I've stayed at the GF at least half a dozen times and it has been great each time. I love the classic look and feel of the resort and the overall design. The rooms are well appointed and offer everything you need, and lets face it - its a place to shower and sleep. The evening hours are really nice with the band playing relaxing tunes that are always enjoyed, especially with a cocktail of your choosing from Mizner's. The GF is one of my favorite places to just unwind and take in all the beauty. Id recommend it to anybody looking to add little bit of polish to their stay.
We finally had the chance to stay the week of November 1, 2015. And I have to say we will be back. Thankfully we were allowed an early check in 11am! Now this is a BIG hotel so it did take a day to get our bearings but anyways we were in the garden wing and near the very end and I'm thinking wow this is a long walk however when I opened the curtains there was Bay Lake! Pool is a lot of fun, well maintained by life guards and they had activities which my son loved. We ate at the sand bar a couple of times and it's a busy place. Hotel itself was spotlessly clean, I had two minor issues with the room (I used to run a small hotel, I'm very picky) but it had nothing to do with it being clean. Housekeeper tried her hardest and kept the room very nice. We used the pull out bed for my son and he said it was comfortable. Plenty of room for 2 adults and two teens, actually I found it much roomier than the GF. It's a busy hotel so if your looking for a laid back place this is not it, but the convenience of walking to MK is a tremendous bonus especially if you want to go to other resorts you can catch there bus from there. They did provide buses to Epcot which honestly was convenient as you didn't have to switch at the monorail station. We enjoyed the coffee shop and we met some of the nicest CM's there, well maintained with supervisor pitching in to keep things running smoothly. Front desk staff again, proving Disney customer service is top notch. I found them friendly and very helpful. Really enjoyed meeting CM's. The Contemporary really has something for everyone I will definitely stay again.
We just returned from WDW and Port Orleans - Riverside. We stayed in a Royal Room and it was fantastic. The detail in the room was great and we would find new things each day. The resort grounds were beautiful and our location in Parterre Place was fairly close to the main lobby, bus stop and dining hall. The main pool was nice and big and the water slide was a great addition. The kids loved it! I had a blast on it too. Our usual go-to resort is Pop Century (Value Resort) but we have stayed in other moderates before. This is a great resort and we will be back. I would have given this resort 5 stars if only the bus pick-up/drop-off was better. That's one of the things we loved about Pop Century. The buses were numerous and they only made one stop. The main lobby bus stop at Riverside is the last stop/pick-up. It seems like it should be the first. We waited for at least 45 minutes for a bus to arrive for Animal Kingdom and it's usually publicized that buses run every 15-20 minutes. I can say that the 15-20 minutes were broken every time we rode the bus. We also waited quite a while for pick-up at the parks.
I stayed here in April, with my maid of honor as a gift to her. I let her pick the resort, and this was the one she wanted out of the choices. I read mixed reviews online, so I wasn't sure what to expect. When we checked in, the CM was very friendly, and they have a huge lobby! We were put in "Ranchos 6B". We had a car, so getting around wasn't an issue, but we did notice that they had a lot of bus stops in the resort. We had a room that wasn't facing a pathway, but the whole resort seemed very quiet, which was very nice! The room was super clean, and we loved the upscale, business feeling. The pool was very nice and relaxing :) I'll be staying here again!
We stayed here for part of our honeymoon, in a royal bedroom, (my husband said since I am a princess, I needed a princess room). It was wonderful! When we arrived our room wasn't ready, but thanks to a wonderful CM, she changed our room so we could get settled in :) We got a letter from Tiana when we checked in, saying that she was so happy we were there. It was a cute touch. The room itself was very pretty, clean, and cozy. The sinks were like genies lamp, and the shower curtain was Little Mermaid themed. The fireworks on the headboard were fun to watch but they didn't stay on very long. Our room had a river view (we didn't request that, but it was very pretty) and we could walk to the main building. It's a beautiful resort, and the CMs were very helpful. We used the Magical Express when we left because we flew to the rest of our honeymoon from Orlando International. It was really easy to get there from our room, and the whole system was really well done. I would stay here again and again!
We have stayed in the villas a few times through our DVC membership. The rooms are very nice, a special perk that I enjoy is having our own building, with a private pool and athletic center and large private lobby with chess boards, rocking chairs, and a wood fire. We have done a few different types of rooms in there and they were very nice and convenient. Easy travel to MK, via a boat or bus.
I stayed in a one bedroom villa and thought it was amazing. The details they put into the room are amazing and even the views from the cheaper side were amazing as well. The one problem I had with it was the soundproofing of the walls. I heard everything that happened outside of the hotel and it was not pleasant. Would highly recommend this resort and I am glad that I bought into this resort.
Have stayed at the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge several times. Soundproofing is excellent, rooms very clean, mouse-keeping staff very friendly and helpful if extras of anything needed. Rooms are spacious and relaxing. Walk to the Lodge is covered and the theme of the facilities are well integrated. Don't know how it will be during the expansion in 2016 as they add bungalows along Bay Lake since they will be closing the Villa's pool and hot tubs (which are also being expanded). Hopefully they won't remove too many trees - but the slash and clear crew seems to go overboard when construction is taking place.
Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa is our DVC home resort and we have never had a bad experience there. I have stayed in a deluxe studio, a one bedroom Villa, a two bedroom Villa, a three bedroom Grand Villa and a Treehouse Villa. All of them were of very high quality, comfortable, quiet and well appointed. The proximity to Disney Springs is very nice as it is a short walk to a bus stop from there that will take you to the Carriage House and then a scenic walk back to your room. The landscaping is top notch and is constantly being maintained. The staff is very friendly and helpful. The resort is less "themed" than others, and all rooms open to the outdoors (unlike the hotel rooms that open to the lobby / central courtyard or a hallway). The more time I spend here, the more I appreciate those things. There is "theming" a plenty EVERYWHERE on property, so the 'less is more' affect at Saratoga Springs is refreshing to me. As I spend time in other resorts at restaurants or shops or sightseeing, the more grateful I am for the sense of calm and lack of noise (screaming children, clatter and auditory chaos...). The resort truly is a calm and beautiful oasis amidst a World full of sensory overload. Buses come at least every 20 minutes, sometimes more often. I like that there are multiple stops throughout the property and that you can hop on a bus to get to the Carriage House or to the restaurants and shops if you don't feel like hoofing it. Even the walk to the Treehouse from The Springs bus stop wasn't too bad (walking seemed to get us there quicker than the bus connection). Eating at the Artist's Palette has always been fun and tasty. The menus are varied and the food is fresh. A nice selection of groceries and beverages, as well. If you're looking to be in the thick of the excitement, the hustle, the bustle, the noise and the mayhem of Walt Disney World, I suggest you find somewhere else to stay. Saratoga Springs is relaxing, easy, lovely and full of friendly and helpful cast members. Plus, you can almost always get a reservation there (within reason)!
My Husband and I stayed here for Star wars weekends in May. We were in the Casitas section and only had a short walk to the buses and main building. The food court was decent and I was surprised to food that matched the Mexican theme. The room was clean and comfortable but I wish there was a night stand on both sides of the bed. The grounds were very beautiful!! We didn't swim in the pool but it looked like a lot of fun. There are random hammocks to lay in around the pond and it was very relaxing and quiet.
My husband and I stayed here last January in a Little Mermaid king bed room. The theming is fantastic and it really is larger than life. Check-in was a breeze, the food court delicious and they had a great gift shop. The room was clean and a good size. The only complaint I have is that the Little Mermaid rooms are a far walk from the main building and buses.
We just returned 8/25 from a 6 day stay at the Club Level with a theme park view. What an amazing experience. The convienance of the monorail cannot be understand and having the concierge made it our most memorable stay. The rooms are well themed and spacious and the nice folks at the concierge do everything they can to take of you. I would recommend the poly to anyone.
We stayed at CBR for a few nights in January of 2015. It was great. Before you get too caught up in the "disappointed" reviews, know this: many (possibly all?) rooms have now been nicely renovated and there is nothing to worry about. I did some research before going, and found out which buildings had been renovated up to that point. Based on other reviews I read, we chose to stay in the "Aruba" section, and were very happy with that choice. When you do your online check-in, you may request which section you want at that time. There's actually a multiple-choice question and you just click the one you prefer. That is not a guarantee, but it makes your request known. Our preference was granted, and the rooms were brand new and really nice. We also requested a room near the bus stop, which it definitely was. We figured it was more important to get to the bus stop quickly than to the food court quickly. Plus, avoid all the food court crowds and noise. (Your priorities may vary!) Aruba was not the closest nor the furthest "island" from the central area with the food court/restaurant/main pool. If anybody of average health tells you it's a "long walk" from Aruba, I don't know what to tell you. It's not. We are in our 40's with minor back issues and it was always a nice little walk. We figured we could use a little exercise with all the extra eating! Which brings me to the food court: it's not huge, but it reminds me more of a mall food court - where you have different cuisines at different stations, with typically made-to-order food, and some grab-n-go sections. I don't know why everyone complains about this food court. Nothing was bad, it's convenient, and not terribly overpriced. I actually particularly enjoyed a pulled pork sandwich with some kind of sweet relish/slaw on it that was fantastic. (I got a similar sandwich one day for lunch at Whispering Canyon Cafe, and did not think it was as good as the one from the food court.) Shutters, the restaurant, was also better than expected. I read a lot of "mediocre" reviews, so maybe my expectations were low. We were very happy with everything we ordered. (They are only open for dinner, btw.) The server was an absolute sweetheart and the banana cocktail was fab-u-lous! ...which brings me to Banana Cabana, the pool bar. Very friendly bartenders, we had some nice conversations, and typically ended our nights there. I liked that relaxed atmosphere better than some of the indoor bars at other resorts. For perspective, we have also stayed at 2 other moderate resorts: the Coronado and POR. We like them all for different reasons, but we agree we had the most fun time at the Caribbean Beach Resort, and that is why we chose to book it again for our upcoming trip in just 2 days. (I seriously can't wait to get another one of those pulled pork sandwiches!) Should anything be different this time, we'll post an update or another review. The only downsides for us, I will agree with other reviewers, would be the bus system and also the odd check-in procedure. You have to go to a completely separate building, not exactly that close to the actual resort, in order to just check-in and do nothing else. Whereas, with most hotels you would do this in the lobby. Since it was our first time there, we didn't realize we could have walked from there (but that actually IS kind of a long, meandering walk) and so we waited for the in-resort bus to take us from the check-in building to our building area. On the night we left, we kind of forgot about that part LOL. We made a reservation at Shutters for the last night, thinking that would make it easier to get the Magic Express, rather than trying to rush back from a park or other resort. When we were almost done with dinner, we realized we had to get back to that other building (quickly) to get the Magic Express. Our waitress explained how to walk there, but it was not a direct route and we could have easily gone the wrong way LOL. And the buses to the parks...there can be a decent wait, and many stops before you leave the resort. Once we waited a very long time to go from one of the parks back to the resort. The reason that is not bothering me for our upcoming trip is we are driving up, so no buses, no worries about the other check-in building (in fact hoping we will get the morning text with our room number and can skip that building altogether - that would be awesome.) But honestly, I think if we were flying (and therefore subject to the bus) and assuming all pricing for other moderates were comparable, we'd stay at one of the other resorts for that reason alone. (We like to try all different ones anyway.) When we drive up, CBR is the way to go. Recommended without hesitation.
