Single Mom...did I make the right choice?

[ann marie27]

Taking my 12 yr old b/g twins as a suprise for their 13th b-day! Booked ASSports with free dining. I chose a value...well for the value. On our previous trips we have never spent much time at the resort. That said we have never experienced the high temps I am sure we will have this time; so I am concerned that the pool and room will have more of an impact. So could I get some opinions...
Push my budget and go to a moderate with a more exciting pool, better room and the upgrade dining?
Stay were I am and travel to the water parks everyday the temps get too high to enjoy the parks?
If I stay with the value is it ridiculous to attempt a major park in the morn then a water park then back to change and eve back to finish the major park?

 

[Allieran3]

If its with in your budget Iwould upgrade to a mod I would look into POFQ its a beautiful resort and you can pool hopper to POR. Either way I hope you have a trip

 

[*Fantasia*]

Just my opinion.. It might be a bit too much to do park/waterpark/park on one day just because of too much commuting. I would probably do park in the morning and then waterpark in the afternoon. But if you guys can do it, I would say go for it.

Is it between a better resort pool or waterparks everyday? Hmmm... tough decision.. Either way I guess you can't go wrong. I'm sorry, I'm no help.

Moderate resort has queen beds (except CBR) and ceiling fans. POFQ and POR has a boat ride to DTD. You can use amenities at both resorts since they are sister resorts.

 

[believinthemagic]

I have a DS almost 13, and I think the part of upgrading he would benefit the most from is the TS being included in the upgraded DDP. He really enjoys the variety of TS restaurants, versus all counter service. It's more than just about the food but the overall atmosphere of a lot of the restaurants. Plus we find if its hot and we need a break a TS meal is a great way to cool off & relax.

The pool IMHO wouldn't make a big difference for my almost 13 yr old. At the moderates we've stayed at the slides are small & are more fun for my 5 & 9 yr olds. My older son would enjoy swimming at value or moderate about the same.

Oh, and like the PP mentioned, POFQ is wonderful

 

[goofyintoronto]

Taking my 12 yr old b/g twins as a suprise for their 13th b-day! Booked ASSports with free dining. I chose a value...well for the value. On our previous trips we have never spent much time at the resort. That said we have never experienced the high temps I am sure we will have this time; so I am concerned that the pool and room will have more of an impact. So could I get some opinions...
Push my budget and go to a moderate with a more exciting pool, better room and the upgrade dining?
Stay were I am and travel to the water parks everyday the temps get too high to enjoy the parks?
If I stay with the value is it ridiculous to attempt a major park in the morn then a water park then back to change and eve back to finish the major park?

Im sorry but park/waterpark/park is totally doable. we do it all the time!

As for the resort, Sports is a lot of fun. Loved it there. If its within your budget then sure why not upgrade. id suggest POR instead of POFQ. your (almost) 13 yo kids would appreciate the longer waterslide and more options at the food court. Not to mention the bike rentals. However, as a single mom trust me i get it re: the budget. Sports is fun and no matter where you stay your kids will have a great time. My DS12 & i dont always stay at a moderate. When its in my budget i will upgrade but my son still loves the look and fun vibe of the values. Thankfully!

Good luck deciding.


Posted from DISboards.com App for Android

 

[goofyintoronto]

You can stay at the values and still upgrade to the reg DP (1 TS per say). We do it all the time.

Also re: the waterslides at moderat resorts, theyre a lot of fun and actually quite long (POFQ is the only short slide). Just sayin'.


Posted from DISboards.com App for Android

 

[bitohoney]

You'll be fine at a value. Don't know when you're going or what the fact that you're a single parent has to do with anything , but I love the values. And I have stayed at the GF & AKL. I love all Disney reosrts. I agree with at PP, POFQ is amazing! But if you're pusing your budget, stay with Sports. (Or Movies I loved Movies and it's newly rennovated).

 

[Missytara]

I think you made the perfect choice! Stay at the values; the kids are at an age where it will not matter to them where they stay. Spend the money on the WP&M ticket option and the PH option. Buying them both together has a savings. Gives you a lot more freedom to do whatever you want to do.

In a couple of years, when they are in their teenage years and want a bit more freedom, the mods are perfect for letting them branch out a bit.

Have a wonderful trip!

 

[dancin Disney style]

Strictly it terms of budget, I think the best way to go would be to stay at the value resort, add the WP option to your tickets and then upgrade from QSDP to DDP. I would only upgrade the dining if the kids will really enjoy the TS meals. We did QSDP last year for the first time and with a little effort and planning you can very easily have fantastic meals. Only once in a 12 day visit did we eat burgers and fries....and that was because we actually felt like eating burgers. We had pasta, salmon, shrimp, ribs and much more.

