Are Magic Kingdom Deluxe hotes worth the $$$$?

[disney1026]

I have never stayed at a MK Deluxe hotel before. I am contemplating a trip this Spring with my husband and 2-year-old daughter. I thought the proximity to MK would be great given the age of my DD. It is quite a bit more expensive though! Like an additional $700-$1000. Would people say the expense is worth it? It would be a pretty significant expense for us. Thanks!

[AllDisney]

Have stayed at a couple deluxe resorts and love them. If they offer me a nice discount we do stay at a deluxe. However, we don't stay in the room or hang around any resort to justify our staying at a deluxe. You have a very young child & you may be taking breaks throughout your stay and what a deluxe has to offer may be worth it to you.

Hope this helps:mickey:

[SBETigg]

That's a really personal decision. What's worth it to me might not be for you. To us, it makes all the difference in the world and we wouldn't stay anywhere else. We've tried, and have been slightly disappointed and missing the monorail resorts every time. They are well worth it to us. Being that close to the MK sets the tone and makes the trip for us, not to mention the resorts in that area are our favorites and we love to have some days just in the resorts without even needing park time.

For you, it might be different. I do think it's worth a try, unless the cost will force you to give up other things that make the trip for you or will create a budgetary strain.

[mrsgaribaldi]

I think it's worth it but we only do it for special occasions. I've stayed at the Polynesian and the Contemporary and our favorite was the Poly by far!:tikki:

[faline]

It really is a personal decision. Would you rather have that extra money for dining, shopping, or other expenses? Or will you spend a considerable amount of time at your resort making the expense worthwhile for you? You're the only one who can determine the value for the cost.

[buddie]

IMO, except for the WL, no.

[Marymouse2003]

As other's have stated, it is a personal decision. IMO, if you can afford it, do it, at least once. Especially with your little one. Do prepare to be hooked. Well, I was. Several trips spoiled me to Contemporary and Poly. Love, love being so close to MK. That's just me, but would I stay somewhere else in order to aford a WDW trip. ABSOLUTELY!!! afterall, it's Disney and that's just pure :cloud9: Hope you have a wonderful trip. Enjoy!!

[wdwfansince75]

To us, it was worth it...but as the family grew, we needed to find more economical options...having the SoG eligibility has allowed us to share the trips with the rest of the family.
Once, we skipped a year to provide for the extra cost...and felt that the wait was worth it. Especially with younger children, the convenience of the Monorail, or the short walk between MK and the CR has a value all its own...Make a decision, and do not get buyer's remorse! If you choose to make the sacrifice, do not second guess yourself! Just relax....and prove to yourselves it was worth it. I sit here and replay in my mind almost 40 years of wonderful memories! In fact, DW and I sometimes do the "Remember when" discussions at the strangest of times...and particularly when our kids are around, we start laughing at the silliest of things. Nothing we have ever done with our money has generated the warm memories of our stays at the CR and our single trip to Poly.

[joonyer]

Depends on how much $$$ you are willing to spend. But for the cost of one week at a deluxe, you could stay about a month at a value resort. It's a big difference in cost. Only you can decide. If you can afford it, you should try it at least once.

[Mousemates]

On a pure value play in my opinion they are only worth it if you are actually going to truly utilize the advantages they offer...such as returning to the resort for an afternoon/nap or swim or to have a rest day away from the parks.

If you are park commandos who run from dawn till the last park closes it makes little sense (to me) to pay big money for a bed to collapse in each night before you awaken to repeat the process.

One way to kind of mitigate the costs a bit is to stay in the garden wing of the contemporary...it adds a little extra walking, but the rooms are big and some of the water views are fab (and come at a considerable discount from the tower rooms).

[PETE FROM NYC]

In the beginning, we stayed off site for economic reasons. Then one year, DW got a big bonus from work, so we tried staying in WDW, at CRB when that was the lowest price, as in the pre-value days. Then a couple trips we went offsite again because we were not travelling alone. DW and I both missed staying on site. We have stayed at the values many times with no complaints. We do the commando route, opening and closing our park du jour. Now we are DVC members at BLT, and still spend almost no time at the resort. If we did not join, it would still be the values for us.

[mydisneygirls]

Check out the price at the WL....it's a deluxe and is much cheaper than GF, Poly and CR for because it's not on the monorail. You take a boat to MK and from there, you can hop on the monorail to Epcot. You need to take the bus to the other parks though.