Just came back from Orlando yesterday. Me and my husband wanted to stay at Shades Of Green ever since the first time we discovered it years ago on another Disney vacation. We are sooooo disappointed, the resort was not what we expected, the outside looks pretty and the lobby is big and fancy, but that's about it. The rooms are not cleaned, towels were smelly like they never wash them, the bathtub dirty and lots of things and handles broken. Two huge cockaroaches appeared from inside the TV furniture. People weren't friendly not helpful. I wouldn't recommend it.
My husband and I are both seniors and go to WDW once a year. We have stayed at Port Orleans Riverside 4 times and are staying there again this November! We love the atmosphere at Riverside. We always stay in Alligator Bayou. We love the secluded tropical pathways with little bridges and surprises at each twist and turn. There are beautiful quiet pools tucked away in each area. They are never crowded and just beautiful and peaceful. We have never felt the need to visit the main pool, though it looks like a lot of fun for someone younger:) The rooms are nice and have never had a problem with housekeeping. We are always able to walk to our bus stop without problems. No matter which building we stay in, we always feel secluded and surrounded by wilderness and the tropics! The Mill has a great selection of counter service food. We always eat there several times. It has a quaint setting with the huge water wheel cranking the huge beam in the main area. We especially like the make your own pasta bowl and salad bowl that they have. You can just wander down the hallway past the "Roost" lounge to the main entrance, registration, arcade, and the general store. I love browsing around their well stocked Disney general store for treats and gifts. I am going to surprise my husband with a carriage ride this time, as it looks like so much fun. We always take the boat to DTD several times. It's a beautiful ride in the evening with the lights and gentle breezes. It's a nice alternative to the buses to DTD. We have never stayed in the Mansions, but they look absolutely stunning and elegant. So, if you like the elegant look of the Mansions or the tropical laid back look of the Bayou, this resort is for you. The bus system at POR gets slammed frequently on Disney sites. However, we have ridden the buses at all hours of day and night for several trips, and have never had to wait over 10 or 15 minutes for a bus. The wait usually was under 10 minutes. One night upon returning from HS after fantasmic, we had to wait for a bus back to the resort for 30 minutes, but so did all the other resorts. It was just slow getting out of there. For us, POR is our home away from home. I know I'm "on vacation" when I step off the ME and enter the main building! Yes, the fun has begun! I would recommend this resort to anyone. It is a huge resort, so if you don't want to walk a lot, it may not be for you. We both have mobility issues so we always request and get a room close to everything.
Our family loves coming to WL. We have stayed at pretty much every resort on property and this is our favorite place. The ambiance of the place when you first walk in is phenomenal. Not to mention being right on the lake give you the option to take the boat over to the Magic Kingdom (still wished the monorail would come here). We have never been disappointed in any of ours stays here and will being staying at WL our next trip in September. If you love log structures this place is a must stay. The people are great and it is one of those places that makes us feel special from the moment we walk in.
I feel like a lot of people skip this hotel just because it's not owned by disney and that means you get nothing- but honestly, the only things you dont get here are the dining plan and Magical Express (which never applies to me since I fly in at Sanford.) This hotel has great location for sure, and while it is more business related, you can't really tell, the theming is charming yet sophisticated and there's plenty of fun things for the kids (The grotto pool is a must-see!) There are a lot of weird fees at times, they charge for parking -_- but still a great hotel. The best thing though, is the price- deluxe digs at moderate prices, with flight/hotel bundles most of the time to sweeten the deal. You just can't beat that :D
Stayed for the day a few years back with my Florida relatives - theme is super consistent, hotel is big, spacious and beautiful, pool's a bunch of fun, restaurants are all delicious- need I say more? From the glimpse i got of the rooms, the beds were super comfy and it was top notch. Even if you can't afford to stay for too long (because it's quite expensive!!) check it out for the day and you'll have a great time :D
As many other reviewers mentioned, getting reservations is a real challenge. After speaking to member services availability even in dvc resorts is limited especially during peak seasons. Disney has the right to keep a certain number of rooms for themselves to book at any time. I have also noticed that while my annual maint. Fees have been going up yet the quality of the rooms is going down. On my last trip there was severe water damage to the rug in my room,refrigerator was caked with rust on the inside and out, latches on the doors were broken or falling off and the hvac system door was covered in dust. Member services of course offered a sincere apology but that doesn't make me feel better about the money 8 send in every year.
I've stayed here twice and will be staying a third time for our upcoming trip. This place is a peaceful little gem right on the river. I love the theming and grounds. The big plus about this resort is that it is very small. It takes not even ten minutes to get from pretty much any building to the main lobby, food court, etc. Being right on the river gives it extra charm and the boat rides to DTD are very nice. Sure, people might grumble that there's only a food court here and no sit-down restaurant (you can actually walk over to Riverside for that), but everything else makes up for that! Every time I've stayed there, my room was very clean upon arrival and housekeeping was great. Staff have always been nothing but nice. I'm really looking forward to my upcoming stay there, and I can't wait to see the refurbished rooms!
This is one of the best themed resorts on the property. I spent an afternoon and evening exploring Riverside and French Quarter. There is boat service between the two resorts and Downtown and the skippers are always great. The food courts are typical WDW quality. The food court CMs were great. I almost choked on the powdered sugar on the FQ beignets (that's a good thing if you've ever been to the real New Orleans). My room was spacious with an unusually large bathroom. The theming was fun, with old-time shipping crates as furniture. The resort itself is very quiet and peaceful. They even have a fishing hole but I did hear someone who was fishing ask a CM if anyone actually caught any fish there. The bus service on this trip was very good to all parks and they even had a screen with estimated wait times at my stop. Here are my very minor complaints: Like most hotel chains, Disney has a problem with sinks. The stopper was non-functional and the sink was very shallow. Almost useless for shaving. There was no separate power switch for the very loud bathroom fan so it couldn't be turned off. I used the 'go right to your room' option and my old runDisney MagicBand opened the front door. But there was no welcome packet in the room. A map would have been nice. In spite of those minor complaints I highly recommend Riverside.
