GF vs YC or AK?

[mark smith]

I recently posted for the first time in responce to the negative GF comments. My post stated the 2 great GF visits my wife, daughter and I took in 2001 and this past Feb. We love the GF! However we are interested in comments about The YC and/or AK vs. GF for our next Feb. stay w/ then 7 year old in 2005.

 

[Scoootch]

We have had wonderful visits at both GF and Y & B club -- sorry can't speak about AKL as we haven't tried it yet - but.....as for GF & YC, both were wonderful!! Each had their own good pts. GF for beautiful grounds and sweet smelling flowers and excellent service as well as monorail access and close proximity to MK. And YC for excellent service and theming,close proximity to Epcot and MGM and BW at night -- can't say enough about either resort

 

[daannzzz]

I have stayed at all three and I much prefer the YC and the AKL over the GF. We didn't have a bad stay at the GF I just thought it was over rated...particularly for the price. I thought the YC was great. It isn't as "pretty" as the GF and is more formal and masculine feeling. I like the access to Epcot and MGM better than the GF's access to just the MK.
I loved the domrer room at the GF but the decore was just okay. This was before they remodeled to the current room decore, which from the pictures, I like even less. The service at GF was not any better than any of the other resorts. I love the decore at the AKL and find the rooms very comfortable and comforting. If you are used to the more victoria frilliness you may not care for the rustic furniture and dark earth tones at the AKL. The room is quite a bit smaller too. But it is great to wake up and sit on the balcony watching the animals while others in your party prep for the day.

 

[ead79]

I have thoroughly enjoyed my stays at the GF, YC, and AKL. As a reference point, I stayed in a garden view room at the GF in 2000, a lagoon view concierge room at the YC in 2002, and savannah view rooms at the AKL in 2001 and 2002.

The GF is my favorite Disney resort. I love the convenience of the monorail, the elegance of the resort, and the wonderful decor of the rooms. I truly felt special and pampered during my stay at the GF.

The YC was wonderful as well. It was very quiet during our trip, which was wonderful. The proximity to Epcot (and the convenience of the path to MGM as well) is a wonderful perk. The new room decor at the YC is also super cute. And of course, there is Stormalong Bay, an incredible pool complex. The only slight improvement I wish they would make is adding a quick service restaurant with longer hours (where you could get a quick bite to eat and refill your refillable mugs). Hurricane Hana's and Beaches and Cream aren't open super long hours like the quick service restaurants at the other WDW resorts (which left us a bit out of luck for breakfast, so we walked over to the BoardWalk Bakery).

The AKL is another favorite resort of mine. It has an incredible atmosphere, and there's just nothing as neat as seeing live animals right outside your balcony. The theming here is top notch, and you really feel like you've escaped when you're there. The only downside is that the AKL is a fair distance from all the theme parks except the AK. We never had to wait very long for a bus, but the bus rides themselves were sometimes pretty long due to the distance we were traveling.

Really I don't think you could go wrong with any of these three resorts.

 

[chrissyk]

We stayed in the GF in May, 2002 and we really liked it. We had a dormer room in one of the out-buildings (Sago Cay I think?), and our room overlooked the marina. It was just really nice, but even with our greatly discounted rate ($220/night if I remember correctly), it was too expensive IMHO. We may stay there again for a special occasion trip or something, but it's a little pricey for us to stay there regularly.

We stayed in the AKL in Nov. 2002 and loved it. We were on Zebra trail...it was just awesome to see the animals right outside the room. We only stayed there for 2 nights, and we could hardly wait to go back. We stayed there again for 2 nights in Feb. 2003 and had a totally different experience. The hotel was a lot more crowded, and we were kept awake at night by the guests fighting in the room adjoining ours (the manager took care of this, thankfully), and by the very gross sounds of people pottying and toilets flushing. The AKL lacks soundproofing, which basically ruined our stay there This is such a fantastic hotel otherwise...I wish they hadn't skimped on the soundproofing. Other than this (not so small) issue, this would be my favorite Disney hotel. We'll never stay there again, though...2 sleepless nights of listening to flushing turbo-toilets was enough for us

If I could choose between the GF and the AKL and money was not a factor, I'd choose the GF for sure!

 

[DemoBri1]

I will have to give my vote to the YC. I agree that the GF is a beautiful hotel, along with its grounds, but the price and location just don't add up for me.

Yes...I have young children who will probably want to spend a great deal of time at MK, but I don't mind hoofing it over there whenever they want to. I just like the YCs locale with regard to Epcot, MGM, and the Boardwalk. Heck...if you wanted to you could cut through Epcot and hop on the monrail from there. It would be a bit longer trip, but you do have that option.

Not to mention that there are a bunch of fine restaurants in the YCs area along the Boardwalk and the resort complex itself. Plus...you have the restaurants at World Showcase, which is 5-10 minute walk.

Then of course there is SAB, the best pool on property IMHO.

Make certain though that you get a room with a view of Crescent Lake. The view across to the Boardwalk is terrific, especially @ night. Plus you'll be able to catch the high fireworks from Illuminations from your balcony.

Brian