Please help me sort out fact from fiction on trip advisor

[Disneymadhouse]

I am just about ready to book our trip for Christmas 2012. (as soon as the darn brochures are out here in England!)
I have always planned to stay at ASMo, but have been reading some bad reports on trip advisor. In the most part the people are complaining about tour groups(which i presume we wouldn't encounter in Dec), and the state of the rooms. The general consensus is that they need a re furb - is this due to happen before next christmas? The other points raised were how noisy the resort can be and how thin the walls are - any opinions? The food court and check in were also said to be extremely crowded.

I looked on the reviews for POP and they didn't seem nearly so negative, but i do think our DD would enjoy the ASMo theming more.

I had also considered the new AoA but i'm not sure when that will be able to be booked so i think ASMo or POP are my main options. I guess i would consider ASMu too so any opinions on that too?
I would love to consider a moderate but there is quite a big price difference - unless when the darn brochures are out there is a special offer!

I know to take some of the trip advisor reports lightly but when i am reading so many negatives it just worries me - moreso this time as we will have our DD with us.

thankyou for your help

Claire

 

[eliza61]

I am just about ready to book our trip for Christmas 2012. (as soon as the darn brochures are out here in England!)
I have always planned to stay at ASMo, but have been reading some bad reports on trip advisor. In the most part the people are complaining about tour groups(which i presume we wouldn't encounter in Dec), and the state of the rooms. The general consensus is that they need a re furb - is this due to happen before next christmas? The other points raised were how noisy the resort can be and how thin the walls are - any opinions? The food court and check in were also said to be extremely crowded.

I looked on the reviews for POP and they didn't seem nearly so negative, but i do think our DD would enjoy the ASMo theming more.

I had also considered the new AoA but i'm not sure when that will be able to be booked so i think ASMo or POP are my main options. I guess i would consider ASMu too so any opinions on that too?
I would love to consider a moderate but there is quite a big price difference - unless when the darn brochures are out there is a special offer!

I know to take some of the trip advisor reports lightly but when i am reading so many negatives it just worries me - moreso this time as we will have our DD with us.

thankyou for your help

Claire

1) Know how you really travel.... for example, many people on the dis try and plan the best locations for rooms. For me, I could care less if my room is close to an elevator or the pool, so a review complaining about that would not be relevant for me. Are there any "things" that are really important for you?

2) What are you looking for in a room? I too think the walls at the values are super thin. That was important to me especially since I think values always have lots of small kids (it is disney after all). So look at the complaints and ask yourself, would this bother me for 2 weeks. You're going to have your dd with you, is she a light sleeper? what about you?

3) Keep in mind that its all a game of chance. for years I read glowing reviews of a certain popular restaurant here on the dis. I finally make an adr for the place and I found it mediocre at best. bottom line is, no matter what the review your experience can be 180 degrees opposite.

4) when I use tripadvisor, I tend to steer clear of any resort with a approval rating lower than 75%. Simply just too many other resorts to pick from to go with one with a low average.

 

[cvjw]

If you are planning a trip for the first part of December, the values will be full of the Pop Warner football/cheerleader groups. We try and avoid them at all costs after spending a week with the cheerleaders at POFQ a few years ago. I have not stayed at ASM, but did stay one night at POP. The rooms are very small, the food court/bus line was very crowded, and the resort was very noisy. I would presume that to be the case at the other value resorts as well.

 

[Missytara]

I would start by reading the threads on the disboards about each one.

Most people will post on sites, such as tripadvisor, only if they have a complaint. People who always have good experiences tend to not post as much because they assume people have an enjoyable time at a resort.

I had a friend complain about a resort, because she had to reserve the room with a credit card and then told them she was paying in cash - and showed up at the check-out desk at 11:30 am (checkout was at 11:00 am) and the card had automatically been charged. She used words like "rude, inept, inconsiderate, etc." and when I explained to her that is how every single hotel works in the entire country, she was aghast. Then she was mad that no one told her it worked that way. (Obviously she rarely travels).

