Want to pick a Value resort- bad reviews

[bookgirl]

I've stayed at all of the Values. I'd stay at any of them again. I happen to prefer the All Stars to PoP/AoA but that's just theming and crowds.

It's all attitude. They are basic hotels and you can't stay at one and expect a stay that is on par with the Grand Floridian or even Port Orleans.

I usually stay at a value when I am solo and doing long park days and just want a clean room on site for a bargain (for Disney) price. I haven't been so disappointed yet that I'd write a totally negative review.

I do miss the coffee pot and the larger beds when I stay in a value, but $60 to $200 savings per night soothe a lot of caffeine and small bed annoyances. hahahaha

 

[spiceycat]

We love Pop Century. If we weren't DVC members we would probably still stay there.

I agree completely and still do stay at Pop when the points are gone

 

[Tara1988]

Pop has been my only on-site stay so far, and I honestly don't see a reason to pay more for a moderate or deluxe. I loved pop! The bed size doesn't bother us, I guess my husband and I are on the smaller side. We never had a problem with transportation or crowds in any other area. We only ate at the food court twice, both were pretty good experiences. Theming seems so much more toddler friendly at the value resorts, so at least until our kids are older, we will probably stick with values

 

[goofy4tink]

I own DVC at BW and BLT. But I love Pop and POR!! Ice stayed at Music twice...once in the Jazz section, towards the rear of the bldg, and in the Country Fair section, again in the rear of the bldg. if I had to stay there again, I would book a preferred room. I find the walk from the back to the food court to be boring. I find the gift shop to be small and cramped. The food court is ok. The room itself was fine...double beds, minimum theming. When I was there last, a few years ago, I moved to AoA LM room for two nights. When I mentioned that to a Music CM, she told me that many AllStars CMs were trying to move over there.
Pop was always bright and cheery. I really don't care where I stay...I've been way out, in the furthest bldgs, and have not had bad walks to the food court. I just prefer Pop to the AllStar resorts. I like AoA but it's too pricey for me...LM rooms are crazy expensive.

 

[dizneyluv]

We stayed at All Star Movies way back in 2006 and absolutely loved it, stayed at Pop in 2013 and loved it. Walking over to Art of Animation was an awesome bonus. We have not had any problems at any of our onsite stays to be honest. Rooms expectations and resort grounds have always been very good to excellent.

 

[katt789]

You're going to see negative reviews everywhere for the values, but they all are great resorts. I had a room in Sports(?) that had a faint smell of smoke in it, not enough to bother me but if it did I'm more than sure Disney would have moved me. That's been the only problem I've had with the values.

Pop is my favorite for the value you get for what you pay, AoA is a nice step up because it's newer but it's way over priced, and the standard rooms are a good lengthy walk from the bus stop. (seriously). If I don't stay at Pop, I like All Star Movies the next best.
-Request a room in the 50's at Pop, or in Toy Story at Movies
-These rooms are the closest to the main areas, such as food courts, main pools & bus stops.
-Food courts at all of them are good, if you stay at Pop, you have the advantage to be able to walk over to AoA to use their food court & bus system (same is true if you're in a huge line for Pop at the bus at MK and AoA usually doesn't have a line, we'd hop on their bus and walk home from there, get home much quicker).
-The All Stars are all pretty much the same to me, minus some theming outside, food quality is the same at all, busses the same to me, and I never really use the pools.

 

[Shanti]

We're doing a split stay in the spring and I really want to try a value- I was leaning towards Music but some of the reviews on various travel sites are awful. Then I looked at Movies, Sports, Pop- so many bad reviews for the values! The pictures and videos I've seen of the values looked pretty nice to me, so I'm confused. Even the Dis podcast people had lots of negatives- I still want to try one, just don't know what to pick! Any opinions/advice?

