I cannot decide...

[JediAng]

So, I'm booking my resort package for 2017 on July 1st. These are the resorts I have my choices narrowed down to.....

UPDATE: I HAVE DECIDED!
Staying UNDER my budget, I have booked a POP Century PREFERRED Room, with the Deluxe Dining Plan, Park Hopper, Memory Maker, and Travel Insurance!

Thanks for all of the input, I appreciate all of the tips, etc. When it came down to it, I chose to not max out my budget, I chose a deluxe dining plan over possibly getting a moderate resort room instead, would much rather take care of all of my meals up front rather than paying out of pocket on site (i know i will have to think about tips for the time of the meal). With the money I'm saving with this choice, I am adding some extra magic on my trip. I have already added Memory Maker, I hope to also book a Pirates and Pals Fireworks Cruise, and maybe another special event like a Dessert Party for the Star Wars show at Studios. I am also wanting to book a Rivers of Light Dinner Package whenever those details are officially announced. Hopefully ROL will be running by April 2017? Ahhh, I am so excited!

Thank you again, to everyone who helped me out!

1. Port Orleans Riversaide- Royal Room - I originally had my heart set on this one, but with the extreme price hikes announced on June 21st for 2017 packages, this is nearly out of my $200/night budget now... I could pull off this room if I REALLY wanted to, but I would have to sacrifice other things like my dining plan, and I plan on doing many character meals, plus nice sit down meals like Teppan Edo, and a steak meal, which are all expensive, so that would suck.

2. POP Century Preferred- This is my usual choice, I am comfortable here, I know it, and I would be perfectly fine with this choice, but with this trip being my first adult solo vacation without my parents, where I'm planning it all completely on my own, I want to try new things I haven't done before, and that includes staying at a resort I haven't already stayed at 3x. This is so tempting though, because, 1. It's the best deal, cheaper, own bus line UNLIKE the All Stars, close proximity to my favorite park HollyWood Studios, I love the food court, I love the theming, and it's considered "My home" when at Disney.

3. Art of Animation Little Mermaid Room- Similar to POP, I have stayed here before, I LOVE the theming, and food court, it's the newest, and at a decent price. Last time I stayed here, I felt there were a ton of little kids compared to places like POP, and it was super crowded, like I almost got knocked over in the food court when kids were running and not paying attention. it was shoulder to shoulder packed, which is a turn off for me despite how much I loved the actual room, and dedicated bus route.

4. All Star Movies- Obviously the cheapest option, which is what tempts me. Also, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE TOY STORY, so that aspect of the theming here draws me to it. If I choose this resort, I could get a deluxe dining plan no problem, but one major thing concerns me. SHARED BUSES. I don't want to have to wait forever for a bus because it's shared with 2 other resorts. This is a major turn off for me, big enough to mark this one off my list all together. But the idea of saving money, still attracts me to it, somewhat.

I'd like your pros & cons of each of these resorts, if you have stayed there, if you would stay there again, why you wouldn't, etc. I really appreciate any opinions. TIA!

 

[rosiebean]

I haven't stayed at any of the values, so I can't speak about them. I've actually stayed in more DVC and Deluxe hotels than any other type...and POR is in my top three resorts (it fluctuates between 2 and 3 on my list).

I loved the theming. I loved the QS options. I loved Boatwright's, it's a true hidden gem. I loved the boat ride to Disney Springs. I loved the rooms (I stayed in a RR, but my brother stayed in a GV in the mansions that was really lovely as well...I would stay in one of those easily). The bar was fun too! I also loved just walking around the resort. I found the CM's to be very friendly. The resort had a good mix of kids and adults obviously there without kids. The gift shop was fun. The boat captains were amazing. And the buses were perfectly fine. The CM's helped me figure out which stops to go to when leaving and which to get off of when coming back to avoid extra stops (my room was halfway between a stop in 'front' of the resort and a stop in 'back'...we'd go to one when leaving for a park and get off at the other when arriving back at the resort).

