Is anyone a total resort snob???

[HarryLeg]

My only stipulation is that we have to stay on Disney property. We have never stayed at a value resort but if that was the only affordable option we would do it. I am a Disney snob, I go to WDW, I don't go to Orlando to visit WDW.

 

[cheesehead7]

Yep. Big snob. On-site only and have never tried a value.

 

[photobob]

I didn't used to be. I stayed at a All Stars two consecutive trips and enjoyed it. Then I learned how to search for good deals and got POFQ in 2002 for $79 per night. They decided to close POFQ for rehab and we got upgraded to the Yacht Club for $109 per night. When we walked in the room at Yacht Club we were all wowed, the location was incredible. We've now joined DVC after visiting our friends at their one bedroom Villa at the Wilderness Lodge..our first trip home is in June.

 

[MomNeedsVacay]

So would you say that downgrading from luxury to mod or from Moderate to Value would be a big let down? Or is it just a different experience?

 

[Tiffany]

I'm asking this in fun, but honestly...planning a vacation with family members with all diff. expectations and budgets is difficult! My IL's won't stay in anything but a luxury resort... they'd prefer a place with fantastic room service and a spa... It made me wonder if anyone here is dead set on staying at one particular resort that they love and you are totally against even trying out another resort. What kind of requirements do you "have to have"?????

We have to stay on property and to honest as we have grown older and I have traveled more for work we have become used to having certain services. Over the years we have stayed at the values, moderates and deluxe resorts and they all served their purpose for the trip that we stayed at them. We enjoy the concierge services at the AKL or at least a regular savanna view room at the AKL now a days and as long as we can afford the price that is where we will stay other that during our short holiday trip where we go with the Swan or the Dolphin due to the walking distance to EC and the short boat ride to MGM. The YC would be nice to stay at again but not at the prices they are charging right now. So to sum up we would perfer to stay AKL or S/D if a situation presented itself and the only way we could go to WDW would be to stay at another resort we would have to make that decison on a case by case bases. Maybe only do one trip in a given year and stay AKL instead of doing multiple.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

So would you say that downgrading from luxury to mod or from Moderate to Value would be a big let down? Or is it just a different experience?

I would rather not go than stay in a value. To be honest don't think I w ould do a moderate either.
My husband has rude names for the values which are just better not repeated...

 

[Von Drake]

DVC or Deluxes for us. That said, I've stayed in all resorts and don't have a problem with Moderates at all. Values are a bit shaky for us, but only because we've gotten spoiled over the years.

 

[Frankiesmom]

Ditto for DVC or Deluxes here too. Tried 1 nite after a DCL cruise at ASMO-never again.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

We like deluxe hotels. Our first stay at WDW was deluxe and I was rather disappointed that the normal 'deluxe' amenities were not there. It just didn't FEEL deluxe, KWIM? Certainly not worth the premium even though we are eligible for nearly 50% discounts through IATA.

The next visit we stayed @ Pop and the kids loved it! We never had noise or obnoxious fellow guest issues. On the third trip, I let the kids pick and they preferred Pop.

I always spend the money on a deluxe resort when the price is completely justified (Grand Wailea, Park Hyatt, Hotel de Crillon, Four Seasons, Mark Hopkins) by the service or staying club level/concierge in NYC, Chicago, SF, etc. where we will actually be around for the offerings and amenities.

YMMV

 

[eshanna]

when I was a kid, my family stayed twice at the polynesian. Then one year we stayed off property, definitely not as much fun. I'm a snob about staying on property, but that's about it. The last time I was there, which was years ago, was at POR (then Dixie Landings). I can honestly say I had just as much fun there at the moderate as I did at the deluxe resort. The only thing I missed a little was the monorail- much more fun taking that than the bus. But with the price of the Poly being so ridiculously high now (to me, anyway), I will be very happy to go to a moderate. The deluxe resorts I would consider would be Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom, and maybe the Contemporary- only during value season, of course! I would love, love, love to stay at the Wilderness lodge someday, the lobby looks amazing!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

So would you say that downgrading from luxury to mod or from Moderate to Value would be a big let down? Or is it just a different experience?

I personally don't see a huge difference in the mods and deluxes. They're all beautifully themed in their own way. Some of the mods have TS restaurants, as do the deluxes. Most mods share the same bus transportation as do the deluxes, etc.

