Questions for those who have had extended stays at value and/or mods

[FSUMARCHIEF]

Hey folks! In a nutshell - we're (DW, DS (3yo) , and me) are going in january for 12 days (11 nights). Financially, we have planned on spending 9 nights at the POP and then 2 nights at the Wilderness Lodge for a treat. We have already made ressies for the POP for those 9 nights.

But, we've looked at the fact that with an AP we could probably stay at a mod for all 11 nights for about the same price as what we'd already planned. We're almost convinced to make the change for a few reasons:

1) Don't want to hear the toilets flush at the POP in every other room for 9 nights

2) Don't want to hear doors slamming all night from people who leave the little thing turned around so they can get back in without a key.

3) The refridgerator at the mod would be nice for that long of stay.


Our only thought is we really like the wilderness lodge. I'm a United Methodist Minister, and thus we can't afford to stay at the WL for 11 nights. Are the mods that much nicer that it would be worth skipping the WL for 2 nights and staying all 11 at a mod?

We have never stayed at a mod. Been to the values mostly, with a couple of trips to a deluxe for short stays. Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks & God bless!
Mark

 

[Tinkaroo]

Hi, Mark!

Based on your circumstances, I would recommend doing the moderate for your entire stay. Personally, one night at Pop was enough for me! (Since you know about those turbo toilets, and fairly thin walls, I think you're ahead of the game!) The only moderate I've stayed in so far was the CBR, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone. I just think the extra square footage, refrigerator, dual sinks, nicer amenities, etc., are worth the extra amount per night for the moderates. I know many will disagree, but I think moderates are a good alternative for affordable Disney trips. (Once our "year of the AP" is up next year, I know POFQ or POR will likely be my next stop, as we just can't afford/justify the rack rate cost of deluxes!)

Good luck with whatever you decide - and may you have a blessed trip! DH is a former minister, and I know how much you and your family must deserve/be looking forward to this break!

 

[robinb]

IMO, even the deluxes have Turbo Toilets and thin walls. {shrug} I would still go for the Moderate over that Value. I like Pop Century and the All Stars fine ... in small doses. After 2-3 days, I begin to miss the amenities of a moderate or deluxe. For me, the most important is a hot tub, followed by the refrigerator and the bigger room and no giant icons. In addition, it might not be too much more for an AP over a MYW ticket. With a 3 year old you won't need a Premium AP, which will save you some money.

 

[JennaTX]

Hi, we have been twice to WDW. First time at the CBR and second time at the WL. I really like both of the resorts, but the only reason I think that I liked WL better was because I had not heard about DIS on our first visit to CBR. And really what made our WL vacation better was all of the great hints that I got here. I think you will be very pleased with a moderate and will have a great vacation!

 

[mickey'sbud]

I believe you will get more overall for your money expense by staying at a mod. I've stayed at a value once, at 2 mods, and 3 deluxes. I have always wanted to stay at the WL and haven't gotten the opportunity due to reasons I don't remember....anyway.....Based on my experience and your concerns, I'd suggest staying at a mod for 11 nights instead of staying 9 at a value. I realize you're trying to make the WL thing work.......BUT, I'd give up the WL for better accommodations for the majority of the trip. The mods have more to do and the atmosphere is more intrigueing. It has more of the "resort" feel. And yes, IMO the mods are that much better for the number of nights you plan to stay. IMO the values are fine for a quick trip.

On one trip we stayed in a Mod for 8 nights....we got tired of doing the "commando style" version of the parks and then our vacation reverted to the resort hotel where we could relax a while and enjoy what it had to offer.

You might consider splitting your stay b/t 2 mods---Change mid-way thru. Prices per night shouldn't change b/t mods.

If you are thinking the values would be really great for your son (seeing the large icons), you could take a bus over and walk the grounds of the value resorts. We sometimes visit other resorts just to experience their atmosphere too.

Have fun!

 

[purplern]

We have stayed at CBR and POR and enjoyed them both. We have also stayed at WL and it is our favorite. It is such a beautiful resort. Lots to do! I say if you really want to stay there and can afford to do it without stretching your money go for it! WL is a deluxe resort but it is one of the cheaper ones.
Have fun!!

 

[crzy4dsny]

I would say stay at a moderate. We have stayed at CBR for 14 nights, POR for 11 nights, and POFQ for 9. We are going back to POR on the 20th for 15 nights. I like staying at one resort for a long time because you really get to relax there and get to know the resort. Yes we have heard a lot of doors slamming on the locks, but you could hear that anywhere. I guess it all depends on who your neighbors are. I don't think I have ever heard a toilet flush at a moderate, but i do remember hearing it at the Poly. One thing to remember is the longer your trip, the more you can take it slow and enjoy everything there is to offer.

