Are WDW deluxe's worth the $?

[skiwee1]

When my DD and I stayed at the Poly in April the biggest 2 things I remember were that we couldn't even get in the volcano pool at the Poly because it was so busy. Also, no place to sit out of the sun,all the chairs were taken. I was very dissappointed but we dealt with it. We used the quiet pool though, but I bet the moderate resorts pool was better than that. Another was I didn't think the transportation for MGM,AK or DTD was so special. It took us so long after dropping off at other resorts. So, I made up my mind that a deluxe at rack rate is not such a good deal. If I got a special code or somthing I would. I know people say that if you have children it is great for the transportation ,but if I went with my little granddaughter and couldn't use the volcano pool ,I would really feel stupid paying that amount of money.

Well I can't speak for other moderates but I can for CBR. The Poly pool might have been crowded but you haven't seen crowds til you step foot near the CBR main themed pool. There are so many kids there it isn't funny. You don't need to worry about a chair in the sun because you won't even be staying to swim. The quiet pools as you have seen at the Poly are almost always empty at the Poly and the CBR. I don't know when you stayed at the Poly but in May and October we have had no trouble finding chairs in the shade and plenty of room to swim. I'll pay rackrate for a deluxe anyday before going back to a mod.

 

[thumpersfriend]

Skiwee1 That is good to know about a moderate pool. I usually read about how nice the mod pools are but never how crowded they are. My only comparison to the Poly is FW cabins and the pool there was never crowded. We went April l8-21 this past year. I really did love the Poly but I didn't know about codes and AP's and if I stayed there, that is what I would try to get. Maybe May or October would be best next time I go.

 

[grimley1968]

Honestly, as much as I love staying in Deluxes, and I've stayed at 3 of them: Poly, WL and BC, I have to say about the only real substantive difference between Deluxes and Mods or Values is the better and more varied transportation options at the Deluxes. With the exception of AKL, the Deluxes all have direct, non-bus transportation to at least one park, and sometimes 2 parks. At this juncture of our family's life, with 2 little ones in need of naps in mid-day, we like those transportation options. But when our little girls get older, we probably won't mind staying in a Mod and riding the bus everywhere, since we'll mostly be able to run around the parks all day without nap times. The extra theming, and maybe larger beds that the Deluxes offer over Mods are nice, I suppose, but will you really spend much time in the room/resort enjoying those things, or will you be too busy in the parks to notice? A lot of this depends on how much time you want to spend in the parks as compared to hanging out at your resort.

 

[CanBeGrumpy]

I personally do not think they are worth the cost. Usually when I figure out how many hours I have to work to earn the $$ to stay deluxe, then the values look REALLY good!!! I have stayed at the Grand Floridian, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Polynesian, Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge, Coronado Springs, Port Orleans Riverside, all 3 All-Stars, Pop Century and Fort Wilderness. The Values and Port Orleans Riverside are the only ones that I feel are worth what they cost. I will say that the Contemporary Tower with a view of Magic Kingdom is worth a lot of money, but not quite as much as they charge for it!!!

The rooms at the deluxes, although the largest on property, are still very small to me (Contemporary was nice, though). I don't mind small rooms at a value price, but I expect much more for the deluxe price. I also feel that the food courts at the values beat any other food courts at Disney. Oh, and the All-Stars arcades are also larger than most Deluxes.

Lastly, if I choose value over deluxe, the $$$ saved is usually enough to finance another complete vacation, somewhere other than Disney (which we are a little burned out on anyway). I can normally "afford" deluxe, but I choose to go "value", which is probably why I could afford to go deluxe if I wanted to!! It really is a matter of personal taste, but for me, I'd rather have two vacations than one vacation at a deluxe hotel.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

To us it's worth the cost. We even stay concierge which is an extra cost.
We stay at the Polynesian & Yacht Club. The location of both resorts weigh out the added expense. Just the other night my DH and I went to Magic Kingdom at night while my 2 DD stayed in the hotel. We never would have think to leave them if we weren't so close.

 

[TB'sWidow]

I have stayed value mod & deluxe the deluxe was only once at the poly it was nice but I did not feel it was worth the extra money the best thing was monorail access. I am hoping to stay at the Gf next year if only for as few days because I promised my husband I would still go for our twentieth anniversary even though he was going to heaven but would be with me in spirit.

 

[jarestel]

They are probably not worth it if you consider what else the money could be spent on. Hotels come up pretty short when measured against the more important things out there. ( ie, you could eat fabulously for a month at home compared to what you'll spend for a week in a delux, could make an extra mortgage payment or 2, pay off the car loan, etc... ) But if you've budgeted the cash for your vacation, there's nothing wrong with splurging a bit and staying at a resort with a few nice features. I guess it's like the advice they give to gamblers... go for it if you can afford to lose the money, otherwise, try something else.

Good luck!

