Why the big jump?

[KAT1811]

I wanted to do this thread as my 500th post but I got so wrapped up in the YO100Q I completely missed it!!! I LOVE the YO100Q!!! Oh well, on we go!

I was wondering if anyone else ever wondered why there was such large steps in the resort pricing matrix? I based the following quotes on a family of four (2 adults & 2 children ages 5 & 8) spending 10 nights at WDW; the package includes hotel and park passes only, not the dining plan. These prices are for the value season.


:tiphat: Grand Floridian (lagoon view) - $6080.64

:tikki: Polynesian (garden view) - $4888.24

:surfing: Beach Club / Yacht Club (standard view) - $4730.64

:balloon: Contemporary (garden wing/garden view) - $4618.24

:shop: Saratoga Springs (studio) - $4325.64

:camp: Wilderness Lodge / Animal Kingdom Lodge(standard view) - $3605.64

:swing: All Moderate Resorts (standard view) - $2818.24

:artist: All Value Resorts(standard room) - $2113.44

I know that many people on here love the Polynesian and some of the other "deluxe" resorts but why the big jump in pricing? There is about a $700. difference between the value resorts and the moderates and then again another approx. $800. jump to the lower deluxe hotels (AKL & WL) but then it goes way up.

I just don't get it. I've heard a lot of people say that park proximity is a big draw but no one hotel is close to all the parks. Sure if you're at one of the monerail hotels the Magic Kingdom is close by but even to get to Epcot it is a longer commute hopping monerails at the TTC and the other parks are just as difficult to get to as any of the other resorts.

I love all of the WDW hotels and there are still many I have not stayed at. I did stay at the Beach Club and while I did enjoy myself I just didn't feel that it warranted the $2000.00 extra. Maybe I'm alone out here but I wish they would even out their matrix. Why the big jump from moderate to deluxe? I just don't see what the big differance is. I think there is just as much differance going from value to moderate.

What do all of you think? For those of you who do stay deluxe what makes you do it?

[King Triton]

Kat -- sorry I made you miss your "landmark" post with the Yo100Q. I'm glad you're enjoying it and I appreciate your comments.

Anyway, it looks like there's about 3 levels of deluxes -- "value deluxes", which would be WL and AKL, then "moderate deluxes", which would be the rest of them except for GF, then "super deluxe", which is GF only.

The fact of the matter is Disney has carefully calculated all of this out so that they get the occupancy they want at each resort. People are willing to pay it, or they'd have to adjust the rates. I agree with you that the extra $2000 from a moderate to what I called a "moderate deluxe" is not worth it, but to many it is. Also keep in mind that a lot of people stay at Disney that don't do the research that you would do and just take whatever their travel agent presents to them, which may be a Beach Club or better. Those agents are going to get a much better commission by placing their client at Beach Club instead of All-Star Music.

Although I'm all for staying in a nice place, at Disney I don't tend to spend a lot of time at the resort, so I don't need "super luxury", but I can see where some might or have the disposable income to do so.

[baby minnie's mommy]

If you compare a standard (parking lot) room at a moderate to a garden view at a deluxe you will of course get a bigger price difference. Then comparing it all to a lagoon view at GF is going to be a huge jump because that is a top-o-the-line view there. You should compare standard to standard and garden to garden. Then the pricier deluxes have lagoon views, which can't equally be compared to the lower resorts. Remember too that rooms with a lagoon view have views of the fireworks & the electrical water pageant.

You'll get differing opinions on where to stay, because we all want something different out of our vacation. DH and I live close to WDW so have been to the parks frequently. Therefore, we LOVE the deluxes because the hotel is a big part of our vacation. We used to always stay at POR/FQ till we tried a deluxe. Here are a few things that pull us to the deluxes:

-bigger beds

-nicer/bigger bathrooms

-awesome pools

-monorail/boat access for the ones that offer it

-Main buildings are more "impressive."

-The castmembers really get into the act of the resort's theme.

-Our last two visits they've had castmembers in the deluxe lobby that approached us and made us feel very welcome, and payed special attention to our daughter.

-The AK Lodge may not have special park transportation, but the animals are a wonderful amenity, especially for our daughter. And the main lodge is awesome!

