Deluxe to Moderate - worth the savings?

[Giselle]

My family and I usually stay at a deluxe resort, but I decided to try out a moderate this time to save some money. IWe will be staying at POFQ t is about $2000 cheaper. But I'm afraid I'm going to spend my whole vacation waiting on buses. Should I change my reservations? Any input would be helpful.
Thanks!:mickey:

[FriendsofMickey]

Well, I have never stayed at a deluxe; however, last year I stayed at POFQ and loved it. I did not find the bus waits bad at all. Most of the time, we were the first ones picked up and first ones dropped off.

We have stayed at POR and CCR and in my opinion POFQ beat both hands down!

[vicster]

We're trying a moderate this September also - POFQ. We usually stay at WL and last September we stayed at CBR - never again. Too large and spread out and I didn't feel the rooms were up to par. I'm hoping POFQ will be better otherwise next year I'm back at WL.

[Grim Grinning Marathon Runner]

Our absolute favorite resort is the Poly, but the main reason is because it's on the monorail. We LOVED POR, and POFQ is very similar. Honestly, waiting on the bus isn't that big of a problem for us. Monorail to the MK is great, but it's not immediate, either.

If I have the extra money laying around, I'd choose Poly over POR/POFQ in a heartbeat, but if I can't be totally comfortable with spending that extra $2k at the Poly, I wouldn't hesistate to stay at any Mod (except CSR, don't care for that one too much).

Put it this way. Intercot's "resorts" tab, which is a GREAT source of information, lists distances between each resort and each park. Let's just say you're considering Poly vs POFQ, and you're staying there a week. Say that you'd ONLY be going to the Magic Kingdom, every day, so that you could take advantage of the direct monorail ride from the Poly to the MK.

The "resorts" tab say that from the Poly to the MK is 5 minutes (via monorail), and from POFQ to MK is 10 minutes (via bus).

Now we all know that often doesn't happen, but it'll have to do. Let's even say that you take a mid-day break, because it's so easy to hop on the monorail and go back to the Poly, and let's say you're staying for 7 days.

7 days at 2 round trips per day on the monorail from the Poly to the MK at 5 minutes per one way trip is 20 minutes spent on the monorail per day, 140 total minutes spent getting from the Poly to the MK.

7 days at 2 round trips per day on the bus from POFQ to the MK at 10 minutes per one way trip is 40 minutes spent on the bus per day, 280 minutes total spent getting from POFQ to the MK.

At $2,000 exta to stay at the Poly, that's an extra $14.29 per minute that you pay to get from the Poly to the MK faster, or $857.14 per hour.

[Gator]

From another point of view, I've never considered it worth the extra grand to move up from a mod to a deluxe. They're very nice and well themed. The rooms are a little smaller and grounds are larger. Still, I can't see myself spending an exorbidant amount of cash to walk 100less yards to my room that is 30 square feet bigger. Just think of all the souveneirs you could buy with the extra money.

[OogieBoogieMan]

I say try it once and see how you feel. It almost certainly won't be horrible, so worse case you find out you prefer deluxe for whatever reason and switch next time around. On the flip side if it works for you you save some major bucks and maybe get another vacation with the money saved. Sounds like a worthwhile experiment to me.

[TikiGoddess]

If you're worried about buses, perhaps take some of the money that you're saving and put it towards a rental car.

TikiG

[TammiMcMan]

I think your choice of POFQ is a great one. Any resort can have bus problems. I like TikiG's suggestion about the rental car, but I would have that as my Plan B. There's a car rental company right on Disney property, so if it does appear that buses are a problem, you can zip on over and just grab a car. You might be pleasantly surprised though. Having a secondary plan will probably help you to relax and know that if things don't work out, you have another option.

[Natazu]

I wouldn't worry about the bus thing if that's the only concern. If you can't rent a car, just allow a little time for bus travel.
The reasons for going deluxe are more than being on the monorail line. It's glasses instead of paper cups, a closet instead of a clothes rod, inside room entry, a lobby, room service, concierge floors, multiple full service restaurants, a front desk, queen beds, valet parking, Art (the guy), a thermostat, things like that. Deluxe is about the little things. Only you can decide if it's right for your family.