[Mickey'sGirl]

Check out the price at the WL....it's a deluxe and is much cheaper than GF, Poly and CR for because it's not on the monorail. You take a boat to MK and from there, you can hop on the monorail to Epcot. You need to take the bus to the other parks though.Just to clarify. You could take the boat to MK then the monorail to the TTC and then another monorail to Epcot. Personally, I would just take the bus. ;)

[BeccaO]

I will be the 1st person to say it is definately worth the extra $$ to stay in a deluxe, especially one that is on the monorail. This is even more worth it when you have young children. The convenience of being able to zip back to your hotel on the monorail in the afternoon for naps or a break is so worth it!! The post above about the WL is def. an option you may want to look into, they are an awesome "deluxe" resort without the super high rate's of GF and Poly. The Wilderness Lodge does not offer monorail service but the boats are very convenient in place of the monorail and offer a nice relaxing trip to and from the MK.

[buddie]

Just to clarify. You could take the boat to MK then the monorail to the TTC and then another monorail to Epcot.
Unless someone really, really, wants to ride the monorail, that method will take forever.


The convenience of being able to zip back to your hotel on the monorail in the afternoon for naps or a break is so worth it!
If convenience and speed in getting to and from a resort are factors in deciding which MK resort to choose, the WL will win just about every time. The WL/MK bus beats the MR. It's a five minute ride and due to an operational necessity, don't ask, it's complicated, they run more frequently than any other resort to park bus on property.


The Wilderness Lodge does not offer monorail service but the boats are very convenient in place of the monorail and offer a nice relaxing trip to and from the MK.
See response above.


Check out the price at the WL....it's a deluxe and is much cheaper than GF, Poly and CR for because it's not on the monorail.
While it's true that the WL room rates are lower than the other resorts in the MK Resort Area, it's not necessarily due to the fact that it doesn't have monorail service. Not all monorail resorts are more expensive than all non-monorail resorts. You can pay more elsewhere at a few Disney resorts and still not have monorail service.
IMO, having monorail service is not all what it's cracked up to be. Recent history shows that the odds are pretty good that it will either break down while you're on it, or it will go down for a number of hours.

[Giselle]

IMHO, no. They cost 3-5 times more than a moderate or deluxe and while there are some advantages to the deluxe, they are not worth that to me and my family. I liked being able to walk to the MK from the Contemporary and the monorail is convenient (but not necessarily faster than the buses). And if you like the hotel's TS restaurant then there is that too. But the rooms, grounds, service and theming are not really all that different to me. I'd rather stay at a Mod (my favorite is FQ) and take two vacations rather than have the small advantages of the deluxe. To each his own though. I guess some people really want to to feel pampered on vacation and take advantage of the spas, etc. while at the deluxe, but I'm all about having fun in the pools and parks and eating good food while at the World. :cloud9:

[buzznwoodysmom]

I really think it depends on how your spend your days in WDW. When we first started going there is no way I would have paid for a deluxe monorail resort, simply because we stayed in the parks from open till close. We never spent any quality time at the resort, so it would have been foolish to spend that kind of money just to sleep and shower there. Now that we've been so many times we find ourselves spending more and more time at our resort on each trip. We now feel that it's well worth the cost to be at a resort we enjoy since we tend to spend so much more time at our resort. If its a summer trip we typically spend half of our days at our resort pool so we want one that we can really enjoy, and for us that's worth the price tag.

I would say if you plan to spend all your time in the parks, then save that money for something else (or put it towards a future trip) and stay at one of the value or moderate resorts. Or at least at one of the less expensive deluxe resorts. Wilderness Lodge is a wonderful resort, close to MK and will cost much less than one of the monorail resorts.

On the other hand since you have a little one, if you plan to spend a lot of time in MK, and plan to take daily breaks, then a monorail resort might be well worth the money.

Like others have already stated, only you can decide what is right for you. Good luck finding a place that meets all your needs, and have a wonderful trip.

[Aurora]

On our last trip, staying at BLT made a huge difference in our vacation, since we only had three park days. We went back to our room in the afternoon every day.

With a 2-year-old (and, I'm assuming, a stroller and the usual gear that accompanies a toddler), it is so much easier to roll on and off the monorail, especially if your DD falls asleep. When taking the bus or boats, you have to fold up the stroller, but you don't have to do this on the monorail.

Plus, if you do stay at the Contemporary, it's the first monorail stop from the MK, so it literally takes 10 minutes to get from the park to your room.

Also, the deluxe rooms are a bit larger than moderates, and the Poly has the largest rooms on property.

[bouncer]

if it fits in your budget it is absolutely priceless to be able to take your little one back to the room to rest and get back from the parks as quickly as possible. It's a great way to prevent in-park meltdowns.

