Value vs. Moderate Hotels

[2Princesses4Us]

We have been to WDW once, in May 2006, and our girls are begging for a trip this year. We are starting to do some research now to see what will be our best options.

We stayed at Coronado last time. I am thinking about all the money we will "SAVE" by staying in a Value hotel, but will I be sorry? How much smaller are the rooms? Is the bus service much slower? We didn't stay in our room much but it still needs to be comfortable.

BTW, we have 3 now. DS is 12 months old, his sisters are 2 and 5.

THANKS for all your wisdom and advice.

:princess::princess::prince:

[elmjimmlm]

The first room that we stayed at was ASM...I did like the room...It was small but like you said, you are not in it very much...The past 2 years we stayed at POR...I liked it better because of the bus situation...When we were at ASM there was a BIG group from Brazil...Every time we tried to get on there they were...We had to stand just about every time...It seemed that you would have to wait on another bus to come every time becuase of the crowds trying to ride at the same time...Also the food court...I wish that they had a fast pass for this...We would stand in line forever...I like POR because when you leave the parks you leave the biggest majority of the people there too...Not at a value in my opinion...

[jaredkari]

We stayed at Port Orleans twice and All Star Music once. We noticed that the rooms at Port Orleans are not really any bigger than the rooms at All Star. Although I don't feel as crammed in at the moderate resort. At the value resort I felt like we were just piled on top of each other. The dining area was always packed and it was huge. At the moderate resorts the dining areas were much less crowded and more inviting. I know I will sound like a snob, but we will never stay at a value again, the moderates are just right for us.

[BigRedDad]

I don't think you sound like a snob choosing a Moderate over a Value. The value resorts are designed for exactly what they offer: you get what you pay for. They are the least expensive to cram as many people in as possible. This adds to noise, long bus waits, long food waits, crowds. The Moderates have a little less congestion, a slightly different level of standards from the people there, and a more peaceful setting.

One person explained it best on the way the resorts are setup and what to expect. Demographics and socioeconomics in your area may not make this analogy too useful. In our area, it definitely does.

Value = KMart shoppers
Moderate = WalMart shoppers
Deluxe = Target shoppers

Fortunately, this will be the year I can experience each first-hand and determine what my family and I will do in the future. We have a Value booked in Spring, Moderate in Summer, and Deluxe in Winter. It is kind of funny now. We haven't been in 7 years and we are going 3 times now that our DD is 2.

[WRWDisney]

Another thing to consider is room occupancy. While I think you are safe while your youngest is still under three, that will change once she is three. None of the value rooms are rated for five people. There are some at POR though with trundle beds that are rated for five.

Personally, we have done all three (and are not DVC members looking forward to a 1 bedroom in June), but I would encourage you to look at staying with a moderate unless cost is a real issue for you. If it is, go with a value and enjoy; your in Disney World, you can't go wrong.

BTW, one nice thing to remember about moderates and deluxes is that their rooms come with a fridge at no additional cost.:thumbsup:

[#1donaldfan]

We love the mods and you can see by my signature what our choice is......we feel that the values are just so busy and crowded, it's like still being in the park....with POR, it feels very relaxing after a long, hot day playing....of course we are seldom in our resort for more than a quick dip in the pool and a nap in between parks.....have fun choosing, either way you'll still be at Disney...

[Marker]

In my opinion, it's not about demographics and socioeconomics, it's about you. It's about what you like, what you feel you "need" to be comfortable. The rooms at the value resorts are a bit smaller, but still fit a family of 4 just fine. I love the theming of the value resorts.

I've stayed at most of the value resorts, and most of the moderates. I enjoy them both and for me there is absolutely no feel of sacrificing, or "slumming" when staying at a Value Resort. There are likely to be crowds at either of them, in fact, in the trips I've taken, my only experience with large organized groups such as those from Brazil, was at Dixie Landings (now Port Orleans Riverside) which is a moderate. At the value resort, I like the brightness, the colors, the large icons.

