Not being judgmental just trying to justify a pipe dream

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

If all you care about in a hotel is a bed and a shower then what's the point of this discussion? Why would you even consider staying at a deluxe if all you need is a bed?

PP said that's all she needs. Needs and wants are two different things entirely.

 

[adisneyaunt]

We enjoy deluxe, club level, mods and as a back up for last minute add ins ( when we can't extend where we ve chosen) pop ( the only value we d ever use for the add on first nite)
We are not commando type visitors .. but even spending entire days/notes st park, we still enjoy deluxe for the amenities.
It's the same with where I chose to retire... resort style living... I don't participate in everything offered but I like knowing it's there if I want it.
Different strokes for different folks.
Each day is a gift... enjoy it!

 

[ITALIANNYC]

Just pay with someone who has DVC. I think I paid about 1200 for 6 nights for a 1 bedroom savanna view at AKV Jambo. Would have cost me over 3300 if I went through Disney online

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

That was so hard to read without punctuation.

The answer really comes down to what a person prefers and what fits that individual budget. I personally prefer a deluxe resort. I am an (DVC) owner, so that is how I stay Deluxe each time. However, I have also paid cash to stay at the Wilderness Lodge, Beach Club, etc. I have also paid cash and have stayed at all of the moderates other than Caribbean Beach. I personally have never and would never pay out of my pocket for a Value. I have stayed at them because somebody else was treating. I did not care for the resort and I hated the buses, (strong word, I know) but I very much appreciated the free trip. I never let it show I did not like the Values. I do not look down on people who stay there, it just is not my thing.

I do not think there is any mystery to it. It is my trip, so I pay for what I want. I am sure that is what others do for the most part as well.

I well try to add punctuation in future post

If all you care about in a hotel is a bed and a shower then what's the point of this discussion? Why would you even consider staying at a deluxe if all you need is a bed?

Because if all I care about is mk I figured it might make sense to stay at a mk resort vrs at pop

 

[No Windows]

Very first deluxe resort we stayed at (CR), my family and I had to save up a little at a time (3 of us) for about a year. For perspective, we only stayed for about three days. Then we loved staying at a monorail resort, so we decided to stay for a whole week at the Poly the next time. (Read: I made minimum wage at the time). Did people think we were insane? Yes. But were we able to do it? You bet! We wanted to stay at the Poly so much that it took two years (yes, two years) of saving up a little at a time, but when the trip came and we had all the ADRs we could want and that dream view of the park, all of our saving and being patient was totally worth it!

As others have said, we all have different budgets and priorities. But if you can spare a small amount every pay period and treat it like a bill, it can happen. Even if you don't think so, that $10.00 you store away can and will make a difference You can do it!

 

[tweedletwin]

I am a park commando. I would go rope drop to closing EVERY day of my vacation if I could (and frequently do just that, if I happen to be hitting the parks with just my twin).

My husband however, is not a fan of what he terms "the Disney Death March." So staying Deluxe on the monorail line is the way we compromise. I absolutely love the theming of the Polynesian resort (I collect tiki mugs and vintage Hawaiian dresses), and so staying at the Poly allows me to relax without feeling like I'm missing something.

 

[Westcoastwild]

If all you care about in a hotel is a bed and a shower then what's the point of this discussion? Why would you even consider staying at a deluxe if all you need is a bed?

I think it might be more of a grass is greener on the other side of the fence thing for the OP. Envy, depression, the thought that it might be a superior experience to the affordable option of pop. I've been there, done that, so I get it.

But OP, deluxe really isn't a "better" experience. It's just different. I've had great holidays camping, or in hostels, and horrible holidays in 5 star hotels. And there's always something out of reach for everyone. My pipe dream is my own desert island tanned and rested and alone surrounded by enormous piles of money...no, wait, thought I was Flynn Rider for a second. I'm not. Darn.

A lot of life is what you make of it, and it really helps to focus on what is in reach instead. Like the fact you can go to WDW. That's amazing! That's out of reach for millions of American families. I go to Disney because things like a road trip to the Grand Canyon is out of reach because of my health right now. But if I focused on that, I'd miss out on all the fun I could have at Disney. I can't drive more than 4 hours at a time, but I can narrowly escape a yeti and meet Mary Poppins

 

[bryanb]

If you're an "all day" type of guest then deluxe resorts are a waste of money. If you're someone who likes to enjoy the resort, take a break during the day, eat in the restaurants, get a drink at their lounges, and care about theming, then deluxes are the way to go. It's like an extra vacation. I, for one, will probably never stay at a value resort again. Plus, there's always a discount. I've never paid full price and this year I've got a KILLER deal on my Poly stay.

If you can't afford one for a full week, do a split stay. 2 nights at your dream resort sound a lot better than no nights.

Hi @Tonyz! With apologies for hijacking the thread, would you mind sharing how much you are paying (or paid) and maybe the month (or general time of year) you're going? I'm educating myself on the prices for the Poly and Contemporary whenever I can and would find it very useful to figure out the right price to pull the trigger. Any particular offers that I should be looking for that are better than others? Thanks so much!

