Here's where I love to hear about other resorts and what makes it so dear to your heart..CBR on our first visit was just ok..Then POFQ on our second trip was really nice,but on our third,fourth,and fifth visit we fell in love with PORS..The grounds are beautiful, the food court is great with a huge variety,the shop is awesome,and of course the Sassagoula river beckons you to sail down it...So this year I'am really so excited to be staying at WL..
We are a tight budget family so thus far we have stayed in the value resorts. We love pop over the all star resorts because it does not share a bus in general so getting back and forth from the parks is alto easier. We also like that in a pinch we can jump the AOA bus if that line is easier. We are looking at moderate and could lean toward pofq but still debating the dollar differences. Sine we are still park focused the rooms are not a major priority. Our mouse keepers have always been very good but the one this last trip actually caught us leaving our room to thank us with a big hug for our thank you notes and tips. So we feel the staff we have encountered have been very special even for a value. The values do offer some special magic as well. Our best picture from this trip with mickey was a surprise visit at the hippie dippy pool while he was walking Pluto.
We are a tight budget family so thus far we have stayed in the value resorts. We love pop over the all star resorts because it does not share a bus in general so getting back and forth from the parks is alto easier. We also like that in a pinch we can jump the AOA bus if that line is easier. We are looking at moderate and could lean toward pofq but still debating the dollar differences. Sine we are still park focused the rooms are not a major priority. Our mouse keepers have always been very good but the one this last trip actually caught us leaving our room to thank us with a big hug for our thank you notes and tips. So we feel the staff we have encountered have been very special even for a value. The values do offer some special magic as well. Our best picture from this trip with mickey was a surprise visit at the hippie dippy pool while he was walking Pluto.
Couldn't agree more..
My favorite is POFQ. It is small but not too small. Has only one bus stop. It has a wonderful boat ride to Downtown Disney. You can take a nice walk along the waterway to POR. It has a wonderful carriage ride. It is my favorite of all the Moderates. And I have stayed at them all. I do like POR as I have stayed there but POFQ is my favorite.
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My favorite is POFQ. It is small but not too small. Has only one bus stop. It has a wonderful boat ride to Downtown Disney. You can take a nice walk along the waterway to POR. It has a wonderful carriage ride. It is my favorite of all the Moderates. And I have stayed at them all. I do like POR as I have stayed there but POFQ is my favorite.
The waterway... 
You mean the almighty Sassagoula River..LOL..That's like saying the Grand Canyon is a wee hole in the ground..Love your description.. 
Wilderness Lodge is our favorite resort. We love walking in to the lobby, especially in the winter when a fire is in the fireplace. We've always been lucky and gotten a woodland view or waterview (not pool view). Before the trees grew, we could easily watch the fireworks at MK from our balcony. We love going down to the docks and watching the EWP and then sitting there when it's done and everyone has gone. It's so peaceful and eerie at the same time. We stayed in rooms and villas; the villas really do feel like home. We love being able to walk to breakfast at Trail's End...peaceful and usually experience seeing deer, rabbits, etc...along the walk. Having the boats as a transportation option is nice too. On a warm/hot day, the boat can be a cool experience with the breeze as you ride.
I've only stayed at Pop and AS Sports but I prefer Pop because having its own designated bus line and AOA isn't too far away. I also want to add the decor at Pop. For me, the giant icons of pop culture bring back nostalgic memories though for me, it's the 90s that resonate with the giant floppy disks and the rise of computers and whatnot. My dream resort is the AKL and I think for me, the reasons why I want to stay there so badly is well aside from the food that is really tasty and also different, I really like the giant lobby at Jambo. It looks so amazing. It's definitely a lot larger than most lobbies. The pools look amazing and it has a great theme overall. I sincerely doubt I'll be able to go on African safari knowing how much I can't stand the heat no matter where I go so in a way, AKL maybe the closest I get to that experience. Maybe it's also the fact that yes, it's away from the MK and Epcot but maybe the isolation from the parks gives a more relaxed feeling.
"All my life I wonder how it feels to pass a day, not above them but part of them.
And out there living in the sun, give me one day out there, all I ask is one to hold forever. Out there where they all live unaware, what I'd give, what I'd dare, just to live one day out there."
When we visited in December, we went to every resort to see the Christmas decorations and it was such a wonderful feeling to walk back in to PORS. That was the first place that we ever stayed on property and it just feels like home. It's not my favorite on paper, but I felt so happy being back there because it brought back such wonderful memories of our first "real" trip! Since Saratoga is our home DVC resort, I can see us developing an affinity for it as well. We had a wonderful stay there in December and I really ended up loving it.
I really love all of the Disney resorts, but based on the public areas, themes, and locations, the ones I am most looking forward to trying in the future are Boardwalk, Polynesian, Grand Floridian, and Wilderness Lodge.
