Disney World Reviews by WDWMAGIC Readers

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Disney's Art of Animation Resort

"Great for family"

9 years ago by WDWMAGIC visitor "Brian Corsi"

We have stayed at this resort twice. Love the Cars suite...... the theme is fantastic and having two bathrooms with two little princess and the wife is absolutely amazing. Cant wait to stay again.

Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge

"Great Resort, Would Stay here AGAIN!"

9 years ago by WDWMAGIC visitor "Ian"

I stayed here on Thursday night after attending Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and got home this afternoon. This is a great resort, with excellent theming! Went during Christmas, so the resort is beautifully decorated! I stayed in a Deluxe Studio, and it was pretty good except for one small thing - the room was small, but then I again I am only one person so what difference does it make!
On the bright side, the room was clean, I noticed no problems with anything, little or no damage to furniture.
My room did have an excellent view of Bay Lake and the Cabins!
This is totally worth it, even if you are staying only one night!
TIP - Higher floors have better views!

Shades of Green Resort

"4 Star facility for a low low price!"

9 years ago by WDWMAGIC visitor "Nanette"

Lovely room, spacious hallways, everything updated! The price for all this quality was outstanding!! The spa is SUPER affordable! $120 bought me 2 hours of massage and facial!!!! Other spas in 4 star hotels at least $320! We live in FL so we will be back!!!

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

"Wonderful Resort"

9 years ago by WDWMAGIC visitor "Sue"

Just celebrated my 25th anniversary at Jambo House. We were a party of 6 (3 couples) and stayed in 3 Deluxe Studio Villas with a pool view. Rooms were situated perfectly to allow easy access to the pool/dining areas as well as the main lobby. I love the little touches they add to the rooms as a nod to The Lion King. All areas of the hotel are absolutely beautiful especially with all of the Christmas decorations. Got to see a variety of animals and there was always an employee on hand to answer questions and give a little background on each animal.

I deducted a 1/2 star because sometimes the buses were overcrowded but overall, this is a great resort to stay at. Definitely our favorite and will be staying here again.

Disney's Port Orleans Resort French Quarter

"May just be the best moderate resort !"

9 years ago by WDWMAGIC visitor "Dizwiz328"

We just got back from a stay at POR - FQ (Mon 11/13 - Sat 11/18)
My wife and I took our 12 year old granddaughter on her first trip to WDW. We have both gone to the world 14 times before and consider ourselves very knowledgeable about Disney and have always stayed on site. We have stayed at all 3 main categories of accommodations and think that this resort is the best of any of the Moderate Resorts. POR - FQ has a lot going for it from the perspective of a couple in the over 60 years old range the compact size and ease of navigation here is a big plus. The rooms were just OK, I understand that they are planning a resort wide soft goods refurbishment in early 2018, in our opinion they probably should have done this last year. The carpets and bath fixtures are looking worn out. We found that the food court can have some very busy times and get very, very crowded and chaotic, it is also rather small for a resort with the projected capacity. Transportation was excellent we never waited any longer than 15 minutes for a bus or a boat and this was even during peak travel hours. Housekeeping was the only negative experience that we encountered.This may be because they seem to be putting a lot of pressure on people to opt out of having your room cleaned on a daily basis. they are offering a gift card for X number of dollars if elect to not having the service provided. One of the results of this is that they have reduced the housekeeping staff and are expecting the remaining staff to cover more areas. Unfortunately this has a negative effect on the quality and care that you should expect.
In our case the rooms were not vacuumed, tissue dispenser not resupplied, sheet and pillow cases not refreshed and overall general cleaning of the bathroom and sink areas were poor.

Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort

"Location (and not much else)"

9 years ago by WDWMAGIC visitor "JTT"

I enjoyed the vacation at the BLT for one reason, I could walk to the Magic Kingdom. I wake early and love to stay all day at the parks. My family doesn't. They sleep in, take it easy and when they are tired they go back to the resort. When that happened, I would hit the Magic Kingdom because it was a 5 minute walk away.

The BLT theming is non existent. Very sterile. The lobby could be any high end apartment complex or office building. The rooms are nice but nothing unique. No food court. No special touches.

Nice hotel in a great location.

Disney's Polynesian Villas and Bungalows

"Paradise"

9 years ago by WDWMAGIC visitor "Nancynancy428"

Walts idea of paradise - and mine too! The most convenient resort...I know you can walk to MK from the contemporary but the Poly has boat and monorail to MK AND you can walk to ticket transportation center making it the only resort with direct monorail access to epcot (without having to transfer.)
It's beautiful and perfect if every way.

Disney's Port Orleans Resort Riverside

"We always try new resorts, but always keep coming back here...it's like home!!"