Whether price is an issue or not, I have thoroughly enjoyed all of my stays at the value resorts. Perhaps it a matter of attitude, but I have never had anything but a wonderful experience each time. In fact, on my next trip (whenever it is) I'm already planning to stay at All-Star Sports because it's the only value resort I've not tried yet. (Then I need to hit Coronodo Springs to complete the Moderates as well)

HOWEVER, you mentioned 3 kids, so if I can assume that means you are a family of 5, then be aware that you will not fit into a value room. They only accomodate 4. If you decide to choose a value resort, you'll need to either look at 2 rooms, or one of their family suites. Some moderates do have rooms that will accomodate 5 by making use of trundle bed that pulls out from under one of the bed.

As a family of 5, we did the trundle bed thing once, and it does take up a lot of floor space. My personal view for a family of 5 is a value resort choice works much better. For one thing you get 2 bathrooms, 2 TVs. They won't guarantee that they will be able to give you 2 connecting rooms, but thus far we've been successful when asking well in advance. I have not yet used a family suite, but that would eliminate the need to hope for connecting room.

[GrmGrninGost]

As a rule, the more you spend the more you get. That being said, we have never NOT enjoyed a WDW resort. We have stayed at all of the values and moderates and a couple of the deluxe. I prefer the deluxe, then the moderates and then the values. However, we spend so little time at the resort, we are not disappointed when we stay at the values. Also, you can visit any of the resorts for breakfast, lunch, dinner, shopping or just to snoop around. We often do this to help decide where we'll stay next trip! :mickey:

[CleveRocks]

Mod rooms have a free fridge. Value rooms don't have a fridge unless you pay $10 extra per night.

Mod rooms are 314 sq. ft. (CBR's are 340 sq. ft.). Value rooms are 260 sq. ft.

Mod rooms have 2 sinks (except for CSR). Value rooms have 1 sink.

Mod rooms have ceiling fans. Value rooms do not.

Mods have a table-service restaurant (except POFQ, which shares with POR). Values do not.

Mods have some sort of recreational activities (e.g., water craft rental, bike rental). Values do not.

The main pool at the Mods has a pool slide. Values have no pool slides.

Mod bus stops are covered (think shelter from rain and hot sun). Value bus stops are uncovered.

Mods are more lushly landscaped. Values are more "hardscaped" (more concrete than grass and greenery).

POFQ and POR have boat service to Downtown Disney. CSR has room service (the other Mods and the Values have only pizza delivery). CSR has a gym. CBR has the biggest rooms.

There is no overall difference in the bus service between Mods and Values.

[acetate]

More than one person has said to us when planning our trips.."How much time are you really going to spend at the hotel?" In our case it's usually not much. We just basically sleep there, grab a breakfast and then it's off to the parks. So in that case why not use the value ones? Or if it were to come down to the choice between going to Disney or not being able to afford to go at all, then I would take the value resorts as well. All that being said, if you have the money go for the moderates. I personally think it's worth the extra money, but like I said not everyone can afford it. We've stayed at the All Star Music, Port Orleans/Riverside , and Caribbean Beach. Port Orleans was our fave.

[lockedoutlogic]

Unless your are that set on having a sitdown breakfast or dinner at your hotel....then I absolutely recommend All stars or Pop for your needs....

The benefits of moderates over values are negligiable at best... and they often seem more crowded...in the case of Caribbean...it is more crowed as there are more rooms to services than at the other moderates...

