As the Ticker Turns...the neverending saga of the Resort Changers

[pas130]

OMG how did I not find this thread sooner!?!? HELP HELP HELP! I'm going insane with my indecisiveness. Two days ago I finally told myself, "no, we are staying put, quit toying around with the idea of making a switch." That lasted all of a few hours until I was back online researching what my options were... I feel like I'm losing my mind!

Long story short, we were originally booked at POR using a bounceback. I decided to make a switch to surprise DH (we are going to celebrate our first anniversary and have both acknowledged this will probably be our last trip before trying to start a family). I changed to Yacht Club CL GV--this will be our first time staying deluxe. I am SOOO excited, although a little nervous because I've heard rumors of construction and not knowing whether we could be displaced as a result thereof is terrifying, and I'm also not sure the room décor is really our cup of tea. For me the allure was being so close to Epcot, DHS, and the Boardwalk (DH specifically requested we make a trip over to the Boardwalk this trip to grab a bite to eat and explore), and SAB looks amazing (which is a bonus since our arrival day we planned to hang out at the resort pool).

Over the weekend I (stupidly) played the "if we won the lottery and money was no option and we could stay at any deluxe we wanted, where would you want to stay?" He just kept saying he thought he would rather stay at POR than any deluxe (ugh!! although, to be fair, he has only stayed on property once--at POR for our honeymoon). After showing him videos of some of the resorts, he said he really like the Poly because he likes the idea of staying at a themed hotel while in Disney because it feels a little more special than just staying at a nice hotel that is coincidentally on Disney property. I can see why he finds Poly appealing, and think he would like AKL as well. So now I'm making myself crazy toying with the idea of if I should switch to one of those... For approximately the same price (because currently there is no availability at either w/ our bb offer), I could switch to AKL Arusha view room OR Poly deluxe studio villa. PROS: those rooms are gorgeous and the décor seems to be much more our taste. CONS: we would lose the club level and, if at AKL, would lose the convenience factor in terms of transportation/location.

Thoughts? Should I stay or should I switch? Reassurance that I'm not entirely insane for flipping back and forth on this will also be greatly appreciated!

First of all welcome and not you are not crazy, and if you are crazy then you're in excellent company have you considered Akl CL which is comparable to the price of Arusha view. The YC refurb may not be too invasive and that depends on when you're going IMO. Location wise I'd do YC but the ambiance at AKL is awesome

 

[erinkristen04]

First of all welcome and not you are not crazy, and if you are crazy then you're in excellent company have you considered Akl CL which is comparable to the price of Arusha view. The YC refurb may not be too invasive and that depends on when you're going IMO. Location wise I'd do YC but the ambiance at AKL is awesome

Thank you!! Lol so glad I'm not alone and not the only one out there who can't make up my mind--this thread is VERY encouraging!

I thought about looking into CL at AKL (currently its not showing availability for my dates but let's be honest, I'll continue to stalk). However, I think ultimately we would get more use out of the CL lounge if we are at YC. We usually stay at the parks from open to close, and if we have to wait on a bus and have a long ride back to the resort at the end of the night, we may not get back in time to fully enjoy the lounge before it closes. With YC, on our DHS and Epcot days, we should be able to (hopefully) quickly get back to the resort in time to really take advantage of the evening offerings at the lounge. ...Look at me talking myself into staying with YC! Now if I can just get those annoying voices in my head telling me to change to hush up.

Anyone stayed at YC recently who might be able to give some insight on whether or not the rooms are starting to really show the effects of some wear and tear?

 

[pixarmom]

Thank you!! Lol so glad I'm not alone and not the only one out there who can't make up my mind--this thread is VERY encouraging!

I thought about looking into CL at AKL (currently its not showing availability for my dates but let's be honest, I'll continue to stalk). However, I think ultimately we would get more use out of the CL lounge if we are at YC. We usually stay at the parks from open to close, and if we have to wait on a bus and have a long ride back to the resort at the end of the night, we may not get back in time to fully enjoy the lounge before it closes. With YC, on our DHS and Epcot days, we should be able to (hopefully) quickly get back to the resort in time to really take advantage of the evening offerings at the lounge. ...Look at me talking myself into staying with YC! Now if I can just get those annoying voices in my head telling me to change to hush up.

Anyone stayed at YC recently who might be able to give some insight on whether or not the rooms are starting to really show the effects of some wear and tear?

