How important is the hotel choice?

[Disneyatic]

This is probably going to be a wordy post, apologies in advance!

I am waging an internal war over which hotel to choose for our Dec trip.
On our past 2 trips we have stayed at Pop Century and we like it. Our first trip we had a preferred room with a view of Hour Glass Lake and could also see Epcot in the distance. We LOVED this room and view. On our last trip we has a preferred room and were close to the main bldg but looked across at other buildings, we didn't like this room location much.
We are currently booked at Wilderness Lodge for our Dec trip and I am having second thoughts about spending that much extra money ($1000+) just for the hotel.
We don't spend much time in our hotel room, mostly just for sleeping!
But having the yucky view at Pop Century last time showed me that what I see out of my hotel window does have an effect on me...


My dilemma is do we go ahead and spend the extra money just for the ambience or do we go the more frugal way and cross our fingers for a better view at Pop??
We could afford the extra $$, but we could also find other things to spend it on if we saved it on the hotel!

I appreciate everyone's thoughts and input on how/what the choose a hotel based on!

[Tigger&Stitch]

I *love* the Wilderness Lodge, but it IS a huge step up from a Value Resort. It may even ruin your stay there if you make other sacrifices to spend the money on the room, or even have in the back of your head throughout your vacation how much you've spent on the room!

How about a step-up to a Moderate instead? There are some lovely Moderates out there (Port Orleans seems to be a favorite). While we haven't stayed there, we did a "resort hopping" day and checked the place out. So many of the rooms in Riverside have a gorgeous view of the river, seems difficult to go wrong there. The boat ride is really nice to DTD as well.

For us, rooms are important, but we also plan to stay over 13 days, with at least one or two dedicated to hanging out at the resort.

Hope this helped a bit!

[katzctkpt]

I know you've probably read some negative post but here goes. Have you thought about trying a moderate? POR & POFQ have a lot to offer and have beautiful grounds.

[KylesMom]

Honestly, this was my family several years ago. You've got to go with your gut on if you'd end up feeling the W/L would be a waste of funds or not.

For us, we started out at a value, but have gotten spoiled by the Deluxe bed sizes, resort ambiance, etcetera. However, we are the only ones who can make the determination that we're not "wasting" more than $120 more nightly to stay at WL versus All Stars. Yes, we could easily find things to do with the money we saved, but to us our vacation would not be nearly as memorable.

What would happen if you had the same view at Pop - would it take away from your vacation enough to make you less than excited about your trip? Some food for thought as you contemplate switching back . . . :mickey:

[crazeedizneefinatic]

To us views are not important at all, location is as far a distance to pool, food court and bus stops. Personally $1000 more dollars to see something nice is a waste of money. $1000 is almost another trip considering time of year and resort. Even if you spend a few down days at the resort how many minutes are spent looking out the hotel window? Yes, it would be nice to have a perfect view but is it really worth $1000? IMO, it would not be worth it for us. We have stayed at the Pop, ASM, ASsports and CBR and loved them all. If I had disposable income and did not care the cost of vacation I *might* choose hotel by view, but imagine what $1000 saved can get you!

[tennantsrwe]

I understand your points, on both aspects. However, are you positive your room veiw at WL is going to be a $1000 view? I'd hate for you to arrive at WL and still not be satisfied with the room location and view. That being said....if you're comfortable spending the extra funds to upgrade, great. Personally I wouldn't be willing to pay that much more for essentially the same vacation. Yes I've been to the Moderates and Deluxe resorts and they are beautiful. We just don't have enough hours in the day to enjoy all those resorts have to offer. We, too, spend most of our days at the parks and by the time we're back to our room it's showers and bed time. We're up early the next morning and gone all day, agian. So the ambience, etc. those more expensive resorts have doesn't really appeal to our style vacation. Our girls are just excited to be at the World, I almost bet they'd sleep in the van if they needed to. LOL! Do you think maybe you could request a more specific location at POP? I'd at least call and give it a try, maybe they will be able to accommodate your request? Since you like POP, we stay there a lot too, you know you'd be happy if you were in the right area. (And you'd save a $1000!) I'd also maybe check on the Moderates before I committed to WL. The price jump wouldn't be as much but you'd still step up in hotel 'class.' Hope this helps, I say just weigh all the options and see how it pans out. Good Luck!

