Is it worth the extra money?

[Mrs.Mickey]

On an Upcoming trip Dh and I are going to be staying at POR, but I was just told that we could afford to stay at the Wilderness if I really wanted to. So should I stay at POR and save the money (which will of course be spent on other disney things I am sure) of splurge for WL?

[Sinewiz]

Almost impossible to answer as everyone's financial situation is different. If you can afford moving up to the WL without it being any kind of financial hardship I would say go for it. I've stayed at POR and it's very nice, but the Wilderness Lodge IMHO is about as nice (in regard to theming) that Disney has to offer. ;)

[crazeedizneefinatic]

Everyone is different but for us the moderates work just fine. If we spent actual days at the resort than upgrading for us would make sense. We are park people and the extra money for a deluxe just to sleep is not worth it. Also if maybe it was just my DH and I, maybe I might reconsider, maybe. I just cannot justify that kind of money just to sleep and occasionally use the pool. The moderates are what you would normally pay anyway for a decent hotel and you get to stay on property and have the perks. IMHO I would save the money for a memorable dinner or possibly savings for another trip.

[Mousemates]

I think the mods will suit you fine....its just two of you, so the room will be plenty large and if you want (with the money you save) you can book a nice meal at an upscale restaurant in one of the deluxe resorts and enjoy the great theming they provide. (wilderness or animal kingdom are wonderfully themed).

another possibility would be to stay at a mod for the early part of your trip and transfer to a deluxe for the las tnight or two (always upgrade at the end because it make the vacation feel like its getting better). We have done this a couple of times in the past and its been like putting the cherry on top of the ice cream Sundae...(by the way disney makes transfers between resorts remarkably easy, even taking care of your luggage for you.)

By the way our biggest reason for us spending the extra bucks for a deluxe on a whole vacation is simply the issue of the two queen bed verses two full beds...the two queens lower the amount of territorial bed quarreling between our teenaged children.

[KylesMom]

By the way our biggest reason for us spending the extra bucks for a deluxe on a whole vacation is simply the issue of the two queen bed verses two full beds. I hear ya on that one! That is one of the main reasons we upgraded to Deluxe several years ago & haven't gone back. DH and I are used to a King & couldn't get a good nights' sleep in the same full bed at Disney - and I got tired of being kicked by DS in the other bed! :)

As with many "Disney" things, Value/Moderate/Deluxe are all a matter of personal preference. Only you'll be able to decide if the extra $$$ are worth it! Good luck in your decision!

[Septbride2002]

Unless you think the full size bed will be an issue I would go with the moderate. I love POR and I prefer the area better then the Wilderness Lodge.

If you want to enjoy the Wilderness Lodge book a dinner at Artist Point one evening.

~Amanda

[BronxTigger]

As an alternative, the OP could (maybe they have?) book a king bed room for about $15 more a night and the bed size won't be a problem.

I think the OP should think about how much time they will use the pool, the transportation, the parks they expect to spend the most time at (WL is a lot closer to MK, but farther from the other parks as compared to POR), and the restaurants to help make their decision.

Personally, I would save the money for something else, especially in this economy.

[katzctkpt]

Everyone is different but for us the moderates work just fine. If we spent actual days at the resort than upgrading for us would make sense. We are park people and the extra money for a deluxe just to sleep is not worth it. Also if maybe it was just my DH and I, maybe I might reconsider, maybe. I just cannot justify that kind of money just to sleep and occasionally use the pool. The moderates are what you would normally pay anyway for a decent hotel and you get to stay on property and have the perks. IMHO I would save the money for a memorable dinner or possibly savings for another trip.

We absolutely love POR and will probably never stay anywhere else. Creature of habit. We have visited the Wilderness Lodge and had dinner at the Whispering Canyon. It is a beautiful resort but, the extra bucks spent out could be used for a special dinner or so. I'd stay mod and visit the deluxes. Now if you're planning on spending a lot of time in the resort other than the parks then go deluxe.

[Kairi_7378]

As an alternative, the OP could (maybe they have?) book a king bed room for about $15 more a night and the bed size won't be a problem.

I think the OP should think about how much time they will use the pool, the transportation, the parks they expect to spend the most time at (WL is a lot closer to MK, but farther from the other parks as compared to POR), and the restaurants to help make their decision.

Personally, I would save the money for something else, especially in this economy.

I agree. I would stay at POR and make a dinner reservation at one of WL's restaurants so you can soak up some of the atmosphere. Of the three, I would recommend Artist's Point. The king rooms at POR are very nice and spacious. We were on a corner when we stayed there for a belated honeymoon last year and couldn't have been happier with the room location and layout.

