There are several food choices at the resort. Just make sure to do research to find what you want. I only went to the ice cream place so I can not comment on the food choices.Overall I was satisfied with my stay. The staff were all very nice and helpful. This is a good place to stay with a Deluxe feel without the price. I am sure we will stay here again in the future.
Having stayed at a deluxe and value on our previous 2 trips to WDW, we decided to go moderate this time around and opted for the Caribbean Beach Resort as they were the only resort that had a King bed available on short notice.Customs House Check-in: Super easy, got our room within 10 minutes of arriving. The downside was then having to wait 20 minutes for the internal bus (more on buses later)Rooms: We stayed in Jamaica building 46. As stated above, we had a King room and the bed was fairly comfortable, not too hard or too soft. The room itself felt dated and in need of an upgrade. AC was through an in-wall (just under the window) unit versus central AC. Port Royale (dining and shopping): We only did the food court 2X for breakfast and 1X for lunch. The food is nothing more than theme park quality you'd find in any of the WDW parks. Not terrible but nothing to write home about either. We opted for simple fair like bagels/muffins for breakfast and I tried the Jerk Chicken for lunch which was pretty dry. The shopping has a good cross section of products and we purchased quite a bit here. Very nice staff.Transportation: This is perhaps one of the biggest downsides of this resort. CBR was the first moderate resort and it's my understanding it is the largest with multiple bus stops throughout the resort, basically one stop for each section i.e. Jamaica, Aruba, Trinidad, etc and one stop at the Customs House. Internal buses arrive approximately every 20 minutes and it seemed like we waited just about 20 minutes every time. Note that there was only 1 internal bus running at a given time. Not sure if this is normal but since the resort was at 100% occupancy, I'm assuming that one bus is standard. This made it a bit challenging to get to the Customs house and back to our room...cost us about 40 minutes of waiting in total. As for the resort buses, more challenges. On our Epcot day, we saw multiple buses arrive for each park, including Downtown Disney, before the Epcot bus arrived. Part of this we learned is that once a bus is full, it departs and since we were one of the last bus stops, there were likely a few buses that departed to Epcot before they got to us.Other amenities: We didn't utilize any of the pools though we did walk by them a couple of times. Very nice and well themed...a great looking pool for families. The resort itself looks nice with a large lake/lagoon and beaches centrally located. Overall: It is highly unlikely we would stay here again. I can honestly say that I had a much more enjoyable experience at Pop Century and while I might not stay there again, I'd choose it over CBR. Should we ever return to WDW, we will likely try another moderate resort like Port Orleans (Riverside or French Quarter). CBR was not terrible but failed to meet my expectations for a quality Disney resort.
We stayed at the CBR in one of the pirate themed rooms. It was quite a hike from our room to the main pool and food court, but it wasn't too bad since you pass several beaches. We thought the rooms were really small which is the worst thing about the resort. However these moderate rooms are almost 100 more square foot that a value resort room! The food court had a neat ambiance and offered many choices, we like their offerings. The pool was really great for kids and adults and offered a slide. Overall it was a near experience but not enough magic to lure us back. We want to try another moderate resort.
We have stayed at the Dolphin two times, because of the good location and the big rooms. Even if some things aren't 100% the best, its location outweighs everything that could be classified as negative. But once you realize they offer transportation to every Disney attraction in the area, it becomes the perfect place to be. The huge pool, the great number of restaurants and the big beds are only a couple of things from the whole picture. I wasn't very satisfied with the prices, but we booked our rooms through http://orlando.hotelscheap.org and we got some good discounts.Of course, we have to point out that it's not a Disney-owned hotel, but it's still very recommendable.