We stayed in the garden wing facing the main building for 14 nights. The only drawback was the long walk from the lobby to the room but this was a small price to pay as we were adjacent to the pool and stepped out of the room to see the electrical water pageant .there were 5 of us and we felt there was enough room , the bathroom was huge with 2 sinks and a separate wc . Although not cheap, to be with in walking distance of the Magic Kingdom was worth its weight in gold .
Ever since our first visit to AKL in 2012, we have vowed never to stay anywhere else on property. It simply can't be beat. There is no greater pleasure than rising early in the morning, strolling down to the Mara for some breakfast, and eating it at a leisurely pace whilst overlooking the savannah. Sanaa is the best non-signature table service restaurant on property, and Jiko is consistently rated highly amongst the signatures. Theming is impeccable and immersive, the first time you walk into the lobby will take your breath away. We have never had troubles with cleaning, after staying a total of 56 nights there!
We've staying at CBR four times over the years and it never disappoints! The tranquil atmosphere is so nice after a busy day in the parks and despite traveling at busier times, we've always felt like the resort was quiet (Old Port Royale and feature pool excluded). My kids adore the pool and the food court with all its options. They also love to shop in the gift shop and walk around listening to the steel drum music piped in around the walking trails. Many people complain about its size, but we've never found it to be a big problem even when we've booked standard roooms.
After staying at the Poly a couple of times as a child, we we lucky enough to stay there again in the club level building. To me, it is the quintessential Disney I remember growing up and the close proximity to MK and being able to walk to the Ticket & Transportation Center for the Epcot monorail make it perfect! There are plenty of food options and shops and the tranquil, laid-back vibe makes it perfect for our family. We'll be returning in November for another CL stay and can't wait!
We recently stayed here on our honeymoon with our grandchildren ages 12, 11, and 6 & we had a wonderful time. The walk from our cars suite was a tad bit long but with all the scenery it was nice. Every morning we would look out the window to see the Mickey Mouse drawn in the rocks, when I asked about this the concierge merely replied with a smile "that's the magic of Disney". The only thing I would like to see added is to better clarify which food were quick service meals and which were snacks, other than this I couldn't find anything wrong with this resort, I would definitely stay there again!
My 1st stay right after it opened was with 6 staying in Finding Nemo. We love nemo and the room everything about the experience was great. My 2nd stay was with 12, staying in 2 lion king rooms. Again I cannot think of one thing to complain about. Even though the walk to to pool, dining, and busses was a little further, still really wasn't a problem for us, I mean really, do you not expect to walk a little at disney, especially at lower rate resorts? While on that trip another brother and his wife got a Little Mermaid room while we were there. I loved the room and was glad they were there with the other 12. Knowing all that, we are returning June 2015, with a group of 6 and loved the suits so much we are staying there again. Lion King here we come.
Port Orleans Riverside has been our "Resort of Choice" going all the way back to when it was known as Dixie Landings. To me it has a Deluxe Resort feel in the Moderate price range. The buses don't seem as crowded as some of the other resorts and the boat to Downtown Disney is very convenient as well as a pleasant ride with great views. The Ol' Man River pool is lots of fun for the kids and there are a few quiet pools for the adults to enjoy. The food court is a perfect place to get some breakfast before a long day at the parks, or for lunch or a late supper after the parks. The resort also has a restaurant for those nights you want to just relax and enjoy an "evening in". Also, for entertainment, “Ye Haa” Bob puts on a must-see show on the piano which is great and gets the audience involved. While the resort is massive and walking to the pool/food court can be tedious, there are certain areas that are centrally located close to the bus stops and also to the food court to cut down on the walking. Overall I would recommend this resort for anyone looking for a beautiful resort with Deluxe-style amenities at a fairly affordable price.
Absolutely wonderful moderate resort. Main dining area and pool are within walking distance of every room. Bus service was great.
I stayed here with my adult daughter for four nights starting 4/30/15. We were in the Ranchos 6B. The room was worn out and depressing. We were given misinformation at the front desk regarding a package which we had shipped to our room. The ice machine on our floor was never working, but the ground floor ice machine was working. We saw a roach in our bathroom. The towels were very worn out. Housekeeping had left a bag of dirty linens and a bag of trash in the breezeway, and in the middle of the night we were awakened by animals going through it. In the morning there was trash scattered all over. I've stayed in WDW over ten times, in Deluxe, Moderate, and Value resorts, and until now I've never been anything but delighted. I've never had an experience like this. Very disappointing. The bus service was great. We did visit the gift shop and it was very nice. We didn't use the pool or any of the restaurants.
We stayed in the little mermaid room. The room was nothing special but the worse thing was the walk to get to the main pool,the restaurant and the shuttle buses. It was ridiculous to have to walk that far for a cup of coffee in the morning and the exhausting walk back at night after getting off the shuttle. The pool was nice but again the long walk to go back to our room just ruined it. We spent more time walking than enjoying. Would not stay there again unless the room was in a closer building.
I have never regretted buying into the DVC. Have shares at Beach Club and Bay Lake and all are now paid off. Its true that at times it can be hard to get what you want but the trick is to plan what you want in advance and then go for it. Only once in 12 years and 30 plus visits was I unable to get what I wanted and when I wanted it. Most recent trip was last week and when I got to bay lake I was upgraded to park view for free and did not even ask for it. Simple answer think about what you are doing and look at everything on line AND talk to DVC cast member on the phone and don't be afraid to talk to your personal DVC sales person. All can help you get what you want and when you want it. One thing that needs to change is DVC members should be offered the free meal plans like anyone else. OR in place of that have a special plan for DVC members. Just a thought!