[Goes4FastPass]

I've stayed at POFQ and WL in the past year and I would suggest you consider POFQ as a price point between the two.

WL looks great from the street and the lobby but the rooms are on par with, well, Holiday Inn. Only at WDW is a room barely big enough to hold 2 Q size beds, a small bathroom and a 26" flat screen TV "Deluxe".

Your answer is in your question "We don't spend much time in our hotel room, mostly just for sleeping!"

Much of your WDW vacation will be IDENTICAL as long as you stay at a WDW resort - Value, Moderate or Deluxe - especially when it comes to the Disney parks. There is no separate line for deluxe resort guests at the Haunted Mansion (yet). Value guests are eligible for every minute of extra magic hours.

When people think of staying at WDW they think of looking out their window at Cinderella's Castle. It's the view they see on TV. Those who insist on having that view pay hundreds for it, hundreds per day. Value resort guests get to view the castle from Main Street USA.

I have a friend who owns 3 shopping centers and an Asian import business. He takes his family to WDW every year - and they stay at a value resort. He isn't poor or cheap. He says his crew opens and closes every park in the place every day. "Disney World is Disney World. We stay in deluxe hotels when we go to Hong Kong."

Another friend of mine (I have many friends) paid extra extra for a tower theme park view at the CR. After their trip they told me, "I'll bet we spent 20 minutes total on that balcony during our entire stay.

I read a lot of "to each his own" on this board and that's OK. I also read a lot of, "Go for it!...Life is short...deluxe has more :cloud9:magic:cloud9: than less expensive resorts. Those people are entitled to their opinion but I think it's very easy for them to encourage you to spend more of your money... and I think they want to feel good about their own choice.

One final thought: You could consider splitting your stay between Value and Deluxe to (1) save money this trip and (2) make your own decision about which kind of resort you'l choose for future stays.

[SBETigg]

Spend the money. See how wonderful the WL is. See what a difference it makes to you. To me, it's well worth the upgrade. You may want to actually spend more time at the resort and enjoy it, too. It makes the vacation even more special for us. It's only money. Memories last a lifetime. Best wishes with your choice.

[wendy*darling]

I have 2 votes here:

1) Don't spend the money for the WL, but do consider a moderate as a nice step up without a huge price tag. We stayed at Coronado Springs one year with a beautiful view of the lake- it was really nice there.
All of the moderates are similar and they have beautiful grounds, themed pools with slides and a couple more dining options than the value resorts.

2) Split your stay- do the first couple nights at POP and move over to the WL for the last half of your trip. That way it isn't AS much more money- and you get to experience both resorts. Disney will move your luggage for you- so that part is easy.
Just something else to consider.

When you come down to it though- your original question is "How important is the hotel choice?"
Only you can answer that question. And since you said in your post that you really don't spend that much time in the room- then maybe Pop is the place to go.

[disneymom15]

I also can't see spending the extra money. $1000 is alot of money and to me the more money i can save means the quicker I can return. We love POP and stay there whenever possible. I don't think we've ever spent any time looking out of our room window. We spend most of our time in the parks and by the time we get back to our room we're beat and all we think about is a shower and bed. If any thing, I'd say try a moderate, but that's up to you.

[DakotaDisney]

I think it really depends on what your motives are for going to WDW. What your plans are.

If you are going to have a relaxing time, but still plan on spending time in the parks. Or in other words taking advantage of all the resort has to offer (spending time at the pool, other recreation, relax in your room, etc.) Then I think the Deluxe or moderate resorts are worth it. Also if you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the parks, I think the Deluxe resorts are more of a get away during the day or at night after the parks. (I don't know about the moderates I have not stayed at any of them.)

But if you are only going to just about every hour of the day in parks or away from your resort, then go value. Why pay for something that you are not going to use.

The only other thing I would say is that if you can afford to for a special trip and you want to truly experience Disney magic, then stay at a Deluxe Resort (especially AK or WL). A split stay might also be a way to experience a little of this. This is not to say you can't have a magical experience at a value resort after all you make it as magical as you want. It's just that the deluxe resorts are more Disney magic then just about any other hotel or resort than I have ever been to.

