First Time Staying in a Value Resort

[dkrauss]

We're doing our first value resort during our DISapalooza weekend in December We're staying at AoA and really looking forward to it. My wife is a graphic artist by trade and the theming really has her excited!

Doug

 

[Stinky_Pete]

Buses are a non-issue IMO.. you can also stay at a deluxe and have the Monorail not working and wait 30 min. plus for boats....
:
to be honest the ONLY thing missing that one might NEED when comparing Delux vs. value are:

1. Coffee machine
2. body lotion and conditioner ( value have the combo thing only)+
3. some I believe might have a DVD player etc. USB ( mainly DVCs) could be wrong here.
4. Towels at pool and slide
5. Lounge, bar life, ( though Pop has a pool bar)
6. Room service
7. Table service
8. balcony

Most of these are nice to haves and that is why people pay more....but values, you still get a bed, pillows, blankets, safe, iron, comboa shampoo/conditioner, soap, in room fridge, TV, alarm, tissues, towels, daily room cleaning, free parking etc.. and bell services..

Pop is not bad, we liked it... like PP said,, it has that park feel to it, even at night the food court was crowded and noisy ( not in a bad way), but in a mall like way, where there was always action...

While your list comparing the deluxe vs. value amenities pertains to all values, the OP isn't staying at POP - he's staying at All Star Sports.

I'm sure the food courts at All Stars can get crowded, but in my limited experience it was much worse at POP than at the All Star resort I stayed at. And I did think it was crowded and noisy in a bad way at POP.

Plus the lines for buses always seemed longer at POP than All Stars. I never had to wait for a second bus when I was leaving from or returning to All Star Music.

I guess that's what a resort with almost a thousand more rooms gets you. But my point is that POP and All Stars are very different even though they're both value resorts.

 

[maxiesmom]

All value resorts now have pool bars.

 

[bookgirl]

Beware the KING. I go solo and always pray for a double. LOL I hate the showers in the accessible rooms.

They are the roll in type. So there is no lip on the floor and water goes everywhere. The bathroom is usually wet and since the toilet is in there you have to walk on a wet floor to go. It just icks me out.

The shower head is mounted on the long side of the shower not the short side and it's on a slider that is only about an inch from the wall itself, so the head will not be above you ever. The closest you will get is to put it high and face it TOWARDS the shower curtain, remember there is no lip, and let gravity get you a natural water fall.

The head does come off so it can be used that way but I'm the type that wakes up by standing under the shower half asleep until the water warms up my brain.

 

[spiceycat]

think you will be surprised. value resorts definitely get better bus service than the deluxes.

 

[DanInMN]

We have stayed at all the Values except AoA. The only thing we really dislike is the paper thin walls. We could hear every little sound from adjacent rooms. It was difficult to sleep - which is the main reason for a hotel! So now we either stay at a Moderate or off-site. I highly recommend Bonnet Creek (the timeshares, not the hotel) or Bahama Bay.

 

[ColoradoDis]

We stayed at POP (our first value) during Spring Break this year. To be honest, it was because we were on a fast 4-night stay and we opened and closed parks every day (yes, even on the day that MK was open with EMH until 3:00 am). We had a room that faced the lake in the 50's section. We didn't find it very noisy at all, perhaps it was because we were up late every day. I'd prefer to stay at the Contemporary every stay if I could, but the rates have gotten too high for us (even with AP discounts). We've stayed a several of the Moderates and Deluxes and wouldn't mind going back - but just can't justify the cost for the amount of time we're at the resorts. We don't have young children anymore so we don't use the pools (love Storm Along Bay) any more. We always rent a car (don't like depending on the buses) so we haven't had that experience. We also only ate at the food court once and it was a late lunch so we didn't have issues there.

We did have a good experience and have already booked return trips in Sept, Oct and Dec to POP - as you can see, we really liked it.

 

[tara32]

I hope you're good at eating standing up balancing a tray as the food court will look like a HS cafeteria on steroids!

Use white noise and maybe headphones at bedtime to drown out noisy neighbours , and what sounds like dinosaur speed racing down the hallway. Related: DO NOT get a pool view.

