If used to Deluxe Resorts......Would you try Moderate or Value?

[WDWRox]

If you're used to spending your vacations in the Deluxe resorts, would you consider going down to a Moderate or Value category resort for other trips just so you could afford to go to WDW again?

I've stayed at the Poly twice, the Boardwalk Villas, and the Wilderness Lodge (soon to be twice, this coming Sept).

My wife and I were definitely spoiled by the monorail at the Poly. I've already stayed at the Wilderness Lodge and love it. My main beef with the Boardwalk Villas was the distance it was from the Magic Kingdom (our fave park). Personally I think I WOULD be willing to try one of the moderate or value resorts......but there really aren't any in the MK area, they're all further out towards the other parks.

[hearts8701]

i have stayed at everything from the beach club, keywest to pop and allstar movies to downtown disney hotels sometimes you do what is necessary to stay on property i would sleep on the lobby floor of a hotel if i had to believe it or not i have enjoyed all the hotels at disneyworld but my mother did not she does not enjoy the value hotels but there is alot of large groups of kids at value hotels too,everything from large groups of. schools dance groups etc when you go in sept make it a point to visit some moderate hotels port orleans is peaceful cabbriean beach beautiful but quite a few bus stops & value great if you have children the themes are unbelievable eat lunch visit the pool you can drive right in if your staying on property i try to stay at a different place everytime i go

[tink'72]

We've always stayed at AKL and one year I messed up our reservation and the only room available was the Coronado Springs and I have to say I LOVED It! I don't know if I'd try a value resort but I would do a moderate resort any day of the week.

[megustamex]

We've done the deluxe resorts and the values. We tend to go for all or nothing when we visit as far as hotels go! If you are a big Disney fan, you will appreciate how the value resorts have managed to maintain the theming of a Disney property while making the vacation affordable. If you are a person who absolutely has to have luxury accommodations, you won't find that at the values. But we've always had a clean and comfortable experience, and we enjoy feeling like we're still in the park at the All-star resorts, particularly the movies. Although I am a person who hates cheap motel rooms, I have to say that I don't get the same feeling at the Disney values. Being surrounded by all that Disney magic makes the hotel room just fine. But it is definitely the kind of room you're only going to want to sleep in, not hang out in. My biggest gripe at the values is the groups of school kids that stay there and stay up until all hours of the night. We avoid them and their noise by staying in the back of any of the value resorts overlooking the wooded areas. It's a longer walk but a more peaceful experience. I can't speak for the moderates but I believe that they would eliminate the kids group factor. I just haven't been able to justify paying more for a room that looks pretty similar in size and amenities to the value resorts.

[Flower]

We have stayed at every value, every Mod & several deluxe resorts (AKL, WL).

I personally prefer the mod level and our favourite mod is Coronado. Coronado offers deluxe amenities - spa services & nicer dining options, for moderate resort prices.

Value Resorts are great and awesome for families, the food courts personally drive me crazy and the pools always seem busier than the mods. Mods offer a main pool with a water slide & hot tubs as well as quiet pools. There are no water slides or hot tubs at the values.

The landscaping is nicer at the mods, but the Disney feel is definitely all around you at the Values!

I think the only real way you will know is to take the plunge and try it, or at least visit several resorts during your September stay to decide if you could 'down grade'.

[ElenitaB]

I might be flamed for this, but here goes anyway. We started our Disney stays at a moderate (POFQ) which we really liked. Then we stayed at CR a few times. Soon thereafter, we bought DVC and have stayed at DVC resorts (and once at AKL using points) ever since. When not at Disney, when traveling for business I stay at Westins and Hiltons. When traveling on my dime, we'll stay at a Holiday Inn or a Marriott.

This past May, I needed a room for one night. Using my AP discount, I booked us a room at Pop Century. I was not happy. Yes, the resort is themed very nicely. However, the room was on the spartan side, both in terms of amenities and space. I am a person, however, who does believe in taking an afternoon break (and my health makes that a necessity anyway), so the room does matter to me. I don't think I'd make the choice to stay at Pop again.