[dinahvixen]

I was previously of the 'don't spend the money' mindset, we, too use the hotel for pretty much just sleeping. BUT this time we stayed at POR and even though we weren't there very often, it MADE our trip this time. It was so peaceful and lush and it made our mornings and our evenings so special and luxurious. We did go back in the afternoon twice to swim in the heat of the day, and it was such a nice experience, then, too. The hotel upgrade was absolutely worth the money; it added so much to our visit. Our visits are wonderful without it, but it was extra special this time. Only downside, now we can't go back to value! But seriously, we truly do have wonderful memories of our stay at the hotel AND WDW. Go for it.

[Crow]

i love WL also, but last stay had courtyard view, which wasnt really & then standard view which was overlooking the smokehouse & access road.
why dont you split your stay like i have done many times? or go for a mod?
you can also request a certain building if you want to try Pop again.

[#1donaldfan]

your getting some good advice here.....try looking into the mods....they are way more relaxed, a little more expensive than a value, and somewhat less than the deluxe......we love POR and for a mod I think it's the best.....have fun choosing...

[wdwnomad]

I am going to agree with alot of other people. Split the price difference and stay at a moderate. The only one I have stayed at is POFQ and I loved every minute of it.

Since you liked your view of Hour Glass Lake I think you might like the views you might get of the river or one of the courtyards with the fountains in them at POFQ. It is also had a very nice ambience throughout from the buildings, landscaping to the music played. Plus the resort small so any room was very close to the food court and/or pool. The buses weren't bad either.

[tjstrike]

You can get all the advice you want, but you're not really going to be sure until you try it out at least once. At WDW you get what you pay for, there's a world of difference between $90 a night and $250 a night ( money wise and room wise ). I would give it a shot. :mickey:

[dolphinmickey9170]

If you like the view of Hour Glass lake, request it when you book. They can't promise it, but they make pretty good on requests. Good luck!!

For us, we just sleep and shower in our room for the most part, so a spectacular view isn't all that for us. Yes, it's nice, but is it worth the extra money? I would rather spend it on a special meal, some special souvies or some other recreation like the Driving Experience for DH!!

[sorarail]

Is a view the most important thing for you? I like to have a nice view and will request one when I book a room, but that is not my only consideration.
I had booked us into POR for this coming Nov., but my DH google-earthed POR and expressed disappointment that we weren't in the Epcot resort area. We tend to end up at Epcot each evening to eat dinner.
I did some research and upgraded us into YC because I found out we can walk to Epcot and to MGM from there. We stayed at CB, the only moderate Epcot resort, a few years ago, and it was quite nice, but you can't safely walk to Epcot or MGM from there as there are no sidewalks.
To me, it is worth the extra money in be in the Epcot area, to have the freedom to walk safely and to have walking as a viable alternative to waiting for a bus, even if we don't have a "nice" view in our room.

[vamaggie]

I am a vote for WL. The extra money is not only for a view (which as stated above you may get a good one or not--unless you pay still more) but for the resort decor, restaurants, features, pools, proximity to parks etc. We love the WL but admittedly have never stayed at a value. We prefer to only go every 2-3 yrs and stay deluxe. DH really likes to relax on vacation and I cannot stand loud hotels. Just my thoughts. If you only sleep in the room then I'd go value. But it sounds like you may be wanting more atmosphere. If you can split the stay that may solve your quandry. Good Luck and have a great trip!

[Marker]

For me, and my family, it's just not worth it. I have never stayed at a deluxe, and really doubt if I ever will. We do step up to a moderate from time to time, typically when it's just the wife and I. But the cost differenct to step up to a deluxe to me is just totally unnecessary.

The value resorts suit us fine. I have NEVER felt as though we were slumming, or compromising, by staying at a value resort. We like the theming, the atmosphere and the food courts. And they have all the necessities, the bed works fine, the shower works fine, and the pool works fine. I really don't need any extra pampering, or "fluff" to enjoy my vacation, and I certainly don't need to spend larger amounts of money.

I know people like to fuss about the noise levels, and maybe I've just been lucky, but I've not had any particular problem with noise at either value or moderate resorts. And it has certainly NEVER impeded on my ability to relax and enjoy myself.

But that's just us.