Conclusion: dalpo to get enough $ for a moderate.
Values work for some, but are definitely not my idea of a good time. I find the deluxes overpriced for what you get, and the moderates are a happy medium.
I find most people are fine if they ask themselves honestly and compare to their normal when traveling. If their norm is never in the room, ok with motels, don't even notice crowds, etc. it'd be fine.
If, like our family, we'd rather travel less often to have better accommodations , stay at places that are a relief to check in and see the amazing lobby, take visits back to the room during the day and linger in the morning, and consider our resort to be part of our vacation experience, I think you'd be extremely disappointed and would be better served cutting costs elsewhere, or even potentially staying at a close and gorgeous but offsite resort.

 

[bookgirl]

I hope you're good at eating standing up balancing a tray as the food court will look like a HS cafeteria on steroids!

The only time I have stood to eat anywhere in Disney was at Food and Wine Festival. LOL

Honestly OP, if you go into the trip with a good attitude you'll be fine. Go in with a poor attitude and your vacation will suck.

 

[coolbrook]

Just back from All-Star Movies and Poly, and I have a couple of observations. We have stayed at many different Disney resorts, but it was interesting to go back and for between these two on this trip.

The deluxes we have stayed at all had closets, moderates have the open closet bar/shelf in the sink area and a shelf under the sink. Values have the closet bar/shelf, but no shelf under the sinks. The point is, there is less storage.

I liked the roped line to board the busses at Sports and Movies except when it was raining. When it is crowded at the bus stop at other resorts it can be hard to know who got there first and there is some jockeying for position when the bus comes. Even though we were at Movies which seemed to be last when busses were shared, we never had to wait for a second bus.

I also prefer the food courts at moderate and value resorts to the Quick service at Poly and WL. Poly took forever and was terribly crowded. The system to order was confusing, then they gave you a buzzer so you would know when your food was ready (much later). There were no tables available inside so we had to eat lunch out side in 97 degree heat. At movies on this same trip I would maybe
wait behind two or three people to check out, plenty of seating, food was good. The hand dipped ice cream sandwich was great! The Poly food may have been better, but I didn't even care by the time I got it.

We did notice the huge difference in towel quality, but probably wouldn't have if we were not going back and forth. The other thing I noticed was the difference in upkeep, little things like sloppy painting and worn carpet and furniture. I think Movies is due for a refurb. When we stayed at Yacht Club this March I knew it was scheduled for a refurb, but you couldn't tell by looking at the carpet and paint. Just better maintained I would say.

I wouldn't hesitate to stay at an All-Star again. Enjoy your trip!

 

[JasonMouse]

The parking lot spaces are almost 12 inches smaller at the Values. Never wait until 9am to eat breakfast, but this goes for all food places. Something like 8am for breakfast, before 11:15 for lunch. Eat in piece and quiet.

 

[disnut8]

While your list comparing the deluxe vs. value amenities pertains to all values, the OP isn't staying at POP - he's staying at All Star Sports.

I'm sure the food courts at All Stars can get crowded, but in my limited experience it was much worse at POP than at the All Star resort I stayed at. And I did think it was crowded and noisy in a bad way at POP.

Plus the lines for buses always seemed longer at POP than All Stars. I never had to wait for a second bus when I was leaving from or returning to All Star Music.

I guess that's what a resort with almost a thousand more rooms gets you. But my point is that POP and All Stars are very different even though they're both value resorts.

The thing with All Stars is that you can walk to the other All Stars. When we stayed at All Stars Music, we found it easier to walk over to Sports and get on that bus in the morning since it was the first to load (IF sharing a bus, don't flame me since I know the All Stars don't always share buses). Also, for the food courts, if one is way too noisy or crowded, just go to another. Also, with the All Stars, you get six pools since they are all sister resorts.

Pop Century, though is our favorite but we're not going for the food court (we think there is better food in our room or at the parks) but, yes, the food court can be, well, noisy. OK, loud. So, if we are there during a time like that, we just take our food outside or back to the room. And we've never had a bus issue as I stated in a previous post.

