For those who finally stayed deluxe, was it worth it?!

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I have one issue with both the Poly and GF - and that is that they are in several different buildings and you have to walk outside to get to dining and shopping. Call me spoiled - I love having everything under one roof like WL and BC/YC. I know the buildings are close together at the Poly and GF, like POFQ, but it still dosen't seem right to spend premium money for a resort where you have to travel between buildings and may therefore rarely see the incredible lobby.

Don't forget the Tower rooms at the Contemporary have everything in one building.

 

[Calgary DISHeads]

We have stayed at WL, BC, and YC after staying at both values and mods. I love them. I love WL where everything is under one roof, so you see the theming every time you go downstairs to get to the restaurant or bus stop. The theming is beautiful, and there is a boat to MK. I love walking to Epcot in five minutes from BC and YC, though I think the theming is a little lacking compared to WL. I haven't walked to DHS from there yet, but I could! Stormalong Bay is amazing. I have not stayed at the monorail resorts yet, and am not sure if I ever will since DH is not too keen on the theming of those resorts and the monorail is not a huge deal since we drive anyway.

I have one issue with both the Poly and GF - and that is that they are in several different buildings and you have to walk outside to get to dining and shopping. Call me spoiled - I love having everything under one roof like WL and BC/YC. I know the buildings are close together at the Poly and GF, like POFQ, but it still dosen't seem right to spend premium money for a resort where you have to travel between buildings and may therefore rarely see the incredible lobby.

Good point - never thought of that - after checking into the Poly really never saw the main lobby, but passed by every day at BC. This time AKL so no worries on that!!

 

[pezaddict231]

We think the Deluxe resorts are definitely worth it, but we enjoy spending time at the resort, so it is more than just a place to sleep and shower for us. I think the 4/3 deal is a great way to try a Deluxe resort for a really good discount and see if it's for you. I think with the age of your children a monorail resort would be great. It really is so much more convenient to just be able to walk right on the monorail. Our favorite is the GF, I actually like the separate buildings since it makes it so nice to walk the grounds and none of them are more than a few minutes from each other anyway and we still had plenty of occasion to walk through the lobby since that is where the monorail is and all the restaurants and shops, and I'm sure it's the same with the Poly. I think with kids my pick would be the Poly. You have direct monorail access to Epcot and MK, there are very family friendly meal choices there and Captain Cooks is a great CS option.

 

[SnackyStacky]

I think has been said, the value of what you're going to get depends on what you're looking for.

For me, the deluxe resorts are absolutely worth it. I prefer the larger room size, the more immersive themeing, interior corridors, proximity to the parks, a private balcony (for the most part - depends on resort), and larger beds.

But the worth comes and goes, depending on the needs of any particular trip. My favorite deluxe resort is the Beach Club - but I also love staying at Pop Century when we just need a place to crash. When we go on a cruise, we like to stay at a value resort for a quick trip to the parks, and a quick sleep before we head to the port.

Good luck with your decision. If you can afford it, and you'll make use of the amenities, I think you should treat yourself and enjoy a deluxe resort!

 

[spodie]

If you have the funds, it's totally worth it! If I were on a tighter budget, it wouldn't be the end of the world if you stay in a moderate or value (especially if you had a car). I've stayed in all three categories and there are pros and cons to each. I like the deluxe resorts mainly for the proximity to the parks (like others have mentioned, I don't think it would be as great staying in a deluxe resort that isn't within walking or monorail distance to at least one park) and the added space and amenities (fridges, etc.) that the rooms have.

 

[Poppinsme]

YES! Worth every cent.

 

[mousefan215]

Absolutely!!! It would be hard to go back to value after staying Deluxe! Don't get me wrong...if I had to choose between staying at a value or not going at all? I would absolutely stay value ( I'm not a resort snob ) but as long as we can afford it, we'll be staying Deluxe!

