Deluxe lovers - what do you like about deluxes?

[Cinderelley]

I've stayed value to deluxe - concierge level. I love Pop Century and don't really care for the deluxes. I was just wondering what it is that those of you who love deluxes find so appealing about it. Is it the view or the theming? Bigger rooms or something else?

[TammiMcMan]

For me personally, it's pretty much location.

[wdwfansince75]

Room size and amenities have always been important to us. Part of the reason is that from our very first trip, the room was not simply where we slept, and got ready for the parks. We have always had younger children with us, from our own, as pre-teens, through the teen years, and with our grandkids, from 4 months, through the teen years. And on virtually every trip, someone in our clan always had a need for a room sleeping five. At least 3 beds in one of the rooms has always been a necessity.
DW (aka DM and DGM) relaxes in the room, or on the patio or balcony, (usually feeding the ducks, turkeys, or ibises) and the kids and grandkids visit with her, sharing their tales of the day, showing their purchases, and planning the night/next day.

The game rooms used to be important, as well as convienent shops and grab and goes....And of course, there's always the monorail.

I have personally travelled a great deal, in the military, and on business, and DW and I have spent a great deal of time on the road visiting our family. We like to be comfortable when we travel. We simply like the extra room, and extra perks, of the deluxes. Fortunately, we also have access to Shades of Green, for the room.

[SBETigg]

I'm with Tammy. The main reason I love them is location. I just don't feel like I'm really at WDW unless I'm right next to the MK (or Epcot, but I prefer the MK location). When we do beach vacations, I'm one of those people who will also pay more to stay on the beach, always in sight of the waves. Location is important to me when I travel.

Second to location, but part of it really, is transportation. The transportation has always been better for me, to any park or area, from my monorail deluxe. I have stayed moderate and busing to everything really gets old fast, plus having to wait for more than one bus if one is full? Never happened to me at the Poly or GF. On vacation, I prefer to avoid aggravation and my time is precious. I don't want to spend it waiting for buses.

Also, I'm not all about the parks. I love spending days at the resort, shopping, dining, swimming, relaxing, not having to go anywhere. At the deluxes, I have fine or casual dining choices plus great shopping without having to leave my resort (especially at the GF, my favorite).

Finally, the rooms are larger, and so are the beds. My family is more comfortable with more space to spread out, but still be together.

[Mousemates]

#1 Proximity to Parks - with the exception of AKL, whose only proximity draw is closeness to the Savannahs, most of the times the big draw of the deluxes is closeness to or transportation options to the parks beyond bus service. It very nice to be able to walk, catch the monorail.

#2 theming -For example, even the lobby area of many of the deluxes are pure magic...WL, AKL, GF, Poly and even the CR (with the monorail running through it) add a good deal of magic to your stay.

[Marceline]

Themeing is important, we just can't get enough of the cozy ambiance and woodsy feel of WL. I adore the craftsman style furniture and mission lighting.:pine:

Room size is nice, bed size is even nicer....we are tall people, we need Queen size. I like the flat panel tv's, granite counter tops, private balcony, interior room entrance. We love the beach at WL, the view of Bay lake, the boat to MK, the water parade every night. The grand lobby, the fine dining and the gorgeously manicured grounds. I feel like I am a real resort hotel.

We stayed at POP once and felt like we were at a brightly colored motel.:blush:

[Jillirose]

We've stayed at moderates and deluxes and prefer the deluxes for transportation options. The theming and water features are an added bonus.

[Aggie97]

We prefer deluxe resorts for their:

- Location -- we love to be within close proximity and view of the parks; it also is important to us to be able to easily visit other nearby resorts for dining and shopping

- Transportation -- the convenience and enjoyment of taking a boat, riding the monorail, or walking to a park(s) and other nearby resorts is one of our favorite features

- Dining and shopping options -- as a party of two adults, we spend a decent amount of time in the resort TS restaurants, lounges and shops; it's great to have casual and finer dining options both at our resort and at easily reachable neighboring resorts

- Guest rooms -- it's very important to us to have two queen beds, and we love having larger rooms and bathrooms to spread out and relax

- Theming -- while the theming at all the WDW resorts is nice, we find the theming at many of the deluxe resorts to be more extensive and appealing to our tastes.
:mickey:

[mouseketeer mom]

Location. We mostly stay at the Polynesian, lagoon view across from the castle. Its like we never leave the magic. Theming too, the smells, sounds, and views at the Polynesian are just terrific. It just fits us perfectly. I couldn't imagine being in a smaller room then the Polynesian. With five of us, we need as much room as we can get!

