Best Hotel at WDW to Spend All Day

[mikala]

During our trip in October 08 we are trying to decide on a hotel that we will thoroughly enjoy. While most normally just sleep in their hotel we want atwo full days of pool, eating, shopping etc.

We have only stayed at All Star Movies, as we have a timeshare in Celebration. This time, there will be plenty of time for the parks, also.

Kids ages 1,2,2,4, and four adults....two rooms though..

[DaisyDuck001]

Although I haven't stayed there, I think the Beach Club would be a fun place for what you describe.

[crrees]

to spend a full day? I would say resort hopping is your best bet

Start with the beach club/yacht club/boardwalk

then take the epcot monorail to magic kingdom then go to the monorail resorts. Get off at the magic kingdom after the polynesian, GF, and contemporary to take a bus back to all star where you are staying (or to a parking lot that you are parked at to go back to the timeshare)

[Mr.Abominable]

If I had to pick one resort to spend all day in, it would be the Animal Kingdom Lodge, hands down! I love it! :)

[jengold29]

Well with really young kids, I'd choose a pool with an infinity edge (you know, where you just walk in, kind of like a beach).

I know the AKL and the Poly have them, not sure about any other resorts. I'd also choose a resort with a good quick-serve restaurant.

HTH

[D2000lands]

Definitely the BC/YC resort area. It is very beautiful there with slides and a lazy river (Stormalong Bay). Keep in mind, in order to utilize the pools there at the BC/YC, you MUST be a guest of that particular resort, due to this pool area being so popular.

[anniedg]

Another vote for BC/YC. The pool (Stormalong Bay) is just fantastic, you can eat at Beaches and Cream which is a lot of fun, rent boats at the marina, and walk around Crescent Lake and over to the Boardwalk if you want. Sounds like now they even have a firepit on the beach and show outdoor movies on some nights.

[disneygirl17]

BC/YC gets my vote as well

[efoxx]

BC/YC are great because of Stormalong bay, but beyond that I would say not a lot else. Actually I think BW offers the most bang for buck when it comes to all around entertainment. there are a few interesting shops not found else where in WDW, a nicely themed pool, and at night the board walk is full of interesting entertainment. add to that the surreys for rent, ESPN sports bar and a host of other stuff and it is quite a happening place.

but perhaps it would be best to look at that whole complex as one big resort. YC/BC is only a short walk or boat trip from the BW, so perhaps the ultimate day off from the parks would be staying at the BC, breakfast at Spoodles, swimming at Stormalong Bay, riding a surrey around crescent lake, dinner at the Yachtsman, and an evenings entertainment along the boardwalk.


actually this sounds really cool, think we might try this on our next trip.

[littlej]

I've never stayed at either Fort Wilderness or Wilderness Lodge yet, but from what I've heard, one of these would be fun! The activities at FW are enough to keep a bunch of kids happy all day. Hay rides, campfires, marshmallow roasts, outdoor movies, visits with Chip 'n' Dale, boat rentals, bike rentals, nature hikes, a petting zoo, pony rides, Hoop De Doo Revue, I think there's more. I wish I were a kid again! If you stayed at WL, it looks like it would be easy enough to get back and forth between the two, or better yet, rent a cabin at FW! Tell us what you decide!

[spectromen]

OMG a whole day at a resort? Just the thought makes me salivate. I vote for Wilderness Lodge or Polynesian.

[dahunter1129]

My vote is for Wilderness, with kids that young. Fort Wilderness is a boat ride away, and the petting zoo will surely be a big hit. The pool is awesome, and there are 2 awesome places to eat, Roaring Forks and WCC, at the Lodge, plus Hoop De Do at the camp ground. The Mercantile, the WL store, has enough great merchandise to keep even a veteran shopper happy. Great rooms, great food, great pool...plus only a boat ride to MK if you get bored.

[Wendi]

Animal Kingdom Lodge. There are tons of activities all day for kids and grown ups. Fantastic pool, and ANIMALS... the kids will love it, and so will you! Don't miss the culinary tour, what could be better than free food from Jiko and Boma???

[alex kirby]

Hi Guys

This is my first post on mouse pad, disney is my happy place, i live in york in the uk and i have been vissiting wdw since i was 5, there is simply no where better! we have been and stayed at the polynesian every time, in the heart of the magic,
As a kid even at my age of 31 there is nothing more magical than waking up looking out the balcony doors to see mickey mouse and goofy waterskiing on the severn seas lagoon, having said that we havent seen this on our last few vissits, you can even hear the steam train and paddle steamer in fronteir land, you can watch the monerails and boats ferrying passengers too and from the magic and then when it goes dark you can watch the light parade on the severn seas lagoon and then tinkerbell and the fireworks above cinderellas castle! its truely the best spot in disney!, and then if you could ever get bored with that you can hire a sprite boat on the lagoon, swim in the fantastic volcano pool, play the arcades or simply jump on a moerail straight to magic kingdom!

