For those who've stayed in both Deluxe and value

[Densgirl]

I've been very lucky all the times I've stayed on property that either my brother or my DH, DS and I have stayed in a deluxe. Here's my dilemma, my brother and I can work out a trip for September(just us 2)but both DH(who can't go cus we've vacationed him out of his allotment, but will be assisting in my portion of the bill)and my brother have suggested Pop.

Now don't get me wrong, I'd sleep inside Small World, with the song going all night long if I have too. Mickey and Aurora are soooo worth it. And I don't want to sound like a brat. I know how many people never get to stay on property. I'm just wondering what, if anything did you miss. What bugged you that wasn't available? Thanks for any insights you may provide.

 

[helenk]

I've stayed at the POP the themeing is great and I really like the large food court. But the rooms are very small, in fact I could turn off the light switch near the door while still laying in bed.
If it were me, I'd try to convince my brother to stay in a moderate. You get a few more perks than the value resorts, but the rooms are a bit bigger and you are only spending just a bit more.

 

[MPLsDad]

It sounds that you're pretty close to your DB...good for you! Assuming that you buy him presents for bday or holidays, find out what the difference will be and treat him to a deluxe. Once he tries it, he may never suggest a value again (not that there's anything wrong with that), but being you're a deluxe kind of gal...

 

[PMart]

Hello Densgirl,,

I've stayed at both value and deluxe resorts, and to be honest with you if the trip is not going to be that long and it is just the two of you going, I'd say any of the values would be fine (Pop is my new favorite.) When we stay at the Deluxe resorts it is usually for a longer trip or when we are attending something special like MNSSHP or MVMCP. The values are wonderful IMHO, but then again I am like you I would sleep in the parking lot as long as I was in WDW.

PMart

 

[Cindy B]

I've done Deluxe (WL) and values Sports and Pop.

Personally, I love Pop! I thought it was the "most deluxe value" if that makes sense.

We didn't really use the amenities at WL, but we did see the Electrical Parade, and used the hot tub and the kids liked the slide.

We are food court eaters, so we didn't really feel we needed to experience Artist Point. Our family did eat at WCC, so it was nice to have a choice.


Pop does have a decent food court. There were a lot of choices so it was good in that respect. Pop is pretty spread out, we were in the 90s section so we got more privacy than other sections of the resort.

Pop had better transportation than WL. We got stuck waiting for busses like no ones business at WL, and then we had to share busses with the campground.

Pros to Pop: decent transportation, newer, fun and for my kids Frozen cokes for the refillable mugs

Pros to deluxe: more amenities, classier atmosphere, more food choices, and for my kids a water slide.

 

[susy]

Okay, granted the rooms are small, but if it just two people, I think you'll be fine. I mean, you don't plan walking around the room with your arms and legs out-stretched, do you????? The storage is the same to me at the deluxes and values, except that you don't get a closet door that closes. My impression of Pop is that it was themed very well, great bus service, nice gift shop, and nice pools......

 

[Leota]

What I missed was sleep - I found the value I stayed at (ASSp) to be very noisy. Slamming doors, drawers, water pipes running in the walls & turbo-flushing toilets. I could live with the exuberance of the kids running outside the door in the morning, but the "mechanical" sounds drove me nuts.

If you are a light sleeper (like me) Bring earplugs. Other than the noise, the room was fine for 2 of us on a commando trip. The atmosphere is festive & fun. But, there's not alot to do at the resort besides eat at the food court, swim & sleep. That said, I probably wouldn't do it again unless it was the only way to get to WDW.....

Maybe you could have a yard sale or wrap some coins are something to raise the extra cost to stay at a moderate.

 

[dgaston]

Pop was the first (and only) value that we stayed at. I am a bit of a hot tub snob so like POR, CSR. Have stayed at Poly, WL, and AKL. I LOVE Pop. I like to walk around reading the trivia signs, enjoying the oversized icons, and memorabilia. We were even placed in the 80's building which is as far away from everything as you can get. Bus transportation was good. Food court seemed fine to me. We were not bothered by noise, even though people played at the computer pool all hours of the night. We like it well enough to stay there again the first night of a brief trip instead of doing a Priceline hotel for our arrival night! I will go back again sometime.