People in the disboards are here for the love of Disney and try not to sugar coat it. I think you will get a lot better response over here.

Personally, I would go ahead and book POP; I think it looks like a wonderful resort. And then if you happen to get a pin code or another discount comes up, you can decide if it is worth to take the savings or upgrade to a moderate. These are things I was oblivious to, until I got on the boards.

Good luck!

 

[PamelaKay]

I would avoid it during the Pop Warner championship as well. You can find information abou the dates at www.popwarner.com They have published the dates for 2011.

"The 2011 Pop Warner Super Bowl and National Cheer & Dance Championships will take place from Saturday, December 3rd through Saturday, December 10th at ESPN Wide World of Sports™ Complex."

The ESPN complex is part of WDW. The events typically occur sometime during the 1st 2 weeksof Dec.

Other than that, I agree that you should be careful with what you read on Trip Advisor. In my experience, people rarely write abou the good but are quick to point out the negative.

 

[iheartdisney]

My rule of thumb for reviews- from hotel rooms to books- i disregard all of the one star reviews and all of the 5 star reviews off the bat. The truth always lies somewhere in the middle.
I have stayed at all three all-star resorts over the years, and my kids love them! The all-star movies was the favorite, as we get to stay in the Toy Story wing. The Mousekeepers there were awesome as well. every day she rearranged the kids' stuffed animals, we never knew where we were going to find them, or what they had been up to while we were gone!
Yes, we have seen the food court crowded. But we have also seen it empty- by eating at off-peak times (between 2 and 4 in the afternoon) or we have sent one or two in our group to fetch breakfast for the rest of the family to avoid the morning rush.
The "paper thin walls" are a common complaint. Let me say- I have NEVER had a problem overhearing the normal conversation of my neighbors. The only thing I've ever heard was the occasional screaming child.

 

[MelissathePooh]

I would not count on there not being tour groups during December. From what I have gathered over the last couple of years they are coming just about year round anymore.

As to the Value resorts - many people love them. My family has stayed at ASSp on handful of occasions when needed to add a night (flight got in early kind of things) and we have always found them noisy and busy.

From what I read on DIS, Pop Century seems to be better at keeping out the larger groups, and has been somewhat updated recently. There are lots of Disney movie icons there as well. I think it was kind of the excuse to expand on the ASM idea - as ASM was THE most popular value resort for a long time before PC opened.

 

[chabs]

If you are not planning on spending a lot of time at the resort, then a value would be fine. Be aware that when people say the groups are noisy, they are not kidding. I usually don't care what other people do and can ignore noisy kids running around, but when they are screaming outside your window at 1am, it gets to be a little much. If you choose to stay at a value, I would ask for a parking lot view, that way the kids won't be playing in the courtyard or the pool outside your window, they'll just be passing through. I've found that the courtyards can be very noisy because this is where 90% of the screaming/yelling/running around occurs.

Food courts can be busy but not unmanageable-you could alway eat "off" hours or get breakfast when you get to the parks at the bakery. I've always thought that the food courts had pretty decent meals.

I've stayed at them all and found them to be decent and clean but they would not be my first choice, mostly because I hate the buses. 99% percent of the time, the value buses are jam packed and if you are not standing on the bus, then the people who are standing on the bus are falling all over you.

All in all, most of these things are just minor annoyances and would not "ruin" your trip if you don't them bother you. If you are just looking for a cheap place to sleep at night, you should be fine.

 

[Sue M]

Out of the 2, I'd pic Pop. The rooms have been refirbished with flat screen TVs.
Take a look at the resort photos on allears.net

 

[Royal Duke of Epcot]

TripAdvisor is the most accurate way of determining the merits of a hotel or restaurant, hands down. Any review with an axe to grind, or conversely, that sounds like a PR firm, is drowned out by the genuine critiques.

