Deluxe lovers.. Would you ever stay at a value resort if you can no longer..

[cdrn1]

We have stayed at all levels. I personally prefer the deluxes, but the grandkids prefer Pop Century and so to make them happy, that is where we will stay until they all outgrow it. I have 7 grandkids under 9, so that will be a while, I'm afraid...it is not a matter of economics for us, but a desire to make the experience as fun as we can for the kids. If I happen to go without kids, I will stay deluxe. The point is, while I love deluxe, Pop is quite a lot of fun too. We will stay wherever the kids want to stay. I will just have to pack a coffee pot.

 

[*Fantasia*]

We have stayed at all levels. I personally prefer the deluxes, but the grandkids prefer Pop Century and so to make them happy, that is where we will stay until they all outgrow it. I have 7 grandkids under 9, so that will be a while, I'm afraid...it is not a matter of economics for us, but a desire to make the experience as fun as we can for the kids. If I happen to go without kids, I will stay deluxe. The point is, while I love deluxe, Pop is quite a lot of fun too. We will stay wherever the kids want to stay. I will just have to pack a coffee pot.

I like your thinking! It's all about the children.. making them happy. Your grandkids are lucky to have you. My children actually don't care where we stay as long as there's a pool. So luckily all Disney resort has at least one pool! It is nice to put moderate or deluxe in the mix sometimes.

 

[AJA]

We've never stayed at a value but we would in a heart beat if it were the difference between staying onsite vs off site.

It might mean we vacation a little different as now we spend 30-40% of our time at the resort. If the resort doesn't have a lot of amenities we would probably spend more time in the parks.

I totally disagree with mods being a waste of money. POR has the boat to DTD. You can pool hop between the two resorts, you have the carriage ride. Also the pool at CBR was in all honesty 100% better than AKL (not in love with the rest of the resort, but the pool ROCKS).

 

[crostorfer]

I'd rather not go, or not go as often, than stay at a value.

I like a water slide at the pool. I like a table service restaurant in my resort. I like a balcony or patio that I can sit and relax on while drinking my coffee in the morning, or having my evening cocktail. I prefer a larger bed with a separate full bathroom so that two of us can get up and get ready while the third one sleeps.

We have the advantage of being military, however, so if the point comes along where I can't afford the Polynesian, or if Disney discontinues the military discount, we'll just move across the road to the Shades of Green resort where the rooms are larger than the Disney deluxe rooms and I have all of the things I need except a pool slide.

 

[HappyDaisy]

We've been priced out of the deluxe resorts for years. We're no longer willing to pay the prices that Disney wants for the moderates, either. It's just too expensive for our budget.

For some reason, DH hates the value resorts. So, if he goes with me, we stay offsite, usually at a Hilton property so he can get points for the stay. If I go alone or with other members of my family, I choose a value. So, yes. I stay at value resorts even though I'd prefer a deluxe.

 

[shburks]

I can and have stayed Value ..If I couldn;t do Deluxe it would be value.I think the mods are a waste of $$ , but that is just my opinion

That's exactly what I think! We either do deluxe or value. Go for the big bucks/location/amenities or do the trip cheaply. Mods just seem like a waste to me, too. Thought I was the only one.

To answer the OP, any time at Disney is a good time and I would NOT let my resort choice define my vacation. If "downgrading" to value would be the only way I could go, I'd do it in a heartbeat. BUT we don't spend a lot of time at our resort. We go for the parks!

 

[siouxi31]

We started to stay at value resorts. The first time we did it took some getting accustomed to.


I can't say it was due to our income situation changing, but more like we finally admitted that we couldn't afford deluxe resorts in the first place--we were terrible at budgeting and just charged it.

 

[Kaarup]

We have stayed at almost all of the Disney hotels at least once. My favorite stay is the Contemporary as I like the decor and the theming (especially since they got rid of the popart deco) because it's a nice walk to the MK. And we almost always end most evenings there w EMH. Where we stay depends on when we go and who goes too. If we are going for the Food and Wine Festival we will ONLY stay at the Epcot Resorts. If only DH and I go we usually now stay at POP because they have the best/fastest value bus transportation. BUT I think we have stayed MOST at the Swan or Dolphin. We teach, so that helps the price there, and now we can do the AARP rate. Christmas of 2010 we got three rooms for the whole family at a rate of $159/night. Dh and I are going again the end of July because the AARP rate is $125/nt. Even when you add in the resort fee of $14 and the parking fee it is still cheaper than POP. But we LOVE being able to walk into Epcot and usually take the boat to HS. NYE fireworks were great when we just had to WALK back to our hotel. Same for taking a group to the Food and Wine Festival (word of advice here, walk to far side of Epcot at the beginning and work/drink your way BACK to the hotel!!)
Our decisions are usually based on the transportation options for the group going. The stroller for the dgk can roll onto the boat, only have to fold it up (and take out sleeping kids) to go to MK or AK.

 

[Nomad70]

While we can afford to stay deluxe we also enjoy saving money. We don't spend much time in the room and we certainly don't mind walking. We also don't care whether there are tons of things to do at the resort. Now, I admit we are staying at a value resort for the first time this fall. I will have to judge then.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I've stayed value, moderate and deluxe.

I really can't justify the cost of deluxe when I go solo anymore even though I love all the amenities they offer.

Values are ok but I would rather stay at a moderate since I spend more time at the resort now that I'm older. I can't do the commando thing anymore and really like quiet downtime at the resort in the afternoons.

I still want to try ASMusic so until I've stayed there, I can't say I'd skip a trip rather than stay at a value but I do like the moderates better - especially POR and POFQ.

 

[*Fantasia*]

Bump! Would love to read more!