So we just returned back home to the world back in February of 2015. It was a bit of a last minute trip, and sports was all that we could get. Our past experiences in the world have been nothing short of amazing.. we've stayed at Pop, All Star Movies, & Coronado. The CM at the front desk was very friendly, actually probably the highlight of the resort... he had waived the fee of a cot for my brother to sleep in. So our stay had been off to a great start. We had went to are room, and everything was as expected! However just coming from a Hampton Inn the previous night, (paying the same price per night we did here) we wish the beds would have been semi more comfortable. The room was very small. Our mousekeeper was amazing, she would leave huge amounts of little soaps just by request and a small tip. We were very pleased with the service! This resort in particular was very crowded. Many family we're stressed out, running around as if they were being chased.. it took away from the vacation/magical part of disney. We noticed a different crowd at previous resorts we've visited/stayed at. Maybe it was just the time of year, who knows. I am a disney nut myself, and have had great experiences every time I have been to the world. But I could not stay here again.
The past two years have been stressful when trying to get reservation. There are never any availability when I look to take trip we live one hour away so we are flexible but still anytime I pick dates no matter how far out there is no availability. I feel disney has over sold their timeshare program The points are basically worthless this year I couldn't get reservation for the last six months so had to lose my points. I also feel the hotels treat you like second best once they know you are DVC member the paying hotel guest get late checkout or accommodations that are much cleaner. Save your money just book hotel when you want to go a lot less aggravation and probably at a savings We will be selling our points because of all this
We have owned DVC points for over 10 years. We bought them when the kids were little since we were going there at least once a year. Our home resort is Saratoga Springs and we love it. We have brought friends and family with us and it has been a great experience. We thought that once the kids got older, they wouldn't want to go to Disney anymore at Christmas but they still love it (the youngest is 20!). We now go 3-4 times a year because our daughter works for DVC now! She interned at Disney (which is a great program for college students) and was offered a full-time job there. To be honest, it is embarassing to hear how some of the members treat the people who work at DVC. They feel they are intitled to everything from fast passes to having their rooms comped. We feel that the price of our membership has been paid multiple times because of what it would cost us to book a room there. I agree that it is harder to get a room at other resorts with the 7 month booking but Saratoga is fine for us when we can't get Bay Lake.
First, we are not a Deluxe lifestyle family. However, when a deal comes around, we take it. We received a 7-night 1BR pool view villa through a rental site for $1,200. It was only $200 more than Pop Century so we jumped on it. As always, the Deluxe resorts are excellent. Seeing several of the old Penny Arcade movie things that use to be on Main Street there was nastolgic. Our room was ready later that afternoon. There is SO much space compared to the typical studios we stay in at Pop Century and Moderates. The separated bathroom and vanity area makes getting ready much easier. Having a kitchen, full fridge and freezer, washer and dryer allows for saving time and money. A quick grocery trip for breakfasts and snacks can save a ton. Who wants to cook on vacation? Some may not, but those that want to save $100s a day will. You can start a crockpot when you leave and dinner is ready when you get back (you have to bring one yourself). The full fridge helps to keep adult beverages as well. After my first $5 beer at the pool, the walk over to Hess to pick up a 12-pack for $8 was well worth it. You can do so much here it is not even funny. First, Epcot and DHS are walking distances. It is about a 10 minute walk to each. Walking is optional because there are boats to both. We only used buses for MK and DTD. We drove to AK. The activities at the resort are a blast as well. It has some very good dining and bar options on the Boardwalk. Big River Grill had some excellent burgers. The price is inline with a Chili's, maybe $2 more per entre. Great beer here as well. ESPN bar was excellent for the Superbowl and for some fun sports action. Add in the street performers and you have entertainment for everyone. The only minor thing I wish they did is have more variety of street performers. There were a total of 5 different acts. The acts are always the same. It would be better if they had a larger group that they can bring in different nights. It is minor, but a good thought for WDW to think about. We will definitely stay here again when we get great rates through DVC rental people. I would never pay the Disney room rates.
Bought into the membership in 2012 at Saratoga Springs. Seemed like a great deal. First 2 years, we were able to score rooms, (without transferring rooms mid trip), at the 7 month non-home resort date. We honestly had felt it was the very best decision we ever made for us and our 2 little kids. Fast forward to present day, tried to book 2 deluxe studios this morning at the 7 month mark for a non-home resort. We were able to get one room booked online at 7 am central time, and then within 2 minutes, days for the week we needed were gone that fast. So, we had to hurry, because you cannot plan ahead with a plan B as you never know what dates are going to change while your booking. (We know this because we were watching it for the last week at all dvc villas). We took the first opening we saw for the first 4 nights of our trip. Now, what do we do about the last 3 days? If all else fails, one of the lesser desired villas should be available, right - even our Home Resort, right? Wrong. So, we either switch resorts 3 times during the trip, or, I don't even know how I could make it less complicated. And don't say, "Oh, you can book a regular Disney hotel." Nope, I'm not paying the $90 it costs just to open the option, then 39 points a night, when it is only costing us 18 points a night for a DVC villa. I don't even have the points available for that including borrowed points. Here's your breakdown: You are going to average paying $1200 a year - this is including annual dues at a lesser desired villa if you buy in to that one and the breakdown of your flat cost divided by the years you buy into. (When we first started - this was around $1,000). NOTE THIS: You are not allowed to take advantage of the free dining when it's offered. And, you are not only competing for rooms with other DVC Members, you are competing for a % of rooms at each resort as the rooms that haven't been "sold" are allowed to be placed in the open cash market by the developer. Which could only mean, they must "sell" each room, multiple times if there are still rooms available to be bought by the NON DVC guests. And if you think they will accommodate you if you need just one room and it isn't DVC available, think again. We had to actually pay cash for a room at another resort because the DVC staff wouldn't let us use our points. (FYI, when we got to the resort - tons of open rooms - and I know cause I asked). B.S. You need to factor it all before making the investment. Your annual dues will continue to rise, ours already have. The points haven't increased much though. And, if you want a cruise out of it, you better be buying around 300 points to start so that you can bank points. You will undoubtedly be facing frustration every time you go to book at a non-home resort. I hope this helps.
