Are the Deluxe Resorts Really Worth the Money.

[MissionMouse]

Hi all, am trying to decide what to do here. My and my DF are going to disney for the first time together the last week of September. Thought about staying at the WL or POR. Is it really worth the money to upgrade to the Deluxe Resort?? Need you help!!

For us the answer is yes.

It is personal perference and it does not truly involve how much time you spend in your room, but the resort itself and what it offers to include: location, views, theming, transportation, restaurants, etc. Also, it really depends on your budget. If your resort cost start to consume the majority of your budget, then you should look for alternatives which allow you greater flexibility with your budget...if you have one. If you have doubts then you should look for a solution you do not question.

 

[Emiems20]

So perhaps I should have given you all more infromation, sorry so many things to do so little time. We have both been to disney for family trips before, but never together. I have stayed at the Swan in 92 and YC in 2001 and in 2002 and he has stayed in GF in early 90's. We will prolly not get to go on a honeymoon so we want this to be special. I am figuring on light crowds for the last week in september so I thought we might spend more time at the hotel. So now please help, and sorry for the confusion!

 

[chasgoose]

So perhaps I should have given you all more infromation, sorry so many things to do so little time. We have both been to disney for family trips before, but never together. I have stayed at the Swan in 92 and YC in 2001 and in 2002 and he has stayed in GF in early 90's. We will prolly not get to go on a honeymoon so we want this to be special. I am figuring on light crowds for the last week in september so I thought we might spend more time at the hotel. So now please help, and sorry for the confusion!

In that case, no question do deluxe. If you plan to spend any time in your hotel and you are on the fence about deluxe it is always worth it. To me this is where the interior hallways matter the most, at a moderate I don't like leaving my window open to the people walking by, but since it is my only window, when I close it I feel claustrophobic and I don't want to spend any time in my room. At the deluxe I don't have that problem.

 

[minnie61650]

It all depends on what you looking for in a resort and how much you are willing to pay.

One of DIS members posted her pros and cons of the different levals of Disney resorts:

FWIW, Here are my opinions on the advantages/disadvantages of each level:

Advantage of Value over Moderates and Deluxes
* Price.
* Food Courts for quick meals.
* Pop Century has its own bus.
* All Stars resorts share busses, but there is usually very little wait on either end.

Disadvantage of Values
* Small rooms.
* Double or King sized beds only.
* Large groups can sometimes be rowdy.
* No pool slide or hot tub.
* external corridors.
* Pizza delivery only.

Advantage of Moderate over Values
* Nicer feature pools with slides and hot tubs.
* Bigger rooms.
* Sit-down restaurants (all but POFQ).
* Real bars in main area plus pool bar, not just pool bar (except POP).
* Nicer food court, it's not just one big room.
* No giant icons.

Disadvantages of Moderates
* Double or King sized beds only.
* Can be spread out and most need an internal bus system.
* External corridors.
* Pizza delivery only.

Advantage of Deluxe over Moderates and Values
* Bigger rooms yet. Many can sleep 5 people.
* Queen or King sized beds.
* Large variety of sit-down restaurants.
* Nicer feature pools, many with zero entry.
* Internal corridors.
* All have sliding glass doors and most have balconies or patios.
* Most have special proximity to parks: monorail/boat to MK, walk/boat to
Epcot/MGM.
* Room service.
* Valet parking.

Disadvantage of Deluxes
* Epcot deluxes do not have snack shops for a quick meal, except the Beach Club Marketplace.
* Price.
* Busses are often shared, especially the Epcot resorts. The ride can take a long time.
* Self parking can be difficult, especially at the monorail hotels.

Have fun at Disney!

 

[eliza61]

We think they are worth it. We love the deluxes probably for the extra room and the balcony. As chosegoose said, you are going to spend a lot of time in your room especially in September when it's still going to be hot and the days are going to be long, so most people spend some time in their room. I also love the indoor hallways and having TS right in the hotel.

 

[SFLTIGGER]

If you can afford it, WL all the way IMHO. What a wonderful resort. We purchased DVC last year and made our first stay at VWL last fall. WL lodge is such an amazingly themed resort, we litterally felt like we were in a Northwest national park.

Disney usually does a great job of themeing there resorts, but we felt they really hit a home run with WL. Also, no monorail, but boat to MK was great (p.s. - it also stops at the Contemporary, so you can easily get there for Chef Mickey's or Concourse steakhouse or even to catch the Monorail.)

