Value Doubles vs. Moderate Queens

[Upatnoon]

Hi everyone,

My family of three (2 adults, one 5 yr old) will be traveling to WDW for 11 nights next October.

I am stuck trying to decide between a Value Resort (probably Pop) or a Moderate resort (POR or CSR). Weighing everything up (even the prospect of free dining), the two deciding factors I keep getting stuck on are price vs. sleep quality.

My family and I have decided that we can live without fancy decor and fancy pools etc if it means more money in our pockets for experiences and souvenirs. However, one thing that we aren't prepared to sacrifice on is a good night's sleep. The last thing we want to do is feel grumpy all day because we haven't slept properly or have sore backs from sleeping funny.

My husband and I are taller and wider than average and are used to the space of a king bed. My son, moves a lot in his sleep, and has a tendency to kick any bed sharers in the ribs and back. If all resorts had queen beds we would pick POP. But given that it only has double beds, I'm worried that none of us will have a restful sleep.

Does anyone have an opinion either way of what I should do? Are the double beds as bad as I am imagining them to be? (My husband and I haven't shared a bed that small in years). Also, are the quality of the moderates mattresses any better. We hate really soft beds.

Lastly, if we decide to upgrade to moderate, the next decision will be between POR or CSR. If you don't have an opinion on bed sizes, but are keen to share your opinion of these two resorts, I'd love to hear it.

Thanks everyone

In you case, the only way I would sleep value is to bring an air mattress for your 5-year-old.

 

[osu2k1]

We chose POR with a royal guest room because of the queens. We are used to a king and with 2 boys along with us we NEEDED the biggest bed possible! Now the POR has all queens, so we didn't have to get the RGR. But I look forward to it. Plus the grounds look amazing.

 

[believinthemagic]

I'll throw in another vote for a moderate. It's been a few years since we've stayed in a value, but the beds were VERY firm IMO, and gave me a back ache. We are also used to a king size bed at home, so the queens in the moderates are fine, but wouldn't want any smaller.

We love both POFQ and the alligator bayou section of PORS. Have stayed at both & LOVE them .

 

[cannmom]

We have a king bed at home and I can't imagine trying to sleep in a double. I think queen beds is a big reason to choose a moderate over a value resort.

We have stayes at POFQ and Riverside. Loved both. FQ is smaller so it's good if you have smaller children. We have never stayed at CSR so I can't comment on it.

 

[DisneyDad1257]

My DW and I travel a lot doing dog shows around the Midwest. We have a king bed At home and have stayed in a wide array of different hotel accommodations. If you have a king bed at home you are never going to like anything else. We have actually stayed in hotels In a double bed and it drives me crazy. In fact I am writing this reply right now from a hotel in Iowa in a double bed. IT IS TERRIBLE

On your other question we both liked CSR when we stayed there last November. The resort is very large but I found that I liked that a lot. We are not people who like to hang out at the main part of the hotel with all the gift shops and food so we found it very nice that we were on the other side of the resort with a bus stop 100 feet from out door. We have both said we would stay there again no problem

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Wow, thanks for all your wonderful help. It seems like most of you agree that double beds will feel cramped and for that reason I'm feeling quite swayed towards a moderate. Now to decide which one...

 

[lisam427]

Interesting you say this. I looked at the position of the preferred rooms and didn't think they looked that preferred either. There are other locations in that resort I would much rather stay.

The reason I thought CSR looked quite nice is due to the following
- the clean, modern decor of the rooms
- the fact that the food court seems to sell a range of spicy foods which we love
- it's location between the four main parks and near Blizzard Beach.
- the fact that the Spanish/Mexican theming is quite different to anything we'd find at home.
- and the fact that I read somewhere that the toiletries and linen are a bit nicer than other moderates due to the business crowd that the resort attracts. (Would love to know if this is true)

The reason I like the look of POR is the lush greenery of the grounds and the boat to DTD. The alligator rooms look great, but I don't like the look of the Princess rooms (I'd find the decor too busy and my husband and son would find it all to feminine).

For some reason I'd eliminated POFQ, but now that two people have mentioned it I'll have to go back and re-look.

the one positive about alligator bayou if you stayed at por is the trundle bed, you and your husband could each take a queen and your little one could take the trundle. i also love csr. both csr and por are my top two favorite mods, i think you would be happy at both,

 

[sunsetbeachgal]

We stayed at CSR earlier this year and the beds were ultra comfy...big, nice mattresses and the bedding was great quality. A vote for CSR!!

 

[softballmom3]

Hi! I have stayed at Pop and POR. We loved the theming of Pop but honestly the beds are very uncomfortable and super hard. POR we stayed in AB and loved the room. Queen beds were very nice and not too soft. They were more on the firm side but I thought pretty comfortable.

