Category Archives: Disney Resort Reviews

Who Would Love Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort?

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Hey all you tropical paradise fans!  This one’s for you.  Let’s say you know you want to be close to Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.  You have options!  Those monorail resorts have vastly different personalities, different atmospheres, different dining options!  Today, let’s throw some love across the Seven Seas Lagoon…

Who Would Love Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort?

You’re a South Seas vacation kind of family – Do you love all things Tiki?  This is the place for you!  White sand, excellent pool areas, fancy drinks in pineapples, you get the idea.  From the lush tropical landscaping to the prominent Tiki statue in the expansive lobby, even the Cast Members’ costumes – this place is, as one expects from Disney, well-themed.  The resort’s layout around the Great Ceremonial House invites guest to stroll and explore, relax on the beach with a snack from one of the pool-side snack stands.

Laid Back is your style – The vibe at the Poly is calm, relaxing, and a bit playful.  It’s got two of the coolest lounges on property, if you care to indulge in an adult beverage while on vacation.  The Tambu Lounge, connected to ‘Ohana, offers a great drink menu and comfy seating.  Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto, while teeny tiny and a bit pricy, is completely immersive and tons of fun.  Get there early for the best chance of a seat!

Seafood and American cuisine with a Polynesian flair sound yummy to you.  ‘Ohana is always popular with our family – all-you-care-to-eat, family style dining in a great setting.  Kona Café is also a solid table service eatery with plentiful menu options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For a quick meal, Capt. Cook’s offer up more than a typical burger or hot dog and fries (although you can get those, too).  Pulled pork nachos?  Pan Asian Noodles? Thai Coconut Meatballs over rice?  Step right up!   

You’re a Nostalgic Disney Fan.  Like the Contemporary, the Polynesian has been there since Disney World’s opening day in 1971.  For many Disney geeks like us, that makes this resort a classic!  With great views of both Magic Kingdom’s evening fireworks and the whimsical Electrical Water Pageant, the beach area after dark is a relaxing place to soak up the atmosphere at the end of a busy park day.Disney World's Electrical Water Pageant

Are you a Polynesian Village Resort fan?  Is it still on your to-try list?  What’s the draw for you and your family?

Who Would Love Disney’s Contemporary Resort?

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Let’s pretend for a minute that you’ve decided that for your next (or first) Walt Disney World vacation, you want to stay in the Magic Kingdom resort area.  Let’s go a step further and say you want to stay at a monorail resort.  First of all, go YOU!  These are our family’s favorite resorts!  Tough choice though.  All are expensive, all have their pros and cons.  Today, I’m going to try to explain the draw of Disney’s Contemporary Resort.  In future posts, I’ll do the same for the Polynesian Village Resort and the Grand Floridian too, so I’ll be sharing everything I know and have personally experienced.  All three have a lot to offer!

Who Would Love Disney’s Contemporary Resort?

You want to be smack dab in the middle of the Disney action – When you can see Magic Kingdom from your resort, all day and all evening, it feels especially Disney-ish.  You also have (my favorite!) the Electrical Water Pageant cruising by your resort in the evening.  Between the boats, busses and monorail, it feels like every park is just a short ride away.  Resort hopping by boat to Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness is super easy (and relaxing) as is access via monorail to the other Magic Kingdom resorts.

Your family adores Magic Kingdom – From the Contemporary, it’s just a short walk away!  Slightly more than 1/2 mile from door to Park entrance, the Contemporary is the ONLY resort from which you can walk to and from Magic Kingdom.  As an added convenience, the security bag-check/metal detector is right on the walkway, giving your family a straight shot to the entrance!  If you’ve got an early morning ADR (advance dining reservation) in Magic Kingdom, this perk is a plus!

Resort Loop Pub Crawl – Sure, this is a benefit of staying at any of the monorail resorts, but if you’re out for date night or have a party of adults only, this is a fun way to spend an evening.  We love to start at the Contemporary’s Outer Rim and move on to the Poly’s Tambu Lounge (or Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto) and Mizner’s Lounge in the Grand Floridian.  Grab a cocktail and snacks at each stop and make an evening of it.

Amazing Dining Options – Character dining? Check!  Meet the Fab Five at Chef Mickey’s for breakfast or dinner.  Need a quick meal?  Try the Contempo Café (Buffalo Chicken Flatbread is great!).  Fresh, sustainable, and delicious fare is available at The Wave, and if you want one of the best dinners at Walt Disney World, you can’t go wrong with the food, service, and view at the California Grill.

Nostalgia – It’s modern and retro at the same time!  As one of the original Walt Disney World resorts, the Contemporary has maintained that opening-day vibe while boasting updated rooms with a current, modern feel.  The Mary Blair mural (look for the five-legged goat!) and the open atrium where the monorail pulls right on in to the heart of the resort are all classic Walt Disney for geeks like us!  If you love Disney like we do, standing on that monorail platform, watching our ride pull into the station…there’s no feeling in the World exactly like it and fans have been experience that particular thrill since 1971.

