To quote Pete " I gotta be honest "

[Andy Clark]

I recently watched a bunch of the " 7 in 7 " podcast, and I think the cast hit the nail on the head with there reviews. However.... " I have to be honest " I was shocked that no one commented on how noisy or crowed the value resorts are. I'm not a fan of the value resorts although we do stay there from time to time. It seems like every time we stay there the food court / pool area is packed and so noisy I can't even hear the birds chirping! And yes as stated in the podcast the food court service stinks. I believe the book " Creating Magic " ( Disney leadership ) should be mandatory reading for whoever is in charge of the value food court service.
Keep up the good reviews / podcast.... Hope to see ya'll in May / June for the 20th anniversary!

 

[SorcererHeidi]

Yes, the food courts and pool areas at the values (and even some mods) can be quite "chaotic", especially at traditional meal times - I've also found that in the parks, with most QS places. Which is why I try my hardest to follow conventional wisdom, and eat at "off peak times" if possible. Even with TS places.

 

[Andy Clark]

I'm not a big fan of the value resorts. They do serve a purpose though. They're just to chaotic for my taste. I like a resort that I can come back to and get away from the " hustle / bustle " of the parks. In my opinion you just don't get a break from that staying at a value!

 

[nooneshome]

I have little problems with the values. We don't spend a lot of time at the resort and rarely eat at the food court so the crowds generally don't bother us. We just want place to sleep and relax after a long day at the parks.

 

[Andy Clark]

My wife feels the same way, the crowds don't bother her & I can understand the " value " if you're just looking for a place to lay your head. I've just had some not so good experiences / service at the value resorts.

 

[SorcererHeidi]

My wife feels the same way, the crowds don't bother her & I can understand the " value " if you're just looking for a place to lay your head. I've just had some not so good experiences / service at the value resorts.

I will agree - to a point. I also enjoy the better ammenities (even so far as the furnishings, linens, etc.) at mods and deluxes. And a lot of times, at the values, due to everything being closer, and cheaper construction/soundproofing, and smaller quarters, the more expensive places are also quieter. I even feel this way about places outside of WDW. So sometimes I will spring for a more expensive place, just to make sure I get my rest, even if I'm not going to be in the room that much.

 

[Matoskah Poodle]

We don't spend a lot of time at the resort and rarely eat at the food court so the crowds generally don't bother us. We just want place to sleep and relax after a long day at the parks.

I agree. Until DH gets out of the have to see mode in a couple of years, the values work. I'm so tired at the end of a day that a hurricane would not wake me up!

 

[disneyholic family]

we actually very much enjoy the values - or specifically pop century and art of animation..

our first stay at a value was back in 1995....
as we got older and could afford more, we moved on to the mods (mainly POR - back then dixie landings)..
and finally stayed exclusively at the various deluxes (usually concierge) and villa resorts..

but a number of years ago, our trip included 3 families, so financial constraints pushed us back into the values - our first visit to pop century..
and we were hooked...
it still had the disney magic but for a lot less money....
and we actually enjoy the food court........
we probably aren't there during the super busy times, so maybe that's why it doesn't seem too noisy or crowded..

in any case, we've really enjoyed our stays there...
yes, we stayed there again, even when it was just a few of us, since i was no longer convinced it was necessary to pay the exorbitant prices of the deluxes....

however, this upcoming trip we're going whole hog - two 2 bedroom villas at SSR for 3 weeks....yeah..i did rob a bank for that one..
but we're doing that just because we need a kitchen for the toddlers in our extended group for that length of time..

otherwise, we'd return to pop century and would certainly enjoy our stay...

 

[Rattpack]

As a Disney goer who generally spends every minute possible at the parks, I appreciate the Values for just being a bed to rest my head.

But I did stay at a moderate for the first time last week and certainly noticed a difference. It was super quiet at Coronado.

Not sure where I'll stay next time, but I did make the "mistake" of walking around the Grand Floridian before a Citrico's dinner. Better start saving my pennies.

 

[NuttyDisneyDad]

They are chaotic cuz they are geared toward families that maybe dont have the means to stay at a moderate or deluxe....what do you expect at a value resort.... California Grill? You get what you pay for in my opinion

 

[pjweaver]

I prefer the deluxe, mainly BW, BC, WL, Poly but I can stay 3 times as long if I stay at Pop. The only difference to me is the busses and the kids running and screaming. I won't be eating at a value cafeteria unless a hurricane forces me to and I won't take a ciesta because of the busses. There's the difference.

 

[Jennasis]

I found our stays at Pop to be quite quiet and relaxing.

 

[Hannahinwonderland]

I've stayed at Bay Lake Tower and a couple moderate resorts, but I'm a value gal mostly. It's what I can afford, still has the Disney magic for me, and the noise doesn't bother me too much. That being said, I'm 23 so I think that has something to do with why I can tolerate it. I'll report back when I become older to see if it still has that charm!

 

[Andy Clark]

Not saying there's anything wrong with value resorts, just that after watching the reviews on dis unplugged that they had no comment on the busyness of those particular resorts.

 

[kbelle8995]

I Used to really like the values at Disney until I stayed at Cabana bay. CB has more of a resort feel and when I stayed at Pop century after. Well Pop didn't come out better. Not that CB can't be nuts. But when I go it always pretty quiet. Granted I travel when others cant. It might be more chaotic in the summer. But even when I went to Disney during a quiet season, Pop century was still pretty chaotic

Values are fine for a Disney trip but I think a rethink on them by Disney would not hurt. At the very least a rehab.

 

[pjweaver]

For a savings of $75-100 a night I would gladly stay at Pop over the moderates. I don't see paying more for a slide in the pool and a sit down at the resort that I probably wouldn't use anyway when there are so many better choices.

 

[Sean91]

Hmm, they can be a little louder however I felt that when we stayed at Pop the food court could actually be quieter than a lot of the moderate resorts. Obviously the Value resorts often have more class trips and tour groups located within them (one of the audiences I'm sure they where intended for), but considering the pricepoint and all of the amenities you are getting for that price point they are a brilliant option. Perhaps the podcasters where not in the court at the usual meal times.

 

[disneyland_is_magic]

but considering the pricepoint and all of the amenities you are getting for that price point they are a brilliant option.

Agree with Sean, coming from Disneyland where on property never drops below like $300, looking at the price point of the values for the 20th event I shake my head in amazement!!!! To get the features like magic bands, magical express, luggage services, free parking, unlimited bus services to the park, that are all EXTRA $$$ or not available it's really a steal. It's a clean bed, a hot shower in a safe (albeit loud) hotel. Pack ear plugs and wait and eat in the parks if you (quite understandably) hate food courts.
Coming from a very big family, and those families that need 2-4 rooms to fit everyone sanely, the values definitely serve a great purpose.

 

[Aerin75]

Hmm, they can be a little louder however I felt that when we stayed at Pop the food court could actually be quieter than a lot of the moderate resorts.

I have to agree here based on my memory. We made a point of not eating at Landscape of Flavors our last trip because the food court was so chaotic at POR. But when I went in to use up dining credits, I found that Landscape ran much more smoothly.

 

[mrzrich]

I stayed at Coronado Springs last week, and I could hear my next door neighbors conversations clearly. They even woke me from a dead sleep at 2 AM one night.