[FromKnoxvilleto Disney]

POFQ is the best. We love the small size and coziness of the resort. As for the buses it is not any worse than any where else. We have never really had any problems at POFQ. The bus is usually a little crowded but if you are expecting no crowds you probably are vacationing at the wrong place. POFQ is awsome and you will enjoy it.

[elmjimmlm]

We would love to stay at a deluxe but we stay at POR and love it...Busses are not a problem for us...We have never had a long wait and almost never have to stand...It is worth the money saved to spend elsewhere...:mickey:

[Mrs.Mickey]

I owuld say rent a car if at all possible, but if not the bus isnt really that bad. We stayed at the all stars and the bus service was pretty good, as was the bus service at the wilderness.

[mickeytravel]

i have stayed at the values and deluxe..You really can't beat the deluxe service. One thing we do to make things a little reasonable is stay at the WL its about 1000.00 cheaper than other deluxe. We love it there the convience of the boat ride to MK is great.

[HndrdPrcnt]

If you're worried about buses, perhaps take some of the money that you're saving and put it towards a rental car.

TikiG

You took the words right out of my mouth!! (or off of my fingers in this case). I have stayed at a Deluxe and it was great!! However, I spend so little time in my hotel room when at WDW, that I now pretty much only stay at the POP Century. With the money I save, I can rent a car, treat my DDs to BBB, take the wife to Cal Grill for dinner followed by La Nouba. We are simply able to enjoy so much more by compromising on the hotel room which is no big deal since all we do in the room is sleep and bathe anyway!!

[Tick-Tock]

We were at POFQ last month. The first five times we went out to the parks, the buses were right there. We only waited more than a few minutes once or twice in the 4 days we were there. And we enjoyed the boat ride to/from DTD.

You can have transport problems at any resort. For instance, I was very dissatisfied with WL's transport. And more than once WL filled the bus and then went to GF, so the GF folks had to stand - and they're probably paying more than anyone.

[Friend of Figment]

I can't speak to POFQ specifically, but I think it will be ok. I always stay at a deluxe, but last December I took a last minute trip and stayed at ASM. A value is certainly not a deluxe, but it was a fun trip (although I have been known to refer to it as camping). It was different and not as relaxing, but it was an extra trip to the World.
I would always rather stay at a Deluxe because I do spend time at the hotel, but I'd rather go cheaper than not go at all.

[kathiep]

Why not rent a car? Like another poster stated, you'll still be saving money even if paying for a rental car. We always have a car and love getting ourselves around. We have family in the area so we do go off Disney grounds, but I think even if we didn't, we'd still want to be in control of our own transportation.

And remember, if you decide to try the busses and don't like them, how bad could it be - you'll still be in Disney.

[Diz-Knee]

Unless the busses are running considerably slow I don't think it will be a problem. Like one of the PP stated, at POFQ you are the first pick up and the first drop off. I don't recall waiting for any extensive amount of time for a bus to the theme parks or back to my resort when we stayed there last year.

It might be nice to have a rental car - even staying at a Deluxe we like to have a car to zip around WDW quicker.

[SBETigg]

We stay deluxe. One year, we tried a moderate because we won the trip. No complaints. It was a beautiful resort(POR). But that trip, though wonderful, did not live up to our usual stays. We really missed our monorail location, not for the monorail itself but for being close enough to feel that the MK was part of our trip even when we were at the resort.

Now we know that saving money at moderates does make for less of a trip experience to us. Still great, but not as Disney magical. Plus, yes, buses were a pain. They were usually overcrowded and we usually had to wait for a second or third bus to get to where we were going. Not that the same thing couldn't happen at a deluxe, but for us it never has. If the money is an issue, give it a shot. But beware that it may not live up to expectation.

[Aggie97]

We stay deluxe. One year, we tried a moderate because we won the trip. No complaints. It was a beautiful resort(POR). But that trip, though wonderful, did not live up to our usual stays. We really missed our monorail location, not for the monorail itself but for being close enough to feel that the MK was part of our trip even when we were at the resort.