[MonoMan]

We continue to stay at deluxe resorts for the theming, location and ease of transportation around WDW. I love staying a monorail ride away from the Magic Kingdom, or boat ride or walk away from Epcot and DHS.

[happy day]

There is really only one main reason for me to stay at deluxe. I like to have an inside room instead of a room that is a walk away from everything. Other wise I find the food courts and game rooms and pools sometimes smaller then the moderates.

[Tigger&Stitch]

Themeing is important, we just can't get enough of the cozy ambiance and woodsy feel of WL. I adore the craftsman style furniture and mission lighting.:pine:

Room size is nice, bed size is even nicer....we are tall people, we need Queen size. I like the flat panel tv's, granite counter tops, private balcony, interior room entrance. We love the beach at WL, the view of Bay lake, the boat to MK, the water parade every night. The grand lobby, the fine dining and the gorgeously manicured grounds. I feel like I am a real resort hotel.

We stayed at POP once and felt like we were at a brightly colored motel.:blush:

Same for us (well...except that I'm not tall!). The theming is gorgeous at the WL, and I prefer an interior room entrance. The proximity to MK and the access to fne dining is also a plus.

[Cinderelley]

Thanks for the answers. I guess some of the reasons I don't like it are the reasons you guys do. I don't like taking the monorail, because I don't like all the stops. I prefer getting on the bus at Pop and make next stop is the park. When we first stayed at the Poly, I was excited about the castle view. Then I realized it was only the top of the castle. Definitely not what I was expecting. I don't really like the theme at GF. Poly was okay - the grounds were very nice. I do want to stay at AKL one of these days. I think I'll like it there.

[jillluvsdisney]

The room size at Poly is great. I love the queen sized beds at Poly and WL.I also love the boat transport to MK from WL. The ferry is great option at Poly too. We did this a lot last trip.. Our log house was closer to the ferry than the main house. I like having a beach to sit and vegitate out at. I like having multiple dining choices, not just a food court.

[Seasonscraps]

I like the bigger beds, bigger rooms, that there is some privacy when you use the vanity, bell services (I know it's available at other resorts but I felt like I had 10 heads when I asked at POR), interior corridors, and multiple dining options.

The Boardwalk is my favorite - so I like the location.

[Tigger&Stitch]

Thanks for the answers. I guess some of the reasons I don't like it are the reasons you guys do. I don't like taking the monorail, because I don't like all the stops. I prefer getting on the bus at Pop and make next stop is the park. When we first stayed at the Poly, I was excited about the castle view. Then I realized it was only the top of the castle. Definitely not what I was expecting. I don't really like the theme at GF. Poly was okay - the grounds were very nice. I do want to stay at AKL one of these days. I think I'll like it there.

And that is exactly why Disney offers 22 resort hotels. :mickey: Something for everyone! :thumbsup:

[Dawn,DeniseandDiane]

It is all about location for us. We enjoy stepping out and walking into Epcot. The theme of the BWI is just so magical to us,that we really have no desire to stay any where else.

Dawn,Denise&Diane:wave::wave::wave:

[kemps@wdw]

[QUOTE=Marceline;1952081]Themeing is important, we just can't get enough of the cozy ambiance and woodsy feel of WL. :pine:

Room size is nice, bed size is even nicer... I like the flat panel tv's, granite counter tops, private balcony, interior room entrance. We love the beach at WL, the view of Bay lake, the boat to MK, the water parade every night. The grand lobby, the fine dining and the gorgeously manicured grounds. I feel like I am a real resort hotel.QUOTE

[kemps@wdw]

Themeing is important, we just can't get enough of the cozy ambiance and woodsy feel of WL. .:pine:

Room size is nice, bed size is even nicer.... I like the flat panel tv's, granite counter tops, private balcony, interior room entrance. We love the beach at WL, the view of Bay lake, the boat to MK, the water parade every night. The grand lobby, the fine dining and the gorgeously manicured grounds. I feel like I am a real resort hotel.




:ditto:

[bkfree]

We love the location of Yacht Club or any of the Epcot resorts. It really cannot be beat. We are not so fond of the monorail hotels. Just seem too busy and more stroller kids to navigate thru. Reminds us of staying in the middle of a big busy shopping mall.
We LOVE AK because the theming just cannot be beat and cannot be replicated anywhere else. To us, it is the only truly unique resort at WDW. It is almost a park unto itself.

We love the good food and bigger rooms and most of all, the balconies. We have spend many a early morning and late night relaxing and reliving our day on the balcony.

This being said, our kids (8 and 10) are clamouring to stay at POP or ASM next trip, they are enthralled with the cartoonish theming, so I guess we will give it a trynext trip. Then we will see where we stand.