-We like to just relax knowing that all the amenities are right in our room or close by. (That's a big factor in our personal vacation choices.)

Another note: If you are from Africa you may not feel on vacation if at AK Lodge, or from the rustic country and staying at W. Lodge, etc. On the other hand, you may feel more at home, so like I said it's what you want from your vacation.

[NJMan66]

I just lost a long post response because I hit the wrong button on my keyboard. Oh well,

What I had said, in summary, is:

1) Supply versus demand determines price.
2) First time visitors want to be in a hotel on a monorail.
3) Most first time visitors want deluxe and will spend the $$ to stay in a deluxe.
4) Many people that I have talked to say that the moderate and value hotels on Disney property offer them less than staying in a nicer property "off campus." Therefore, to fill their room, Disney has kept these prices low. It's all about perception of quality versus cost.

[Figment78]

Personally for me, convenience + atmosphere + memories are the reasons I love staying at the Polynesian. You can actually walk right to the TTC from the Poly so there is no need to switch monorails to get to Epcot. And walking a path lit by tiki torches is an added bonus. At the Contemporary, you can walk right over to the Magic Kingdom. Both of these reasons makes them very compelling options for me to choose when we take small children. Right now though, we typically stay at the Wilderness Lodge b/c of the price (the "value deluxe" if you will) and it still has great location and atmosphere. I think people probably feel the same way about the Beach/Yacht Clubs with the proximity to Epcot and the pool "complex."

I believe that for many people though, it's just a personal preference. A feeling... For example, I grew up staying at the Poly, and stayed at the Wilderness Lodge for my honeymoon, so they will always have special memories attached to them. However, I have been to/explored all the hotels on property and feel that they are all extremely well designed and make for great accomodations that live up to people's Disney expectations!

Everyone has their own set of reasons why they choose one hotel over another, for any particular visit. I'm just so glad Disney has so many options to make all our various dreams come true without leaving the "magic."

[pshokie]

What made me do it.....hmmmmm....This may be long...

Well, this was our first real Disney vacation. All others were day trips (HS band trips, VT bowl games, etc.). So we chose the Poly for its reputation as a "convenient hotel". It was the monorail and its proximity to MK that sold us. That plus it looked really cool!:thumbsup:

After staying there, I do have to say there is a "magic" to staying where you can see MK. I cannot describe it, but I simply do not feel the same way about MGM or AK. Ecpot has a little of it, but no where near MK. But that is just me/us.

We actually took the DVC tour of SSR, and it felt "removed", for lack of a better word. Mind you, we did like the resort, it was just "removed". I know some/lots will disagree, but what I am trying to capture is a "feeling", and I think I am failing miserably at that. :blush:

Another example, and why we will stay there again, is what we experienced as the real convenience. Everyone talks about how being close to Epcot is great especialy for dining. Well at the Poly, you are one 8 minute Monorail ride away from Epcot. From there, you are essentially the same distance to all of the resturants as those coming in the "the back door" at the International Gateway. So all of our dining encompased every place we could Monorail & walk to. And that is a lot of restaurants.

In attempt to wrap this up....Lastly I will say that travelling with small kids, the Poly made all the differnce with ragards to mid-day naps. Even from MGM. We did the H&V breakfast at MGM, then did the standard tot-shows. By lunch we were done, and the kids were fading fast. What did we do? Something I never thought we would do, we became a 3-Parks-in-one-day family. We took the Ferry boat from MGM to Epcot, simply because we would not have to wake the kids and collapse the stollers. Then we stopped in Paris for an adult snack, and proceeded at a liesurely pace towards to front of Epcot (taking in sights as we went). We got on the Monorail, again with out disturbing the kids or collapsing strollers, and off to the Poly we went. After resting and recharging, we headed off to MK for dinner.

Silly? Probably. But to us, that was so much easier and less stressful than any bus trip we took while at Disney.

I am not sure if this helped answer the question, but I hope you got something out of it!:mickey:

[KylesMom]

We've stayed at Values, Moderates, Cabins, Lower-End Deluxe & Deluxe. Our climb from Values started several years ago when A/P rates were at their deepest discounts after 9-1-1 (during summer months), with me telling DH that we may never be able to afford particular resorts again. This is after we'd stayed at two of the three All-Stars. Believe me, it was never our intention to go to Disney every year, and it REALLY was never our intention to stay at a Deluxe every time!

