Disappointed in Pop/Value Level

[wyurm]

In order to get the most out of my vacations and keep within my budget I try to divide time between an expensive resort and very cheap resort. I did this in Hawaii and will be doing it in Disney. I'm staying Poly CL first part of Dec and switching to AoA for the last part of the trip. This lets me enjoy the amenities of a deluxe resort while saving money at the value. When we are at AoA we will likely not be in the resort at all but at the Poly we will be enjoying the decorations and such a lot. it just works better for us that way.

To each their own. If you don't care for the value resorts then you shouldn't stay at them. Feeling bad about where you stay will negatively affect you entire vacation. There is nothing wrong with staying off site and don't forget about the Swan and Dolphin which offer the best of both worlds.

 

[Ofinn]

All those people in one room. No wonder it was cramped. Just kidding but I couldn't resist.

On a serious note, I am the booking agent for my job and, seeing the prices of any decent room lately, I have to say that the values really offer a pretty good deal. Far more amenities than a standard hotel and location is everything.

No restaurants, no gym, no room service. What amenities do they have?

 

[Kristibo42]

No restaurants, no gym, no room service. What amenities do they have?

I like POP I don't go to Disney to go to the gym!!! As for restaurants you can use any in the other resorts. Plus at some of the other resorts you can't get anything to eat or drink when you come back late at night. The food court in POP is opened till 12.

 

[kmb584]

I have to agree with the OP. In 2011, I booked DD (then 2) and I at ASMu and switched to CSR after just one night. The room was just too small and dingy (clean, but overall looked rundown).

 

[maxiesmom]

No restaurants, no gym, no room service. What amenities do they have?

Even most of the moderate resorts don't have all of those amenities. You have to go deluxe to get them. POFQ has neither a gym or a restaurant, and I think the moderates have only pizza delivery. CSR is the only moderate with a gym. So why bash only the values for the lack of all of those extras?

 

[aaarcher86]

No restaurants, no gym, no room service. What amenities do they have?

If those things are requirements for you then you need to pay for them. Values are about the basics. They're for people who don't want to pay for those things - to make an affordable on site option they removed amenities to bring down the cost.

Values offer multiple pools, extended hour food courts, arcades, airline check in, a small convenience store/gift shop, and complimentary bus service everywhere. Quite a bit more than your standard rate Motel 6.

 

[Tomader]

Each person has to decide what is reasonable for themselves. I find around $100 a night to be very reasonable for a resort that:

will pick me up and take me back to the airport
take me to all of the local Disney theme parks and shopping district
has a huge food court and game room and gift shop
has multiple pools to swim in

What of that does your average Moteo or have?

When we just keep telling ourselves that we are lucky to get what we get Disney will keep raising the prices. The Pop can range from 120.00 to 140.00 a night. That is not cheap.We validate it by saying they give us a bus,a food court and a gift shop? Really We spend money in those places. We are doing them the favor. The price of Disney is very expensive for the average family. That is the bottom line.

 

[aaarcher86]

When we just keep telling ourselves that we are lucky to get what we get Disney will keep raising the prices. The Pop can range from 120.00 to 140.00 a night. That is not cheap.We validate it by saying they give us a bus,a food court and a gift shop? Really We spend money in those places. We are doing them the favor. The price of Disney is very expensive for the average family. That is the bottom line.

Of course it is. And it's up to you to say that it isn't worth the money, but to spend the money and then complain that it's not what you want to get is a bit much. If $140 per night isn't worth what you're getting the only way to voice that would be to put your money somewhere else. If you feel it has a Motel 6 vibe, by all means, get yourself a room at one for $40 a night. No one is forcing you or anyone else to pay that amount of money for accommodations you aren't happy with. Once you price out an offsite hotel, parking, rental car, etc the prices are quite comparable.