9 years ago by WDWMAGIC visitor "BigDave"

We are a family of 5 and kids are growing the up. We have stayed all over the place from deluxe to value to off property. But Riverside is perfect. Doesn't feel cheesy or cheap, but yet affordable. Great pool, slide, food court, fun nighttime bar, boat ride to Disney Springs and can sleep 5. You have 3 types of rooms to choose...Alligator Bayou is more rustic and close to food court, Magnolia feels more classy, and the Princess Room is amazing if you have young daughters (the fireworks above the bed!!!)

Disney's Yacht Club Resort

"Concierge not worth the money"

9 years ago by WDWMAGIC visitor "DEtter"

We just returned from a 3 night stay, 4/16/17-4/19/17, and I have to say it was the worst Club Level/resort experience we have ever had. From arrival to departure it was an absolute waste of money. Upon arrival we were not personally greeted, which is expected when staying concierge, so we made our way to the lobby check-in where our first cast member encounter was bordering on downright rude. Our understanding was that our check-in was to take place with the club staff and when this was mentioned we received a flat, annoyed look and were told “no, I will do it then someone will come get you.” So, we proceeded to endure the agonizing process during which we advised that if our room was not ready we had bags that would need to be stored. Sure enough, once check-in was completed, we were told to wait and he would “get someone.” We again stated that we needed to store bags and were huffily pointed down the lobby and told “drop off your stuff then come back and I will get someone.” So, right off the bat we were questioning our resort decision but figured it could only get better….boy, were we wrong.
We dropped our bags, returned to the check-in counter only to find it completely deserted. Granted it was quite early in the morning but to find absolutely no one there, knowing we could not proceed any further without an escort was mind boggling. Finally a nice young man came out and asked if we had been helped. We relayed our adventure so far and he kindly apologized and proceeded to escort us to the 5th floor where we were left in the hands of cast member Ryan. I can honestly say, in the 3 nights/4 days we were there, he was the only shining light we had. Seeing we were frustrated at our treatment so far, he went above and beyond to turn the situation around and was an absolute pleasure to deal with. We had noted on our reservation that we were celebrating our 15th anniversary so Ryan gave us our buttons and warm congratulations and that is where the celebration ended. For the remainder of the time we were there we did not receive recognition form another cast member! Absolutely nothing! Now we are seasoned Disney veterans and understand that any sort of extra for celebrations are completely random and not to be expected but a simple verbal acknowledgement from the cast members should be second nature to them. Very disappointing to say the least.
Once we were situated we went to the Regatta lounge for breakfast. I have to say, this is the strangest and most unwelcoming lounge we have yet to encounter. The layout is odd as you have to cross through the food station to get plates, the soda fridge is crammed in by the coffee maker which is right by the door so you are inevitably having to cut through the middle of a line just to get in the room and the seating is akin to a small break room. There are no comfy chairs or couches, no room to relax and the staff seems less than thrilled to be there. The food selections are counter service at best with the breakfast and mid-day snack selections being exactly the same every day. The kicker to this place is that it closes 3 times a day, actually closes with no access to guests! So, if you come back from the parks for a break and want to grab a drink or a snack but don’t time it right you are out of luck because there is no entry and the cast members will not even answer the door! For the amount of money guests pay to use the Regatta club this is absolutely unacceptable! When we asked about this strange process we were simply told “yeah, we close between services.”
We stayed in room 5192 and it was nothing to write home about. No nautical feel, beds were hard, pillows were marshmallow soft and there was no comfortable place to relax. Considering how uninviting the “lounge” was, it would have been nice to have at least had a comfortable room to relax in but not dice. Only upside was that the shower was good. Mousekeeping was adequate, at best, and never once did we get a towel character or any type of extra. Of the 2 concierge desks, more often than not, 1 was empty and the solitary cast member that was present, regardless of who it was, just seemed bothered. It was strange to not even receive a “hello” or “have fun” from them when leaving or returning. I mean, the desks are right off the elevators so it’s not like they don’t see you! One day we did return to an absolute war taking place between a guest and the staff over missing pants. Apparently he had a very important dinner at the Yachtsman Steak House that evening so he had sent his dress pants out to be pressed early that morning with a guarantee that they would be back in time. Well, it was after 4p and he did not have his pants nor did anyone know anything about it. Seems he had gotten the brushoff and shuffle one too many times and he lost it….understandably so. To cap off the stay, on the morning we checked out we were surprised to see 4 cast members in the concierge area. Alas, only one was actually working, but didn’t speak, while the other 3 were gathered in a huddle looking at the computer with one of the ladies filing her nails. They looked up but didn’t utter a sound. Fitting ending to a dismal stay.
Overall, we were thoroughly disappointed in the Yacht Club. From cast members to rooms to concierge we feel like our money was not well spent. After years of staying at the Boardwalk and never having anything but exemplary service, whether in a standard room or Club Level, we now know for a truly magical and relaxing vacation, Yacht Club is off the list. Shame, as it is a beautiful resort.