The ambiance of the resorts as a whole, coupled with larger rooms, bigger (and more comfortable) beds, TS restaurant choices and location to the MK - our favorite park - spoiled us forever.

I may have been more right than I imagined. To us, our favorite resort is CR (wing room). It has now surpassed our budgetary limit. The cost differential is just too great to swallow on a 14-night stay. And we have too much "stuff" to switch resorts mid-stay.

Over the years we have changed our vacation touring style greatly, and enjoy hanging out at the hotel when it's grossly hot or the parks are too crowded. WL suits our needs perfectly. Transportation to the MK is quick (resort boat), the on-site restaurant is fabulous, the Queen beds are comfy, the pool is terrific, the staff has been nothing but great AND the lodge is beautiful with a ton of things to see and do. Special things such as viewing Wishes from our hotel room balcony, being the Flag Family for a day and many other things have "hooked" us. I should mention as well that we have a rental car which zips us from park to park in no time, so the only transportation concerns we have is getting to and from the MK in a reasonable amount of time. We don't have to get up at 5 am to make it to early EMH, or 6 am to get to Chef Mickey's by 8.

I truly believe that the dollars involved to hop to the next level of accommodations is pretty fair, especially Moderate to Deluxe.

[Nicki'sMom]

The theme is so important to us while at Disney and on vacation in general wherever we go. I guess that expectation is from being a "Disney" kid growing up and coming for vacation to WDW. We love being transported to another era or place and we can't wait to stay at WL. Next time it will be POLY because it is a lot easier to get to than Hawaii and the parks are there too!

[Goes4FastPass]

I think it's what "Nightline" would call a "Sign of the Times". There are many people who say with a wave of the hand, "I want the best". I sometimes wonder to what lengths they'll go to have it. Credit card debt is at an all time high.

When this topic comes up the conclusion always is, "to each his own".

I have a friend who is truely wealthy. He goes to WDW every year and he always books value resorts. He explains, simply, "All of the really important resort guest benefits are available to ALL resort guests."

Can I offer another thought? My wife and I once stayed at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. They have a "canal" that runs though the mall there and I asked my wife if she wanted to ride a gondola. She answered, "If I do, it will be like admitting I'll never get to Venice." We passed on the Las Vegas gondola and a year later we kissed under the Bridge of Sighs riding a gondola in Venice. Is it possible that for some people, visiting Walt Disney World is the biggest most outlandish thing they do so it's particularly important that they do it "deluxe"?

[KAT1811]

I think it's what "Nightline" would call a "Sign of the Times". There are many people who say with a wave of the hand, "I want the best". I sometimes wonder to what lengths they'll go to have it. Credit card debt is at an all time high.

When this topic comes up the conclusion always is, "to each his own".

I have a friend who is truely wealthy. He goes to WDW every year and he always books value resorts. He explains, simply, "All of the really important resort guest benefits are available to ALL resort guests."

Can I offer another thought? My wife and I once stayed at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. They have a "canal" that runs though the mall there and I asked my wife if she wanted to ride a gondola. She answered, "If I do, it will be like admitting I'll never get to Venice." We passed on the Las Vegas gondola and a year later we kissed under the Bridge of Sighs riding a gondola in Venice. Is it possible that for some people, visiting Walt Disney World is the biggest most outlandish thing they do so it's particularly important that they do it "deluxe"?


Very well said.

[MickeyandTink]

Very well said.

:ditto:

We are staying at a value resort because it allows us to use the "savings" for things that are more important to us. DW :tink: and I :smickey: had originally planned to take a trip to Europe or Hawaii for our 5 yr anniverary. DD :princess: came along that year, so it became Europe for our 10th anniversary. DS :football: was our present instead, so maybe for 15 or 20.

We will get a taste of those places by visiting and eating at Poly and WS. Instead of spending the money to stay at one of the deluxe resorts for a few days, the difference will just about pay for a weeklong trip to either HI or Europe (if we plan it right). It's like flying first class as opposed to coach. If you have enough money (or credit) AND its important enough that you're willing to give up something else then that's what you spend it on. It's not for us, but that's why you have the variety.

