Your 1st choice Disney hotel?

[eeyorefanuk]

amazed no one likes the newport bay - I loved it there.

 

[Roon]

The thing I didn't like at the Cheyanne was the plastic bowls at breakfast. Proper crockery makes all the difference.

 

[jillrobinson]

We had a fantastic stay at the Newport Bay, but 2 disappointing ones at SL.
My favourite so far is HNY closely followed by NPB, but I would consider a return to the newly refurbished SL next year.
I don't think I would stay at Santa Fe or Cheyenne again, going back to Cheyenne after the HNY was a mistake, OH and the boys didn't mind but I found myself finding faults, including the plastic dishes mentioned above, many of them with someone else's cereals still stuck to the bowl, the help yourself yoghurt and tinned fruit salad, dirty cutlery, I will admit that I'm really anal about cutlery, I blame that on working in a dental surgery, where everything has to be scrupulously clean, checked and double checked, before it goes anywhere near a mouth.
Availability of a swimming pool doesn't come into it for us, we've never managed to find time get to the pool.
I've chosen the Dream Castle for our next trip, because I think it will come closest to our HNY stay but at a fraction of the cost, we'll see.

 

[davewasbaloo]

I would say on experience:

Santa Fe - used to be the choice for us if on a budget, but now partner hotels have opened at a fraction of the price, no point staying here. Never liked it much anyway, and had some aweful experiences here too with mold, dirty room, broken fans etc.

Cheyenne - well themed, needs a refurb, and overpriced

Sequoia Lodge - stayed here several times over the years and never had a bad stay, but it has been years and I heard it was getting run down. Thankfully they are refurbing. Shame they ruined the place by turning the sublime Hunter's Grill into a stupid buffet, with dirty handed people touching the food.

NBC -3 stays, one in Admiral's floor. All of them poor value for money. This hotel does not have enough cast members, lifts, or dining space for a hotel of it's size. Beautiful to look at, poor stay.

Hotel New York - Used to be the hotel of choice with great service, sadly when the Empire State Floor reopened, this all seemed to go. 2 really disappointing stays last 2 times, with moldy hot chocolate, broken lights and speakers, broken phone jack, noisy. Also disappointing how they have ruined the dining here and the room service menu is poor. Also bell services are virtually non existent.

DLH - the only one that offers Disney quality service. Sadly, it is hideously expensive compared to similar hotels.

Personally I find that the Dream Castle, Radisson SAS and the Marriott Vacation Club all offer far superior quality accommodation and services. And to us that is more important. After 55 trips to DLP, 100's to DL in Calfornia (inc the wonderful Grand Californian), and stayed in WDW at the Poly, Contemporary, Boardwalk, Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and Dixie Landings (at the time, now Port Orleans Riverside), coupled with 15 year of living in hotels for work, I refuse to pay the prices DIsney demand just for proximity. If they can return the hotels to compete with the quality of the other resorts and quality chains, then I may return.

If someone has to be on site, then I recommend DLH 1st, HNY 2nd, SL 3rd and Cheyenne last. The others I recommend skipping altogether.