I've stayed at both mod and value resorts. The differences are minimal and most of the time I'm not willing to pay the extra just for a slightly nicer decor in the room. Just yesterday I looked at the resort pricing chart and I'm a little shocked that the difference between value and mod is now in the $65/night range. Not worth it IMO. That's a lot of money that is better spent on other things.

 

[chigirl]

I think most 13 year old kids would not want to stop having fun to go to a sit-down meal...why pay to upgrade to that dining? In addition to the cost of upgrading, there is the cost of tipping (I tip 20%, some do 15%, but either way, it is an added cost). Plus, you are barely in the room. I'd upgrade to WP&M option, that way the kids get to go to the cool waterparks...then it doesn't matter how the pools are at the resort.

I personally like the QSDP...it is too much of a hassle to me to be at a place at a certain time, plus those type of heavy meals in the heat of Disney. We did it our first 2 trips and everyone was done with it. This will be our second QSDP trip. You can get so much more than burgers if you do some creative searching.

 

[goofyintoronto]

Strictly it terms of budget, I think the best way to go would be to stay at the value resort, add the WP option to your tickets and then upgrade from QSDP to DDP. I would only upgrade the dining if the kids will really enjoy the TS meals. We did QSDP last year for the first time and with a little effort and planning you can very easily have fantastic meals. Only once in a 12 day visit did we eat burgers and fries....and that was because we actually felt like eating burgers. We had pasta, salmon, shrimp, ribs and much more.

I've stayed at both mod and value resorts. The differences are minimal and most of the time I'm not willing to pay the extra just for a slightly nicer decor in the room. Just yesterday I looked at the resort pricing chart and I'm a little shocked that the difference between value and mod is now in the $65/night range. Not worth it IMO. That's a lot of money that is better spent on other things.

I actually agree with you. This time we're doing a mod, but usually we're at a value because the price is right for what we need. The values are fun. Bright colorful vibe. We love it. We're at the parks most of the time, so we really only need a place to swim, shower, and sleep.

 

[Tropical Wilds]

If it were me, I'd upgrade to a mod. The better accommodations, buses, and dining plan seem like they'd be a better value for my money.

I know I'm going to be in the minority when I say this, but I stayed at ASMu and I *hated* it, as well as the other All-Stars. They looked run down, the food court was a messy disaster all the time (especially the drink station), the pool was quite foul smelling (especially the kid section), and the bus rides to everything but AK were long. Speaking of the bus, we had to share with the other values, so at the beginning or end of the night, the line was far, far, far longer then any other resort and we waited, at times 45 minutes just for the bus. And I found the guests as a whole to be the rudest, most inconsiderate, and most poorly behaved. It will live in my memory forever the woman who was in the face of a lifeguard and screaming, I mean SCREAMING, at the top of her lungs because the lifeguard had the nerve to yell at and eject from the area her son... Who had dropped his pants and peed against a tree by the pool. The constant battles over the refillable mugs was another one I saw constantly. People were just rude and the staff just seemed generally beat down. In fact, there was an issue when we checked in where they gave us a dirty room and, after returning 5 hours later to find the room still dirty, we were told that they just couldn't clean it right now and gave us a different room.

I'm not a hotel snob by any leap, and when I booked I wasn't expecting a Hilton. I figured that, since we spend very little time at the hotel, it wouldn't be a big deal. By the end of day one, I was ready to rebook elsewhere. Now when I hear people say "it doesn't matter, we aren't at the rooms that much" I can say that it matters more then you'd think. We weren't at the rooms very much either, but the whole experience at All-Stars took us right out of our feeling Disney magic.

That said, we stayed at Pop and *loved* it. I loved Pop, and while that's slightly more expensive then the other values, the location is better, the food court is better, the property as a whole is better... It's just a better hotel. Our time there was fabulous and we looked forward to going back to the hotel at the end of the day. And the food court is awesome.

If you want a better stay without the expense of a full upgrade to a mod, Pop may be perfect for you.

 

[auntlala3]

To help with the budget (and also depending on when you go) have you looked into the Disney YES program to get your park tickets. Though that program we got 6 day 1 day 1 park for 175. They have all different levels and days of tickets. Check it out.

 

[goofyintoronto]

If it were me, I'd upgrade to a mod. The better accommodations, buses, and dining plan seem like they'd be a better value for my money.