Welcome! Our last YC stay was three years ago, and I didn't feel like there was much wear and tear on the rooms. But the renovated rooms are in so much better condition, so I'd choose BWI or BC over YC when staying in the Epcot area in the near future. Funny you mention the resort themes, because our boys feel the same way - they would rather stay at Poly, WL or AKL when at Disney! I love the rooms at BC and GF, but they feel like those are more similar to rooms we might book at non-Disney locations.

Given the choice between AKL and the Poly villa, and the fact that you spend lots of time in the parks, I'd go with Poly! Great theming, so convenient, fresh/new/more spacious rooms, etc. And then you would have easy access to all the resorts around the monorail for shopping, dining, etc.

 

[danceintherain]

OMG how did I not find this thread sooner!?!? HELP HELP HELP! I'm going insane with my indecisiveness. Two days ago I finally told myself, "no, we are staying put, quit toying around with the idea of making a switch." That lasted all of a few hours until I was back online researching what my options were... I feel like I'm losing my mind!

Long story short, we were originally booked at POR using a bounceback. I decided to make a switch to surprise DH (we are going to celebrate our first anniversary and have both acknowledged this will probably be our last trip before trying to start a family). I changed to Yacht Club CL GV--this will be our first time staying deluxe. I am SOOO excited, although a little nervous because I've heard rumors of construction and not knowing whether we could be displaced as a result thereof is terrifying, and I'm also not sure the room décor is really our cup of tea. For me the allure was being so close to Epcot, DHS, and the Boardwalk (DH specifically requested we make a trip over to the Boardwalk this trip to grab a bite to eat and explore), and SAB looks amazing (which is a bonus since our arrival day we planned to hang out at the resort pool).

Over the weekend I (stupidly) played the "if we won the lottery and money was no option and we could stay at any deluxe we wanted, where would you want to stay?" He just kept saying he thought he would rather stay at POR than any deluxe (ugh!! although, to be fair, he has only stayed on property once--at POR for our honeymoon). After showing him videos of some of the resorts, he said he really like the Poly because he likes the idea of staying at a themed hotel while in Disney because it feels a little more special than just staying at a nice hotel that is coincidentally on Disney property. I can see why he finds Poly appealing, and think he would like AKL as well. So now I'm making myself crazy toying with the idea of if I should switch to one of those... For approximately the same price (because currently there is no availability at either w/ our bb offer), I could switch to AKL Arusha view room OR Poly deluxe studio villa. PROS: those rooms are gorgeous and the décor seems to be much more our taste. CONS: we would lose the club level and, if at AKL, would lose the convenience factor in terms of transportation/location.

Thoughts? Should I stay or should I switch? Reassurance that I'm not entirely insane for flipping back and forth on this will also be greatly appreciated!

I was going to surprise my husband with an 'upgrade' too. I finally caved and talked to him about it. With our budget, we can either afford a room at CSR, or stay at Pop with money for extra table service meals and a rental car. He wanted to go with CSR. I'm glad I asked him straight up, because I was really tempted to go with the Value resort and those other things, because his favorite thing to do at Disney is eat, and having the rental car for part of the time last time was nice.
Anyway...I would probably stick with the Club Level. The Yacht Club has plenty of theme, even if it isn't an exotic destination theme. You can't really get a feel of a resort through photos or videos online. I thought I was going to adore POFQ, and actually ended up hating it for the reason most people love it - the small size!
POR has sprawling grounds. The Poly and YC both have extensive grounds and a body of water to keep things open. AKL had a similar problem as POFQ for us. You feel fairly confined there (maybe that's changed now that the DVC opened?). It's more of a human cage inside an animal preserve. That's not to say I didn't love staying there, but it was something I noticed.
So I would think about what he really likes about POR...and things he likes on vacation in general... I think snacks and drinks in the lounge whenever he wanted would probably offset any qualms he has about the 'theme.'

That said...I hate surprises, so I would want someone to ask me my opinion based on the actual options, rather than make assumptions based on a limited perspective.