Also since it is your first time as a family be sure to ask to ride up front on the Monorail (great view and what fun for the kids).

 

[CarolA]

A lot depends. I travel a lot on business and am lucky enough to have gotten to stay at some TRUE Deluxe resorts. So if like me you are going to compare the Disney Deluxe experience to either a prior stay at a deluxe resort or to things you might expect from deluxe based on TV, media etc. then I think you are destined to feel disappointed. IMHO the Disney Deluxe have only ONE thing going for them, location and I think the price they ask for that is not worth it. When compared on amentites and service Disney is lacking. ANd that's not just my view. Disney "deluxe" resorts generally only get 3 stars from rating agencies... That's a lot of money for a hotel ranking the same as the Birmingham Marriott (Rack rate at Birmingham Marriott $169. Service is probably better. Location is not good, it's in Birmingham LOL!)\

If I were doing a honeymoon at Disney I would seriously consider either the Ritz or JWMarriott... Wonderful rooms, wonderful beds, wonderful grounds, great service....(And generally lower prices LOL! Maybe not lower then WL, but often beating Poly and GF)

I do think that my one exception is the AKL. It is unique and you do get something you won't get someplace else.

 

[CoolPool]

Or you could compare Disney Deluxe prices to the Ritz or the Waldorf in New York City (I think NYC is more of a destination than Birmingham) or an island resort such as some i've stayed at in Tahiti and Fiji; and the price doesn't seem so bad after all.

 

[MadScouser]

As previous posters have pointed out, with Disney, all hotels stand out from the 'norm' due to their excellent theming - from All-Stars through to GF and AKL.

Proximity to the parks is a good point to start from - if you adore MK, but are based south of the resort at say AKL, it can take a while to get around (although the transportation on site is brilliant for all resorts)

But overall, I think it is darn near impossible to have a 'bad' disney vacation, so enjoy !

 

[stemikger]

In the past I have stayed at mods. I loved them until I discovered Pop Century. Now the last 4 trips have all been at Pop.

I feel I get to experience the best part of the deluxe resorts by eating dinner there. I go to the Poly and walk around the lobby and then enjoy a great dinner at Ohanas. I will go to the Animal Kingdom Lodge and eat at BOMAs and enjoy that beautiful lobby.

The reality is that the best part of the deluxe resorts is the lobby. Other then that it is just a room.

 

[lisaanddenny]

there are some really bad reviews about this hotel on tripadvisor.com, any comments?

 

[minnie61650]

In the past I have stayed at mods. I loved them until I discovered Pop Century. Now the last 4 trips have all been at Pop.

I feel I get to experience the best part of the deluxe resorts by eating dinner there. I go to the Poly and walk around the lobby and then enjoy a great dinner at Ohanas. I will go to the Animal Kingdom Lodge and eat at BOMAs and enjoy that beautiful lobby.

The reality is that the best part of the deluxe resorts is the lobby. Other then that it is just a room.

I agree.
I love exploring and dining at the different Disney resorts and parks.

I do not need a sit down restaurant at the resort I am staying at.
I hardly ever eat at my home resort with the exception of a grab and go quick breakfast.

Part of being at Disney for me is "eating out."

 

[brightspark]

there are some really bad reviews about this hotel on tripadvisor.com, any comments?

I haven't stayed at Sports, but have stayed at Music and dh has stayed at Movies... we've not had any complaints about those... and I guess that Sports will be of the same standard as the other two.

What kind of things do the review say?

 

[goodferry]

The reality is that the best part of the deluxe resorts is the lobby. Other then that it is just a room.

I think this is an extreme exageration. We have stayed at the CBR once, and the last few trips were at the Poly concierge and the BWI concierge, and I can tell you for sure the lobby was not the only thing different about those resorts. Here are a few differences I can think of that have nothing to do with lobbies.
-Having the monorail stop at your resort
-Being able to walk to the TTC
-Sitting in the pool at night watching the fireworks across the lagoon, or watching the EWP
-Being able to sit on your balcony and have a cup of coffee while the kids are still sleeping
-Sitting on the balcony and watching the action of the Boardwalk go by
-Sitting on the concierge lounge balcony and watching Illuminations
-Being able to walk to Epcot or MGM, or take a boat if you wish.
-Being able to book a concierge level room
-Having queen size beds (big plus when you have a three year old who likes to climb in bed with you when she's away from home)
-Bigger rooms and bathrooms with double sinks
-Not having to take a slow and confusing internal bus system or walk two miles to get to the main building
-Not having to deal with the huge lines at the food courts. The deluxe resorts in general have fewer rooms, fewer people.
I am not saying that we would never stay in a moderate resort again, or a value, especially once the kids are grown, just pointing out that the difference is a little more than a pretty lobby and a restaurant.