 

[BarbO1999]

I just returned from the Poly....and I don't think it is worth the money. you have to walk outside the main lobby to get to your rooms and the place is really showing its wear and tear!!!! I think the Mousekeeping leaves a lot to be desired and I left a generous tip every day and had to call for towels as she didn't leave any. It took us 45 minutes to check in and no we were not in a line there was some kind of mess up and they only had me listed for 2 people and we were a party of 4. They had it listed as I did not pay and I had to dig out papers showing I did pay thru expedia. We had a marina view with a fake balcony...when I asked to upgrade to a real balcony and logoon view she 1st said 167. for the whole time then came back and said she forgot to add taxes and it would be $198./night...needless to say I did not upgrade. I was not looking for anything free but did not appreciate being told the 1st price was for the whole stay and then changed to per night. Then it took 40 minutes to get the monorail from MK to Poly what was the point we could have walked in less time. Another night we took boat that swtopped at GF and then Poly took 1 hour and 25 minutes....
The food at Capt cook's was on very good and the flatbread pizza was like eating cardboard with sauce and cheese on it! Kona cafe was better had breakfast there several mornings...tonga toast and bloody mary was good. went to the lounge one night for a drink bartender not very nice bar was sticky and was served a glass with a chunk out of it!!!! the pool was great and we enjoyed sitting there when it was warm enough!
Overall, I was really disappointed in the place and am sorry I spent that much money on the Poly. I go to Disney every year for Thanksgiving for the past 5 years and have been there 30 + times. I have stayed at all resorts except GF, AKL and Sarasota Springs.
We stayed at FIJI Building 2320 one with the fake balcony!!!!
I really do like disney, and I was so excited to stay at the Poly but can't begin to tell you how disappointed I was. It was not a magical place...but had lots of dust and not pixie dust! I will try to post some pictures later as we just got home tonight!

 

[tinkerbellmichelle]

I'm a budgeter as well. I like to know I'm getting the best price possible - however, when on Vacation I like to find the hotel/resorts that BEST suit our needs. I will then pick the one that meets our needs the most that we CAN afford.

After that - - you can't think "oh I could get Pop for this" etc. because "this"time you chose "this" resort for this reason and POP would not have worked.

Worth is relative. We stayed at Poly last year and paid the money and enjoyed our stay. It was everything we needed it to be and then some. Plus, the transportation options were awesome.

This year we were booked offsite to save money. But we saved some extra$$ and got a pin code so we decided to pick the resort that MOST met our needs. It was a toss up between Poly and BWI. We chose BWI.

I'm sure we still would have been happy at a Value or a Moderate and would still have a great vacation but we're happy with what we chose.

 

[PearlySwan]

Staying deluxe wasn't worth it to me at AKL, but it sure was at Poly!

^^^ Just curious as to why. Care to elaborate?

 

[michelle1]

Prior to our Aug trip we had only stayed at Value and Moderate resorts but with the 40% pin code I received we tried the GF and were glad we did. I can't speak about other deluxes but to compare it to a moderate resort is comparing apples to oranges so for the extra money we spent it was totally worth it. That being said, we wouldn't have stayed there if we were paying rack rate because we prefer to spend money on other things rather than the room so when the pin came along we took advantage and used it...If you really want to try a deluxe resort i would suggest using your code and going for it because you never know if another one comes along that fits into your travel plans.

 

[eliza61]

We are planning a trip down while they are doing buy 4, get3 free. We have stayed at all of the values and moderates, and my dh wants to finally stay deluxe while they are running this deal. I am the budgeter in the family and would love to upgrade too and finally experience deluxe but worry I will get there, and not think it is worth the extra money we'll pay. It is a big difference!
For those who took the plunge, was it worth it? We do have three kids(2, 6,10) so would enjoy the space and think the monorail is a HUGE bonus.
Opinions please!
Thanks!

Worth is very subjective. My family enjoy a few things that make the deluxes a must for us.

1) location to parks. nothing beats walking to Epcot from your resort
2) Indoor hallways. I don't like walking outside from my hotel room
3) bigger rooms. I have 2 sons and a DH who are all over 6 ft tall. Can you imagine 4 of us in a value room for 10 days? Can you say homicide?
4) sit down restaurants. We are not big fans of food courts.

 

[yaddo121]

We are planning a trip down while they are doing buy 4, get3 free. We have stayed at all of the values and moderates, and my dh wants to finally stay deluxe while they are running this deal. I am the budgeter in the family and would love to upgrade too and finally experience deluxe but worry I will get there, and not think it is worth the extra money we'll pay. It is a big difference!
For those who took the plunge, was it worth it? We do have three kids(2, 6,10) so would enjoy the space and think the monorail is a HUGE bonus.
Opinions please!
Thanks!

