Let's Discuss why you stay at Deluxe Resorts

[ArwenMarie]

We only stay the Contemporary/Bay Lake Tower. If not there, then we stay offsite.

We do split stays sometimes too, and just do our MK days from there. We always rent a car.

But as far as the Disney resorts, it's CR/BLT for us or an offsite villa. I have no interest in any of the other Disney resorts.

I think being able to walk back and forth to the MK is worth it. I also love being on the monorail. And I love seeing the Electrical Water Pageant from the resort, or being able to see Wishes from the resort as well if I don't feel like battling the park crowds. It just feels like I am staying in the Magic Kingdom and I love love love it.

Anyway, I think everyone finds what works for them! That's what so great about Orlando, so many options.

 

[StirlingSilver83]

ok so for my family it consists of me, my DH, my DS8 and my DS1. We have previously stayed off site when we have traveled to Disney. Last year though we decided to swing for a stay at the Contemporary bc of the baby. The baby was only 8 months old at the time. The contemporary was absolutely gorgeous and the proximity to Magic Kingdom couldn't be beat. It was easier for us bc with the baby our main parks were going to be Magic Kingdom and Epcot so the Monorail came in handy for that, bc we didn't have to take the baby out of the stroller and fold the stroller down to do the bus or tram transportation. It also came in handy when it got too hot for the baby or if the baby was getting tired my hubby just jumped on the monorail and took him back to the resort for a nap while I stayed in the park with my older son. It made our trip a lot less stressful and a lot easier. We also had a Magic Kingdom view so watching the fireworks from our balcony was absolutely awesome.

We are going back to Disney again this year. We usually do a family vacation once a year and my older son wanted to go back to Disney so there ya have it. When I asked my hubby where he wanted to stay when we go back to Disney he said jokingly "is that even a question?" So I booked the Contemporary again. When they came out with their new spring deals though I called to see if I could have that deal credited towards our trip and they told me that the Contemporary rooms for that deal were all sold out. Apparently they only have a certain number of rooms for each of their deals. Anyways the cast member on the phone said they could upgrade me to the Grand Floridian with that deal...so thats what we did and we are actually saving $500...I know its not much but it was enough that we could add Mickey's Backyard BBQ to our list of things to do. So in the short we stay at the deluxe resorts because its easier for us with the baby, plus we usually try and take afternoon breaks. This is also going to be our last year going to Disney for a while. We more than likely won't be back until my youngest is 5 or 6. We don't pay the big bucks bc we spend time in the resort we pay for the convenience of the monorail and proximity to the parks.

 

[senadler]

With the age range of our kids, we have always had one of the three in a stroller. The convenience of the monorail or walking to Epcot is worth it for us, and have always chosen a Deluxe resort. As previous posters have mentioned, we have only booked with a good discount. We typically only do half days at the parks, and then pool time and dinner or dinner show, so we do spend quite a bit of time at the resort and the pool.

A few years ago we decided even the Deluxe rooms were no longer working for us. A teenage daughter in the mix does not work well with a single bathroom. Rather than considering booking two rooms at a value or moderate, we decided to buy DVC. This has allowed our oldest to bring a friend the past couple of trips and we all have plenty of room.

 

[Oswin]

The only deluxe resorts my family stayed at growing up were Saratoga Springs (which we love). We'd use some of my grandparents' points every year or two and take a weeklong trip. Back then it was nice to have a 2 bedroom suite in order to give my parents space and the kids space. Now when we all travel together, we still stay at Saratoga in a 2 bedroom. We definitely need the space since all us kids are young adults, and my sister has a child of her own now! We used to also stay in the fort wilderness cabins a lot (which are moderates, I know!) and we tried this again two years ago and there just wasn't enough space for all of us at all. We've also done trips at values with multiple connecting rooms, but we don't care for the stress of waiting in the bus lines at the values or the frenzied pace of the main lobby. So for my parents, it's Saratoga or nothing but I'm trying to get them to branch out and try other resorts. I'm paying out of pocket for my first trip without my parents this summer and wish I could afford a deluxe! I'd love to stay at a monorail resort, but am still really excited to try a moderate for the first time! POR looks incredibly themed and the royal guest room I'll be staying in looks amazing.

 

[Tatertot75]

We don't usually stay deluxe, because we only stay 4-5 nights and are in the parks all day, every day. However, I booked Beach Club for this trip for a few reasons:

1. It's probably going to be my last Disney trip for 4-5 years
2. Walking distance to Epcot, my favorite park, and the Boardwalk
3. DBF didn't want to rent a car, and having to rely on the bus for EVERY park day made me nervous.
4. The incredible pool. Even if we don't get a chance to use it, it's nice to have the option.