[Jen66]

I realize that we do have a lot of debt as a society, but to lump deluxe resort guests as "untraveled", "Disney is as good as I will ever get' oor "heck, let's just put it on the card" is rather insulting.
First Disney is wonderful no matter where you stay, people just want different experiences. I have stayed in values and would again if it was the only way i could comfortably do Disney (read~without incurring debt), but for us as a family of 4, we just felt cramped and did not care for the long bus lines, not TS, noise, etc. I know some people love them and that is great, that is why any smart resort area has different options available.
I have traveled all over, both on a super tight budget (backpacking around Europe with a train pass, hiking and camping in Honduras, etc. and on much nicer trips in high end hotels), and to be perfectly honest, I like both. Vacation is a choice. Some may think the room rates are ridiculously high and a waste of money, others will find them worth it. It is like a pair of shoes someone pays $100 for, cheap for some, outrageous for others.
I think whatever you choose or need to do is fine. I do not think we should judge others and make snap, overriding statements about any specific groups of people.

[KAT1811]

I realize that we do have a lot of debt as a society, but to lump deluxe resort guests as "untraveled", "Disney is as good as I will ever get' oor "heck, let's just put it on the card" is rather insulting.
First Disney is wonderful no matter where you stay, people just want different experiences. I have stayed in values and would again if it was the only way i could comfortably do Disney (read~without incurring debt), but for us as a family of 4, we just felt cramped and did not care for the long bus lines, not TS, noise, etc. I know some people love them and that is great, that is why any smart resort area has different options available.
I have traveled all over, both on a super tight budget (backpacking around Europe with a train pass, hiking and camping in Honduras, etc. and on much nicer trips in high end hotels), and to be perfectly honest, I like both. Vacation is a choice. Some may think the room rates are ridiculously high and a waste of money, others will find them worth it. It is like a pair of shoes someone pays $100 for, cheap for some, outrageous for others.
I think whatever you choose or need to do is fine. I do not think we should judge others and make snap, overriding statements about any specific groups of people.

Also very well said. I don't think anyone meant to be insulting and I'm sorry you took it that way.

[Clotho]

Also very well said. I don't think anyone meant to be insulting and I'm sorry you took it that way.

Maybe not, but it was still dismissive. :(

Hubby and I are some of those people who DO plan to spend a lot of time at our resort, so staying at one with a lot of theming and amenities is important to us, and worth the price difference. Also, the convenience of transportation is huge for us as well, since we are not early risers/EMH folks. We tend to get up late and stay out very late, so being at a resort with convenient ways to get to and from it at various hours is vital.

Last time we stayed at Boardwalk so we could walk to Epcot, and because we loved the food and entertainment options at the boardwalk itself. We also intended to spend the most time at Epcot, since we have been to Disneyland many times, and MK wasn't as high a priority as getting in lots of Epcot time. Well worth the money.

This time we are staying at the Polynesian. We didn't feel we got enough "down time" on our last trip (in fact, we both got sick with a flu-like yuck, and we still ran around trying to see everything without breaks, in 90+ degree September weather!). So we prioritized a resort that had the theming and amenities that we most wanted to "come home to" during the day, or stay there all day even--we have one "resort day" planned, where we don't intend to leave at all! Also, we have two dining reservations at the resort for two different nights -- Spirit of Aloha and 'Ohana -- and want to make a point to catch the water pageant one night. We also have dinner one night at GF and one at CR, which are on a shared monorail with our home resort. And we found Epcot to be our favorite park, and wanted to be someplace that still had really easy access to Epcot, which Poly is since it is near the TTC and Epcot monorail line. So it is practical, convenient, and well worth the cost for us.

For the record, when we go to DLR, we have never stayed "on property". The practical conveniences just aren't there like they are at WDW. We stay at the Tropicana or the Best Western across the street. We're not snobby. We just like the conveniences and amenities that we are offered some places, and we will pay less and stay at "lower levels" when it is not worth our dime to do otherwise.

As for the comment about "most outrageous" travels and whatnot...well, Disney IS my vacation spot of choice! It is near the top of my list every year for places I most want to spend my free time. But it didn't stop hubby and I from taking opportunities to visit Hawaii, the UK, Amsterdam, France, and New Zealand in our lifetime so far. We also go to Vegas about every 18 months, just because we love it, not because we are not appreciative of travel elsewhere in the world. Dif'rent strokes et al...

