How much do you rely on reviews?

[bigbabyblues]

I've only stayed at CBR previously, and this time we're going to try ASMo because of my 3-yo ds who loves Toy Story. How much do you rely on the reviews you read? I have found everything from it's a great resort, to it's absolutely horrible and dogs shouldn't stay there, to it's ok but there's no bar soap. Our other choices are PC and CBR, and I'm getting mixed reviews on those too (sorry Tyler!)

I'm thinking we'll just have to find out for ourselves. I realize everyone is different, and my expectations aren't the same as yours.........

So do you pay attention to other people's reviews?

Just curious,
~Steph--determined to do this without DH help

 

[hellokitty]

If i find lots of bad reviews I might stay away. It is hard to say

What are you looking for in a room and what are your expectations for your vacation? If you have high expectations
and like nicer rooms then you might not enjoy all stars.
It is hard to say. It depends on your outlook on life.

the characters are great at the movies and my kids loved it when we were there. Me however, I would have preferred a little nicer resort. The CBR was bigger rooms and has a slide at the pool.

now the food court at the movies was great as was the overall
disney feel.

like I said what are you wanting from a vacation? that helps in
deciding if you will be happy.

 

[bigbabyblues]

I'm really just looking for a place my kids will enjoy, and I know that's what I'll get there. The rooms won't be huge, but we won't be in there much. This trip's for the kids, and they will be 4 and just under 2 when we go. I want to stay onsite, and I know we will be able to stay a day or so longer there as compared to CBR.

 

[hellokitty]

then you should be fine. the pools are large even though there are no slides. they have a nice playground and game room, too.

 

[Epcotgal8]

I love reading reviews and I take note of certain criticisms if I see that lots of people have the same problem. I've come to know that whether you're talking about resorts or restaurants that there will ALWAYS be mixed reviews. It's about expectations, personal tastes, and experiences. You could take two families, have them stay at the same resort and their experiences could be totally different. Maybe one had better housekeeping than the other. Maybe one was disappointed with the pool since they are important to that family but not as much so to the other family. Maybe one family had a long wait for a bus to AK while the other family walked out to get a bus to MGM and it pulled up as soon as they got to the bust stop. So, I take reviews with a grain of salt. I can tell you Steph that I have been a resort "snob" when going on certain vacations. In the past we've gone to tropical destinations and then I DO want the best ocean view and a really nice pool since that is where we are spending our time. Then at other times we're not going to be at the hotel much so all I really care about is to have a clean place to shower and sleep. When going to WDW we've stayed at (in order) the WL, POR, BC, Wyndham Palace, and All Star Sports. We liked them all. I would never stay offsite again, but the Wyndham was nice. I was very worried on our last trip that we wouldn't like All Stars after having stayed at a moderate and 2 deluxes but our needs were different. I didn't have high expectations, didn't expect a glorious pool or an exceptional view. In all honesty even though I know the rooms are smaller it wasn't a big deal to us since we weren't in the room much. Actually I didn't FEEL like it was smaller than the WL room we stayed in which had a queen and bunk beds which seemed to take up a lot of room. We are planning our next trip and while I like the places we've stayed, I would like to try something new. Have shown photos of CBR and CSR to my kids and they (8, 10, and 13) all want to stay at All Stars again! So I wouldn't worry about reviews. I've read bad ones from people who stayed at the GF for goodness sakes and that would kill me if I had a bad experience and was paying $300+ a night.

 

[TLinden16]

I don't worry about bad reviews too much. Everyone has different opinions and expectations for a resort. Everyone has different tastes. Sometimes, someone may just run into a string of bad luck at a resort (like I did when I stayed at the WL a few years back). As HelloKitty said, if I saw a lot of bad reviews, I may look into other options.

With Disney hotels, you know in advance what to expect as far as amenities before you go in. If you're used to staying at five star hotels when you travel, and decide you are going to stay at a value resort in Disney, chances are you'll be disappointed. You know what you are paying for.

My rule of thumb when I stay at hotels outside of Disney is to see what the AAA rating is for it. I won't stay in anything below a three diamond.

Karen

 

[bigbabyblues]

I'm like you, I LOVE reading about other people's experiences, especially when it comes to WDW!

Thanks!

Keep the responses coming, I like to hear how other people view things (not just the ASMo, I'm interested in how much you count reviews on any experience, not just mine.)

 

[madalex]

I love giving my reviews and opinions, but rely on those of others much less so. I have been to WDW 10 times in the last 7 years, so I have a pretty good idea of what I like already.

 

[Magic2000]

I love reading other people's reviews, and I take it with a grain of salt. Just as the others have said, everybody has different opinions!

We've visited Disney twice already for July 4th - we had a great time!!! We saw everything we wanted, rode some of the rides over and over, and ate at some really nice places. After we got back and I was reading on the boards, I saw some some people saying how horrible the crowds were and there were such long lines, etc. We never really had any bad experiences with lines though.

We've stayed at the All Star Movies twice, and we'll be back in July. Some people like the All Stars, others don't. We've never had a bad experience there! Bus service is great! (My favorite resort we stayed in was the Grand Floridian at Christmas time - all decorated - it was so pretty!!!) We've stayed at the Deluxes, Mods, and Movies. Again, never had a bad experience.