[mrsgaribaldi]

WE've stayed at deluxes a few times for special occasions. The WL for my birthday, Beach Club for my 40th, Contemporary with a MK view for DH's 40th. The special view was nice but we were hardly ever in the room to enjoy it. I don't think I would ever try to get that view again. I agree that a moderate might be a nice change for you and not so costly. We usually stay at values or mods and I think they are great. POFQ, POR and CBR are three that have beautiful scenery. How often are you in the room looking out the window? At the moderates I don't even think we open the curtains at all. Good luck and enjoy choosing:mickey:

[Disneyatic]

Thank you so much to everyone for their advice and experiences!
After talking it over with DH and DD, we are going to take a look at the moderates and price them and then decide between a moderate (probably POFQ) and Pop.
I have a feeling we are going to go back to Pop and take our chances with a room/view request. With the more than $1000 we would save I could maybe talk DH into another trip :mickey:
Our last trip it was really hot and humid and we spent more time in our room but we really don't spend much time in our room at all if the weather is good, which it will hopefully be in December.

[scootch713]

My husbands view is that time is money. So if you go to MK alot(like I do with two princesses :) ) then the WL or any other deluxe is so worth it. A three min bus ride compared to a 20-30 min bus ride gives you more time to do the things you want. I have never stayed at a value, so can't really compare the two. I will warn you, once you stay deluxe it is hard to go back to not staying deluxe. I only went down to a moderate for 2 nights of our stay in 2006, but was disappointed and really felt that I should ahve spent the money and stayed deluxe those last two nights. Good luck with your decision. My girls LOVE the WL. :)

[robemcdo]

We've stayed at ASM, Dolphin, POFQ, BWV and POP.

I'm kind of sold on the Boardwalk. Personally I like the area, like the pool, love ESPN, like walking to the parks etc. I also LOVED the 1 bedroom suite but it's a heavy price to pay. We have stayed their three times, once with a terrific view, and two times with basically no view. We also have been enough times, that we do spend a little bit of time in our rooms.

It would seem if it's just a view you want, pay the premium for a preferred view. My feeling is that you can have a poor view at a top resort as easily as you can one at a value resort. If location to fun and restaurants is your thing, then that should be your focus. If value is your focus, the AS or POP will be your answer.

Keep in mind, It's DisneyWorld...even if you slept in the parking lot, it would be a great time.

[prttynpnk]

I'm cheap. There, I said it. We always debate a moderate or a deluxe, and drool over the pictures ,but if going with a value means more park time or maybe even an extra trip that year, we sacrifice the view. We eat at the better resorts, so we have our time in the pretty places, without the extra money.
For us, this works best.
when I find my rich uncle, we'll rethink this plan!

[LovinWDW]

I also say to spend the extra $$ for WL if you can afford it. Lay the $$ out this time, if you don't enjoy the resort you can always go back to POP next time but you will never know if you don't try it. For us, the resort is part of the trip. We have a 5 year old and a 10 month old. We always hit the parks 1st thing in the morning, go back and swim at the resort in the afternoon, then do a sit down meal for dinner before heading back into the parks for the evening. We stay for 2 weeks in the summer and usually split our stay between 2 different resorts, using the moving day as a sleep-in/down day for relaxation. Going to 2 diffenent resorts feels like 2 different vacations for us. This year we'll be at Wilderness Lodge and then Beach Club. I can't wait! Have Fun!

[EJS-Houston]

This is probably going to be a wordy post, apologies in advance!

I am waging an internal war over which hotel to choose for our Dec trip.
On our past 2 trips we have stayed at Pop Century and we like it. Our first trip we had a preferred room with a view of Hour Glass Lake and could also see Epcot in the distance. We LOVED this room and view. On our last trip we has a preferred room and were close to the main bldg but looked across at other buildings, we didn't like this room location much.
We are currently booked at Wilderness Lodge for our Dec trip and I am having second thoughts about spending that much extra money ($1000+) just for the hotel.
We don't spend much time in our hotel room, mostly just for sleeping!
But having the yucky view at Pop Century last time showed me that what I see out of my hotel window does have an effect on me...


My dilemma is do we go ahead and spend the extra money just for the ambience or do we go the more frugal way and cross our fingers for a better view at Pop??
We could afford the extra $$, but we could also find other things to spend it on if we saved it on the hotel!

I appreciate everyone's thoughts and input on how/what the choose a hotel based on!

I've always stayed at value resorts in recent years for the very reason you've stated: I don't plan to spend much time in my hotel room. I just want a nice, clean room with a comfortable bed, a tv w/ cable and a clean bathroom/shower. I'd rather spend my money on food and souvenirs/gifts.