does anyone book deluxe,even if just using the room for sleeping?

[married2mm]

And not really spending any time hanging out at the resort?

 

[stargazertechie]

I have a feeling many families book the Contemporary, Poly, and GF for the convenience factor of the monorail with young kids.


If we stay deluxe, you can bet we're enjoying that room. On average we pay just as much for the room as we do for our tickets, so we're going to enjoy it!

 

[Noel22]

This is what I always think about too.

 

[donnyj]

And not really spending any time hanging out at the resort?

When ever we stay deluxe we will stay at one of the resorts on the monorail and we generally end up taking a mid day break at the hotel. If we are going to disney for a long weekend and going to hit the parks from morning to night, we will stay at POP. I personally would have a hard time staying deluxe and not taking advantage of the amenities that they offer, but I'm sure there are people who would have no issue with that. I have had awesome experiences at both levels of disney resorts and always look forward to returning no matter where we are staying.

 

[Mousemommy1]

I actually think that staying at a deluxe actually slows you down so that you take the time to enjoy the resort, which for my family is a good thing!!!

We had stayed at values and one moderate (CBR) prior to trying our 1st deluxe. We were a commando at the values and moderates because, quite frankly, for us, we didn't want to be in the room or at the resort...there was just nothing there to keep us reeled in.

However, once we tried our 1st deluxe (WL), it was like a whole new world. It was just so peaceful and relaxing. Our room was larger, so we didn't mind hanging out in it more. The balcony gave us a nice place to sit and enjoy the scenery. We stayed CL so the lounge was obviously a draw. We enjoyed the pool area there much more than the values, less chaotic and more shaded.

Anyway, we really found ourselves wanting to hang out at WL and thus ended up spending more time at the resort than we had anticipated or that we were used to.

Then this year at YC, I would say we spent our time 50/50 between parks and the resort because there were so many wonderful amenities to enjoy. Now, we stay deluxe in order to get that quality resort time that has become so important to us.

We actually leave Disney feeling relaxed and like we have been on a vacation now, instead of needing a vacation from our vacation.

 

[katiee37]

BC and BW are great for those spending the bulk of their time between Epcot and HS. I've only stayed at BC but when you aren't in the parks you aren't going to be in your room; you'll be at the sand-bottom pool, Stormalong Bay. You're paying for location as well as great amenities such as the pool in addition to the room itself.

 

[ocalla]

The moment we stayed Deluxe, we spent more time relaxing mid-day at the pool!!

Used to hit the parks at EMH and stay all day, now we go early, leave around 1:00, swim then clean up and head back to parks refreshed around 5:00.

We don't however stay in our room, so I don't book suites or water view rooms.

We stayed at a moderate this past June, and really missed the transportation options that the deluxe resorts offer.

 

[Happyjen27]

I have a feeling many families book the Contemporary, Poly, and GF for the convenience factor of the monorail with young kids.

Yup. When my kids have had it with something, they have had it. The sooner we can get to the room, the better. The older my pair gets, the more likely we will branch off into the mods and values, because they will not "fall apart" so easily. At least that is what I'm selling my DH, LOL.

 

[sjs314]

I agree with MM staying Deluxe does make you slow down and want to leave the Parks to get back to your resort. Whether it is the pool calling you back to spend time at the resort or perhaps one of the resorts restaurants, you find yourself actually planning a resort day/s during your trip.

 

[fabulousfive]

We stayed at the GF last time and I built some time into the resort, but not much. I felt I was getting our money's worth simply by being on the monorail & having a nice place to stay. This time I am trying to build in more time at the resort & book a restaurant or two while we're there as well. I would like to soak it up a bit more this time. We're also staying longer on this upcoming trip so that will help too!!!!

 

[jtowntoflorida]

We stay in the deluxe MK resorts for the convenience. We generally do the mid-day break and like to go for a swim. We spend most of our time at the MK, so we want to be close to it.

 

[winthropf]

For Food & Wine Festival trips I will stay at BC/YC/BW for easy access to World Showcase. I do spend time taking breaks and occasionally use the pool, but easy entrance and ability for short walk (OK sometimes stagger) back to the resort is worth it for me.

