Hey Everyone. I've enjoyed your discussion board as I'm planning a trip for my husband and me in April. I was a child when I last visited WDW and my husband has never been! I look foward to learning more and hopefully getting some advice. It will just be the two of us so I'm trying to plan somewhat of an "adult" trip although we are kids at heart.
Welcome 
Natalie, you will love it here, and the advice is free so ask away. Chances are someone will have the answer for you. Don't be shy or bashful.
Hey Everyone. I've enjoyed your discussion board as I'm planning a trip for my husband and me in April. I was a child when I last visited WDW and my husband has never been! I look foward to learning more and hopefully getting some advice. It will just be the two of us so I'm trying to plan somewhat of an "adult" trip although we are kids at heart.
Awesome! Welcome to board! Do you have any details settled yet?
We're all kids at heart, too! Congrats on your upcoming trip, Natalie. I can't wait to hear what you have planned.
Any ideas of where you're staying or what things you're hoping to do?
Welcome Natalie! This is a great place and loads of information available. If you can't find it here, someone can tell you were you can. My DW and I have been going without kids for years now and its great. Its the only place we go on vacation.
Hi Natalie and hubby! Welcome to the boards! 
This place is full of VERY nice folks who are extremely knowledgeable. Looking forward to chatting with you about planning (that's one of the best parts of the trip!)
May 2008 CSR
Hi Everyone! Thank you for the warm greetings 
. I'm so excited to have found you all!!! I know I will have a ton of questions along the way. Right now we are working on narrowing down our resort choices. It's so hard to decide. They all look wonderful!
When I was little, we stayed at Port Orleans so we're looking to do something different. I remember it being nice but that was a loooooong time ago. My husband and I appreicate nice resorts, but at the same time, I'm sure we'll want to spend most of our time inthe parks. He also spends about 75 nights each year in a Marriott so something a little more special would be nice.
Our main priorities right now are convenience to the parks (loving the ideal of the monorail) and we would prefer some sort of a view/nice room. We figured out the theme park view at the Contemporary is about $650 more for our stay vs the bay/lake view. I'm just not sure that fireworks are worth $650 especially when we are night owls and will probably be watching from one of the parks. I curious if there are other nice rooms at the Contemporary that are less expensive than the bay/lake view.
The Floridian is definitely out of reach and the Polynesian seems lovely, but is also quite a bit more expensive vs the Contemporary. The Polynesian theme probably aligns best with what we love though. I'm also pricing out Coronado Springs. It's about half the cost of the Contemporary for a week. I don't love that they cannot guarantee a view with a King sized bed and we aren't thrilled about dealing with a bus schedule.
We'll probably do the park hopper for most of the days we are there and we are considering the meal plan. It seems like a good value. My husband and I both work like crazy so we are all for convenience and simplicity. We would love any recommendations.
Sorry for the long post, but I'll be entertaining in-laws over the next week and may not get a chance to post for awhile. I'm excited to see what everyone has to say!
Hi Natalie! Welcome!
We can definitely help. Planning is what we all do really, really well 
Regarding hotel, I think the Contemporary idea is a good one for convenience and view. The Contemporary is the ONLY hotel from which you can walk to the Magic Kingdom, and the monorail is nice after a long day. I actually prefer the Bay Lake view to the Magic Kingdom view, so I would suggest going with that. There are also "garden wing" rooms at the Contemporary that are cheaper than the rooms in the big A-Frame tower building. That's a possibility, too. This web page has a good comparison of Tower Rooms vs. Garden Wing rooms at the Contemporary. The resort HAS been criticized for feeling too much like a regular hotel vs. a "Disney" hotel, because the theme is indeterminate. It feels like a snazzy, big city hotel, whereas other Disney hotels are focused on specific themes.
Another suggestion would be to look into the Epcot Resorts: Beach Club, Yacht Club, and Boardwalk. These are sometimes cheaper than the monorail resorts, and are the only other resorts in Disney World that enable you to walk to a park. In this case, you can walk to both Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios. Although we love staying in the Contemporary, the Epcot resorts are always a draw as well.
Finally, consider the Wilderness Lodge. It's cheaper than the monorail resorts and the Epcot resorts, has very pretty views, definitely feels like a Disney resort vs. a Marriott, and offers a relaxing boat ride to the Magic Kingdom.
No matter where you stay, consider renting a car. We find that it saves us LOTS of time and headache when it comes to travel throughout the parks and resorts. Also, when you break down how much you're paying per day and the time you're saving getting between parks and resorts, it's worth it.
Question: how long will you be staying? I'm asking, because if you're staying longer than 10 days or so, you might consider buying an annual pass in order to get some resort discounts.
Welcome, Natalie! I think you'll like these boards. It's a great group of people.
Gray
SoloFriendly.com
Natalie -- we love the Wilderness Lodge and can also comment on the Polynesian if that's still on the list.
