26. Favorite Things: Disney World Resorts

[00:00:00] Kaffee in seiner besten Form. Mit Cubo wird jeder Kaffee auf Knopfdruck zum Genussmoment. Denn mit der neuen Cubo One Kapselmaschine von Chibo genießt du feinsten Spitzenkaffee aus besonderen Anbaugebieten. Vollmundige Aromen dank innovativer Press-Brew-Technologie und über 17 Sorten Kaffee für jeden Geschmack. Erlebe Premium Kaffee schon ab 29 Euro. Entdecke jetzt die Cubo Kapselmaschinen in deiner Chibo Fiale und auf Chibo.de.

[00:00:56] We are going to break it down by dissecting our favorite things in different categories and why the resorts that we choose are the best. We can agree, we can disagree, but we're going to talk about every option coming up. I've stayed at Art of Animation and you will never convince me that staying at a moderate or a deluxe resort is worth that money. You'll just never convince me of it. I was convinced a hotel is a hotel, who really cares? And I

[00:01:21] was like, it won't happen. Hey there everyone, welcome to another episode of the Moms Behind the Magic podcast. I am your host, Allie, and I'm here today with my co-hosts, Katie and Carla. Very excited to record with you ladies this morning, especially because there was a moment not too long ago we thought we may not be all together. And we can get into it in a minute, but honestly, it was very jarring to find out

[00:01:49] that there wasn't a whole lot of belief in the system if just Carla and I had been recording this episode of the podcast. So thanks a lot, Becki and Stacey. So it's great that you're here. I missed that portion of the conversation for the record. I was like- No, we removed you. We went to a separate space because you were- You were dealing with us medically. So we just went to a new space and that's what happened there. Actually, this is exciting news.

[00:02:15] As of recording this, this is a little bit farther away, but for you, Eminem's listening, in like a month from when you're listening to this, and this is a new development, the hosts of this podcast are going to be together and it's not going to be Disney. It's not going to be Disney. Should I just leave it at that right now? Yes, sure. I mean, I think if you leave this to be a surprise, people will feel devastated. I don't disagree with you because I think some people are like, oh my gosh, they're going to go to like a beach or New York or Disneyland.

[00:02:45] They're going to think like we're doing something like that, but we're not doing anything like that. But we are going to do something fun. The I always travel down South to see these girls and I'm always heading to Florida where three out of four of them live and, or three out of five of them, excuse me. No, three out of four. I'm five. Live and one is so close. And so I'm always going into their territory and they're coming up to mine. Y'all are spending your summer in Ohio. Boop, boop, boop. It's true. It's going to be fun. And who knew that it could come together so fast? I was in the chat saying, guys,

[00:03:14] I can't do another thing this summer. I can't do it. And then like the next day we were booking flights. All of a sudden, randomly one day, I was just like these dates and then flights were booked. I'm not kidding. It was like that. It was, it was awesome. And then I was like, oh my gosh, everybody's coming to my house. This is going to be so fun and so different. The push for these plans was truly Carla. Carla is always the one in our thread. That's like, guys, let's do this. Let's do this. Let's do this. And I'm usually the one that's like, hey, I'm not going to rain on Carla's parade.

[00:03:42] Apparently I can't hold a conversation with just Allie, but I can make an Ohio trip happen in the summertime. Who knew? Yeah. Do you guys want to hear about my morning? Can I tell you about my morning? Three bad things happened. Okay. And I'm going to tell you the bad thing that happened to me this morning. And let's, let's see where we shake out. Okay. Had to feed my dog. First thing I did this morning when I woke up, go out to the dog food container. The lid was left open. I live in Florida. Do you know what that means, Katie? Don't say an alligator. Guess what was in the dog food? Don't say an alligator. A giant roach.

[00:04:12] Just waiting for me. It was waiting for me. I said, no. And I ran and I screamed and I went back to bed and made Matt and Liam deal with it. In Ohio, do you know what would have gotten into the dog food? Slugs. Slug? No. A lizard? In Ohio, that dog food would have been gone. A raccoon. A raccoon. A raccoon would have eaten it. Yeah. But at least raccoons are like, if I open a container and saw a raccoon, I would be like- No, you would die. We would- They're scary. No, we would be friends. I would have a new baby. I would adopt it.

[00:04:42] Raccoons are scary. Okay.

[00:05:12] Second bad thing that happened. I would never buy American cheese in my house. Hot take. You have to buy it for the dog pill. No. We don't have it regularly either, to be honest. Like, you know, the kind that comes out of- How do you make grilled cheese? Gross. With better cheese. Yeah. It's disgusting. Okay. You guys are all grilled cheese haters. Okay. And then third thing, I opened my computer- I'm trying to solve your problem. Have you tried peanut butter? No. Because he's just going to eat all the stuff around it. So you're just dry shoving? Yeah. Literally shoving it down the back of his throat, because that's the only way it works. Okay.

[00:05:42] Third thing that happened, I opened my computer, and it said, headline reads. I sent it to you guys. I don't know if you saw that. I saw this. Headline reads- By the way, this was not news to me. I already put mine away. Anyway. Headline reads, say goodbye to Beryl Jeans, and hello to the denim trends taking over 2026. I know. So you thought our hot takes on socks were bad? You just wait, girls. You just wait. Do you know that I already apologized to the seniors at my dance studio?

[00:06:11] Because the fashion that is about to grace them is, and has been gracing them. Really, this has been coming and developing over the last year. So we've been discussing this. It is the halls of my high school. And that contribution to fashion was the worst there's ever been. It couldn't have been worse than the 90s. It couldn't have been. The 90s are incredible. Are you kidding me? The 90s were amazing. The 90s fashion all day. But we are back to tighter jeans. Low rise. And we are back to like, yes.

[00:06:41] And we are back to like the long form fitting tank top. Awful with the lace bottom. That's what's coming. Yeah. That's what's happening. I still have some of those. The crop. I just bought one at Target. Like the crop bolero cardigan. It's all. It's all. And, you know, what are you doing here? This is like circa early 2000s. Yeah. It's like millennium. Millennial. Both. It's millennium and millennial. Fashion moves too fast. Mm-hmm. It's. It's all back.

[00:07:11] I just want to go back to bed. I've. I've. I've apologized to them on behalf of my class of high schoolers that just did these awful things. The new trend. It said navel grazing. I was like, my, my navel is completely covered. Encapsulated in my jeans. I had two babies come out. I had just below where the navel grazing line is. I think I'm good covering that up. Yeah. That is no longer for the public. I can't. Um, here's the bad thing that happened to me this morning.

[00:07:40] We spent Memorial Day weekend. It was so rainy in Ohio. It was horrible. And that's what we're just coming off of is Memorial Day. And my brother's family came into town. And the plan was pool day is every day and, and hanging out. And the weather was just awful. So the kids did swim in the rain, but it, you know, it wasn't fun for us to sit there in the rain. One day they found a frog, which was really fun. Like there's a little frog by the, by the pool. And that was awesome. And they were having so much fun, like looking at it. And it was so cute. Last night before bed, I heard the frog. I was like, oh wow, this is a noisy frog.

[00:08:10] And it kind of, that's how I fell asleep last night was listening to this frog. So this morning I got to go out to clean the pool and the frog was in the pool swimming. And I like went and got my older daughter. I was like, come here. You got to see, you know, I want you to see this. So she came. And I just thought we'd share this moment of like, look at the frog. Like it's swimming in the pool. We got to help it get out. And she looked at me and she's just getting so old and smart. And she looked at me and she's like, mom, that frog is dead. And I was like, no, he's swimming. And she was like, no, it's dead. I was like, hold on. Are you, are you sure? And she goes, hold on. Let me move the water. Move the water. Frog stayed still.

[00:08:38] So I put the net down and the frog flipped as stiff as a board. Dead in the bottom of the water. Poor guy drowned. That happens all the time here. Unfortunately. No, thank you. At least it was, it sounded like it was like a cute frog. So cute. Yeah. No, this is like a little tree. Because there's some frogs that aren't that cute. Okay. Let me reassure you. No frogs are cute. This one was. I tortured myself this week by looking up what the largest species of frogs are on the planet. Oh God.

[00:09:07] They live in Africa and they're like half the size of Ali. A frog? A frog? They're big. And they're very large. I'm exaggerating a little bit. So they're like two feet long. Shut up. No, no joke. They, they really are. They're like two and a half feet. Okay. Anyway, my bad weekend tops all of your bad weekends. So there you have it. I actually started out having a lovely Memorial Day weekend and I surprised Matt with tickets to, to two candlelight performances with a string quartet in Tampa.

[00:09:35] We went to the Coldplay and Imagine Dragons concert first. And then we went to the Bridgerton concert after. And it was just so lovely. We had a wonderful time. We were talking about how much we had a wonderful time. And Carla very graciously was watching my kiddos. It was, it was truly great. It was fun. And then the next day we woke up and I had a crazy, crazy headache and it didn't go away all day. And my migraines don't usually take more than two days to go away.

