Best Resort for last time without kids?

[terussell18]

My husband and I are planning what will probably be our last Disney trip without kids! The only resort we have stayed at is Animal Kingdom Lodge as I am a big animal person! I have watched so many videos and read up on nearly all of the resorts. We really want to stay club level; my first options were the Grand Floridian and the Contemporary, but I keep hearing that the Grand Floridian isn't as grand as it seems, which really makes me sad! Epcot is his favorite park and mine is Animal Kingdom, so staying close to those would be nice. I thought maybe the Boardwalk would be a good option but the pool doesn't seem the nicest. I am just at a loss but really don't want to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge again! Any suggestions for resorts that are more adult friendly? Thanks!

 

[`OhanaHare]

Polynesian or Yacht Club.

 

[focusondisney]

Yacht Club. Although it shares the pool with the BC & BC villas, so there are lots of kids at the pool. The hotel is quieter & the CL seems to have more adults than kids.

 

[terussell18]

We also just absolutely love the food at AKL and I'm just wondering if other resorts will be able to match it! But if we are staying close to Epcot I suppose we could walk to the many food options there...

 

[sethschroeder]

Boardwalk with Boardwalk View

It's great to walk in to Epcott for dinners, watch the entertainment on the Boardwalk, and be within walking distance of Hollywood Studios.

Beach Club and Yatchclub would be very similar though.

 

[SamanthaH]

I concur with the Boardwalk Inn (boardwalk/water view). There is something special about the view, especially in the evening when the carnival performers come out, and the lights from the YC across the lake sparkle on the water. I think the view makes up for the quirky clown pool. This would be my vote. I think it would be nice to have dinners at Epcot. After kids, you may be spending more of your time at the MK, at least when they are little.

I do think the GF is grand, especially around the holidays. Not sure about the reviews. The views from club level CR are awesome as well! I know there are many YC fans, but I found the theming a little too subdued by Disney standards. The rooms have been recently refurbished, and the pool is one of the best on property, so I’ll give it that.

Enjoy your last trip without kids..... (at least for awhile). I am taking my last trip with kids this summer as they are moving on to college this fall. Back to Disney with just the husband thereafter!

 

[Disneypro1]

For us....we would want nostalgia Our first was all star Music. So go where you first went on property with the kids.....Once we go when they are grown up? Time will tell. They are 13-11

 

[DisneyWishes14]

If EP and AK are your favorite parks and you don't want to do AKL again, I would do CL in the EP resort area. For an adults-only trip, we love Yacht Club. It's quieter than BWI and BC and has been recently refurbished. It's really lovely. Honestly, you can't go wrong with any of the EP resorts. GF CL is lovely, IMHO, but if you aren't visiting MK a lot, it's not convenient.

 

[Lynne M]

We also just absolutely love the food at AKL and I'm just wondering if other resorts will be able to match it! But if we are staying close to Epcot I suppose we could walk to the many food options there...

If you stay in the Epcot area, you'll never want for restaurant options, even without going into Epcot. YC, BC, BW, Swan and Dolphin are all within easy walking distance of each other, and each one has several table service restaurants and lounges, with counter service places as well. There's boat service between all of those resorts if you don't feel like walking.

 

[holden]

We stayed in the main building (I think it's called the Royal Palm Club) club level at the GF and loved it! The staff was wonderful and the food/drinks were awesome! We've also stayed club level at Wilderness Lodge. That was a great experience too.

As far as proximity to AK and EP, a Minnie Van makes those parks much closer! If you are splurging anyway I'd recommend using the Minnie Vans.

 

[buzznina]

Not sure where you heard about GF but I TOTALLY disagree with it. Of all the resorts we found GF to be exactly that"grand". If not going with GF then I would say an Epcot resort, BC or BW.