We haven't done the meal plans, but it does seem to be a good value (as long as you're able to eat a LOT), and can make things easier -- no bills to pay. The cons I've heard about it are that you have to keep track of what points you're using and how many you have left.
Also, you can make dining reservations 6 months in advance these days, and you can do that online or over the phone. Might be a good idea to consider making those earlier than later. Lots to think about, but we can help you think through all of it!
[url=http://www.wdwforgrownups.com/forum/'http://www.mickeypath.com/']
[/url]
2010 Beach Club Resort
2005 Port Orleans Riverside
2006 Animal Kingdom Lodge
2007 Wilderness Lodge
2008 Animal Kingdom Lodge
2009 CBR/Polynesian
Hi Natalie. Well I'll tell you one thing. We love the Poly! We are DVC members and our home resort is SSR. That's great too! But if the one thing your looking for in your room is a king size bed, as far as I know, at the Poly, the only room that has one is the Honeymoon suite. That's what we have been told, and we have asked numerous times. If any one else knows different, please let me know!
Hi Natalie. Well I'll tell you one thing. We love the Poly! We are DVC members and our home resort is SSR. That's great too! But if the one thing your looking for in your room is a king size bed, as far as I know, at the Poly, the only room that has one is the Honeymoon suite. That's what we have been told, and we have asked numerous times. If any one else knows different, please let me know!
Good point! You can't get a king bed at the contemporary without paying extra either. But you CAN get a king at Beach/Yacht/Boardwalk without paying extra. It's not guaranteed, but you can request it.
May 2008 CSR
Hi Natalie!
Welcome to the friendliest Disney site on the Web! I'm in New Jersey, and judging by my screen name, am a bit of a foodie (although I am a meat and potatoes man).
I have stayed 53 nights in eight different WDW on-property resorts during my seven solo visits between 2000 and 2007. Because I cannot drive, I don't rent a car, instead riding Disney Transit all over the resort. Renting a car is definitely recommended, particularly if you want to venture outside of WDW.
Of the resorts mentioned in this thread, I have stayed in Beach Club (2006) and in Wilderness Lodge (2005). While Beach Club, in the Epcot resort cluster, is within walking distance of both Disney Hollywood Studios and Epcot, they are less expensive than the monorail resorts, which are good choices if you'll spend a lot of time at the Magic Kingdom.
Because of its "Welcome Home!" ambiance, though, I think my favorite resort is Wilderness Lodge. While you cannot walk to a park from it (but I believe you can walk between it and Fort Wilderness using a trail behind WL), you can take a boat between WL and Magic Kingdom. I know that a king bed is in the first-floor, handicapped-accessible, "courtyard-view" Room 1132 near the pool (for that is the room in which I stayed) but I do not know if they exist elsewhere in the resort. I'm fine as long as I don't have to sleep on a bare floor.
Welcome!
Jim
Welcome aboard Natalie!
My thoughts on the Contemporary:
I don't know that MK view is worth the extra money over Bay Lake, but Tower is DEFINITELY worth it over Garden Wing. We've got quite a contingent here who feel that watching the fireworks is better from the Poly than the Contemporary, because the Contemp is off to the side and messes with the angles on the fireworks.
We stayed at the Contemporary theme park view for our honeymoon and it was amazing! There is something about looking out your window and seeing the castle that was so special!
The rooms are pretty nice too. The convenience factor was teh best though - a walk to MK, monorail to Epcot, and really reliable buses (at least when we were there) to the other parks and Downtown Disney.
That said, I would LOVE to stay at the Poly for the theme!
caitiesus, the view from the Poly is amazing, we had a beach front view at the poly a few trips ago. I loved just opening the curtain and there as the MK ! We watched the fireworks from our room a few nights and it was amazing! I could say it was pretty much a post card view every night. I think thats one trip I will never forget. I'll post some pics once they upload. The ones I had were to small to see.
Looking forward to our stay at the Poly someday
May 2008 CSR
Natalie, here are some of the pics fromthe room we had at the Poly in 2008
When you go out on the pation, this was our view,
GF was on the left.
MK center (zoomed in a little)
Good view of Space Mountain!
Contemporary on the right, BLT being built.
Great photos, MrHub! I think I'd really like the ground floor room and the easy walk to the Grand Floridian. I never realized how close the two resorts were. Did you ever head over there for a meal?
Question: how long will you be staying? I'm asking, because if you're staying longer than 10 days or so, you might consider buying an annual pass in order to get some resort discounts.
mrhub wrote:Hi Natalie. Well I'll tell you one thing. We love the Poly! We are DVC members and our home resort is SSR. That's great too! But if the one thing your looking for in your room is a king size bed, as far as I know, at the Poly, the only room that has one is the Honeymoon suite. That's what we have been told, and we have asked numerous times. If any one else knows different, please let me know!
Good point! You can't get a king bed at the contemporary without paying extra either. But you CAN get a king at Beach/Yacht/Boardwalk without paying extra. It's not guaranteed, but you can request it.