[00:10:01] So I started monitoring my blood pressure and it was reaching dangerous levels. And so I texted my sister. I was like, uh, do I have to go to a hospital for this? And she was like, you are very, very near having to go to a hospital for this. I want you to lay back down and test it in 10 minutes. And I was like, okay. And so I tested again. It's just creeping up higher and higher. And by the time I was in the hospital, it was like 203 over like 126 or something like that. I don't know. Crazy.

[00:10:30] But it was, it was very high. So I got to spend yesterday in the emergency department. I'm surprised you're here this morning. I fully anticipated that you would not be here this morning, which is why I had that separate text said. I think of all of our bad things. The worst one is no more barrel jeans. No more barrel jeans is worse than all. Listen, I'm not giving up my barrel leg ever. It's the best. I don't have anybody to impress. I don't, I don't have to be. Well, I guess like my own team, my own teams think I'm pretty cool.

[00:11:01] So I have never worn them. Literally never. I still have a pair of jeggings. I don't wear them though. I just pretty much wear straight cut. That should be the, our magic word. Jeggings. Jeggings. Let's do it. Today's magic word for all the M&Ms. Jeggings. With the S. Jeggings. Jeggings. All right. Put that out of the way. I'm excited. We're going to take a quick break and then we are doing something really fun. A topic that our M&Ms absolutely love and crave and want more of all the time is just resort talk.

[00:11:31] So we are doing it favorite things style. We've done a lot of things, favorite things style. It's so fun. I love it. We'll talk more about it and dive into the resort on the other side. This episode of Moms Behind the Magic is brought to you by BabyQuip. BabyQuip.com. Use code MAGIC to get $30 off of any order of $150 or more. BabyQuip has grown. It's not just about babies anymore. BabyQuip offers a huge range of baby and toddler gear, cribs, strollers, car seats, toys, and more.

[00:11:59] And now they're also renting your pet essentials and beach gear, which is such a game changer for family trips. It means less packing, less stress, and way more room to actually enjoy the vacation you've been waiting for. If you've ever traveled with kids, you know this feeling. You finally arrive at your destination and everything is off. No crib, no familiar stroller. Bedtime is chaos. Naps are skipped. And suddenly, your relaxing vacation feels way more stressful than just staying home.

[00:12:27] For my family, being away from home and out of rhythm without our things can completely throw our kids off. And when the kids are off, let's be honest, everyone's off. That's why we love BabyQuip. They're the number one baby gear rental service across the U.S., Canada, and beyond. They make traveling with kids feel normal again. What I love most about BabyQuip is that they work with local quality providers, often moms, dads, and grandparents just like us, just like you M&Ms listening. These are people who truly get it. If you need it, they have it.

[00:12:54] Every item follows strict cleanliness and safety standards and is fully insured, giving you peace of mind that you need to relax. They deliver straight to wherever you're staying, your hotel, your vacation rental, or wherever you're calling home. So you never have to lug bulky gear around the airport ever again. BabyQuip is available in over 2,000 cities and locations, including Disney World and Disneyland, along with so many other popular travel destinations. Booking is quick and easy through their user-friendly online platform with customer support wherever you need it.

[00:13:23] So head to BabyQuip.com. Use code MAGIC to get $30 off of any order of $150 or more. That's BabyQuip.com. Code MAGIC. Pack light. Travel happy. All right. The reason I love doing these Favorite Things episodes is, I mean, I love a good competition. When we debate, when we draft, I love it. When we rank and it doesn't go, you know, the way we think, love it.

[00:13:46] But when we do Favorite Things, it's unique because it's giving our M&Ms different perspectives, but we're not, we don't have a reason to lie in any way, right? Sometimes when we draft, we're like, oh, the train is the absolute best thing on Main Street when really it's the castle, right? I want to go on record. I've never lied in a draft. Well, you have to. I mean, I have. I once had to go real low and do Chef Mickey's as the number one character male or something.

[00:14:15] You're just not as imaginative as you need to be. No, that's crazy. And Becky lied when she said that that's where Remarkable came from. She literally called that boat ride Grand Fiesta. That's where that originated. So we have it on record that Becky lied. But it became a joke. We also have little white lies to try to win the draft because it's strategic. But when we do favorite things, we can have the same pick in a category, right? We're going to still have categories, but we can have the same pick.

[00:14:40] And the great thing about the three of us doing this is we are in three really distinct places in life when it comes to raising kids. We're pretty staggered. Katie's are just a little younger than mine. Mine are just a little younger than Carla's. And between all of us, our spread is what? Five to 15? Is that right? 15. 30? No, I'm talking about kids. Five to 30? No, between the three of us. Well, it's Stacy's kids. I'm not talking about Stacy. She's not here. Oh, I see what you're saying. Sorry, I thought you were talking about the podcast. Five to 15, right? Yeah.

[00:15:09] So that's a pretty good range in what your family might be looking for. So as we break down these categories today, we're going to be identifying what we feel like are the best resort options. We can pick the same resort multiple times if it's the best for multiple reasons. You know, I'm going into this today not being biased to a specific resort, not saying, oh, the Polynesian is the best for everything. Because I don't think that's true, right? I really, really will try to give a fresh, good perspective coming from a mom with the kiddos that I have and what each category is.

[00:15:37] So the resorts that we have to pick from are the Grand Floridian, the Polynesian Village Resort, Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Lodge, the Yacht Club, the Beach Club, which we want to leave that as two? Or should we just say a yacht and beach club? Yes, those are two. Yes. Okay. Really? It has one. No, no, no. No, no, no. They're not. They are two different resorts on Disney property. I know, but. All stars are three different resorts. Yeah, that's fair. Okay.

[00:16:04] I'll be interested to hear why you would pick one over the other if you have them in any category. That'll be good. The Boardwalk, Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, the Riviera. Those are all the deluxe resorts. Then we have our moderates, Port Orleans Riverside, Port Orleans French Quarter, Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs, and then the value resorts. They are Pop Century, Art of Animation, All Star Movies, All Star Music, All Star Sports, and then Fort Wilderness. I'm excited. And Fort Wilderness is kind of weird. Because?

[00:16:33] Because portions of Fort Wilderness are considered deluxe resorts, like the new cabins, right? But the rest of it would certainly be considered value because it's a campground. Right. Yep. So we can talk about that if we pull it into the conversation for our favorite thing. Do we want to reveal the categories now or do we just want to do it as we go? Let's do it as we go. I thought you already read them, but I can be wrong. No, she read the resorts, not the categories. Are you even listening? She's not here. She is, though. Are you trying to raise my blood pressure, Carla? All right.

[00:17:00] We're going to start with best value for your money resort. It shows my name listed here first, but I certainly don't need to go first if one of you would like to start us off here with best value for your money. Katie, you go. All right. I'll go first. So I've given this some thought over what's the best value for your money. And this is one that I'm... On the fence? Tussling with between another category. Yeah. This is one of those ones that I was like, I don't exactly know where to place it.

[00:17:27] But I'm going to say that I think the best value for your money might be Saratoga Springs Resort. We've mentioned on the podcast before that there are some deluxe tier resorts that tend to be lower in price range and they tend to be more available than other ones. And Saratoga is among those. They are among the more affordable deluxe resorts. They're also very nice villas and things like that.

[00:17:51] I think that we probably end up staying at Saratoga Springs at least once a year because it is such a good value for your money. That's a really good pick. I like it because you get the deluxe perks at such a low price. You can really book Saratoga for moderate pricing, especially when you snag it on a promo, which it's typically available for. That's a solid pick. I am the same way.

[00:18:15] So I had three resorts in mind and I'm going to list the two that I didn't choose first because I still think that they are great values. I think Coronado Springs and the Tower, I think you're getting lux with a moderate price point. That's a huge value to me. I think Pop Century as a value resort in itself, it's the perfect price point with having like for me, the best value is going to be all about location and proximity to parks, but also just the resort itself and what it has to offer.

[00:18:42] But I'm going to stick true to myself from the very beginning of this podcast and I'm going to talk to you about something that's not on the list and that is the Swan and Dolphin Resort at the Disney Boardwalk. I knew you were going to do this. Listen, I don't understand it either. I don't understand if Disney owns it. I don't understand if Marriott owns it. I don't know, but I don't care. Marriott owns it. Because here's the deal is that it's a moderate price point with deluxe perks and there's no better value to be on the boardwalk.

[00:19:12] At a moderate price point. And I get like Becky's whole stick with it is that you feel like you're at a conference. You do when you're staying on the Dolphin side. If you want just a relaxed vibe with all the amenities of the boardwalk, proximity to the parks, deluxe perks, stay on the Swan side. It's so peaceful over there, but you still have access to like multiple pools. You can walk to the best restaurants on site. To me, this is the best value.

