FWIW - What I learned in 2011... (long post)

[JessietheNCCowgirl]

My annual passes just expired and am contemplating renewing them. As I pause to reflect on the trips I was fortunate enough to take last year, I think about each resort and what I have learned along with all the memories made at them. First of all, I'll start off by saying that I never would have imagined in all my years that I would be able to travel to WDW 6 times in the span of 13-months!

It all started in January 2011 when I ran the marathon. My mom traveled with me (as DD couldn't be absent from school) and we purchased a free dining package at POR. We stayed in Magnolia Bend and it was the first time my mom had ever stayed at a moderate (she has always stayed at a Value). She was 'wowed' by POR and I enjoyed our time there.

Because I had scheduled two additional races at WDW in 2011 we (DH, DD and I) purchased Annual Passes in February when we made the trip for the Princess Half. We stayed at CBR utilizing the AP discount. We were fortunate to be upgraded from a standard room to a water view in Martinique and were able to see Illumations fireworks from our room. We purchased TIW this trip and used it for our TS meals on this trip and all our future trips.

The first week in August we booked a River View room at POFQ using the AP discount. (This ended up being my favorite trip of the year as far as the resort goes.)

I signed up to run the Food & Wine half-marathon during my DD's fall break, so the first week in October we stayed 9-nights at POR and requested a refurbished room in the mansions. The first night they weren't able to grant that request but they told us to come back in the morning and they would be able to move us. We did as we were told and sure enough the front desk gave us a refurbished room.

Due to the way Christmas fell on a Sunday and the fact my daughter's school was out the week prior, we decided to take a quick trip to see all the Christmas decorations, and attend a Candlelight Processional & MVMCP. We stayed at ASMo for four nights and it was our first time trying a value. We were pleasantly surprised and would definitely stay Value again.

At the end of January my mom called and was saying how much she'd like to go to WDW with me again. I told her we should take a girl's long weekend trip when my DD's school was out a couple days in early February (the 3 generations had never traveled together before). I booked us at POFQ originally but then decided to surprise my mom and DD and changed our resort to the Polynesian. We were assigned to a garden view in the Tahiti longhouse. I was so excited for my mom to be able to stay in a deluxe. Unfortunately the monorail was down 3 of the 4 days we were trying to get to the parks so we ended up riding buses to Epcot and the MK after I had talked up the 'convenience' of the Poly to my mom. While my mom enjoyed the Poly, I think she would have been just as content to stay at POFQ and I could have saved myself some money!

So what I learned from all this is - and please no flames:

I don't think it's "worth it", personally for me, to stay in a deluxe. I know you can have noisy neighbors anywhere but the Poly's walls seemed to be paper thin. We were waken up every morning at 6:30 by kids screaming and parents yelling in the room next door. (we also had this experience staying at the WL and GF in prior trips) When we've stayed at the mods the walls seem to be thicker (or maybe we've just been lucky) and we don't usually hear our neighbors (except for the flushing toilets).

The food court at deluxes, IMO are not as good as a mod/value. The selection isn't comparable and one could tire easily of eating there every day. And yes, I am saying this even though I got a Dole Whip at Captain Cook's (Poly) each day I was there!

As far as food goes - I love having the TIW card. I prefer it to being on the DDP. I don't feel bound to the rules of the DDP. If I want to order the cobb salad appetizer at Brown Derby for my meal it doesn't count as 2 table service credits and I get 20% off (but 18% gratuity is added). We generally aren't dessert eating people so the DDP is a bit overkill for my family.

So what I learned (besides the fact my co-workers think I'm crazy for going to WDW so much ) is that I feel most comfortable staying at a moderate or value and so does my bank account. Sure, the deluxes are beautiful and 'convenient', but the moderate resorts are just as beautiful and relaxing. I don't think I'll stay at a Deluxe again unless somehow I get a phenomenal deal or it's a VERY special occasion. This doesn't mean I won't go dine at or visit the deluxe resorts, I just won't be spending the money to stay there.


I'm glad Disney has built all the unique resorts in each price point so everyone can find their comfort level and have a wonderful vacation no matter how much money one decides to spend or not.

That's just my 2 cents, FWIW.

 

[appleorchard]

Glad to read your report! We own DVC and stay either at BWV, BCV or BLT for our trips. I'm going this Saturday with my daughter, son-in law and 4 year old granddaughter and we're staying at POFQ. I'm a little apprehensive- my daughter stayed at Poly as a kid and it's still, in her mind, her "dream" resort. It was just too expensive, though, since we're going for a week, and by the time we decided to go, the only DVCs available were OKW or SSR, neither of which thrill me-and we've stayed at both of them.
So I'm really happy to read reports favorably comparing the deluxes with the moderates. ITA about the fast food options lacking at the deluxes. I know we'll be using the food court at POFQ for every breakfast. Reports like yours help me get more excited about our trip!--in just 5 days!