 

[bdklein]

Hi all, am trying to decide what to do here. My and my DF are going to disney for the first time together the last week of September. Thought about staying at the WL or POR. Is it really worth the money to upgrade to the Deluxe Resort?? Need you help!!

No one else thinks they are worth, either; that's why no one ever goes there. The Deluxes never have any guests.

 

[minnie61650]

I think this is an extreme exageration. We have stayed at the CBR once, and the last few trips were at the Poly concierge and the BWI concierge, and I can tell you for sure the lobby was not the only thing different about those resorts. Here are a few differences I can think of that have nothing to do with lobbies.
-Having the monorail stop at your resort
-Being able to walk to the TTC
-Sitting in the pool at night watching the fireworks across the lagoon, or watching the EWP
-Being able to sit on your balcony and have a cup of coffee while the kids are still sleeping
-Sitting on the balcony and watching the action of the Boardwalk go by
-Sitting on the concierge lounge balcony and watching Illuminations
-Being able to walk to Epcot or MGM, or take a boat if you wish.
-Being able to book a concierge level room
-Having queen size beds (big plus when you have a three year old who likes to climb in bed with you when she's away from home)
-Bigger rooms and bathrooms with double sinks
-Not having to take a slow and confusing internal bus system or walk two miles to get to the main building
-Not having to deal with the huge lines at the food courts. The deluxe resorts in general have fewer rooms, fewer people.
I am not saying that we would never stay in a moderate resort again, or a value, especially once the kids are grown, just pointing out that the difference is a little more than a pretty lobby and a restaurant.

That is true and if those things are important to you and your family it may be well worth the extra money.

When I stayed at the CR with a MK view I loved the view from my balcony.

That said I think I was on the balcony 2 or 3 times and never more 5 minutes because when I am at Disney I do not spend time in my room or at my home resort. I am so busy enjoying the parks, shopping, dining out , visiting other resorts and exploring I am hardly ever at my resort.
-------------------------------------------------
As for the monorail vs. buses even those staying at a monrail resort will need to use buses if they visit all the parks using public transportation.


Transpotation times ( in # of Minutes)to the parks according to my passporter book

All Stars-------CR------------GF----------Poly
MK-----20----20(mono)------3 (mono)-----10 (mono)
Epcot--10----15+15(mono)--12+10(mono)---10+10(momo)
MGM---10----20-------------10------------15
Ak-----10----20------------15------------15
DTD---15----35-------------20------------25

Yes, the monorail resorts are closer to the MK and the travel time to MK is less but the travel time to any of the other parks is less from the All Stars.

It only takes 10 minutes to get to Epcot, MGM and AK from All Stars.
MK is 20 min away. That's the same amount of time it takes on the monorail from the Contemporary.

Have fun at Disney wherever you choose to stay!

 

[auntpolly]

It's all relative. When we could only afford the Days Inn off property - we loved the Days Inn off property. When we could afford Dixie Landings, as it was called then, we thought we died and went to heaven we loved staying on property so much. Now that we can afford the Poly, it would be hard to go back, what with the great location and the wonderful, cheesy, over the top WDW magic there!!!

My point - it's all good at WDW! Spend what you are comfortable with and you'll have fun no matter what!!

 

[eliza61]

mean, the point of a vacation is to spend as little time in your room as possible.

bite your tongue, The wrong hotel can turn a vacation into a nightmare. Nothing beats walking into a great hotel room

 

[Kerri10]

For us the balcony makes it all worth it. Our son is used to going to bed at 8:00 so there are some nights during the week that I'm sure he's going to fall asleep earlier than we are. With the balcony we can go outside and have a glass of wine and stay up a few more hours without disturbing him.

 

[Cass]

IMO a deluxe just makes the whole thing nicer.

I have stayed and POFQ and had a great trip, but my stays at AKL, BC & WL were so much nicer. To me, it's worth the extra cost.