Seriously,how do you pick a resort hotel when going to WDW?

[HopperFan]

$$$$ what is my top amount I want to spend and what is in that range.

How many and who with, like DH won't stay in value but if just me and a kid or two, I don't care.

Winter, more park time with shorter hours so don't care about pools.

Dining Plan? then I like being at resorts with more options/table service.

How many extras do I want that trip and work backwards in to budget.

 

[Disneylover99]

Start with a value and eventually try a moderate and then a deluxe.

 

[alex9179]

Budget
Fits family of five (no babies), when I'm planning that kind of trip
Queen beds if sharing
Transportation/access to where we want to be


An example of my thought process for our trip in 2017. Earlier this year, I looked at rack rates and started a savings plan. I based it on wanting to try something new with the family, entertainment/dining, and access to recreation and parks. After running some numbers I realized that we could stay longer if we split between a Mod and Deluxe. My Mod of choice is POR because it has a good TS and the QS at both PO resorts is fine, while the kids are jazzed about sampling the beignets at FQ. Yehaa Bob plays there and it sounds like a such good time. Dining options open up with an easy boat ride to DS (the bus service for DS was kind of awful on our previous trips). I stayed here with my mom in 2013 and thought it was lovely.
Our Deluxe stay is planned for YC/BC. We're going in the summer and the kids will love the pool complex. Easy access to two parks. Lots of dining choices along the lake within walking distance.

We're hoping for a 9 night stay with 5 park days. We want to take some time and enjoy the resort amenities. I have a Disney springs day, pool days, and a resort hopping day in there and have planned them around using non-bus transport.

 

[MillauFr]

I had booked a moderate on Orbitz but when other posters suggested I check out another travel agency that was selling deluxe rooms at Wilderness Lodge and the Poly for less than I was going to pay at POFQ I switched my booking.

 

[Corbinator]

OP, we felt that our kids wouldn't appreciate the nicer things about a mod or deluxe either... so we switched gears entirely and booked AoA after canceling at BC. In our case the decision was based on age and theme. We can afford anything but we chose the fun hotel instead. Sleeping underneath Mater is going to mean more to my 4 year old than manicured gardens and a spa. Heck my kids still talk about sleeping on the pullout couch at a Hyatt Place in Detroit for a wedding like it was Buckingham Palace!! You have to know your crowd.

 

[mickey2minnie1]

Look at the budget and find a deal so we can stay longer
Resort time is priority for me. The Polynesian is our favorite and has been for my kids since they were young.
Convenience
Dining

It always comes back to the Poly. We could stay longer somewhere else, but the resort is key, so 7 or so nights works.

I want to stay as long as I can at a deluxe, so sometimes I have to do a split stay.

 

[Sparkly]

How many points per night is it, do we have enough, is it realistic to actually get this type of room at 7 months, do we like the resort's rooms/location? We're finally staying at our home resort next September, can't wait!

 

[DrunkJam]

On our first trip, we really just chose the one that looked nicest to us.
That was WL
It was, indeed, wonderful.
(but then, the theming is right up my street)
This time, we needed to consider a few other things, like convenience, ease of return to resort, food options in resort, fun staying in resort.
And we wanted to try something different.
So, this time we are booked at the Poly.

 

[Nancyg56]

I always look at what we will be doing on the trip and how much time will be spent at the resort, who is coming and then my budget.

For my family resort time is part of the vacation, so we do not choose a value. If our goal was parks, parks,parks, and we just slept and showered at the room, then I would choose the value that looked like it was most convenient for us.

Once I figure out the family dynamic, I look at my budget and go from there.

My DH coming? Deluxe. If not I decide how much of the budget I want to allocate to the resort. I also look at the discounts and will let them helpl me to choose my resort. If one is not available I just stay elsewhere.

It all comes down to making the most out of the money we set aside.

 

[Marionnette]

I have an off site hotel booked for my first trip to WDW next summer, it's located in Disney Springs right by all the shops, etc.. However, if my SIL backs out of the trip, I'm probably just going to go ahead and book at one of the values, maybe a moderate. A deluxe? I'd love to, but a slim to no chance I would do that. I love some of the moderates, but every time I look at them I keep thinking how my girls would be happy at a value. They're still young, and I don't think they'd really care about the extra perks the "nicer" hotels have. So this brings me to my question. With the overwhelming amount of Disney resorts, all levels, how do you chose which one to stay at? I keep thinking how beautiful Port Orleans French Quarter is, but then I think how Caribbean Beach seems pretty cool, then I think of All Star Sports, etc... It's overwhelming trying to decide when there's so many great ones.

Here's my list:

• Budget - I agree with everyone else. It's all about the Benjamins (or the number of DVC points). Once a budget is set, you can rule out the Grand Suite at the GF or choose to book it.
• Will we all fit? - A room that accommodates 4 does me no good if there are 5 of us.
  
• Comfort - The beds may not be as comfortable in some locations as they are in others (no queen size, king beds not being guaranteed, etc. Or the resort can have a reputation for being noisy. If I can't get a good night's sleep, it's not worth saving money.
• Location - There's something to be said for being able to take the monorail from inside your resort to the gates of MK. Or walking thru the back door of Epcot. Or relaxing in a resort that feels nothing like being in the middle of a major theme park.
• Reputation - A couple of resorts have been getting reputations for poor customer service when things aren't done right.
• Transportation - If I have a car, how bad is the parking situation? If I have to rely on Disney transportation, does it have multiple options or at least a good reputation for convenient and quick service?

