a peek inside the fishbowl

I didn’t realize there are so many different places to stay at Disney. (Apparently Disney World is the size of Ottawa. Such craziness is hard to fathom.) What I love about it, I realized, is the mixy-matchy style of accommodations. There is truly something for everyone, it is just up to you to figure it out.

Our group was shown the value, moderate and deluxe accommodations at different resorts. For the value we went to Pop Century. I actually liked Pop Century quite a bit. It has this cheezy factor that I found kind of funny (remember the giant Mowgli by the pool?) and it’s clear that they’re not taking themselves too seriously. Here is a view of us browsing the artifacts (a collection from each decade) displayed on the walls:

We saw some very new moderate rooms at Caribbean Beach. They were pirate-themed, and went totally beyond pirate wallpaper and pirate bedspreads. There was custom-designed pirate furniture and beds too. Personally, pirate beds would not be my first choice for holiday sleeping, although I’m willing to bet someone out there would really love it. 

I was surprised that the value room we saw was pretty much the same size as the moderate. For me, an upgrade in cost translates to a bigger room, but that didn’t seem to be the case here (at least for the rooms we were shown). The difference is in the amenities. If you want a fridge in your value room you’ll have to spend an extra $10/day to rent one. There are no sit-down restaurants at value resorts, but there are at the moderate ones. If you want a full kitchen you can only get one at a Deluxe. (Here’s a handy comparison of the amenities.) But if all of this doesn’t matter to you, if all you care about is the bed and a toilet and shower, why not do it on the cheap and go for value accommodations?

If you stay on the resort you can hang out at the other resorts too. i.e. if you’re at Pop Culture but want to have a sit-down dinner at Whispering Canyon Cafe at Wilderness Lodge (which I totally recommend) you can do so.

Here’s the rub: your choice of accommodations depends on how you define your idea of holiday.

During our tour we made a stop at Fort Wilderness Resort and Campgrounds. It costs about $40/night to pitch your tent here. I like camping, I like it a lot. We camp every year so I actually wouldn’t mind doing it this way AND it would be incredibly cheap way to do Disney. But it was the cabins that stole my heart. They were nicer than any other cabin I’d seen. Ever!

They’re considered deluxe accommodations. They have full kitchens, can sleep six, and the setting was quite secluded and tranquil. It was a pleasant switch from the regular hustle of other Disney resorts.

I spent a lot of time thinking about what it is exactly that makes a perfect holiday. I realized that, for me, a perfect holiday should include:

• a good balance between active family fun and
• R & R
• scenic/enjoyable living space
• good food (the kitchen is a plus. I can’t be the only one who doesn’t like eating “out” for every single meal)
• a swimming pool or beach

… and that’s definitely achievable here. Fort Wilderness isn’t situated along the monorail but it’s not difficult to get to any of the parks from there. (This property map gives some good perspective.)

I never really considered staying on the resort before, but if Disney is the focus of the trip it is probably worth it.

As for our own accommodations during out stay, the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa was pretty grand indeed. I can’t say enough about how pretty the grounds were. And I had an awesome massage while I was there too.

 *siiiigh*

It all seems kind of long ago now! 

You know, November is really the perfect time to go to Disney. I might even be persuaded to do it again.