Disney's Art of Animation Resort

"Enjoyable place to stay"

9 years ago by WDWMAGIC visitor "Matt"

Walk to the Mermaid rooms is a bit long and the walls are on the thin side, it's fine for a place to crash after a busy day. We were so tired that the noises coming from either side didn't keep us or our 2 year old son up overnight.

Food court was clean but crazy busy during the morning and evening rushes. Options are somewhat limited for the picky eaters among us, but the food was your average WDW food court fare and was always hot (where applicable) & fresh.

The feature pool is awesome. We loved the zero entry aspect. Our aforementioned 2yo could run around and splash in the shallow end without having to worry about a steep drop-off to a 'deep end'.

Overall theming is great. Our son loved the Nemo gulls randomly saying 'mine' atop one of the buildings. All the things to look at on the grounds and on the buildings made the walk back to the Mermaid rooms not that bad. That being said, if you're going directly to the WDW bus stops, take the sidewalk on the parking lot side of the buildings. It's more direct and you don't have to cut through the main building.

Disney's Polynesian Villas and Bungalows

"Fantastic place"

9 years ago by WDWMAGIC visitor "Cosby4"

We decided to make the trek to Florida to celebrate my 18 year old son's upcoming high school graduation. We had been saving money for four years so this was a splurge and it did not disappoint. The Polynesian Villas and Bungalows are located on the right side of the property and we stayed at the Moorea. Our room was a Deluxe Suite - Standard View and there was plenty of space for the four of us. There was a queen size bed with pull out drawers on either side; a queen pull out sofa and a pull down wall twin bed for my daughter. It also came with two bathrooms. When you walk into the room. the first bathroom is on the right side and it had a tub/shower combination, sink and toilet with lots of space to move around. Just a few steps away, on the left side was the closet which was furnished with an iron/ironing board, extra bedding, a laundry basket and about 20 wooden hangers for your clothes as well as a safe. There was a small kitchenette on the same side as the closet with a coffee maker, toaster, large sink, microwave, and a mini refrigerator. Disney also provided some basic kitchen dishes. Honestly I only made coffee one time and my husband used the microwave a couple of times. Because we got the Deluxe Dining Plan, the kitchen was not used much at all. In the room, there was also another bathroom with a very large shower and sink. Our room had plenty of space for our six night stay and the outdoor balcony, even though it overlooked the trees and the sidewalk leading to the building. Room service came every day and made up the beds as well as any other things that needed to be done. Our building was about a five minute walk to the Great Ceremonial House (main building) where there was two stores to shop in (Boutique and Moana Merchantile) and really great places to eat. Cap' n Cook's is a quick service location that does not need reservations; however Ohana and Kona Café do need reservations. Travel to Epcot is only by Ticket and Transportation Center (right next door - easy walk from the Moorea) to the Epcot monorail. To get to Magic Kingdom, you can either ride the boat across or ride the monorail. The bus service will take you to Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs and Hollywood Studios. It is about a 30 minute walk to Grand Floridian if you want to walk instead of ride the monorail. Very scenic. Also - at night - you can see the fireworks from the beach at the Polynesian which is really great. You do have to go through security before getting on the monorail at the resort; however you do not have to do security check again at Magic Kingdom. You DO have to do it again at Epcot, though. If you prepare and have your bags already unzipped and ready, it is a fairly quick process. We felt like we were on an island get away and hope we get the opportunity to come back to the resort even if just for a short time.

Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort

"Loved it!"

9 years ago by WDWMAGIC visitor "first onsite stay "

Loved the resort! I have booked a second trip to same resort

Disney's Coronado Springs Resort

"Definitely Going Again"

9 years ago by WDWMAGIC visitor "Great Family Resort!"

We are a family of 6, longtime Disney World Fl resident annual passholders. Due to our family size and budget we usually stay at Pop Century and get two rooms. This trip (April 3, 2017) we were a party of four and able to get by on one room. The Coronado had a special rate and we decided to try it out. I was worried because I knew the resort was large, had a complicated bus system and a convention center to boot (read not family friendly.) It may have been due to the construction going on, but we found the resort quite "empty" compared to the congestion we deal with at Pop Century. We had the food court to ourselves when we arrived for lunch on Monday (it did fill up subsequent days with convention goers) and we were given a room close to both the main pool and bus stop 4. We parked just steps from our door! The room is no bigger than a value resort and only "fancier" by a coffee maker. Room service did no special touches. The atmosphere is quiet and relaxing and the main pool is outstanding. We rode empty buses the whole week (except one trip to the Magic Kingdom and it was still only half full then.) The walk from Ranchos to El Central wasn't too long and certainly was picturesque, although we could also just hop on any bus and it would stop there as well. We are going back in October with the whole family and would definitely use Coronado again!

