OT: Disney World
- Thread starter tom1944
- Start date
My 2 favorite lounges in WDW are Geyser Point at Wilderness Lodge, super laid back right on the lake, and The Enchanted Rose at the Grand Floridian. Its a little more upscale and the beverage program is fantastic!
Overall, Wilderness Lodge is probably the best themed resort in all of Disney.
And all they did was pretty much copy an existing resort. Well, Old Faithful was teh prime inspiration..
linky> but a series of National Park hotels were used..
here's a suggestion for non-park days at resorts.. head over and check out Wilderness Lodge and for, $17 when I did it, you can make your own tie-dyed Mickey shirt.. it can be messy in that they wrap it up wet and bag it and you have stuff to do with it when you get home.. or have access to washer/dryer to finish it up after teh dye sets in a couple days. B ut a nice relatively cheap souvenir and an activity for yourselves or the kids at a nice resort. Many resorts have such activities and you don't have to be staying there.
We did 8 nights in Oahu and loved it. No island hopping and we were glad we stayed put. So much to do on Oahu and we had a chance to relax and experience the real culture and vibe of the island.
Our next Hawaii trip will be a redux of Oahu. Following that, we will do a Maui vacation. Still no planned island hopping. We just don’t want the hassle, but everyone is different.
Last edited:
We're not looking to see everything on this one. 4 nights, 4 nights, 3 nights is plenty as we want to relax on the properties we're staying at. We do have stuff planned for each island so should be a great mix.
I couldn't find it. Think I found some aftermath stuff.. but nothing with a fight there. Hated seeing teh famous one in Magic Kingdom outside Philarmagic or whatever that thing is called.
Cutting lines.. complaining about someone doing it.. and a huge fight over it. Why? Why any of it? Cutting lines buys you NOTHING on at least half the attractions.. especially the theater ones. You all get in at the same time! It would be a miracle if you got in front of the last people who would have gotten into a show.
People have long forgotten the golden rule. But I also think Disney's absurdly high prices puts a lot of pressure on families to get as much as they can from their visit. And they need the extra money so they can waste it in Hollywood making bad TV and movies and still pay the execs ridiculous bonuses.
This will most likely be our 1 and only Hawaii trip. We have decided that we will do Disney one year and most likely an international trip the next. Since we will use our Disney points in Hawaii I count that as one of the Disney trips.
We are taking a 4 day Disney cruise next year so I can see if we like it and we might add cruises into the mix. My wife and I don’t drink so that might take some of the cruise enjoyment away.
Are you going with grandkids? We stayed next to Aulani at the Four Season. They share the same lagoon in Ko Olina (which is manmade, but a great way for families to enjoy the pacific ocean without the safety concerns).
What is your plan for the vacation? Get out and see the island or chill at the resort. You can fill 10 days on Oahu with sights and experiences in a blink of an eye.
The big island seems cool, especially if you want to see an active volcano! LOL.
Never did a cruise in my life (nor has my wife). However, if we ever decide to try one, it would be via Disney.
Yes taking our granddaughter
I want half the trip for sightseeing and the rest for relaxing basically at a nice resort
This is a test for us. Not sure we will do many.
I no longer drink and don’t eat like I used to.
I think my cruise era was probably 35 to 40 years ago
Okay, my formal recommendation (for what it is worth - LOL!) is to stay on Oahu and not island hop with the little one. She will love Aulani. The pool area is epic and includes a lazy river. And she will be in awe of the island and sights. You will need to rent a car so you can drive around (at least for a few days). Ko Olina is super nice and convenient since there is a nice shopping area and ABC grocery story across the street from the resorts. Book a fancy dinner at Noe at the Four Seasons.....outdoor Italian dining.
Aulani has a great family luau and a few good restaurants including a character breakfast. As for Oahu itself, I can list 20 amazing things off the top of my head for families. Just depends on your preferences.
One more thing, just north of Aulani and the Four Seasons is Paradise Cove - location of another luau and also an awesome natural "lagoon" that's very good for families. Good place to practice snorkeling. Sea turtles are common visitors to the swallow waters. Super short walk from the resorts.
Last edited:
Heading to WDW in 2 weeks (daughter's spring break is early). Staying 8 nights at Bay Lake Tower. Going to be trying out the new premium lighting lane passes.
After we return, will start booking a 2026 trip to Hawaii, so covering both topics in this thread! LOL.
After we return, will start booking a 2026 trip to Hawaii, so covering both topics in this thread! LOL.
Bay Lake is great.. monorail access to other resorts and Epcot as well as easy walk or monorail to Magic Kingdom. Villain lounge at rooftop is kinda cool if the sun is not making it a sauma.. Steakhouse 71 at The Contemporary has the best burger.. though I have to day the new Polynesian Tower restaurant burger may just take the crown. Fireworks views from Bay Lake are great too.