If you're okay with the fact that you'll be staying in what is basically a motel room, the values are fine. The room doors open to the outdoors, they have bare minimum furnishings, bare minimum service, and only cafeteria food available at the resort. They have large pools, but with no water slides (all other Disney resorts, even the campgrounds, have waterslides, which are obviously very popular with kids.) The values are located far from the Magic Kingdom, and use only buses for transportation (no boats or monorails.)

Those are the main reasons why you've heard so many negatives. People who are used to traveling outside of Disney & staying at hotels in the same price range as the values tend to find them a shock. When you look at the price tag, remember that over half of it is for the convenience of staying on Disney property & getting resort guest perks, not for the room itself. That will give you some perspective.

The grounds of the values are charming, with their big statues. We stayed at Pop for one trip & it was okay, but I personally wouldn't do it again. But if you want to stay onsite and can only afford a value you'll be fine, just don't expect to relish returning to your resort room every night. I would recommend Pop over the All Stars, as it doesn't share buses with any other resort.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Looking at some of the online reviews for Values, I think the negativity comes in no small part from expectations.

Examples:

• "Then, Good Grief, the only food service is in the low class food court with out of this world prices for low end foods." Yep. Values get food courts, and you're a captive audience.
• "The room has a small fridge and 2 double beds and thats it. No coffee or tea. Room had hairdryer and iron. Fast food downstairs." Yep. Research would have told you this.
• "This is definitely a budget motel. Very few amenities. No coffee maker in the room. Only a cafeteria style food court. No sit down restaurant with waitress service. No room service." Again, this is all public information, and disappointment is a factor of failure to research.
• "Entrance to rooms are motel style (ie. from outside), no hallways."
• "'I booked a Little Mermaid room for 5 people and it is too small."

There's also one where someone gives a resort 1 star because she didn't know her kid gets motion sickness on buses and the transport to parks is all bus service and there's no alternative but taxis.

 

[goofy4tink]

I very seldom pay much attention to reviews. If a hotel/resort gets the same complaints, then there is probably an issue. But I find that it's usually unhappy customers who take the time to write reviews. So, you have to take these negative reviews with a grain of salt.
Value resorts are fine. They're called value because they are the lower end resorts at WDW. As long as you know what you're getting (smaller beds/room, one sink, no pool slide, food court only), you'll be fine!

 

[lockedoutlogic]

All disney hotels are run the same way...with the same people.

What you pay more for the on site food options/pool and rec options/locations

The point is don't hesitate to book a value based on "quality"...it's a head fake in many ways. You have to decide what's important to you.

 

[OLIVIA'S DADDY]

We're doing a split stay in the spring and I really want to try a value- I was leaning towards Music but some of the reviews on various travel sites are awful. Then I looked at Movies, Sports, Pop- so many bad reviews for the values! The pictures and videos I've seen of the values looked pretty nice to me, so I'm confused. Even the Dis podcast people had lots of negatives- I still want to try one, just don't know what to pick! Any opinions/advice?

We just got back from 9 days at Pop, it wasn't bad but we weren't impressed. Essentially you get what you are paying for. The rooms are like any random hotel room room, holiday inn or whatever. There was one Disney picture in the room and in the bathroom there was some drab hidden Mickey wallpaper. The food court was pretty good. The computer pool was a little beat up, repair marks that had not been repainted. Lots of walking as it is a very big resort. Busses were pretty quick, I would say every 10 minutes but they were 99% of the time packed, standing room only. Bus rides are a good 18-20 minutes to MK.

I say all this as how I felt and not really as a criticism. We usually stay deluxe but we're trying a budget trip. Aside from the bus rides it really wasn't too bad, but, would prefer the proximity of a monorail resort, or wilderness lodge. We don't spend much time there other than pool time and sleeping so it wasn't much of a factor. Therefore we didn't mind too much.

The 3 Brazilian girls tour groups didn't help with the buses either so that may have been bad timing.

So if you're trying to save some money I don't see it as a bad option, but I wouldn't stay there for the fun of it or the theming. The resort felt overall pretty drab and dated.