[00:19:42] And probably I'm not going to say it's also underrated because to me it totally is. I think a lot of people think that a Disney resort, they want that Disney in their face. And I just particularly don't necessarily need that. I need more like calmness when I go back to my resort. Just to me is the best value. Yeah, it wasn't on our list earlier, but because it's not a technically. It's because Becky hates it and I don't care. She didn't put it on the list. I don't think that's true. It's because it's not a Disney owned resort.

[00:20:11] Then why is it on the list of Disney resorts? Like it still doesn't make sense, but I don't care. It's available. You can package it. You could like, you could do everything you can with the Disney resort. Yeah, it's a great pick. And this is a really difficult category because I had also Coronado Springs and Pop Century listed on my maybes because Pop Century is so immersive and it is a little bit more expensive than All Star, but a little less than Art of Animation. And you're still getting great theming and the Skyliner.

[00:20:41] So I feel like it's such a go to for so many families because you do get a lot of value with it. So I I'm actually still thinking I may go with it. But my problem is, and I haven't entered mine yet because I'm like, OK, what are you missing out on? Pool slide and deluxe perks. Well, that may not that may not matter to your family. If you have little ones, they may not want to go down a slide and you may not be staying in the parks through deluxe hours.

[00:21:07] If this category was called instead of best value for your money, if it was called most bang for your buck, would that change your opinion? Right. So value for your money. There is a piece of me that wants to say specifically the garden wing at the Contemporary because that can be really, really like low pricing. It really can. And you can find it on promos very easily. The garden wing is often overlooked because people want to stay in the main tower.

[00:21:35] And so a lot of times that promo availability is there. You're going to find it when you're when you're searching under those specific promos that Disney drops. With the Contemporary, you're getting walkability, monorail, access to all the restaurants along the monorail. Walking to Magic Kingdom is a huge perk. And it is so much less expensive than staying main tower at Contemporary or Polynesian and Grand Floridian.

[00:21:59] So you're getting in the same loop and you're getting all of the same perks and you're getting it for potentially a thousand or more less on the package, you know, depending on what you're doing. And so. Yeah. Just close your eyes as you're walking into the building. Yeah. It's ugly. Because it's run down. It's ugly. But you're getting renovated rooms. You're still getting the Incredibles rooms. So you get that theming and you get every perk. Is that the best value? I think maybe.

[00:22:24] Look, you were talking about Coronado and Pop and now you took a left turn to the Contemporary. Contemporary. I think it's a good choice. I think everything that we've talked about is justifiable for certain. Yeah. And like I said, it's really going to depend where you're shining your light. So for me, yeah, it's not. Contemporary is not where I pick to stay. I do think it's really old looking. Some people love that about it. Some people look, think it looks very modern and what it was like 60s, 70s. Is that what it's supposed to be? Yeah. That's not for me. That's not my vibe.

[00:22:54] It's not my pick. But if I can stay in the garden wing for so much less and I still get the monorail and still get the monorail perks, that is a good, that's a good value and it really shouldn't be overlooked. So I want to make sure to talk about it. And that's, I think that's what I'm going to pick. It's respectable. I think that's a good pick. Yeah. Yeah. You get the slide, you get the deluxe hours, you get the monorail and you get it for a lot less. Listen, the deluxe after hours are such a huge value. They really are. Yeah. All right. Great.

[00:23:20] So best adult trip resort. Carla, you take it first. You can't say Swan and Dolphin for everything. I'm not. I wasn't even going to, but like when I just started thinking about it, I just, I just had to pick it. I, you know, whatever. Anyways, adult trip for me is the boardwalk in. Everything that I want to do everywhere. I want to be everywhere. I want to eat at is right there. It's so easily accessible.

[00:23:49] If I'm going with adults, I'm going to be spending my time at Epcot and Hollywood studios. If I want to go over to the Magic Kingdom, then I could still hop on the monorail because I'm going to have a park hopping ticket and it'll be easily accessible as well. But that's just, that's just where I want to be in my life right now. It's calm enough. I don't feel overwhelmed by the resort. I think the pool is everything I need it to be. I need drinks close by and a chair to sit on. And I feel like I can execute that there.

[00:24:19] If I want to walk to Epcot, which I do, I want to grab a coffee on the way there. I want to grab a piece of cake on the way back. Like to me, it's just, it's, I want to go to the best restaurant on Disney property. I'm going to go to Trattoria. It's right there. It checks all the boxes for me. Carla's swag be too much. Yeah. So I have two on my list and I want to speak to them because one of them is Boardwalk. Best restaurants on Disney property are absolutely Trattoria and Cake Bake Shop, as well as Boathouse, right?

[00:24:48] And those are my opinion. They are. And I'm with you. Like when I go with adults, Katie jokes about this all the time. I'm going with Allie, so I'm going to Epcot every single day. Every single day. Yeah, every day, all day. And I, you know, there have been a lot of adult trips that I've been on that I don't even go to Magic Kingdom. Not interested. You know, it's just, we just don't. If we make an appearance in Magic Kingdom, it's to take a picture with the castle and then breeze on our way to Epcot. Exactly. That is exactly right. And for the record, I just feel like saying we do spend a lot of time in Epcot as adults,

[00:25:17] but we have never done a drinking around the world World Showcase thing. Like there's just a lot of appeal in Epcot and it doesn't necessarily have to be a, hey, let's go drink around the world. I mean, if you want to do that, you can, but we just don't. So the other one I have in the running for all the reasons Carla said, and the rooms are really beautiful at Boardwalk. You know, it's a, it's a great place. And then what I have in the running is just down the way at the Riviera.

[00:25:43] And I just think the Riviera is so upscale feeling, but I have like a couple issues at the Riviera. The lobby isn't grand. There's not a ton of food there. It's all accessible. You can take the Skyliner one stop over to the Boardwalk. So it's all very accessible. Tappalinos is obviously signature dining on the roof of the Riviera. The pool at the Riviera has an amazing bar, Bar Riva.

[00:26:10] And it's, the pool is a lot quieter than the pool at the Boardwalk. And they have those insanely comfortable loungers at the Riviera, as well as that quiet pool. And so for those reasons, I am swayed a bit to the Riviera. But again, it's like, but you walk in and it's not as grand feeling in the lobby, but then you walk out to the grounds and it really is. And they have those mosaics. I'm super torn on what to do here.

[00:26:40] But I think because the Boardwalk is so accessible, I think I'm going to go with the Riviera because you can get to the Boardwalk and everything. But you get the quieter pool and the really upscale freshness of the rooms and feeling. And so you kind of get the best of both worlds. All right. What you got, Katie? All-star music? Yeah, right. Sorry, no shade to all-star music, but that's not the right one for this category. I'm going to tell you first what I'm not choosing.

[00:27:07] The one that I'm not choosing is Beach Club, although I feel it needs an honorable mention because we've talked so much about all the dining you can enjoy, the entertainment on the Boardwalk, and the proximity to Epcot, which is where most people are spending their time on an adults-only trip. You can literally request a room at Beach Club that is like steps outside of Epcot, okay? Like the closest you can get. So I think that that needs mentioned. However, that's not my pick.

[00:27:34] Let me paint you a picture of my perfect trip with my husband. We would check in and they would take our bags and then we would go and get a couple's massage at Senses Spa. And after we did that, we would go to the lobby and we would enjoy champagne in the brand new lobby bar that looks totally beautiful. Then we would check into our rooms and the rooms are gorgeous and they're a place that

[00:27:58] I want to luxuriate and spend time with a really cute, it's like Mary Poppins theme, but like not like super intrusive theming in my opinion, very classy. And then I want to eat at Narcoossee's for dinner. It's just all of the opulence and amazingness that the Grand Floridian is. And by the way, I also want to go to Enchanted Rose and I want to do the new tea experience that they recently brought back. Oh, that is so high on my list, that tea experience.

[00:28:28] So it's very obvious that the correct choice here is the Grand Floridian. It's a great one. Yeah, it's a good one. I thought about that one. I did end up putting that one in a separate category. It's so good. Yeah. Yeah. I want to hang out here. I want to, I used to think of the Grand Floridian as just like kind of like yuppie and I didn't belong there and it was just kind of stuffy.

[00:28:58] Can I just say of everyone in my life, Carla, you belong to the Grand Floridian. I don't know about that. Maybe now I do because I feel like they've lightened it up. I feel like you could just lounge around, you know, sitting at one of the sofas or chairs in the lobby, having a glass of champagne, like you said, going up to Enchanted Road, some of the best dining on sites here. Like I want to spend time there too. Yeah. Grand Floridian is a solid pick.