 

[piglet1979]

I have an off site hotel booked for my first trip to WDW next summer, it's located in Disney Springs right by all the shops, etc.. However, if my SIL backs out of the trip, I'm probably just going to go ahead and book at one of the values, maybe a moderate. A deluxe? I'd love to, but a slim to no chance I would do that. I love some of the moderates, but every time I look at them I keep thinking how my girls would be happy at a value. They're still young, and I don't think they'd really care about the extra perks the "nicer" hotels have. So this brings me to my question. With the overwhelming amount of Disney resorts, all levels, how do you chose which one to stay at? I keep thinking how beautiful Port Orleans French Quarter is, but then I think how Caribbean Beach seems pretty cool, then I think of All Star Sports, etc... It's overwhelming trying to decide when there's so many great ones.

1. We first look at price and find the ones in the price range we have.
2. We also look at how much time we will be spending at the hotel. When we started going to Disney we stayed at a value because we were in the parks from rope drop til close.
3. We look at the pool. We now take breaks in the middle of the day and let the kids swim. The moderates have water slides and the values do not. My kids love the slides and the activities they have.
4. We also like to try new resorts so we tend to look at the ones we have not gone to yet.

My favorite so far is CSR. The pool is really nice and the sliding doors that separate the sink/bathroom area from the rest of the room was great. This last trip we stayed at POR and we liked it as well. We had some issue with the AK bus but over all it was a great resort. We did go over to the pool at French Quarter one day. I am not a fan of their pool. Riversides was much better.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I always look at what we will be doing on the trip and how much time will be spent at the resort, who is coming and then my budget.

For my family resort time is part of the vacation, so we do not choose a value. If our goal was parks, parks,parks, and we just slept and showered at the room, then I would choose the value that looked like it was most convenient for us.

Once I figure out the family dynamic, I look at my budget and go from there.

My DH coming? Deluxe. If not I decide how much of the budget I want to allocate to the resort. I also look at the discounts and will let them helpl me to choose my resort. If one is not available I just stay elsewhere.

It all comes down to making the most out of the money we set aside.

I think this is important also. Last year I was set on POFQ but got an awesome deal at the Poly and BC so I switched. Sometimes the discounts dictate where I stay.

 

[Starwind]

In addition to considerations like budget, location, etc, we also look at the resorts and their rooms themselves:

One of our earlier trips we were doing a split stay and wanted to try a different resort (Wilderness Lodge is our default). we browsed the disney pages and photos about the resort. We read reviews and other non-Disney sites that had info about the resort. We watched videos about the resort that we could find online. We watched "resort room tour" videos that we found online -- some are really good! We watched videos and looked at pictures about the food offerings. We read resort restaurant menus online and considered whether we would even want to eat at a restaurant.

This helped up create a list of "never want to stay there" and "want to stay there" resorts. We then applied the other factors like budget and location to narrow th list further/decide.

Also, we take advantage of split stays - usually bookending a cruise -- to try staying at a new resort. So our last trip we stayed at WL, then took a disney cruise, then spent one night at AoA in a mermaid room because my sister really wanted to stay in one of those rooms. That trip let us know that value resorts are not for us (unless it meant no trip at all), though we did enjoy it. For our next trip, we will have two nights at Poly before the cruise and will just enjoy the resort, no parks.

SW

 

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

If you are going to spend little time to explore and enjoy the resort, go with a value resort. Save some money for special treats, souvenirs and or Character Meal. If you think you would use the resort as part of your vacation I think POFQ is a great choice. Fun theme and a boat ride or easy walk to POR. Not to mention the boat ride to Disney Springs.

 

[tgarre06]

I had booked a moderate on Orbitz but when other posters suggested I check out another travel agency that was selling deluxe rooms at Wilderness Lodge and the Poly for less than I was going to pay at POFQ I switched my booking.

Can you PM me the travel agency you used?

 

[nursejackie]

We book what we can afford. There are price differences within each range too, which is why we now do split stays with the bulk of the vacation in OKW but it gives us the chance to experience the others. We have stayed at AoA for one night as the cars suite was too tempting, the theming and the pool were very good, and we enjoyed the food court. But the bus lines were so long, it put us off doing it again.

 

[prprincess]

We usually stick with the moderates, although our budget plays a large role in where we stay and what we choose. And yeah, it's true that we oftentimes are only at the resort to sleep. But in August we got caught up in Hurricane Hermine and years back we all got the stomach bug, so we were indeed stuck in our rooms for longer than we wanted...yet another reason why I prefer moderates and up. I feel a bit cramped in the values.

 

[Patrick Parson]

I think there is something to be said for a resort that is within walking distance of one of the parks, or that has access to the monorail. There are a few within walking distance of Epcot, but you pay a little more for the convenience. The Magic Kingdom resorts are awesome, but expensive, and youre right, kids don't really appreciate it enough to justify the cost. Some of the other resorts on property are so far away from a park that you may as well stay off property. I would recommend a very inexpensive house or condo - you get A LOT for your money that way. We found a house for about $600/wk. with three bedrooms and a private pool in a gated community (that's cheaper than a value resort). And there's really not much difference between a 20 minute drive vs. a 10 minute drive.

 

[Nancyg56]

I think this is important also. Last year I was set on POFQ but got an awesome deal at the Poly and BC so I switched. Sometimes the discounts dictate where I stay.

Last December we chose CSR because the discount was good and it was the least expensive of all that were listed for our dates. That trip was ALL about the money, so the resort was not a priority other than I did not want a value. The Cheers were there and as much as I like kids, I did not want their sheer volume to be with me at the resort.

If the discount allows for a deluxe to be in the budget I opt for that one every time. I find that I can save money in other areas of the trip if I am staying at a deluxe. You see, if I want to allocate that portion of my budget to resort, I remove the additional finds from another. The only place I don't compromise is dinner. I like to eat! LOL!

 

[Mousemommy1]

We just made a list of all of the resorts, in the order we wanted to stay in them and we pick a new resort every year. We are actually nearing the end of the list finally!!!