Having WILD mood swings over which resort to choose!

[heehee611]

Here is my scenario, 6th trip to Disney in the last 6 years is planned for the weekend after Thanksgiving, staying for 8 days. We've always stayed moderate, and loved all of them. This is probably going to be our last trip for a while, as my oldest is entering middle school the following year, and it will be harder for him to miss class and not get too far behind. We are a family of 4, with 2 boys, ages 6 and 10 at the time of the trip.

Currently we have CBR booked, with the gift card offer because of the construction. We couldn't care less about the construction, as we will have a car and very rarely eat in the food court anyway. With the anticipation of free dining being released Monday, we are trying to get our plans together in order of what we would want.

Below are the resorts we are considering with what I expect the price to be with free dining:

CBR: $4400 (free dining will probably require pirate room, upgrading meal plan, and factoring in the gift card)
Pop: $3800 (that's for a standard room and paying to upgrade the dining plan)
Beach Club/Wilderness Lodge: approx. $6200 (both about the same price).


We want this to be a more laid back trip than we usually take, with more pool time (although that's always hit or miss in November/December anyway) and relaxing around the resort.

My 2 trains of thought are "I'm not spending that much more money just for a room, that's nuts!" and "This is going to be our last trip for a while, we deserve to splurge!"

I won't say that cost isn't an issue, because obviously it is or I wouldn't be having this issue, but we can afford to do it either way. it's just a matter of is it worth it?

Opinions??

 

[holden]

If you want more pool time I'd go for Beach Club. Stormalong Bay is an awesome pool! Walking distance to Epcot and DHS is a plus too!

 

[Ensusieasm]

Here is my scenario, 6th trip to Disney in the last 6 years is planned for the weekend after Thanksgiving, staying for 8 days. We've always stayed moderate, and loved all of them. This is probably going to be our last trip for a while, as my oldest is entering middle school the following year, and it will be harder for him to miss class and not get too far behind. We are a family of 4, with 2 boys, ages 6 and 10 at the time of the trip.

Currently we have CBR booked, with the gift card offer because of the construction. We couldn't care less about the construction, as we will have a car and very rarely eat in the food court anyway. With the anticipation of free dining being released Monday, we are trying to get our plans together in order of what we would want.

Below are the resorts we are considering with what I expect the price to be with free dining:

CBR: $4400 (free dining will probably require pirate room, and factoring in the gift card)
Pop: $3800 (that's for a standard room and paying to upgrade the dining plan)
Beach Club/Wilderness Lodge: approx. $6200 (both about the same price).


We want this to be a more laid back trip than we usually take, with more pool time (although that's always hit or miss in November/December anyway) and relaxing around the resort.

My 2 trains of thought are "I'm not spending that much more money just for a room, that's nuts!" and "This is going to be our last trip for a while, we deserve to splurge!"

I won't say that cost isn't an issue, because obviously it is or I wouldn't be having this issue, but we can afford to do it either way. it's just a matter of is it worth it?

Opinions??

I would stick with CBR. The rumor is the free dining might be just quick service for Moderates too, so you'll have to wait and see if that's the case. But, if it ends up being the same dining plan as the deluxe resorts, I would have to save the nearly 2000 dollar difference. You might find some other fun adventure during the year to spend that money on.

 

[heehee611]

I would stick with CBR. The rumor is the free dining might be just quick service for Moderates too, so you'll have to wait and see if that's the case. But, if it ends up being the same dining plan as the deluxe resorts, I would have to save the nearly 2000 dollar difference. You might find some other fun adventure during the year to spend that money on.

Forgot to mention that in my original post - that price is with assuming I'm going to have to upgrade that meal plan as well. I heard the rumor

 

[DisneyWishes14]

IMHO, if you can only get a pirate room, you might as well stay at Pop! If you can afford it and you think this is your last trip for a while, I would probably splurge and go with BC!

 

[rosiebean]

If I wanted to relax more at my resort this trip and have pool time, I'd stay clear of Pop. Any mod and especially any deluxe will offer (IMO) a better experience hanging out at the resort and relaxing.

The YC/BC complex is a great place for relaxing, with SAB and access to restaurants/entertainment at both the YC/BC area and the Boardwalk/Swolfin area. The resort is also fantastic for quick access to Epcot and DHS.