I know that others do disagree with me, but I wanted to share my POV anyway.

[murphy1]

I have stayed every level both on and off property. Just try one of the others, you may or may not like it, it's very hard to say without knowing you. Our favorite is WL. We also really like PO both FQ and Riverside, the pools are my kids favorite. My kids absolute favorite resort is AS Movies and Music, they love that pool too. I would try POFQ if it is just you and your wife and if you don't like it, just decide not to do it again. I am not so sure you will like the values as much as we do, and you might be really spoiled by where you have been that you won't want to stay anywhere but the MK hotels (you definitely feel the magic on the MK tract hotels, even at WL).

[SurferStitch]

We stayed at only the GF for years, then tried POR a couple times. We really disliked it, but then we tried CBR, and we LOVED it!

We've also stayed at POP a couple times, and really loved it there, too.

We do miss the monorail when we stay at a mod or value, but we've been very satisfied with our stays at CBR and POP. We wouldn't hesitate to stay at them again!

[tnpoohbear]

We have stayed at the Deluxe Resorts and of course, if money is not an issue, then I chose the deluxe, but I am just as happy as staying at All Star Movies - the only value resort we did not care for was Pop Century and I think it was because we were in a building far away. My favorit moderate is Port Orleans Riverside.:mickey:

[bruin1344]

i have stayed in all 3 levels, i think all 3 are fine, if i had extra income to spear, i would upgrade but i am satisfied with value if i had to

[conorsmom2000]

I think the problem for us is that we've only stayed at the WL (3 times now). My only other trip to WDW was a camping trip with my family where we stayed at Fort Wilderness! So, I admit, I'm spoiled - not that we need what a deluxe has to offer, it's just that we truly love the theming of the WL - we are truly in our "happy place" when we are there. So, that being said, if cost was a factor, and it meant the difference between going or not going, we would absolutely try a moderate - but, I doubt we'd do the values. As much as we love the parks, we like our down time too and definitely spend a fair amount of time at the resort and the pool. I just don't feel like we'd have that same relaxed "we're on vacation" vibe at a value. Of course, I could be totally wrong - but, neither Mike or I are willing to take that chance. That's just how it is for us.... :mickey:

[Taja]

Absolutely!

I've stayed at all levels of WDW resorts--and the deluxe resorts don't begin to compare with five-star resorts elsewhere! So I had no qualms trying the other levels.

The main issue is what you expect from your resort. Once you decide that, you can determine if it's feasible for you to try the other resort levels at WDW.

[Friend of Figment]

I have mostly stayed at the Contemporary (my favorite) and the Poly. This past December I took a last minute tripa and stayed at ASMo. It was ok. It wasn't restful and I found the room very small even though I was alone. Certainly I would rather stay at a value than not go, but I would choose a deluxe for most trips.

[Polynesian Dweller]

Easy answer for us, No. We stayed both on and off site at the beginning in non-deluxe but after staying at the Poly, well the signature line says it all. The Poly is as important a part of our trip as the theme parks so nope, couldn't enjoy Disney anywhere near as much without it.

[quest4dl]

Thanks for asking the question - I had the same one!

We've stayed Poly twice and AKL once. I'm seriously considering CSR for our next trip. While I loved the theming of AKL, I missed being only a monorail ride away from MK. For me, if I can't stay monorail then I may as well try a mod. I also wouldn't have considered CSR if the theming didn't appeal to me.

[jonahbear2006]

I am a snob. I will admit it. I will only stay certain places and its got to be all or nothing for me, though I will stay at Port Orleans Riverside. We either want to camp at Fort Wilderness and pay almost nothing to stay in our own blankets and stuff (which actually makes me happier since I have hotel anxiety), or I want to stay in the most expensive thing they've got. I prob won't ever stay at value cause Why when I can camp and be happier. I won't stay at coronado or car.beach bc they wont have us, too many kids. I want one room for all of us. So actually, this is prob the only year that we will do deluxe or anything but camp. From here on out, we are Fort Wilderness People! But to answer your question, better than I have so far, I would do just about anything to go back to Disney. I would sell anything in my house I didn't need, take up a waiting job for a few months, penny pinch, shower at the Y, and eat Ramen noodles for 3 mths, just to get to WDW! It is my heaven and my heart needs to be there 2x a year.