 

[c&ldisneylovers]

I just got back from my first stay at a value resort (I had always stayed in a Deluxe) and POP exceeded my standards. While it was much busier than the Deluxes and more spread out, it was just as quiet (I requested a room where it would be quiet.) Yes, the rooms are smaller but as long as you have your own bed you'll be fine (There is NO WAY DH and I could share a double bed for a week.) The busses were fine and the housekeeping was better than I had ever seen at a Deluxe.
This was a budget trip with my best friend and we knew we would be in the parks all day and only sleep in the room so I knew it wouldn't be worth the extra money to stay at a moderate or deluxe.

 

[3lilprincesses]

We stayed at a Deluxe and Value resort (POP) on the same trip. It was funny going from one to the other because I think the differences stood out a lot more! I loved the look of Pop. I thought the themeing was great!! My biggest complaint was the noise in the rooms. I really was suprised at how much you could hear while lying in bed. Not only did you have the noise from people walking by , but due to the open corriders, we had the pool noise too. But the most annonying was hearing other rooms toilets and water. It was really almost comical!

That said, I WOULD stay there again if that was what fit in the budget! I would stay at ANY value resort before staying off property. I wonder if the bathroom at Pop will offer you enough privacy or space to get ready if it is the Deluxe resorts you're used to, but I'm sure you can make do.

Whatever the two of you decide, have a great trip!

 

[oogieboogie]

We've stayed at all three categories, and I think if it's just the 2 of you, POP will be just fine. Sure, there's no hot tub, but the food court is great, the theming is nice, you still get Mickey soaps, and there's still a bar by the pool.

Sure the rooms are on the smallish size, but it's not like you're bringing an elephant with you. We're a family of four and I never felt cramped in the POP room, except for the bathroom. OK, the bathroom is a tad small, but then again the bathrooms at the moderates and deluxes are small too.

As far as the noise goes, I really didn't hear much noise other than the turbo toilets. Those are the loudest toilets known to man. I never heard peoples' voices in the other rooms, never heard kids running back and forth in the middle of the night, etc.

Go for POP and use the difference in price to splurge yourself to a great dinner at California Grill.

 

[#1hockeymom]

DS and I stayed at POP last October for MNSSHP and loved it! It was small, but it was cute! There were only two of us and since he isn't into mirrors yet we had not a problem sharing the small quarters. Let your brother stay within his budget and have a great time enjoying the world together! You'll both have fun just checking out a new resort, too!

 

[webray]

We have stayed deluxe and value, many, many many times. We would stay value in a heartbeat if deluxe wasn't in the budget.

The food courts are great, you can still go anywhere you want for dinner.
Pools are wonderful. The only thing they don't have that we miss is a slide in the pool and a hot tub. Other than that..we do not mind the value resorts at all.

 

[bicker]

Members of my family and I have stayed everwhere other than Pop Century, and, for me at least, I'd rather cut a day or two off my trip rather than stay at a budget resort -- or would rather save a bit more money and stay off-site at a Days Inn, for example. YMMV.

 

[Densgirl]

It sounds that you're pretty close to your DB...good for you! Assuming that you buy him presents for bday or holidays, find out what the difference will be and treat him to a deluxe. Once he tries it, he may never suggest a value again (not that there's anything wrong with that), but being you're a deluxe kind of gal...

You are totally right. DB and I have been like twins since birth. We are the park commandos but our traveling family usually includes 2 wheelchairs and an ECV and as much as we love everyone this time is all about the two of us and being in the parks open to close. No naps, med stops, anxiety breaks, clothing changes etc.... As of right now bumping up resort catagories is unlikely as I'm just a bit short of cash for the total of this trip, and thank god I have a DH who fully understands and supports(read financially) my decision. It's funny though because normally, DB is king of the Deluxes in our family. In just the past 3 years alone he's stayed in Yacht Club, Beach Club, Wilderness Lodge, BWI and the Contemporary. It's just that for us to be able to go and stay for 6 nights both he and my DH swear it has got to be POP. I am going to try to set aside enough money to upgrade to AKL or WL but it seems like they are both stuck on the package with dining. There are so much worse problems in the (real)world and I'm wondering if POP is gonna be up to my standards.