For starters we are a family of 4 with 2 boys, ages 4, and 6 months. This is our second trip to Disney with our 4 year old. We stayed for 5 nights and 6 days at the Yacht Club. 3 of those nights were paid for by me, and the remaining 2 were on a Disney Resort credit that we received after our last stay at the Wilderness Lodge 2 years ago. Most of our issues during our last stay were as a result of construction going on at the Wilderness Lodge. (Im sure that review is still buried in my profile if your really interested) For whatever reason Disney was unable to join the resort credit reservation with our other reservation and this caused some minor problems during our stay. This also caused us to receive 2 sets of magic bands and 2 sets of magical express tickets with one end open on each reservation. We arrived fairly early on Monday and went inside to check in. I was immedaitely impressed with the decor and cleanleness of the lobby. The scent that they are pumping through the lobby was fresh and not overwhelming. The staff was very attentive and helpful. While waiting to check in I was brought over to the Concierge desk by an employee to expedite the check in as there was a line at the regular check in desk. The guy who checked us in (Mike) was extremely nice and very creative. He was, however new to that resort and didn’t know where anything was which made the total check in time approximately 30 mins. We had pre requested a ground floor room during the online check in and were told one was available. When the check in was over we were told that the room we had been assigned was ready for us however it had not updated in their system so our magic bands would not work to let us in the room yet. We were then told to call the front desk after 15 minutes to check on the status of our magic bands / room keys. We were then let in by a bell hop. Approximately 15 mins later I called the front desk to see if “Their system had updated” and the person on the other end of the phone had no idea what I was talking about. They tried to figure it out but I was inevitably transferred to another person who I had to explain the story to again. The room itself appeared to be clean and well maintained and besides a gigantic dead mosquito on one of the beds. We didn’t see any issues until we pulled back the curtains and walked outside. When we went outside on the patio we immediately noticed that we were directly in front of the adult pool which was under construction. I’m not sure why Disney chose to overlook this detail with our reservations. We were staying on a resort credit that was given to us largely in part to a massive amount of construction that was going on during our last stay. And here we were again with a nice fresh view of some lovely construction. I then called the front desk and asked for another room. I was told that one was ready and we were moved to room 1085. Upon switching rooms we found our new view to be exceptional as it had lovely views of the courtyard and water. The room was clearly an older one as the carpet was worn, the AC unit controls appeared to be from the 70’s. We also noticed a strange musty smell in the room which I chalked up to the ac being off and the room sitting unoccupied for a while. We then laid our kids down for naps and waited for our luggage to arrive. 3 hours later our luggage had still not arrived and I called the bell hops. They then advised me that our luggage had been sent to our first room and was waiting in there. They then advised that they would go an retrieve it for us. This again was a lack of attention to detail on Disney’s part and I wasn’t all that happy that our luggage had been sitting in a room that someone else could have had access to for at least 2 hours. After a few minutes in the new room I noticed that one of the light fixtures above one of the beds was missing its knob, exposing the plastic. Due to the design of the room this was very noticeable and quite frankly unacceptable for a $420 dollar a night hotel. I then mentioned this to a the bell hop that brought us our luggage and was advised that it was going to be taken care of. When we returned that evening the knob was still missing. The next morning I walked to the front desk and spoke to a manager who advised me that he was going to take care of it right away. This didn’t happen, and that evening when we returned to the room the knob was still missing. I then returned to the front desk and spoke with another manager for the now third time. A few minutes later a maintenance guy showed up and fixed the knob. In addition to the knob I also noticed that the room had significant rust on some of the metal fixtures in the bathroom and a bunch of tangled wiring from lamps and other items in the room, visible on the floors between the furniture. The fridge was also unplugged and I had to move the entertainment stand to plug it in. There was also visible trash in the mulch directly in front of our patio to include a wine cork, a cigarette butt, and several small pieces of white paper. Again a significant lack of attention to detail on Disney’s part. When we went out to hit the parks the following day I noticed some water damage in the ceiling outside of our room. There also appeared to be mold growing on the ceiling as a result. I then noticed it was in multiple sections of the ceiling as we walked down the hallway. This is, point blank, UNACCEPTABLE. I can deal with having to plug in a fridge or some rust on a fixture in central florida but water damage and mold? Really Disney. For $420 a night??? (See attached pictures) During the remainder of our stay things didn’t get much better in regards to the hotel. The room continued to smell musty and got so bad that we had to open the patio door to get fresh air in the room on a daily basis. When the maid came in to clean the room not much cleaning was done as the carpet was never vacuumed and some of the glasses we got one day had a nasty looking white spuge on them which I hope was undissolved dishwashing detergent. Also the maid forgot to replenish our ice bucket liner and I had to call and request one. During the end of our paid stay we received phone messages and a letter advising us to please come to the front desk and arrange our Magical Express Transportation. I had to go the front desk once again, to make sure they understood that we had 2 reservations and that we were not leaving and wanted to stay in the same room. This was finally addressed but almost everyone I spoke with appeared unfamiliar with a Disney resort credit and was unclear how to proceed. Furthermore once we had checked out of our first reservation and into our second I received a phone message asking me to come to the front desk and provide them with a credit card for the second reservation. I had already done this online and they also had my card from our first reservation. Yet another lack of attention to detail. However I’m glad that I didn’t respond to this request as when we went to check out on our last day there they handed me a bill for $202 Dollars. When asked what this was for the clerk couldn’t explain it and had to go in the back to check with a manager. She then returned to tell me that it was the taxes and fees for our last 2 nights. I then explained to her that those nights were on a Disney resort credit and that there should not have been a bill for anything. I then had to provide the letter I received from Disney in regards to the resort credit. Thank the lord I didn’t provide them with another credit card and they weren’t smart enough to use the one from my first reservation or this amount would have been charged to my card. Another huge lack of attention to detail and yet another issue I and to deal with while on vacation. I was finally told that the charges would be taken care of. My final complaint about this resort comes from the convention center located in the middle of the Yacht and Beach Clubs. I understand that convention business has to be a huge source of revenue for Disney but the last thing I want to see on vacation is a bunch of suits clogging up the front lobby discussing business deals throughout the entire day. This place was so busy with conventions that I don’t think there were many other families staying there at all. I’m not quite sure why Disney can’t have a separate lobby / meeting area for these convention guests and coordinate their room assignments to be in the same area and away from the families who are trying to enjoy some of the so called “magic”. To sum it all up we had a good time enjoying the parks and other attractions at Disney. This resorts pool is amazing and is easily its greatest feature. The grounds of the resort are also maintained very well and a pleasure to look at however, I can not get over the lack of attention to detail on Disney’s part regarding the rooms and reservations I paid a significant amount of money to stay for the 3 nights that I paid for, a dining plan, 5 days of park tickets, and countless other items that were purchased at the resort and parks. The experience we had with the rooms was unreal and I can’t believe that this level of negligence exists at a so called Disney "Deluxe" Resort. I expected a magical experience and what I really got was anything but. No folded towels in the room after day 1, no anything consistent with a $420 dollar a night room at Disney World. I'm not an unreasonable person this is just poor, poor management and service at a place that is supposed to be known for its level of service. What a shame.