[00:29:27] You can't go wrong really with any of these resorts. I think these are the ones that lean into adult and just specifically, I was trying to look at it with a magnifying glass and that quiet pool and the easy accessibility is why ultimately I picked Riviera. And because it is, it feels less populated. For sure. Right. At that resort, which is why I'm like, oh, if I'm just there with Zan or I'm just there with friends, the quieter, less crowded is kind of the way I went because you can still access all the fun. But the truth is all of these are great picks for adults and it's not even all of the great

[00:29:57] picks for adults. You know, there's so many. I mean, we've stayed at Saratoga so many times and I don't, at this point, I barely even like it because we've stayed there so many times, but to get a full kitchen, it doesn't take much finance. You know, you can get a great deal on that and you can walk to Disney Springs. So even that's a great option to look into. Okay, great. So our next category is best resort for pool days. And I think it's my turn to go first. Yes. And yeah, this is hands down to me, although I did have an honorable mention.

[00:30:26] My honorable mention, of course, is going to go to Caribbean Beach Resort. I think the pool at Caribbean Beach, first of all, it's a moderate resort. And sometimes that pool can really feel deluxe to me. Multiple sides. We talk about it all the time, that zero entry. I have had a blast at this pool for pool days and it is, it is so, so great. Another honorable mention, I will say the Polynesian, if you have little kids, is a great option for your pool day because you can see all the way across the pool.

[00:30:55] You're in one centered area. You can see the castle. You can see fireworks let off periodically. What a great way to spend your day. But I have to take the Yacht and Beach Club here and I have to take it as one because they share a pool. And I know that that's an obvious answer. I'm excited to hear what y'all say because I don't know that you'll say this, but it is the best pool on property. If you have kiddos and you're looking to have just an experience that your day is centered

[00:31:23] around the pool and you get to play in the sand mound and you get to go on the lazy river and you get to play volleyball and there are three hot tubs and there is an awesome bar, your steps away from beaches and cream, and you can bring giant ice cream sundaes back. I can't imagine that there's a better way just to hang at the pool. The only thing I would advise is if you have little, little kids, and I've said this many times on the podcast, the pool is so big that if you have really little kids, you're going to have to run around with them all day, right?

[00:31:51] Like you're not going to be able to just let them go. And that's a little difficult. And then the slide entry is across the walkway outside of the main gate pool, which I've also mentioned before. So keeping those things in mind and being mindful of the ages of your kiddos, how strong of swimmers they are, things like that. I think that's the best place to spend a pool day. I think it's the best pool on property by far. Go ahead, Katie. I actually don't think it's the best pool on property. I know it's the right answer, but I also don't agree because I have been that adult that walks straight into the lazy river and doesn't realize it's like eight feet deep.

[00:32:22] So I don't super love Stormalong Bay, but I mean, it has a lot to offer. Okay. It does have a lot to offer. I actually want to say, I think my favorite resort for like pool days is going to be specifically Kidani Village at Animal Kingdom Lodge. The reason I say specifically Kidani Village, there are two like big pools at Animal Kingdom. I agree with you. Kidani is better than Jamba. Yeah. I agree. Yeah.

[00:32:48] The one over at Kidani Village is there's a lot more kid friendly things there. They have a kid's water slide. They have a whole like splash pad area and everything. There's a lot for your little kid to do. But then also the pool itself is a zero entry pool and it has like a big water slide. Also one of the fastest water slides on property. It's a good water slide. There's not a lot more to want, but it's in one contained area where if I'm coming with

[00:33:16] little kids, I feel safe that I can see they're over here at the splash pad or they're going on the kiddie slide or they're up in the big slide and they're coming down the big pool. I love the visual clarity there, I guess. And the pool bar is not bad either. The pool bar is pretty good. We had many, many pool days at Kidani Village because as DVC members, Animal Kingdom Lodge always has availability close to travel. And so we'll book there just last minute for trips.

[00:33:42] So we've done a lot of pool days there and it is absolutely, it is so fun, but it is a really, I think one thing people might be surprised by, it's a very small pool. It's kind of small. I mean, by Disney standards, this is a small pool. So keep that in mind and how old your kids are and stuff like that. Do you feel like the pool at Kidani Village is smaller than the one at Grand Floridian? No, I think that pool is really small too. Yeah. And the Riviera is pretty small. That's true too.

[00:34:08] My first thought, when I thought about like where I personally want to have a pool day, it's at the Polynesian. But if I'm there with my teenage kids, I know for a fact that they're, and this kind of leads us into our next category too, which is going to be best resort for teens, where they're going to have the most amount of fun, where they're going to be busy for hours, being active, being on the different slides. Like you're basically getting a mini water park essentially, right? Right.

[00:34:36] They're going to want to be at Beach and Yacht. I don't, it doesn't matter what side it's on. Like they're going to be in that lazy river. They're not going to care that it's eight foot deep. They're going to think that that's cool because they're not scraping their knees on the bottom type thing. But it's like, I know that that is a safe bet for mom can lay in her chair all day and they're occupied and happy. Even if I didn't want to go down to the pool and they wanted to have pool time, like they're going to have a blast down there. Yeah. And then they're going to want to go back tomorrow. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:35:06] It's going to be so fun and so much to do that you're going to go. And then you're going to want to go back because it is that entertaining. At this point, I don't want to be, and this is totally different than where you guys are at is like, I don't have to have eyes on my kids and they don't want to have eyes on me. You know what I mean?

[00:35:21] I want to have a lot of people.

[00:35:51] They played in that sandbound for hours and hours and hours without asking to leave. And we sat in our chairs and it was wonderful. So I would not want to deter people with little ones. That sand area will keep them entertained forever. And then they can go in the lazy river and there's the life jackets and all of that, but you are going to have to watch them more closely. It's also the only pool that I think, and you guys can correct me if I'm wrong.

[00:36:15] I believe this is the only pool that year round requires a wristband to access as a, as a resort guest. Very, very locked down in that way. And I just, I can't, I can't say enough good things about this pool. Yeah. You'd be entertained and you want to go back. And when we did. Oh, wait, one more thing that we didn't mention. They have that sun deck, that upper level sun deck where there's all of those loungers that are really comfortable. And if you're, if that's your thing, it's quieter and it's above the pool.

[00:36:45] That's where I'm going to be. Like, I think there's like foosball tables and stuff up there. So you can get away from the loud, splashy area of this massive pool and kind of have that area as well. When we did Yacht and Beach Club, my kids did love that. And that was probably like two years ago. So, I mean, they were a little younger than they are now, but as a parent, it was just a little more, I had to be on a little more. Stressful, if you're like, yeah. Yeah. Like Emma loves playing in the sand. She's, that's her sensory thing. She wants to go do that.

[00:37:14] Bella wants nothing to do with sand. So like Matthew and I were constantly divided. And then you have to go for the little kid pool area with like the little kid slides is at the bottom of the big slide, the big pirate ship slide. And you have to go across the walkway for that. It was like Emma and I are on separate vacations from Matt, Bella and Tally because they wanted to go do that. And Emma wanted to go do this. Yeah. Yeah. Which, I mean, that happens. That happens.

[00:37:43] You have a large family, especially if you have three kids. That's the kind of thing you're going to run into in a lot of circumstances. Yeah. Okay. Good picks. I'm glad I got to mention Caribbean Beach Pool too. And, and the poly. Yeah. I mean, that's primarily where my family does pool days now, you know, and it's literally every single time the best day ever. M&Ms. I am so excited to share a brand new product to the moms behind the magic podcast with all of you. And this one is for everyone. Walking on air is the true magic of pop soul recovery insoles.

[00:38:13] I know the pain of walking is something that scares a lot of people when they're thinking about tackling a Disney vacation and the theme parks. Pop soul recovery insoles really cushion and help with impact stress. The first time I ever slipped them in, it honestly made me feel like I was walking on air. The cushioning is next level, especially if you're on your feet all day. But what really sold me? When I hit a painful spot, I could literally pop out a bubble and instantly take the pressure off. No limping or cutting my day short.

[00:38:41] Just relief and the ability to keep moving. It's a brilliant design where you can pop the air, slip a pain point in and keep moving about your day. So the long walks, the 50,000 steps at Disney World, they don't have to become a problem for you. I've worn them all day and I've used them to recover after a bit of walking and both times worked. They fit easily into sneakers, slippers and even water shoes since they're waterproof. The customization is wild. You can flip them for a smooth feel or you can keep the bubbles facing up for a massage effect.

[00:39:10] High arches, flat feet, it doesn't matter. You can adjust the support exactly where you need it. It's your product for your foot and your pain. If you're tired of sore feet slowing you down or it's something that's holding you back when it comes to planning for Disney World, this is one of those small changes that actually make a big difference. And by using code MAGIC today, you can get 15% off of your order. That's code MAGIC for the best 15% savings your feet will ever have.