I would recommend pop century or all star movies...all star family suites are a more spacious and economical choice than the moderates as well,

Don't believe the hype...the moderates provide the least bang for your buck than any WDW resort location...unless it's the Grand Floridian and maybe Old Key West or Saratoga if you're paying cash

[jaredkari]

I agree with a lot of post here. When we stayed at a value resort we did not feel we gave up anything in cleanliness or quality of our room. Any WDW resort is a nice place and kept clean. And yes it is all up to you, if you plan to be at parks from open to close everyday then go for the value. But if you want a little more relaxing place to come back to or to spend more time at then go with the moderate. :mickey:

[Gottaluvgoof]

We have stayed at POR several times and on this last trip, decided to stay at All Star Sports, because only 4 of us were going. Honestly, I have to say, I liked the value resort better. We are the type that are at the parks open until close, so pools and such really aren't a factor for us. We do sometimes swim when we get back, but don't need a slide or any thing else. I felt like there was plenty of open space, the football field was great (Major football fan ) and honestly, the buses ran more frequently and we didn't have to wait as long as we did at POR. If all you want is a place to sleep, the values are great. Also, we found the food court lines shorter than those at POR. My kids now want to stay at Sports every trip.

[Speedy1998]

You need to ask yourself how much time you will actually spend at the resort. If you are like me and only shower and sleep while at the resort than value is the way to go.

As far as buses, the only time that you really see a difference is during the "rush hours".

[2Princesses4Us]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I really appreciate all the wisdom you have to share.

I am torn about what to do. What worries me about the Value most are two things: the noise, especially in the evening as we are trying to get three kids to sleep and the bus lines to the parks. Do you ever have to wait as long as a hour?

This trip we're planning is a little unexpected but the girls want to go so badly. I am trying to keep the cost down as much as possible but I just don't want to regret staying somewhere.

For the moderates, are there just three resorts?

THANKS again for all your advise. :mickey:

[bshaw96]

I can't speak to the lines, as we have always rented a car, but I do here they are not as bad at POP as the other values due to POP's location. As for the noise, we've only done values, so I can't make a comparison to moderate. I remember that yes, the pool was loud, the cafeteria area was loud, and the game room was loud. But it also never occurred to me it wasn't supposed to be. I do not recall ever thinking it was loud in our rooms and never had trouble getting my little ones to sleep. Now if I'd tried to get them to sleep by the pool or in the cafeteria, yes, that would have been hard.:D But the room never seemed loud to us. Another thing to note is we're not really a table service family at this stage. When you have 2 younger kids, it's just easier to grab something at the cafeteria or order a pizza. We usually schedule a character meal or 2, but that's about it. Whatever you decide, have fun!!!!

[MarkC]

We've stayed at both-- obviously we prefer the moderates because of the grounds, overall quality, etc. It really depends on your budget. Keep checking for discounts. It also depends on the time of year you are going to be there. If you are going to swim at the resort pool the moderates are much better. If your kids are really young it may not matter as much. If you can afford it and won't give up other areas of the trip, stay at a moderate. If it means you are going to give up water parks or a big meal here and there, stay at a value. Have fun!

[CleveSJM]

First thing, kids under 3 don't count toward the room occupancy so you can stay in a one room Value. Once they are all over three, then it gets much more $$$ with a connecting or larger room and the extra tickets...

It's more about the time of year you plan on going. During a busy season, I would go moderate to relax a little more. During a less busy season, the Value resorts are nice and the extra money you save can do a lot for your mental relaxation and enjoyment.

I recommend always going at a less busy time, even if you have to pull kids out of school. A crowded WDW is not a place to relax and have fun. It is usually more work than play. Time it right and you'll love the Values.

[crazeedizneefinatic]

We have always stayed at the values until our last trip, we stayed at CBR. I figured we would try it once, after all how much of a difference could there be. We also do not spend much time in the room. But after the experience I have to say there is a difference. Just waiting for the buses was relaxing. no crowding and standing in the hot hot sun. The moderates have nice bus shelters with benches. The moderate resorts just felt more relaxing. The scenery was nicer and still with a Disney flare. We always in the past stayed at the values because of the theming. We have a 7 year old. So considering the ages of your children they may enjoy the theming at the values. But if you can swing the moderate in your budget without to much of a hassle, try it. I know we won't be going back to the values. If you do decide unpon booking with a value resort check out POP. They have there own dedicated bus system and I find it a better choice.

[Disneyatic]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I really appreciate all the wisdom you have to share.