Now we know that saving money at moderates does make for less of a trip experience to us. Still great, but not as Disney magical. Plus, yes, buses were a pain. They were usually overcrowded and we usually had to wait for a second or third bus to get to where we were going. Not that the same thing couldn't happen at a deluxe, but for us it never has. If the money is an issue, give it a shot. But beware that it may not live up to expectation.

I really agree with everything in this post. We stayed at POFQ in Nov.-Dec. (My husband had a conference at the Marriott World Center, and POFQ's room rate was comparable for work reimbursement.) We have stayed at monorail resorts for the past eight years. While POFQ was beautiful, it just wasn't the same for us. We spend a fair amount of time at our resort and enjoy dining and shopping there.

After this, we decided that we would try WL or AKL when we want to spend a little less on future visits.

It can't say how you or anyone else will feel about it, but our personal experience was virtually identical to Sherri's. :mickey:

[ParkMan]

We made this choice for a trip back in December. We've started staying in the deluxe resorts (and love them), but my wife & I were going for a quick weekend and thought the difference wasn't worth it for a quick trip for 2 people who will be at the parks all day and night.

What we've found with buses is that even at the deluxe resorts, you probably still will take the bus about 50% of the time. How else do you get from the BWI to AK or the Poly to DHS?

On a recent visit, we stayed at the BWI and felt the buses took just as long as the buses going to CBR (where we stayed in December).

I'm definitely not a bus fan, but am pretty certain the buses would not be a big enough impact for us to pick a deluxe over a moderate.

For family trips, we will definitely continue to stay at the deluxe resorts. For us, the bonuses earlier posters have mentioned are well worth the differences.

[buzz2001]

It's worth it if you are switching to CSR! CSR is the only mod to offer some deluxe amenities. CSR has suite, a spa, salon, a fitness center and a full menu room service. CSR also has live entertainment at the new Rix Lounge, great non shared transportation and the best main pool area and slide.

[pogo]

We've stayed at the Poly because we won the trip and we loved :cloud9: every minute of our stay !

But when it came to booking a stay paid from our own pocket we chose POFQ. We thought it was a better value ! We are returning to POFQ this year because we fell in love with the little resort. :D

[katzctkpt]

From another point of view, I've never considered it worth the extra grand to move up from a mod to a deluxe. They're very nice and well themed. The rooms are a little smaller and grounds are larger. Still, I can't see myself spending an exorbidant amount of cash to walk 100less yards to my room that is 30 square feet bigger. Just think of all the souveneirs you could buy with the extra money.


I wouldn't worry about the bus thing if that's the only concern. If you can't rent a car, just allow a little time for bus travel.
The reasons for going deluxe are more than being on the monorail line. It's glasses instead of paper cups, a closet instead of a clothes rod, inside room entry, a lobby, room service, concierge floors, multiple full service restaurants, a front desk, queen beds, valet parking, Art (the guy), a thermostat, things like that. Deluxe is about the little things. Only you can decide if it's right for your family.


You took the words right out of my mouth!! (or off of my fingers in this case). I have stayed at a Deluxe and it was great!! However, I spend so little time in my hotel room when at WDW, that I now pretty much only stay at the POP Century. With the money I save, I can rent a car, treat my DDs to BBB, take the wife to Cal Grill for dinner followed by La Nouba. We are simply able to enjoy so much more by compromising on the hotel room which is no big deal since all we do in the room is sleep and bathe anyway!!

We've only stayed at POR and wouldn't trade it. The buses has never been an issue for us. Actually, we went to the WL for dinner one night and waited for over 30 min on a bus. At POR it has never been more than 10 min. I don't think the buses run any better for a deluxe resort verses values or moderates.

[KAT1811]

We typically stay at Coronado Springs Resort and love it. This year we are staying at the Grand Floridian, mostly because we have three DDs and the monerail is much easier to navigate with the little ones (and the stroller) than the busses. Plus DH has a new mission to try some new WDW resorts.

We love CS (a moderate) and will certainly return there some day. The busses are not bad at all, the wait rarely more than a few minutes. The money you'll save will far outweigh the amount of time you wait for the busses. I wouldn't worry at all. To us all of the WDW resorts are just as magical as the rest, be it a value, deluxe and everyone in between. After all you're still in WDW and the commute to the park is such a small part of the day.

