AnnaG

Hi all,
We have 4 days of our April trip to Florida still to fill. We'll be spending them around Orlando and have been looking for the right hotel. It's unbelievable how many hotel websites, tripadvisor reviews and Fodor posts we have pored over, and seem no closer to choosing a hotel for these 4 nights. Some on our shortlist are:

1. Hyatt Regency Grand Cypruss
(pros: fab tripadvisor reviews, this hotel seems really worth the experience in spite of the hefty price
cons: not terribly close to Disney, which would be preferable since we'll be doing some parks, with me 5 months pregnant)

2. Disney's Polynesian
(pros: at the parks, on the monorail, good reviews, easier to absorb Disney athmosphere?
cons: expensive $400 per night, and for that money the rooms do not look that impressive).

The other one on our shortlist was Disney's Wilderness Lodge, which gets good reviews, but the same pros and cons apply as for Polynesian.

We're left scratching our heads a little bit. We're prepared to pay the $400 a night if we're sure of a super hotel... but checking out photos especially of the Disney rooms I'm really not sure that decor, facilities, etc, match my expectation for that price range?

Any experiences or advice to share? At the moment I am leaning towards the Hyatt for quality of hotel, and relying on picking up enough Disney athmosphere during the day....

Anna

nytraveler

We stayed at the Grand Cyprus and really liked it. Especially in its favor - the very limited number of kids (I don;t hate kids - I just don't want all the running adn screaming when I'm relaxing on vacation.)
The grounds are beautiful, the pools nice, there are other activities on the spot - biking, paddle boats etc - and for me the distance fromDisney was a benefit. (It's really only about 10 minutes by car - never rely on teh shuttles - a big wast of time.)

Also, there are two pleasant restaurants (a real find in decent-food barren Orlando) on site.

the rooms are standard hyatt - nothing special - but I think at least as nice as anything at Disney. I'm surprised at the price - I think we paid about $169 in March a couple of years ago - and that was with a fifth night free. Have you tried all the discount web sites?

bennnie

Not a fan of the Polynesian - to me it has a funny smell in the public areas and it seems dated. However, I do like the Beach Club at WDW and its not $400 - more like $250 per night. Close to Epcot and MGM, lots of dining choices, really nice pool. Not on the monorail but transportation is easy. The Boardwalk is also very nice - located across the pond from Beach Club. Yacht Club ajoins the BC and share the same pool complex. check out allearsnet.com. for pictures of all WDW resorts.

Dreamer2

I agree that one of the nicest hotels anywhere is that Grand Cypress Hyatt. Go to Hemmingway's one night for dinner even if you are not staying there. We've never been able to get a "cheap room" there (less than $350), but did receive a complimentary upgrade to Concierge Level once, and that was a wonderful perk!

In my opinion, the best on-site hotel is the Grand Floridian. It is wonderful and so convenient to be right on the Monorail, but the Contemporary and the Polynesian are not so nice, especially for the price. The Grand Floridian is truly Grand, has a couple nice restaurants on-site, and a wonderful afternoon tea.
I would go for the tea one afternoon, even if you are not staying there!

Gosh, so far we've only given you more choices instead of helping you decide. Do you have any other kids yet? If so, you might want to stay on-site for convenience. If not, it won't matter as much. Congratulations on your upcoming new arrival, and best wishes for a great trip!

swalter518

I have not stayed at teh Grand Cypruss but my mom did and said it was nice but the price seems a bit steep. I would second the Yacht/Beach Club recommendation or through Animal Kingdon Lodge into the mix. It's usually a bit cheaper than the "monorail" hotels but is very nice (request a savanah view room). The Polynesian is nice, as is Wilderness Lodge but I would pick AK or Y/B Club for the price.

padams421

Do you have children (other than the one you are pregnant with)? How old are they?

How much time do you plan to spend at Disneyworld? How much time seeing the rest of Orlando?

The answers to these questions will help everyone give you better advice.

If no kids and seeing lots of Orlando not just WDW, then stay at the Hyatt.

If you have young children, stay on WDW property.

kandc

By far the best hotel would be the Beach Club -- very cool pool for kids! I have stayed at the Grand Floridian, also, and really enjoyed it there. We've stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort (in the moderate price range and paid $90/night) and thought the rooms were very nice, the atmosphere was great for the price. Great pool for kids as well. But, if I were to go again I would stay at the Beach Club, there is plenty to do there, and the Boardwalk is right there for fun and dining. You can also walk over to Epcot from there. Stay on Disney property, there is something a little more special about doing that.