Are Deluxes really worth it???

[shelly3girls]

If you really want the deluxe resort without paying the deluxe price, why not stay at BCV? It sounds as if you have rented points to stay at OKW. There is not a big difference in point cost for BCV and you will get the deluxe resort for a very reasonable price. We love BCV because of its great location and Stormalong Bay. The only danger is once you stay there you want to buy into DVC!

JayCT - We loved the WL. The theming was great. We have stayed at BC, BCV, YC, GF, AKL, and WL and liked each one for different reasons. The only thing I did not like about WL was the size of the rooms, but I would definitely stay there again.

 

[Minnie Mare]

We love the deluxe resorts. Having stayed at Poly, GF, WL and CR. We'd have to say that Poly is our favorite, followed by CR, WL and GF. Which does not mean we didn't love them all, but some were better suited for us than others. We love the atmosphere and transportation at the Poly and CR had very large rooms and all the conveniences. WL was cool, we loved the lobby and restaurants and the GF was beautiful elegant. We stayed at two moderates, POFQ and CBR. We loved POFQ, it felt intimate and cozy and never had a transportation problem. The only one we did not like was CBR. It was very spread out, the walk to the food court from Aruba was like a walk in a jungle, lol., the room was not very nice and had a bad smell and transportation was horrendous at the time we were there. We moved out after one night there. So, yes this a very personal decision. I feel that whether it's value, moderate or deluxe, it comes down to what best suits you.

 

[DutchsMommy]

I think that ther are two considerations you might want to think about:

1) Is this a "once in a lifetime" (hopefully not!) or big deal trip and you can save up for a year or more for it and are willing to spend the $$ because it is costing you alot to get to WDW so you want everything to be a good as you can possibly get it.....or.....is this a trip that you want to enjoy, but also want to take a few other trips during the year, or not have to worry about saving up so much for a simple trip that's over in a week or so? and....

2)If you do go the deluxe route, will you be so strapped for cash that you can't do that special dinner, or buy those embroidered ears, or go to Downtown Disney, and you will be thinking every day about how much this is costing you? If the answer is yes, I would think about a moderate or value because you don't want to spend your vacation stressing about $$ - after all, this is a vacation and no matter where you stay WDW is WDW is WDW!!!!

 

[dpic]

We, too, are by no means "rich." However, we love the WL. Our normal vacations are camping/backpacking/National Park lodges (where atmosphere far outweighs comfort). We have paid our frugal "dues," so at Disney we look for a little more comfort.

What we like about the WL is the resort feeling. Everything is fairly close, so if the kids want to go to the game room or the pool (they are 10 & 13), we just say, "go" since they will not be that far away from us. Also, it was an easy trip to the snack bar (again the kids can just take their mugs and get refills to their little heart's content). Also, at a deluxe there are nice restaurants on site for Mom and Dad's special dinner (kids in the room with a pizza). Lastly, the boat ride to MK makes our vacation just a little more special.

But the money is a personal thing. If you are going to spend the majority of your time at the parks and just use the room to crash, the extra money could probably be spent better elsewhere. For us, our normal vacations are very active. Although we can be very active at Disney, we make a point to spend time at the resort to enjoy coffee in the lobby or on our balcony, sitting near the pool, quiet dinners, and letting the kids loose.

 

[Lou-Ann]

This just goes to prove how diverse we all are. LOL. My hubby and I just love the tranquility and beauty of the Wilderness Lodge and would take 5 nights there over 10 nights at Grand Floridian. it all depends on what you are looking for. We love the woods, the serenity, the private "nature" of the atmosphere there. The staff at this resort is unsurpassed in their desire to make you happy. We are not overly thrilled by the bus service but seldom use it. We boat to MK or take our car. The rest of the amenities of the lodge more than make up for the bussing in our opinion. No matter what you choose, we wish you a wonderful trip.

 

[AdventurerKat]

We certainly all are diverse! We would never stay at the Wilderness Lodge. Although I know it is beautiful, I live in Washington State so if I want that atmosphere, I can head up to one of the lodges here. Too much like home.

Are the Beach Club Villas nicer than the Boardwalk Villas? I am sure that is a personal matter too but what would be the advantage to Beach Club Villas over Boardwalk Villas? Maybe I should ask that on the DVC board I suppose.

Oh, and this is by no means a "Once in a lifetime" trip. I go usually three times or so a year and my husband at least once. We will be going back this fall together actually with our kids. Its not a complete budget breaker either, just a bit more of an expenditure than we normally make to go to WDW if that makes sense so I have to think about whether or not it is worth it to spend the extra money when I know we are perfectly happy with what we have had in the past. But we can afford it, just have to wonder whether we "want" to pay for it.

So just wanting to experience something new. When you have gone alot, its nice to have a change in scenery every once in a while. I don't care for Coronado so the only place to go is UP!

 

[shelly3girls]

The big reason people choose BCV over BWV is Stormalong Bay. I especially enjoy the lazy river. We prefer BCV b/c it is in a more "quiet" setting. We feel the location is perfect, quick walk to the boardwalk and epcot. I am sure you will get many opinions, again it is just a personal preference. I don't think you can go wrong with either one.

 

[AdventurerKat]

I will have to look at Stormalong Bay as I don't know much about it but after spending half the week at laid back OKW, we will probably be looking for some action. Now to decide which gets three nights and which gets four.