[NJRRK]

Just interjected our reasons for choosing a Deluxe.

As expensive as it is my DW REFUSES to stay in a Value and with DS 13 and DD 16 they can't share a bed so two rooms at a Moderate is more expensive than one at a Deluxe. The Deluxes that we choose have 3 beds.

[KAT1811]

As much as I love to hear everyone's opinions I always get very sorry when people start going back and forth. Everyone has their own opinion and the right to express it. I would like to think that it is our love for WDW that has brought us all together. I don't think anyone here is trying to offend anyone just relaying how they personally feel. I'm sorry I asked the question.

[Willowwind]

For me it's just a personal thing, as well as knowing what my family prefers.


I prefer deluxe resorts in general when I travel. But then I spent many years in hotel management and tend to be fussier than most.
I prefer a hotel (indoor hallway) set up, rather than a motel set for security and privacy reasons. We also enjoy using a balcony to relax on.
Disney is a lot about food to us, and being on the monorail or marina access provides a greater number of options. Especially since we're not food court type of people.
The larger rooms and daybed are ideal for my family of five without having to get a second room.
Lastly, it's nostalgic, when I was a child there were no moderate or value resorts. We camped, stayed on the monorail or near the "shopping village" in the hotel plaza. As more resorts were built I simply discovered that I prefer the deluxe choices.

[KAT1811]

For me it's just a personal thing, as well as knowing what my family prefers.


I prefer deluxe resorts in general when I travel. But then I spent many years in hotel management and tend to be fussier than most.
I prefer a hotel (indoor hallway) set up, rather than a motel set for security and privacy reasons. We also enjoy using a balcony to relax on.
Disney is a lot about food to us, and being on the monorail or marina access provides a greater number of options. Especially since we're not food court type of people.
The larger rooms and daybed are ideal for my family of five without having to get a second room.
Lastly, it's nostalgic, when I was a child there were no moderate or value resorts. We camped, stayed on the monorail or near the "shopping village" in the hotel plaza. As more resorts were built I simply discovered that I prefer the deluxe choices.



Now that is exactly the type of response I was looking for. Thank you.

[Willowwind]

My pleasure :mickey:

[Mom2princesses]

*** Deleted ****

[Mom2princesses]

I realize that we do have a lot of debt as a society, but to lump deluxe resort guests as "untraveled", "Disney is as good as I will ever get' oor "heck, let's just put it on the card" is rather insulting.


I totally agree Jen! To put some one down because they choose to stay at a delux is crazy. I just hate when people generalize.

We stay at the Poly for several reasons. We don't go every year we save up for our trip so we have the cash to do so. We don't go for 14 days instead we only go for 6 days. We also try to go during the value season. Our cost is no where near the amount originally posted. I can't take off more than 5 days from work. I work hard and by no means am I wealthy or rich. We don't think that we are throwing money away or foolishly. It is the way we want to spend our vacation. With a little one we don't spend every hour at the parks. My little one would be totally melting down if we did that even my 10 year old has her limits. We will come back when they are older and we will once again determine what is right for our family. But right now we spend more time at the MK and Epcot and need the easy access. That in itself is worth it to me. Every one has their own preferences and needs for their own family. That is why Disney has the different level of resorts.

The most important thing is not how much a family spends but that they have a magical vacation.

By the way to kill another generalization we have already been to Hawaii, South Africa and many points west and through out this beautiful country. I would love to see more of Europe but with our two girls (our blessings) those kind of trips will have to wait a bit.

Just my :twocents:

[KAT1811]

Could the moderators please close this thread. This is by no means where this was supposed to go. I do not think that anyone here has generalized anything or judged anyone. Maybe everyone's insecurities are running a little high right now but these are not the responses I expected from my fellow Disney lovers. Very unDisneylike! Willowwind I thank you for your response I think everyone could learn a thing or two from it!

[NJMan66]

If I may add; I think the point of this thread was to note the dramatic cost increase between Value, Moderate and Delux Disney properties; not actually to have people comment on why they spend the money for delux versus other hotels.