 

[erinkristen04]

I was going to surprise my husband with an 'upgrade' too. I finally caved and talked to him about it. With our budget, we can either afford a room at CSR, or stay at Pop with money for extra table service meals and a rental car. He wanted to go with CSR. I'm glad I asked him straight up, because I was really tempted to go with the Value resort and those other things, because his favorite thing to do at Disney is eat, and having the rental car for part of the time last time was nice.
Anyway...I would probably stick with the Club Level. The Yacht Club has plenty of theme, even if it isn't an exotic destination theme. You can't really get a feel of a resort through photos or videos online. I thought I was going to adore POFQ, and actually ended up hating it for the reason most people love it - the small size!
POR has sprawling grounds. The Poly and YC both have extensive grounds and a body of water to keep things open. AKL had a similar problem as POFQ for us. You feel fairly confined there (maybe that's changed now that the DVC opened?). It's more of a human cage inside an animal preserve. That's not to say I didn't love staying there, but it was something I noticed.
So I would think about what he really likes about POR...and things he likes on vacation in general... I think snacks and drinks in the lounge whenever he wanted would probably offset any qualms he has about the 'theme.'

That said...I hate surprises, so I would want someone to ask me my opinion based on the actual options, rather than make assumptions based on a limited perspective.

THANK YOU! This was so helpful!! And you're absolutely right, you really can't get a feel for a resort based on pictures and videos alone. I definitely needed to be reminded of that. He definitely enjoyed the landscape at river POR, and wandering around the resort. With YC, we can wander around crescent lake and check out BC and BWI as well. Feeling more and more confident with my decision (...for now, knock on wood!). THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!

 

[pixarmom]

We always reserve judgment until actually staying at a resort. In particular, we enjoyed GF and CR so much more after actually staying there!

 

[danceintherain]

THANK YOU! This was so helpful!! And you're absolutely right, you really can't get a feel for a resort based on pictures and videos alone. I definitely needed to be reminded of that. He definitely enjoyed the landscape at river POR, and wandering around the resort. With YC, we can wander around crescent lake and check out BC and BWI as well. Feeling more and more confident with my decision (...for now, knock on wood!). THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!

Worst case scenario: He doesn't like it (I can't imagine he'll hate it) and you know not to stay in that area again. Also, he's not the only person going on this vacation. Shouldn't you get to stay where you want to stay sometimes too?

 

[tink2007]

So there are others out there like me!!!
I can't decide if we should move resorts or not. We have two rooms booked at the Poly for September 9-13.
Now that I have read about the construction on the East pool, we are reconsidering. We planned a lot of down time at the pool and now that the East pool is closed, the only option is the main pool. The problem is there is no shade there and my husband hates sitting in the sun.
Someone please help me pick another resort right for our group:
Group of 8 - myself, my husband, two children (20 & 24) and four of their friends.
We are pass holders so we are trying to take advantage of the discount.
These are the resorts we are considering:
AoA - two suites
WL
AKL
OKW (never stayed here before)
YCR ( not available as of today)
BCR (not available as of today)
I would love to hear what others think and give my some advice for our Disney freak family.

 

[pixarmom]

So there are others out there like me!!!
I can't decide if we should move resorts or not. We have two rooms booked at the Poly for September 9-13.
Now that I have read about the construction on the East pool, we are reconsidering. We planned a lot of down time at the pool and now that the East pool is closed, the only option is the main pool. The problem is there is no shade there and my husband hates sitting in the sun.
Someone please help me pick another resort right for our group:
Group of 8 - myself, my husband, two children (20 & 24) and four of their friends.
We are pass holders so we are trying to take advantage of the discount.
These are the resorts we are considering:
AoA - two suites
WL
AKL
OKW (never stayed here before)
YCR ( not available as of today)
BCR (not available as of today)
I would love to hear what others think and give my some advice for our Disney freak family.

If you ask me tomorrow, I might say something different. But today, I'd vote for BC (if it becomes available.) Proximity to Epcot for 20-somethings is fabulous (I remember this from long ago!) and it's great for down time at the pool. Otherwise, I might stay put at Poly or consider WL.

 

[Sue M]

Yay Pas! Love that drive - especially South of the Border! I'm sure it's not as awesome and amazing as I remember it from my childhood Disney drives, but the thought of it makes me smile. We'll really look forward to your report, including your thoughts regarding Anna Maria Island!

So our oldest votes for the switch to WL and we made the change!!! With taxes, just $19 more per night to switch from AKL pool view to WL courtyard view!

Those South of The Border signs used to keep us kids amused for hours!!

 

[erinkristen04]

Hello, Resort Changers support group! I'm back to torturing myself and am currently debating whether to change from YC CL to AKL CL. Just can't decide if I want convenience (YC) or theming that's more our style (AKL). How does one ever truly know?! I've been all over the map and back these past few weeks haha. I need November to get here soon so my madness can come to an end! How is everyone else holding up? Any other recent changes (or contemplations thereof)?