Thanks to everyone else who responded. That was the kind of thing I was thinking about(ie-noise, tour groups, turboflushers and paper thin walls.) We both plan to be in our rooms only between PI's closing and EE on the following morning. How bad can it really be right? Thanks again for your assistance.

 

[MPLsDad]

If you really do have reservations about staying Value (and at this point I don't think you do since you'll only be in your rooms about the same amount of time my sister and I would be) did you ever think about renting points from a DVC member on the board?? Depending on when you're going it could be pretty cheap. I wish I could take a trip like this with my sister but she resists Disney...

 

[foxfire]

We've stayed at deluxes, moderates, & values & each has something to offer. If we were going to spend a lot of time around the resort, I'd probably opt for deluxe. If it was going to be a trip where we'd be in the parks from open to close, I have no problem staying at a value. I guess it's my Scottish thriftiness but I don't like spending a lot more for a room (and we have paid $300+/night before) if we're not going to be there to use it except for sleeping.

We recently tried POP & it was very enjoyable & a fun place. We weren't bothered by noise at all but we do carry a room air cleaner on trips & it makes great white noise to help drown out footsteps, door slams, etc. It's used no matter whether we are in a deluxe, moderate, or value. You can get bothersome noise at any of them. I will say that the CM's at POP were much more friendly & helpful than those at some of the deluxes we've stayed at & mousekeeping was also better than some we've experienced elsewhere. As long as we can have a restful night after a tiring day, I'm flexible on accommodations. Although we could stay deluxe every trip, it's not something that's really important to me to do. I guess it simply winds up being a personal decision & what you are comfortable with but I think you can have good (or bad) experiences at all three levels of resorts.

 

[fam4jc]

Have you ever stayed at a holiday inn or other every day hotel? That is what a disney value room is like. Small, nice, no balcony. That was what I missed the most... The balcony. I would stand out on the walkway at the Pop to watch everyone enjoy the pool but Ifelt conspicuous. The POP was lots of fun and the room was fine. The bus service was good. I even enjoyed some of the food at the food court. If its a budget trip and just for fun, it will be fine. The pool bar serves a great strawberry daquari fyi!

 

[susy]

Here is a tip to combat the noise: bring a humidifier! We brought one once because Ds was getting over a cold. the low humming drowned out any noises and we slept soooo good!!!!! I think it was the fact that it also keeps the room from being dry due to the AC. It was so nice that we bring it every trip and I never give noise a second thought!!!!

 

[LindaBabe]

I have stayed in all kinds of accommodations from the BW Grand Villa (da BOMB) to the value resorts and enjoyed them all. The thing I miss most are the flowers. It's a game for me, at the values, to see how well I can live on how little.

My tips for enjoying the value resorts:
Ask for a room on the back side of the building - not facing the pool or courtyard - it will usually be much quieter.
Take a small cooler and put ice in it in ziplocs to cool your snacks and beverages. If you fly, your small hard side cooler will hold a 4 cup coffee maker, very nicely. I often picnic breakfast out of my cooler and sometimes supper in bed, as well.
Walk around and enjoy the scenery. It's not the lush garden of the Polynesian, but there's always some interesting thing to be seen - i'm thinking in particular of Andy's room and the Dalmation courtyard at ASMovies, and the beautiful fountain courtyard between the Jazz buildings at ASMusic.
Take some stuffies with you so the housekeepers will have something to play with. I think they do THE BEST window decor at the values. Never seen it at any other resort.
The food courts are usually Very good value -
The laundry is conveniently located so you don't have to pack so many clothes.
Luggage handling is free.

My warning is - try to check in early at an off hour. The lines get long at supper time.