Not thrilled with the Beach Club at all...

[Gillian]

Originally posted by WDWguru
Location, location location! That's primarily what you're paying for on-site at Disney.

WDWguru, the sentence right after the one you quoted from me (not sure how to "double quote") says I wasn't referring to offsite, but hotels in other cities or resort areas It's really hard to compare cost of onsite to cost of offsite in the Disney area, and that wasn't what I was talking about.

I just feel that the deluxes aren't really all that special and they aren't worth the money. That doesn't mean I won't stay there, it just means that I don't feel like I'm getting a good deal. And I would probably never pay full price.

For some people, the more they pay, the better they feel about the experience. I have friends who are like this. I also have friends who can afford to stay anywhere, but choose to search out a good deal. I tend to focus more on the value of the money spent. And I feel better about hotels that are a good value.

It's easier to overlook little faults when you don't feel you are getting ripped off to begin with!

 

[Luv 2 Cruise]

<font color=blue>re: "I have my own home in Orlando. 10 minute drive to the park."</font color>

I remember the first time we went to WDW and stayed at a relatives house in Orlando. It seemed like we drove for over an hour to get to the Magic Kingdom. </font color>Of course this was from the perspective of an impatient teenager. I never realized it was only 10 minutes from Orlando to WDW.

Way back then it seemed like it would be heaven to stay on site. As a young adult I always stayed on International Drive and it still seemed like the drive to WDW took forever. We really hated dragging ourselves out to the car and hitting the highway after a magical day at the parks.

Now we are able to stay onsite when we go to the World. We have stayed in moderates and deluxes. I agree that the price paid for the room you get seems out of whack. But you need to factor in the location and amenities.

Our last stay was at the Beach Club and we loved it. For us nothing beats being able to walk into Epcot minutes after leaving your hotel room!!! And the quick walk back after the fireworks.

 

[Disneyhappy]

My sentiments are those of Luv 2 Cruise. I've stayed off site every visit as a child (7 times) and several times as a young adult. Staying on-site one time determined that as long as we have the means, we would never stay off-site again. We love the Epcot resorts for there location and convenience. Do I think Deluxes are a bit overpriced? Absolutely but I am usually able to get a discount to soften the blow. It is just a choice we make because we have found that it has made our vacation more pleasurable and relaxing to be so close to Epcot and bus service to other parks. But at the same time, I totally respect anyone else who does not share the same feelings. If someone enjoys staying off-site more than on-site, more power to you as you will have more money in your pocket at the end of the day!

 

[Peter Pirate]

Didn't mean to be controversial, nor was I (or could I) talk about your pesonal situation HMF...

I just mean that (generally) folks plannng & spending their hardearned vacation dollars on a deluxe resort will look at things diferently than someone who has no concern over the price. Just look at all of the threads and comments regarding Concierge service - "is it worth it?". We have lots of people wanting the best deal yet also wanting the big-shot perks. Therefore when they shell out the (relatively) big bucks and then find the maid didn't make the towels into cute little animals they are hurt and angry that they didn't get their monies worth.

The BC seems like a fine deluxe to me and heck, SAB makes it practically worth the price all by itself...But that' just my opinion...

However, the urine in the hall smell STILL bugs me.

 

[The Pluto People]

Haunted Mansion Fan: I suspect that at age 24 you are able to own a great home because you have the ability to make good decisions on cost versus reward...congrats and more power to you!

 

[HauntedMansionFan]

Thank you The Pluto People... what a nice compliment. I do pride myself sometimes on my decision making capabilities (yes, that was inflating my own ego, lol). After reading your second post Peter Pirate I couldn't agree more with what you said. I think I might have mis-read your first post. Like I've said all along, I take this as a lesson learned. From the door of my house I can be to MGM and Epcot in about 10 minutes, and AK and MK in about 15/20, I don't mind the drive as I go back roads and avoid the highway. It gives me a chance to see the area and all the little sights I enjoy as I drive by.

 

[Lisa F]

My husband and I love to stay in deluxe hotels. For our honeymoon we stayed at the GF in concierge and since then we have stayed at the contemporary (both tower and wings), Boardwalk Inn, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Wilderness Lodge, and the Beach Club. 3 years ago we bought into DVC at the boardwalk and have also stayed in every size unit except for grand villas at every DVC resort. We are definately the type who see the value in them.