Be good at something. It makes you valuable. Have something to bring to the table because that will make you more welcome. --Randy Pausch
Trip Reports:
December 2013: 10th Anniversary, 1st DVC Stay | April 2014: Birthday on the Boardwalk | May 2014: Star Wars Weekend, Navigating WDW with a wheelchair | August 2014: Villains Unleashed | September/October 2014: MNSSHP, F&W, Tower of Terror 10-miler | March/April 2015: Disneyland and California Coastal Cruise | November 2015: Wine & Dine Half, Food & Wine, 1st Disney Cruise | February 2016: Presidential Classic Gymnastics Meet | March 2016: "Work" Trip, Tours, F&G Festival | April 2016: Conference at Disneyland | Fall 2016: Festive Fall Fun | January 2017: Festival of the Arts | May 2017: AbD Backstage Magic | July 2017: AbD San Francisco | Sorry I had to give up doing trip reports. Too many time commitments right now.
kathys wrote:My favorite is POFQ. It is small but not too small. Has only one bus stop. It has a wonderful boat ride to Downtown Disney. You can take a nice walk along the waterway to POR. It has a wonderful carriage ride. It is my favorite of all the Moderates. And I have stayed at them all. I do like POR as I have stayed there but POFQ is my favorite.
The waterway... You mean the almighty Sassagoula River..LOL..That's like saying the Grand Canyon is a wee hole in the ground..Love your description..
Just glad to make you smile. LOL
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From the Beach Club you can walk to two parks. You are in walking distance to the dining options of the Beach Club, Yacht Club, Boardwalk, Swan and Dolphin and World Showcase. And you have exclusive access to the best pool and pool area in all the realm.
But it sucks. Don't stay there.
See my Disney Photography at...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rt_images/
DVC owner since 2002 BCV/BWV/BLT/VGC
Wilderness Lodge is our favorite. The lobby is amazing. We love the geyser and the boat to the Magic Kingdom. Also it has Artist Point one of our favorite restaurants. The woods view is wonderful, sitting out on your little deck with a drink is heaven. My dream resort is Animal Kingdom Lodge. Someday I will get the DH to agree to venture beyond WL and take a walk on the wild side! 
I love AKL! It feels peaceful, other worldly. It is so relaxing, and it love the immersion into African culture. The CMs from Africa are awesome, as well as the art.
our favorite resort is the poly, but due to cost we don't get to stay there too often but the atmosphere is so relaxing and laid back which is great after a crazy day in the parks, but as far as convenience we love either the boardwalk or the beach club villas for the same reasons the colonel gave
"You're dead if you aim only for kids. Adults are only kids grown up, anyway."
--Walt Disney--
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From the Beach Club you can walk to two parks. You are in walking distance to the dining options of the Beach Club, Yacht Club, Boardwalk, Swan and Dolphin and World Showcase. And you have exclusive access to the best pool and pool area in all the realm.
But it sucks. Don't stay there.
Right now I'm such a park commando that the resort is legit just for sleeping and showering, so I'm a Pop! girl because dedicated bus service, good food court, and easy access to AoA which also has a good food court and dedicated bus service (that I can use if Pop lines get too long - which they sometimes do). I wouldn't mind slightly more comfy beds but I'm cool with it.
As I get older I'm sure I'll be more willing to spend more on resorts as they may become more than just sleep and shower rooms, and I can see myself loving POFQ from the moderates, and Beach Club/Boardwalk from the deluxes. But for right now I love the Pop. 
When we dined at Jiko way back in 2010, we had a wee peek around AKL and yes the lobby was breathtaking,and the only reason I opted for WL over it ( both resorts were offering a 40% discount ) was the location of WL..To me WDW is MK and apart from not being a big game hunter, I have yet to visit WL in my travels..Now I get to stay in it for 12 nights...To be honest the only deluxes that didn't wow me were The Contemporary and The Poly..I visited both and didn't fall for any of them..Then again, I suppose if we all liked the same resort,it would be a wee bit on the busy side..LOL..
When we visited in December, we went to every resort to see the Christmas decorations and it was such a wonderful feeling to walk back in to PORS.
This is an excellent idea! I am an absolute *phreak* for Christmas holiday decorations 
As to the topic, I don't actually have a "favorite" resort yet. While I took my mom and sister (d'oh, I actually forgot that trip LOL @ me!) in Dec 2012, we stayed at the Caribbean Beach resort and it was "okay." I've stayed at Coronado Resort (and will again, in about a week) it was just "okay" too...but I think that my memory is jaded due to it being a working-trip for my husband and I never got to see him the entire week. 
I remember that Coronado had a beautiful pool, but that the walk from our room to the food court/plaza was a bit of a haul.
I'm very glad that I found this site/forum, so I can start planning our anniversary trip that takes place in August. It will cost more, due to being 'high season' but for special occasions, it's worth it. 
We have only stayed at POR so far, in AB. We loved it, for all the same reasons that King Fergus said. Sometimes the bus was very busy, but we often hopped on the POFQ bus if there was no queue for it, and several times the driver would drop us off at POR after the POFQ drop off.
We have explored a fair few resorts for character meals and I think the one that appeals the most to me is the Polynesian in terms of decor and theming and it has our favourite restaurant, O'Hana.