First time in this hotel absolutely loved it. Friendly staff, great environment, kids can be kids and adults can also enjoy the Magic of Disney. Can't wait to go back.
We LOVE Disney and staying at the Fort Wilderness campground was on our bucket list. We first came for our honeymoon 40 years ago and I have been hooked on anything Disney ever since. However, we were very disappointed in the campground. Because the campground was at Disney and we have NEVER paid this much for a single night in our 40 years of camping/RVing, we expected more. We stayed in the 1600's and had equal access to two restrooms. 1. In the ladies room there was a shower out of order and one of the restroom stalls was missing a door. 2.) In the mens restroom there was a urinal out of order. 3.) No hot water at the sinks in either restroom. My husband was not able to shave in the bathroom. No hot water available for washing hands in the restroom. 4.) Took a shower at 6 am. It took 10 minutes to get hot water in the shower. I got into the habit of turning on the shower water, then making a restroom stop, brushing my teeth, before returning to the shower. Still had to wait. A sad waste of water. It was the same in both bathrooms. 5.) Sand is used at the campsite where there is no pavement. Sand all over the camper. It rained the day before we left and the morning of pickup there was sand all over the electrical cord and water hose. 6.) We were on the yellow bus line and almost without fail the other lines came first and we were the last ones left at the stop. A number of times we waited 20 minutes for the bus from the boat are. It appeared to us that the ratio for the other lines was 2 of them to one of the yellow. 7.) No wi-fi. It was very nice to see the specific recycle bins, campsite was clean, nice to have lower sinks and paper towel holders for the kids, and sharps box for insulin needle disposal. I must say that I am very driven to complain because of the high price we paid. I feel very monetarily cheated. Suffice it to say that if the cost of this campground was a third or a fourth of what we paid I would be far more accepting of the bathroom and bus situation
Went on a girls trip for the Princess Half Marathon weekend, to run the races and see DW for the first time. For the duration of our stay we pondered if this "resort" was the red headed step child of Disney Resorts, or was some of the "ways" of the SOG because it was indeed special just for our service members. At the end of our stay I am very sad to report that you indeed get what you pay for, or in this case you get less. As mentioned in previous reviews, even cheaper hotels give free continental breakfast and have a microwave. Do not boast of a microwave and then not have one. Thermostat did not really work at all, and thankfully we came at a time when it was not too hot, though cold was a problem. I can speak well of one of the ladies at the front desk, as she was very pleasant and worked hard to get me my extra room back and was overall the way you would expect a person on Disney Property to serve. Food was pretty good everywhere in the resort, though wait time for dinner to come to table in Manginos was a little long. There were several servers that we really liked. The buses not running more than every hr is crazy, so thank goodness we can walk over to Polynesian to get a boat or monorail. For the race experience, other resorts had things available for runners, like bananas, bagels and other treats. SOG had a café that served bagels only until a certain time and its hidden in bus area. If you don't ask for help then you wont get any that's for sure. The guy that worked it was very nice however and we paid for 6 bagels which he promptly made and we picked up for the following morning. So in these cases there was ways around the inconveniences if you were willing to work them out. Overall it was ok, but not impressive as it really should be for Disney and for the troops. I chose to add my review primarily because of the final issue- I realized shortly after leaving that I left my precious running bib in the room under a tray to keep it flat. I called hotel several times and left several messages. The front desk refused to do anything for me except transfer me back and forth to housekeeping and lost and found. Not a soul showed even a little concern for my trouble and when I talked to Lost and found I was told to call back and that she wasn't sure she could even help me. I did as was told and of course no answer so I left yet another message. After 2 days of the same thing, I called back again and was told they looked and didn't find anything. That's it? I located the link on the website to report a lost item this morning on my own. That was NEVER mentioned by anyone. I am beyond upset with how this was handled. Having worked in a true resort (Gaylord Opryland) when I was younger, I can tell you that I worked very hard in Guest Services to make sure guests had a great stay and were pleased when they left. SOG made very little effort to do much of anything for us the whole time we were there and luckily we are just pretty self sufficient and able to laugh off the fire alarm going off at 2am for 20 min and having to evacuate the building in our pjs- there was NO apology or anything concerning that incident either. SOG is less than a resort and I have had much better stays at Hampton Inn. I will never stay there again. If you want a real Disney Experience then try any other resort on property, I am more than sure it will be worth the extra $$!
This was the absolute worst experience I have ever had at Disney. I will be fair and give you the positives about it first. The bathrooms are very clean and comfortable as well as heated. I was pleased with that. The campfire/sing-a-long is very fun as well. Just be prepared that it is a HUGE affair and there are hundreds of people there. Now for the rest of it...which is BAD! First off, the "convenient" drive thru check in is a nightmare. It takes about 20-25 minutes per person to check in. So after driving however many hours it takes you to get there, you will sit and wait 25 minutes PER VEHICLE in front of you plus your own 20 minutes. Sitting in the car for another HOUR waiting to check in after a 9 hour drive was miserable. I had our magic bands sent there and the guy was too lazy to go inside to look for them and wanted to just issue us new ones in gray with no names. I told him that I had taken the time to personalize all of ours, there were 7 of us...and I wanted the ones I ordered. Another worker FINALLY went inside to look for them after I had to get ugly about it and insist on it...and of course she found them. So we almost had to forfeit our personalized bands because someone didn't want to go inside to get them. The layout of the grounds is EXHAUSTING. Renting a golf cart really wasn't an option for us since we had more people than would fit...6 kids and 1 adult. You do not have buses to the parks that come around to various stops like you have at EVERY OTHER Disney property...Here, you have to take a bus to a certain point and then transfer to another bus or to a boat. You have to take a bus to the "settlement" and then transfer to another one just to go to the pool as well. TWO bus rides just to take your kids to the pool! It's idiotic! They do not run to Downtown Disney or to Typhoon Lagoon after 2 pm from this place either. So if you want to go to either of those places you either have to go between 10 am and 2pm or you have to take a bus all the way to Epcot and then transfer buses from there. It takes LITERALLY about 2 hours to go ANYWHERE from this place. I have stayed at multiple Disney properties and this is NOTHING like any of them. I realize it is a campground and is less expensive for camping...BUT there are also cabins in there that people pay over $300 a night to be in, so they should DEFINITELY have the same ammenities as other resorts. The ONLY reason we did the campground was because my kids wanted to bring friends and we could have more people per reservation there. It was only $19 cheaper than the Allstar resorts! I cannot even begin to tell you how miserable we all were...we must have walked a total of 20 miles trying to get around, taking buses to catch buses...couldn't get to the pool, the store or anything without planning an hour worth of travel. Do yourself a monumental favor and don't even think about staying here!
