Today we are continuing the series on the Best Disney Resort Hotels! This time, we’re focusing on theming. See past polls on Dining and Location.
I’m hoping this poll will be relatively straightforward, but by all means, feel free to surprise me with your controversies!
Once again, I have split the poll into three sections - please vote in each poll. And remember to comment below with more detailed thoughts.
Which Disney Resort Hotel has the best theming?
Poll 1: Deluxe / DVC
Animal Kingdom Lodge
Beach Club
Boardwalk Inn
Contemporary
Galactic Starcruiser
Grand Floridian
Old Key West
Polynesian Village
Riviera
Saratoga Springs
Swan/Dolphin
Wilderness Lodge
Yacht Club
0voters
Poll 2: Moderate
Caribbean Beach
Coronado Springs
Fort Wilderness Cabins
Port Orleans French Quarter
Port Orleans Riverside
0voters
Poll 3: Value
All-Star Movies
All-Star Music
All-Star Sports
Art of Animation
Pop Century
0voters
Feel free to use whatever criteria you see fit to determine how you answer the question. Please vote even if you haven’t stayed at all or any of the resorts! Any option that gets at least 15% of the vote in the respective poll will move on to Round 2.
Jeff's Official Polling Rules for Cynics and Skeptics
In case of a tournament, the following protocols will be followed:
All voters are eligible to participate regardless of their familiarity with the various options
Voters may cast or change their vote as desired until the poll is closed (generally timed)
The first option to receive over 50% in any round upon closing of the poll is deemed the winner
The percentage displayed by the forum software will be deemed the official result, regardless of the absolute number of votes cast (i.e., rounding differences may be decisive)
If no option receives over 50%, additional rounds will be held
All options receiving 15% or more will advance to the next round
If all options have received 15% or more, the option receiving the lowest % of the vote will be eliminated
In the case of a tie, the option receiving the higher % in the previous round will advance
If there is still a tie after following the above rules, the option listed first by the forum software in the results will advance
All results are final – no recounts, re-dos, challenges, or complaints will be accepted; however, discussion and debate is welcome.
So I only voted from the places I’ve been so far…after I visit SWGS I might change my mind! LOL. I have never stayed at PO so went with CSR though honestly Fort Wilderness was a tough choice for me there because they are vastly different. Fort Wilderness is beautiful but it’s more natural beauty and not Disney theming per say so I chose CSR. The values is a duh choice.
Deluxe was hard bc AKL, WL, and Poly are all phenomenal. Ultimately I went with Poly bc you really feel transported there. Everywhere you look, every sound you hear, even the longhouse lobbies and hallways are themed. WL is great, but I do feel like it misses something. Can’t put my finger on it. AKL doesn’t have that WOW factor pulling into the resort so that’s the major ding for it for me. Also the hallways are meh.
These are the three I was choosing between as well.
I really like Poly, but ultimately I think the theming is not quite authentic enough for me to give it the best theming award. But it is one of my favorite resorts overall.
Wilderness Lodge is beautiful and majestic. Love it.
For me, the lobby at Jambo House is absolutely a “Wow!” But then you have the actual animals on the savanna and that puts it over the top. There’s no other resort that has something equivalent.
I considered the Starcruiser, and that is extremely well themed, and I’m a huge Star Wars fan … but real animals ekes it out over pretend space. (Also the pretend space is very small lol.)
Caribbean beach just has the most cohesive and realistic feel for me. Coronado is a mix of 4 different styles, POR has 2. FQ would be 2nd, but that pirate ship pool at CBR wins for me. Also all their restaurants and such are just way more themed to the resort.
I think Sports has the most on theming around the resort. On the buildings, all the statues, the football field, and baseball diamond pool…
I want to throw a token comment in for Beach Club. I love the feel of the resort, even though the theming is pretty shallow. I feel home while I’m there in a way that I don’t feel anywhere else. It’s just very comfortable. OKW has a similar feel.
Deluxe was easier for me because I have except Galactic Starcruiser and OKW. But I haven’t been to either PO resort, two of the allstars or pop so those were harder in that there are less of them overall so not being to 2 or 3 is like half the choices…
For Deluxe it went something like this for me:
AKL - I just have never experienced anything like this resort. It’s 100% unique to me. I have never been to Africa so I have no idea its authenticity but waking up to zebras playing with deer was just unbeatable…the animals and quiet of this resort just take it above and beyond any amount of theming anywhere else. Live frakking animals…you just can’t top that! LOL
Poly - is just a meh for me. Now I’ve been to Hawaii (two of the islands) and French Polynesia (five different islands) and this resort is not authentic at all. It’s hokey.
Wilderness Lodge - this one is beautiful and I do love it but it’s lacking animals!
Galactic Starcruiser - I can comment in June on how I feel about this but not yet
Contemporary - this is my least favorite deluxe. I do not like the 70s mod vibe at all. It’s just not me honestly but for those that do I’m sure Disney did it well.
Beach Club - meh, does it even really have theming…it doesn’t remind me of being at a beach at all
Boardwalk - This would be 2nd fave after AKL. I love the theming here except for the freaky nanny chairs of course.
Grand Floridian - Beautiful resort probably in my top 3 after AKL and BW
OKW - never been
Riviera - I like this resort but it’s not really super themed to the Riveria though it is very modern and breezy.
Saratoga Springs - I loved the treehouses here
Swan/Dolphin - they’re honestly not bad hotels but they feel like hotels and not resorts
Yacht Club - better than Beach, does actually feel like a Yacht Club
Moderates:
POFQ - never been
FWCabins - I adore Fort Wilderness, it’s way up there for me and next moderate I do will be to try out the cabin itself but the grounds are gorgeous
CSR - The Tower and Three Bridges really make this place for me.
CBR - I went as a kid but I remember it feeling campy motelish even then
POR - never been
Value:
AoA - is handsdown better than ASMusic by leaps and bounds and those are the only two I’ve been to.
ASMovies - never been
Pop - never been
ASSports - never been
ASMusic - easily the worst Disney resort I’ve visited.
As a fairly strict textualist, I take the question of best theme literally to be “the greatest and most desirable theme” which just ends up as my personal favorite theme rather than best-implemented theme or with regard to level/amount of theming using some objective metric, for which I would answer completely differently (at least for Deluxe). I like Poly, but it would be AKL (possibly followed by WL) if interpreted the other way.
Related to my previous post, the thread title says “theming” but the actual question before making the choices says “theme”. The former indicates action, implementation, or execution of a motif, while the latter is the unifying idea or motif itself. There are two separate questions merged into one. Which one each person decides to answer can have significant impact on the results. They may lead one to the same answer, but not necessarily.
Galactic Star Cruiser should not be included. Its not a hotel. Its an experience.
There are literally Equity Actors walking around to create an experience beyond simple hotel theming.
While I know the “production” involves sleeping in a room… it is not fair to compare it against any of the other hotels.
Tell me I’m wrong… (wouldn’t be the first time).
I think AK Lodge has a great theme… and I am not even including the savannahs and wildlife in my opinion-i think it stands on its own, even without that feature…WL is a close second…
Okay, as a reformed English major, this is why you all keep me coming back here. This is a masterpiece.
Also, I object to the star cruiser being included in the Deluxe catagory. It is an all inclusive something or tiher that is not the se thing as a Deluxe Resort.
