Is going to a Value resort still worth it?

[Princess Clara]

Hi Everyone,

I am curious to know because I last went to POP in 2016, my bff and I enjoyed it there. However, it was cheaper then, maybe $115 per night in August. I was eyeballing prices tonight and tonight I saw $162. I'm debating going off property this year to be honest, maybe Holiday Inn by Disney Springs. Besides the travel provided by the hotel is there any other reason to stay on property is it still worth it?
Thanks!!

 

[rkstocke5609]

Yes, I think you get earlier dining and fast pass reservation ability when staying on property...? I think..?

 

[Splat10]

parking is free in the parks if you pay for it at your resort. you have to pay for both at DS hotels
transportation isn't as frequent (from what i've heard but can't say for sure)
DS resorts are typical chain hotels, no themeing if you care.
they add a resort fee on top of the quoted price of sonething like $30 a night so that reduces the value.

 

[Splat10]

Yes, I think you get earlier dining and fast pass reservation ability when staying on property...? I think..?

The disney springs and swan and dolphin get the same as on-site guests for FP and dining but not other perks

 

[RapunzelIsMyHomeGirl]

Skyliner

 

[Rockette]

You're gonna probably have to look at All Stars now. The Skyliner caused Pop Century to jump up in price a bit.

 

[eddy monsoon]

I think the “value” of staying on property is a personal preference. You can stay off property and still get transportation to the parks and in some cases even extra magic hours. At a Disney resort, you’re basically paying for the feeling of never leaving the Disney bubble, which is worth it to me personally. When I’ve stayed off property, it just wasn’t the same. You can definitely get hotels cheaper and technically nicer than Disney hotels if that’s what you want, and that’s totally understandable if you do. But I don’t think anyone else can decide which option is best for you.

 

[NotTheBatesMotel]

It's subjective. We've stayed both on and off-property. The last couple trips we stayed off property because the constantly rising prices just weren't worth it to us anymore and we had better perks (free breakfast, no parking fees) at the offsite hotel we chose.

Everyone has different "worth it" price points. Staying in the "bubble" and proximity are pretty much what it boils down to. There are also 60 day FP windows, but so many Disney Springs hotels offer that too now. Be careful to check the resort and parking (if applicable) fees at the Disney Springs hotels. They often add up quickly and can make the rates end up being the same or nearly the same price as on property hotels. If you have a vehicle with you I highly recommend checking out Lake Buena Vista hotels. Many are pretty much across the street from the DS hotels but have less fees and free breakfast.

 

[WEDWDW]

As others have said,it is all about one's preference for THE BUBBLE.

If we had to we would stay less nights on-property than we could if we stayed off.

Staying in a WDW Resort is as much a part of the WDW experience to us as the Parks.

 

[shu24]

The Skyliner has bumped Pop's price up quite a bit. I stayed in All Star Sports last year and it was nice. I still prefer Pop but, for now, I'm probably going to stay all stars. Movies is completely remodeled (I think) and their rooms are very comparable to Pop's. Music is almost halfway complete with room remodel and Sports will follow. Sports rooms were fine for us though- we liked their food court as well as Pop's and felt that the bus waits were better than at Pop. When I priced Pop vs All Stars the cost was about $500 more for a 7 day stay package. That translates to about what our airfare usually is, so I just couldn't see the value of Pop vs Allstar, even though the Skyliner would be so convenient.

 

[Uncle Coaster]

I’ve had a hard time finding lower priced off site hotels that have onsite food courts that are open earlyish / lateish and reliable 24-hour front desk service. I got that at Disney value resorts.

 

[dtrain]

Yes, still worth it IMO. Plus, you can get some money back by opting out of housekeeping. $10 back per night after the first day in the form of a Disney gift card. Also, stick with the refurbished All Stars since Pop has gone up with the Skyliner.

 

[lorenae]

It also depends on the other costs- if you’re flying, no DME for off-site stays. But Ubering isn’t that expensive and can be convenient. If you’re driving, the parking fees at the parks could be an issue- but you pay parking at the on-site resorts and some off-site resorts.

The onsite pools are nice, and very close to your room even at a value resort. The standard rooms tend to be on or very close to a non-main pool while the preferred rooms are on the mail pool. While many DS resorts have awesome pools, they may be a bit away from your room.

Disney transportation is better than off-site hotels.

Onsite, you get magicbands, if that matters to you (we have tons, so it doesn’t matter to me at all).

Taking a mid-day break is easier with onsite hotels due to the better transportation options. Staying onsite means it’s easy to hop over to Epcot if you want to have dinner there.

I think for a longer than 4 night trip, I’d choose off-site just for the options for other dinner/off day choices. I like the Disney bubble, but after about 5 days it’s like living on an island that I want to leave.

 

[sheilafri]

We stayed 1 night at Sports before a few nights condo stay in Celebration in Nov. We were not impressed. Door locks didn’t work properly with MBs, dated room, crowded lobby and food court. It was just too frenetic. We were happy to get out of the bubble when we moved to the condo. It added maybe 10 minutes driving time but we could relax in nicer accommodations when we got back. As always, to each their own.

 

[Eeyore daily]

To us it is since it's still cheaper to pay the $15 parking fee instead of a Disney Springs hotel that has a $30 resort fee and $20 parking fee. Plus POP and All Star Movies have been updated and they're quite nice.

 

[WEDWDW]

Plus POP and All Star Movies have been updated and they're quite nice.

No doubt-the new 55 inch TVs are AWESOME!

 

[terri33inne]

As others have said it's very individual to each person. We just stayed there in March, and loved it. Particularly the convenience of the skyliner. We've only ever stayed on property though. The proximity to the parks is main drive for us. It takes long enough to get places using Disney transportation as it is. If we ever stayed off property I would rent a car.

 

[Sue M]

It’s subjective. I think staying at one of the Disney Springs Hotel area places would be a good choice if you are priced out of the Value resorts.
No need (IMO) to rent a car. The Disney Spring Hotels run a continuous bus service running every 30 min. And they are getting the same perks as the WDW resorts.
Look on the Mousesavers web site, they have links to special discounts for several Disney Springs hotels, and sign up for the newsletter for the Hot Deals sent monthly. Many of their specials give you discounts like no resort or parking fee, and room rate discounts. Once we stayed at The Doubletree when we decided to come in a day early and had a one bedroom with free breakfast around the same price as a tiny wdw value resort room.

 

[kylenne]

People keep mentioning proximity as a mark in the Values favor but it really depends on where you stay. If you have your own transportation, some offsite hotels are actually closer to the parks than the All Stars, for example. I much prefer the bubble but that's something to keep in mind.

 

[MomOTwins]

Another potential advantage to onsite is the ability to book the dining plan. You have to do the math based on where and what you like to eat, but if you are big eaters or into character meals it can be a huge savings, especially if you are able to get a free dining deal.