However, with WDW stuff, its a little more complicated:

Its very hard to quantify the "magic" that many DIS-ers crave. If they put one of Disney's value resorts 15 miles down the highway, they would score even lower than they do.

Some people are traumatized by rampaging children, groups of cheerleaders practicing in the hallways outside your room, and bad Disney food at Music or Sports. Others love the hub-bub of kids, want their kids to have fun, and would consider those things part of the great Disney ambience.

For Disney hotels I suggest carefully reading about 100 reviews --- you can gauge who thinks like you, and go with what they say!!

HRH of Epcot

 

[Amy&Dan]

Tour Groups and Pop Warner by disboard definition are not necessarily one and the same. Tour Groups often refer to the dreaded Brazilan tour groups that you see at the All Stars in July as well as January , as well as other large groups (usually kids) that travel together. They VERY frequently stay at the All Stars.

Pop Warner is an event, it only happens once per year and its a teenage thing of kids right from the good old U.S.A. and their parents/chaparones. They are known to practice cheers at odd hours of the day and night and the biggest problem often seems to be the chaparones who seem to take a "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" sort of stance with themselves and their charges. It can make a resort into a nightmare as can tour groups.

But for sure if you are going during Pop Warner time, avoid the All Stars! I would book Pop. Its totally done with its refurb and the Pop Warner kids in spite of their namesake, do not stay at Pop often if at all.

Now to part 2 of your concerns, All Star Movies is a great resort as far as the icons. To me, its the most Disney and the Toy Story icons alone make it hugely popular with kids. However, the rooms are worn out. Its due for a refurb and has been for awhile but as of now, nothing is on the books for that. At the moment, the Port Orelans resorts are either getting a refurb (POFQ) or about to get one (POR). Until permits are filed for ASMO to get a refurb, its unknow when it will happen.

The best ways to make value rooms quiet are to request a room away from the main area (as in not preferred), take a small buzz fan and close the bathroom door at night. Closing that door makes a huge difference. I take the buzz fan to seal the deal that my room is quiet and it helps to circulate the air.

Food courts can indeed get busy, mornings between about 8-10 in particular along with nights starting about 7:00. Yet we always manage to find a table and the lines move fairly quickly in our experience. We also have been known to take our food to one of the outdoor tables all the value food courts have.

I like tripadvisor but unlike this site, not everyone on there is a Disney lover in the sense that they plan for their trips and research them. On here, if someone is here, you know they are doing their homework and research to varying levels. On Tripadvisor, one thing I notice is complaints that center around issues that crop up because they have not researched their resort much if at all. And I'll add that I know and understand not everyone pours over sites like this one researching every detail of their resort! So to me, some of the Tripadvisor comments are more about issues that indicate lack of research or that the resort was not a good fit for them. Things like: "The resort was huge", "the room was small", "the food was expensive" "there was no hot tub or pool slide", it was not "walking distance to a park". You don't see many comments like this on disboards because people on this board have generally researched before they get to the resort.


Also, one of the things to check off on your tripadvisor review is "value". Since Disney resorts are priced high comared to other chains or offsite choices, a lot of people may like the resort fine, but think it was awfully high priced for what they got. So they'll mark on the low end of the value thing and that will reflect the overall score for their review.

Around here "value" refers to a resort class and most people know and understand they are paying for more than just a room at a WDW resort. So the reviews are just from a very different viewpoint.

But in the case to Tripadvisor reviews of ASMO rooms, in my opinion, those are right on the money and until those rooms get refurrbed, I won't stay at ASMO in spite of the fact I love the resort! Only on disboards can I say "I love it but I won't stay there anytime soon!"

 

[eliza61]

I would start by reading the threads on the disboards about each one.

Most people will post on sites, such as tripadvisor, only if they have a complaint. People who always have good experiences tend to not post as much because they assume people have an enjoyable time at a resort.


People in the disboards are here for the love of Disney and try not to sugar coat it. I think you will get a lot better response over here.