I believe sometimes its more difficult to get AB at times due to most rooms sleeping 5 so the families of that size are put there first. There is a great website run by a diser www.portorleans.org with awesome info on this resort. Check it out if you haven't done so . Btw. POR has a great counter service area!!!

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Thanks so much to all of you for the info on the mattresses. Comfortable, but on the firm side sounds perfect. We'd hate rock hard beds, but even worse would be ultra soft ones that sag in the middle.

We are definitely interested in the murphy bed rooms at POR for the reason that we could all have a bed each. However, it's interesting to hear that we might not be eligible because there's only 3 of us. I'm not as keen on the decor of the standard mansion rooms and the princess rooms are bit OTT for us - not to mention more expensive.

To be honest, I think the CSR resort is what appeals to us the most. The problem now, however, is that I have just checked the prices and it is also the most expensive. It seems that they have no standard rooms left during our stay and we will need to pay more for a water view. I really couldn't care less what view is out my window. I'd rather be close to a bus stop, even if it means staring out at parking lot.

CSR is coming out at $400 more than a standard room at POFQ and POR is priced somewhere in-between (although closer to CSR if we try for a murphy bed room). It seems I need to go back and do some more research into the FQ as that $400 could really be useful elsewhere in our trip.

A few more questions if you don't mind:

1. Do any of the Bayou rooms at POR not have the extra murphy bed?
2. If free dining is offered again this year (fingers crossed), are any moderates resorts more likely than others to be excluded from the deal? In the past when I've looked, I've noticed that POFQ is sometimes excluded from specials and was wondering if that might include the dining.
3. Lastly, if I book a room now as 'room only', how easy is it to change it later on to a package?

Thanks everyone! You help so far has been much appreciated.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

My husband and I absolutely cannot share a double bed. So I would pick either POR or CSR.

I've stayed at POR 4 times. I love that resort. The grounds, the food court, the bar area, the room were all very nice.

I liked most everything about CSR the one time I stayed there except for the bar area (too many conventioneers getting really toasted when I was there) and the food court at CSR. I didn't like that at all. So I most likely won't stay there again.

Both are big resorts with multiple bus stops.

 

[princessmomma92]

Thanks for your advice. The size of the bed aside, I wonder if others have also found the value beds less comfortable? It could be the case that the values use a lesser quality mattress and if this is the case then that will be the final deciding factor that sways me towards a moderate.

I've only stayed at value. Pop specifically. 3 times in the last 14 months. I didn't find the beds uncomfortable at all. Better than my Serta at home. )

That being said, I'm going back with a group of family next year. We're splurging on a moderate because of bed sharing and bed size. We are leaning towards CS too. Interested in knowing more about POFQ since a couple have already mentioned.

 

[I Love Pluto]

POR would give you a queen bed for Hubby, one for you, and a Murphy bed for your son. Everyone would have their own sleeping space.

Plus - POR is a great resort! Cleanliness & staff attitudes are the best. We feel like royalty there. We like the Alligator Bayou rooms best, but many differ on this. The Mansion rooms are in beautiful buildings, & have really nice decor!

The food court is above all others. The choices & the food itself are outstanding. It is a great place. We often adjust our schedule around eating at POR's food court.

Good luck in your choosing. It is hard to pick!

 

[twinboysmom]

Hi again OP. When we stayed at CSR this past June we were upgraded to a preferred water view room. No way would I pay extra for the water view and I likely wouldn't pay for preferred at CSR either. The water view was pretty but to see it you have to have your curtains open in your room and sit by the window. Nobody really does that, at least not us. We usually had our curtains closed for privacy because people are walking in front of your room all day. I like water views when I have a balcony but not like what a water view at a moderate offers.

As for preferred, the rooms that are preferred are closet to the food options but farther from the main pool. It's a little unusual at this resort. It's not that far of a walk though.

I do know that the only rooms with the Murphy bed at POR are in alligator bayou and preference is given to groups of 5. I can't answer much about the free dining as we do not do dining plans at all but it is easy to convert room only to a package. As for free dining, I recommend comparing room discounts to free dining and seeing which is a better deal for your family.

 

[letsgoreds]

Interesting you say this. I looked at the position of the preferred rooms and didn't think they looked that preferred either. There are other locations in that resort I would much rather stay.

The reason I thought CSR looked quite nice is due to the following
- the clean, modern decor of the rooms
- the fact that the food court seems to sell a range of spicy foods which we love
- it's location between the four main parks and near Blizzard Beach.
- the fact that the Spanish/Mexican theming is quite different to anything we'd find at home.
- and the fact that I read somewhere that the toiletries and linen are a bit nicer than other moderates due to the business crowd that the resort attracts. (Would love to know if this is true)

The reason I like the look of POR is the lush greenery of the grounds and the boat to DTD. The alligator rooms look great, but I don't like the look of the Princess rooms (I'd find the decor too busy and my husband and son would find it all to feminine).