We went the week/weekend after Thanksgiving last year, and it was fantastic. Crowds were light until Friday night/Saturday, and the weather was fantastic, 70s/60s during the day (which is warm enough for my family to swim). We were at BC using a UOC for a splurge water view (we got a great rate for water view, but it was still expensive ). We took taxis a couple of times to visit Poly for drink and AK when the buses were slow, took afternoon breaks at the resort, had park hoppers so could visit Epcot at night to eat, ate/drank around the boardwalk at at the Dolphin...and had probably our best trip in several years. The cost of the trip and amenities were worth the splurge to us.

 

[terri33inne]

I'd go with BC... the proximity to those 2 parks is worth it alone (and making it quicker to pop back over to resort for some pool/resort time if you want to spend more time there). It gives you sooo many dining options within walking distance.

Have you priced out a room discount vs the free dining? Sometimes that works out better, depending on your eating habits.

ETA; I'm in the same boat... We're booked at BWV for June, and I'm so tempted to switch to a moderate for the cost savings... I'm driving people crazy trying to make up my mind. But we tend to spend a lot of time at our resort, but I'm having trouble justifying the cost.

 

[Babsy]

I would choose between the BC/WL scenarios. But then, we choose deluxe whenever possible. We obviously believe that the extra expense is worth it. That said, we do opt for lower priced resorts to save $$$ on some vacations depending upon our plans or travel companions. Your plans to relax more at the resort and plans to not visit for a while after this time, signal "time for a deluxe" to me. YMMV, of course.

I love POP, but I wouldn't do it this time around, if It were me.

Personally, i am a split stay fan so I would probably do WL first half then move to BC to finish the trip. Not for everyone, but we love split stays.

Definitely be sure to check out the room only discounts and paying OOP for food if you choose deluxe, though. The FD may be better, but it isn't always. It is worth the time to be sure that what you are paying is the best deal, IMO.

Have a great trip!

 

[tcufrog]

I love Wl at Christmas. The decorations really put you in the spirit.

 

[LSUmiss]

Here is my scenario, 6th trip to Disney in the last 6 years is planned for the weekend after Thanksgiving, staying for 8 days. We've always stayed moderate, and loved all of them. This is probably going to be our last trip for a while, as my oldest is entering middle school the following year, and it will be harder for him to miss class and not get too far behind. We are a family of 4, with 2 boys, ages 6 and 10 at the time of the trip.

Currently we have CBR booked, with the gift card offer because of the construction. We couldn't care less about the construction, as we will have a car and very rarely eat in the food court anyway. With the anticipation of free dining being released Monday, we are trying to get our plans together in order of what we would want.

Below are the resorts we are considering with what I expect the price to be with free dining:

CBR: $4400 (free dining will probably require pirate room, upgrading meal plan, and factoring in the gift card)
Pop: $3800 (that's for a standard room and paying to upgrade the dining plan)
Beach Club/Wilderness Lodge: approx. $6200 (both about the same price).


We want this to be a more laid back trip than we usually take, with more pool time (although that's always hit or miss in November/December anyway) and relaxing around the resort.

My 2 trains of thought are "I'm not spending that much more money just for a room, that's nuts!" and "This is going to be our last trip for a while, we deserve to splurge!"

I won't say that cost isn't an issue, because obviously it is or I wouldn't be having this issue, but we can afford to do it either way. it's just a matter of is it worth it?

Opinions??

What is the "gift card offer"?

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I would choose between the BC/WL scenarios. But then, we choose deluxe whenever possible. We obviously believe that the extra expense is worth it. That said, we do opt for lower priced resorts to save $$$ on some vacations depending upon our plans or travel companions. Your plans to relax more at the resort and plans to not visit for a while after this time, signal "time for a deluxe" to me. YMMV, of course.

I love POP, but I wouldn't do it this time around, if It were me.

Personally, i am a split stay fan so I would probably do WL first half then move to BC to finish the trip. Not for everyone, but we love split stays.

Definitely be sure to check out the room only discounts and paying OOP for food if you choose deluxe, though. The FD may be better, but it isn't always. It is worth the time to be sure that what you are paying is the best deal, IMO.

Have a great trip!