April 2007-Ft.Wilderness
Feb. 2008-Ft. Wilderness
Sept 2008-Beach Club

[Sneaky Pete]

we stay at Pop when I take 1 of the DDs on a daddy-daughter trip. I am taking DD #2 on a daddy-daughter trip in sept. and we will stay at Pop like I did with DD#1.

Of course I love and prefer WL but it doesn't make much sense when I with an 8 yr. old

[amd780]

I was used to staying at deluxes with my family before I got married, but DH and I stayed at moderates on our last 2 trips. I can honestly say that it didn't affect me at all. We loved POR and CSR! :mickey:

[d_m_n_n]

We've stayed at all levels (WL, POR, and ASMusic). Of course we love the WL probably the most, but POR is a very close second. As much as I love our trips, if I could only afford to stay at a Value I would save more $$$ until I could upgrade. We only stayed 2 nights at the AS, but we were so cramped. It felt like we were constantly climbing all over each other (there were 4 of us and the boys were 6 and 2 at the time).

Oh, and by no means am I a hotel snob. Give me a Holiday Inn Express any time and I am as happy as can be. :blush:

[Tinkerbellfan]

Hello,

For our annual trip, we prefer a deluxe resort.

We love to have a signature restaurant at our resort as well as another dining options other than a food code. Dining is a big part of our WDW trips!

So, I wouldn't drop from a deluxe to a value or moderate so I could go twice a year. But, if we could afford a deluxe for our annual or every other trip, I would consider a moderate resort or the least desirable view at a Deluxe.

[Mousemates]

Give them a try and see, and if your extra leery do a couple day stay at a mod and then move up to a deluxe for the latter part of the trip. (Disney makes "resort hopping easy")

[Seasonscraps]

We are DVC so we mostly stay at BW & WL. We'll sometimes add a day and it will most often be POR - it's not super convenient to the MK but it's a really lovely resort.

I wouldn't stay at a value; I would rather stay off property or stay home.

[GrmGrninGost]

We've tried all the values and moderates and a couple of the deluxe. For my family, the visit to WDW is the key. We stay at the deluxe resorts when money is not a problem. I would be crazy to say they aren't my favorites, but the others are nice too! We haven't had any problems at any of the WDW resorts. We have enjoyed them all and I have no reservations recommending any of them! :mickey:

[hardingella]

Stayed at POP twice and loved it. Stayed at CBR and loved that too. Next time we're staying at YC/BC, but to do this we are waiting a liitle longer to go back than if we had booked a value. You have to decide what is really important to you on your trip, its not worth bankrupting yourself over. At the end of the day your staying within Disney. Go to whichever one you choose with an open mind and you'll love it.:thumbsup:

[prprincess]

I've stayed at all three types of resorts, and honestly, I could probably not do a value again. I'm not trying to be snotty at all, but for the most part I enjoy how much larger the moderate and deluxe rooms are.

[Marker]

If you're used to spending your vacations in the Deluxe resorts, would you consider going down to a Moderate or Value category resort for other trips just so you could afford to go to WDW again?


"going down to a Moderate or Value", well then I guess I'm one of the bottom feeders. I've stayed at Value and Moderates, and was more than satisfied with them all.

I have never stayed at a Deluxe, and really don't expect to. It's really difficult in my mind to justify the incredible increase in rates, just seems excessive and unnecessary to me. I'm just not that needy.

Now, to your question. I'm inclined to say "NO", you shouldn't try. To me, the fact that you are asking this question, and referring to Value and Moderates as "going down", makes me think you've probably already made up your mind that they are not going to be as good. If you already think it's a step down, then likely your experience will live up (or down) to you expectations.

