Deluxes vs. Moderates, more subtle differences and experiences?

[LiveToTravelNicely]

I've read a great deal about the differences between the Deluxes and the Moderates. Usually, I find the SAME information: Deluxes have interior corridors, queen beds (although most Mods have queens, now, too), CS, TS, and Signature restaurants, preferred location, and most have 2nd form of transportation besides bus. After staying at the Polynesian last year, I am curious to know more subtle differences between it and the moderates such as mattess comfort, quality of linens, staff attentiveness, etc. If you have stayed at both a deluxe and a moderate (especially since the mods were upgraded to queen beds), please share your contrast between the two. Thanks!

 

[Missytara]

I have stayed POR in a regular room several times and once at SSR in a studio. I have stayed once with 4 adults at POR and once with 3 adults at SSR in the studio. We had more room at POR.

SSR - kitchenette is nice over the fridge at POR.

SSR - balcony, but it is too small to enjoy with more than one person.

POR - two sinks in lieu of one at SSR.

POR - dressing room where the sinks are; nice to get out of the hot shower area to get dressed.

POR - both beds are already out; SSR have to make/fold up the sofa bed daily. You have to move around the cocktail table and look for a place to stash the pillows.

SSR - entrance takes up too much room and is waste of space. POR much more open room with better flow.

POR - best food court on property next to POP. SSR - abyssmal at best. But it was nice to have the grocery store items.

POR - nice restaurant; SSR - fantastic restaurant with patio. Love, love, love the Turf Club.

POR - best lounge on site next to WL; SSR - too stuffy and no real bar to speak of.

 

[DisneyFamilyMomof5]

I have stayed at all resorts, deluxe, moderate and value..
I found the deluxes to have MUCH larger rooms , including a much larger bathroom, it also had the toilet seperate from the shower area which was nice for my larger family..
The beds were more comfortable at the deluxe, but the moderates are comfortable too..
i go to Disney twice a year and take five kids, so when i factor in cost, moderates are best for me, the staff everywere is attentive and friendly, at deluxes you can get more personalized attention, room service, turn down ect..
if you dont care so much about that, then the moderate is fine. My favorite moderate resorts is port orleans.. thats where i usually stay.. i think its a perfect balance between the amenieties and comforts of the deluxes and the savings of the value..
Another note, I found the food courts much better at the moderate than the deluxe, i guess more people at the deluxes eat at the sit down restaurants, so the food courts at the moderates offer more choices, which is good for me because my kids have diverse food interests and we like the food court for its quick convenience with 5 kids

 

[MSSANDRA]

We too have stayed value to deluxe. There is a huge difference in value and moderate...more that I ever thought. The biggest difference that we found between moderate and deluxe that mattered to us, was the size of the room. The extra room at deluxe is very nice and the fact that you can add the 5th person is nice as well. Now ever resort is different BUT.... we have found the staff, including check-in much more friendly at the moderate. We also have had much better transportation on the buses at the moderate though having the second form at the deluxe is nice too.

Not asked, but the only thing we like better at the values, is the huge selection at the great food courts.

 

[francie57]

We have stayed at all of the deluxes and BWVs/BCVs and the size of the rooms can't be beat. SSR really can't be compared to a deluxe room since they are DVC and the amenities in the room are different - although a studio is a really good size room. Can't compare to a moderate thought since I happen to be a deluxe girl and haven't stayed anywhere else. The other biggest difference is that the deluxes all offer easy access to one or more of the parks where the moderates don't.

 

[LiveToTravelNicely]

When we stayed at the Polynesian last year, the bathrooms there were all one room (toilet, sink and shower). I know that the Polynesian is older and Disney probably wasn't thinking in the "Value, Moderate, Deluxe" categories at the time. I think the most deluxe thing about the Polynesian is the location and probably the real size of the room. Don't get me wrong, I really really like the Polynesian theming. It was great! But, from everything I've seen, the theming at the Moderates looks pretty impressive. I'm just wondering if you took the Polynesian and the POR and swapped the locations, if the categories would be reversed. My biggest objective is to make sure that we won't be sleeping on an uncomfortable bed if we stay at the POR.