 

[disneyholic family]

call them and find out what their AP rates are (assuming they're out for january)...
you may be pleasantly surprised...

and even if they don't have anything now, keep calling back...

we just got back from WDW, but i found out that i have to be back there next week....so my daughter and I are going....i called disney reservations 2 days ago for a room next week...

i asked for the Pop (since it's just the 2 of us), but then the reservation person offered me an AP rate at the WL for next week for $124/night!!!!!!!!!!

that's unbelievable....the lowest rate she could give me at Pop, also with an AP, was $79......i figured it was worth it to stay at the WL.....

but the point is, keep trying and maybe you'll luck out with a good rate...

you may have luck getting a decent AP rate at the moderates....

one year i got an AP rate of $129 at the AKL....so you never know what luck you might have....

on the other hand, for our trip in july i wasn't able to get us any AP rates....so it's kind of hit or miss....

by the way, regarding noise....we never had any problem with noise at the All Star Music or Sports....maybe we were just lucky...
we did have a terrible time with noise just a few weeks ago, during our 2 night stay at the contemporary resort (in the 14th floor concierge).....it was as if the people in the room next door were right inside our room....and their baby, who woke up 7 times (i counted) through the night was unbearable......that's simply unacceptable to have no soundproofing whatsoever...
but we've never experienced that except this one time.....and i can assure you we'll never ever ever ever ever stay at the CR again....even for free...it was substandard....
on the other hand, the soundproofing at every other disney property has always seemed really good to us....
we also stayed at the WL and OKW on this trip and both were 100% occupied....and yet i never heard a sound....not even a door slamming....

 

[chipper10]

I would stay at the moderate. I never want to change resorts in the middle of a trip again. Also look and see what the AP rates are. Today, I just booked AKL Standard view for $130 a night with the AP best rate.

 

[Leota]

I would stay at a moderate. I'm a deluxe kind of girl, but I loved CSR when we tacked on an extra 5 nights after a stay at the Poly conc. one trip. It was quiet & fun & had lots of amenities. I consider CSR a Deluxe Lite. I also consider WL a Deluxe Lite after having stayed there. The rooms are small, the only edge to transportation was the MK boat launch, the service wasn't very good on my stay & the fast food place was pretty yuck. IMHO, it wasn't worth $89 more a night (both AP rates) A beautiful resort to visit, but I'd rather spend the money elsewhere.

I stayed value once & will never do it again if I can help it. I'd rather go less often, save up longer to go at least moderate. The values are just too darn noisy & they don't have the amenities I enjoy. I really use the resort alot, not just for sleeping.

 

[Bugsmom73]

I would go with a Moderate. A fridge with a child is invaluable. Even if you opt to stay at a value, I would still get one. It is great for milk, yogurt, fruit, etc. If you can get a great rate with WL, go for it. Your son will love it, if not a mod is fine. I have been to CBR twice and DD loved it at 15mos, there is so much to do and tons of playgrounds and pools.

 

[yecats]

I am going with the crowd on this one and would also tell you to stay at a moderate. In January, first off the crowds shouldn't be so bad but you will always have a lot of families staying at the values no matter what time of year so there is always a lot of activity there (I believe in short stays at a value). Moderates are a bit more spaced out so you may find that you have no neighbors during the week (which has happened on more than one occasion while I stayed at the moderates in the off season). However, the turbo toilets are a different matter altogether and like stated above I find you hear them no matter what resort level your staying at.

As for which moderate would be great for your family I say stay at either Coronado or Port Orleans Riverside. Both are very nice moderates with some similarities (beautiful peaceful grounds with great pools, playareas) and then some things that are unique about each. CSR has a different setup in their food court as they require you to get a card stamped at each food station you order at and 10% gratuity is added on the bill as a waiter will serve you drinks. However, the food court at CSR has a larger variety of food selections than any other food court on property as well as slightly higher prices. At CSR you can also order room service which includes a lot of the foods made in the food court (PORS you can only order pizza in your room). The pool, slide and hot tub are wonderful there. There are also boat/bike rentals and spa services available as well. CSR is mere minutes from Epcot, MGM and AK (say about 5 to 7) and maybe 10/15 minutes to MK.

PORS has a different atmosphere but is very laid back and quiet. The food court does have a limited amount to eat. There are several quiet pools and the main pool (with smaller slide than at CSR) but it is still a lot of fun. The hot tub will fill up quickly here. There is a nice boatservice that takes you to DTD and is a quiet ride with brief tour given by the skipper. There is also Bob Jackson's show at the Riverroost Lounge which is very family friendly and free and a must see while there but get there when his show starts as it will fill up quickly. Boatwrights, PORS sitdown restaurant, has the best french toast for breakfast. Your right next door to POFQ so take a nice stroll around the grounds there for a slightly different atmosphere. Your also a short ride away from Epcot and MGM here as well with slightly longer rides to MK and AK.