 

[Ozzygirl]

My DH always says if you want to save money stay home so I'm pretty lucky when we travel. We work hard and when we go away we want direct flights, beautiful balconies to relax on and to be spoiled. He wants it to be simple and worry free, that's worth the cost to him. I also grew up with a Mom that was a travel agent so I'm kinda spoiled ...... however, I always find discounts and will never pay full price for a deluxe. I got a BWV for the cost of a moderate by using Orbitz discounts so I always feel like I'm getting a deal

 

[karly05]

PlutoTheDog, I don't have a sales pitch here. But I think you'll understand me when I say - at the end of my first stay at POFQ, I stopped at the front desk to tell the nice CM how much I had enjoyed my stay, and that "if you could just pick up the entire resort and set it down by the back gate of Epcot, it would be perfect!" (She laughed.) Honestly, for me, the biggest advantage of Beach Club is that lovely walk home, especially since I park hop and like dinners and evening touring at Epcot. If I was going only once every several years, I'd probably splurge on deluxe - but I'd rather stay at POFQ and go every year! Love the home of Jazz Gators and Beignets!

 

[Sue M]

I love the ️POR resorts, and if I'm not staying Deluxe, that's my go to resort. We love it there. But, we also love the Deluxe resorts!
Why?

I enjoy having a balcony

Like inside halls. The one thing I dislike at the mods is people walking by my windows and I don't like sitting in a dark room with drapes closed when it's a nice sunny day out.

We aren't park commandos, and freq go to a park in the morning, then return to resort in afternoon for a break, enjoy pool, shops, grounds, etc.
We aren't in room just to sleep.

Location, location, location. Walking, monorail or boating to a park for me is pref to bussing to all 4 parks. And with close prox to a park it's easy to just nip in for a meal, fireworks, whatever.

More dining options. Not only at your own resort but at others nearby. Staying at a monorail resort it's easy getting to the other monorail resorts for dining. In Epcot area same thing. It just makes things simpler.

I would never pay rack rate for any resort. Always book with a discount.

 

[Fuhnuh]

For our family, it is mainly location. We usually do a split of BC and Poly or GF, or BC and AKL. We usually go for at least 10 days, so we spend a lot of time at he resorts an usually visit the parks twice a day. When we stay at the BC, HS and Epcot our close enough to go on whim. When we stay at AKL or Poly, one of the parks is fairly close and we make the trek to the other. Another thing we enjoy is having more dining options. DD14 has multiple allergies and having several proximate restaurants works better for us. Also because of DD14's allergies, we stay CL. The lounges aren't great at accommodating her allergies, but we use them to sit down and have food that we have bought at the store for her. I realize that we could probably make it work at the other properties, but we have established a plan of attack and stick with what works for us. Also, because of their proximity to the parks and TS restaurants, we have visited each deluxe before we have stayed and have had an idea of how we'd like it.

 

[Babsy]

I have stayed at all the resorts at all levels. I am fine with a less expensive hotel in many places. However, in WDW, I USUALLY try to stay deluxe.
Some of my reasons are:
I like a balcony to relax on in the morning and evening. I like to keep my patio door open at night for fresh air. I am a senior now and getting around is more difficult for me, so the added comfort of a luxury is important. We spend very little time at the parks, maybe 2 to 4 hours per day. Going to WDW has very little to do with the rides for us anymore. Most of the time will find us enjoying the resort. We like the atmosphere, warm weather during our Canadian winters and the memories of years gone by.
I find it difficult to be surrounded by very loud exuberant teenagers - and that can happen (and has happened to me) when staying at a value or moderate. I never find eating at food courts relaxing, so I often choose TS restaurants for meals. That is difficult at values and mods. I don't like public washrooms, so I like to stay near enough to a park to go back to my room whenever necessary. Again, difficult when staying at a value or a moderate resort.

We can usually afford to stay at a deluxe, we like the convenience and comfort, we utilize the facilities and we enjoy the ambience. Consequently, we often stay in a deluxe resort. If we are going often in any given year, and want an extra budget trip, we sometimes go with a value or a moderate or split a stay with one to lower expenses.

For younger people that are up at the crack of dawn and rushing to get on the latest headliner, it wouldn't make much sense to spend in excess of $500 a night for a bed and a shower. I certainly would not have dreamed of doing so when I was young and healthy visiting with our, then school aged, children.

 

[Newsies]

Hi there!

For my family, it's always worth the splurge to go deluxe. It's a personal preference. As PPs have said, it's a very special, relaxing, unique, and beautiful experience to stay at a deluxe. While I'm an "all park, all day" person, the rest of my family stays at the resort for the bulk of the day and goes to the parks at around 3:30-4:00 in the evening. They enjoy spending time at the pool, relaxing in the beautiful hotel rooms, and eating at the more upscale restaurants that deluxe restaurants offer. The transportation at deluxe resorts is also a lot better than it is at most other resorts- you often have boat launches or even the monorail at your service at deluxe resorts (save AKL). We've stayed at the CR, GF, and this year we're staying at the WL.

 

[clapton]

We go to Disney every year and have been many, many times. We stayed at all levels and always preferred the Deluxe for all the above mentioned reasons. There came a time when the price just got too expensive so we decided to purchase DVC. Best thing we ever did! We really could not continue to stay deluxe otherwise and go every year, sometimes twice a year!

 

[wlake]

At this point in our lives, it's the balcony. The boys go to sleep before we do, and we enjoy being able to sit outside and be awake without having to worry about keeping them up. That said, it was a serious family discussion when it came time to choose between Poly and POR for our next trip because we love POR. What finally swung it the the Poly's favor was the novelty because we've never stayed there. (Then we went CL )

 

[ShayBells]

We usually stay value. Twice at a moderate. I've always wanted to do a deluxe just once. My income return was more than expected so this is going to be our splurge year. Well go back to moderate or value afterwards.

My "why".. I want to see how the other half live

My fear.. I'll be disappointed lol

 

[TeamSy]

I don't consider any of Disney's deluxe resorts luxurious by any means, or consider them to have any great amenities. I think Stormalong Bay is pretty cool, but the other deluxe resort pools are "eh" compared to offsite pools. We actually stay OFFSITE for luxury and use that time to "relax" (or choose a different vacation). We stay onsite for theme park access. A "deluxe resort" gives us the LOCATION we desire. That's why we choose them. I also prefer to have concierge and room service options. I like to walk/take a boat/monorail too. I hate sitting on a bus to get to/from a park, and while that's unavoidable, I like to limit it. We also don't pay Disney prices, because what they charge is INSANE. We rent points or go through a travel agency that gets a huge discount.

 

[kmb584]

Simple: I like them.

 

[tasha99]

I have never stayed at a deluxe hotel at wdw, but I love the villas. If I were paying cash instead of points, I would try to get 2 moderate rooms with connecting doors. I want one bed per person and more than one bathroom. No amount of luxury works for me if we're all in competition to use the shower. We do stay in villa units however. I like the proximity, extra bathroom, kitchen, and washer/dryer.

 

[AliceIn]

I'm happy just being at Disney, and I would happily stay anywhere. We do need a room that fits 5 people comfortably, so it's either a suite at AoA, or a deluxe. My husband wants to be pampered on vacation, he likes Disney, but is not crazy about it the way I am. We compromise by staying deluxe on the concierge level. We choose dates where either a big room discount is available, or if we can get free dining. It works for us.

 

[kiford]

DH and I both make very good salaries, work long hours at stressful jobs, have no children, have a modest house which is paid off and we only travel about once every 18 months or so. We choose deluxes because we want to treat ourselves on vacation, can easily afford it, we like the proximity to the parks, the larger rooms, the toiletries, and the hotel amenities. As others have pointed out, the deluxes seem less crowded, less noisy, and have fewer very young children and few or no large tour groups. Inside corridors, TS restaurants instead of food courts. However, even though we can afford to, we don't do club level (or concierge on DCL) because it just doesn't fit with how we spend our time and what's important to us so we perceive no value to it.

When we were first married, we stayed at CBR which we considered to be a bit expensive but the rest of our vacation outside of WDW that year was in Holiday Inns, Comfort Inns and Days Inns. We enjoyed our time at CBR and were happy with the room size and amenities, the food court, the pools, use of WDW transportation and being on the grounds at a price we could afford without impacting our ability to save for a house downpayment.

I recall passing the GF at the time thinking that perhaps one day we'd be able to stay there but saving for a house was more of a priority. My best friends at the time who were in about the same financial position as us thought nothing of having 2-3 vacations per year at 4 and 5 star hotels in concierge suites and buying a huge house with a minimal downpayment. Eventually they had to downsize their house and trim back on the spending. Same financial means, different priorities.

I work with people who think that we're crazy for spending what we do on WDW/DCL vacations but who have a mortgage on a cottage that they go to every weekend in the summer, a huge mortgage on their house AND they go away 4-5 weeks per year on vacation. Different tastes.

 

[TJA]

For fun, put on your sales hat and up-sell me on your Deluxe Resort over POFQ. This could be fun!

For our family, the reasons we'd choose a deluxe over POFQ are:
(1) Location. We love being able to walk or monorail to parks. This gives us freedom to easily go back and forth as often as we want to.
(2) Watch fireworks from resort. At Poly and CR, we book TPV rooms and LOVE watching the shows from our balcony. To us, this is the perfect way to end a night. Staying at the Epcot resorts, we love watching Illuminations from either inside or outside the International Gateway.
(3) Character meals. We still have kids that enjoy these meals, so it's nice to stay at resorts that have the restaurants right there or else within walking/monorail distance.
(4) Club Level. We are hooked on staying Club Level that is available at the deluxes. We love the convenience of the food, drinks, and extra space.
(5) Misc. Balconies are necessary mainly for DH who is an early riser and goes out on the balcony with his coffee and laptop to do some work. 2 queen beds and a daybed are necessary for our family of 4 as our kids are older now and we can't comfortably fit in just 2 beds. Larger rooms make our trips more comfortable. Love the inside corridors of deluxes. Room service is handy too.