I'm going to echo this post. I would have said very similar things. Have fun whatever you decide!

 

[Ensusieasm]

What is the "gift card offer"?

The "gift card offer" is no longer available. It was a 75 dollar gift card per night offer to get folks to book CBR even though it will be having major construction that, among other inconveniences, will impact the dining available.

 

[heehee611]

Thanks for all of the input! In the meantime though, we totally changed our plans Starting off with a 3 night Royal Caribbean cruise, and then doing Pop for 6 days afterwards. We've wanted to do a cruise for ages, but DH was worried about committing to a 7 days cruise in case our boys got seasick or something (he's a bit of a worrywart, LOL). SO this gives us the opportunity to try out a short cruise and then still get our Disney fix! We looked at the 3 day Disney cruise first, but I just can't justify paying more than double for Disney cruise over RC.

 

[Michblue]

Congratulations on a decision! I'm jealous, I still can't decide my plans. In years past budget dictated a lot. But now that I can spend some more, and want a Deluxe again, I'm struggling to take the plunge.

My boys love Pop, they wouldn't let us stay anyplace else for years! Honestly I think it was the food court. I think it's kid food heaven, including a make your own sunday bar.

Enjoy the cruise!

 

[TheBigErn]

This is easy. The CBR and POP are out because they're just not a nice as the BC or WL. Beach Club has the biggest pool but WL's is nothing to sneeze at. WL is one of the best resorts at Christmastime. It also offers bunk bed rooms which suit your family. There's lots to do at BC because of the Boardwalk, but WL has lots of fun nearby too. WL wins by a nose.

 

[fla4fun]

Congratulations on a decision! I'm jealous, I still can't decide my plans. In years past budget dictated a lot. But now that I can spend some more, and want a Deluxe again, I'm struggling to take the plunge.

I have stayed at all levels of resort, and had great vacations at all of them. When debating between a deluxe or a value, I take a few things into consideration. First, will the savings allow me to take another trip, or do extras on the current trip that I can't if I stay deluxe? Sometimes the savings is enough to cover two value trips, and I am always up for more Disney time. Second, if taking additional trips is not an option, would the savings allow me to do something in the "real world" that I want/need to, like get a new car or remodel the house?

If I don't NEED the savings for any of those options, then I consider what I want to get out of the trip. I am more inclined to stay deluxe for trips where I have a lot of down time planned, vs. those trips where I plan to spend a lot of time in the parks. I like deluxe when the weather is so hot that I can't spend a full day in the parks, and value is fine when it's cooler out.

Of course, there is always the option of a split stay. Stay value for some park intensive days, and switch to a deluxe for some laid back resort time.

Ultimately you know what works best for your family in regards to vacationing at Disney. Go with the choice that works best for you in the long run.

 

[Michblue]

I have stayed at all levels of resort, and had great vacations at all of them. When debating between a deluxe or a value, I take a few things into consideration. First, will the savings allow me to take another trip, or do extras on the current trip that I can't if I stay deluxe? Sometimes the savings is enough to cover two value trips, and I am always up for more Disney time. Second, if taking additional trips is not an option, would the savings allow me to do something in the "real world" that I want/need to, like get a new car or remodel the house?

If I don't NEED the savings for any of those options, then I consider what I want to get out of the trip. I am more inclined to stay deluxe for trips where I have a lot of down time planned, vs. those trips where I plan to spend a lot of time in the parks. I like deluxe when the weather is so hot that I can't spend a full day in the parks, and value is fine when it's cooler out.

Of course, there is always the option of a split stay. Stay value for some park intensive days, and switch to a deluxe for some laid back resort time.

Ultimately you know what works best for your family in regards to vacationing at Disney. Go with the choice that works best for you in the long run.

This was so so helpful, thank you so much! Reading through the question you ask yourself, as I was answering them myself, it was like a light went on and I knew the answer! It seems so clear now, and I feel like a weight has lifted. Our house need nothing, we have done it all over the last 10 years. The cars are new. All the savings accounts are funded. It's going to be a low key trip, some health issues (nothing serious) will have me tired and at the hotel more than past trips. I don't want two trips, I want one deluxe relaxing one. I don't know you, but I feel like I could kiss you! Thank you!

 

[fla4fun]

You're Welcome!