Disney's BoardWalk Villas

"Can't beat the location"

9 years ago by WDWMAGIC visitor "Seeshark"

Hello - I recently split a week between here and the Wilderness Lodge. For me, location was really the best reason to stay here. Having the park hopper option and walking or boating over to Epcot for dinner each night was awesome. In a previous trip, going to Epcot for dinner and walking through the front entrance and walking all the way to the back of the park was tough, particularly after a long day of walking in the parks. This was so easy. We took the bus to Animal Kingdom from there and that was painless, but since we stayed at Wilderness for the Magic Kingdom portion of the trip, hard to comment on the ease of bus travel. My kid loved the water slide at the pool. We stayed in a one-bedroom villa, and compared with the Wilderness, the room was the same layout but just a bit smaller. We've also stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge, and that room was bigger as well, though a different layout. But overall, the room was very nice. The pull-out couch was a bit dated, and therefore a touch uncomfortable compared with the newer ones at Animal Kingdom, but not to the point my kid didn't get bad nights' sleep.

The bakery on the boardwalk was nice. We were up early enough to avoid waiting in long lines. Plus it was early March, so not the busiest time of year. We also hit up the French bakery one night for some goodies to have the next morning. But there isn't really a place for waffles or those types of breakfast foods, unless you want to hike to one of the other nearby resorts. This was your egg sandwich or scrambled egg platter with cereal and various pastries. That said, it was pretty tasty. Also didn't see as much performer activity on the Boardwalk as I thought I would, but then we have a 7-year-old that goes to bed fairly early, so maybe we just weren't out there late enough. But the whole Boardwalk scene is pretty cool. And coming from the Wilderness, which was pretty mellow and relaxing, the bustling scene was a neat change of atmosphere. Since there are four other resorts in the neighborhood, it's a pretty busy area. We also walked to Hollywood Studios, which was a nice walk. Boat on return trip goes to Swan/Dolphin and Yacht/Beach Club first, so you could get off the first stop and walk across the bridge there to save some time.

The lobby isn't as grand as Wilderness or Jambo House, but it and the grounds still manage to impress with its overall look. It can be a bit of a walk I suppose from the elevators to the wings of the resort, but we were about half-way down overlooking the "quiet" pool and it really was fine. I tried to get a corner room at the very end of the hall as they're supposedly bigger with more private balconies, but they didn't have one open. I would definitely recommend staying here. Despite the hassle of having to switch rooms mid-trip, they do make it pretty painless and I really liked getting the two distinct resort flavors. Three to four nights at each were perfect, but if I were to stay for an entire week at one, particularly now that I've experienced a lot of the Epcot country pavilions, I'd probably choose Animal Kingdom or Wilderness before Boardwalk, and maybe do less dinners at Epcot. But for the Epcot/Studios part of our trip, it was great.

Disney's Art of Animation Resort

"Buses, Beds, Breakfast, and lawnmower!"

9 years ago by WDWMAGIC visitor "Michael Scott"

I will not ever return to this resort. The bed was one of the worst I have ever slept on in a hotel. The distance from my room to the buses and breakfast was about a mile away. I wish I was exaggerating. Oh yeah, and right outside my room at 8am, they decided to mow the grass for 30 minutes!

Disney's Wilderness Lodge Resort

"Great Service and all around great place!"

9 years ago by WDWMAGIC visitor "blane hoffman"

I stayed here from 2-11-2017 to 2-18-2017. The rooms are affordable and comfortable. The restaurants were very good and organized. The Whispering canyon café had an excellent breakfast and a very good atmosphere. The territory lounge was very laid back and offered a variety of drinks. Katie, Alan and Candace provided top notch service along with being very courteous and personable. I would highly recommend staying here and I will definitely be back.

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Disney World Reviews by WDWMAGIC Readers

Showing all 2017

"Great for family"

"Great Resort, Would Stay here AGAIN!"

"4 Star facility for a low low price!"

"Wonderful Resort"

"May just be the best moderate resort !"

"Location (and not much else)"

"Paradise"

"We always try new resorts, but always keep coming back here...it's like home!!"

"Concierge not worth the money"

"Enjoyable place to stay"

"Fantastic place"

"Loved it!"

"Definitely Going Again"

"Can't beat the location"

"Buses, Beds, Breakfast, and lawnmower!"

"Great Service and all around great place!"

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