Definitely not a bad experience though.

 

[Shanti]

Looking at some of the online reviews for Values, I think the negativity comes in no small part from expectations.

Examples:

• "Then, Good Grief, the only food service is in the low class food court with out of this world prices for low end foods." Yep. Values get food courts, and you're a captive audience.
• "The room has a small fridge and 2 double beds and thats it. No coffee or tea. Room had hairdryer and iron. Fast food downstairs." Yep. Research would have told you this.
• "This is definitely a budget motel. Very few amenities. No coffee maker in the room. Only a cafeteria style food court. No sit down restaurant with waitress service. No room service." Again, this is all public information, and disappointment is a factor of failure to research.
• "Entrance to rooms are motel style (ie. from outside), no hallways."
• "'I booked a Little Mermaid room for 5 people and it is too small."

There's also one where someone gives a resort 1 star because she didn't know her kid gets motion sickness on buses and the transport to parks is all bus service and there's no alternative but taxis.

There are also people who put those reviews out there to alert other travelers so they'll be aware of what the resort experience is like, and how radically divorced that is from the prices they pay. Travelers not accustomed to Disney resorts expect higher quality lodging for the money spent- that's why I pointed out that half of the Disney resort value is the Disney perks, not the room.

It shocks a lot of people who arrive. Not every family has the time or inclination to do the kind of research we do before a vacation. A trip to a theme park shouldn't require extensive research, anyway. It does for WDW, but that's a flaw of the Disney experience.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

There are also people who put those reviews out there to alert other travelers so they'll be aware of what the resort experience is like, and how radically divorced that is from the prices they pay. Travelers not accustomed to Disney resorts expect higher quality lodging for the money spent- that's why I pointed out that half of the Disney resort value is the Disney perks, not the room.

It shocks a lot of people who arrive. Not every family has the time or inclination to do the kind of research we do before a vacation. A trip to a theme park shouldn't require extensive research, anyway. It does for WDW, but that's a flaw of the Disney experience.

Oh, certainly. But they often also assign 1 star, and freak out about "the worst hotel ever!" which simply tells me they've never been stranded in a snowstorm along I80 in Iowa or Nebraska.

 

[raddisneyfan]

There are bad reviews for every Disney resort and every Disney restaurant.

Key things to consider about reviews for VLues is that all Disney hotel prices are inflated. So when people are paying $200/night at Christmas for an All-Star and have the wrong expectation, it becomes a fairly explosive review.

If your expectations are appropriate, the Values are just fine. They are no-frills, double beds, motel-style. Cafeteria food courts. Nice pools, but no water slides. Theming is mostly landscaping and paint, and over the top. You are paying premium to be on Disney property, not for any other amenity.

This is right on the money--people need to manage their expectations. You are, as this poster indicated, paying to be on Disney property. Any of the category hotels at Disney are not the best in the world, but they are convenient to all things Disney in terms of theming and access to the parks--this is what you are really paying for. Know this and the fact that Disney has come up with what seems like a hundred "seasons" now and you need to play the system. Always watch out for the discounts--never pay RACK rates. Whatever you decide, you'll have fun once you get there--if you aren't happy with the room you get, say something. If it still doesn't make you happy, leave the room and go out and enjoy the parks and next time you'll think twice. As for reviews, everyone, including me , has an opinion. Everyone has their own like and dislikes; their own tastes; their own annoyances. No one can know all about you and what will work for you--just do it and see. Like I said, if it doesn't work, then you remember all that was wrong (and all that was right) for your next trip. Enjoy the planning!

 

[CinderellaElla]

Pop Century is my favorite value resort for one main reason; there is only one bus stop. If you stay at the all star resorts, a single bus might make a couple stops at other all star resorts before coming to you. Meaning, you either might have an almost full bus when it comes, or you might have to make extra stops before you go to a park. At pop century, there is only one stop. When the bus comes, (although you might be waiting in a long line) the bus is empty before you get on, and you don't have to make other stops before you go to a park.