[Scott C]

When are you going???? I feel that is an important factor in this decision. If it is summer and you are going to be out 'til 2 or 3 am using EFM then it really does not matter. But, on my Feb WL trip a few years ago the parks were closing at 6 or 7 at night -- we had lots of time to spend at WL -- it was worth it. Most of our trips we use POR though it is great. I HAVE NOT STAYED IN A BAD DISNEY RESORT!

Thanks
Scott C

[FromKnoxvilleto Disney]

My wife and I have this discussion every year and it inevitably comes down to budget. Usually 5-7 days at a deluxe or 10-12 days at a mod with more souvenir money. The mods always win out for us because we would rather stay longer than pay up for deluxe. The deluxes are nice though and we have done them a couple of times!

[pook@wdw]

Price should certainly be a factor in your decision. That being said, I can only speak for my family when I say that several journeys ago, we were also able to upgrade to the WL, and have not looked back since. We love the overall relaxed atmosphere, and have the opportunity to utilize the resort alot more. And, it just seems that we spend less time on transportation by staying there. And having larger beds certainly does help!
We've had all views. Standard, MK, lodge, and courtyard. and we prefer the courtyard the best. Nothing like kickin back on the balcony w/a cold one looking out over the pool and Bay lake...Aaaahhhh...:cloud9:

[Taja]

If it doesn't strain the budget and you're likely to use the amenities of a deluxe resort, go for it. Or if it's what both of you want, go for it!

It's really a matter of personal preference.

[RedSoxFan]

I think it is a personal preference. We upgraded from POFQ to AKL on our last trip and I thought it was well worth the money. But I'm sure your'll enjoy either resort -- afterall, you will be in Disney.:mickey:

[Mrs.Mickey]

We decided to do POR first because its something new we have stayed at WL before, and while I love it it's nice to try something diffrent. But most important it means we can afford to go for 2 weeks in 2009 which to me sounds like a plan! Poly here I come in '09:cloud9:

[dizknee531]

It's my personal peference, but I love the deluxe resorts. The rooms are bigger and I think the guest service is better. The WL is so cozy and beautiful.Go for it!!:thumbsup:

[brertosh]

Those were the same two resorts we were trying to choose from for our first trip to the World. We ultimately went with the WL. I am so excited to be staying there I can not wait! The ambiance, pool, rooms, location to MK, all were factors for us. I think we would be happy with POR also, but I am glad we chose WL!!!

[CuteAsMinnie]

If you can treat yourselves to this very special vacation, I'd spluge for the WL. We are lucky enough to have stayed there 4 times and we all get teary each and every time we first walk into the magnificant lobby -- feeling truly blessed that we are able to come back. There are many other ways to cut corners if you choose to stay at a deluxe. I hope you get to go and enjoy the WL experience!:thumbsup:

[Speedy1998]

I always tell people to base a choice like this on how much time they will be spending at the resort. Personnally I usually only sleep and shower at my resort, so I stay at the values.

[Giselle]

The main reason I like the Deluxe hotels is because of their location. You have a re;axing boatride to MK from WL or the monorail at some other deluxes. At the mods, you''ll be taking the buses to the parks, We've always stayed at the deluxes, but we're trying our 1st mod POFQ in Sep. I hope it goes well!

[Eeyore's My Favorite]

DH & I were able to afford 3 days @ WL in April and absolutely loved it. The main reason we chose it was due to the fact that most of our time was going to be spent at MK and at Epcot for the Flower & Garden Festival. I wanted to experience a Deluxe hotel at least one time while we had our AP's and the rates in April just couldn't be beat. We've stayed at POR and the remainder of our stays have been in the values. If I could afford it - from now on all our stays would be at the WL. We had a ground floor room, king bed, patio area looking out towards the pool area. It was perfect - nice - quiet. Couldn't beat the view for the night time water parade or the quickness to MK & Epcot. I'm sure next trip we'll be back at ASMu (which I also love). I just wish we'd had more time to actually explore the WL - there's so much to do right there at the resort.:mickey:

[LudwigVonDrake]

I say splurge on WL. Go for it :tink:

[kminton]

We are going in October for 5 nights in the WL. DH and I debated about where we wanted to stay - either POR or upgrading to WL. I've always wanted to stay at the WL so we are splurging on ourselves (and DD). We have camped at Fort Wilderness in the past and always enjoy the boat ride.

I'm looking forward to exploring the Lodge and swimming in the pool. We also are doing the dining plan so we've got reservations at Whispering Canyons the night of arrival - yipee.

Kerri