 

[fla4fun]

I've stayed at all levels of resorts solo, and never felt I needed to justify staying at a deluxe or DVC vs. staying at a value. I book based on what I want out of the trip, the time of year, how much I want to spend, etc. There are a lot of different factors. For example, this year I stayed at BWV for marathon weekend because my sister was participating and the location was convenient for her as a runner. Then I stayed at POFQ in May because I like the ambiance and wanted to spend time checking out Disney Springs (which I still haven't made it completely through yet). Next up will be two trips to Pop, one in September and one in December, primarily to save a little since I got a new car this year, but also because I'm hoping to try one of the refurbished rooms (which I think will be great for solo travelers). For next year, I'm already looking into a deluxe for one trip, a mod for another, and probably another couple Pop or AoA stays. Regardless of my hotel choice, I'm not a commando. I rarely hit rope drop, and I rarely close out a park. I may spend six hours or so in a park, and then go back to the resort to chill. I've found I can chill just as easily at a value as a deluxe.

I have, however, booked long weekends at deluxe resorts and not gone to the parks at all, even though I have an AP. I like the WL/VWL for those kind of trips, because it feels like I've left Florida completely.

 

[Simba's Girl]

To answer your original question we justify Deluxe and occasionally Mods because:

• Family of 5 with big kids/older teens. We need space.
• We no longer visit multiple times a year or every year (but could be convinced haha) The usual is every 2-3 years.
• I am not a park commando, my health doesn't allow it anymore.
• The amenities of bars and sit-down restaurants in a resort is appealing to me now that I'm middle aged.
• I like having a private balcony with inside entrance to my room.
• I find deluxe resorts much more relaxing than any others but most especially value resorts. Especially since I do not go commando.
• Our budget allows it.

 

[desertbloom]

Just like anything in life....the more money you have, the more options you have. Though I could afford it with a little saving up, I personally can't justify the cost (having stayed in gorgeous hotels with more amenities for less money per night than the deluxes). I want to stay at the Beach Club so badly (love the walk over to Epcot) but for the price I could do a moderate and a value trip in the same year, or go somewhere international instead. Plus, I really enjoy the walk through the grounds of the moderates to get to your room. Especially at POR. I strongly dislike the values because of the in-your-face colors and themes and the larger proportion of tour groups and small children. It's just not relaxing to me. That being said, I will take a value resort any day over not going to Disney at all. I am booked at POP for my next trip so I can check out the renovations, though once the discounts come out I will probably do 2 nights POP and the rest at POR.

 

[HeyIt'sMe]

If you're an "all day" type of guest then deluxe resorts are a waste of money. If you're someone who likes to enjoy the resort, take a break during the day, eat in the restaurants, get a drink at their lounges, and care about theming, then deluxes are the way to go. It's like an extra vacation. I, for one, will probably never stay at a value resort again. Plus, there's always a discount. I've never paid full price and this year I've got a KILLER deal on my Poly stay.

If you can't afford one for a full week, do a split stay. 2 nights at your dream resort sound a lot better than no nights.

We also got a 'killer deal' on our Poly stay this year (and the past 2 years). We are going in August. Can't wait to be back!!

 

[Sparkly]

In the UK we get pretty good deals on deluxe villa resorts which is awesome! So we're staying at OKW for 8 nights and I'm really looking forward to it because it'll be so nice to return to a quiet, restful feeling resort after being in the parks all day. I liked AOA a lot, but it's as much of a sensory overload as the parks are with the bright colours everywhere!

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

Thanks everyone but lets pretend for one moment that I get the money some how is there a bus that goes to and from the hotel if the monorail is not running

 

[Westcoastwild]

Thanks everyone but lets pretend for one moment that I get the money some how is there a bus that goes to and from the hotel if the monorail is not running

Yes. All the resorts that have alternate transport like the boats or monorail also have bus transport.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Thanks everyone but lets pretend for one moment that I get the money some how is there a bus that goes to and from the hotel if the monorail is not running

If you decide to book CR or BLT, you can walk back and forth to MK! Garden view rooms at CR are typically the cheapest on the monorail and they are lovely. Also consider WL. You would have boat service to MK and the rooms are typically cheaper than the monorail resorts.

 

[Rikariko12]

Ok, so obviously I don't know what it means to go "commando"? I'm assuming you all are not talking about underwear. Can someone explain, please?

 

[Westcoastwild]

Ok, so obviously I don't know what it means to go "commando"? I'm assuming you all are not talking about underwear. Can someone explain, please?

Action packed, go go go, hotel is mostly for sleep rather than recreation

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Ok, so obviously I don't know what it means to go "commando"? I'm assuming you all are not talking about underwear. Can someone explain, please?

Hit the park at rope drop and don't leave until they turn out the lights.

 

[Rikariko12]

Ah, I see! I mean, we sort of did that, but we did come back to the resort a few times during the day. We stayed at the Poly and it was so convenient. It made it nice when we did rope drop for MK and Epcot, b.c its a quick hop on the monorail. Same for when we closed down MK. We probably wouldn't have done as many rope drops or closed down MK if we knew we had a big wait behind other people at the bus stops and a 20-25 minute bus ride. The quick monorail ride and the boat to the Poly made it possible to stay longer. I've stayed at Value, Mod, and Deluxe and I really only want to stay at Deluxe now due to how close they are to the resorts, b/c we are more likely to stay longer. We are staying at POR next year and we won't be staying as long at the parks b/c we want to beat the crowd back to the bus stops at closing. Well, actually we will leave well before closing. When my body decides it's had enough(I have chronic pain and fatigue) sometimes it's sudden and I need a quick ride home. I'm not dealing with an hour long wait+ride. I just felt I got more time out of my vacation, and more out of it in general, with the close proximity to the parks. If we weren't saving for a new house, I would only do deluxe.