I am torn about what to do. What worries me about the Value most are two things: the noise, especially in the evening as we are trying to get three kids to sleep and the bus lines to the parks. Do you ever have to wait as long as a hour?

This trip we're planning is a little unexpected but the girls want to go so badly. I am trying to keep the cost down as much as possible but I just don't want to regret staying somewhere.

For the moderates, are there just three resorts?

THANKS again for all your advise. :mickey:


We have stayed at Pop twice and we really like it. To avoid the possiblity of noise, request a room away from the pool, maybe on the opposite side of the building. We have never experienced a noise problem and stayed in the 60's bldg on the back side (away from pool) both times.
What time of year are you going?
Our stays were during early March and once last September, we never waited in a bus line for longer than 20 or 30 minutes.
The good thing about POP is that it doesn't share a bus with any other resort. The moderates share buses and the All Stars do too I believe.
We did hit some longer wait times when leaving the parks at night but nothing terrible.

[chicade88]

I agree with some other posters - we won't be going back to a Value. I felt like we were constantly rushing everywhere yet also always waiting. It was loud in the common areas and we were awoke at 6:30 a.m. by screaming little ones running by outside (I know I know, it's Disney - we're just not morning people). I felt like we were constantly at the parks - never any relaxation. The moderates just have a slower pace to them, which fits our personality much better. I would actually put a trip off a year rather than go back to a value, our experience was really that poor.

Good luck with your choice!

[Gottaluvgoof]

I just look at it this way. My nieces stayed at the Poly last time we went. We stayed at the Sports. We can go three times for the cost of their one. I'll take the three trips over one ANYTIME!!! :mickey: I go for the parks, not for the resorts. If I want to go to a quiet resort, I will go to one near my home on a lake.

[Tink#64]

We've always stayed at values & been thrilled with our accomadations! Before our 1st trip, we had several experienced WDW vacationers that had stayed at both mods & value tell us that they definitely preferred the values! And suprisingly enough, none of us are Kmart shoppers! (No offense intended!) These friends & family could easily afford the stay at a deluxe had they so chose to!

We've debated several times, value again or try a mod & we always come back to the question, "Will we disappointed?" The mods seem more grownup & we go to WDW for FUN! Ds's are 10 & 12, so this is a factor! So for now we're thilled with Pop.

As far as noise, of course there's more noise! The value resorts are perfect for families with kids! Come one, all the fun, huge icons! They scream Disney for kids! As far as noise in the rooms around the pools, I doubt very seriously this is specific to the values, unless the other resorts don't have rooms near the pools. We've always stayed away from the pool & never, ever, had a noise problem. We never even have foot traffic around our room. We've stayed on the same floor of the same building 3 x because it's quiet & we have a great view of HourGlass Lake! With a little planning anyone should be able to steer clear of the busy & potentially loud areas!

IMHO, to each his own. I don't know why so many people have to make the derrogatory remarks, just because someone else chooses something different! There's enough diversity at WDW to keep us all happy.

WDW is our happy place, and I just get so frustrated when some people make the people the choose the values sound like poor peasants! :stop:

[Here we go again...]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I really appreciate all the wisdom you have to share.

I am torn about what to do. What worries me about the Value most are two things: the noise, especially in the evening as we are trying to get three kids to sleep and the bus lines to the parks. Do you ever have to wait as long as a hour?

This trip we're planning is a little unexpected but the girls want to go so badly. I am trying to keep the cost down as much as possible but I just don't want to regret staying somewhere.

For the moderates, are there just three resorts?

THANKS again for all your advise. :mickey:

Believe it or not, the longest I ever waited for a bus anywhere was 50 minutes... and that was at The Beach Club!
The wait for a bus at the value or moderate resorts is 15-20 minutes.

For your family size you really might want to try POR. It is nice and quiet, has a trundle bed and the rooms are large. CBR has even larger rooms, but no trundle beds.

If you stay in a value, request a parking lot view. I know that sounds crazy, but those are the rooms with the less traffic and are very quiet.

No matter what you decide, you will be fine. :mickey: