Welcome to the world where adults can have an unmatched vacation at Disney, the deluxe resorts are a world apart, as well as being right in the middle of the Magic.
The biggest advantage to the Deluxe resorts is the restaurants, lounges, and entertainment. You can stay in a Deluxe at Disney and have a great vacation without visiting the parks (you probably will visit the park). Let’s take a look at the resorts by location.
First up is Laura’s favorite resort The Animal Kingdom Lodge.! This resort is situated in the African Savana (of Florida), Zebra, Giraffes, and all sorts of animals are right outside your window. With the right rooms, you will have a balcony. Imagine a lovely G & T on the balcony at sunset. Perfection!!
Without going to the Theme park, there are 4 Restaurants and 2 lounges within the Animal Kingdom Lodge, along with a fast service restaurant. Jiko and Saana are 2 t sit-down restaurants that specialize in African-style food. Saana has a bread service that is remarkable, I know folks who have that for dinner. Boma is buffet style, the best buffet you have ever had. They have dishes from all around the Continent. If you have picky eaters I promise at all of these restaurants you will find something to love.
For a magical drinking experience try The Capetown bar. Right above Boma, it is a quiet oasis that is casually elegant.
The Animal Kingdom Lodge is located right beside The Animal Kingdom theme park, It is the furthest resort from all the other parks, you will need to take a rideshare to go to any other hotel, It is inconvenient to use Disney Transportation for anything other than visiting Theme parks or Disney Springs.
Next up The Magic Kingdom Deluxe Hotels.
At the gate of the Magic Kingdom sit 2 Legendary hotels, there from the beginning of Walt Disney World, with unique storytelling and epic design. The Contemporary and The Polynesian. Both on the Monorail these are 2 of the fastest to fill up hotels on property. The Monorail resorts also include the late comer Grand Floridian, I will get to that resort later. The Poly and Contemporary are as different as can be. The Contemporary feels like a futuristic spaceport. It can be loud and crowded and is beloved by children. It has a walking trail to the Magic Kingdom Park! If you want to stay here look for a room in the Bay Lake Tower facing the lagoon, this can give you downtime in the most Disney Hotel of all.
A can’t miss special occasion restaurant is the California Grill. Make your reservations as soon as you can. At the top of the Contemporary with a stunning view of the Magic Kingdom. Set your dining time right and watch the fireworks from the restaurant. Wow! Sell one of the kids before you go or get loan papers when you check in, they are proud of the food and have every right to be! This is a memorable meal and one you will repeat on subsequent visits. Chef Mickey’s for quick service if you have a need to see children, I would rather take the monorail to Poly (Kona Grill) and eat there. There are a couple of Bars at the Contemporary but they are best to check off if you do the Monorail Drinking tour (I meant eating). If you or a friend have a DVC (Disney Vacation Club) card head over to Bay Lake Tower and visit the Top of the World lounge. This is Adulting at its finest. It’s worth buying into the DVC just for this perk. A 360 view of WDW and Orlando. Wonderful cocktails, top-notch staff, and another great place to see fireworks. This is the perfect end to the Monorail drinking tour (or so I have been told).
The Polynesian Hotel is themed after the South Pacific. With a wonderful pool and great views of the Magic Kingdom, this is a favorite for a lot of reasons. The Lobby is a great spot to waste some time, an inauspicious restaurant is the Kona Cafe, Great for all meals, Kona coffee by the cup, and lots of interesting food items. We usually hit the Kona Cafe a couple of times each visit regardless of where we are staying. The Tambu Lounge is sneaky good and will suck you in for bar snacks and one too many cocktails if you are not careful. This bar is like sitting in paradise. For a more Disney Bar experience go to Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto, fun, lively, and a lot of back and forth between you and the staff. Lots of Pacific-themed cocktails and the occasional thunder storm.
The last of the Magic Kingdom Deluxe Hotels is the Wilderness Lodge. This lodge is neither on the Monorail nor in walking distance to the Magic Kingdom but lives on the boat route. I love Disney boats (my future career). From here you can get to all the Magic Kingdom resorts and Theme park. Outside of the Boats, it is busses everywhere else. A keeper here is Gyser Point restaurant. By the pool and Bay Lake, it is an outdoor restaurant and bar. It is a great place to wait out a thunderstorm or wait for sunset. Good bar food and drinks, kill a couple of hours here. Whispering Canyon Cafe is a down-home family-style restaurant and Storybook at Artist Point is character dining that can be missed without the kids.
Coming next is the Epcot Resorts and a brief trip to the Rivera. Act 3 will be my thoughts on some perfect days at the resort.