Personally, I would go ahead and book POP; I think it looks like a wonderful resort. And then if you happen to get a pin code or another discount comes up, you can decide if it is worth to take the savings or upgrade to a moderate. These are things I was oblivious to, until I got on the boards.

Good luck!

oh so not true. Have you ever posted a complaint on these boards?

let me tell you, if you don't have a thick skin get ready.
most often you will be told it is totally your fault for the problem. You should have read up on it, you were expect to much or every place else is just as bad.

Next, you will probably be told that you should be thankful you are at disney so if you don't like the quality of your service you should simply accept it and thank your lucky stars for being there.

Sorry, that's one of the problems I have with us (I include myself because I'm a rabid fan) we are totally not objective when it comes to the mouse.

 

[fla4fun]

I have to agree with the PP who said you have to know what is important to you before reading any reviews, because if someone loves or hates something that isn't a big deal for you, then that review will not be relevant for you.

Aside from that, I try to read as many reviews as I can on various websites when considering a hotel I don't have personal experience with. I look for trends, both good and bad, that keep coming up over and over, especially if the item shows up on different review websites. For example, if one person complains that their housekeeping wasn't great, but lots of people compliment housekeeping, then I see the negative as a one time thing. But if I keep seeing issues with housekeeping coming up over and over, that would cause me to think twice and to do some more research.

I also agree that coming here to do your research is a great step. You can find out lots of information about when the resorts may be crowded, or the parks may be crowded, or how to avoid or minimize crowds if you have to visit during a busy time. I've been to WDW during South American tour season, Pop Warner, Cheer/Dance competitions, etc., and it's possible to have a great trip and dodge the worst of the crowds.

 

[pwdebbie]

By the time you go, the Art of Animation resort will be open. It is listed as a Value resort but I am guessing the pricing will be "suite" pricing since there will be two bathrooms and "three separate sleeping areas."

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/art-of-animation-resort/


Also, as for Trip Advisor -- I discount all the posts by first-timers. We stayed at a motel outside Daytona Beach in November that was ranked # 1. The single concern I had was that most of the reviewers were posting for the first time. My gut instincts were right. There was no way this was even a top 10 motel. Additionally, I spoke with someone who manages a hotel in a resort area and she told me that many of their negative reviews are fake reviews posted by competitors. She was able to prove this several times to Trip Advisor but that doesn't stop the problem. So, Trip Advisor can be helpful, but don't put all your trust in what you read.

 

[Royal Duke of Epcot]

Additionally, I spoke with someone who manages a hotel in a resort area and she told me that many of their negative reviews are fake reviews posted by competitors. She was able to prove this several times to Trip Advisor but that doesn't stop the problem. So, Trip Advisor can be helpful, but don't put all your trust in what you read.

This is bologna, and the crutch of every lousy establishment from here to Mongolia. The fake Tripadvisor posts are so blatant and clumsy that most discerning users can point them out within 10 words. No hotel that is deserving of a high rating is sitting at the bottom because of some BS reviews by competitors.

The moment Tripadvisor users detect that, the positive reports come flooding in....people who have good experiences do report them when they see a place is unfairly slagged.

A resort manager than spends even five minutes haggling with TripAdvisor rather than fixing issues at their resort is symptom of the problem at some of these bottom-dwellers.

As for your motel trip to Daytona, my experience is they are all garbage, so you may have gotten the best of a rotten bunch, hence the decent rating.

 

[Disneymadhouse]

Hi, thankyou for all of the great info. I didn't mean for it to start an argument about trip advisor though!
I think we will probably go for Pop, unless the AoA is released by April, when our brochures come out. We don't have "pin codes" as far as i am aware so i have to be sure i am making the right choice first off as we don't have the option of changing without incurring charges.