Like others have pointed out, it is subjective. For our family it's 50/50. Animal Kingdom Lodge was worth it, yes. Grand Floridian was not worth it (in our opinion). Our family usually stays at mods (POFQ when we can get it, POR when we can't) so the AKL and GF are the only two deluxe resorts we've stayed at.

While the Grand Floridian is a beautiful resort and I can see why people love it so much it just wasn't for us. It's just not our style. We prefer food courts (at the resort anyway) to sit-down. Our room (while larger) was crowded with furniture. The walls were so thin we could hear the people in the next room like they were standing next to us (I think part of the problem here may have been the connecting door...might have made it easier to hear them). I think the biggest letdown -- which was partly our fault because it was an additional cost -- was the "Magic Kingdom View". Just wasn't what we were expecting for that amount of money.

But on the other hand the extra money we paid for the 'Savannah View' at AKL was wonderful and well worth it to us. There was a food court in addition to sit down restaurants so you kind of got the best of both worlds. All the rooms were inside versus the GF where our room was inside but we had to go outside anyway to get to the main building/lobby. But both are beautiful so YMMV

Good luck and I hope you have a wonderful trip no matter what resort you choose

 

[Gabes_mommy]

I booked the Beach Club for spring break but I cancelled it and went with POR instead. For me I made the decision that the extra expense was not worth it. I think whether or not it would be worth it for your family really depends on a few questions:

- do you like eating at the resort food courts? We do, so the mods are perfect for us

- do you like outside entrances at your resort? I love outside entrances because WDW landscaping is always so lovely

- do you have a vehicle to use? We do so transportaion is not a huge issue for us

The only value we have stayed at is AKL though so that may affect my decision. The lodge itself is amazing, but we were not impressed by the rooms.

 

[tessieg]

Thank you all so much for the many replies! I have a lot to think about! I am torn still over POR vs. Poly. It is about a $1000 difference.
We have done POR and do love it there. My dh would like to try somethng new though, and we won't have a car, so the monorail resorts are attractive to him.
We are going late January so crowds won't be too bad but I don't know if we'll be able to swim. Hate to stay deluxe and not swim in the gorgeous pools! Ugh. Hard decision!
Will let you know what I decide! Send any more thoughts my way!
Thanks, tessie

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

Good question. I have stayed Value/Mod/Deluxe/off-site. Each vacation is different. First of all only stay Deluxe if you won't stress over the cost. If you do it is no vacation.

By the looks of your kids ages this is the last year all 5 of you can stay at a Value or Moderate as the little one is still under 3. I'd go for a Moderate just for that reason.

 

[MerryFlora]

: location is relative to us. We're in FL. It's a heck of a lot closer than MN where we live, so what's an extra few minutes to get anywhere. Doesn't matter to us especially since we do everywhere on property as we might be close to our favorite park on one day, but across the property another. No biggie at least when you rent a car like we do.

I agree! We fly all day to get to Florida. A 20 minute ride to MK did not sway us away from AKL. But, we dont take breaks and do the back and forth.

One thing to consider is do you like walking in the open air between buildings or do you want to be inside the resort hallways etc. ?

 

[aurorae]

Regarding the walking outside, surprisingly the rooms tend to be quieter in the mods and values as room doors designed to connect to the outside are heavier than doors that connect to an interior hallway.

Not that I would decide on a resort solely by the heft of the doors, but I do like the exteriors at the Moderate resorts.

 

[KatMark]

Regarding the walking outside, surprisingly the rooms tend to be quieter in the mods and values as room doors designed to connect to the outside are heavier than doors that connect to an interior hallway.

Not that I would decide on a resort solely by the heft of the doors, but I do like the exteriors at the Moderate resorts.

I agree. Our quietest stays have been at the moderate--especially over the Contemporary.

 

[Not so Dumbo]

I haven't read anyother replies, but for us we did a split stay and finally stayed at both deluxes. I would say ABSOLUTELY YES on the Beach Club and no, probably not for the Poly. The BC was everything and so much more than what I had expected and after staying there for several days the Poly just didn't even come close to meeting my expectations or even measuring up to the BC.