Worth $426 extra to upgrade to a moderate?

[frannn]

We have always stayed at the All Stars, and are using the free dining promo again. We want to use the regular dining plan, so we'd have to pay to upgrade from the free counter service at the All Stars. If we go to a moderate, the regular plan is free, but we'd have to pay more for the room. I'm trying to convince DH to stay for 12 nights , since we'll be going in Aug instead of our usual Sept (more crowds & heat = more downtime). It would be 426 more to stay at POR or CB than AS Movies. Thing is, we're not pool people, so that is not a perk for us. Neither is the TS at the resort, since we already have enough "must do" TS to cover all our credits. Would you still choose the moderate for the extra money?

 

[Firefly09]

Add up all your "must do" TS meals and see if it comes out equal or more than the upgrade. That's how I would decide. Personally, I love POR. Love to walk around after dinner and enjoy the peace and quiet. We also enjoy the boat ride to DTD.

 

[Jenny3]

Add up all your "must do" TS meals and see if it comes out equal or more than the upgrade. That's how I would decide.

I agree with this!

I think you will really enjoy the moderate; the atmosphere seems to be totally different from the All Star resorts from what I've seen online. May be a nice change of pace!

 

[trinchick]

Last year we did free dining. We had originally booked in a moderate, but then after we crunched the numbers, we ended up downgrading our resort to POP, but then UPgrading the dining to the DELUXE DP (last year that was 3 TS and 2 snacks per day).

We had a phenomenal trip with tons of character meals. It was also great to be able to have a leisurely lunch in an air conditioned TS every day which served as a break from the heat and crowds. This may be better than a pool break, which you said you really aren't into.

The only thing we would have done differently is to rent a (cheap!) car so we could more conveniently visit other resorts. It was hard to take advantage of TS breakfast when relying on Disney transportation.

 

[frannn]

My numbers already include the upgrade cost to the regular DP at AS Movies, and we chose a TS dinner for each night of the trip. I would love to upgrade to DXDP (as we have done the past few trips), but with DD10 now being charged at the adult price, the cost outweighs the benefits. I don't think we'd ever do the CS dining plan, so I'm not even considering that option. The 426 difference is to stay at POR instead of AS Movies, with everything else being equal- we'd have the reg DP plan at either. The way I figure it, staying at POR would cost about 35.48 more per night, but I'm not quite sure if it's worth it, since we wouldn't take advantage of the pool or the TS location in the resort.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

I would do it. We are not big pool people either because we have one at home and the kids had rather spend their time in the parks. The thing for me is the resort its self. I love riverside because of the theme, the boat to DTD and the location. The value resorts afe fine too but if i had my way i would stay at a mod. If I broke it down to just $36 or so dollars a night then there is no question where we would be staying. It's worth every penny to me, but either way you will have a great vacation!!

 

[ceecee]

For 12 nights, I don't think that is bad. Upgrade...beware that once you do, you will not want to go back to values! I LOVE the queen beds at CSR, we stayed at POR in June and paid extra for a room that gave us the queen as they were not all renovated yet, it was a little "rustic" for our taste. We also have tried CB and still love CSR.

 

[littlezar]

Doesn't POR have queen beds vs. double beds at All-stars? I'm thinking that would definitely be a selling point with my husband!

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

That much over 12 days is definitely a must do, even if you don't use the pool or the TS restaurant at the resort, especially when you compare POR to the AS's. You will have 2 queen beds and a larger room and better bus service and the boat to DTD, all worth the upgrade.

 

[a1tinkfans]

Id do the upgrade. POR amenities, like the boat to dtd, the opportunity to perhaps have a cocktail in the evening and see Bob the piano show (free), horse ride, etc etcnever mind the resort itself is beautiful...walk the paths, visit the sister resort by boat or walk....it would be worth it to me. The atmosphere is different so be prepared....my guess...you'll come back to the mods
Wherever you chose have a very MAGICAL time!

 

[4HppyCamprs]

Do the upgrade if you can afford it

 

[olecow]

Doesn't POR have queen beds vs. double beds at All-stars? I'm thinking that would definitely be a selling point with my husband!

Yes, POR now has queen sized beds. Here's a quote from the fact sheet at Allears:

"Port Orleans Riverside has 2,048 rooms. As mentioned, the rooms are divided into two sections, Magnolia Bend and Alligator Bayou. Most rooms contain two queen beds. Some king beds are available, and some rooms have a pull down Murphy bed as well."

 

[BubMunkeyBles]

I'd personally probably put the money elsewhere in our trip like getting waterpark upgrades or something or going to Universal or Sea World maybe.

 

[mrsboz]

It wouldn't even be a question for me. I would run to POR. It is so much nicer all around. So much more relaxing and quieter. Just a whole different vacation. You can't even compare. But, like others said, once you stay here you won't be able to go back to the value resorts. Go for it. You'll be glad you did.

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

It wouldn't even be a question for me. I would run to POR. It is so much nicer all around. So much more relaxing and quieter. Just a whole different vacation. You can't even compare. But, like others said, once you stay here you won't be able to go back to the value resorts. Go for it. You'll be glad you did.

I agree with most of that, but going back to a Value is not that hard for some of us. We have stayed at all levels and have no problem going back and forth.

 

[gcarr1426]

Hi, we upgraded to cbr this past August with the free dining. For us, we spent such little time at the resort that it was totally not worth it. We will be heading to one of the all stars or pop next time

 

[Marionnette]

We have always stayed at the All Stars, and are using the free dining promo again. We want to use the regular dining plan, so we'd have to pay to upgrade from the free counter service at the All Stars. If we go to a moderate, the regular plan is free, but we'd have to pay more for the room. I'm trying to convince DH to stay for 12 nights , since we'll be going in Aug instead of our usual Sept (more crowds & heat = more downtime). It would be 426 more to stay at POR or CB than AS Movies. Thing is, we're not pool people, so that is not a perk for us. Neither is the TS at the resort, since we already have enough "must do" TS to cover all our credits. Would you still choose the moderate for the extra money?

TBH, it doesn't sound as if you would take advantage of the things that make a moderate resort more appealing than a value resort for most people. Unless you find the queen size beds to be worth the price difference? But if it were me, I would upgrade to the moderate because I like the theming around the pools, even if I don't go in. And I like having a TS restaurant on the resort property, in case I decide to stay put rather than head out to dinner in the evening. Plus, I enjoy having that little bit of extra space and the separator between the bathroom sinks and the bedroom area.

 

[gilby]

We upgraded in August to a moderate, well worth it. And we may never go back to a value hotel again.

 

[trinchick]

I agree with most of that, but going back to a Value is not that hard for some of us. We have stayed at all levels and have no problem going back and forth.

I agree with this. We have stayed at deluxe, moderate, and values interchangeably based on our goals for the trip, our available funds at the time, and any active promotions. We know what we're getting before we go and adjust expectations accordingly.

 

[dsneprincess]

We also "upgraded" to CBR. I will not do it again. We just don't spend time at the resort to make it useful & what we do like about the values, was just not at CBR. We HATED where the food court was located & how it was laid out. MUCH, MUCH more convenient at values