[stitchaholic]

we are all so different, my first adult stay (first time back since i was 8) was at all star movies, we found it to be clean and cool theming,but we were so busy running that we didn't care where we dropped at night.
the next year,we booked at pop,i wanted to see why all the love for that place, by the 3rd day,i knew i would have to upgrade,we felt crowded,the beds were not only tiny,but terribly old and saggy,the pool was cold...
we upgraded to CSR and never looked back,i loved the bigger room,queen bed,heated pool w/slide,hot tub... we took the time to relax because of our beautiful surroundings.
next trip will definitly be AKL savanna view,and then poly,wilderness....

[Cinderelley]

the next year,we booked at pop,i wanted to see why all the love for that place, by the 3rd day,i knew i would have to upgrade,we felt crowded,the beds were not only tiny,but terribly old and saggy,the pool was cold...
we upgraded to CSR and never looked back,i loved the bigger room,queen bed,heated pool w/slide,hot tub... we took the time to relax because of our beautiful surroundings.
next trip will definitly be AKL savanna view,and then poly,wilderness....

Sorry you had such a bad time at Pop. I've been very lucky - never felt crowded, I'm only 5'4 so smaller beds don't bug me, and I never felt the pool was too cold (which is surprising since I won't swim here in Phoenix until the temp goes over 100). Last trip was CBR, and I was very disappointed. I would go back to CBR before I returned to the Poly though. I have to agree with you on the AKL sentiment - next trip with my family will be AKL savanna view.

[nicster]

So far, in reading this thread, I am not convinced that the cost is worth the return. With our income we can make a lot of choices, but I also, cannot stand to not get my $$ worth. To each his own...:)

[clou1028]

You know I can't say that I have been disappointed with any of the WDW resorts I have stayed at.

At the deluxe level I have stayed at Poly, at the value level, ASMu.

The biggest difference that's important to me is the crowd level at the pool. When we stayed at Poly, we couldn't even get a lounge chair at the pool. Packed! I've only stayed there once, but I visit every time, and always notice how crowded the pool is.

When we have stayed at ASMu, the pool has never been crowded. Just a sprinkling of people. I love spending time at the resort pool, so this is important to me.

I loved the theming at Poly, and the grounds are so pretty and I really enjoyed our daily walk from our building (It was the Tahiti building in 97, not sure what it is now since the changed the names around) to Captain Cooks for our breakfast. And of course it is sentimental to me. Will I stay there again? Maybe, for a special anniversary or something since we were married there. But otherwise I am just content to visit Poly while we are there.

My goal is to stay at all the WDW resorts. We will be staying at CBR for the 1st time in a couple weeks, and the next time we go will either be AKL or WL.

[thejens]

For me it is theming, restaurants and pools. I fell in love with AKL. It is so relaxing and beautiful and interesting. The pool area is so lush. And now 3 fabulous restaurants! I loved Beach Club Resort because of the pretty, happy feel, great pool, and Cape May. Being next to Epcot is awesome. I loved Poly (even though it seems a little dated to me) for it's relaxed vibe, gorgeous pool, and spectacular location. It really is special to be able to just hop on the monorail and be at MK in minutes. I didn't love the pool at Contemporary (my mom and sister stayed there) but did think the location and cool monorail access was fun. My Mom and sister enjoyed watching the fireworks from their balcony on night. For me there is no place but Main Street for that. This being said, I really loved ASM. The grounds are lovely and theming is fun and perfect for kids. I liked the Pop fine, too. I'd like to try a moderate, but have to admit I am spoiled by the totally immersive feeling of the deluxes. Isn't it fun that there are so many great choices?

[Tigerinvestigator]

1) No large groups of kids (Sports groups, travel groups)

2) Best pools

3) Best views

4) Bigger rooms

5) Better transportation or walking distance. (Location)

6) Less wait times for busses!!!!

[VolMickey]

1 - Extent of the themes
2 - Monorail / Bus / Boat Access Quickly
3 - Great sit-down restaurants
4 - Rooms with fridges, etc.
5 - Great Service Levels
6 - Great pools with slides and snack bars
7 - Great shopping

[bruin1344]

1. the close proximity to the parks

2. minimal the use of buses (except AK lodge)

3. most have nice restaurants

4. queen size beds

5. the nice theming

6. quieter

[KylesMom]

The queen size beds, quality of the personnel, beauty of the grounds, MK being just a boat ride away, and the fact that all is housed in one building makes us repeat customers at WL. We often discuss going back to the mods, but the overall ambiance of WL brings us back each year.

[Cinderelley]

For those of you who mention shopping, do the deluxes have different shops than the other resorts. To me it seemed that most of the items for sale were the same at most shops - even at the parks. Except AKL - AKL had some nice unique stuff.