We've eaten at some restaurants that I thought were really good - we really enjoyed our meal; then I'll read where others didn't like it at all! Some people really do not like SciFi - we enjoyed our lunch there (we usually just get burgers and shakes).

So, I'm always looking to read the reviews; but I make the final decision on my own.

Everybody raved on Ohanas - we tried it for the first time in October, and we LOVED it!!! We will definitely be back on our next trip!

 

[excitedmom]

i ignore reviews. first time we went to Disney ( last year) i bought disney books up the wazoo and the first one i read had quite terrible reviews about everything! i was booked at ASMo and it had terrible reviews! we got there and it was absolutely amazing! not one complaint do i have about that resort or the world in general. sure i had to stand on the bus most of the time but that's not a big deal to me, i was in freakin DISNEY!!! lol. anyway, this year we're staying at CBR and it has had awful reviews by quite a few people but, i'm willing to give it a chance.

i say look at the pics and just the general facts about a resort and make your decision based on that. you can form your own opinion when you get there

 

[goodferry]

Our last trip we stayed at the CBR over a President's Day holiday. We had a great time, we enjoyed the walk to the food court and loved the pools. We met lots of great people on the buses, sometimes we had to wait a while because it was really crowded. We were so happy to be in Disney that we made everything fun. There was someone who posted on one of the Disney boards who stayed in the same resort at the same time in the same building and HATED it. They thought the walk was too far to the main building, the pool was too crowded with kids, the buses too full etc.
Send two families on the same trip and you will probably get two different trip reports, so while I enjoy reading reviews, I tend to make up my own mind based on what I know I want in a vacation.

 

[trracers]

Now that I have gone a few times, I have more of an idea of what to expect and take the reviews with a grain of salt, too. I love the world and even when my husband and I go alone for a long weekend, we often stay at the All Stars. WL was beautiful and nice and we enjoyed being close to the MK, but DD5 was miserable!! She wanted the colors and icons of AS. I guess that is where we will be from now on until she outgrows it (unless she is like her Mom and Dad and never outgrows anything about WDW). The rooms in the WL, like someone else said, were not much bigger than the AS rooms from what I can remember. We are much better off staying longer and having more time to play by staying at one of the Value Resorts.

 

[daannzzz]

I have been reading online reviews for 7 years now and have found that at Disney hotels there are always a few people who hated it for its theme and look. There are always a few who had a really bad room (this is also at most other accomodations around the country as well) with some cleanliness and ware and tear issues. There are people who liked the place fine but had service problems and will never return. Then there are the people who though it was just okay and then those who like / love it. You will usually find a similar percent for all those catagories.
It is only when you find a larger percent than usual complaining about the same thing that you need to investigate further.

 

[Mercy]

I really enjoy reading reviews, and I do rely on them somewhat. I take the opinions good and bad about the various aspects of the resorts that are being reviewed and weigh them against what I am looking for.

For example, I would love to try the CR and everything so far that I have read about it, leads me to want to give it a try. I know some people don't like the resort decor, but that is not as important to me as the location and the overall feel of the resort. I am concerned, however, about the pool situation. I know the pools are rather bland and there is no pool with a deep end. Since I am traveling with teenage boys, this could be a problem, so I am still reading reviews and trying to make my decision.

 

[***tink386]

Our first trip to WDW in October we stayed at the All Star Music, and when I was reading some of the reviews, I got a little nervous. But we went, we stayed and it was fantasic!!! My kids absolutely loved it. We really had a good experience. The transportation was awesome! We have plans to again next year and I was asking the kids dd(8) & ds(11) where they would like to stay (we've been watching more about some of the other Disney Hotels on the Travel Channel), well, out of all the resorts, they asked to stay at All Star Music!! They loved it!

 

[grimp]

If you read a significant number of bad reviews then stay away; even a jerk can tell that something was really bad. However, if you read a number of good reviews, you cannot always depend upon them. Discriminating (experienced) people usually know what is good and bad; others have a tendancy to thing that bad is average, and average is good.

There are a lot of people who are novices at cullinary delight, many of whom post their limited experience on these sites. Maybe, in order to post Disney experiences, posters should first need to qualify themselves in their restaurant experiences.

I personally am astounder that a human being can rave about some of the almsot lethal concoctions that you can consume on Disney property (an example is 50's Prime Time Cafe).

 

[Sammie]

Absolutely none at all. I read them for fun of just seeing what others think, but no one knows what I like better than me.

I read for descriptions and reviews but I don't let the opinions affect my decision on where to stay.

We have stayed at every resort, so really I have my own opinion on what we like.

 

[Mercy]

Originally posted by grimp
There are a lot of people who are novices at cullinary delight, many of whom post their limited experience on these sites. Maybe, in order to post Disney experiences, posters should first need to qualify themselves in their restaurant experiences.

I personally am astounder that a human being can rave about some of the almsot lethal concoctions that you can consume on Disney property (an example is 50's Prime Time Cafe).

Well, let's see, I've been eating for 46 years... is that long enough to qualify to give a restaurant review... or how long do you suggest before I graduate from novice?

Whether a restaurant is good or not is truly in the "taste buds" of the beholder. That is why most reviews should be taken with a grain of salt.

 

[paladin]

While I enjoy reading the reviews, I don't make many decisions based entirely on them. After all, everyone has different tastes and I don't know these people, so I don't know what their tastes are like. With both restaurants and hotels, taste is definetly in the eyes (and mouth) of the beholder.