On the other hand, many of the posted replies point to why delux properties get their asking price. It's this perception of "quality", "best of breed housing" that Disney counts on which allows them to charge more for specific hotels. Hey why not charge what you can as long as people pay your price.

[Tinkerbellfan]

Hi-

We pick deluxe resorts for several different reasons:

1.) We love dining at WDW and I like the option of having several different restaurants to choose from.

2.) Every now and again, we like to splurge on concierge/club level for a real treat.

3.) MK is our favorite park and the deluxe resorts are the closest to it.

4.) We spend a lot of time at the resort in addition to the park. We often use the other amenities like renting boats/bikes, health clubs and so on.

5.) We love the theming of Wilderness Lodge.

6.) I am also a "hotel" snob and like to be pampered a little extra on my vacations - this is for all my vacations not just WDW vacations. While I was extremely happy at PORS, I found Wilderness Lodge a bit more relaxing and I like that I don't need to leave the building to get to Roaring Forks!

I hoped this helped!

[Clotho]

From what I have read, most all of the responses have given ample information relating to the topic. For instance, my post was clarifying WHY I spend more--thus justifying the price jump on Disney's side for charging it, and my willingness to pay it. It further addressed a side-topic introduced by another poster implying that paying more for deluxe indicates a disinterest in other travel or some kind of hotel snobbery. While that particular post seemed a little dismissive, I don't see any way in which any posts have been off-topic, rude, or would otherwise demand a shut down of the thread or motherly "shame on you" reactions.

I don't feel the reponse was off-topic, nor any of the other responses in the same vein. All addressed the reasons why paying more is worth it to them, thus justifying why Disney charges more--there really is MORE amenities and conveniences built into the price which some of us like to take advantage of.

[pshokie]

From what I have read, most all of the responses have given ample information relating to the topic. For instance, my post was clarifying WHY I spend more--thus justifying the price jump on Disney's side for charging it, and my willingness to pay it. It further addressed a side-topic introduced by another poster implying that paying more for deluxe indicates a disinterest in other travel or some kind of hotel snobbery. While that particular post seemed a little dismissive, I don't see any way in which any posts have been off-topic, rude, or would otherwise demand a shut down of the thread or motherly "shame on you" reactions.

I don't feel the reponse was off-topic, nor any of the other responses in the same vein. All addressed the reasons why paying more is worth it to them, thus justifying why Disney charges more--there really is MORE amenities and conveniences built into the price which some of us like to take advantage of.

Here here!! :thumbsup: And KAT1811, you should not feel bad about your original post. I think most of us understood it. See the first 3 responses, skip a few, and then continue... What you were looking for was "understanding and rationale from the other side". Based on your original post, I am assuming that you are not a Deluxe person. You were just looking for people to attempt to explain why they made the jump.

Seems level headed and logical to me! :)

I would just ask that people follow the intent of your original post, which was not to criticize deluxes and the people who choose to stay there, but to educate/enlighten those who don't.

So buck up lil' camper! It's all good! :mickey:

[Spaceship Tigger]

Can I offer another thought? My wife and I once stayed at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. They have a "canal" that runs though the mall there and I asked my wife if she wanted to ride a gondola. She answered, "If I do, it will be like admitting I'll never get to Venice." We passed on the Las Vegas gondola and a year later we kissed under the Bridge of Sighs riding a gondola in Venice. Is it possible that for some people, visiting Walt Disney World is the biggest most outlandish thing they do so it's particularly important that they do it "deluxe"?

I have a thought on this considering that recently I was looking at Las Vegas resorts and places like the Venetian in particular.

In my mind, what people have been able to create from nothing using their own God-given hands can be totally amazing. I find that this includes modern inventions and structures as well as those from hundreds or thousands of years ago. Personally, I find what has been built in WDW and other places to be fantastic. It's worth it to me to spend money to stay at those incredible places. I like to go deluxe at WDW because to me those resorts offer the best experiences available, and I am willing to pay the money to be immersed in those experiences.