Have you considered POR FQ? I like the looks of those rooms as well, though I haven't seen the 'real' inside of one.

Just think about what's important to you. My family loves loves loves to eat (and we carefully plan our ADRs). But we also enjoy downtime at the hotel, so resort theming and atmosphere is very important too. We tend to balance room budget with food budget...if we have to forgo a few meal options to stay at a resort we dearly want to try, we try to make it work. But everyone is different, so just think about what works best for YOU .

 

[ebradley23]

The Royal Rooms are fantastic, and I love POR. I would price out paying OOP for all the meals you desperately want to do and consider ways to cut cost on the other meals. For instance, could you do breakfast in your room? Possibly even consider packing sandwiches for lunches instead of doing QS free up cash.

 

[loves to dive]

I tend to stay in the Epcot deluxe resorts but started branching out to mods and values and doing split stays for solo trips. I still end up at a deluxe but start out a day or two at the others. I'm on a mission to stay at every resort on site.

I stayed in the mansion section of POR, loved it. Have you considered one of those instead of a Royal room? That would save you money.

The deluxe dining plan is a lot of food, have you thought about the regular dining plan? You would still get your steak and other things but save some money.

This is an unpopular opinion but for me, all the value resorts are basically the same. The all stars do not always share buses, from what I understand only during the slow times. I stayed at Sports and rode the bus in the middle of the afternoon and early morning and did not share a bus. The buses are the buses are the buses, there are no resorts that have any better service than others.

Have you looked in Swan/Dolphin? Sometimes you can get those for about the same as a moderate. You just have to remember to factor in the $20/night resort fee and if you are driving the $18/night parking fee.

 

[2kidsForMe]

For me (and my kids) dining and the little "extras" are a big part of any trip to WDW. I wouldn't give up enjoying special meals/drinks if I knew I could be perfectly happy at a value resort. As pp have suggested, if you would really like to stay at POR ( we have, and it is a great resort) you could price out a standard room. They are a substantial savings over a RR. If you decide to go value, we absolutely loved our stay at AS Movies. The theming was just about perfect, and the food court was convenient and very good. We rarely ever shared a bus with the other AS, and if we did, it was still quicker that making all of the stops that POR has.

 

[JediAng]

I haven't stayed at any of the values, so I can't speak about them. I've actually stayed in more DVC and Deluxe hotels than any other type...and POR is in my top three resorts (it fluctuates between 2 and 3 on my list).

I loved the theming. I loved the QS options. I loved Boatwright's, it's a true hidden gem. I loved the boat ride to Disney Springs. I loved the rooms (I stayed in a RR, but my brother stayed in a GV in the mansions that was really lovely as well...I would stay in one of those easily). The bar was fun too! I also loved just walking around the resort. I found the CM's to be very friendly. The resort had a good mix of kids and adults obviously there without kids. The gift shop was fun. The boat captains were amazing. And the buses were perfectly fine. The CM's helped me figure out which stops to go to when leaving and which to get off of when coming back to avoid extra stops (my room was halfway between a stop in 'front' of the resort and a stop in 'back'...we'd go to one when leaving for a park and get off at the other when arriving back at the resort).

Have you considered POR FQ? I like the looks of those rooms as well, though I haven't seen the 'real' inside of one.

Just think about what's important to you. My family loves loves loves to eat (and we carefully plan our ADRs). But we also enjoy downtime at the hotel, so resort theming and atmosphere is very important too. We tend to balance room budget with food budget...if we have to forgo a few meal options to stay at a resort we dearly want to try, we try to make it work. But everyone is different, so just think about what works best for YOU .

Thank you for the info, balancing room and food budgets is a great tip. If I got a Moderate Resort, now with the new price hikes, I would need to sacrifice my deluxe dining plan option, and my fireworks cruise, to stay within my budget.