We have stayed here 3 times and never had any complaints. From the staff at check in to check out, house keeping and wait staff everything has been just fine. I like this resort because I like to get up in the morning and walk and the walk around the lagoon is a great way to start my day while at Disney. Each cluster of buildings has their own pool, if you don't want to use the one at the Town Square. I look forward to my next stay.
We will be staying at Pop Century again this year for Spring Break. Had looked in to staying at AOA, just to be different. I do not need a suite and was booking a Little Mermaid room. Then I received a PIN offer in the mail and found that the discount would not apply to the Mermaid room. Also, I had noticed that the Mermaid rooms looked a little far on the resort map from the main building and transportation. So I switched to Pop. We have stayed at All Star Movies, Riverside (moderate) and Pop. Pop has been our favorite. Always warmly welcomed. Seems like they have honored room requests. I have to disagree with the article at the top. We ended up with a 90's room last year. It was facing the 90's parking lot. When we left the front lobby to go to the room initially, we were told to go a round about way, out the back of the main building. We soon figured out that we could just cut across the 90's parking lot and head straight to the buses! Continuing on, we entered the main building w/gift shop, dining, etc. Not the most picturesque part of the resort, but very convenient. And of course you can always take a stroll around to enjoy the rest of the decor. I plan on going across Generation Gap bridge this time and checking out AOA. Oh, one year I did pay for a preferred room. Seems like it turned out to be right by the 60's pool. Oddly it was a handicapped room. The shower was odd, like it was made to accomodate a wheelchair. So from my experience, no need to pay for a preferred. I will see how it goes this year. I have requested: close to transportation, 1st floor and 90's. Definitely give Pop a thumbs up!! And yes, they do print your boarding pass for you when you turn in your luggage for airline check in at the resort. Super convenient. I did not know this before and went to the concierge desk late at night and they printed it up for me. No need, it will be given to you in the morning when you turn in your bags. Love Disney.
We just returned yesterday from a 5 day stay at AKL with a sunset savanna room. It is a very nice resort, and the view was great, but our previous stay at CR was superior. A couple of things stuck out. We paid extra for the savanna view and had to call and have the room change the first day we arrived since there were 4 support beams attached to our balcony and no animals. Now, to their credit, they moved us to a great room (3283) but it took several calls to accomplish this. There was no envelope left for us on the door the night before check out, which caused a little issue at check out and return with the DME. It all worked out, but was still a bit of a hassle. The biggest issue was that when we booked, we had advised them that it was our DD's birthday and they promised the "character phone call". They didnt deliver. It took a phone call from my DW to get it the day after. On the positive side, the commute is not nearly as bad as people think and the resort is absolutely beautiful. Would we stay there again, probably with a good deal.
We've stayed at the Beach Club Resort twice and will be going back again this summer. I have an emotional connection to the Polynesian Resort, and it's definitely got a better theme/feel. But the BCR feels like a beach resort and provides much more in the way of a resort experience. From the amazing and best-Disney-has-to-offer pool, to Hurricane Hannah's and Beaches and Cream dining options right at the pool, to the games and movies available on or near the beach, you can stay at the BCR and never go to a park and you'll still have a great vacation. But the best part of staying at the BCR in terms of being at WDW is the walk to EPCOT. Yes, you are really close for the attractions. But think of the amazing dining options at your doorstep! So many great restaurants available. We always walk over, grab a glass of wine at the little shop in France, and then stroll along the water to our dinner. And if we want to see fireworks, we can hang there in EPCOT or walk to the entrance and hop on the monorail to the Magic Kingdom. The rooms are fine -- not great, but if you're planning to be out and about, who cares? Beds are comfortable, showers are great. Walks from many rooms to the main part of the hotel are a little long. But it's a small price to pay for such a great location.
I have been to Disney multiple times and have stayed at Saratoga every time! The resort itself is very pretty, and they have great walking trails, along with a really nice pool area. There is great mousekeeping and one the first day our towels are on our beds in a Mickey shape! The only frustrating thing my family and I have encountered is being far away from the pool and Downtown Disney. There are other small pools around the resort, but if you are not by the big pool, it can be around a 20 minute walk. Last time I went, we had rooms right by Downtown Disney and were able to walk there in 5 minutes!
My mom and I had an awesome experience at the all star sports resort. The food was excellent and so was the customer service. The price was affordable and recommend this to any of you. We will definitely come back again. Thank you all star sports resorts for an awesome experience during our stay there.
This is my favorite resort of all time. Great location and beautiful. If you can do this one, do it.
