If you couldn't afford the hotel you wanted to stay in, would you still go?

[amg35]

We don't go to Disney often, once every 8 or 9 years. We travel different places. So when we go, we like to do it the way we want to. A longer trip, and staying deluxe. (just my preference, we spend time at the hotel)

In a discussion today, a friend was debating going now and staying at a hotel she really didn't want to, or save up and go next year and stay where she really wanted to. I told her how I would do it (save up).

Would you go now and settle for less in the hotel (in your mind) or save up for what you really wanted? (meaning you could want deluxe, moderate, value, off-site, whatever!)

If I couldn't afford the place I wanted (Beach/Yacht club or Polynesian!), I wouldn't go until I could afford it.

 

[chimo2u]

Add me to the save up group! The resorts a huge part of my vacation satisfaction and enjoyment! I'd definitely save for where I wanted to stay....and I am a Deluxe gal, always Club level, so that requires saving no compromise here

 

[MMS1125]

I have a resort or two at every tier I like. If I couldn't afford deluxe I'll gladly stay mod or value if I have to. Depends how long it's been since we've been as to if I'd go or not. I would not however go if I couldn't afford to stay onsite. That's where I draw the line

 

[wdwmom0f3]

I will shop it around, but if I can't afford exactly what I want which for me is normally Riverside, I will go for the best deal that I can find. I had rather stay at Bonnet Creek than a value though so I tend to go for the most bang for my buck. If I can't do that, then I will wait.

 

[KristiKat]

I would go where my budget allows because I love going to Disney as long as I can stay on Disney property I'm good. Also, staying at a deluxe is in our budget but my DH refuses to spend that kind of money on a room, he's a penny pincher. Tried to convince him for the next trip to stay at Wilderness Lodge but no. Ugh!! Men!! Lol, they can be so irritating at times. Anyway, if I had the mentality that if I can't stay where I want to then I'd never get to go. I can still dream that someday I'll be able to convince him.

 

[Amy&Dan]

As long as I could stay onsite, I'd still go.

The hotel is a big thing to me, although we tend to stay moderate. Still, we have had many great value stays and a time or two, we have had to change our moderate reservation over to value. We were always so glad we still got to go and once there we knew it was the right choice for our family.

For me, a Disney trip is about the time I spend with my family surrounded by Disney magic. Which we have still found at the values and we also spend several hours each day enjoying our resort regarless of category. We haven't spend an entire day at the parks since our first trip.

I don't consider my hotel just a place to sleep and shower, but its also not my biggest consideration. I also have had things happen in my life and family that have put me into the "dont' wait, you just never know what might happen" mindset!

We are all different though and I commend those patient enough to wait and save for the resort they want!

 

[justtobeme2]

Well since I only consider a room a bed and a shower and we don't play in the pool as long as what I could afford was clean and decent, yup I'd go. For us it's about the parks.

 

[amg35]

You're right, it's about if you are a park or a hotel person.

For me, my warmest memories of Disney come from staying at the Poly with my family as a little girl back in the late 70's/early 80's(?). I still remember the smells, the sound of the waterfall in the lobby, the feel of the stone of the old slide in the pool, the water parade at night....then the Beach Club on the first trip with my boyfriend - the pool!, the bright pretty rooms, the walk to EPCOT. These are my Disney memories.

Don't get me wrong, I love the parks!! It's just those hotels have such a strong hold on my memory/heart that it's worth it to me to wait until I can stay there.

 

[buzznina]

I have a resort or two at every tier I like. If I couldn't afford deluxe I'll gladly stay mod or value if I have to. Depends how long it's been since we've been as to if I'd go or not. I would not however go if I couldn't afford to stay onsite. That's where I draw the line

We are the same way, except it really does not matter how long we have been We have had great trips at each levels and we do spend time at the resort, the resort is an important part of our vacation but it is not a make or break factor. But we are also not the type that will sit there and dwell on how the resort we are staying at doesn't have this like resort B or isn't as nice as resort C. We have friends that went with us once (and only once), and that is pretty much all they did But they also didn't understand why my DW and I would jump in puddles with our DD on mainstreet in the rain either

 

[bumbershoot]

If it's a resort-focused trip, I'm not going to settle on just whatever resort. If it's a parks-based trip, I'll stay just about wherever. That's for WDW (and DLR). I would even stay offsite at WDW (offsite at DLR is common for us ) if I liked the place.

Universal, however, the perks are way too good for me to consider staying offsite. So for Uni, I'll only stay at one of the three hotels there.

 

[aubriee]

I go to WDW 4-6 times a year and have had wonderful stays at all levels of resorts. I usually tend to stay in a moderate though (with a preference for POFQ or CSR). Even though I am not a big fan of the Values, I have stayed at three out of the four and would do so again if that was the only way I could go. For me it's more about the time of year. I love the Chirstmas stuff in late Nov/early Dec, always go for the Flower Festival in early May, love Sept because it's usually the cheapest and least crowded time of the year, and love Oct for the Halloween stuff and Food & Wine Festival. I love the weather and low crowds in early Feb. It also depends on what discounts I can get though. Going so much, I can usually catch a bounceback several times year, plus I have an Annual Pass and a Disney Visa that gets me discounts sometimes. My trip is just seven days is at AKL using the AP discount, but until the AP discount came out I had a ressie booked at POFQ with a bounceback I booked when I was there last Dec.

 

[kerplop]

We go once a year and stay value. I'd like to stay at a deluxe one day, but for me I'd rather be in the parks!

 

[DisneyDetective]

I would save up as the hotel is a major part of your vacation. There is nothing worse than having a bad experience at a resort because it sticks with you during and after the holiday.

 

[maxiesmom]

For me, it depends both on budget and what we plan on doing at WDW. If we are going to spend a day or two by the resort pool, then a moderate or deluxe resort is the way to go. If we will be in the parks all day and night then I am fine with staying at a value resort.

Though for my next trip we plan on being in the parks a lot, don't really plan on spending much time in the pool, and I have CBR booked. It is the only moderate resort I haven't stayed at, so I'm checking it off of my list.

 

[fla4fun]

It depends on how long I'm there (a short weekend trip or more than a week long vacation) and why I'm there. For example, in December I spend a lot of time at Epcot and DHS enjoying the holiday events. So I want to stay at an Epcot resort so I can walk to the parks I'll be frequenting. For my January and May trips, I divide my park time more equally, so having the ability to walk to a park isn't as important. For my September trip, since it's during hurricane season, I want at least a kitchenette in my room, so if we are confined to our rooms during a storm I have some way to prepare meals.

If I couldn't stay at an Epcot resort in December, I probably wouldn't go. I'd just do a day trip or two (probably one day at each park) and let it go. But if I'd been thinking about a deluxe resort for January and the post-holiday budget couldn't handle it, then I would definitely consider staying at a mod instead.

So I think it depends on what you want out of your trip, and how much a part of your trip your resort choice is. That's a different answer for everyone.

 

[ben1993]

I'd rather go now and stay at a resort I could afford to be honest, I'd love to stay at GF but I'm happy at Pop, as long as I'm at WDW!

 

[danceintherain]

It depends.
I like to plan at least one non-extended family vacation a year. We do go other places, but everything costs money. Something's got to give somewhere. I could easily spend as much money somewhere else as I do at Disney. I prefer spending my money at Disney, even if it's not my dream resort every time. There's no reason to expect that I'll save my Disney money and not find something just as appealing along the way. We've tried vacationing at home, but it doesn't work. I have to get away from the house in order to relax.

Also, I think there's always going to be a cap on our vacation spending regardless of our income. It will be a long time before we're in the position where we feel comfortable dropping $500/night on a hotel room (if it ever happens) because it will be a long time before our finances are in a place where there's not a better place to use the money. Luckily, there are plenty of places at Disney where I can stay for a fraction of that.

That said, I'm beginning to believe that I won't ever be comfortable staying in a value resort. At that point, I think space requirements will push us into staying off property, and I'll be perfectly happy there.

I think a lot of people wait too long for the situation to be perfect, when things can go wrong no matter how perfect you've arranged things.
I think it's a matter of setting your expectations at a reasonable place. Maybe it will be worth it for your friend to save, or maybe going now will give her the opportunity to experience something she would not have otherwise.

EDIT: I want to try most of the resorts at some point, so it's not a big deal to me that I can't afford the higher tiered ones every time.

 

[disneychic2]

DH and I are going for a second time this year. We usually only go once a year and stay at FQ. For this unexpected trip, we are staying at POP to make it possible. We have a vacation budget we save to every month and it allows us to travel to see our kids, (3 of 4 of them live out of state), my sister and one trip to Disney a year. But if I can get there a second time by staying in a value...I'm there! Especially if it's to be there while the Christmas decorations are up. We've stayed Deluxe, moderate and value. We liked aspects of them all. But the important thing for us is just being there. As often as we can!

 

[tinkbyday]

I just recently cancelled our Thanksgiving week trip for this very reason. Several unexpected things came up that took from the vacation fund and I opted to cancel.

I could have went to a moderate or even the S/D, but, for us, the resort is a big part of the trip - we do spend alot of time there and it makes a difference. We try to go on a vacation one time a year - when we go, we do not want to just have a place to lay our heads and go commando to the parks, we really are trying to relax and be on a vacation.

 

[rentayenta]

The resort is a big part of our WDW vacations. For me, it would depend on how much of a hit would my resort category be taking. If I had my heart set on a deluxe I could most likely handle going from a deluxe to mod but don't think I could do a whole vacation in a value. I'm not knocking the values but there are certain ammenitites we really enjoy that add to the relaxation factor in our trips. The great thing about WDW is that there is something for everyone.


We've stayed at POR x 2, OKW, and AKV. We enjoyed all 3 but the POR was our least favorite. Five to a room is not enjoyable to me if there are other options.
This is another reason why DVC works so well for us. We can always stay in the villa we want.