I have not thought about POFQ, or even a regular POR room, I was looking at the Royal Room for that specific theming with all the princesses and princes featured around the room. In the past, hotels at Disney for me, were always a place to sleep and shower, my family would always go go go, park open to park close, which is why we mostly just chose values with deluxe dining plans. But since I'm going alone, this trip, and I've also done 3 college programs, which means I have experienced WDW a LOT more than my parents & sister, I might want to come back to the room for some downtime, and I could benefit from a nicer room for this reason. Hmmm.

 

[JediAng]

I tend to stay in the Epcot deluxe resorts but started branching out to mods and values and doing split stays for solo trips. I still end up at a deluxe but start out a day or two at the others. I'm on a mission to stay at every resort on site.

I stayed in the mansion section of POR, loved it. Have you considered one of those instead of a Royal room? That would save you money.

The deluxe dining plan is a lot of food, have you thought about the regular dining plan? You would still get your steak and other things but save some money.

This is an unpopular opinion but for me, all the value resorts are basically the same. The all stars do not always share buses, from what I understand only during the slow times. I stayed at Sports and rode the bus in the middle of the afternoon and early morning and did not share a bus. The buses are the buses are the buses, there are no resorts that have any better service than others.

Have you looked in Swan/Dolphin? Sometimes you can get those for about the same as a moderate. You just have to remember to factor in the $20/night resort fee and if you are driving the $18/night parking fee.

What part of the resort is the mansion section? I need to youtube this.

I don't have my dining plan set in stone yet, I need to confirm my ADR choices first... Which have changed about 5x, so far at this point, lol! Maybe choosing a smaller plan is a good idea.

That is good to know about the shared bus situation. My trip is April 17-23, 2017, which is a pretty busy time, so maybe they would each have their own?

I have not considered Swan/Dolphin... I thought those fell closer to the deluxe category, which is definitely out of my budget for this trip.

Thank you for the info!

 

[JediAng]

For me (and my kids) dining and the little "extras" are a big part of any trip to WDW. I wouldn't give up enjoying special meals/drinks if I knew I could be perfectly happy at a value resort. As pp have suggested, if you would really like to stay at POR ( we have, and it is a great resort) you could price out a standard room. They are a substantial savings over a RR. If you decide to go value, we absolutely loved our stay at AS Movies. The theming was just about perfect, and the food court was convenient and very good. We rarely ever shared a bus with the other AS, and if we did, it was still quicker that making all of the stops that POR has.

Thanks!!! I might look into a standard room for POR if I see more good reviews like this. Your review about ASMovies makes me feel better about that choice, as well. I also agree that the "Extras" like character meals are a huge part of my trip as well, not only are they fun, but it saves a LOT of time waiting in character lines at the parks, which annoy me. haha. I'd rather be riding rides or watching shows. The only 3 character lines I plan time for in the parks are Rapunzel, Gaston, & Peter Pan in MK, everyone else I try to get at a character meal of some sort.

 

[Marypat67]

So, I'm booking my resort package for 2017 on July 1st. These are the resorts I have my choices narrowed down to.....

1. Port Orleans Riversaide- Royal Room - I originally had my heart set on this one, but with the extreme price hikes announced on June 21st for 2017 packages, this is nearly out of my $200/night budget now... I could pull off this room if I REALLY wanted to, but I would have to sacrifice other things like my dining plan, and I plan on doing many character meals, plus nice sit down meals like Teppan Edo, and a steak meal, which are all expensive, so that would suck.

2. POP Century Preferred- This is my usual choice, I am comfortable here, I know it, and I would be perfectly fine with this choice, but with this trip being my first adult solo vacation without my parents, where I'm planning it all completely on my own, I want to try new things I haven't done before, and that includes staying at a resort I haven't already stayed at 3x. This is so tempting though, because, 1. It's the best deal, cheaper, own bus line UNLIKE the All Stars, close proximity to my favorite park HollyWood Studios, I love the food court, I love the theming, and it's considered "My home" when at Disney.