You also spend no additional money with the busses or airport transportation because it is built into the price. You might spend money in the food court, but it's a convenient option over having to travel to get food if it wasn't available. That's the point of amenities. It's not about being lucky to get what we get... It's feeling that the price is worth what Im receiving.

 

[Tomader]

Of course it is. And it's up to you to say that it isn't worth the money, but to spend the money and then complain that it's not what you want to get is a bit much. If $140 per night isn't worth what you're getting the only way to voice that would be to put your money somewhere else. If you feel it has a Motel 6 vibe, by all means, get yourself a room at one for $40 a night. No one is forcing you or anyone else to pay that amount of money for accommodations you aren't happy with. Once you price out an offsite hotel, parking, rental car, etc the prices are quite comparable.

You also spend no additional money with the busses or airport transportation because it is built into the price. You might spend money in the food court, but it's a convenient option over having to travel to get food if it wasn't available. That's the point of amenities. It's not about being lucky to get what we get... It's feeling that the price is worth what Im receiving.

When I go to Disney with a family of four we spend on average 4000.00. That would be staying at the Pop for 9 days. That is my choice. But again I stress not cheap. Remember, we do Disney a favor by coming and spending lots of Money! I don't think of it as Disney doing me a big favor.

 

[aaarcher86]

When I go to Disney with a family of four we spend on average 4000.00. That would be staying at the Pop for 9 days. That is my choice. But again I stress not cheap. Remember, we do Disney a favor by coming and spending lots of Money! I don't think of it as Disney doing me a big favor.

Who said Disney was doing you a favor?

It may not be cheap, but if you're unhappy with what you're getting for your money why are you continuing to stay there?

 

[wiserabbit]

We just got back from our 3rd AND LAST stay at Pop (or any value I think) - yes the rooms are clean, yes there are multiple pools and a food court, yes you have transportation if you need it - BUT - the quality of the rooms is what bugs me - walls sooo thin you can easily hear conversations, showers and flushing toilets all around. I paid the Hilton Garden Inn price for a Motel 6 - and that's just wrong!

Come on Disney - you can do better! Just because we choose to be budget conscious - don't short change us on the basics for the $$$ we pay! Keep the food court clean and plenty of ice in the dispensers at a minimum and SOUND PROOFING the rooms would be most welcome.

 

[Shaden]

Who said Disney was doing you a favor?

It may not be cheap, but if you're unhappy with what you're getting for your money why are you continuing to stay there?

Couldn't agree more, this is another .... 33% of an argument that goes on on these boards all the time that I can't stand. (The first is when people try to pretend Disney resorts [usually deluxes] are more then they actually are, the second is when people complain that others want something different from them in their Disney experience)

This is all about your actions as a consumer. Either its worth the price to stay on WDW property or its not. You are totally entitled to express feelings of disappointment, but at some point the solution is simple. Stay somewhere else. If you really don't think Disney is giving you the value for your money, don't give them your money.

We have put off our DVC purchase for another year, we want to see how FP+ rolls out, and if we still enjoy our vacation as much as we have with the current FP. We refuse to pay for Deluxe resorts, we don't feel they are worth the money, so we have only stayed at Moderates, though we are renting DVC for our next trip.

I agree that if we accept less, Disney will give us less, but the solution isn't simply to complain, its to put your money elsewhere if you aren't happy with the product.

 

[Fivesacharm]

Though I feel bad that the OP had a less-than-awesome experience, I can say that both my experiences at at POP were very pleasant, and this comes from someone who has never not spent the majority of her vacation staying at a VC resort (OKW, BWV, BCV, VWL). We always spend a night or two before we check into the VC resort at one of the value resorts (we've stayed at all the All-Stars and POP more than once..looking forward to trying AoA next year!!!)

Maybe I'm just not picky enough, but I always enjoy them! They aren't overly done with extra amenities, but they have everything you need and the themes are great, as are the pools and food courts. I'm always glad we get to stay at one of them for a couple days, then again, I'm kind of a sucker for over-sized characters! Lol Truly though, they give you the great experience of staying on property without breaking the bank and to be honest, I've never been in a value room that I was unhappy with...