[00:39:39] And let's face it, feet are the star of the show on long theme park days. Head to popsoul.com, enter code MAGIC and give your feet the relief they deserve. That's popsoul.com or by following the link in today's show notes. Katie, you're up first. Best resort for kids. And I have two in this category I'm very anxious about. And I don't know how I'm going to decide which one to go with. Oh, I actually, I kind of want to wait to see what you guys say because I'm not 100% locked in on what this is. We'll start.

[00:40:08] I'll start since I already hinted at it. So I, I'm coming from the perspective right now of a 14 and 15 year old. So freedom is very important to them. But also what's important to me is like a safe contained environment. I kind of went back and forth on this because I almost feel like it gives them freedom like to too much stuff. And I, I think I would be okay with them at this point walking over to the boardwalk.

[00:40:32] I don't necessarily want them to walk into the parks without me, but that's not really something that my kids are looking to do at this age. What really would happen is that London, Matt and I would go into Epcot and spend the day. And Liam would likely be back at the resort, probably at the pool. I want that easy access to be able to, to know that he's super close to me. Or if he wants to come into the park that he can walk and we can meet him.

[00:41:00] I just think that this is a perfect location for them to have fun, have easy access to ice cream, to have easy access to food options, to, you know, feel free enough to be able to walk around the boardwalk and it be a safe environment. Like I would be okay with that. That's why I chose the beach and yacht club. I think that's a really good pick. It's a great pick because of everything you just said, in addition to the pool that we just spent forever talking about.

[00:41:26] I will say my very close second was Coronado Springs. And again, being in the tower, the only reason I didn't choose this because I just know my family's dynamic is that three of us want to be at the park. One of them doesn't want to spend all day at the park. And, you know, being a bus ride away from Liam, that to me just felt a little uncomfortable. I want to be where he could just easily walk to me or I can walk to him. I don't want to have to wait for transportation. So that's why I went against that option.

[00:41:56] My kids are not at the age where anybody is being left. We're traveling together. So this is why this is so good, right? We're all going to the parks. This is why this is good conversation because I don't have to factor that in right now. And so I've narrowed it down to really three options. And I need to talk through them live. The first one, of course, is the obvious one. And it's art of animation. And the reason I say it is because this is the one that if you are taking your kids to Disney for the first time and you're like, oh, I'm going to Disney.

[00:42:25] And in my mind, that means I'm stepping into a Disney, a world of Disney, right? This is the resort where you're viewing that. This is fully immersive. This is like different themed lands in the theme parks, but at your resort. You know, it is a kiddo's dream to walk into this like you are stepping into the movie. It really is. It's a kiddo's dream. The pool is really fun and huge. Biggest pool on property, right? With a little splash pad. Does not have a slide. Has a great quick service option. No sit down dining, of course.

[00:42:55] It's a value resort. So kind of barren amenities, but really over the top theming. Yes. And so I had to put it on my list if I'm really just targeting kids. The other two, of course, I always throw Polynesian into the conversation because that's where I stay with my kids. And so in my mind, I'm like, my kids love that splash pad. My kids love that green lawn. My kids love that pool. We get fireworks viewing. Does it get better than that? Plus you have monorail access to the Magic Kingdom? Probably not. Right.

[00:43:24] And then my third option is the boardwalk because of that nightly entertainment, because of the cake bake shop, because of the ice cream parlor, because of the giant lawn where they're always running and tumbling. And they're always, you know, we did the Easter egg hunt this year. There's always a movie playing. And then at night, my kids have become part of the shows. They've been in the Magic Show. They've been in, you know, the acrobats jumped over their heads.

[00:43:45] The free entertainment for kids on the boardwalk with the accessibility to two parks, with the accessibility of so many great, like, snacks that kids love makes boardwalk maybe the best. Yeah, I think that too. Yeah. So for that reason, I think all three of those are the best for kids. And then I need to eliminate, obviously, I need to pick one and I need to eliminate reasons. So before I do, like, Katie, do you want to, were you leading through any of those?

[00:44:09] Okay, so I also think whenever I'm thinking of the best resort for kids, like we are choosing this because of the children. I mean, Art of Animation is obviously kind of at the top of the list. It is the most immersive. You are in the movies that you love. It's you got dropped in your favorite Disney film. There's literally nothing more imaginative than Art of Animation.

[00:44:33] I do want to give a shout out to Coronado Springs because we love Coronado Springs and the playground there right next to that, like, Mayan temple pool thing. Oh, my kids loved that. We are dying to go back to Coronado. So I think that that's another great choice. I'm actually thinking I'm betraying myself because I love Art of Animation so much. I think maybe the best resort is actually Caribbean Beach Resort, which is one that you mentioned.

[00:45:02] The reason I think that Caribbean Beach Resort is best is as a parent. Yes, I want to be at Hollywood Studios in four minutes. Yes, that's what I want. But also, did you see that they just brought the churro waffles to Spyglass Grill at Caribbean Beach? Yes, we're no longer gatekeeping it. Isn't Spyglass the one that's over in the Trinidad section?

[00:45:30] It is in the Trinidad section. It's so really weird. They must be piloting it. Like, it's like a pilot program to see how it does because really that is you have to go out of your way unless you're staying in Trinidad. No, no, no, no, no. Listen, so we have stayed in Trinidad and I actually prefer Trinidad. I don't prefer the other areas. But I like was specifically requesting we want the under the sea themed room for our little kids.

[00:45:54] So my kids are getting that Disney theming and nod that they want with these bright colors and beautiful theming in the room. But I am also getting all of the convenience that I want. So that's why I love Caribbean Beach as a whole. But now that Spyglass Grill has churro waffles, oh boy, we are going. You know we are going. Honestly, I saw that. And then when I saw they were at Spyglass, I was like, that's so hard to get. I was like, I was delighted because I was like, we're already there anyway. This is an extra boon for me.

[00:46:25] They should definitely serve those at like Coronado. Like a churro is a very. Yeah, they should. Right. Shouldn't they be having those at Coronado? Okay. So you're going with Caribbean? Yeah, I think that's what I'm going with. Okay. And I think I, do I betray the Polynesian really when it's where I stay with my kids? You're betraying the Polynesian. I'm betraying art of animation. This is, this is out the window. Yeah. I think I am going to, I'm going to go with the boardwalk because the free entertainment,

[00:46:53] the easy access to two parks, the easy access to so many kid loving foods, the lawn, the pool is great. It doesn't have zero entry. That's such a bummer. And I bring it up every time, but I think it's such a great kid resort. And this is funny because Carla, you put that same resort in your category best for adults and I am putting it best for kiddos. So it just goes to show you. Will it be best overall? I know.

[00:47:19] Your opinion has changed on this so drastically because in times not so far away, you dogged boardwalk in so hard. You know what it was? It was those terrible rooms. But now that they're in the clown pool, I just awful pool. I, and this is why I had that experience at the pool. I've talked about it before. One of my hardest Disney memories happened at the boardwalk pool when my twins were like,

[00:47:47] I think like 18 months old. So, I mean, they couldn't even fit in a life vest. We had to be holding them in the water or sitting on the steps. And we had taken like a 4am flight. So we were so, so tired. And it was just, if there had been a zero entry and they could have sat there and we could have sat with them, life would have been way better than that. It was a really hard day. And so I would just always advise on that. But that could be true in a lot of situations when you have an 18 month old and let alone when you have two 18 month olds.

[00:48:14] Well, I think it's poetic justice that you are betraying the Polly today, but you're bringing back, you're remedying your situation with boardwalk in. Well, I, I'm not done for the day. And so, you know, Polly can still sneak its way in, of course. Yeah. I just, I'm glad that this is going this way. I'm glad we're getting this conversation because we're really getting to hit on so many important things that I think people consider when they're trying to pick their resort. And this is why it's so hard to pick a resort.

[00:48:43] You know, and at some point it's just like pick your budget first and then see what falls in budget. And that's the best way to go because every single resort has pros and cons that are going to be the best in some way. And again, we're coming from the perspective of where our kids are at right now. But if you have infants, if you have babies, maybe Polly is the right answer for you because you're getting that luxe and calmness of the Polynesian. You're getting multiple vacations in one, right? That's one of the things I love about the Polly.

[00:49:08] But like you have that zero entry and you have, you just have, you know, opportunities for quiet moments, but also like fun. We would be remiss not to mention the contemporary in this conversation because you are so close to walking the Magic Kingdom. There's an argument for why the contemporary is best for a trip with kids. You're not wrong. And it has Chef Mickey's. Has Chef Mickey's in the walk. You're not, you're definitely not wrong. But like the theming is so blah for kids.

[00:49:37] I mean, I know they have the Incredibles Rooms inside. They have the Incredibles Rooms. But the resort itself, you're not walking around like Kid Wonderland by a lot. I actually kind of like that the resort marries this sort of Disney nostalgia that's like Walt's vision with the new things that kids would enjoy. I guess. I don't know. The pool kind of sucks too. The pool's bad. Okay. While we're in this category of best resort for kids, I want to point out that I did not choose Port Orleans Riverside and it breaks my freaking heart.