 

[opal]

When dd was younger, we went with my brother and his family. We always stayed at a moderate. Kid friendly, lots of food choices and we loved it. Back then we stayed 10-12 days.

We have not travelled with my brother's family the last few years....mostly due to hectic kids hs & colledge schedules. The last few years we've stayed a one of the Epcot deluxes (usually 5-7 days). But it is really about the location. We were never disatisfied with the mods, but we love being able to walk to Epcot and MGM and the Boardwalk.

I totally agree with the other posters that said if you have skimp on other aspects of your trip like restaurant choices or the length of your trip, go with a moderate. All of the resorts have their own charm and you really can't go wrong with any of them.

 

[letyfrombrazil]

If I had money I would stay in each deluxe at leat once
(i guess this would take A LOT of REAIS!!!)
We did an resort tour on our last trip (DIS tip), and the Poly was just amazing. The atmosphere was perfect and the "deluxe" feeling was everywhere.
The Contemporary is the only one where I would not stay, I stayed there when I was little and came back to Chef Mickeys and didnt notice many changes. I think it´s a lilltle out of style.

 

[deb305]

We've stayed at POR and GF, and are scheduling Poly and AKL for Oct. The main reason for Deluxe is the age of our kids- 6 and 2 in Oct. To avoid meltdowns we spend a lot of time in the room, out by 7:00 but back by 6:00 with maybe an afternoon break. Since our evenings are spent at the hotel the extras become very important. We need a larger room, (I overpack, and we are big people w kids who like to spread out), hotel activities, (Pirate cruise, luau (sp), etc),concierge (family of constant snackers, and frequently change our plans midday requiring concierge service of booking meals) and something to do at the hotel in the evening for the lone parent relieved of babysitting responsibility. When the youngest gets to be 8 or 9 we'll probably go back to moderate and book two rooms. We'd like to be able to have them bring a friend in the future.
In the end, it is a personal decision. Overall, most of the posters seem happy with their Disney resorts.

 

[goofy4tink]

This is really an interesting thread. I've often wondered how/why people choose the resorts they do. We stayed at DxL for our first trip(2 adults, 1 child), then at POR for the next one. We stayed at the Polynesian last August since it was my dd's favorite resort and the deal was so good. My dh, having been converted to all things Disney on that trip, suggested we look into DVC. We just bought at BWV since we also like the ability to walk to Epcot and MGM. But, would we normally have stayed at a deluxe if we hadn't bought DVC? I'm not too sure. My dd and I stayed at AllStarMu in Dec for a real last minute trip. It was far quieter there than the Polynesian. I liked the 'quick' food choices better. My dd said, and this is a direct quote,..."This has a lot more magic than the Polynesian did Mom. Now I really feel like I'm in WDW!" We loved POR but I don't think we would spend the money to stay there. Either a value or a deluxe. Wow!!! I think I'm really glad we bought BWVs. Otherwise, I would probably be staying in the values from now on. I'm just not paying as much as I would have normally I guess. I'm betting dd feels the magic this summer at Boardwalk.

 

[Nasi]

We've stayed at Deluxes Poly, BC, YC, and AKL and Mods CBR, CSR, and POFQ. I can honestly say we enjoyed each resort we stayed at. This March we're going to stay at a value (ASsp) for the first time with my DD cheerleading squad. I'm looking forward to it. I like to try all things Disney. Nasi

 

[10drum]

Our first trip to wdw(supposedly a once in a lifetime trip) we satyed at the poly. Well we've been back for the last 6 years in row. The 2nd year we stayed at the dixie landings(por) and realized the deluxe had spoiled us. The next 3 years at deluxes.

We'll last year we went during peak season, because ou dd's hs band performed, and couldn't justify a deluxe. We stayed at CSR and now I'm in the same situation as the original poster. CSR was so nice, the transportation, pool, food, and grounds are great. We love the BC/YC but for $100+ more per night I don't know.

I think if I can get into the poly, cont, gf, yc, or bc for less than $200/ night tax included, We'll stay deluxes otherwise CSR here we come.

 

[leighe]

I think it depends on the pace of the trip. When I was living at home, my parents took us to DW every summer and we stayed at the Poly. Since this was a yearly trip, we didn't feel like we had to be in the parks from sun up to sun down (and later). We spent a lot of time at the pools and doing different recreational activities. This past summer DH and I went to DW and it was DH's first trip, so we stayed at CBR. The resort was great and perfectly suited to our needs because we were in the room very little and I think we only spent one afternoon at the pool. This spring break we are staying at AKL (we might have to switch to POR if MIL and FIL go, but that's a different story) and hope to spend a lot of time relaxing at the resort.
I have enjoyed both deluxes and moderates and don't have a problem going to a moderate after a deluxe. When I stay at a moderate I just figure I have that much more money to spend on other stuff (like those beautiful dolls at the Germany pavillion in Epcot and supplies to feed my scrapbooking addiction )

 

[mcgrawfan]

We just got back from our first stay at the Grand Floridian and let me tell you the bath towels are way BIGGER in the deluxes!! The views are also better. We were lucky enough to get upgraded from a garden view to a lagoon/MK view. We watched Wishes from our balcony. The use of the monorail is great too. I also liked the fact that the deluxes are a little smaller and more compact than the moderates. We got lost when we stayed at Carribean Beach. The only negatvie I have about the GF was the MK area is so much farther away from some of the attractions we had to wait awhile at times for a WDW bus. It was about a 30 minute wait for DTD. It seemed as though we always had just missed the bus.