Both resorts are wonderful and you'll have a great time but just be prepared to hear the occasional turbotoilet.

 

[HaleyB]

I would stay at the Pop and do the 2 nights at WL.

That is almost exactly what we did last year, and it was for an extended stay like yours. We stayed 10 nights at the Pop and 2 at AKL. Everyone loved it and I think the AKL and WL are the neatest places to stay.

We are budget travelers and almost never pay more than $70 a night for a hotel. We stay at La Quinta and Super 8's and places like that. I aim for newer ones and almost always find them clean and comfortable. We found the Pop to be a step up from what we were used to, bigger than a lot of rooms we have stayed in. I was surprised, after reading here about how 'small' the rooms were. We did hear people walking outside our room a few times but if there were toliet/door sounds I didn't notice them. We are a family of five and we almost always have a handful of friends under foot too, so noise is not really something that bothers me. Quiet I find disturbing sometimes (in the what are they up to now? sort of way).

We stayed at a Moderate Dixie Landings, now POR) for our Honeymoon trip (which was a gift). We loved it and it was our first stay onsite, but we never really took advantage of any of the amenities. It was, in short, a waste of money. Knowing that we wanted to go for a longer time now that we could we again thought about the Moderates, but after a little trip planning I realized that my priority was to be in the parks so we went with the value. It was the right choice for us.

So my advice would be to think about what you want to do day to day. Will you spend most of your time at the parks? Is it less expensive to add the minor parks to your tickets, so if you want a pool day you can have the water slides and all? I would and will gladly give up a second sink and a little extra room space (the Pop rooms feel big because they have good storage, The All Stars do feel a little smaller to me even though the square footage is the same) on my park days in order to be able to add a night or two of RnR at the AKL or WL. The food court at the Pop is wonderful, the pool is wet, the beds are comfy, and the bus service was outstanding. All we really ever did was sleep, shower, and regroup in the room. We spent 90% of our awake hours outside of our room and close to all of that in one of the parks.

 

[wdwfanva]

My DW and I LOVE the WL , but also like POFQ alot We stayed at French Quarter several years ago (before free fridge) for 14 nights and simply loved our stay !!!! French Quarter is small, easy to navigate, cloce to River side (shot walk) ,and the bus stops at FQ first going to parks and usyally coming back from parks. Yes , Wilderness Lodge is still our favorite , but if it means more trips, we'll stay at POFQ !!! We are also AP holders so that also helps alot saving on trips !!! Whatever you decide, have a magical trip and let Mickey know we'll see him in December !!!!
Oh by the way, we changed our ressie from WL to POFQ for this trip!!!

 

[Amy&Dan]

I vote for the moderates. Our first trip we did 10 nights at ASMO in October and it was great. We got the 101 Dalmations building and it was close to everything. It was all so novel and new and I had prepared myself for being in a cubbyhole and was pleasantly surprised. For our second trip to WDW we stayed at POP for 10 nights. This was last January. Never again for that long! It was not as novel and the place was absolutely packed, all the time. I asked a cm if they were sold out (couldn't figure it out since it was January and I thought maybe that even with low crowds in the parks Pop was sold out) and was told, "oh no, this is NO where near sold out!". The food courts reminded me of a dorm cafeteria. While I loved the theming at Pop and thought the room was fine it was all the common areas that got to me. I just think that for a resort that big they need a much bigger food court and more bus stops. Pop has more rooms than the ASMO so even though it was a slower season it felt much more crowded than Movies had in October. Also, it was often cold and drizzly and the bus stops were a pain since they were not covered. That trip we took a tour of DVC and joined on the spot! This was our last day after 9 nights at Pop. Also, since the parks close early in January you have to plan on eating more meals at the food court because who wants to waste valuable park time eating dinner? The problems is that EVERYBODY else is thinking the same thing!

In April, we stayed at POR (dvc points aren't affective until this month). It was like night and day. Room wise I didn't notice that much of a difference but the pool area with a slide and hot tub as well as the food court were such a different feel. We loved spending time strolling around the grounds, we rented one of those surrey bikes and loved the quiet, peaceful feeling. It felt like a resort. In this case POR was sold out but you would have never known it. I became a believer in the moderates after that trip. We still think the values are neat, especially our kids, but our new rule is a three night max for the values. Also if I stayed at Pop again I would pay for the preferred location. We were in the 90's and it just seemed far from everything. I don't think I could ever do a value for 10 nights again. POR on the other hand, I could live there!

 

[wdwgoofeeee]

You may want to check out the Swan and Dolphin in the Epcot resort area. They are not Disney owned and you can sometimes get great deals over there. The Epcot resort area is so convenient to both Epcot and the Disney Studios. You can walk or boat over to either from there.
Good luck in your deciding what to do!