I'm Still undecided! Anyone prefer downtown disney over a value resort

[tjp78]

i am still undecided about were to stay. I wanted to go all out & get a deluxe resort this time. We asked some family to go along also & they don't want to have to pay those high rates. So i have been checking all other options instead.
Today i got a post card for $59 value resorts. I called i can get 2 rooms with 5 adults 2 children for $856.00 for 6 nights at pop century. I have been searching for better rates on the downtown disney sites as well, but all i am finding is higher rates than an original disney resort.

To me it just seems like it would be better to stay downtown disney near all the shops? Rather than stay at a value resort & not have much within walking distance. Am i wrong?

we stayed offsite in 2003 at the days inn lake buena vista, it was not a fancy place but was clean & we could see the epcot ball plain view from our room. If you stay at the value resorts do you get to see epcot ball or any other things like that.


Please give me your opinions & maybe help me make my decision a little easier.

 

[PrincessCandaceMarie]

Keep in mind, some of the DTD resorts don't have the extra features that the Value resorts have....and the magic isn't there either....and within walking distance is cool and all, but if you want the WDW magic, and the special extras you get for being a WDW resort guest, I'd go for the Value resorts!!!!

 

[allshookup]

Please give me your opinions & maybe help me make my decision a little easier.

You will probably get a lot of different opinions on this since many here are either die hard off-site or on-site fans. I am definitely part of the on-site group. We did try a downtown hotel one year for an unbelievable rate. It was a nice hotel (since bought out by Holiday Inn) with a nice pool & there was even a FREE afternoon cocktail party with beer, wine & snacks. However, it was just that...a hotel. Downtown Disney was not that easy to walk to & way too hot if you go in the warmer months. There were not acres of beautiful grounds to walk around, no theme, and the bus service was infrequent. Now many do not care about the buses but we love to just park our car & never touch it again until we leave. There can also be a wait for Disney buses, but for Downtown hotels, you have to wait in the middle of the parking lot for a bus to come. We once waited for over an hour after MK closed as we watched one Disney bus after another pull in & it was then we swore....NEVER AGAIN! Just MHO! Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[floridagirrl2]

DH and I stayed at the Wyndham Palace last year, the closest or 2nd-closest hotel to Downtown Disney. We did not consider DTD to be walking distance! It was about 3/4 of a mile away--OK in nice weather, but not in the dark, cold, or heat. The Wyndham had NO reasonable restaurants--the breakfast buffet was about $18 per person. The bus transportation was good on the weekend but very slow on the weekday.

We have since stayed at both POP Century and All-Star Movies. We MUCH prefer them to the Wyndham. There is free, relatively timely bus transportation to/from/between all parks, resorts, and DTD. The food court prices are reasonable, plus you can get a children's meal for 4-5 bucks (e.g, pasta with marinara sauce plus a breadstick). You can even buy reasonably-priced wine and beer at he food court to go along with your dinner. The Value Resorts have plenty to do for both kids and adults--pools, pool bars, arcades, food courts, and gift shops. Everything is Disney-themed, safe, clean, and fun.

I would stay at a Value Resort again in a heartbeat (although the Dolphin is my favorite resort, we can't afford to stay there everytime we go!). I would never stay at DTD again--not that it was horrible--the DTD hotels are just not a good value for the money and the transportation is not good. For the price, you can't get anything offsite that is comparable to a Disney Value resort, IMO.

 

[floridagirrl2]

P.S. There are certain areas at POP Century that have a view of Epcot and the fireworks.

 

[ncbyrne]