But from a location point of view I think the BC/YC and BW win, we have 4nts at the Beach Club in November and a night at AoA. The only value that appeals to me is AoA, I don't like the look of the other values at all.
Funnily enough the GF doesn't appeal to me at all, it feels too stuffy and not relaxed enough.
Always let your conscience be your guide....
DLP - 11 trips between 2006-2013
WDW - 4 trips between 1988-2011,
next Florida trip Oct/Nov 2014 - Magnificent Mega Month of Making Magical Memories - pre-trip report
alicemouse wrote:When we visited in December, we went to every resort to see the Christmas decorations and it was such a wonderful feeling to walk back in to PORS.
This is an excellent idea! I am an absolute *phreak* for Christmas holiday decorations
As to the topic, I don't actually have a "favorite" resort yet. While I took my mom and sister (d'oh, I actually forgot that trip LOL @ me!) in Dec 2012, we stayed at the Caribbean Beach resort and it was "okay." I've stayed at Coronado Resort (and will again, in about a week) it was just "okay" too...but I think that my memory is jaded due to it being a working-trip for my husband and I never got to see him the entire week.
I remember that Coronado had a beautiful pool, but that the walk from our room to the food court/plaza was a bit of a haul.
I'm very glad that I found this site/forum, so I can start planning our anniversary trip that takes place in August. It will cost more, due to being 'high season' but for special occasions, it's worth it.
At Coronado, the Cabanas and the Casitas sections are closer to the main building than the Ranchos, so if you request Cabanas or Casitas, you'll be closer. I think the closest you can get is Cabanas building 9A or B. We stayed in the Cabanas in April 2012 and it was super convenient. Disney can't guarantee room requests, but they are usually able to accommodate guest requests that are made when you do online check-in. Good luck!!
Be good at something. It makes you valuable. Have something to bring to the table because that will make you more welcome. --Randy Pausch
Trip Reports:
December 2013: 10th Anniversary, 1st DVC Stay | April 2014: Birthday on the Boardwalk | May 2014: Star Wars Weekend, Navigating WDW with a wheelchair | August 2014: Villains Unleashed | September/October 2014: MNSSHP, F&W, Tower of Terror 10-miler | March/April 2015: Disneyland and California Coastal Cruise | November 2015: Wine & Dine Half, Food & Wine, 1st Disney Cruise | February 2016: Presidential Classic Gymnastics Meet | March 2016: "Work" Trip, Tours, F&G Festival | April 2016: Conference at Disneyland | Fall 2016: Festive Fall Fun | January 2017: Festival of the Arts | May 2017: AbD Backstage Magic | July 2017: AbD San Francisco | Sorry I had to give up doing trip reports. Too many time commitments right now.
LyssaJ1 wrote:alicemouse wrote:When we visited in December, we went to every resort to see the Christmas decorations and it was such a wonderful feeling to walk back in to PORS.
This is an excellent idea! I am an absolute *phreak* for Christmas holiday decorations
As to the topic, I don't actually have a "favorite" resort yet. While I took my mom and sister (d'oh, I actually forgot that trip LOL @ me!) in Dec 2012, we stayed at the Caribbean Beach resort and it was "okay." I've stayed at Coronado Resort (and will again, in about a week) it was just "okay" too...but I think that my memory is jaded due to it being a working-trip for my husband and I never got to see him the entire week.
I remember that Coronado had a beautiful pool, but that the walk from our room to the food court/plaza was a bit of a haul.
I'm very glad that I found this site/forum, so I can start planning our anniversary trip that takes place in August. It will cost more, due to being 'high season' but for special occasions, it's worth it.
At Coronado, the Cabanas and the Casitas sections are closer to the main building than the Ranchos, so if you request Cabanas or Casitas, you'll be closer. I think the closest you can get is Cabanas building 9A or B. We stayed in the Cabanas in April 2012 and it was super convenient. Disney can't guarantee room requests, but they are usually able to accommodate guest requests that are made when you do online check-in. Good luck!!
Thank you, thank you! I just relayed the info to DH
Our absolute favourite are the cabins at Fort Wilderness. We loved the rustic feel of the place as well as having fun driving around the golf carts. Unfortunately staying there got too pricey so we opted to buy into the Disney Vacation Club. Our home resort is AKL but so far we have stayed at OKW due to smaller amount of points needed to stay longer. I love the decor and theme of AKL but I also love the peace and quiet of OKW. I guess it is a toss up for us.
Our absolute favourite are the cabins at Fort Wilderness. We loved the rustic feel of the place as well as having fun driving around the golf carts. Unfortunately staying there got too pricey so we opted to buy into the Disney Vacation Club. Our home resort is AKL but so far we have stayed at OKW due to smaller amount of points needed to stay longer. I love the decor and theme of AKL but I also love the peace and quiet of OKW. I guess it is a toss up for us.
I now own at both of those! Looking forward to my first OKW trip this December after Christmas. Quiet sounds delightful! 