Pop Century is an excellent choice if you are looking to do disney on a budget. I cannot justify spending so much more just to stay somewhere with a few extra amenities, especially since most of your day you'll be in the parks. Pop has everything you need. My family has stayed here on five separate stays over the last 7 years, with the most recent being September 2014. The rooms have always been clean, mousekeeping has been wonderful, bus transportation good. The pools are fun, the kids loved the pool games they do each afternoon. Food court is average, however an advantage to Pop is that you can walk to the AOA food court for a little more variety. Pop is my favorite of the values. While I loved staying at AOA, the suite prices are too expensive and the standard rooms are the furthest away and rarely offer discounts. That is why I prefer to stay at Pop.
I have stayed here twice in the past two years and have thoroughly enjoyed each stay. I had previously stayed at All Star Movies and found it to be a miserable experience, causing me to swear off Disney Value Resorts until I was encouraged to try Pop by a friend. I really like the place and here is why... Theming The the theming of the resort is not bad at all. The buildings are done up in a particular decade (50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's) with giant icons and logos form that era. It is bright and colorful. I will be the first to admit it is a little over the top, but I think kids seem to really like it because it is very accessible to them. They also, have fun games and photo ops places throughout. Layout While this resort has a lot of rooms, it has a pretty good layout. It does not take very long to walk from one end to the other. The only exception to this might be the 80's and 90's sections, that are sort of tucked in a corner. (More in my room recommendations below) Rooms The rooms are a standard design in the entire resort, which is more or less equivalent with your standard Hampton Inn. The only thing that is unique is a framed piece of art on the wall, that shows what Disney stuff came out in that decade. They have a single sink and vanity, and the the shower and tub in the actual bathroom. All rooms have refrigerators, so you can keep snacks and drinks cold. Standard flat screen TV. They have the updated thermostat, as well as a lock and key wall safe. The safe is not big enough for a laptop (you might be able to get an 11 inch in there). I never put stuff in there because I didn't use housekeeping and I was never really concerned with someone breaking in. But there is more than enough room for spare cards, tickets, and cash. My room was well cleaned and maintained, and I had no issues with noise. Food Court I cannot say a ton about the food court. I never had breakfast there (one because I wanted to get to the parks early and, two because mass produced breakfast food isn't really ever good). But they have a good mix of options including sandwiches, pasta, ice cream and deserts. I really liked the salmon burger, but that was really the only meal, I had there. I had ice cream on a few occasions and spent the rest of my meals elsewhere. One complaint I have is that the whole thing shuts down at midnight, which is kinda crazy since the parks are often open later than this. The gift shop is contained within this area as well and as such closes at the same time. That means if you get back from the parks and want a late night snack or drink you are more or less out of luck. KIDS I am going to put this carefully, but when I stayed at All Star Movies/Music, I found that there were far to many kids and not near enough adults (as in mom and dad sent the kid to Disney World with X club/team which had too few chaperones) I like don't mind kids (if I didn't why would I go to Disney World?) but I know, as well as anyone what happens when you put a ton of kids into a hotel with not enough parental supervision. (No really I do, that was a wild student council conference.) Pop however was a very nice mix adults and families and kids, so this doesn't seem to be a problem. Once again, kids are great...but they need supervision. Pools Pools are very nice, I used both of the secondary pools (Bowling pin and Computer) with the computer pool being my favorite. The main pool (hippie dippie) is nice as well, they have kids activities going most of the day so there is a lot for the kids to do there, although it does get a little loud. They also have a pool bar right there as well. I found that at both of the quiet pools finding a spot to sit is very easy, and when I walked by the main pool there were usually plenty of seats as well. I went at the hight of spring break season, and usually there were not very many people at the pools. This was nice compared to when I have been at Beach Club in the past and you have to get to the pool right at opening to get a decent spot. I will say that the pools are not overly exciting, no watersides or anything like that, but the main pool does have some fun water features for the kids. Bus Service I have stayed at of the resorts of varying price points and this is by far the best in the way of bus service to the parks. My longest wait was probably 25 minutes, with most being shorter. Pop is one of the larger hotels (by room count) so they do not share buses with any other resorts. Even at many of the deluxe resorts there is bus sharing which makes getting to the parks much slower. A comment on the "preferred rooms" I would personally not do it. The resort isn't really spread out enough to make it worth the extra money. The preferred rooms are all of the 60's. Maybe my opinion of this would be different if I had gotten stuck in the 80's or 90's. What people don't realize it that while the rooms in the 50s look like they are close to the main building, but the food court and bus station are on the opposite side of the main building, they are still better than the 80's and 90's which are in the middle of nowhere. I wouldn't be terribly upset with any room except for the 80's and 90s. I have always requested a room in the 70s, facing the lake and got it both times. Not a lot of noise and short walk to the buses.
I've stayed at the Dolphin three times and the Swan once. The room rates are good for Disney, and the restaurants are excellent. I like having everything in the same building. Some Disney resorts are spread out over hundreds of acres. The lack of the "rah rah Disney" feel is fine with me. I don't like my meals interrupted by Chip, Dale, Goofy, Pluto and the rest of the gang. The only shortcoming is checking in. I've tried different hours of the day, but there's always a traffic jam at the entrance with no one seemingly in charge. If you don't specifically grab a valet and say very firmly that you're checking in, you will be ignored. On this visit (I'm still here), a valet first ignored me, then later told me he had asked if I needed help, and I had told him no! Really? Are there visitors who have just driven across Florida who take some kind of weird pleasure in turning down offers of help? I will stay at the Swan in the future. It's much better organized and more professional.
My family loves Shades of Green! We have been 3 times so far and have a wonderful time everytime! You can't beat the prices and the staff is nice and need to stay that way. We have run into a disgruntled employee, I think twice, but that didn't ruin our experience. It has also been clean everytime we have gone. We went in April 2014 and had a horrible experience with a cast member in Downtown Disney right when we arrived. Well that evening we ate at Mangino's, we had a wonderful waitress, and everytime we went back she remembered our kids names. Our service there really helped me relax and enjoy the rest of our trip. Thank you very much for making the prices reasonable, where military can go and enjoy themselves!