 

[pwdebbie]

This is bologna, and the crutch of every lousy establishment from here to Mongolia. The fake Tripadvisor posts are so blatant and clumsy that most discerning users can point them out within 10 words. No hotel that is deserving of a high rating is sitting at the bottom because of some BS reviews by competitors.

The moment Tripadvisor users detect that, the positive reports come flooding in....people who have good experiences do report them when they see a place is unfairly slagged.

A resort manager than spends even five minutes haggling with TripAdvisor rather than fixing issues at their resort is symptom of the problem at some of these bottom-dwellers.

As for your motel trip to Daytona, my experience is they are all garbage, so you may have gotten the best of a rotten bunch, hence the decent rating.

Wow, your verbal flogging was a little unnecessary! To clarify, the manager I spoke to was actually from a resort in Ocean City, MD, that is listed as one of the best in OC -- hardly a "bottom-dweller." They actually follow up with every single TA post and offer appreciation for the positive posts or apology to those who are dissatisfied along with a promise to look into their complaint. It was that diligence that caused me to book with them in the first place. And I came away feeling like I had the same level of guest service that I've had at Disney. They are hardly a "lousy establishment."

As for the motel in Ormond Beach (north of Daytona) -- one night was way too much time to spend in this room and yet there are posts from people who say they come and spend weeks here and that it is the best place in town. Oddly, though, they are first-time posters, which really does make me wonder.

All that to say that when someone looks at Trip Advisor, it is good to take into consideration the number of posts someone has made as well as take a good look at their other posts before jumping to any conclusions about a particular lodging. Just as an example, look at some of the WDW park reviews on TA. You'll get new people writing that this was their first visit and they'll never go back. Would you honestly make a decision about WDW based on their experience? Or would you rely on the posters who have a wide range of postings as well as several trips to Disney under their belt?

Trip Advisor is a tool, a good tool, but it is not the only tool.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Wow, your verbal flogging was a little unnecessary! To clarify, the manager I spoke to was actually from a resort in Ocean City, MD, that is listed as one of the best in OC -- hardly a "bottom-dweller." They actually follow up with every single TA post and offer appreciation for the positive posts or apology to those who are dissatisfied along with a promise to look into their complaint. It was that diligence that caused me to book with them in the first place. And I came away feeling like I had the same level of guest service that I've had at Disney. They are hardly a "lousy establishment."

As for the motel in Ormond Beach (north of Daytona) -- one night was way too much time to spend in this room and yet there are posts from people who say they come and spend weeks here and that it is the best place in town. Oddly, though, they are first-time posters, which really does make me wonder.

Trip Advisor is a tool, a good tool, but it is not the only tool.

I am not a bit surprised the manager of that MD property follows up. I follow Trip Advisor closely, and I noticed that smaller hotels, in particular ones that are not part of a chain or are in an area on a "motle/hotel strip" will follow up.

If you look at TA for hotels near Disneyland Resort in California, you will see a TON of those managers who post on TA in response. With miles and miles of motels, many of which are very small properties in a place where competition is stiff, they want to respond. They both thank people who post positively and respond to issues that are negative.

The Howard Johnson's at DL is one that does this often. Its been sitting across from DL for over 40 years and is one of the highest rated properties in Anaheim, hardly a bottom dweller. For that matter that hotel (Hojo in Anaheim) posts right here on disboards on threads over on the DL side.

Now I do agree that fake posts happen and they are easy to spot. But a manager that responds to real posts on TA is hardly some excuse making bottom dweller.

 

[Royal Duke of Epcot]

I said haggling with tripadvisor over "bunk" reviews is a symptom of the problem. Any responsible manager should answer the complaints.

The PP said the manager has been trying to get Tripadvisor to take down posts.

You can have your opinion, but you can't have your own facts.

 

[MWMicimac]

My hard fast rule for Tripadvisor is to immediately discount all reviews that have the title of "Worst Hotel Ever" or "Worst trip ever".

Generally anybody that uses that phrase is someone that doesn't share the same princilples and viewpoints that I do.

But that's just me