Have a great time. Oh.. by the way, tomorrow, I think, Gaurdians ride in Epcot will be changed from that 7AM boarding group reservation lottery to a standard line. Great indoor coaster if you've never been.
Did you think about doing LLPP instead of LLMP and LLSP? It's expensive but you are most likely the demographic that would purchase it
Hopefully you will get one of the recent refurbished rooms at BLT.
Should be a blast! BLT has become our go-to resort due to its convenient location. Also, a solid pool area.
Restaurants booked:
Tony's Town Square (MK)
Prime Time 50s Cafe (HS)
Garden Grill (Epcot)
Via Napoli (Epcot) - booked twice!
Cinderella's Royal Table (MK)
Be Our Guest (MK)
'Ohana (Poly)
Yachtman's Steakhouse (Yacht and Beach Resort)
Liberty Tree Tavern (MK)
California Grill (Contemporary)
Boma (AK Lodge)
We love Steakhouse 71 and normally get it for breakfast or lunch (they have takeout service for BLT guests).
Yes, I will be buying LLPP for 7 of our 8 days (not the first night). Beyond getting LL reservations for every ride, being able to do everything without a schedule is the real value is for us. The passes are crazy expensive, but having them will feel like "old times" when you weren't tied to your phone and clock. Just do what you want when you want.
Also, you can still buy LLSP along with LLPP, so in the MK, we can double up on Tron and Mine Train. Same with Guardians in Epcot.
Yes, BLT is going through the rehab. We thought about Beach Club Villas (which is where my wife and I would stay pre-little one). However, she is still very MK-focused, so BLT is too good to pass up.
I may be booking a last minute trip to DW to meet some family. I have certain status with Marriott where I'd like to stick with them. Are any of the DW properties besides The Swan and The Dolphin feasible to stay at transportation wise to the parks? I didn't plan on renting a car.
If I’m understanding your question correctly - if you stay on property you get access to the bus system. Super efficient but doesn’t take you to local shopping for food etc.
Yeah I could have worded that better haha. Do you know if there are any other Marriott properties that include the Disney bus system or only Swan/Dolphin? Looks like some of the other properties might be close to Disney Springs so not sure if those are a good option.
I don't think so. The Four Seasons has some buses of their own. Maybe the hotels near Disney Springs on Hotel Plaza Blvd, but I don't think any are Marriotts.
The Swam/Dolphin are the only non-Disney resorts truly integrated into WDW. Why? This is a long and fascinating story. :)
I haven't been to DW in 10 years so wasn't sure if anything changed in that regard. I think there is a Renaissance that might be on Hotel Plaza BLVD so I will look into that one. I know a few others were on the western side but they didn't seem like an option at all. Might just have to be Swan or Dolphin.
Swan and Dolphin are also within walkable distance to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Very good location!
Yes stayed there in the past but was trying to do this one for as cheap as possible. I have fam that lives in Boston so only really going to hang out with them! Love their location though.
Boycotting the board and sports in general until the networks remove the broads from the sidelines
Sorry to disappoint both Dave and Chris but I have been following for months as I am a RUTGERS guy always. For many the vitriol continues. You can rest assure it was my choice to not post for probably 6 months. When you just watch this board ( and there are many great posters) you actually realize people are always going to have an opinion. For Tom1944 Big Island is very much old school culture. Slower paced and quite interesting based upon the Volcanoes like Kilauea and Monaloa. . Kona -Kailua has a great little town vibe. Next up Disney again… could not disappoint my grand daughter . GO RUTGERS … ALWAYS.
Great to hear from you. Heading to WDW in 2 weeks. Back to Oahu next March. :)
And unfortunately, RU blows, as usual.
Have a great trip… I agree crazy opinion but for us after 18 trips and all the the islands in Hawaii … Oahu is our favorite …just explore and you have multiple great beaches, golf courses , food and entertainment for the entire family. Will try for a return in 2026 but one day at a time . Going in for inguinal hernia surgery and if we have a good outcome🙏 then I can get back to hopefully some more strenuous activities. Rutgers is disappointing for sure but after 58 years we have seen worse.
Good luck on the surgery! Love Oahu. We were there for 8 nights last year and barely scratched the surface on what to see and do. Can't wait to return.
Went to Disney in November for my son’s bday and stayed at art of animation. Took a vacation club tour of the refurbished rooms at BLT . They were so nice and the location is perfect . Finally made the decision to purchase DVC after contemplating for several years. Direct from Disney was pretty expensive so we got a nice deal on resale . Chose BLT as our home resort and just booked our first trip for 5 nights during Halloween .
Similar threads
Latest posts
-
If you think Rutgers season hurt Ace and Dylan's draft stock...- Latest: -RUFAN4LIFE-
-
-