That said, the only hotel that we stayed in that we extremely disappointed in and questioned the value of was the Beach Club. We paid full rack holiday rates to stay there for 3 days around NYE before moving to our DVC unit and I had to keep telling myself that it was worth it for the fact that after the fireworks we could walk back to our room. I found the hallways to feel very dark and dingy (though no urine smell, it definately didn't smell "fresh"). We had a standard view, but I kept calling it the "substandard view" because we basically had the view of the top of a lower building. It was the worst view I have ever had at any hotel anywhere. People constantly complain about the long halls in the BW but we were probably one of, if not the furthest rooms from the lobby of the beach club and the hallways were so oppressive I just hated the walk. I also thought the decor was tacky but that is just a personal pet peeve and I'm sure everyone has their own opinion about the decor at the various resorts... but whenever I think about it, I was so disappointed by our stay there that the decor didn't help any (I couldn't say "at least it's a beautiful room!").

Just an agreement from the point of view of someone who DOES enjoy deluxe hotels, I definately found the BC to be sub par compared to the others on property.

Lisa

 

[ducklite]

Originally posted by Gillian
Although I have not stayed in all of the Disney hotels, it seems to me that in general you don't get a lot for what you pay. Hotels in other areas are less money for about the same thing. I'm not talking about offsite, but rather other cities & tourist areas.

I have to really disagree with this statement.

We travel quite a bit, and use WDW deluxe resorts as the benchmark for comparision.

Just spent a long weekend in Lake Placid at a fine resort there. The room was a bit larger--we've found what we call a "Secret Porthole" room there...it's larger because of the location, but not many realize it! The furnishings and amenities are similar. The price is comparable to a lagoon view room at the GF, as is the service.

In February I stayed at Treasure Island in Las Vegas. The room was smaller than a room at the BC, service was about the same, and I paid the same nightly rate as I had a year earlier at the BC.

I just booked a room at a hotel in Alberta for NEXT summer, and depending on the exchange, it will cost me the same or considerably MORE than a room at the GF would during that same period!

To stay in a comparable hotel in NYC, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Boston, or Chicago will mean either a higher room rate or lower standard of service. In some of these cities there is no such word as service.

I'm not saying WDW resorts are without their faults. I could pick something apart on each one. However I've found that the rates are comparable to comparable properties at major resorts and upscale hotels in major cities. Remember, parking is free, transportation throughout WDW is included, and the deluxes include many amenities that are often not taken advantage of by guests.

Anne

 

[ducklite]

Originally posted by Demosthenes
I have to agree with sea spray and peter pirate. I think that if you're asking yourself "Is it worth it?" The answer is probably not. I happen to really like Deluxe resorts @ WDW, and for me it is easy to justify the extra cost, but if it's a concern for you, definately don't spend money you will end up regretting.

This is very sage advice.

A couple years ago I purchased a beautiful blouse and paid much more for it than I normally would. Every time I wore that blouse, I thought of how much I paid for it, and it ate at me. It actually diminished the enjoyment of the blouse, which was very nice, but not worth (in my mind) what I paid for it. It got to the point where I actually would no longer wear the blouse, because it just ate at me that I had paid too much for it.

One of my best friends owns several blouses by the same designer, and loves them. She perceives them as a good buy, as they were "in her price range".

It's very subjective. But the advice of Demosthenes is very, very good. Don't spend more money than you are comfortable spending. If you are uncomfortable spending the money, no matter how good the experience is, it will never be good enough to justify the amount of money you spent to begin with.

Anne

 

[Kay1]

For us it wasn't so much the money as we didn't pay that much, it was just a disappointment. My husband had wanted to stay there for years and had very high expectaions. Also, we split our trip in half, the first half being at a one-bedroom BW villa which was brand new and a tough act to follow. Our BC room had a nice view but it seemed dingy with a stained carpet, missing furniture knobs, and holes in the bedspreads. I would stay there again, though. But only in the summer for SAB and the easy walk after Illuminations.

 

[DawnCt]

Originally posted by susy
Even if you have scads of money to throw around (now) you should still get you what you pay for. The Beach Club is adverstised by Disney as a deluxe hotel. I would hate to come away disappointed from a deluxe when I Know I can stay at a value or mod and feel like I got a good deal.

I agree. The Yacht and Beach Club have all of the potential of being a 4 star resort; they have restaurants of varying quality and price, although two are closed, the decor, the lobby, certainly the pool but yet, they are only a three star resort. It is disappointing because if you are paying four star prices, you should expect a four star resort.

 

[ducklite]

According to AAA they are four diamond...

Anne

 

[DawnCt]

Originally posted by ducklite
According to AAA they are four diamond...

Anne

They were not the last time I checked. Also, they are not under the Mobile Travel Guide. The only four star resort at WDW is the Grand Floridian.