3. Art of Animation Little Mermaid Room- Similar to POP, I have stayed here before, I LOVE the theming, and food court, it's the newest, and at a decent price. Last time I stayed here, I felt there were a ton of little kids compared to places like POP, and it was super crowded, like I almost got knocked over in the food court when kids were running and not paying attention. it was shoulder to shoulder packed, which is a turn off for me despite how much I loved the actual room, and dedicated bus route.

4. All Star Movies- Obviously the cheapest option, which is what tempts me. Also, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE TOY STORY, so that aspect of the theming here draws me to it. If I choose this resort, I could get a deluxe dining plan no problem, but one major thing concerns me. SHARED BUSES. I don't want to have to wait forever for a bus because it's shared with 2 other resorts. This is a major turn off for me, big enough to mark this one off my list all together. But the idea of saving money, still attracts me to it, somewhat.

I'd like your pros & cons of each of these resorts, if you have stayed there, if you would stay there again, why you wouldn't, etc. I really appreciate any opinions. TIA!

I stayed in a PORS Royal Room a couple years ago and found it very dark. So much so that we were moved to the mansion area and loved it. I believe the area is called Magnolia Bend and it's lovely. Like you, I would rather put the money in to good meals and I think you can't go wrong with any of the other resorts. Enjoy!

 

[loves to dive]

What part of the resort is the mansion section? I need to youtube this.

I don't have my dining plan set in stone yet, I need to confirm my ADR choices first... Which have changed about 5x, so far at this point, lol! Maybe choosing a smaller plan is a good idea.

That is good to know about the shared bus situation. My trip is April 17-23, 2017, which is a pretty busy time, so maybe they would each have their own?

I have not considered Swan/Dolphin... I thought those fell closer to the deluxe category, which is definitely out of my budget for this trip.

Thank you for the info!

The royal rooms are in the mansion section, building next to them is a standard rate.
Swan/Dolphin look and act like a deluxe but at certain times of the year, the rooms can be around $165/night, that is not including the $20/night resort fee or taxes. Add those and you can still get in for under $200/night, not all the time but it's possible.

 

[SwanVT2]

What part of the resort is the mansion section? I need to youtube this.

I don't have my dining plan set in stone yet, I need to confirm my ADR choices first... Which have changed about 5x, so far at this point, lol! Maybe choosing a smaller plan is a good idea.

That is good to know about the shared bus situation. My trip is April 17-23, 2017, which is a pretty busy time, so maybe they would each have their own?

I have not considered Swan/Dolphin... I thought those fell closer to the deluxe category, which is definitely out of my budget for this trip.

Thank you for the info!

Looking at the prices for POR Royal rooms, I think you could definitely find a cheaper room at Swan or Dolphin. Do you have AAA? they have a discount. and they often have excellent specials for summer travelers. Go on their website and join their mailing list!

 

[JediAng]

I stayed in a PORS Royal Room a couple years ago and found it very dark. So much so that we were moved to the mansion area and loved it. I believe the area is called Magnolia Bend and it's lovely. Like you, I would rather put the money in to good meals and I think you can't go wrong with any of the other resorts. Enjoy!

Good to know! Thanks for the info, I will definitely keep it in mind.

 

[JediAng]

The royal rooms are in the mansion section, building next to them is a standard rate.
Swan/Dolphin look and act like a deluxe but at certain times of the year, the rooms can be around $165/night, that is not including the $20/night resort fee or taxes. Add those and you can still get in for under $200/night, not all the time but it's possible.

WOW. I guess I need to do more research, then! That rate is not bad at all. I will definitely look into this, if that's true than it's Under $200/night which is perfect!

 

[JediAng]

Looking at the prices for POR Royal rooms, I think you could definitely find a cheaper room at Swan or Dolphin. Do you have AAA? they have a discount. and they often have excellent specials for summer travelers. Go on their website and join their mailing list!

I guess i always ignored Swan/Dolphin because I thought they were deluxe resorts. I definitely need to research these more, you don't hear as much about them as the other ones, I guess. Plus they are close to my favorite parks - EPCOT & Studios. I'm about to go do some serious research and price comparisons right now.

