Resort Question...Is a Deluxe worth it???

[captchris]

Hello everyone...I am new to the Resort forum. I spent a lot of time over on the Cruise Line forum preparing for my cruise last year. It is now time to begin the preparations for our next Disney trip. It is a while away...about 2 years, but I like to start preparing in advance...saving money etc.

I am thinking of moving on up from the Value Resorts. So often, I stand in line for a bus and think, "wow, wouldn't it be nice to stay at the Wilderness Lodge." I also think of fullfilling a child hood fantasy of staying in the Contemporary. There is just something about that monorail gliding through that superstructure.

When I started to crunch numbers, it seemed that for the price we paid for our Disney Cruise, I could stay in one of the Deluxe Hotels. If I throw in the meal package, it is even more competitive...especially if I go during a time of year when it is free!!!!

So, my first choice would probably be Wilderness Lodge, second the Contemporary, and my fallback plan would be to stay in the Port Orleans Riverside. There will be 8 of us in two separate rooms, myself, DW, DS 7, DD 9. Then my fil, mil, niece 13, niece 3 in the other room. I would like to stay close to MK for transportation convenience, this would also include restaurant transporation as we won't have a car. I welcome any advice!

 

[cara loves the poly]

I don't think the Wilderness Lodge is on the monorail. I could be wrong - check on that if that is a main factor! As for your question, YES, I feel the deluxes are worth it! Our favorite (and only experience) is the Polynesian! The rooms are much larger and the surroundings are gorgeous! We love watching wishes every night from our balcony! The beach is great and MK is a VERY SHORT boat or monorail ride away! Good luck!

 

[1000th happy haunt]

Wilderness Lodge is not on the monorail, but it's a boatride away from the Magic Kingdom. The monorail resorts are the Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian.

Are bigger rooms and a balcony/patio important to you? Then you should upgrade to a Deluxe hotel.

 

[captchris]

Yes...I know the WL is not on the monorail, but the boat ride to the MK IMHO is almost as good. However, nothing can beat the monorail!!!!!!

 

[cara loves the poly]

Also to add - You feel like you can just leave and come back at any time, no big deal! You're literally ten minutes from your room! That is great too!

 

[swilphil]

WL is NOT on the monorail. The rooms are also much bigger at the CR. We like the CR for the convenience (you can WALK to MK) and the large rooms. I thought I would like WL better, but when we visited to eat there I was not impressed with the lodge. It was nicely done, but I spent my childhood staying in cabins in the Ozarks and in Colorado. WL is considerably cheaper than CR, but you can get some decent deals if you stay in the South Wing. We really liked our ground floor wing room with a patio.

 

[disneyag]

We love the Deluxe hotels. A few other things to consider: they have queen beds, interior hallways, full service restaurants, room service, valet parking, and, as another poster added, larger rooms. If these things are important to you, then the Deluxes are worth it.

 

[jeanninepl]

We stayed at the CR on our last trip and spent our last night at Coronado Springs. Yes, the deluxe is worth it. The room was so much bigger and the monorail makes such a difference.

My kids enjoyed the CR so much that they wanted to spend just as much time there as they did in the parks, it was awesome!

 

[copper68]

If money is not that much an issue, then I would definitely select a deluxe resort.

One option you may want to consider is staying in a 2 bedroom villa at the WL. You can rent points from an owner, and if you stay from sun-thurs, it will be cheaper then renting a standard room at any of the monorail resort. Also, you can fit all 8 people in the 2 bedroom villa.

Just something to think about.

 

[skipperkim]

In 05 I stayed at CR with my sons in the former north garden wing. It was a great advantage to walk back to the room at night after watching Spectromagic and Wishes or jump on the monorail and watch it from the room after seeing Illuminations. We had a view of MK from our room. I don't see the convenience of taking a boat back to my resort.

 

[BrianD]

Go with the CR for sure! You are not only super convenient to MK, but also convenient to Epcot. Just one monorail stop to the TTC, and then transfer to the Epcot monorail. Also, I imagine that if its been a life long dream to stay at the CR, I'm guessing that means staying in the Tower. I can't imagine staying any other way at the CR. I say go for it!