[buzznwoodysmom]

if it fits in your budget it is absolutely priceless to be able to take your little one back to the room to rest and get back from the parks as quickly as possible. It's a great way to prevent in-park meltdowns.

First I want to say that I somewhat agree with this statement, and similar statments made by others, myself included.

However, I want the OP to realize that this is only true if you are at MK. If you are at any of the other 3 parks you won't have this quick "escape" back to the room. Epcot would be a bit easier than the other two parks, but still not a very quick way back to the monorail resorts. Of course with such a young one MK might be the park visited most often, but a meltdown can happen at any of the parks and being on the monorail line has no added convenience when leaving any of the other parks.

Same with the comment about the monorail being an easy on, easy off with a stroller. Unless you have your own car, or plan on only visiting MK and Epcot you'll still have to deal with a stroller and gear on a bus at some point. Great that you don't have to deal with it every day, but your not eliminating any of that completely just by staying on the monorail if you plan to visit all parks.

[SBETigg]

If convenience and speed in getting to and from a resort are factors in deciding which MK resort to choose, the WL will win just about every time. The WL/MK bus beats the MR. It's a five minute ride and due to an operational necessity, don't ask, it's complicated, they run more frequently than any other resort to park bus on property.


Win every time, arguable. It's not faster than hopping on the monorail at the GF to MK. It's probably not faster than hopping on the monorail to the MK from the Poly. It all depends on wait times. Is the bus right there? Yeah, five minute ride. Is the monorail delayed or one just pulled out? Yeah, maybe WL beats it that time. How about the walk from the Contemporary? And what about the boat launches from the GF-Poly-Contemporary-WL? You could argue that it's usually faster by your experience, but you can't say "wins every time" with any certainty. Plus, the bus just is not the most pleasant way to travel. With little ones, the convenience of just rolling the stroller on to the monorail beats bus travel any time for me, even if it's faster by bus.

[A Big Kid]

It is TOTALY worth it to me. Totaly. And here is why:

#1) I find the Deluxes quieter, dare a say saner, than the values.
#2) I'd rather have a meal at a sit down restaurant on vacation than do the "Food Court Full Court Press."
#3) Location at any Deluxe is closer to at least one park.


My wife and I did the POP once to "save some money" and we were very sorry we did.

[buddie]

Win every time, arguable.
Ok, I'll give you maybe not every time.


It's probably not faster than hopping on the monorail to the MK from the Poly.
Once on the monorail or the bus, it absolutely is faster.


It all depends on wait times. Is the bus right there? Yeah, five minute ride. Is the monorail delayed or one just pulled out? Yeah, maybe WL beats it that time.
Is the monorail right there?
As I said, and this only applies to the WL/MK run, buses are dispatched more often than at other resorts.


You could argue that it's usually faster by your experience
Ok, good point. You say the monorail is better by your experiences. How many times have you taken the monorail from MK to resort and how many times have I been on the bus from MK to the WL?

The point is that people shouldn't discount the WL just because it's not a monorail resort.

[HeadFairyInCharge]

Grant it this is a personal opinion and everyone views Disney differently. We love the monorail and boat transportation. Buses are a pain when dealing with a stroller and you will need a stroller. The food choices are much better at Deluxe all around, and atmosphere is top notch. When I travel to Disney or anywhere I need to try and make it feel vacation like... even if Disney is more of an active event than relaxation time away like a beach vacation would be. My two cents ..your Daughter is young and all though she may love all there is to see...the experiences are slightly limited for her size, you may want to wait a year. Always go during a discount or special offer. We have done free dining and stayed at Grand Flo it was awesome. We are going back next week on a pin code discount and can't believe we are doing GF again.:cloud9: It is that nice -that I didn't want to change. Poly has great theme, as well as CR but the whole Victorian feel just fits us perfectly. I have 2 DD ages 8 and 5 this is our third trip since 2008. Our first trip youngest was just over 2 the other one was 5 and it was great but more for the 5 year old. DD 2 was actually scared of Cinderella ! Look into the slower times of year for lower prices, the weather is always great, just have to know how you will spend your trip and plan...plan..plan. Good Luck :wave:

[SBETigg]

The point is that people shouldn't discount the WL just because it's not a monorail resort.

Your end point is a good one. For the savings, the WL is a good choice for many people. And some people prefer the theme and the resort layout.

[BrerGnat]

In my opinion, based on experience, the Wilderness Lodge and Contemporary Resort are the only two MK resorts that are "worth it" (when compared to a moderte or value, speaking of the upgrade to an MK resort).

I find the Poly very off putting, thematically, and it's missing a lot of "perks" that every other Deluxe has. The layout with the various buildings is not my idea of convenient (ditto on GF).