Also, I've stayed at Pop Century over 10 times and have never had a room that was dirty or not up to expectations. Of course, that's also keeping in mind that although I have "Disney expectations" I know that this is a room I am only using to rest/sleep.

 

[wdw4rfam]

I wouldn't put too much faith in reviews. Most people only review when they're unhappy. I was afraid to stay at CBR after reading reviews of dirty rooms, damp Mouldy smell, poor housekeeping. But kept our res. Room was great.

We've only stayed at Pop, and only for 1 night a few times before our deluxe stay. It was fine. Clean, rooms in good repair. Nothing wrong with them.

Same here. CBR is our new favorite resort and I was so scared to try it.

We loved all the values....until we tried moderate. I just find them quieter. But there is NOTHING wrong with them, and if all the moderates were booked, I'd stay in value. You can't go by reviews at all. We've stayed in all but sports and AOA, and never found a problem with any of them. Ive seen some pretty bad reviews of even the POLY. Our favorite value was movies, but most like POP. I personally think that they are all the same other than theme, so pick which ever you like better. Music has a brand new food court-

 

[Davidg83]

I have stayed at All Star Resorts and I have stayed at Moderate resorts. All Star resorts are not bad, I would stay there again if needed. I just prefer moderate because it's a little more quiet than the value category. I think it helps that the moderate resorts are more spread out than the values. There have been times walking through Caribbean Beach when it feels like we're the only people there.

 

[aprincessatlast]

I agree with previous poster to manage expectations and it usually will go well with values. Pop was our first on site stay and it was ok. We moved up to Deluxe and then a Mod. Based on those stays we knew what we did not like about Pop. It was loud and big.

So we researched the All Stars and chose Music based on its layout and the fact that it had a bit more landscaping. Pop was too much concrete and large icons for us. Music was quiet with just the right amount of Disney touches, bus service was good and our room was minutes from pools, lobby, and busses. It was our best Value stay. We did go back to Pop again and my kids loved it and while it is bright and fun I still preferred the more laid back feel of Music.

To each his own though, just look at pictures and layout and choose based off which you prefer.

 

[KatherineDisney]

I wasn't a fan of the values personally. However, this wasn't a surprise for me. I read the reviews, I did my research....but when a discount appeared I booked anyway. I think if you know what you are getting at the values you will have fun. A value is not a moderate or a deluxe, but to a lot of people they are still expensive.

My biggest qualm was how loud Pop was, our "view" had dumpsters outside our window, too much concrete and my goodness were the rooms bare! That being said, I absolutely knew this going in and it didn't contribute negatively to my vacation at all. The only thing a little off-putting was that our bathroom was extremely rusty. If I had been staying longer I probably would have asked to be moved, but ahh well.

What I am getting at is, don't worry! If you like the look of All Star Music or Movies or even Pop....you will probably have a good experience!

 

[goofy4tink]

There are also people who put those reviews out there to alert other travelers so they'll be aware of what the resort experience is like, and how radically divorced that is from the prices they pay. Travelers not accustomed to Disney resorts expect higher quality lodging for the money spent- that's why I pointed out that half of the Disney resort value is the Disney perks, not the room.

It shocks a lot of people who arrive. Not every family has the time or inclination to do the kind of research we do before a vacation. A trip to a theme park shouldn't require extensive research, anyway. It does for WDW, but that's a flaw of the Disney experience.

I've been going to WDW since '99. I did very little advance planning. After that trip I realized that you have to plan....to some extent. It's just the nature of the beast. When you're spending thousands of dollars in a vacation, it's a good idea to do some homework.
I'm going to NYC for two nights in March. I have researched where I want to stay...its soooo easy with the Internet.
When I see some of the negative reviews, it's easy to tell if the person did any research at all. A lot of the complaints could have been avoided with some quick research. But, people figure it's Disney....it will be magical! And that's not always the case.