 

[ohiotodds12]

There is definately a difference. The food court and the buses waiting areas were our two biggest wow moments. The third being the toilet paper! We only use a certain brand at home and never had an issue at Disney. We always pack some from home now to bring with us, doesn't matter if it get smooshed! I will say I do like the queue at the bus stops as it is first come first served but they are out in the elements so can get rather warm or wet. Have a great time!

 

[DisneyHoosier]

I was a bit worried the first time I did a value too, but honestly I'm now at the point that for the savings (and we're talking HUGE money if there aren't specials running) I now prefer value. The only thing that is significant to me is the double bed vs. queen. I could care less about the lotions or hairdryers, etc. etc. - sure I'd prefer to stay at Poly every trip, but for a 10-nighter, just can't justify the difference. That's a lot of lotion!

 

[laprostitch]

I've stayed at both value and moderate resorts, and I have just learned to bring my own coffee and coffee maker to start my day with my morning jolt! I love saving the money to stay there, because it lets me have a chance to visit Disney more often! And especially if you don't spend much time in the room, you will be so glad you saved the money!!

 

[Tonberry]

I hope you're good at eating standing up balancing a tray as the food court will look like a HS cafeteria on steroids!

Use white noise and maybe headphones at bedtime to drown out noisy neighbours , and what sounds like dinosaur speed racing down the hallway. Related: DO NOT get a pool view.

Yeah the food court can get loud and a little busy, but they've never been packed to the point where you have to stand up and eat. Never even close. I've been to All Star Movies twice in peak season and there have always been plenty of tables.

And the All Stars don't have hallways.

 

[BalooFan]

Other than one stay at a moderate, I had always stayed at deluxe resorts until last November. Because I was travelling solo and couldn't justify the cost of a stay at a deluxe, I stayed at Pop Century. The big differences for me were no balcony or patio, the size of the room, the small sink area, and the quality of the towels. I really believe that the noise level in a room has more to do with who is in the rooms around yours, rather than the resort. My room at Pop was much more quiet than most of my deluxe stays. The buses were more frequent at Pop than they are at the deluxe resorts, though they were typically packed. I did have to wait for the second bus a couple of times. I preferred the queue at the Pop bus stop; it's frustrating to wait for a bus for 20 minutes at a deluxe only to have someone who just walked up board before you. However, at the parks the value resort bus stops are typically the farthest away. I still prefer the deluxe resorts, but hope to book another solo trip to Pop very soon.

 

[nicolej92]

I have stayed at Old Key West (friend was a member) and the Value Resorts. While Old Key West was absolutely beautiful, I did not mind staying at All Star Music at all. We were in the parks all day and just needed a place to sleep at night, and the room served that purpose. We were in the Broadway building, so we were far away from all the noise and the pools. The buses did get a little crazy at closing time, but I felt like they did a good job with keeping up with them and sending more when they were needed.

 

[ojeight]

o be honest the ONLY thing missing that one might NEED when comparing Delux vs. value are:

1. Coffee machine
2. body lotion and conditioner ( value have the combo thing only)+
3. some I believe might have a DVD player etc. USB ( mainly DVCs) could be wrong here.
4. Towels at pool and slide
5. Lounge, bar life, ( though Pop has a pool bar)
6. Room service
7. Table service
8. balcony

Thanks everyone, I don't even use any of these when I stay at the deluxe resorts. I bring my own toiletries. I have the deluxe dining plan so probably wont be using the food court, at least not during busy times.

 

[Ali]

being a semi-local (90 minutes away) We go to Disney a lot for short trips. We've stayed almost everywhere (not the Yacht club or Poly (September) or at the Ft Wilderness stuff) so I can tell you the differences in resort levels. We stayed at POP for a night last week and it was loud, had no wifi, and the beds were really hard. The toilets flushing and the running screaming kids outside our door were really loud. The food court was frenetic and it was filled with people going quickly all over. I barely slept and we went home right after check out because we were too tried to do anything.

We stayed at Beach Club Villas this week and it was quiet, The beds were so comfy I actually slept 6 straight hours which I never do in a hotel, we heard nothing and no one. It was a more relaxing place to be. This may work against you if you are a commando touring person because we slept a lot more than expected because it was so quiet and comfy. Will be at AKL Jambo next week and those beds are usually loud and hard, we'll how they are this time.