I do not have AAA, my parents still technically cover my insurance stuff (i pay for it, but it's under their plan to stay cheaper, so I give them the money and that's what they pay my part of it with) , so all of that kind of information will be under their names and I'm not sure what plans they have, but I don't think it's AAA, they've never mentioned that name before.

Thank you for all of the info, though! This is something I never even considered!

 

[HopperFan]

Here is the map from portorleans.org which has TONS of great info. Mansions are all the big buildings with red being Royal.

BUT have you considered looking at CSR. A standard room in Ranchos (highly themed) is not a far walk from anything, close to main pool that is AWESOME for adults with QS and mug refill right there. MULTIPLE places to use your dining plan and some of the best transportation on property.

 

[JediAng]

Here is the map from portorleans.org which has TONS of great info. Mansions are all the big buildings with red being Royal.

BUT have you considered looking at CSR. A standard room in Ranchos (highly themed) is not a far walk from anything, close to main pool that is AWESOME for adults with QS and mug refill right there. MULTIPLE places to use your dining plan and some of the best transportation on property.

Thanks for the info! I have not considered CSR, I have heard multiple times from guests that that resort is more of a convention area, and I've read more bad reviews about it than good. So I'm not sure about that one.

 

[GrumpyDad1974]

I vote for values, we would love to go moderate but when I priced out next March, we can almost do to trips for the moderate money. I just can't justify it. We spend so much of the time on the go... I vote POP preferred.

 

[JediAng]

I vote for values, we would love to go moderate but when I priced out next March, we can almost do to trips for the moderate money. I just can't justify it. We spend so much of the time on the go... I vote POP preferred.

With this year's prices ($89 for values, $166 for moderates) I would have definitely moved up to a moderate, but with the new prices ($194/night for POP, $215/night for AoA, over $300/night for POR), I just cannot justify it. These prices are outrageous. Raising values $100/night on the 2017 packages is crazy.

I am thinking right now, either POP Preferred Deluxe Dining, AS Movies Preferred Deluxe Dining, or AOA LM Table Service Dining, everything is just so much higher all of a sudden... I'd rather have more money to do things like fireworks cruises and pin trading instead.

 

[GPC0321]

Not sure what time your trip is, but at certain times of the year, the DVC villas are very, very reasonable. Standard studio villas at Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and the Boardwalk are all less than $200/night during certain times of the year. (this is based on the cost and points calculator at a major DVC rental site).

I've never stayed in the resorts you've listed, but of them, I'd be more likely to stay at POR. The value resorts just don't appeal to me.

And I also second CSR. It's the only one I've stayed at so far, and I really like it. But we're going to try our hand at renting DVC points for next December. I have a feeling there will be no going back to a moderate once we've stayed deluxe. Really looking forward to it!

 

[JediAng]

Not sure what time your trip is, but at certain times of the year, the DVC villas are very, very reasonable. Standard studio villas at Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and the Boardwalk are all less than $200/night during certain times of the year. (this is based on the cost and points calculator at a major DVC rental site).

I've never stayed in the resorts you've listed, but of them, I'd be more likely to stay at POR. The value resorts just don't appeal to me.

And I also second CSR. It's the only one I've stayed at so far, and I really like it. But we're going to try our hand at renting DVC points for next December. I have a feeling there will be no going back to a moderate once we've stayed deluxe. Really looking forward to it!

I did look into DVC Rentals, and I thought about it for a while, but my trip for April is a split stay. I'm going April 12-23, 2017. April 12-17 will be at Best Western Orlando Gateway, for Star Wars Celebration, which is April 13-16, then on April 17, I am transferring to Disney Property where I will stay until I check out on April 23, 2017.

I am thinking about a 2nd shorter 2017 trip for December; to attend MVMCP, and be in Disney for the release of SWVIII, and I am definitely considering renting DVC for this one, but my April Trip, it just seems too complicated already to try something new like that. In December, I will have a bigger budget, as I won't need to save money to spend at the Celebration Event, so I will definitely be looking at something other than values for that trip