[MushuGrl]

I've stayed at all three, and to be quite honest, one of our absolute favs so far has been Pop!

Of course, I also don't have any children, and I'm at the parks from opening until closing. So all I really need is a bed somewhere...ANYWHERE.

PARKING lot will do. :)

[SBETigg]

We have always stayed deluxe on the monorail line except for one stay, when we tried POR because we won the trip. It was a lovely resort, and who can complain on a free trip (even though we doubled the days on our own and spent a bundle anyway). BUT, it was not the same at all and we ended up going back sooner than expected just to recapture our magic feeling that we get from staying close to the MK.

The moderate stay was just fine, no complaints, and it's worth trying if you're on a tighter budget. But I think you're likely to find, like us, that it's not the same at all and it does impact your enjoyment of your vacation. Now we know that for us, it's worth skipping years and going less frequently so that we can stay in our favorite resorts (the GF or the Poly for us) on every trip. Being close to the MK, seeing it when we leave our room or even from our room, hearing the MK sounds in our room, all of this adds to the magic. At the moderate, we felt like we were having a great family vacation with Disney in it. At the monorail deluxes, we're having a Disney vacation.

[diz_girl]

I've only stayed at MK resorts, which makes me a bit spoiled, so I know where you're coming from.

I money was an issue, I'd do my best to stay at a MK resort by waiting a little longer between visits, so I can save more money, or stay fewer days and have the lowest price room. If that didn't work, I'd consider staying at FW and have a pop-up camper delivered to my site.

If I would pick a Mod to stay at, it would probably be CSR. It's pretty centrally located, doesn't share buses, and I've heard good things about it.

[disneymom2000]

I absolutely love the Yacht & Beach Club - it is my home away from. But one year I got the free dining deal and by the time I made reservations the deluxes were booked and I went with POR. I really liked it alot. It wasn't a deluxe but then I didn't spend a lot of time in the hotel anyway but it was very comfortable.

[MR.MIKE]

I would stay at a value to go again but not a moderate.
I have done splits with the values and the deluxes

[Crow]

ive stayed at all the values, & mods 3 of the deluxe,Swan/Dolphin & a few in the DD area
and Ill b knocking out another in Sept.
some things are different. but i also have to say i didnt like some things about deluxe as much, for instance food courtless. & some of the views werent that great. some things are nicer.
but i wouldnt hesitate to stay at a value or mod

[Spaceship Tigger]

Seems like every trip we consider staying at a moderate to save money, then ultimately turn them down. Some of it is the smaller beds and room sizes, but much of it is the fact that we love being in the primarily one-structure deluxes. It's the very large, spread-out layouts of the moderates that keep us from them. There's a pretty good chance in staying at one that we could end up some distance away from the main building, while the incredible main lobbies of the deluxes are places we love to hang out in.

[Jeri Lynn]

I have stayed at Dixie Landings, Caribbean Beach, AKL and the Beach Club.

I prefer the deluxes but if money became an issue I would have no problem staying at a moderate. When we go with the kids we need two rooms so things get pretty pricey.

When I am in Disney I enjoy feeling pampered. I've been asked why we don't rent a home, I want to stay on Disney property and I don't want to feel like I am at home and have to cook and clean... I guess I am a little fussy that way...however, when I am snowmobiling in Maine we stay at motels, because those are our only options, some have been nice, others have been pretty shabby, but there aren't alot of "hotels" on the trails.

[Ropachs]

We've stayed at all the mods, nothing else. This Fall we'll try the Poly, but for the trip after that I'm thinking about a value and using some of the money we save to rent a car to avoid the busses. Not having to wait for the bus may make the value seem like a deluxe to us!

[vicster]

We love WL and decided last year to stay with friends at CBR. While it wasn't quite as nice as WL we would stay there again - the room size seemed to be about the same as WL. The only problem was that CBR is too large and spread out. We had to take a bus to get to our friends' building. This year we're trying POFQ. For the price difference it's getting harder to justify the prices at WL because we don't spend that much time at the resorts.