Hmmm. I wasn't aware that the king bed at the contemporary would cost more too. This puts a new spin on things. We were really leaning towards the lake/bay view at the contemporary. Due to everyone loving Wilderness lodge, we may spend a little more time looking into this one too.
A few other folks mentioned renting a car. My husband is in a car so much for work that I think we'll just try and rely on other options for transportation. I know it can be annoying to be on a schedule, but I think we'll mainly just stay at the hotel and the parks. I would really consider this option if we had kids though. It's a great suggestion.
Thank you all.
Great photos, MrHub! I think I'd really like the ground floor room and the easy walk to the Grand Floridian. I never realized how close the two resorts were. Did you ever head over there for a meal?
Hi Natalie!
Welcome to the friendliest Disney site on the Web! I'm in New Jersey, and judging by my screen name, am a bit of a foodie (although I am a meat and potatoes man).
Hi Natalie,
I am also new at this.
We stayed at the Contempory the first time we went to Disney years ago. Since then we have always stayed at Port Orleans. Our next trip that we are planning on for November we will be staying at the Wilderness Lodge.
I do suggest making reservations ahead of time. It sure saves a lot of sitting around time and they usually get you in with very little wait. Definately worth it.
Oh you definitly have to make your reservations in advance. You dont want to try and do that once you get there. Also Natalie, the room that I posted those pictures from "did not" have a king size bed. It had two queens and we were fine with that.
Natalie -- Sounds like you won't have a need for an Annual Pass (unless you plan on going back within the boundaries of one year, in which case you can get two trips out of it), but you can still find hotel discounts!
Disney just released a fun discount where you get a pretty substantial Disney gift card when you book, and you can use that gift card for food, etc.:
FREE Gift Card with Jan-June 2010 Packages
With
this special offer, get a FREE Disney Gift Card when you book a
full-price Walt Disney World vacation package (including accommodations
and tickets) for a minimum of 5 nights/5 days between 1/3/10-6/3/10
(some dates are not available, and rooms are limited and subject to
availability).
[ul][li]Stay at a Disney Value resort and get a $300 Disney Gift Card with your 5-night or longer vacation package.[/li][li]Stay at a Disney Moderate resort and get a $500 Disney Gift Card with your 5-night or longer vacation package.[/li][li]Stay at a Disney Deluxe or Deluxe Villa resort and get a $750 Disney Gift Card with your 5-night or longer vacation package.[/li][/ul]
The
Disney Gift Card can be used for almost anything at Walt Disney World,
including souvenirs, tours, spa treatments, watercraft rental,
gratuities, alcoholic beverages or meals.
You must book this special package by 3/27/10.
More details on this package here: http://www.mousesavers.com/packages.html
Other hotel discounts are updated consistently over on Mousesavers: http://www.mousesavers.com/disneyresorts.html
Disney just released a fun discount where you get a pretty substantial Disney gift card when you book, and you can use that gift card for food, etc.:
FREE Gift Card with Jan-June 2010 Packages
With
this special offer, get a FREE Disney Gift Card when you book a
full-price Walt Disney World vacation package (including accommodations
and tickets) for a minimum of 5 nights/5 days between 1/3/10-6/3/10
(some dates are not available, and rooms are limited and subject to
availability).
[UL]
[LI]Stay at a Disney Value resort and get a $300 Disney Gift Card with your 5-night or longer vacation package.[/LI]
[LI]Stay at a Disney Moderate resort and get a $500 Disney Gift Card with your 5-night or longer vacation package.[/LI]
[LI]Stay at a Disney Deluxe or Deluxe Villa resort and get a $750 Disney Gift Card with your 5-night or longer vacation package.[/LI][/UL]
Hi Natalie -- you actually don't have to book through small world vacations. That just happens to be the travel agent that Mousesavers has an advertising agreement with.
Any travel agent -- or YOU yourself -- can book this deal. Just call Disney reservations and tell them you'd like to book a package with the free gift card offer. 
[url=http://www.wdwforgrownups.com/forum/'http://www.mickeypath.com/']
[/url]
2010 Beach Club Resort
2005 Port Orleans Riverside
2006 Animal Kingdom Lodge
2007 Wilderness Lodge
2008 Animal Kingdom Lodge
2009 CBR/Polynesian
Hi Natalie -- you actually don't have to book through small world vacations. That just happens to be the travel agent that Mousesavers has an advertising agreement with.
Any travel agent -- or YOU yourself -- can book this deal. Just call Disney reservations and tell them you'd like to book a package with the free gift card offer.
Nice!!! Thank you!
Natalie - what are you thinking about for food? My husband and I use the dining plan regularly and we LOVE it - it saves us a ton of money...but it has to be used right to save the money.
What kind of food do you like? I am sure we would all be happy to help so you can have a list when you call in for dining reservations!
My DW just called on Sunday morning for our family trip in June and made all our ADR's. We actually got everything we wanted which surprised me for June figuring that would be one of the busiest times of the year.