 

[westie55]

My husband and I went to Yacht Club on our last trip without kids. I was pregnant with my oldest. YC is nice because you can walk to the world showcase and you can also stroll over to the Boardwalk in the evening. Yachtsman Steakhouse is great for a date night. I also happen to love Cape May's seafood buffet. I think YC is a good suggestion although I have stayed at GF and we love it. It has great restaurants and being on the monorail makes it convenient to go to restaurants at the other resorts. California Grill is my favorite date night spot in all of Disney. Get a table during the fireworks.

 

[YesterDark]

Man, a trip without kids. What's that like.

 

[foodiddiedoo]

Stayed RPC at GF last year and it was awesome! Also, being a single elevator ride to the monorail was great. The club in the main building was a great place to hang out and I felt "grand" throughout my trip.

 

[DisLiss]

I think what you both like is probably more important than the fact that you'll be without kids. Because my immediate response would be Beach or Yacht Club, because EPCOT is our favorite park and we love being able to walk or take a boat over to EPCOT. So for your DH, these might be great choices, but I'm not sure they'll seem as spectacular for you.


As for the Grand...I too have been hearing and seeing more comments lately all of which seem to be pointing to a need to for Disney to work on the look and service of the Grand. And they are not all coming from the same person/group, but different people with different complaints. So while I have not been there myself personally, even if I wasn't such a huge fan of being at an EPCOT resort, I would be wary of trying the Grand Floridian right now, as well.

 

[reluctantredhead]

I would strongly recommend staying in one of the garden cottages at BWI. H and I fell in love with them after staying in one on a complimentary upgrade last year. Club level access is included with your room (and the lounge food offerings are among the best at WDW IMHO), and the cottages are located right across from the quiet pool, so it almost feels like you have your own private pool in your front yard! The rooms are two-story and very quiet and private, and include a fantastic large bathtub, a living room downstairs, and a downstairs half bath as well. As a bonus, these rooms can often be found at a nice discount. And of course, you are very close to EP and the other EP hotels, so you have lots of great food options within easy walking distance.

If you decide to go with a MK area resort instead, the deluxe king honeymoon rooms in the Main Building at the GF are also very nice -- they have a jacuzzi tub and access to RPC, which IMHO has the very best CL food offerings at Disney. These rooms don't quite have the same ultra-private feel as the BWI garden cottages, but the RPC is amazing to sit and relax in and listen to the music drifting up from the lobby, and the resort is gorgeous.

Certainly there are lots of other incredibly nice resorts and rooms at WDW, but those are the two we'd choose from if budget wasn't a concern and if it was a last trip without kids for a while. Have fun making your decision, and have a magical trip!

 

[Little E]

I have to give some feedback regarding the GF without kids. DH, DSs, and I have been to WDW many times, and we've stayed at a variety of values, mods, and deluxe resorts and had a fabulous time on every trip.

However, DH and I had the opportunity to travel kid-free for a long weekend in November of 2016 and we stayed at GF...our first and only time staying there. It was very grand! The lobby alone was dreamy...it smells like tiny dancing angels when you walk inside! We loved the convenience of being on the monorail, we loved the restaurants at the GF including their QS restaurant. We spent time at the pool midday and we found it to be very chill, and the folks at the pool bar were very attentive. We found the CMs absolutely delightful everywhere we went at the GF. We stayed in a regular king room in one of the outer buildings. The walk to the pool and restaurants was quick, and our hallway was absolutely quiet and peaceful.

If the GF is in your budget, I would highly recommend it for a kid free trip!

 

[Axel]

If you both enjoy EPCOT, definitely go with Yacht Club. I mean, what better way to enjoy a kidless time at EPCOT than by being able to walk back to your room at night without having to cram onto crowded buses or boats? Plus, I've always found YC/BC to have a very relaxing and laid-back atmosphere that's very similar to the GF, but without all the crowds going to check out the building/grounds. Plus, the pool is awesome.

 

[chippydale33]

Yacht Club! Balconies for almost every room, incredibly convenient to the food at Epcot, and incredible pool for adults and kids alike! That's what we're doing for our honeymoon.

 

[GoingSince1990]

Grand Floridian main building concierge, and be sure to eat at Victoria and Albert’s.