For some reason I'd eliminated POFQ, but now that two people have mentioned it I'll have to go back and re-look.

I have stayed at CSR (never purchased a preferred room) and agree with all of your insights (nicer, more modern, moderate). It is very spread out, but that was never a problem for us.

 

[chemnerd09]

A few more questions if you don't mind:

1. Do any of the Bayou rooms at POR not have the extra murphy bed?
2. If free dining is offered again this year (fingers crossed), are any moderates resorts more likely than others to be excluded from the deal? In the past when I've looked, I've noticed that POFQ is sometimes excluded from specials and was wondering if that might include the dining.
3. Lastly, if I book a room now as 'room only', how easy is it to change it later on to a package?

Thanks everyone! You help so far has been much appreciated.

I haven't done this personally, but I have heard that adding a package on later can be difficult. There was a thread earlier from someone asking about the same thing, and most of the responses said to book the package first instead of later. I wish I could remember the name of that thread.

 

[Collette]

We love POR!! Rooms, grounds, food court, everything. We were there in October. At first I thought the beds might be too firm, but they were just right. Since you like the Alligator Bayou rooms, it would be perfect to each have a queen and your son on the murphy bed.

I know that cost is a factor already, but there is a category that I believe can only be booked in Alligator Bayou - preferred. I think it is $25 per night extra. I thought all AB rooms have the murphy beds.

 

[tjmw2727]

I haven't read any further so forgive me if this is repetative but I thought I would stop and repond.

CSR
- the rooms are very nice but not any better/nicer than the other modertaes IMHO
-I found the houskeeping worse then the others - including moderate and deluxe.
- I did like the food court but didn't like having a "waitor" and then still having to order and get my own food. Also found the stations were somewhat unorginized and often they had no idea who was waiting and who had just walked up ot order.
- The bus ride was similar to others - further to some parks closer to others.
- I did love the themeing and the grounds - very pretty and some nice touches. My kids do prefer the pool area to the POFQ but not POR.
- Did not notice any difference in the toiletries ?

POFQ
- I like the fact that it is small and all rooms are close to everything and the boat to DTD and you can use the amenities at POR as well.

Interesting you say this. I looked at the position of the preferred rooms and didn't think they looked that preferred either. There are other locations in that resort I would much rather stay.

The reason I thought CSR looked quite nice is due to the following
- the clean, modern decor of the rooms
- the fact that the food court seems to sell a range of spicy foods which we love
- it's location between the four main parks and near Blizzard Beach.
- the fact that the Spanish/Mexican theming is quite different to anything we'd find at home.
- and the fact that I read somewhere that the toiletries and linen are a bit nicer than other moderates due to the business crowd that the resort attracts. (Would love to know if this is true)

The reason I like the look of POR is the lush greenery of the grounds and the boat to DTD. The alligator rooms look great, but I don't like the look of the Princess rooms (I'd find the decor too busy and my husband and son would find it all to feminine).

For some reason I'd eliminated POFQ, but now that two people have mentioned it I'll have to go back and re-look.

 

[tjmw2727]

Not familiar with the POR and murphy beds but I wanted to give my opinion on booking a package vs room only.

Peronally I always book room only because you can change or cancel without penalty until 7 days prior and there is no pre-payment requirement. You are not required to purchase tickets so you can shop for those separately (I like undercover tourist). Make sure you book a resort you will be happy with at a price your are comfortable with to start. You probably won't be able to "change it" to a discounted room or a package but you can cancel and re-book.

Then- if a room only discount comes up you can re-book, it may mean changing resorts depending on availablility but you can cancel your room only and re-book at a discount.

If a free dining or other good package discount comes up you can also cancel your oom only and re-book that package. Again it may mean a different choice in resorts but it may be worth it. Once you book a package you will be required to purchase tickets, be held to a payment plan and a 45 day window for cancellations and changes.

To tell the truth a package rarely saves our family money so you have to do the math. The above plans gives me the most flexibility in planning !

Thanks so much to all of you for the info on the mattresses. Comfortable, but on the firm side sounds perfect. We'd hate rock hard beds, but even worse would be ultra soft ones that sag in the middle.


snip

3. Lastly, if I book a room now as 'room only', how easy is it to change it later on to a package?

Thanks everyone! You help so far has been much appreciated.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Hi again OP. When we stayed at CSR this past June we were upgraded to a preferred water view room. No way would I pay extra for the water view and I likely wouldn't pay for preferred at CSR either. The water view was pretty but to see it you have to have your curtains open in your room and sit by the window. Nobody really does that, at least not us. We usually had our curtains closed for privacy because people are walking in front of your room all day. I like water views when I have a balcony but not like what a water view at a moderate offers.

That was my thoughts. Like you say, with no balcony, there just doesn't seem to be much value in the water view rooms.

Thanks for your advice.