Frankly, though, if you want all the "extras" (which the value resorts do not claim to have), you have to be willing to pay for them.

 

[samnbilly]

Ah yes, the justifying back pedal.

Honestly, it doesn't bother me in the least that you felt that way. I do think the comparisons are incredibly over the top. People want to pay the minimum but get the maximum. You're staying at a bare bones resort. It's beds, a shower, clean... I don't really understand why more than that is expected by anyone. Champagne taste on a beer budget as they say. What kind of standards were you going in with to be THAT disappointed?

I get that it's still expensive being the lowest level resort, but it's Disney and it is in line with other theme parks that are similar. What's a Motel 6 run these days? $60 per night? So you're paying roughly $40ish extra bucks for unlimited transportation, a food court that's open all day, multiple pools, and a few extras like the arcade. Seems fine.

If its unclean it needs to be taken up with management on site immediately and they'll resolve it ASAP.

It must bother you in some way, because you keep quoting her & giving your opinion.
Disney is expensive. No one is held at gunpoint to stay there, but people stay where they can afford, and not everyone can afford to stay onsite in the place they'd like.
Most people do it for the same reason..to spend vacation with Family.
She's entitled to have champagne taste on a beer budget.
Don't we all? lol

 

[aaarcher86]

It must bother you in some way, because you keep quoting her & giving your opinion.
Disney is expensive. No one is held at gunpoint to stay there, but people stay where they can afford, and not everyone can afford to stay onsite in the place they'd like.
Most people do it for the same reason..to spend vacation with Family.
She's entitled to have champagne taste on a beer budget.
Don't we all? lol

That's what people do on a discussion board... They discuss. That doesn't mean it bothers me in the slightest. Their vacation, your vacation, no ones vacation affects mine at all. But it's humorous when someone says accepting less means Disney will give us less and the proceeds to do just that. It ain't that deep - If something isn't worth the money then don't accept it. But putting a motel 6 and Pop side by side? No comparison. Come on.

Do we all have that taste? No.

 

[samnbilly]

That's what people do on a discussion board... They discuss. That doesn't mean it bothers me in the slightest. Their vacation, your vacation, no ones vacation affects mine at all. But it's humorous when someone says accepting less means Disney will give us less and the proceeds to do just that. It ain't that deep - If something isn't worth the money then don't accept it. But putting a motel 6 and Pop side by side? No comparison. Come on.

Do we all have that taste? No.

I personally think its a joke. When is the last time ANY of these ppl stayed at a Motel 6? I think its an exaggeration. If they would've mentioned another inexpensive motel, i don't think it would've gotten that response.
I agree, it ain't that deep. lol Red Roof Inn-

 

[maxiesmom]

That is the great thing about an open market--you don't have to buy what they are selling. If you don't feel you are getting value from a Disney resort, don't stay at one! There are hundreds of other motels/hotels/resorts/vacation homes nearby! But to insist a Disney value resort is like a Motel 6? Nope. Not even close.

 

[chrishatton]

My issue with this thread is quite simple.
What were you not offered that was advertized?
Value resorts to not advertize onsite restaurants, gyms, room service, large suites or contemporary fixtures. In fact they are quite clear in listing all amenities.
I would never book a hotel, motel or resort without first ensuring they offered that which my family required. That would be a waste of money. That being said, who would be at fault for that waste? The establishment that offered me a reservation and provided the services advertized? Or, me? I couldn't in good faith hope that they might read my mind and construct all of the facilities I wished they had.

 

[ltg02d]

Pop Century here we come! 60's bldg. so we can dash to the AOA pool! Can beat that Value.

 

[aaarcher86]

Pop Century here we come! 60's bldg. so we can dash to the AOA pool! Can beat that Value.

Do the Pop keys work at the AoA pool?