After an extended period away from the parks, and by extended I mean almost 8 months, I decided to plan a "treat yo self" trip! So this will essentially be my birthday trip and Christmas gift to myself all wrapped up into one. With it being 5 months out at the time I started planning, I decided to go all out within reason. The key was to stay within my budget of "treat yo self" and be realistic.
I started with the hotel. I haven't stayed on Disney property since 2014 but this is mainly because I have friends who live in the area and obviously that's a better money saving option for me. But this time, I am going to stay on property and at a resort I have never stayed at before. The resorts I have stayed at personally are All Star Sports, Pop Century, Port Orleans French Quarter and the Cabins at Fort Wilderness. I was fortunate enough to be able to tour a few others resorts such as Boardwalk Inn, Animal Kingdom Lodge during my time as a reservation sales agent for the company as well.
I looked into moderate resorts, which if you aren't familiar are essentially the middle tier resorts of Disney World. These resorts are Port Orleans French Quarter, Port Orleans Riverside, The Cabins at Fort Wilderness , Caribbean Beach and Coronado Springs. They are perfect for families who want a little more quiet, couples or solo travelers. Especially for couples or solo travelers like myself, I would recommend these hotels if they are in budget for you. I began with the intention of booking Port Orleans Riverside because I love the aesthetic of the resort. But using this opportunity to step outside my comfort zone, I looked into Coronado Springs.
Coronado Springs is a stunningly beautiful lakeside resort near the Animal Kingdom area that features Spanish, Mexican and southwest inspirations with Disney touches. It is most known for its amazing pool with a 50 ft replica of a Mayan pyramid.
Coronado has recently completed renovations which includes the addition of a 16 floor tower called the Gran Destino Tower as the new main entrance to the resort. The tower has added 545 guest rooms to the already 1,800 existing ones and that includes 50 suites. No worries, the existing rooms have been updated as well and the tower boasts a gorgeous 2 story lobby! There are new resaurants, lounges and more! Inspiration for the tower came from the film collaboration of Walt Disney and Salvador Dali called "Destino."
After looking at photos I simply HAD to stay here. I could have booked myself, but seeing as how this is a gift to myself, I went to my favorite Disney travel agency instead. I love using Mickey's Travel and only go to LeaAnne so if you want an expert to book for you, go to them and her! But she gave me quotes and I was shocked that it was affordable enough. I booked it three days later. TIP: If you need a few extra days to get ready to put the deposit on your hotel, you can ask to get a courtesy hold which will give you up to three days to pay.
I'm keeping it simple and staying in a Standard room in the Gran Destino but they had preferred(basically closer to everything), king bed, water view and water view- king bed. TIP: My travel agent told me the higher the floor, the better the views of the parks are so you can request to have a room on the highest floor. This goes for any resort hotel. You can put in requests but they can't be guaranteed at the time of check in.
I am extremely excited to visit this resort for the very first time so be sure to follow my twitter with live updates or you can just check here for the review later on.
Where is your dream resort to stay at? Let me know in the comments below!
I started with the hotel. I haven't stayed on Disney property since 2014 but this is mainly because I have friends who live in the area and obviously that's a better money saving option for me. But this time, I am going to stay on property and at a resort I have never stayed at before. The resorts I have stayed at personally are All Star Sports, Pop Century, Port Orleans French Quarter and the Cabins at Fort Wilderness. I was fortunate enough to be able to tour a few others resorts such as Boardwalk Inn, Animal Kingdom Lodge during my time as a reservation sales agent for the company as well.
I looked into moderate resorts, which if you aren't familiar are essentially the middle tier resorts of Disney World. These resorts are Port Orleans French Quarter, Port Orleans Riverside, The Cabins at Fort Wilderness , Caribbean Beach and Coronado Springs. They are perfect for families who want a little more quiet, couples or solo travelers. Especially for couples or solo travelers like myself, I would recommend these hotels if they are in budget for you. I began with the intention of booking Port Orleans Riverside because I love the aesthetic of the resort. But using this opportunity to step outside my comfort zone, I looked into Coronado Springs.
Coronado Springs is a stunningly beautiful lakeside resort near the Animal Kingdom area that features Spanish, Mexican and southwest inspirations with Disney touches. It is most known for its amazing pool with a 50 ft replica of a Mayan pyramid.
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| PC: WDWMAGIC.COM |
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PC: IMDb
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I'm keeping it simple and staying in a Standard room in the Gran Destino but they had preferred(basically closer to everything), king bed, water view and water view- king bed. TIP: My travel agent told me the higher the floor, the better the views of the parks are so you can request to have a room on the highest floor. This goes for any resort hotel. You can put in requests but they can't be guaranteed at the time of check in.
I am extremely excited to visit this resort for the very first time so be sure to follow my twitter with live updates or you can just check here for the review later on.
Where is your dream resort to stay at? Let me know in the comments below!
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