 

[eliza61]

And not really spending any time hanging out at the resort?

We're a deluxe family if we stay onsite basically because my sons and husband are all 6 ft and over, also because we love walking to the parks. So no matter what we plan on doing it's deluxe or offsite

 

[darkwing818]

I agree with MM staying Deluxe does make you slow down and want to leave the Parks to get back to your resort. Whether it is the pool calling you back to spend time at the resort or perhaps one of the resorts restaurants, you find yourself actually planning a resort day/s during your trip.

This fits us to a tee....

 

[Sue M]

Not me! If I'm staying deluxe, I enjoy the resort ammenities. I also enjoy the moderates, POR & FQ.

 

[toodycat]

I have never booked a deluxe knowing I wouldn't be in the room except to sleep, but a couple of times it has turned out that way. For DH's 50th birthday, we stayed at AKL CL and had a very busy schedule. However, part of the time was spent on the Sunrise Safari which we would not have been able to do unless we were staying CL. N general, we choose deluxes because of the pools, the grounds and the restaurants more so than the actual rooms, so we tend to take advantage of those amenities.

 

[mickeynut1]

Our first trip onsite was at a mod, but once we tried a deluxe the following year, we haven't stayed anything else since. We spend more time at the resort than we do the parks, so we enjoy the extra amenities that the deluxes offer.

 

[Nancyg56]

I would not book the Deluxe resorts if i was just going to sleep in the room and then head back out. We go back and forth between Deluxe and Mod, but we always make time to enjoy the resort.

 

[Lisa P.]

We were a commando at the values and moderates because, quite frankly, for us, we didn't want to be in the room or at the resort...
However, once we tried our 1st deluxe... It was just so peaceful and relaxing. Our room was larger, so we didn't mind hanging out in it more. The balcony gave us a nice place to sit and enjoy the scenery... We enjoyed the pool area there much more...

Agreed. When we want our vacation to wrap up with us feeling relaxed and refreshed, we don't want to spend the whole time in a hotel room without many resort amenities. For us, this means we prefer DVC resort stays with deluxe resort amenities and generally in a 1BR villa or larger. Club level would be nice but it's out of our budget. But the moderates offers nicer pools and amenities... and the deluxes offer even more upgrades in the resort amenities that we enjoy, along with larger beds and more comfortable space in the rooms.

If we're hardly visiting the Disney parks or we plan to visit the parks for 1 or 2 very full days (rope drop to closing), and if we'll have a car, then we are just as happy to stay at very nice, upscale, offsite resorts with extensive resort amenities, in 1BR+ condos.

If we're only staying in the area for a couple nights and we plan to stay in the Disney parks all day, every day we're in the area, then we choose an onsite or very nearby hotel that's within our budget for the trip. For us, the options include a Disney Value hotel, Swan/Dolphin, a Downtown Disney area neighboring hotel or a place inside Bonnet Creek resort - any which is offering a great deal at the time and frequent shuttle transportation to the parks. If we want EMH, DME transport or DDP added on, we'd choose accordingly. For most people, this means the Disney value hotels.

For this last kind of trip (commando park visits, especially without very young children), we would feel that the money paid for a deluxe on this kind of trip would be wasted. It could be better spent on restaurants, adding a night or relieving any money worry about the trip budget. So we have no hesitation about skipping the deluxe hotels if we're primarily just planning to sleep in the room while there.

BTW, we also don't hesitate to visit Fort Wilderness Campground or one of the Deluxe hotels, to rent bikes or boats and enjoy the beautiful grounds, even if we're not staying there. We just don't use the pool areas, which are only for guests staying at that resort. But be bold about visiting the other properties to eat, shop or play. There's no reason you can't take a midday break for an air-conditioned lunch at a monorail resort, for example.

 

[TwinkleKS]

We basically use the room for sleeping. I don't like to hang out at the resort unless I have to, regardless ... I figure we have swimming pools at home. Our last trip with the little ones we did swim some at GF, but usually at night right before bedtime. The trip before we stayed at CR and only went back to the room once for naps and never went to the pool. I try to stay deluxe because I like the rooms better.