 

[mickey2minnie1]

I would definitely go with the deluxe. I pondered all of this for months before we finally decided that we wanted to make the most of our trip. The monorail will be great for the younger and older as well. More space will be a plus.

Good luck and keep us posted. Giving yourself so much planning time will all ow for more saving!

Make the most of your trip whatever that may be. The resort is just as important to us as the playtime in the parks.

 

[Angela Kay]

Yes...I know the WL is not on the monorail, but the boat ride to the MK IMHO is almost as good. However, nothing can beat the monorail!!!!!!

We were at the WL last month...courtyard view...fabulous! The boat ride was so peaceful. The lodge is just beautiful. You have to see it in person...pics don't do it justice. We would definitely be staying there again next trip if not for the fact that I need a room that sleeps 5. Be prepared to be hooked.

 

[LadyStardust]

I also think of fullfilling a child hood fantasy of staying in the Contemporary. There is just something about that monorail gliding through that superstructure.

Me too! Ever since I rode the Monorail through it when I was 10 years old!

 

[captchris]

Thank you for all of your responses!

I really would like to stay at the CR, and am currently working hard to convince my DW that it is worth the extra $$$$. I think in the end, I will be able to do so. Staying at the CR is still cheaper than a 7 day cruise! We have done the 7 day cruise, so essentially our vacation will be similar in cost or cheaper with skymiles!!!!!

 

[AKLRULZ]

Personally, I'm a huge fan of the Deluxe resorts. Their locations and ammenities are very important to me and my family as we spend a lot of time enjoying the resort's offerings. Money is a very important factor in any decision we make in life, but we feel that you absolutely get every penny back in the overall value the Deluxe resorts offer.

The Contemporary is a wonderful (and very underated) resort - we always stayed there when we were kids and it is super nostalgic for me. To this day you still won't find a better overall view in any MK resort.

That said, I'd discourage anyone from booking a Deluxe stay if it's going to cause any sort of financial strain. Crunch the numbers and I'll bet since you've cruised you'll indeed find a comparble WDW land vacation is much less expensive than a DCL cruise vacation.

Happy planning!

 

[ducklite]

Bottom line, we'd rather stay home than not stay deluxe. We can't sleep in double beds, need at least a queen. We don't like exterior corridors. We use the private balcony daily. We like having someplace to sit and relax in the room other than the bed or a hard chair. We like a real closet--hang bars look messy no matter how neat you keep them. We enjoy turn down service, and want to be able to order room service that consists of something other than pizza. We like the extra space, the quieter HVAC, upgraded pools, and valet parking.

That said we are not park commandos and tend to spend plenty of time in our room.

Anne

 

[captchris]

Bottom line, we'd rather stay home than not stay deluxe. We can't sleep in double beds, need at least a queen. We don't like exterior corridors. We use the private balcony daily. We like having someplace to sit and relax in the room other than the bed or a hard chair. We like a real closet--hang bars look messy no matter how neat you keep them. We enjoy turn down service, and want to be able to order room service that consists of something other than pizza. We like the extra space, the quieter HVAC, upgraded pools, and valet parking.

That said we are not park commandos and tend to spend plenty of time in our room.

Anne

The Queeen Bed and table service restaurants (especially with the dining plan) are big reasons I am considering a Deluxe. I don't want to be stuck without "good" transportation.

 

[ducklite]

The Queeen Bed and table service restaurants (especially with the dining plan) are big reasons I am considering a Deluxe. I don't want to be stuck without "good" transportation.

We never found the transportation to be an issue at any deluxe resort--we've tried them all. IMHO the monorail isnt' as convenient as it's cracked up to be, we actually prefer teh location of the Epcot resorts. They offer a ton of table service choices both in the resort and within a five minute walk, as well as a variety of lounges.

Anne

 

[captchris]

What I was referring to was the resort to resort bus transportation which is known to take a long time.