[00:50:07] Because two months ago, I would have told you hands down, let's pick Port Orleans Riverside for those Royal Guest Rooms. My M&M friends, they, they have renovated the Royal Guest Rooms and they are less all encompassing princesses and more focused directly on Tiana. And I love Tiana. She's like one of my favorite princesses, but it's just not the princess rooms that we had. Like I want my Aladdin sink back. I want it.

[00:50:36] Like all the rooms at Port Orleans should be Tiana themed. Yeah. Right. And then still have the princess rooms. I would like it if what was currently the updated princess rooms with, they still have like the light up headboards and everything. If that were a standard room, but they just sort of updated what the princess room was to be more up to date. I feel like they missed the mark so hard there. Great. All right. I don't disagree.

[00:51:04] Let's talk most underrated resort. Oh, I'm excited for this one. Oh, you go first then. Okay, good. The most underrated Disney resort is Wilderness Lodge. Not to be confused with Fort Wilderness. This is Wilderness Lodge. I do like to make that distinction because I feel like so many people that don't know Disney tend to think that that's the same thing. They're not the same thing. So Fort Wilderness is the campground and Wilderness Lodge is the deluxe hotel. Wilderness Lodge is the most underrated resort.

[00:51:33] It is beautiful. Whenever you walk in that lobby, you are in awe of how grand it is any time of year. It is truly awe-inspiring. But especially if you walk in during Christmas when they have the giant tree in the middle. Oh, it's the greatest. I've said it on podcasts before. It's my favorite hangout, Territory Lounge. As an adult, I'm like, I want to go there. How do I spend more time at Territory Lounge?

[00:52:01] You have the really good dining with Whispering Canyon Cafe and with Artist Point with Snow White and Friends. There's so much to love about Wilderness Lodge. And it's really close to Magic Kingdom, too. You can get a fireworks view at Wilderness Lodge. There's so much to love about it. You should go. You can get it really inexpensively as well. Yeah. I mean, comparatively to other deluxe and especially in the Magic Kingdom area. Yeah. That's great. I do want to spend my time there. Yeah.

[00:52:31] I have no disagreement with you on all the things that are great about it. I wonder if it is underrated. Do people really not think about it? Maybe because it gets overshadowed by the monorail? I think that's it. I think that it gets overshadowed by the monorail. And people are like, well, I want to be on the monorail loop if I'm going to be in the Magic Kingdom area. Which, fair. But Wilderness Lodge is great. Yeah. Especially if you're doing a trip focused on a party. You're going to be spending, you know, you get that easy access to Magic Kingdom. And you get that wilderness. That's two vacations and one kind of thing like Carla was mentioning before.

[00:53:01] Okay. Most underrated resort. This is difficult. I think the moderate resorts are overlooked a bit. I think Caribbean Beach is like the go-to moderate resort. And the rest can kind of get overlooked. Yeah. Coronado Springs is absolutely underrated. I don't know if I'm picking it. But that resort in the tower, like we've mentioned, can feel deluxe. The pricing is a little high for my liking sometimes. You know, I wish that they would price the moderate more moderately.

[00:53:30] I feel like it can really creep to once you build your package and you compare it, you could probably stay deluxe for the same. And I don't love that. And so you have to be a little bit careful. I think the tower can get pricey. And of course, a lot of factors have to do with promos that are available, time of year, of course, all of those things. But just I see the price of that creep up sometimes. I don't love that about it. But the food here, there are so many restaurants. Like to have so many restaurants on one property. Plus the pool slide is among the fastest.

[00:53:58] There's a full playground, a great bar. The grounds are really, really lovely. There's a big water lake. I don't know what that is. It's beautiful. There's a sand play area. Part of me wants to pick that. And then the other one that I would consider maybe is Port Orleans French Quarter. Yes. I think French Quarter gets a little bit overlooked because of Riverside. And I'm not really sure why people flock to Riverside over French Quarter.

[00:54:25] I think French Quarter brings a lot of vibrancy and fun. And you get the beignets there. Food is good. The drinks are good. The pool is great. The best splash pad on property. Really small and quaint. So the walk is not going to be far no matter where you stay. A boat to Disney Springs. Is that the most underrated or is it Coronado? It's one of those in my opinion. Whenever I stay at Port Orleans French Quarter, I as an adult feel whisked away.

[00:54:53] Like my kids are getting the magic and the fun and we're having the Mickey beignets. Right? But the vibe of French Quarter is I want to hold my husband's hand and walk along the Riverside. You know? Quaint. Oh, I love that. I did Port Orleans French Quarter. You did? Yay! And here's the thing. Everybody always raves about Riverside. I agree. I highly dislike Riverside. The same reason that I don't like Caribbean Beach. They're too big. There's too many bus stops.

[00:55:23] If you're in one of those white, beautiful buildings on the river, you are so far from the pool and from the lobby and from everywhere you need to be and want to be. At that point, you might as well just go to French Quarter and get your beignets. It's just too overwhelming to me. When I think of French Quarter, I literally wrote down calm over chaos because that's super important to me.

[00:55:48] I like it's actually the smallest Disney resort on property and everything is super walkable there. It's a perk that you get Mickey beignets. I could honestly care less about that. And it's just more about the feeling when you're there. I feel like I'm in New Orleans, but I'm also at Disney. I'm like you. I want to walk with my husband hand in hand and just like have a romantic stroll. Don't you think it's incredible that they I'm going to go with French Quarter as well for

[00:56:18] the reasons I said and that you're continuing to say. I am glad I mentioned Coronado because it is underrated for the reasons I said. But with French Quarter, don't you think it's like amazing how that resort has balanced the vibrant vibes that I mentioned and the literal French Quarter feels like it? Yeah. Yeah. You feel like the buildings, the architecture, the music, they're always playing jazz music. The wrought iron. But it's also quiet and quaint. Yeah.

[00:56:45] And just the uniqueness that they carry throughout the whole thing. When we stayed there, one of the pool activities, and I don't even think it cost extra. I think it was one of the included ones, was to decorate a Mardi Gras mask, like a New Orleans Mardi Gras mask. They do. Yes. So to your point, French Quarter does special things during Mardi Gras. Like they have extra activities that come in for it. Right.

[00:57:12] And so, and I, I don't think we were there during Mardi Gras later than Mardi Gras, but we did decorate Mardi Gras masks. I had the cutest pictures of my kids wearing them. They had feathers and stones and it was really unique. And I just, I think this is, we took the boat over to the boathouse, obviously, for dinner, which is kind of slow. You have to pack your patience for, I think the boat to Disney Springs and the line to get back is pretty long, but it is convenient and it is there. And I think this is the most underrated resort. People just don't, they flock to Riverside for some reason.

[00:57:42] And I get it. I like it, but it's, I think French Quarter is better. Were they flocking to Riverside before the princess room renovation? Because I don't feel like people are flocking to Riverside anymore. Well, when I'm working as a, when I'm working as a travel agent, I don't book the Royal Guest Rooms that much. A lot of my people that I booked it a lot. A lot of people I booked would, would feel like they were just too pricey and they would book Riverside for other reasons, mostly for the value because it's pretty inexpensive to stay there. So that's usually why people would pick it.

[00:58:12] But French Quarter is just as cheap. It's hard to book though sometimes because it's so small. My problem with Port Orleans Riverside, you may remember M&Ms that Carla referred to one of my favorite restaurants as Grandma's Krusty Kitchen. Nobody remembers that. What are you talking about? That's the vibe I get whenever I'm staying at a standard room at Port Orleans Riverside. They're leaning into the, you know, Tiana's a self-made woman and, you know, pull herself

[00:58:39] up by her bootstraps and she earned this money to start her restaurant. But they lean into it so hard that like all of the chairs are mismatched. Did I need mismatched chairs to get Tiana theming? No. Okay. I think that's good. I think we really nailed that. Okay. So the next category, Carla, is it your turn to go first? This is resort worth the splurge. And like all of these categories, I haven't narrowed down to two. I think this was kind of a no brainer for me.

[00:59:08] And it's basically, I mean, it's essentially based on the recent renovations that they've done just throughout the resort. And this has been going on for years, right? Is the Grand Floridian. They just made it better and better. You talked about the rooms earlier, Katie. I love the rooms here. It's these just calm, like bluish green, like everything about it is just elegant and refined and calm. And it's just, again, it's worth the money.

[00:59:37] I think it's definitely worth the price point. It is like when I think of Disney, I think of this resort. And it's only gotten better and better. I want to spend time here. I don't want to leave. I love the accessibility to Magic Kingdom. The night that we had that we went to Narcoossee's, forget that it was like 20 degrees and drizzling. Like the ability to like hop on the boat right after dinner and be to Magic Kingdom in five minutes is unheard of.

[01:00:07] At what time? At like 10 o'clock, right? I think it was even later. I think it was like 10 o'clock or 11. Yeah. Yeah. That was amazing. So I'll just chime in with you because obviously this is one of my two. And I do think it's the one I'm going to go with because it has more reasons to splurge. For the reasons that you said, the proximity, the rooms, I like cry when I get to my room when I stay there. It's just so beautiful. And I've said this before. When we stayed there, the five of us, they upgraded our standard room. Well, it wasn't even an upgrade. Just our standard room happened to be one that was in the turret of one of the buildings.

[01:00:37] So we had that whole extra space. And it was just so lovely and amazing. Having the accessibility to all of that incredible food and the parks and the other resorts and feel like you're in another world. The pool is a little underwhelming, but it does have a play lawn, which is really, really great. So I do think that this is the right answer for the splurge. The other one I would just want to mention, and then I'll tell you the reasons why I'm ultimately not going with it, is a Savannah view room at Animal Kingdom Lodge.

[01:01:06] That is such a unique experience. You can't do other places, really. And it feels like one of those unattainable things I have said before. I've done it many, many times. So I'm getting a little desensitized to it, which is sad because I've seen it and done it so many times. But when I really lock in and I think about people that have never done it, that dream of it, when you walk out, it is just jaw dropping when you get to your balcony and there's a giraffe. Yes, it's beautiful. And a zebra.

[01:01:33] And it is, if you've never done it, it's absolutely worth it. It's just that you're really, really far away. You're not well connected to the rest of Disney World. And that can be a little bit difficult. That's always been my biggest issue with Animal Kingdom Lodge. So I'm not going to say that it's the number one overall splurge. But I do think it's worth, you know, it's in the conversation, specifically Savannah view. But Grand Flow is the right answer. Yeah, I feel like I feel like it's a fabulous choice, obviously.

[01:02:00] Anytime that you are, if you are in a position where it's like you've only stayed offsite and then you're staying on site value or you're only staying value and then you're staying for moderate for the first time, so on and so forth. Anytime you do that splurge, it more often than not converts you. And that's exactly the context that I guess I'm going to give before I announce my pick for resort worth the splurge.

[01:02:23] Whenever I met the lovely Allie, I was like, Allie, I've stayed at Art of Animation and you will never convince me that staying at a moderate or deluxe resort is worth that money. You'll just never convince me of it. I was convinced a hotel is a hotel. Who really cares? And I was like, it won't happen. And then the following year, I was like, the boardwalk really is my jam. And I had stayed at the Riviera and Saratoga. And I was instantly converted.

[01:02:52] So I want to give the context that I'm coming from a place of my perspective used to be a hotel is a hotel and I've realized that it's not. Okay. So I actually think the best pick for resort worth the splurge is staying club level at Coronado Springs. This is where I think Coronado Springs wins out for a category because it is the only moderate resort.

[01:03:17] It's the only non-deluxe resort that you can have an option for club level, which makes it within reach for a lot of people. And that was the case for Matthew and I for our anniversary three years ago. We stayed club level at Coronado Springs. I have never felt more bougie in my life. We walked into the club. They're like, would you like a mimosa? Oh, yes, I would like a mimosa.

[01:03:42] Or if I'm going up to the buffet and getting like the hot foods to bring back to the table for my kids, the servers that like stay in the club level and just hang out in the club were like talking to my kids and like coloring with them. And they were engaging with us in a way that was just it made you feel special. This was every bit worth the splurge staying club level in Grandestino Tower. I like that one. Yeah, definitely. Good pick.

[01:04:10] The one thing I always get hung up there is just you're paying and you're getting club and it's so great. And I think you should do it. But I'm always like, could you do it at a deluxe resort? Could you find the same price and get the deluxe perks? You know, I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. But that's I've always had that hang up. Kind of similarly to you were saying with Fort Wilderness, I wish they would separate the tower and give you the deluxe perks because that price point considered to a standard room at Coronado is significantly different. Yes.

[01:04:40] Well, and this is what I've always said about art of animation, right? It's a moderate resort masquerading as a value because really there's only one section that's priced as value and it's the highest of the values. The suites are not value price, you know, and you're paying much higher pricing for much more bare amenities. It's really the same with the tower and the village. You're absolutely right. Great. That's going to bring us to our very last category. But before we do it, we are going to take a quick break for our friend like me segment.

[01:05:10] Toss it off here to some of our friends that are out there just like us. They have social media communities, places where you want to hang out, spend your time when you're online scrolling. So give them a listen, see who you connect and drive with. Give them a follow, like their page, subscribe, do all of the things and then come back and chat with us. Find out what we think is the best overall Disney resort on the other side. If you are looking for ways to level up your Disney vacation, you have to join our friend

[01:05:37] Maureen at Doing Disney Deluxe Style on Facebook. From resorts to VIP experiences and exclusives, different types of dining add-ons, anything that you can think of to make your Disney vacation even more deluxe than it already is, Maureen has your back. Planning a Disney trip is a once in a lifetime for so many families. Or if you go so much that you're looking for new and fresh ideas, Maureen's group Doing Disney Deluxe Style is where you want to be.

[01:06:06] Do your kids have a wide age gap between them? Join our friends Laura and Kate in their Facebook community, Disney Vacations designed for toddlers, kids, and teens. Laura and Kate are two moms who each have three kids with wide age gaps ranging from infant to college. In their group, they know and understand that families need help when they are seeking adventure and excitement in Walt Disney World and beyond. They make sure you fit into the puzzle between your kids who have that wide age range.

[01:06:34] Join them at Disney Vacations designed for toddlers, kids, and teens on Facebook. Join the conversation on how to travel when you have a wide age gap between your kiddos. Should we do a recap before we say overall? Sure. Let's do a quick recap. Best value for your money resort. I said the Garden Wing at the Contemporary. Carla said the Swan and Dolphin. And Katie said Saratoga Springs. Best adult trip resort. I said the Riviera. Carla said the Boardwalk. And Katie said the Grand Floridian.

[01:07:04] Best resort for a pool day. I said the Yacht and Beach Club. Carla said the Yacht and Beach Club. And Katie said Kidani Village. Best resort for kiddos. I said the Boardwalk. Carla said Yacht and Beach Club again. And Katie said Caribbean Beach. Most underrated resort. I said Port Orleans French Quarter. Carla also said Port Orleans French Quarter. And Katie said Wilderness Lodge. And resort worth the slurge. I said the Grand Floridian. Carla also said the Grand Floridian. And Katie said Club Level at Coronado.

[01:07:34] We're seeing eye to eye on a lot of this across the board. And we're, you know, we're all mentioning and talking about things that we've all talked about before. You know, this is how we truly feel. And again, picking the perfect resort is difficult because they're all so perfect in many ways. But which one is the best overall? I have it narrowed down to two, but I know which one I'm going to pick. So can I just go first? Go for it. Go for it. I've narrowed it down to, well, really three. Ha ha ha. The Yacht and Beach Club. The Yacht and Beach Club and the Boardwalk are in the conversation.

[01:08:04] And then, of course, the Polynesian. And they're all a good answer. I'm hesitant to walk away from the Yacht and Beach Club because of the pool. I'm hesitant to walk away from the Boardwalk because of that free nightly entertainment and the connection to all of that great food. But ultimately, I'm going with the Polynesian because it is the perfect resort. The pool is perfect for a pool day. There is a giant splash pad as well as a zero entry. The slide is fast, big, and fun.

[01:08:31] You can sit on one side of the pool and see to the other. So it's small enough that you can keep an eye on your kiddos, but it's big enough that they're staying entertained all day long. There is a hubgrass lawn full of fun activities, games, movies, just dance parties, all kinds of things going on. The longhouse walk. The walk to the longhouses can be difficult if it's raining. So that is like a con. That's difficult. But that's true for a lot of resorts. They're exterior buildings and separate buildings, and you may be walking in the rain.

[01:09:00] But when you're on a Disney vacation, you should always be prepared for the rain. So take that out of the conversation. And you think about the tree-lit, tiki torch pathways that are serene and beautiful. Or you can choose to take the path across the front of the property along the beach. Now you're walking on the beach. There are swings and Adirondacks and fire pits. You can literally watch the entire show of Happily Ever After or any party show with Python music and a central view. You can literally see Tinkerbell fly.

[01:09:29] So, so perfect. You're on the monorail, which is great for kiddos. You can actually walk to the TTC, and depending on where your room is, maybe that's the best walk. And I think it checks every box. It is pricey, but it is worth it. And it is the best overall Disney resort. And you didn't even mention Trader Sam's, and that's a great reason it's a good resort, too. Yeah. Trader Sam's, as well as the quick access to the Enchanted Rose. And to... And Captain Cook's is like the best quick service at a resort. I actually think that's true.

[01:09:58] I think, I think Captain Cook's is the best resort quick service. The Thai coconut meatballs and the noodles alone are... Oh, yes. Please, yes. I'm also picking the Polly in case you didn't notice. Are you? Oh, are you really picking the Polly? Oh, for sure. Yeah. For the same reasons as me, I assume. So, Carla, where are you? Oh, the same reasons. I am, too. And here's the deal. Katie and I live in paradise. We literally, like, beaches are an hour from us, right? We could go to the beach anytime.

[01:10:25] But there is something about pulling up to the Polynesian. From the minute you step out of the car to check in, and you see water and tiki torches and... It lays. It lays. It lays. And then you walk into this lobby, probably one of the grandest lobbies on site. Yes. You see the lava, stone floors. Like, everything about it is... You are having... This is what I'm talking about. Two different vacations.

[01:10:52] You're having a vacation to Hawaii or the Polynesian Islands, but you're also at Disney. And everything about it... You can literally, the moment you step into the lobby, you can see out the back, right? No. You can, right? You can. No, you definitely can. And it smells incredible. Yeah. And then you can see the castle on the other side, and you can see this amazing pool. And just everything about it is calm. You know, you just mentioned when we were talking about the slurge for your money and the Grand Floridian being amazing.

[01:11:21] It lacks one thing, and that's the pool. It doesn't have that factor. I don't want to hang out at that pool. That pool, to me, I look at it and I like, it's not fun. Yeah. No. You're having fun at the Polynesian's pool. Like, I want to stay here. I don't want to leave. Ever. And you can rent the cabanas at the Polynesian pool too, which is really cool. Yeah, you can. It is by far the best. It's amazing. I will never stop staying there. So I can't believe we're all in agreeance, but I can, you know. Did you just say agreeance again?

[01:11:52] I can't help it. It's Ohio. Like, we're all in agreement. That's a word to me. Speaking of Ohioans and just anybody traveling from up north, could you imagine, like, going from gray, rainy weather and then coming to Disney property and walking into the Polynesian? I do it all the time. Yes, I literally do it all the time. Yeah. Yes. There is a difference between, you know, whenever you live in a place that's mostly overcast

[01:12:18] or rainy and then you come to a place that is sunshine and palm trees and sand. Yeah, it's perfect. It's why we keep going back. It's why we'll always continue to go back. And I'm glad we all landed there. All right. We're going to wrap this thing up. Are you ready for a lightning lane? Okay. Yes. All right. Let's go to Carla, then Katie. Which resort would you choose for a honeymoon? Is it me first? All right. Let's go to Carla, then Katie. Yes. Oh, gosh. That's so hard.

[01:12:47] I think I would choose the Grand Floridian because it's romantic. It's got to be the Grand Floridian. It's that princess moment. No, it's definitely the Grand Floridian. It's not even a contest. For a solo trip. Although, wait, wait, wait, wait. Wait, the Polynesian has a honeymoon suite labeled the honeymoon suite. Wow. Which is awesome, but I don't need all that. I just need a room. I'm just going to throw that out there. That exists. Not every resort has the honeymoon suite. Polynesian does. Okay, next. Okay. I appreciate the whole idea of a solo trip, but that is just not my vibe.

[01:13:17] I'm not going to Disney by myself. That sounds sad. But I would go with adults. And if I go with adults, then I'm going to go back to the boardwalk in. I think I would do a solo trip at Wilderness Lodge because that's where I want to go. Spend my time. I have spent some time solo at Wilderness Lodge, and I thought that that was great. And I'm not someone who likes to be alone most of the time. I think I might do one of those corner rooms, those little studio rooms at the Riviera. Oh, that's a good pick. That'd be pretty great. Yeah, you just kind of have this little quaint space to yourself.

[01:13:46] I think that's what I would do. All right, big family reunion. Gosh, anywhere. Again, I think I want to be on the boardwalk. So whether it's the beach club, yacht club, I want to be kind of away from some of my family. I feel like when I'm thinking big family reunion, you usually have to cater to the family that has the most people in one room. And chances are somebody probably needs a suite or a fifth sleeper. So that tends to narrow down your options.

[01:14:15] If you happen to be in a family where everyone is occupancy of four or less, then this changes the game. But I'm assuming that that's not happening. Right. So if that's the case, I would still send you to Art of Animation because I do feel that the family suites are worth it. I think I would go with Yacht and Beach just because the pool would be so big for everybody to enjoy. You could walk over and have that nightly entertainment at the boardwalk.

[01:14:39] And then, you know, catching a bus with the entire family or big portions of the family to the parks sounds really difficult. So to just walk together to two out of four, it seems great. So Yacht and Beach Club for me. Okay. As a foodie. I think Grand Floridian. I'm going to pick Wilderness Lodge again. It's got to be Grand Floridian or Boardwalk. Take your pick. I mean, it's one of those. Probably Grand Floridian because it has so much nicer food. So many more options. But honestly, either. Instagram worthy.

[01:15:09] I think the Polly. Got to be the Polly. Oh, I was going to say Art of Animation. Art of Animation has to win for Instagram worthy. Yeah. If you got little ones, if you got a little kid market, definitely. Yes, it just depends what algorithm you're on. Listen, even as an adult, I've told you before my first time ever at Disney was as an adult whenever I was 18, which is still a kid basically. But I think the magic is real at Disney no matter what age you are.

[01:15:36] And if you are that adult that doesn't have little kids and wants to stay at Art of Animation, I am a thousand percent here for that. Sure. And staying on the monorail? There's no wrong choice. Any of them. And even to stay at Wilderness Lodge. Polly. Grand Floridian. Carla breaks all the rules, you guys. We came into this episode and said you can't pick Swan and Dolphin. And then she picked it in the first round. And now the category is staying on the monorail. Nobody said I couldn't pick it or I wouldn't have picked it.

[01:16:05] And by the way, I'm not picking Swan and Dolphin. I'm picking the Swan specifically. For the monorail? No. We're talking about staying on the monorail. I told you, I would have picked Polly or Grand Floridian. You can't go wrong. And even, my gosh, to stay at the Contemporary. I just don't want to stay at the Contemporary. But that walk is a breeze. That walk is incredible. Incredible. If I'm staying on the monorail and I have my choice. It's a hard toss up for me as well between Grand Floridian or the Polynesian.

[01:16:35] I like the Polynesian better than the Grand Floridian. But I like to be the first stop to Magic Kingdom. So that's why I'm kind of like, I think Grand Floridian nudges it out for me. Yeah. I mean, Polly. Definitely. And then when budget is no object. That's our splurge option. And I picked the Grand Floridian. And maybe I throw in club level. I'd say theme park view room at the Poly. Yep, that's it. Club level theme park view room at the Poly. That's the one. And I'm eating at all the restaurants there. Yeah. All right. That was really fun. I think it was insightful and helpful.

[01:17:05] And ultimately, I hope it allowed all of the M&Ms to realize that there's not just one factor when determining what the perfect Disney resort is. And when you take your family and your vibes and your dynamics into account, narrowing down what the perfect one is a little bit easier. However, the best way to do this is probably pick your budget, see what's in budget and go from there. Because you really can't go wrong anywhere. That is going to do it for us for another episode. Before we finish here, I'm just going to remind you, join us in our social media communities. If you've had a good experience at one of these resorts,

[01:17:34] or if you have different thoughts on what should have fallen in each of these categories, let us know. Make a post in our Facebook group and let us know so that we can chime in and others can chime in and the conversation can keep going. Because that's really why we love doing this. We love talking to each other, but we love to continue the conversation with you. Leave us a five-star review and a rating. Of course, that's the most helpful way to continue to allow us to do what we love and to allow you to come back and keep listening every single Tuesday. That's going to do it for another episode on the Moms Behind the Magic podcast. And until next time, we're sending you fun, love, and joy.

[01:18:04] We'll see you real soon. This was hard. I kept going back and forth on a couple of them. Why do you look so irritated? I don't think I've ever seen you so irritated. When we're there in a month, we'll figure it out for you. Yeah. Problem solved. I'll bring my tool belt. Are you talking to us? Because you said problem solved. She's saying when I... Because I said when we're there in a month, we'll fix it for you. So your problem will be solved, but it's not. This is mental. I'm going to have high blood pressure. If I would have known it was going to take you this long, I probably could have put this stupid thing together.

[01:18:34] One day we'll get our shit together. Maybe. We're all unstable. Can you... Carla, can you hear Allie? Yes. Ha ha ha ha. That doesn't mean I'm listening, though. This is our dynamic when it's the three of us. Can you hear her? All right. Just press record. It really was. I was speaking, and it was like I wasn't. This is the dynamic. Which is different, you know, for me. This is the dynamic. That's because I was going off on my rant. I was contributing in positive ways, and Carla was just acting like I wasn't. The older I get, the less you-know-whats I give.

[01:19:04] Katie and I are on the same wavelength because we're in Florida. I got a black bound-hh. you