 

[spiceycat]

did you get to find out what was wrong with the monrail???

that is a BIG selling point for the MK resorts.

so sorry you spend all that money and did not get to ride the monrail to MK or Epcot.

on the buses did you share a bus for MK or Epcot? know you would have for DD, AK or Studios.

 

[pigletto]

I love your summary and it's very timely for me. We just purchased AP's. It's a long way from Canada, but we have 2 trips planned, and are trying to sneak in one more
I really liked the Poly, but agree that even with a 40% off code, it's overpriced for us. We can afford it, but I can't justify the extra costs that could go somewhere else. Especially when I adore POR and really like CSR.

I clearly also don't think you are crazy for going so much. It works for your family and judging by your report, it was a wonderful year for you that you don't regret. So go renew that AP:good vibes

 

[JessietheNCCowgirl]

Glad to read your report! We own DVC and stay either at BWV, BCV or BLT for our trips. I'm going this Saturday with my daughter, son-in law and 4 year old granddaughter and we're staying at POFQ. I'm a little apprehensive- my daughter stayed at Poly as a kid and it's still, in her mind, her "dream" resort. It was just too expensive, though, since we're going for a week, and by the time we decided to go, the only DVCs available were OKW or SSR, neither of which thrill me-and we've stayed at both of them.
So I'm really happy to read reports favorably comparing the deluxes with the moderates. ITA about the fast food options lacking at the deluxes. I know we'll be using the food court at POFQ for every breakfast. Reports like yours help me get more excited about our trip!--in just 5 days!

Hi appleorchard - I hope you have a wonderful time at POFQ. You'll have to try the beignets for breakfast! My 9-year old daughter feels the same way about the Poly, it's her favorite so even when we don't stay there we make it a point to visit at least once.

did you get to find out what was wrong with the monrail???

that is a BIG selling point for the MK resorts.

so sorry you spend all that money and did not get to ride the monrail to MK or Epcot.

on the buses did you share a bus for MK or Epcot? know you would have for DD, AK or Studios.

Spiceycat, I'm not sure what was wrong with the monorail except that maybe they were down for maintenance reasons? We walked to the TTC from the Poly and they had the Epcot monorail ramp blocked off and told us we needed to go take a bus. So everyone at the TTC was boarding the bus, but we did not share with the other resorts as the bus went straight to Epcot.

On one of our MK mornings we went to the Great Ceremonial house to catch the monorail. The automatic sliding glass door that normally opens when you approach it didn't open. A cast member on the monorail platform saw us standing at the door and came and opened it and told us the monorail was down so we'd have to go downstairs and catch a bus to MK. That bus stopped at the GF before going to the MK.

It was kind of a bummer, especially since it was my mom's first trip to the Poly!

I love your summary and it's very timely for me. We just purchased AP's. It's a long way from Canada, but we have 2 trips planned, and are trying to sneak in one more
I really liked the Poly, but agree that even with a 40% off code, it's overpriced for us. We can afford it, but I can't justify the extra costs that could go somewhere else. Especially when I adore POR and really like CSR.

I clearly also don't think you are crazy for going so much. It works for your family and judging by your report, it was a wonderful year for you that you don't regret. So go renew that AP:good vibes

Congrats on the APs pigletto! It is hard to justify the price of the Poly when it's more than twice that of POR or CSR. I always think, "I can take 2 trips to (insert moderate) for the price of 1 to the Poly". After our trip to ASMo in December, I'm now starting to think "I can take 2 trips to ASMo for the price of 1 trip to POR!". I hope you have safe travels and memorable trips to WDW this year! Also, thank you for the vote of confidence that I'm not crazy.

 

[tinacaplan]

Interesting about the Poly, as the monorail is one of the only selling points I can think of right now. We just got back from the Poly and we were pretty disappointed. The resort seems a little run-down (at least by deluxe standards) and the volcano pool is tiny and just flat-out unimpressive. We stayed at the Beach Club over the summer and loved it there.

So, you're right to each their own.

 

[padawans]

I also loved having the Annual pass this year. We have made 3 trips and one more in the works. We always stay deluxe and honestly I have never considered not staying deluxe. I have never had a problem justifying the cost I guess.