What more could anybody want?

Bring on august 2008 our next vissit.:)

[stan4d_steph]

If I had to pick one resort to spend all day in, it would be the Animal Kingdom Lodge, hands down! I love it! :)That would be my pick too. I just wish the couches in the lobby were more comfortable. They look cool, but they are awful to sit on!

[TinaMouse]

Welcome, Alex!

I agree that the Epcot BC/YC/BW would be good. Another option?? Here's what we're doing on our "day off" on our upcoming trip--

Grand Floridian--MouseBoats for an hour, followed by an hour massage, followed by high tea......ah! Perfection! Not great for little kids, though.

[alex kirby]

Thanks, its great to talk with people as mad about disney as me

[Kel]

Hello, i think that The Boardwalk Hotel would be good beause i stayed there once when i was i think 6 or 7 and i thought it was great because of the things you do there and i loved the surrey (i don't think i spelt that right) bikes where fun, even though i was to tall to sit in the basket at the front. Also, at night with all the things on the board walk are fun and you can get your face painted :)
The pools great as well with that huge slide and all the squirty water things!

[pacdomer]

The activities at FW are enough to keep a bunch of kids happy all day. Hay rides, campfires, marshmallow roasts, outdoor movies, visits with Chip 'n' Dale, boat rentals, bike rentals, nature hikes, a petting zoo, pony rides, Hoop De Doo Revue, I think there's more.

FYI - My family stayed at Fort Wilderness two weeks ago. They no longer offer a petting zoo at the resort. The cast member at the ranch where they have the pony rides said that they moved the petting zoo away from Fort Wilderness and that now the only one on property was at Animal Kingdom.

It was a bummer, but there was still a lot for the family to do at Fort Wilderness (as mentioned above).

[steamboatpookster]

AKL. Period.

[emmsmama]

If you aren't staying at a resort can you make use of any of its amenities? Like if I was staying at a value can I bring my kids for the hayrides at FW or to one of the zero entry pools at one of the other resorts?

[Drince88]

If you aren't staying at a resort can you make use of any of its amenities? Like if I was staying at a value can I bring my kids for the hayrides at FW or to one of the zero entry pools at one of the other resorts?
You can not pool hop, but I'm honestly not sure where the hay rides fall. I know the carriage rides at Port Orleans you could do (if you could get a reservation), since those are an extra cost. You can enjoy the restaurants and game rooms and rent water mice at other resorts (again, that extra cost thing comes into play). I know people go to the movie night at Fort Wilderness even if they aren't staying there, and have never heard any issues with that, and aside from the s'mores kits, those aren't an extra cost.

[WDW heart]

I would choose the Beach Club.

Have breakfast at the Boardwalk Bakery.

Spend the bulk of the day in Stormalong Bay. I think this pool is perfect for toddlers because it has a large shallow area with tons of sand for digging. And lots of seating around the pool for parents to rest while watching.

Lunch at Beaches & Cream.

Rent a boat in the afternoon.

Hang out at ESPN zone.

Dinner at Flying Fish Cafe or Spoodles of the Yacht Club Steakhouse.

Jelly Rolls w/ the dueling pianos if I wasn't with the kids.

Rent a bicycle surry or another dip in the pool if the kids were with me.

How's that?

[mom22gls]

If budget is not a factor, I would also vote for Beach Club. The pool is just amazing, although your child is probably a little young to take full advantage of it. It is also an easy walk to Epcot, and the Boardwalk area is entertaining. Because you have only stayed on-site at a value resort, be aware that there is a big difference in price between the values and a Deluxe. The Wilderness Lodge and the Animal Kingdom Lodge are both fantastic hotels (have stayed at the WL twice, and will be staying at the Animal Kingdom villas in June, but have had dinner there several times), and are significantly less expensive than the other Deluxe hotels, but have all the amenities. The Wilderness Lodge has boat transportation to the MK, as well as the buses, and the boat is entertaining in and of itself. It is also a very relaxed atmosphere. The Animal Kingdom Lodge is also beautifully themed, and has a really cool gift shop, as well as two of the best resort-based restaurants in WDW. Can't go wrong with either one, and they are both a good value.

[Markfd]

Yacht/Bech Club. Just stayed there 11 nights over Christmas and the pool was great. My 9 year old son would have been just as happy staying in the pool each and every day vs going to the parks. The Boardwalk was great as well with a fair amount of things to see (mostly at night though). And Epcot is a very short walk away and the studios were a little bit longer of a walk but still pretty quick. And if you wanted more shopping, the bus took an average of about 17 minutes from the Yacht Club bus stop to Downtown Disney.