 

[Sue M]

Hello, Resort Changers support group! I'm back to torturing myself and am currently debating whether to change from YC CL to AKL CL. Just can't decide if I want convenience (YC) or theming that's more our style (AKL). How does one ever truly know?! I've been all over the map and back these past few weeks haha. I need November to get here soon so my madness can come to an end! How is everyone else holding up? Any other recent changes (or contemplations thereof)?

That's a tough decision! Love AKL CL. Great lounge, and resort. But can't beat the location of BC/YC. So many dining options walking distance. And 2 parks as well! Plus rooms are larger at YC. Good luck!

 

[Sue M]

Hello all! Can't believe I'm leaving tomorrow! Wow! Driving down to Seattle and staying over for morning flight Wednesday! 10 days in Ft Lauderdale first before Poly!
Usually I go to Home Depot to get a couple of pool noodles for us to use in pool & ocean. Then at end of our wdw vacay I find a family to give them to. This time I ordered inflatable pool noodles on Amazon. Already packed in suitcase. I'll see how these hold up! Haven't tried them yet.

 

[brnrss34]

Ok so maybe I'm nuts but I had pofq on bounce back. I decided I wanted a deluxe resort so went with Akl, then bought a house and decided I couldn't afford Akl. So tried to get a resort and only 1 I could get was CBR. Took that cause the free dining but I decided I didn't want to deal with so many bus stops and a separate check in area. So I kept stalking the phone lines and ended up with CSR. Seems like it will be a cool resort.

 

[Aerinha]

I had my mom and I booked into a 1 BR villa at BC for April amd was thrilled to read refurb of them would be done by our stay. I even passed on VGF because BCV would be fresher and the monorail situation is awful for the price you pay to be on the monorail line. But then they postponed the BCV refurb so we were looking at a tired room with the potential for construction. A tired room at GF is one reason that resort underwhelmed me so After much debate I moved us to BWV as their refurb will be done by April. Walking outside to get to restaurants doesn't bother me since you have to do that at monorail resorts too.

I also keep changing my adrs for my December trip. I wish I could work Raglan Road in for lunch instead of dinner, I hate loud and dinner seems like it will be loud, but getting to DtD midday from a park means losing too much park time. I know why they don't bus from DtD to parks, but bussing from parks to DTD would not have the same issue.

Now I am tormenting myself if I should see if I can change from the Poly in Dec to BC. Based on the resort itself, the Poly seems great. So many bfast options and lovely grounds to explore. First viewing of water pageant sincd 2011 too. But I am stressing over transportation. When I booked the refurb only impacted 11-6, but now it seems I will have a daily guessing game how I am getting to Epcot and MK. And I learned refurb not, the monorail will never get me to rope drop emh at Epcot. For 6 out of a 9 day stay, this is going to complicate my life. I wanted Poly for such a long trip because of the food options, BC Marketplace sucks for bfast and Capt Grille is also limited, but it would be nice knowing I could walk into Epcot and that a bus will appear to take me to MK without my having to ask assorted CM how I am getting there that day.

 

[Dug720]

Changed again for Wine & Dine weekend! All Star Music! Partly budgeting. But also I got to thinking...this may be my last half marathon. The WDW Half was my first, and I stayed at Music. This just feels right.

Plus more money for food and wine!

 

[Sue M]

Wow! Where did the 10 days go? Been in Deerfield Beach, heading up tomorrow to Poly! Aloha

 

[pigletgirl]

Hello ladies!

We're now booked at Pop for the first week in May for our first family trip with both girls! DH would like to get back there once more before DD turns 3, so we're doing just that. I'm excited to be there for the flower and garden show for sure. I'm sure there will be many changes before then!

 

[Mousemommy1]

Wow! Where did the 10 days go? Been in Deerfield Beach, heading up tomorrow to Poly! Aloha

Hope you are enjoying it!!!

 

[sbeets]

I thought i was the only one obsessed with changing resorts. So glad to have found this group! I'm not a disney veteran and would like some advice from a vet. I've booked AKV with free dining (was going to rent points, but free dining was a better deal). The booking period is gone, but some new resorts pop up when I use that magical "change resort" button. I know you're familiar with that button. This week I can get a deluxe GF for the same price as my 1BR Savannah view. Now CSR 1BR has popped up. Is this common? How long will resorts and room offerings change? Am I correct to keep checking? I can't do a split stay because I just caught the last night of free dining, so I have to stick with one resort, or lose the free dining.