 

[minnie61650]

I have stayed value mod & deluxe the deluxe was only once at the poly it was nice but I did not feel it was worth the extra money the best thing was monorail access. I am hoping to stay at the Gf next year if only for as few days because I promised my husband I would still go for our twentieth anniversary even though he was going to heaven but would be with me in spirit.

for you and your family.
I was saddened to read about the loss of your dh.
Try to enjoy your stay at the GF next year. That's what dh wanted. Heres a little pixie dust for you and your family.
Linda

 

[webray]

We are fast approaching our 5th trip in less than 4 years. (9 nights 10/28-11/6). We have always stayed at the GF(LV&GV) and one split stay at the AKL. Love the GF and enjoyed 2 nights at AKL(but would not want to stay longer, as we love the convienence of the GF). We have always traveled in value season prior, and have been fortunate to enjoy AP or other discounts for all of our past trips.

We travel extensively and fortunately can afford high end properties, so we are used to high room rates(although I do enjoy searching for deals, as long as they do not compromise the enjoyment of the trip). At WDW we find ourselves(like most) at the parks during the day, a swim in the pm, often dinner at the resort and then to bed and all over again the next day.

We have never been disapointed in the GF in any way, but I am having trouble feeling comfortable w/ the$400+/night rates for this upcoming trip. We love WDW(and GF, as noted), but I think Subconsciously feel the costs for deluxes(particulary during regular season, without real discounts just dont make sense and/or compare to other 4 or 5 star resorts we stay at in comprable regular seasons in other destinations(often at equal or greater cost than WDW, but sometimes even less).

Sorry to ramble, but does anyone else feel this ambivalence? And if so what do you usually end up doing? Thanks.

Like you, we are able to enjoy the finer things life has to offer. We have traveled extensively and we always stay at high end resorts. We found the GF (we stayed main building concierge/suite) to be substandard in all areas. Actually, we found the disney value resorts to offer better service than the GF resort. We found AKL concierge to be the best on disney property, and the AKL resort is one of our favorite deluxes. GF is definately not worth $400 per night..$200 maybe..lol.

 

[Micca]

We have stayed at GF and other Deluxes and really enjoyed them. That said, I can't tell you the pleasure of our trip was compromised when we have stayed at CSR. $400 a night is pretty high if you can stay for $150 and have an extra $250 PER DAY to spend on meals, merch, experiences.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Personally, for me, I like the different hotels for different reasons. Mostly theming. AKL was my fave stay so far, but Pop Century suits me just fine if I don't plan to spend much time in my hotel. I would choose a value onsite though, over a 5 star off site, for theming and not having to rent a car.

If you feel like you are spending too much on a deluxe, why not look into a cheaper deluxe, like WL? Or a mod? If you are not spending much time at the hotel, why not?

 

[deadhedjen]

I just want to say how much I've enjoyed reading this thread. I'm in the planning stages of our July 4th 2006 trip to the mouse. We've visited twice in the last 3 years but stayed off-site. For this upcoming trip DH and I always thought we'd stay at the Poly...especially after reading about the AP discounts of up to 40% off that USED TO be available.
I think I stopped checking the boards for about 2 months or so (lurking) and when I got back on to do my research for this trip all the talk about best rate was going on. To tell you the truth I am still confused about the whole best rate thing.
I am so sad that now I probably won't be able to afford the Poly for my family. There are 6 of us so I would need 2 rooms.
Its partly my fault though because I always thought you could fit 6 in the deluxe resort rooms.
So.....
that being said, I have been checking out the POP and POFQ resorts. Both of them seem fine and affordable, but when you had your hopes and dreams on the Poly...these 2 in my mind come up short.
I've enjoyed reading your rationales for NOT staying at the deluxe resorts. I really stopped to think for a long time the comment that one would have $250.00 more to spend EACH DAY of their trip if they didn't stay at the deluxe. That kind of money can go far for my family.
Please continue to post your comments as I'll reading them with great interest.
Thanks.
Jennifer.

 

[Biffy]

Hey Mark-
I have stayed in all resorts on property except SS and SOG and Value Resorts. All deluxe are worth staying in... Some ideas for you if you are interested in staying at Deluxe. Of course the WL is wonderful. Different theme from GF as you know but still Deluxe service. Ifyou like GF another option for you is PO RIverside. Request a room in MAGNOLIA BEND. It has that old southern plantation feel (like Gone with the Wind) do not get a room in Alligator Bayou (more like Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn) It's definitely Magnolia (Oak Bluff is a great location- near bus stop and right over a small bridge to the lobby and food court) As an AP you'll love the rate there too... also PO Riverside has the most pools of all the moderates. Good luck and have a great time!

 

[Cinderella]

It really all depends how much the cost is to you, and if you feel that the cost of a deluxe is worth it. We all know that a big draw with the deluxe resorts is location. But, there's much more to it than that. With any expensive hotel, whether in Walt Disney World, or out, you are paying extra for the facilities there, such as room service, spa, health club, quality restaurants etc. If you feel you would use such facilities, then the deluxes may be well worth it. If you don't see them being beneficial to you, i think you would have to ask yourself if it was worth the extra just to be close to one of the parks.

 

[lulugirl]

Well, I'm a moderate girl! I would love to stay at a deluxe but staying at a moderate allows us to to enjoy an unlimited food/souvenier (spell check?) budget.
While planning our last trip Dh and I decided to go deluxe but when we were offered POFQ for $84 a night, well we ditched the deluxe plan quickly.
I think it depends on what your top priorites are when vacationing, some people want a convenient hotel w/ all the amenities, others just want a clean place to crash at the end of the night.
If it doesn't hurt your budget, hey stay at the hotel you love!