[SBETigg]

For those of you who mention shopping, do the deluxes have different shops than the other resorts. To me it seemed that most of the items for sale were the same at most shops - even at the parks. Except AKL - AKL had some nice unique stuff.

As far as the more regular gift shops, there are items you will find everywhere and items more unique to the resort-- like at the Polynesian, there are some clothing items you probably won't find at other resorts. Also at the Poly, an art gallery shop that I believe is unique to the Poly. At the GF, there are two clothing shops (a men's and a women's) and Basin White, which is similar to the Basin shop at Downtown Disney but still a little different in the items sold. I love Basin White. And I'm not sure about the shops at the other deluxes, because I spend most of my resort time between the Poly and the GF, but I think they all have more regular gift shops, and then a few other more unique shops.

[Tinkerbella16]

So far, in reading this thread, I am not convinced that the cost is worth the return. With our income we can make a lot of choices, but I also, cannot stand to not get my $$ worth. To each his own...:)

I'm with ya on that! Staying at a Deluxe is something I wish to do someday, but every year before we book our trip I get a quote for a deluxe and the price is just WAYYYYY too high! I just can't seem to understand how they charge so much money per night, esp in this recession...if ya even wanna call it that! But to each his own. I wish I could one day stay at the Poly or WL, but not for over $300+/night. I would just want the experience of staying at one, like BC or BWI even... but I know once I stay at a deluxe, it'll be difficult going back to a moderate. :mickey:

[Cinderelley]

I know once I stay at a deluxe, it'll be difficult going back to a moderate. :mickey:

Not necessarily. I've stayed deluxe and didn't particularly care for it. I want to try AKL, but have no desire to stay at the others. I may try the Swan or Dolphin, since I can stay there for free, but that would be the only reason.

[Jennifer_and_Chris]

We aspire to stay at all the resorts at least once. But, since we are DVC members, it will be hard to!

We love the "home" feel of the villas (we own at SSR and have stayed at WL too). With 2 small children, we need accomodations with our own kitchen and larger space for them to live in. We like to put them to bed in their own room and close the door and still be able to enjoy adult converstation without having to whisper so we don't wake anyone up.

My husband and I have stayed in ASMu and Pop and were just fine with it. We hardly were in our room so, it was perfect for our needs before we had kids.

The thing we really love about WDW is the restaruants everywhere. What is so great about all the resorts is that you can explore each one without the commitment of staying there. We go resort hopping at least one day each vacation.

One day, I will be able to say that I stayed at them all.

[queenmom9497]

Deluxe for all the above mentioned reasons: Location, Transportation (hate the sweaty, overcrowded buses at night! ugh), ambience, restaurant choices.....plus having a tall spousal unit makes the moderates/value just not a choice for our family-need the queen size beds!

[DisneyBarb]

We have stayed at moderate and deluxe (Poly & Contemporary).

Location - LOVE being on the MK monorail and access to Epcot monorail. Firework and MK view from the resort

Rooms - We are a family of four but love the Poly has 2 queen beds and a daybed... The moderates are double beds (which is hard to get used to when you sleep on a queen/king at home) and hard to fit a cot from our experience

Room noise - The construction seems to be better at the Poly/Contemporary, we hear very little. We have heard toilets flowing, people talking at Riverside and Wildnerness

[bkfree]

I agree that if you only ever stay at one deluxe, make it AKL, You will not be disappointed.
And yes, the AKL gift shop has some truly unique items. Everyone should visit AKL, even if you are not staying there.

[TikiLounger]

We, too, love the location, theming and transportation of the Deluxe Resorts. The Polynesian is still our favorite, but The Beach Club is coming close to taking over the top spot. We just love the proximity to Epcot. You can't beat it. 20 more days!!! Yay! We are trying CSR in January. We need 3 rooms and, for financial reasons, it just wasn't gonna happen at a deluxe. I'm looking forward to trying it out. It looks beautiful.

[trennedy]

We absolutely love the Beach Club. You can't beat it's location. Being only 5 minutes from Epcot.

We love queen sized beds/with a daybed.

The pool is wonderful...

I don't think I could stay anywhere else...

[Polynesian Dweller]

Most of the reasons have been stated in other posts and for us its location, transportation, theming and shops. As the sig line shows, we stay at the Poly and it has the most transportation options of any resort at WDW. No other has as many as easily accessible.

Location is hugely important with the Poly's view across the Seven Seas Lagoon of MK and the castle. You get wishes every night during your stay there and the Electric Water Pageant every night.

The theming is so relaxing that you can't help but feel relaxed walking through the place.