We've stayed at every deluxe resort and have enjoyed each one. We almost never pay rack rate (full price), instead getting discounts via Disney or a specialized
travel agent. Given how uncertain travel is right now, renting DVC points is not a safe bet, as they're almost impossible to get refunded, and even very, very difficult to change dates. Another thing to note is that summer is one of the cheaper times of year to rent deluxe resort rooms, much cheaper than the fall/winter holiday season, and also cheaper than spring.
Which resort is "the ultimate" is dependent on three main factors:
- Your personal taste
- Which park(s) you will visit most
- What time of year you will be there
Since there is no way for me to know your personal taste, I'll share the following recommendations based on our own preferences:
For
summer trips, the best resort is
Beach Club with its extraordinary Stormalong Bay pool complex. Yacht Club also shares the pool, but we don't happen to like the rooms there as much since its renovation. Following Beach Club, we prefer
Boardwalk or the
Polynesian. The Boardwalk has the most well-themed rooms in WDW, very early 1900's Boardwalk-themed with tons of detail & we like that. It's pool & water slide are also amazingly well-themed. These Epcot resorts are within walking distance of two parks and have other activities nearby. Their counter service dining options are very weak, though, so we often stay club-level at those. The Polynesian is themed after Hawaii, has views of Magic Kingdom and is on the monorail line. It's pool is based around a pretend volcano and is very nice, too. The Poly has great dining.
For
Christmas season trips, the best resort is
Wilderness Lodge, which is absolutely stunning at Christmas with its huge tree, and which has a cozy northwestern lodge vibe that is appropriate to the season.
Copper Creek Villa studios are also located within the hotel, and are also a good choice if you're okay with a studio room layout.
For
non-summer, non-Christmas trips, our favorite resort is
Animal Kingdom Lodge. It is a completely unique hotel, in which you might have animals outside your balcony (even in some standard view rooms). Its lobby is gorgeous and the whole resort is very well themed. It has very good dining. This is a very peaceful resort.
Fort Wilderness is also a unique, beautiful and peaceful resort, but it is not deluxe, and it is undergoing a lot of renovation work right now.
For primarily
Magic Kingdom focused trips, the best resort is the
Contemporary, because you can walk between there and Magic Kingdom. No Disney transportation needed. We actually prefer the quiet garden wing rooms there, which are much cheaper than the rooms in the main tower. The graceful
Grand Floridian, whose monorail is only one stop before MK, and which will also have a walkway to MK in a year or two, is also a good choice. The Polynesian is overpriced & overcrowded imo, so we typically avoid it except for summer trips to enjoy its pool.