 

[ashleyrm]

Deluxes are for special occasions or when very good deals can be had. Moderates are for any other time when traveling with DH or adult kids. Values are for when traveling solo and no good deals offered at mods.

That's just me...don't spend a lot of time at the resorts so not really a big issue. DD and I stayed at POR last visit and really, we would have been just as happy at one of the values. Only used the quiet pool one day, had our own car so didn't deal with busses.

If I stay at at Deluxe, it is the Beach Club as I love the proximity to Epcot.

Have stayed at DVC as well, but only when traveling with entire family and good deal on rental points could be found.

 

[BlovesC]

I have no qualms over staying at ANY disney resort because of its tier. We pick our resorts based on what we want from that resort at that particular time. We wanted a relaxing, resort-only vacation in May, so we stayed at Beach Club, and loved it so much we booked another stay for September. We really wanted to try the new Royal Guest rooms out at POR, so we booked there for October. Every January we stay a week, and it's usually a park heavy trip, so we're staying at AoA in a LM room then because I'm dying to experience the new resort.

I don't feel like I'm "scaling back" when I book a value or moderate! In fact, POFQ remains my DH's favorite resort, no matter where else we stay. It's just a matter of personal preference. There are some deluxes that I'd actually choose a value over. I didn't enjoy our stay at SSR, so I'd choose a value over going back there. And the GF does nothing for me with its "grandma's cottage" rooms, so I'd much more happily accept a mod or value over it. More expensive does not automatically="better" for all people.

 

[MinnieMommy07]

I have no qualms over staying at ANY disney resort because of its tier. We pick our resorts based on what we want from that resort at that particular time. We wanted a relaxing, resort-only vacation in May, so we stayed at Beach Club, and loved it so much we booked another stay for September. We really wanted to try the new Royal Guest rooms out at POR, so we booked there for October. Every January we stay a week, and it's usually a park heavy trip, so we're staying at AoA in a LM room then because I'm dying to experience the new resort.

I don't feel like I'm "scaling back" when I book a value or moderate! In fact, POFQ remains my DH's favorite resort, no matter where else we stay. It's just a matter of personal preference. There are some deluxes that I'd actually choose a value over. I didn't enjoy our stay at SSR, so I'd choose a value over going back there. And the GF does nothing for me with its "grandma's cottage" rooms, so I'd much more happily accept a mod or value over it. More expensive does not automatically="better" for all people.

Exactly. I really agree with this so much. There are definitely good points in this. Everyone is looking for something different. To us we were looking for "DISNEY" and are fortunate enough to still fit in a "value" room. I loved it and prefer the foodcourt and pool over ALOT of the setups at other resorts. I personally have a hard time choosing through all of the booking categories because there are some things you just can't at others!

 

[Dizzytime]

We're older, and with our kids no longer in the picture it has finally, and simply come down to location. For us, that translates to Epcot resorts so we can walk to a lot we like. We like Epcot, we like HS, we like the Boardwalk area. Actually we love all those, and especially the WS area, so the convenience of staying there (usually BC) has been the biggest factor.

We love the Beach Club, almost everything about it, but it is expensive and coming from CA means we go only every few years now. But I'll tell you what, if they replaced it with an All Star-Something, Coronado Springs II, or...whatever, we'd be real happy to gear down and save the $$.

Again, for us at least, it's the location and not the resort. Obviously, Disney had that aspect figured out a long time ago.


By the way, great topic!

 

[jcammans]

I grew up staying off-site or in a deluxe. This is the first time that I am staying in a Moderate. I really wouldn't have minded trying a value resort, but the theming is just so... "intense" is the word that I heard someone else use to describe it. It just turns me off of thinking about staying at a value.

 

[Masonmj84]

The theming of the values just does not appeal to me at all (FWIW, I also think the Swan and Dolphin are very ugly on the outside).

And, for us, queen beds are a must (so CBR is also off our list for now).

 

[scottmel]

I just returned from a wonderful vacation - split stay at POR and BC CL. This is my first mod in 10 years - we go yearly and stay Deluxe. I found myself sort of hurrying the vacation along so I could check into BC.POR was LOVELY but mods are just not me. I couldn't imagine a more lovely mod - but I am not into food courts or having to walk to get a mug refill across a bridge (though a short walk honestly).....I missed way more than I thought I would at a mod. Maybe if I ever stayed a mod again I would stay put there the whole week rather than split staying. I got an incredible pin for there and got the room for 135 riverview with a view of the river. Couldn't pass up that crazy savings. But it was difficult to adjust to for me

 

[MinnieMommy07]

I just returned from a wonderful vacation - split stay at POR and BC CL. This is my first mod in 10 years - we go yearly and stay Deluxe. I found myself sort of hurrying the vacation along so I could check into BC.POR was LOVELY but mods are just not me. I couldn't imagine a more lovely mod - but I am not into food courts or having to walk to get a mug refill across a bridge (though a short walk honestly).....I missed way more than I thought I would at a mod. Maybe if I ever stayed a mod again I would stay put there the whole week rather than split staying. I got an incredible pin for there and got the room for 135 riverview with a view of the river. Couldn't pass up that crazy savings. But it was difficult to adjust to for me

where does your family normally have their meals when staying at a deluxe?

 

[scottmel]

where does your family normally have their meals when staying at a deluxe?

We stay club level so have breakfast in the lounge, then at the park we do our table service meal for the day (nice break from parks and cheaper than dinner prices) then we usually have a mini meal in lounge for dinner and then at parks at night grab a sandwhich or pizza from boardwalk pizza., etc. Really works out well for us - we go in June and staying club level is a blessing in that heat.....This past trip I stayed BC CL and it was ok...i much prefer YC CL but still really enjoyed it.