Having small children right now prevents us from wanting to travel far away to places like Hawaii, the Rockies, and Europe. So for right now we are perfectly happy enjoying our travels at WDW in places like the Poly and the WL. Someday soon we'll make it to those destinations and yet still return to be impressed by what the Imagineers have constructed at WDW. And I'd love to take that Venetian Resort gondola ride, and I would be just as happy there as I would in Vencie, Italy. :D

[Disneyatic]

At this point in DH and my life, our hotel choice is strictly cost driven for our WDW vacations.
The upside to that is that we aren't planning to spend any time in our room other than sleeping and getting ready and DD is happy with any pool so I just can't seem to justify to DH the extra cost of upgrading from a value to a moderate or value deluxe.
Even with the free dining this September allowing us a huge savings, we still decided not to upgrade and to use the extra money for other things while we are at WDW.
I would LOVE to stay at POFQ or Wilderness Lodge and am determined that one day we will be able to!
So what it boils down to is personal choices that each family makes based on their financial ability and needs/wants......and that darned irresistible temptation that Disney is so great at throwing at us!!! :mickey:

[AvonleaCF]

I come from a different side on this issue.

Growing up, we stayed on-site twice, and in deluxes: Grand Floridian and Wilderness Lodge. We then spent out other trips off-site at time shares, where the resorts were top-notch (tons of space and beautiful grounds...just no Disney themeing).

I'm now (sadly) an adult, and if I want to go to Disney, I have to pay for it myself (my parents are done with the place).

I'm used to "deluxe" accommodations, but can't afford them. And I have no interest in staying at a "value" because I've never stayed at a motel before.

So, I decided to save for a "moderate." I've been planning this trip for quite some time, and I could have gone a year ago, but instead have waited so I could save up and stay at a resort I was more comfortable with.

For me, I'd rather save up and stay at a "nicer" resort for a longer period of time, then go more frequently and stay at a "value." It's all about how I was raised and my expectations.

[Wayne]

We do not go to WDW every year. Our reasons have nothing to do with cost. But when we go to Disney, we tend to stay in Deluxe properties because of the ammenities and we do take time to enjoy all that the resort has to offer. In addition, my wife and I agree that double beds are not an option when we are accustomed to sleeping on at least a queen.

One tactic that we are looking at for our next vacation would be a stay at the Swan using the teacher discount. Since our daughter is a teen now and we don't "need" to be immersed in Disney, we can get most of the perks of a Disney deluxe for a moderate price.

[Disney4]

Not to hijack the thread, but:


bigger (and more comfortable) beds,

This is the second time in this thread that this has been mentioned.


I thought a queen was a queen and a king was a king as far as beds go . . . :confused:

I've stayed in deluxe resosrts and not noticed the bed-size difference.

[KylesMom]

Deluxe resorts have Queen beds as a standard. Value and Moderate resorts do not - they offer Double accommodations. My DH is exceptionally tall & I'm no shorty, either. We simply do not sleep well in a double bed - we sleep in a King at home - and it's no fun at Disney World not getting a good nights' sleep for us! :mickey: Besides, my DS kicks too much for me to have to sleep with him!

[nu2mousehouse]

Hi folks!
Here's my commentary.
1) I'm a bit of a road warrior in my job travelling all over the US and in Europe. So I've stayed in 4-Stars in Berlin, and econo lodges in Montana. For vacation, I choose to stay in a nicer hotel. Not being snobby, just prefer the ameneties.
2) I'm 6'1" and my wife is 5'11" - We need at least a queen size bed to get a decent night sleep.
3)Theming - We've walked around the moderates for comparison (no interest in the value resorts), in my mind the Deluxe offers the best in WDW.
4) Fitness Centers - I try to make use of them :D
5) Restaurant selections. We like better restaurants so the proximity to the Deluxe resorts is a nice benefit.

Someone in the string made the comment that vacations are subject to individual choice. And its true, for us. We don't buy a lot of knick-knacks or souveniers as we fly in and its a pain to either ship it or transport:(. So we tend to spend more on the lodging.

I feel bad that folks took this the wrong way, and that the originator seemed to get berated over this. So everyone relax:grouphug:, think of your next WDW vacation (regardless of the resort you are staying in), and enjoy life:rocker::beer:!