Just back from a week stay with 4 kids, 2 parents, 2 grandparents. We had 2 connecting rooms on the 3rd floor in the 60's building. Location was great-close to food court, pool & transportation. However it is time for this hotel to upgrade to queen beds. Doubles are just too small for most adults & there is adequate room for them. 2 Pop rooms was an affordable option for our family of 8. Food court & transportation were excellent.Housekeeping was good with extra towels and pillows brought immediately. The kids were disappointed that no towel Mickeys ever appeared.Luggage assistance upon checkout was also very helpful as was pre-printed airline boarding passes.Ramp access for strollers or wheelchairs from the main pool required going quite a distance around or dragging them up the stairs to Classic Hall. Don't know why there is not a central ramp right next to the stairs. That made no sense!!
There is nothing that will disappoint you about this resort. It is smaller, has a wonderful dining, gorgeous scenery, and best of all it is centrally located in the WDW resort complex. Once in a great while you would share a bus with POR but for most part you had your own bus and are no more than 15 minutes from any of the parks.
The Caribbean Beach Resort was a huge disappointment. The Resort itself is lovely with colorful buildings, sandy beaches and a pretty lagoon. If you could spend your entire day outside and never go into the rooms or use the food court you'd have a great time. The room that we had smelled moldy, very outdated decor, a poorly functioning television, a sticking door and improperly fitted drapes plus creaking beds.The food at the food court was dismal and that is maybe to high praise for it. Our first morning at the hotel we used the food court for breakfast and ended up feeding the trash can instead of ourselves.This Resort is in need of serious updates and a total overhaul of the food court. You'd have a better value for your money by staying at one of the new "value" resorts. We checked out Art of Animation on this trip. They served real food on real plates with silverware as opposed to the paper plates and Styrofoam cups found at Caribbean Beach. The food at Art of Animation was hot and tasted great, it wasn't lukewarm and flavorless like what we found at our resort. The Caribbean beach could learn a few lessons from Disney's new line of Value resorts.
Friends recommended French Quarter on the basis of being quiet, secluded, and much smaller than some of the other moderate resorts.They were right. Compare a map of French Quarter to the other moderate resorts and you will see that everything at French Quarter is very convenient to all the rooms. I would not want to stay at a larger resort with long walks to the lobby, pool, restaurant, and bus station. Nor would I want the morning crowds at the bus station and restaurants that a larger resort would have. The rooms, architecture, and landscaping are attractive (so much better than the ugly value resorts) and immaculate but nothing spectacular. But this isn't the Polynesian or Animal Kingdom Lodge. We had a pleasant view of a sunny courtyard garden with a fountain. My kids loved the dragon slide in the pool. The restaurant served a good breakfast with lots of choices. The staff was very helpful.(My only complaint is the quality of the mattresses; they seemed to sag and I ended up being more comfortable on foam egg crates on the floor--but this is a frequent complaint for me at hotels of every price point.)Overall, I believe the other reviews when they say this is the best moderate resort at Disney. If you want something better on property you're going to have to more--much more--for a deluxe resort.
We stayed in a standard room in the alligator section of rooms. The room was great and our housekeeper was fun as she posed our toys and towels in fun ways. The room was comfortable and clean. The atmosphere was quiet and relaxing. It really looked like the bayou. The bus stop was close. The pool was a decent but fun walk. The food court was a long haul but we only ate there once so it was ok to me. We would definitely stay here again.