How do you spend your hard earned Resort $$$?

[Kimberle]

Do **you** book the "best" room in the "worst" resort or do you book the "worst" room in the "best" resort your budget allows?

For example, booking a Standard view room at AKL or WL (the least expensive of the deluxe choices) or more upgraded/room view at a Mod or a family suite at a Value.

 

[bellebud]

It all depends on the trip what i'm willing to pay extra for... if we haven't been in a long time, i'll spend extra on the resort and view, but if it's our 2nd or more trip in a year, I'll pay less for the resort. I don't care about view, unless the view is of MK... then i'll pay extra for it. But 'water view' vs 'standard view' means nothing to me - but i would definitely pay extra for a savannah view. I wouldn't even stay at AKL unless i had a savannah view. and same for contemporary - i'd only stay tower MK view - if i couldn't get it, i'd prefer staying at the WL or something.

for a mod or value, i'd pay extra for a preferred blding to be near the food court, but definitely not for a view, especially since there are no balconies. we'd never sit in the room w/ our curtains open, looking at the people walking right by our window - I mean looking at the view.

 

[mommyluvsnoah]

Never been to Disney and am planning our first trip so take my answer with a grain of salt. But for us I had to look at how our family operates and what I wanted our first trip to be.

We tend to vacation every year but we like to go to different places so chances are this will be our first and possibly last trip to WDW (or at least for awhile). We also tend to operate better as a family if we are not rushed and can go at our own pace. DH is a complainer and he will be miserable at a park all day. He will do much better if we go for a few hours then go back to the resort for a break then return to a park. So we are planning a long trip- 10 days so we can see the parks at a slower pace.

As such we will be spending a lot of time at the resort so for this trip we chose to book a lesser room in a nicer resort. Have decided to do a split stay at BC and Poly (unless I change my mind ) We will won't be able to afford CL or a park view but really the view isn't as big of a deal to me as the amenities of the resorts, the SAB, the monorail, and room size. I do agree with the previous poster, though. AKL would be my exception in that I would not stay there unless I could book a Savannah room.

 

[brentalex]

Ever since my kids got old enough that they could not share a bed, we have been restricted to resorts where we can essentially get 3 beds. So we have stayed at the AKL in a bunk bed room, and now other deluxe resorts with 2 beds and a day bed. Which level within the resort just depends on our feelings. At the AKL we wanted to see the animals, so stayed in a savannah room. At the contemporary we liked the garden wing rooms so we stayed there. This next trip will probably be our last with the kids, since the oldest one will be off to college after this, so we have decided to spend a bit more. We will be staying at the Poly in a club room with a lagoon view. It just depends.

 

[HeyIt'sMe]

We always book a Garden View (cheapest) at the Polynesian.

I remember years ago that there were alot more categories at the Poly.
For example, they used to have "Parking Lot View". Seriously.

 

[misslissa]

There are just the two of us.
We have stayed in the various villas at times because we have rented DVC points. But, if we are just going and booking a room, it has to be moderate. I find that the quality is excellent and the theming is good. I can't justify spending $400 a night at a deluxe resort since there are other resorts available. If it were somewhere like Hawaii where everything is expensive and those are the only options for a decent hotel... then we'd go for the higher costing room.
We actually spent our honeymoon at Coronado Springs. It was our preferred choice. DH makes over $100 000 + per annum and I am a TA, so it isn't like we are on a strict, low budget... it just isn't a traveling priority.
At WDW, we are in our room for a limited amount of time, even on those 10 day trips. And, the moderates are suitable even when I regularly stay at Westins and Marriotts.

 

[BeckWhy]

Do **you** book the "best" room in the "worst" resort or do you book the "worst" room in the "best" resort your budget allows?

For example, booking a Standard view room at AKL or WL (the least expensive of the deluxe choices) or more upgraded/room view at a Mod or a family suite at a Value.

I don't consider values to be the "worst" resorts. I actually like then far better than any of the deluxes.

 

[airhead]

We love staying at AKL and the Dolphin,but we don't spend money on the views from our room. For us,its a waste of money because we just don't spend a lot of time in our room.

 

[southtexasmom]

We are a family of 6 so our choices of places to stay is limited. We are now DVC members since a decent sized room for a family of 6 is so expensive if you pay the cash price. We do not really care about the view, we are usually only in our room to sleep. Space is more important to us than the view.

 

[MickeyNicki]

We book deluxe and are not picky as to what room we get. I dont want to pay over $250 a night.

 

[IMDORY]

I like to spend time on my balcony and I like to stay deluxe. WL woods view is fine with me-but I don't book standard to save $$$. I've stayed in WL courtyard-it is the best-but to save $$$ woods view is fine with me.

If I were staying in a moderate...the "view" isn't really important b/c I don't have a balcony to hang out on-just the room to sleep in. For example we stayed in a water view room at CSR once. It was pretty to look at the view when we walked out our door to run to the parks...but-that was really the only time we saw the view-so I don't think I would bother paying extra $$$ for the view if I stayed at a moderate again.

 

[poohgirl6]

We typically book the least expensive room at the most expensive hotel we can afford i.e. garden view at a deluxe resort. We don't spend all our time at the parks but really enjoy the amenities of the particular resort where we stay. That being said, the time we spend enjoying the resort isn't time spent in our room per se, so we wouldn't pay for a particular view.

I, too, remember the loveling "Parking Lot" view option

 

[praline3001]

I like going with the cheapest room at the best resort you can afford.

 

[Native NYer]

I like to choose the resort first, then worry about the room category. I generally don't care about a view, but did cave in for our upcoming trip. I booked MK views at both the CR and the Poly. Right now, while we'd love to save the $$$, a value just doesn't suit our needs. The rooms seem too small and we like to have dining options (not just a food court). That comes into play more than the view. However, I do think the family suites are a great deal.

 

[Pixiedust34]

I like going with the cheapest room at the best resort you can afford.

This is what we do.

 

[malcontent]

Cheapest room in the best resort I can afford. If I want a view, I'll take a walk and look.

 

[WDW LifeLong Fan]

We are fortunate that we can book whichever resort and category that we want for each trip.
Based on availability of course.

 

[eliza61]

We pick the resort we want to try and then get standard view.