I find the GF not that convenient, unless you are going from there to the MK. That is the only convenient route while staying at that resort. Buses to other parks share with other resorts, and the trip to Epcot from GF is convoluted and long via monorail.

When speaking directly to the convenience of traversing the resort-MK-resort trip, Contemporary wins hands down. The ability to walk cannot be undervalued.

[eire]

Worth Every Penny!!!!!!

[javamama]

Yes, it's completely worth it IMO. I've stayed at 2 mods b4, they were fine. We haven't stayed at Moderates since the mid 90's. I prefer the DLX rooms, ammenities are better, and resorts are bit better IMO(pools, and resort dining). I'll go 1 further, I prefer to stay at MK Resorts only on the monorail line. It's pricey, but well worth it to our family. We stayed at an Epcot area DLX, and wouldn't do that again....resort was beautiful, but having a bus break down ruined it forever for our family!

[RBrooksC]

The CR was worth the money for us. We were within walking distance to the MK. My children are 5 and 2 and so it made getting to parks like Epcot and MK VERY easy. We did have a car so that helped. What I liked is we could see the fireworks from our room and the MK view was great. My son, who loves trains, loved that he could see the monorail from our balcony.

On the Sunday night we were there, after dinner at the CG with some friends, I took my five year old to the MK for EMH and the ability to just pick up and walk there was fantastic.

[Mogie]

I prefer the Deluxe hotels as well. But i dont think the monorail deluxe hotels they are worth the price. The buses seem to be way more convenient than monorail system. Plus if Im going to pay for a deluxe, I would want the convenience of being near the boardwalk.

[Mousemates]

I prefer the Deluxe hotels as well. But i dont think the monorail deluxe hotels they are worth the price. The buses seem to be way more convenient than monorail system. Plus if Im going to pay for a deluxe, I would want the convenience of being near the boardwalk.

no disagreement here...i think the BC/YC have the best locations in WDW

[buzznwoodysmom]

We stayed at an Epcot area DLX, and wouldn't do that again....resort was beautiful, but having a bus break down ruined it forever for our family!

I have a question, just because I'm cruious. Do you not use a bus at all when staying at a monorail resort? If you go to DHS or AK don't you get there by bus? You could end up having a bus break down when staying at a monorail resort too, right? Not trying to be argumentive, just curious.

[SBETigg]

I have a question, just because I'm cruious. Do you not use a bus at all when staying at a monorail resort? If you go to DHS or AK don't you get there by bus? You could end up having a bus break down when staying at a monorail resort too, right? Not trying to be argumentive, just curious.

Yes, it's buses to anywhere but MK and Epcot. We spend most of our time at those two parks and resorts, but there are times when you need buses from monorail deluxes, too.

[buzznwoodysmom]

Yes, it's buses to anywhere but MK and Epcot. We spend most of our time at those two parks and resorts, but there are times when you need buses from monorail deluxes, too.

Yeah, I know that to get to those parks you need buses, but I'm wondering why the poster I quoted feels that a broken down bus ruined her opinion of the Epcot deluxe resorts. They stated that while staying at an Epcot deluxe resort they experienced a bus break down that ruined it for them. Yet even at a monorail resort you have the same chance of getting on a bus that might break down as you do when staying in an Epcot resort, unless you don't visit all the parks. Both resort areas leave you with basically the same options. Two parks in which you must take a bus, two parks with alternative transportation. I was just cruious as to why a MK resort would be better, or eliminate the possibility the poster experienced at an Epcot resort.

[joonyer]

Well, a monorail breakdown would be just as bad, probably worse, as far as having to wait to get off and get alternate transportation. You could be stuck for hours. You can't really judge any resort by rare occurrences, like a bus breakdown or hurricane, or other calamity. Sure it might "ruin" your particular vacation, but it wouldn't be the result of the resort you chose.

As far as the original question, I'd say the Deluxe resorts are worth the extra money, IF you have the extra money. For us, the money we save by staying in a value resort is the difference between going to WDW, or staying home. We'd rather go to stay in a a value and be able to go to WDW every other year, than only go to WDW once every 5 years and stay in a deluxe.

The resorts are like icing on a cake for us. We enjoy them, but it's the parks that bring us to WDW. We spend very little time at our resort except sleeping and showering. We have to get to the parks!

[Darbylew]

It is not worth the extra money for us as we are up and out of the room in the parks all day. We have stayed at a deluxe but like the moderates
better. It depends on what is best for you and your family. We always stay at a moderate. I
know whatever you choose it will be very
magical for your little one. Have a great time.
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT AND GOING BACK IN
DECEMBER!! :D