 

 

 

 

Disney’s Bay Lake Tower – All About Shapes!

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Where at Disney World can you find circles, squares, rectangles, triangles, cylinders, ovals, parallelograms, and more specifically combined in endless combinations?  Which resort features modern design, pops of color and whimsical artwork with an emphasis on harmony through geometry?  Which unique place beautifully captures the artistry of lines, curves, and angles everywhere you look?  Of course, I’m talking about Bay Lake Tower.

Disney’s Bay Lake Tower – All About Shapes!

I grew up with a fairly strong dislike for all things math-related (a polite way of saying I loathed arithmetic!).  English was my favorite subject and science was fine, I simply didn’t get the lure of numbers…until 10th grade geometry.  I’d finally found a form of math I loved!  Oh, the fun of arcs, lines, angles and shapes and all the measurements within!  Maybe that explains why while others find Bay Lake Tower lacking in theme, I find it wonderful.  From the lobby through the halls and elevators, even along the walkway that connects Bay Lake Tower to Disney’s Contemporary Resort, I find the use of shapes amazing and like everywhere else at Disney World, I always find something I’ve never noticed before.

I’ll admit, It may not have the Contemporary’s Mary Blair mural or the Grand Floridian’s Victorian charm.  There’s no tropical Polynesian foliage and certainly no majestic, soaring lobby.  But that doesn’t mean Bay Lake Tower is boring, it means the place has a quality and ambiance all its own.

From the majestic, curving edifice to the tiniest interior details, Bay Lake Tower is a feast for the shape-loving eye.  Enhanced by soothing neutrals and splashes of bright color, our favorite home-away-from-home is to us, a fun and cheerful corner of the World.  Those imaginative design elements and Bay Lake Tower’s location right next door to Magic Kingdom make it practically perfect in every way.  If you every get the chance to stay in this particular Disney Vacation Club resort, prepare to be amazed by the creative use of all things geometric!

Have you stayed at Bay Lake Tower?  What did you think?

 

DVC Studio Review – Saratoga Springs

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Raymond and I have been Disney Vacation Club members since 2011.  Our home resorts are Bay Lake Tower and the Villas at the Grand Floridian.  When Megan and I decided to take our mother/daughter trip to check out Pandora, we needed three nights for specific dates.  The only resort available at the time we booked our room was Saratoga Springs.  This would be our first visit to the resort and we were excited to try a new place.

DVC Studio Review – Saratoga Springs

A bit of research helped me figure out where the best room option for us would be.  I called DVC and requested a studio in the Paddock area as close to the Congress Park section as possible.  Congress Park is popular for its close proximity to the walkway to Disney Springs, but the studios there require a higher point usage.  Because Raymond and Joseph wouldn’t be going with us, it seemed best (and nicest) to conserve points if possible.  Staying Sunday – Wednesday used 47 points.  Our room request was granted and we found ourselves also close to the Congress Park bus stop.  While we weren’t planning on spending any time at the resort except for sleeping, we wanted to be able to walk easily (and safely) to Disney Springs and back for our Paddlefish reservation.

Our first impression of Saratoga Springs was great.  Upon arrival, we parked near the Carriage House to check in and found the grounds and main building to be cheerful and welcoming.  The staff was super friendly and in short order, we were on our way to studio 6612.

The entrance was welcoming, but the hallways and outside entrances felt a little gloomy.  Inside we found a sink/vanity area outside the bathroom (tub/shower and toilet), a queen-sized bed, a small kitchenette area, and a sitting area with a sofa, ottoman and table and chairs.

The details were charming and the space (355 square feet) was perfect for the two of us.  These studios sleep up to four with the pull-out sleeper sofa, but Megan and I thought it would be pretty crowded with more than the two of us unless the second two people were small children.

Final thoughts…

Saratoga Springs Pros –

  • Our location was convenient to Disney Springs and a bus stop.
  • We had plenty of space, were comfortable, and we liked the décor.
  • Our studio was quiet – we never heard any noise from neighbors.

Saratoga Springs Cons –

  • This resort (like Old Key West) felt more like a condominium complex than a Disney resort.  Very spread out, many rooms are far from the main building/restaurants (which was okay for this visit, but might not work well all the time).
  • When it rained, there was quite a bit of flooding/high water to walk through.
  • The busses were SO slow and crowded.  Particularly horrible leaving Magic Kingdom at the end of the night.

Have you stayed at Saratoga Springs?  How was your experience?  Do you prefer staying closer to the parks or do you like feeling like you’re away from all the commotion?