I know I'm going to be in the minority when I say this, but I stayed at ASMu and I *hated* it, as well as the other All-Stars. They looked run down, the food court was a messy disaster all the time (especially the drink station), the pool was quite foul smelling (especially the kid section), and the bus rides to everything but AK were long. Speaking of the bus, we had to share with the other values, so at the beginning or end of the night, the line was far, far, far longer then any other resort and we waited, at times 45 minutes just for the bus. And I found the guests as a whole to be the rudest, most inconsiderate, and most poorly behaved. It will live in my memory forever the woman who was in the face of a lifeguard and screaming, I mean SCREAMING, at the top of her lungs because the lifeguard had the nerve to yell at and eject from the area her son... Who had dropped his pants and peed against a tree by the pool. The constant battles over the refillable mugs was another one I saw constantly. People were just rude and the staff just seemed generally beat down. In fact, there was an issue when we checked in where they gave us a dirty room and, after returning 5 hours later to find the room still dirty, we were told that they just couldn't clean it right now and gave us a different room.

I'm not a hotel snob by any leap, and when I booked I wasn't expecting a Hilton. I figured that, since we spend very little time at the hotel, it wouldn't be a big deal. By the end of day one, I was ready to rebook elsewhere. Now when I hear people say "it doesn't matter, we aren't at the rooms that much" I can say that it matters more then you'd think. We weren't at the rooms very much either, but the whole experience at All-Stars took us right out of our feeling Disney magic.

That said, we stayed at Pop and *loved* it. I loved Pop, and while that's slightly more expensive then the other values, the location is better, the food court is better, the property as a whole is better... It's just a better hotel. Our time there was fabulous and we looked forward to going back to the hotel at the end of the day. And the food court is awesome.

If you want a better stay without the expense of a full upgrade to a mod, Pop may be perfect for you.

I agree about Pop....we LOVE Pop! Its our fave value!

 

[auntlala3]

I also have b/g twins but they just turned 1 on August 1st. It is so nice to see you survived to the teen years lol

 

[HANDYMOM]

You can stay at the values and still upgrade to the reg DP (1 TS per say). We do it all the time.

Also re: the waterslides at moderat resorts, theyre a lot of fun and actually quite long (POFQ is the only short slide). Just sayin'.


Posted from DISboards.com App for Android

While you absolutely can stay at a value and upgrade to the regular dining plan, the cost comes out to the just about the same as a mod with free regular dining plan. Why not just stay at a moderate with fewer people and a feature slide?

As far as a park and water park same day. We did it years ago when we used to go for a full week with hoppers, but not since we go for 5 nights/4 days without hoppers. Too rushed!

 

[CSchex]

We have been to Disney many times and have most recently stayed at the Pop Century (our favorite value - super bus service!) and the Port Orleans Riverside (very relaxing atmosphere). We love both resorts, but in my opinion, if you can afford to upgrade, I would. As you know, staying at the value resorts, you get the Quick Service dining plan for free this fall. Although there are some other options, most of the counter service meals are "fast food" type meals. Pizza, burgers and the like. You may get tired of this type of food. Staying at the moderates will give you the "regular" plan, with one counter service meal and one table service meal. We really love the table service restaurants that Disney has. The last trip we took, we had free dining, like you have now. You can also pay to upgrade your dining, but with 3 people, that upgrade is going to cost you $60 a night, money better spent on upgrading your room. My kids LOVED the pool and the slide at Port Orleans Riverside. They are 10 & 13. There are also quiet pools at the moderates that are open 24 hours a day. If you do decide to upgrade to a moderate and therefore get the upgraded dining plan, make your dining reservations ASAP. Many of the good restaurants book up months in advance. We love the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom, Ohana, The Coral Reef & Le Cellier at Epcot. There are many more good choices and you can view the menus online and pick which one is best for you and your family, if you decide to go that route. But, whatever you choose, you are going to have a great time!

 

[Missytara]

I also have b/g twins but they just turned 1 on August 1st. It is so nice to see you survived to the teen years lol

That is too sweet!

 

[KELLY]

WE just plan lots of WP days. This year we are doing 3. But we go for 11 days and can be very flexable with our schedule since we are on the QSDP. We have one adr and would like to eat at rainforest one day also. We also prefer the QSDP.

I honestly think you will be fine with a value especially if you have the WP&F feature. But only you know your touring style.

 

[Zim]

To help with the budget (and also depending on when you go) have you looked into the Disney YES program to get your park tickets. Though that program we got 6 day 1 day 1 park for 175. They have all different levels and days of tickets. Check it out.

I second this one, which is exactly what we're doing. I still got the free dining but with minimal tickets (2 base 2-day passes). We'll use them on another trip, and use the YES PH with Water tickets while we're there.

If I were you I might try to upgrade to POP or AoA (some free dining is available at the later, just not much and not in December). But I can't think of a single hotel pool that could hold a candle to one of their water parks.