Permit an age old debate.
We are struggling with where we should stay during our upcoming trip in January.
We have always stayed off-site. I've run the numbers, and staying at a value resort winds up being no more expensive, if not a slightly cheaper. This assumes that we would use the Disney Dining Plan, since it would save us some money versus ordering a la carte. I also factored in free parking as a resort guest. We have to rent a car no matter where we stay.
Here are some thoughts that we are struggling with:
1) The theming of the value resorts does NOT appeal to us at all. We really like Port Orleans, but that's a big step up in price. We just wouldn't feel that "magical" staying at the value resorts. Nothing snobby at all. We normally stay at VERY basic hotels/motels off-site. But that's the point. The value resorts just don't feel any different than the hotels that are off-site. (at least to us - I know that this is subjective)
2) We can get a much larger place (at least a one bedroom time share) for the same price as the All Stars. Surely space is worth something, especially for a family of four. I don't like the idea of two double beds for a week. We would get a washer, dryer, etc, staying off-site.
3) The off-site places we are considering are hardly off-site. Using back roads, they are hardly farther than the value resorts.
4) I don't want two desserts with every meal! The dining plan is a better deal (for where we want to eat - I ran the numbers for the whole week), but we'd be eating way too much dessert! Basically, we will spend the same ordering a la carte as we would on the dining plan if we do NOT order drinks and snacks during the day. Put the other way, if we use the dining plan to eat at the same restaurants, we would get "free" drinks and snacks. We usually like to order a snack in the afternoon (Mickey bar, or such), so this is an actual savings. We can go without soft drinks.
5) I really don't care about Disney transportation except for the Magic Kingdom. I would use our rental car for all other parks.
6) I am a big time planner. The thought of having to wait until October or so for Disney room discount rates to come out is not fun. I like to have everything planned well before then. I have a back-up hotel reservation, so I guess it's not the end of the world. But I still don't like the though of waiting.
7) We are not big breakfast eaters. We've always used a room fridge to have some millk and fruit with cereal. But that's not worth $10 per day. Maybe a styrofoam cooler with ice would suffice. Or I suppose I could just get some milk in the morning at the resort.
8) With the dining plan, I like the idea of being able to order what I want. I'm the type that will often not order a more expensive item if there is a cheaper item that I like a little less. Having said that, I don't like being tied down to an entree and dessert. We often share one appetizer, one entree, and one dessert. I'll miss the flexibility.
Sorry for rambling. Here is our thought in a nutshell. We've never stayed on-site, and I want it to feel special if it's our first time. I think a moderate resort would feel somewhat special. I really don't think that a value would. We are quiet people, and the "loudness" of the value resorts just isn't our style. My dream is to stay at the Boardwalk Inn (purely for location - I like this spot better than the monorail resorts), but even though I could probably afford it, it seems downright wasteful to me. I'd much rather use the money for future trips and/or savings. That's just my nature. A compromise would be to stay at the Swan or Dolphin using a government rate, but we're still spending $100 or so more than a value resort. And can you get the meal plan at the Swan or Dolphin? Our other dream would be a savannah view room at Animal Kingdom Lodge.
So the simple question is... Is it worth staying on-site at a value resort instead of a larger timeshare unit if the price is almost the same? I know that it's a subjective decision, but I'm really torn. I just can't see which way is better.
Oh... and one last point. I am assuming that with a discount code I can get a room at a value resort for $75 per night in January. Historically, this seems to be a reasonable expectation.
We are struggling with where we should stay during our upcoming trip in January.
We have always stayed off-site. I've run the numbers, and staying at a value resort winds up being no more expensive, if not a slightly cheaper. This assumes that we would use the Disney Dining Plan, since it would save us some money versus ordering a la carte. I also factored in free parking as a resort guest. We have to rent a car no matter where we stay.
Here are some thoughts that we are struggling with:
1) The theming of the value resorts does NOT appeal to us at all. We really like Port Orleans, but that's a big step up in price. We just wouldn't feel that "magical" staying at the value resorts. Nothing snobby at all. We normally stay at VERY basic hotels/motels off-site. But that's the point. The value resorts just don't feel any different than the hotels that are off-site. (at least to us - I know that this is subjective)
2) We can get a much larger place (at least a one bedroom time share) for the same price as the All Stars. Surely space is worth something, especially for a family of four. I don't like the idea of two double beds for a week. We would get a washer, dryer, etc, staying off-site.
3) The off-site places we are considering are hardly off-site. Using back roads, they are hardly farther than the value resorts.
4) I don't want two desserts with every meal! The dining plan is a better deal (for where we want to eat - I ran the numbers for the whole week), but we'd be eating way too much dessert! Basically, we will spend the same ordering a la carte as we would on the dining plan if we do NOT order drinks and snacks during the day. Put the other way, if we use the dining plan to eat at the same restaurants, we would get "free" drinks and snacks. We usually like to order a snack in the afternoon (Mickey bar, or such), so this is an actual savings. We can go without soft drinks.
5) I really don't care about Disney transportation except for the Magic Kingdom. I would use our rental car for all other parks.
6) I am a big time planner. The thought of having to wait until October or so for Disney room discount rates to come out is not fun. I like to have everything planned well before then. I have a back-up hotel reservation, so I guess it's not the end of the world. But I still don't like the though of waiting.
7) We are not big breakfast eaters. We've always used a room fridge to have some millk and fruit with cereal. But that's not worth $10 per day. Maybe a styrofoam cooler with ice would suffice. Or I suppose I could just get some milk in the morning at the resort.
8) With the dining plan, I like the idea of being able to order what I want. I'm the type that will often not order a more expensive item if there is a cheaper item that I like a little less. Having said that, I don't like being tied down to an entree and dessert. We often share one appetizer, one entree, and one dessert. I'll miss the flexibility.
Sorry for rambling. Here is our thought in a nutshell. We've never stayed on-site, and I want it to feel special if it's our first time. I think a moderate resort would feel somewhat special. I really don't think that a value would. We are quiet people, and the "loudness" of the value resorts just isn't our style. My dream is to stay at the Boardwalk Inn (purely for location - I like this spot better than the monorail resorts), but even though I could probably afford it, it seems downright wasteful to me. I'd much rather use the money for future trips and/or savings. That's just my nature. A compromise would be to stay at the Swan or Dolphin using a government rate, but we're still spending $100 or so more than a value resort. And can you get the meal plan at the Swan or Dolphin? Our other dream would be a savannah view room at Animal Kingdom Lodge.
So the simple question is... Is it worth staying on-site at a value resort instead of a larger timeshare unit if the price is almost the same? I know that it's a subjective decision, but I'm really torn. I just can't see which way is better.
Oh... and one last point. I am assuming that with a discount code I can get a room at a value resort for $75 per night in January. Historically, this seems to be a reasonable expectation.