[tnpoohbear]

Well I would always prefer the deluxe (if money was not a question), however, I am also happy at a moderate or value resort. Just being anywhere at WDW is a treat for me! We stayed at POR last February and did not ever wait long for the buses. We are staying at the Poly next trip so I am excited about that. The only deluxe resort that we had any length of a wait time for a bus was at AKL but it was not too bad. I still love AKL and would stay there in a minute. Just think of what you could buy with the money you save from a deluxe to moderate?:mickey:

[bruin1344]

moderates are fine, the only thing i dont like about them in comparison to deluxe is the location to the parks, pool isnt as nice, and you have to take the bus more

[Dopey's Girl]

POFQ is great! It is small (you can walk from one end of the resort to the other and not get tired!) and so charming! I loved it there and can't wait to go back!! Sure you will have to take buses, but we never waited more than 5 mins for a bus. I waited way longer than that at WL!

I have stayed at all the categories, and while the deluxe resorts are great, sometimes they just aren't worth the money IMO. If staying at a moderate means I can save money, and visit more often, sign me up!!!

[Checkers]

:mickey:We stayed at POFQ a few weeks ago and usually stay at a deluxe. We loved it -- the food court, the water taxi to DTD, and the bus service was very good. The only wait we had was at the parks to return to POFQ and they were sometimes packed. It was perfect for my DH & I but if you are traveling with more family members, the moderates have 2 double beds while the deluxes have 2 queen beds and that could be a consideration.

[RedSoxFan]

We've stayed at POFQ and AKL on previous trips. AKL is very nice. But for our potential trip for October, we are considering POFQ as it is $1500 cheaper. That savings alone will pay for 4 flight tickets. And POFQ is a wonderful resort and my DD11 loves the dragon slide better than the pool at AKL.

[diz_girl]

Why not split your stay between a Mod and a Deluxe and still save $1000? You still save money and you still get to stay at a Deluxe for at least part of your trip. I'd recommend the Deluxe for the latter part of the trip, in case the Mod doesn't live up to your expectations.

As for your worry about the buses, why not try Coronado Springs? Although a previous post mentioned that it didn't look to be their cup of tea, if I was planning to stay at a Mod I'd try it. CS is centrally located to all of the parks, so your bus rides are shorter. Also, it doesn't share a bus with any other resort, so you don't have to worry about having to wait a while for a bus after one or two packed buses (that have already stopped at other resorts) can't accommodate you.

In addition, I have read on other threads that the resort is relatively quiet and the food court isn't crazy at times like some other Mods or Values, as it is frequently packed with conventioneers, who keep to themselves.

[KAT1811]

As for your worry about the buses, why not try Coronado Springs? Although a previous post mentioned that it didn't look to be their cup of tea, if I was planning to stay at a Mod I'd try it. CS is centrally located to all of the parks, so your bus rides are shorter. Also, it doesn't share a bus with any other resort, so you don't have to worry about having to wait a while for a bus after one or two packed buses (that have already stopped at other resorts) can't accommodate you.

In addition, I have read on other threads that the resort is relatively quiet and the food court isn't crazy at times like some other Mods or Values, as it is frequently packed with conventioneers, who keep to themselves.


I agree with the above poster. We love CS. I have heard others say that it is in the middle of a moderate and a deluxe. I coudn't agree more. The resort is beautiful and quiet. There are never waits for the busses and I can count on one hand how many times we have been on a bus with standing room only (and that is including all of the trips we have taken to CS). The pool area is fabulous and there is also a health center, business center, and beauty salon on site. The food court is also rarely busy and offers a wonderful selection of food. We love CS and I am looking forward to returning there when the kids get a bit bigger.

[Momto3littlemice]

Although I agree that the monorail is super and makes things easy (especially to MK), the POFQ is a great choice! We love it there! And, I have to say that POFQ is so small that walking to the bus stop takes about 4 or 5 minutes and we never had a problem waiting very long at all. I think if you have money burning a hole in your pocket then by all means, choose the deluxe, but giving a moderate (especially POFQ) a try is a great idea! :mickey: