New here! Whats best? Better resort or longer trip?

[married2mm]

I vote for a longer vacation also.

If you are not spending too much time at your resort-then all levels are simply hotel rooms with beds-places to sleep- and none are uncomfortable.

I like the facilities provided in dvc properties,extra bedrooms,washing machine and dryer and kitchen.

If simply staying in a hotel room,I am as happy in a value room as I am in a moderate.
We liked the foodcourts at pop and all stars.
The theming and the pools were all great.
We aren't bothered by the lack of a table service restaurant.

We have stayed at port orleans also,and whereas the boat to dtd was pleasant,it was a once only,as ds was not keen.
There were nightly movies for watching outside on an evening,but we never attended.
Also,family bikes for hire and other activities which I can't remember!

 

[bellabambina12]

The values really make it seem more "Disney" to us, the icons surround you while your there. We have stayed at all levels and this trip we are bringing our almost 2 year old(first trip!) to ASMU and I think that he will enjoy the hotel almost as much as the parks. That being said, my 13 yr old preferred the value (asmo) over the mods and preferred the deluxe (contemporary) with the monorail option over them all. The monorail is (for us) the best part of staying deluxe, but the price and kid friendly looks of the values have our name wrote all over it for this trip. and with a new baby, it'll probably be values for a while. Heck, it's Disney, I'm just thrilled to be going! 2 1/2 more weeks and well be at (asmu) can't wait to see how the baby reacts to a six foot tall mouse!!!

 

[montrealdisneylovers]

Ohhh I don't know anything about that. I guess I should go research

I am trying to post a link to another thread. Hope it works and happy researching. I am sure anywhere you stay will be fun as you will be at Disney!!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3048130

 

[KELLY]

Thank you! I agree we will have a good time no matter what! That's just us. I was so curious though after hearing bad things about value resorts. Someone I know even compared it to a motel 8!

People tend to throw the values under the bus. I have stayed at all levels and we actually like the values. Does everyone of course not. But just because I don't want to stay in a deluxe don't mean I'm going to give them a bad name. I had the worst housekeeping 2 years in a row and it wasn't a value. But things happen.

 

[mndisneylovinmom]

10 or 11 days is a long time to be go, go , going...we like to relax and enjoy the resort as well. If I were to stay longer I would definitely want a nicer resort so that I could have down time to relax, enjoy the pool with my kids etc....just my opinion.

Our last vacation was 11 days. We did go other places besides just the Disney world too. It did get to be long and exhausting. We wanted to make the very most of our days there, so we were up and on the go by 8am at the very latest. Some mornings we were at the park by 7:30 for breakfast reservations.
We stayed as late as the park was open at night. One night, was MNSSHP and we didn't get back to our timeshare until 1:30am. long day!!

We went to discovery cove during our vacation. That was our most relaxing day during the entire trip! Animal kingdom and epcot were less hectic, hollywood and magic kingdom were the longest, most fun filled days! Sea world felt busy, but universal was a little more laid back -- for us anyways.

We stayed at our timeshare resort for our last vacation, so that made the 11 day vacation more affordable. Under $800 for 10 nights.
Our upcoming Disney vacation we're staying on Disney, at the Grand Floridian, for 7 nights.

 

[BriarRose129]

I am trying to post a link to another thread. Hope it works and happy researching. I am sure anywhere you stay will be fun as you will be at Disney!!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3048130

You are awesome!!! I really appreciate it!!!

 

[BriarRose129]

Our last vacation was 11 days. We did go other places besides just the Disney world too. It did get to be long and exhausting. We wanted to make the very most of our days there, so we were up and on the go by 8am at the very latest. Some mornings we were at the park by 7:30 for breakfast reservations.
We stayed as late as the park was open at night. One night, was MNSSHP and we didn't get back to our timeshare until 1:30am. long day!!

We went to discovery cove during our vacation. That was our most relaxing day during the entire trip! Animal kingdom and epcot were less hectic, hollywood and magic kingdom were the longest, most fun filled days! Sea world felt busy, but universal was a little more laid back -- for us anyways.

Thanks for your review of the long trip. We definitely want to see a lot but don't want to run ourselves ragged either. With the longer trip maybe we can get away with heading to the parks a little later or not pushing the kids bedtimes. Even mid day breaks?

 

[BriarRose129]

The values really make it seem more "Disney" to us, the icons surround you while your there. We have stayed at all levels and this trip we are bringing our almost 2 year old(first trip!) to ASMU and I think that he will enjoy the hotel almost as much as the parks. That being said, my 13 yr old preferred the value (asmo) over the mods and preferred the deluxe (contemporary) with the monorail option over them all. The monorail is (for us) the best part of staying deluxe, but the price and kid friendly looks of the values have our name wrote all over it for this trip. and with a new baby, it'll probably be values for a while. Heck, it's Disney, I'm just thrilled to be going! 2 1/2 more weeks and well be at (asmu) can't wait to see how the baby reacts to a six foot tall mouse!!!

I'm starting to really think the value will be just fine. And the kids will love the theming!

 

[BriarRose129]

I vote for a longer vacation also.

If you are not spending too much time at your resort-then all levels are simply hotel rooms with beds-places to sleep- and none are uncomfortable.

I like the facilities provided in dvc properties,extra bedrooms,washing machine and dryer and kitchen.

If simply staying in a hotel room,I am as happy in a value room as I am in a moderate.
We liked the foodcourts at pop and all stars.
The theming and the pools were all great.
We aren't bothered by the lack of a table service restaurant.

We have stayed at port orleans also,and whereas the boat to dtd was pleasant,it was a once only,as ds was not keen.
There were nightly movies for watching outside on an evening,but we never attended.
Also,family bikes for hire and other activities which I can't remember!

This was really helpful!! thank you south for the review and info on activities!

 

[BriarRose129]

Seriously? Motel 6? OMG...people are nuts! Well I have no opinion on music or sports, maybe they're bad (doubt it) but movies and pop are great. I'm somewhat biased obviously since I've never stayed anywhere else but I've looked at plenty of pics and videos when planning our trips and we always go back to what's cheapest. Cheap doesn't mean motel 6 cheap or motel 6 quality. Yes, the mods and deluxes look amazing....but my bank account looks more amazing after our vacation and we have the same amount of fun if we stayed at AKL or movies. It boils down to what's important to you. To me, it's the fun atmosphere for our kids. A mod/deluxe is more pleasing to the adults because they look nice. Before booking our trip, we were 100% sure we were staying at POR, but the more videos I watched, I realized the resort looks boring. It's up to you....but for us, it's the parks that draw us to disney, the resort is just a bonus and again for us the values are a good bonus and nothing like a motel 6.

Hahahaha it's good to know that wasnt an accurate comparison!

 

[lobsterslayer]

I did a ton of research on all of the resorts and learned the difference in the resort category's, we then thought about what we enjoyed and how much we were willing to pay for it. My son is 9 years old and we come from rural Maine so a pool with a water slide at the resort was a top priority. Next we thought about our favorite parks and how it would be nice to have other options than Disney buses. We would love to stay in a resort on the monorail line but the Epcot area resorts are a little less expensive and we love the idea of being able to walk to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Beach Club seems like it will be a perfect fit for our family. Would we have a bad vacation if we stayed at an all star resort? Of coarse not. Would we enjoy an all star pool as much as stormalong bay? Probably not. Would it ruin my vacation? No. IMO the more you enjoy the resort the more days you would want to stay. I don't think it's a matter of what level, economy, moderate, or luxury, just find the resort that fits your budget and will make your family happiest.

 

[Mousemommy1]

Hahahaha it's good to know that wasnt an accurate comparison!

Definitely not accurate, IMHO. We have had great stays at all of the values (except for AoA, we haven't stayed there yet).

It all depends on the needs of your family for a trip and what you are trying to accomplish during that trip. Our most recent trips have had an equal focus on rest/relaxation as fun in the parks, so we have chosen deluxes. I have no qualms with choosing a value or mod in the future though!

 

[Disneylover99]

I would always do a longer trip at a value over a shorter stay at a mod or deluxe. The values have the best food courts and I always feel the Disney magic from the values!

 

[Running Babeck]

We're planning our 1st family trip ever to WDW for 9 nights (7/30-8/8). My kids (son 9, daughter 11) fell in love with AoA from photos. I originally booked LM room there but like you, I was very concerned about the length of our stay in a small rm far from animation hall. I upgraded to a suite there and won't tell them until we get there . I think this is the best option for us as we will save $ on food by eating breakfast in our room and having dinners mostly @ one of the food courts (AoA or Pop). My kids are total fish so we did opt for the water park fun tickets (great for us that time of yr-not sure how much those would be open during your dates). Hoping for a summer hotel discount (even 15% would help). The 30% currently offered @ deluxes would be nice, but I think with the food options there we will still come out ahead with our suite @ AoA. At least that's what I'm hoping for. Best of luck with your decision !!

 

[BriarRose129]

I did a ton of research on all of the resorts and learned the difference in the resort category's, we then thought about what we enjoyed and how much we were willing to pay for it. My son is 9 years old and we come from rural Maine so a pool with a water slide at the resort was a top priority. Next we thought about our favorite parks and how it would be nice to have other options than Disney buses. We would love to stay in a resort on the monorail line but the Epcot area resorts are a little less expensive and we love the idea of being able to walk to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Beach Club seems like it will be a perfect fit for our family. Would we have a bad vacation if we stayed at an all star resort? Of coarse not. Would we enjoy an all star pool as much as stormalong bay? Probably not. Would it ruin my vacation? No. IMO the more you enjoy the resort the more days you would want to stay. I don't think it's a matter of what level, economy, moderate, or luxury, just find the resort that fits your budget and will make your family happiest.

This all makes perfect sense. The pool isn't a huge deal for us. We live at the jersey shore and have a pool with a slide at home. While they would of course enjoy a cool pool area at a resort, it's not make or break vacation for them since they do it at home. This board has been so helpful!

 

[KELLY]

This all makes perfect sense. The pool isn't a huge deal for us. We live at the jersey shore and have a pool with a slide at home. While they would of course enjoy a cool pool area at a resort, it's not make or break vacation for them since they do it at home. This board has been so helpful!

Kind of made me laugh we are from Maine like the Pp but I live in a beach town and maybe 5 minutes to the beach if that. So beach and yacht would be last on my list.

 

[Southern Bell]

I would stay longer at a value resort! We have never had any problem with a value resort.
I liked Pop! We like a preferred room here overlooking pool & close to lobby! Some want more quite! Noise didn't bother us and we were there over July 4th. We felt like it was a little nicer than the three All Star Resorts. Maybe because its lobby and food court is a little bigger than the three All Stars. The pool is pretty. Rooms are the same!
Movies is my next choice and their food court is a little bigger than Sports and Music. Movies has a pretty pool.
Next choice for me would be the All Star Sports. We liked baseball section standard room, overlooked a pool & close to parking and not a bad walk to lobby. We didn't feel like we really need a preferred room here because it is a smaller resort than Pop.
I think Music would be Ok but they have one section in back near Sports than overlooks a parking lot! I would not be happy there! Other wise its about the same and very same rooms! Some adults may prefer this one because it overlooks garden and fountain area, instead of Big Disney Characters! But I like all the Disney! LOL!
As far as buses I read that Pop is better and then All Star Sports. I can't tell that much difference in the experiences I have had with the buses! It seems to be more about my timing! LOL! I can only remember my family complaing at the theme parks after they were tired, catching the bus back to Pop because the line was farther away! LOL!
I can't tell any difference in the food courts! Might be able to at AOA though! I have been there but not stayed. My family would prefer food at Pop! I can't offer any help much with AOA except the Little Mermaid rooms are a pretty good walk, that some seem to mind and others don't! It would be a shorter walk from LM to buses not to go thru Lion King section and thru the lobby! The Pool is the best of all the value resorts! Very pretty!
What ever you choose hope you have a great trip!

 

[Tink415]

I like all of the resorts so I usually choose by what we'll be doing. No values during hot months as I want a ceiling fan in the room. If its a short trip and we won't be using the pool I skip the deluxes. I haven't been able to take a long vacation from work in too long! but if I could, I'd choose a longer stay, especially if pools weren't important. Our best vacations, to me, are the ones where we can stay the longest, relax, and enjoy all that Disney World has to offer. One of the best vacations we had we stayed at ASMo for 10 nights in Oct. We didn't go to parks everyday all day, we took off mornings, afternoons and evenings to visit other resorts, play mini golf, go to DD. For example, breakfast at Boma, then bike ride at WL. lunch and afternoon swim at ASMo and MK in the evening. We stayed at WL for 10 nights over Christmas, that trip was fantastic, but it was so cold we never used the pool and I had to force myself into the hot tub. The following Christmas we were going for 10 days again and I choose POR to save some $, loved it! They were all great vacations! Enjoy your planning!

 

[Sammie]

I would be very happy at a moderate, but the small beds at the values just do not make for a comfortable night's sleep so I would go for less days, and at least moderate resort.

 

[BriarRose129]

I would stay longer at a value resort! We have never had any problem with a value resort.
I liked Pop! We like a preferred room here overlooking pool & close to lobby! Some want more quite! Noise didn't bother us and we were there over July 4th. We felt like it was a little nicer than the three All Star Resorts. Maybe because its lobby and food court is a little bigger than the three All Stars. The pool is pretty. Rooms are the same!
Movies is my next choice and their food court is a little bigger than Sports and Music. Movies has a pretty pool.
Next choice for me would be the All Star Sports. We liked baseball section standard room, overlooked a pool & close to parking and not a bad walk to lobby. We didn't feel like we really need a preferred room here because it is a smaller resort than Pop.
I think Music would be Ok but they have one section in back near Sports than overlooks a parking lot! I would not be happy there! Other wise its about the same and very same rooms! Some adults may prefer this one because it overlooks garden and fountain area, instead of Big Disney Characters! But I like all the Disney! LOL!
As far as buses I read that Pop is better and then All Star Sports. I can't tell that much difference in the experiences I have had with the buses! It seems to be more about my timing! LOL! I can only remember my family complaing at the theme parks after they were tired, catching the bus back to Pop because the line was farther away! LOL!
I can't tell any difference in the food courts! Might be able to at AOA though! I have been there but not stayed. My family would prefer food at Pop! I can't offer any help much with AOA except the Little Mermaid rooms are a pretty good walk, that some seem to mind and others don't! It would be a shorter walk from LM to buses not to go thru Lion King section and thru the lobby! The Pool is the best of all the value resorts! Very pretty!
What ever you choose hope you have a great trip!

Wow!! This is so informative!! Thank you very much for taking the time to break it all down for me!!