 

[eeyore0062]

Did you ask to change rooms? If the hallway smelled of urine, and the room had a pull down bed, I sure would have tried!

 

[nwdisgal]

Wouldn't you love to be a fly on the wall with Disney and figure out how/when they determine to renovate their properties? I wonder if it has to do with number of bookings or when they see a drop off in business at that particular resort, or is it cyclical, how much mold grows on the walls, what's the point they make the decision to freshen the place up? We were at Cape May last year for brunch and I saw significant wear and tear on the carpets in the lobby at the YC. I don't know why that bugged me, but I thought for this price point, that stuff should be kept up to date. It kept me from booking a room there, even though I love the theming and the proximity to Epcot. I ended up with AKL because of the newness of the resort and the room condition. I noticed when we were at AKL this last April, that they were revarnishing the stairs to keep them looking fresh. As a person who was paying peak rates (under mild duress) at the time, that attention to detail pleased me. I think that people will always stay in deluxes for location, but I also know that people want to get what they pay for. At any of the deluxes, attention to detail (room condition, fresh paint, etc.) is especially critical. And from hearing the complaints on some of the MODs, especially pre-refurbishment at CBR, it is important to buyers in the moderate range price point (which at peak season rates without a code, isn't "moderate"). This spring after returning from a nice clean, refurbished room at a CBR, I was sold on the Disney experience and the benefits of staying on-site. I am not sure I would have come back with that if the room had been dingy and sorely needing renovation.

 

[macs4us]

They really do want to know - even if it is after your stay. Most mangers I have encountered will do what it takes to make it better, even when you are not asking. They will discount or comp your room, buy you a meal, give you a future discount - whatever is appropriate. It is a tough business, and managers want to keep your business at their establishment.

We travel quite a bit as well, and most of the time stay in 5 star hotels - I believe Disney overcharges in general (both WDW and DL). They are not of the caliber of a Four Seasons, period. I would have to say my best stays were in Home Away From Home resorts (OKW, BWV and FWC), and for the most part I felt I got what I paid for, but I have NEVER paid rack rate. Service is somewhat spotty - wonderful castmembers at times, snotty and unhelpful at other times. It is getting like that everywhere, but you really want more "Magic" from Disney. It doesn't matter how much money you have, you should get what you are paying for - not strange urine smells in the hallway.

I am so very sorry your stay was not up to par - Disney needs to know.

 

[cindala]

Originally posted by DawnCt


They were not the last time I checked. Also, they are not under the Mobile Travel Guide. The only four star resort at WDW is the Grand Floridian.

I am looking at my AAA guide book right now, and the YC, BC, GF, and WL, are all 4 Stars, the CR, Poly, and all the mods and values are rated 3 Stars. Personally, I highly value the AAA rating. Also in all my stays at the YC, I have never once been disappointed. Like I said earlier, the same standard room of the same quality at the Jersey shore would be upwards of $400 a night.

Of course I do prefer the YC over the BC anyday!

 

[macs4us]

Just an FYI...

Assuming that the website has the "latest" ratings, here is what AAA has:
4 Diamonds: BW, GF, YC, BC, Swan/Dolphin
3 Diamonds: AS, AKL, CR, CBR, CSR, FW, OKW, Poly, POR, WL, DI

Mobil Website Ratings:
4 Stars: GF
3 Stars: BC, AKL, BW, CR, CSR, POR, Poly, WL, YC, DI, Swan/Dolphin
2 Stars: AS, CBR, FW, POFQ

In general, AAA is not as tough as Mobil. Often a rating reflects amenities available, so you may have a better room at a 2 star but the hotel does not have the amenities that a 3 star with a smaller room has available. Of course ratings are subjective - I would disagree with Mobil's rating that POR and CSR are in the same class as BW. Still, a AAA 4 Diamond resort should not have worn carpet or urine smells in the hallway.

 

[Gabrielle]

I feel the same way...the deluxes aren't worth it.

 

[SamanthaL]

Don't flame me but I disagree that the deluxes are not worth it. I have stayed at the BC ( and all the other deluxes) on several occassions and everytime I don't ,I miss it. I have never had difficulty with my room, I have always been upgraded to a water view, and never noticed a urine smell. I guess what I want to say to HMF is, it may have been a bad first impression. It sounds like you got a Sico room which I would not have liked either and would have asked to be changed. As far as the smell in the hall, a call to the manager would have given you some satisfaction I am sure. It may still be worth dropping them a line about this. Who knows maybe they will offer you a chance to give BC another try. I really do think that the BC just had "a bad day". I really am PICKY about where I lay my head and I would never keep going there if this was the norm. Samantha