I know my choice isn't popular here on the DIS, however, if I had my choice of a Value or DD hotel - I'd choose DD every time. I have only stayed at All Stars Music. And have stayed at the Holiday Inn with a SUPER $29 deal and Grosvenor DD. The Disney value resorts are not for us. The themeing is over the top, but worst of all the room itself is small, and there are NO amenities in the room. No coffee maker, no refrigerator, and even the soap is in a dispenser in the shower. And the mousekeeping was the pits!
The Holiday Inn was a typical Holiday Inn, no more no less, but still very much worth $29 to be in WDW! Don't know that I'd pay standard rates at this property tho.
The Grosvenor was very nice - it was a very big room, with coffee, and all the soaps and lotions etc. And since I mentioned it was our anniversary, they even sent up a complimentary bucket of champagne w/2 flutes! The restaurant was very nice too with a buffet every night (we got 2/1 restaurant.com certificates). But, the best part of staying in the Grosvenor was walking to DD every night after a day in the parks. It is the closest resort on Hotel Plaza Blvd to DD - it's literally across the street. The Holiday Inn is walking distance too - but it's in the middle of the hotel row.
But...if you got the $59 post card rate for a value resort- you should also get a VERY good rate at a moderate. Last time we got a post card the moderate rate was only $79. Call WDW and ask what the rate is with your pin # on a moderate - and deluxe too - before you decide.

 

[soccer mom]

I would choose a value, but I also agree with ncbyrne, check and see what kind of rate you can get at a moderate.

 

[Phrank40]

I think part of decision might depend on what the other people in your group like in a room and the hotel/resort amenities. Some people, myself not included, would look at POP and All Stars as a fancy Motel 6 no matter how much Disney "magic". I like POP, but my parents would probably not appreciate the small rooms and lack of interior corridors. Just their preferences in where they stay.

I have to disagree a bit with comment about Wyndham not being walking distance to Downtown Distance. It can't be 3/4 of a mile from hotel to DD, I've walked it severa times and I don't think over a 5-10 minute walk from lobby to DD. I can walk from Best Western Lake Buena Resort to DD in around 15 minutes. Maybe I'm just a fast walker.

Phrank

 

[evenstevens]

Man we've stayed off property, delux (poly), home away from home (what used to be the tree house villas) and moderate carib. beach, and now we are headed that way this July at the POR. I swore I would never stay off property again! you pay a little more but then you get alot more in return! if you have children it's the only way to go (so much to do and so little time) However to cut cost we drive in from Oklahoma 23 hours and take 3 days to get home. we save counting gas and food about a thousand dollars on travel which more than makes up for the little extra cost of the room and by having our own suv we are free to take advantage of the McDonalds, Arbys, and cheap off property food prices. I can't seem to swallow a 9 dollar hamburger and a 3 dollar soda. your trip is what you make it and by booking a on property hotel i really feel you can't go wrong. have a magical trip. Even

 

[dmonroe]

I would try realllllly hard for a moderate. But if I absolutely had to pick between a value and DTD I would choose DTD. I hate to stay off property, but I hate the values even more! Totally agree with Phrank about the Motel 6 thing!

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you stay in a DTD hotel, you won't have access to the Extra Magic Hours unless you stay at the Hilton. I'd rather be able to be in the parks than look out my window and see Spaceship Earth. We've stayed in Wyndham Palace and Doubletree. Both were okay hotels, but nothing like the Disney resorts. We didn't use their transportation; we had a car. But we use Disney transportation all the time.

 

[rascalmom]

We stayed offsite on our most recent trip. Definitely disappointing compared to our onsite stays. No Mickey wake-up calls, no package delivery from the parks, no room-charge priviledges for meals. Much longer waits for transportation. I can stay in a Hilton or Holiday Inn in any city - only Disney can provide the MAGIC. Our family would really miss the Extra Magic Hours too, especially since they are now offering 3 hours in the evening extra to Disney resort guests. The only DTD hotel that participates is the Hilton & their rates are frequently higher than the moderates. Offsite resorts don't guarantee a view - but I know I can see the castle, fireworks or Spaceship Earth all I want with an extra 4 hours per day for staying onsite.

 

[babybelle]

As a family of five (3 xhildren under 10) we are really stuck with limited moderates, deluxe or two rooms at value resorts. This just pushes it out of our price bracket - for two weeks at the Swan we are looking at £5.5 with Virgin before we buy passes.

2 years ago we stayed at Vistana Villages and it was superb, this year (Dec) we are staying at the Grosvenor but this still works out £1200 (approx) cheaper than the moderates.

Thats a big chunk of our spending money - I'd love to stay in a Disney property but it just proves to expensive. Although one day, we will make it!