I do think there is a difference in the mods and value resorts though. In my opinion it's all in the theming. The values just look "loud" to me. I don't understand why they can't come up with a serene value resort, like PO-R, for instance.

What makes them think that just because you don't want to pay big bucks per night, that you want to be surrounded by neon colors is beyond me.

JMO - YMMV

 

[constanze]

subscribing
Will be staying at YC end of May...

 

[LilGMom]

I'm asking this in fun, but honestly...planning a vacation with family members with all diff. expectations and budgets is difficult! My IL's won't stay in anything but a luxury resort... they'd prefer a place with fantastic room service and a spa... It made me wonder if anyone here is dead set on staying at one particular resort that they love and you are totally against even trying out another resort. What kind of requirements do you "have to have"?????

I will admit that when we are in WDW we will only stay at one of the resorts and now we have become DVC members. We were all for staying at a less expensive off-site hotel until we stayed at the Coronado and got completely spoiled. When we planned a trip with family last year they were considering staying off property so we told them that we'd just meet up with them everyday because we'd be staying on property.

 

[nurse.darcy]

I MUST have interior hallways and room service. Since my first trip to WDW is in August, I really have no comment on WDW deluxe vs other hotels on or off site. I'll be staying at the Swan and will let you know what I think.

That being said, I would love a savannah view at AKL because I love animals.

Anyway, my two cents. . .

 

[NancyIL]

I stayed at All-Star Movies twice in 1999 and loved it. Then I stayed at the Dolphin in 2000 - and have been at either the Swan or Dolphin most of the time since. I stayed off-site one night for a last-minute trip 2 years ago, and at All Star Sports 1 night for another last-minute trip last June. The off-site hotel (Sheraton Safari) was very nice - but I didn't like driving to the park. Going back to a value resort was fine for a short stay, and the price was right - but I definitely prefer the Epcot location and amenities of the Swan/Dolphin. Having said that, I don't ever want to become so spoiled that I can't be content with simpler accommodations.

 

[lulugirl]

I do think there is a difference in the mods and value resorts though. In my opinion it's all in the theming. The values just look "loud" to me. I don't understand why they can't come up with a serene value resort, like PO-R, for instance.

What makes them think that just because you don't want to pay big bucks per night, that you want to be surrounded by neon colors is beyond me.

JMO - YMMV

I agree!
I wouldn't mind saving money and staying at a value resort but I find the theming so awful, I don't find them "colorful", just garish.
That said, I feel the same way about CR and CBR so, it really is all in the theming for me.

 

[Flagondry]

I'm a resort snob in a different way. I just can't see choosing a trip to Disney and then paying crazy rates when I plan to spend all my time in the park. It seems like a huge waste of money. I'll pay a very high sum for a beautiful resort only when the resort is central to my vacation. I understand that some people only get a few weeks off a year, so they are trying to combine relaxation and entertainment. That is when the deluxes make sense to me.

I'm not thrilled with staying at POP. It seems pretty but I just can't justify spending more to sleep and shower. We set a vacation budget for each year. The extra money we'll save is being used for white water rafting, 10 days at camp, two days of river tubing and a weekend trip to Niagara Falls. Our WDW trip will go by so fast and I don't want to spend everything in one place.

 

[Octoberbeauty]

My husband is and I'm good with that. Now, my son is too. Shouldn't have taken him to the Poly for his first vacation. So, I guess so. We prefer the deluxes.

 

[jordanyosh]

I've stayed at deluxe, DVC and mods. I am staying at Pop in June. The Magic is being on vacation, not where I'm at.....although NEVER would stay off-site.

 

[perd]

I don't know yet...have only stayed onsite once so far and that was Beach Club. Staying at CSR in September so I'll see how that goes. I know I DID get spoiled by the location of the Beach Club. I loved being walking distance to the boardwalk and Epcot. I know values don't have refrigerators and that would be a problem for me.

Not sure if I would like the values. I had heard someone compare the values to Motel 6 or Days Inn or something like that. If that's the case, then I probably wouldn't like it. In the "real world" when staying at a hotel I will go with a Holiday Inn Express or a Comfort Inn if it's clean and nice and pretty new. Older ones - no way. Budget motels - no way. I drive my husband nuts because I'm so picky about where I stay and if we are doing a road trip I won't book in advance because I want to see the place with my own eyes before I decide to stay there.

So if the values are more like a budget motel, then I don't think I'd like that.