Best regards!
Scott
:tikki:
:

[Mickey91]

Maybe not, but it was still dismissive. :(

Hubby and I are some of those people who DO plan to spend a lot of time at our resort, so staying at one with a lot of theming and amenities is important to us, and worth the price difference. Also, the convenience of transportation is huge for us as well, since we are not early risers/EMH folks. We tend to get up late and stay out very late, so being at a resort with convenient ways to get to and from it at various hours is vital.

Last time we stayed at Boardwalk so we could walk to Epcot, and because we loved the food and entertainment options at the boardwalk itself. We also intended to spend the most time at Epcot, since we have been to Disneyland many times, and MK wasn't as high a priority as getting in lots of Epcot time. Well worth the money.

This time we are staying at the Polynesian. We didn't feel we got enough "down time" on our last trip (in fact, we both got sick with a flu-like yuck, and we still ran around trying to see everything without breaks, in 90+ degree September weather!). So we prioritized a resort that had the theming and amenities that we most wanted to "come home to" during the day, or stay there all day even--we have one "resort day" planned, where we don't intend to leave at all! Also, we have two dining reservations at the resort for two different nights -- Spirit of Aloha and 'Ohana -- and want to make a point to catch the water pageant one night. We also have dinner one night at GF and one at CR, which are on a shared monorail with our home resort. And we found Epcot to be our favorite park, and wanted to be someplace that still had really easy access to Epcot, which Poly is since it is near the TTC and Epcot monorail line. So it is practical, convenient, and well worth the cost for us.

For the record, when we go to DLR, we have never stayed "on property". The practical conveniences just aren't there like they are at WDW. We stay at the Tropicana or the Best Western across the street. We're not snobby. We just like the conveniences and amenities that we are offered some places, and we will pay less and stay at "lower levels" when it is not worth our dime to do otherwise.

As for the comment about "most outrageous" travels and whatnot...well, Disney IS my vacation spot of choice! It is near the top of my list every year for places I most want to spend my free time. But it didn't stop hubby and I from taking opportunities to visit Hawaii, the UK, Amsterdam, France, and New Zealand in our lifetime so far. We also go to Vegas about every 18 months, just because we love it, not because we are not appreciative of travel elsewhere in the world. Dif'rent strokes et al...
In reading up to this point, absolutely nothing has been said to be negative toward any particular group. In asking why do you stay at a deluxe versus a value, considering the price difference, I think the question is, is it worth it or should we just save on a value and spend it on souvenirs. Answers to this question are opinions that are being shared. You guys need to quit taking things so personal. No one is being "dismissive".

[joonyer]

As you can see we have stayed at values msot of our visits. Got nothing against the deluxes, we spurged and stayed at WL once for a shorter visit and loved it. But we don't have unlimited disposable income and we are really park commandos. :drill: We don't use the room much more than a place to sleep, shower and dress for the day's assault on the parks. And we usually go to the waterparks for water fun. :swim: We will have a little more disposable income next year and we'll probably stay at a moderate next trip. I figured up the difference last year between the Poly (where i'd really love to stay, by the way) and for the price of 8 nights there, we could have stayed at a value for 30 days! Of course, we couldn't be gone for 30 days, but the price difference just wasn't worth it to us. Now, when the kids are no longer going with us and the wife and I want to relax more, I'm sure we'll spend more time at one of the deluxes. :lei:

[TammiMcMan]

Closed per the OP's request.

[MNNHFLTX]

As much as I love to hear everyone's opinions I always get very sorry when people start going back and forth. Everyone has their own opinion and the right to express it. I would like to think that it is our love for WDW that has brought us all together. I don't think anyone here is trying to offend anyone just relaying how they personally feel. I'm sorry I asked the question.Please don't be sorry to have asked the question. Faced with a variety of accommodations (and price ranges) at WDW, it is valid to want to know everyone's logic in why they choose where they stay. Having stayed at all three categories of resort ( value, moderate and deluxe), I can say that our decision was based on many changing factors--such as length of visit, how much we intended to be at the resort, what amenities were important to us and our financial situation at that time. There should be no need for anyone to defend their decision as to where they stay--it is a personal choice, depending on their own specific circumstances.:mickey:

Just a moderator reminder to everyone to keep their posts respectful and on topic, and to be mindful that on the internet statements are easily misunderstood. Please think twice before you hit the "Submit Reply" button.