Should we downgrade- opinions wanted!

[cgmac12]

Our family is going for the first time in September. Our current ressies are for 5 rooms at the Poly. We are now having second thoughts on the price and are considering bumping down to a moderate- or even possibly a value. Give me some pros and cons of each category.

The main plus for us at the Poly is the monorail. We are traveling as a party of 14- including one grandma and one 3 year old (she will almost be 4). Let me also say in our party several people are larger people- both height and size wise. For instance- my husband is 6' 3". No one is extremely large size wise, but still several of us are not a size 3 if you KWIM. This was also a factor, since we realize we would have to go down to Full beds from the Queens at the Poly.

Obviously we realize the Poly is much grander than the moderates and the values- our question is- is it worth all the extra money? Is the transportation horrible at the Mods and Values? We will have 2 vehicles that will allow us to drive ourselves as well as using Disney transportation.

If we were to move down- sell me on another resort- which mod would you pick and which value- and why.


Thanks for any input!

Crystal

 

[Alicnwondrln]

i like the poly is a very nice resort
recetnly remodeled new rooms
new food at captain cooks
monorail to MK walk TTC to get monorail to epcot walk to GF for food
great beach to watch fireworks from
lobby is stunning
can be very romantic
have you checked out tikimans website

 

[Alicnwondrln]

http://tikiman2001.homestead.com/index.html

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

The Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge are both deluxe resorts but with smaller room accommodation's (rooms have less sq. footage) yet still have two queen size beds. The Wilderness Lodge is a Magic Kingdom Resort and has boat service to the MK. The Animal Kingdom Lodge is very close to Animal Kingdom. Both are beautiful resorts, I would chose one of these resorts before dropping to a Moderate or Value.

Both resorts have loads of information available for you on their FAQ Threads.

Have a great trip.

 

[richard_andmel]

What about 5 standard rooms at the Wilderness Lodge? That would keep the queen beds, but save you $114 per room per night over a standard (Garden) view at the Polynesian...

I think the mods are very nice. But you would probably miss the bigger beds with 14 people.

 

[traci]

Hi Crystal,
We are staying at the Poly for the first time too in September. The newly remodeled rooms look nice. For us though, the transportation can't be beat. The monorail is such a nice convenience. The pool at the Poly is a zero entry - which is great for young kids.

I have heard really good things about the mods and values - I am sure you will get some great advice there.

For us, the location of the monorail resorts is an important feature.

Enjoy your trip and good-luck deciding

 

[minnie61650]

Here are some pros and cons that were posted by another DIS'ner:

FWIW, Here are my opinions on the advantages/disadvantages of each level:

Advantage of Value over Moderates and Deluxes
* Price.
* Food Courts for quick meals.
* Pop Century has its own bus.
* All Stars resorts share busses, but there is usually very little wait on either end.

Disadvantage of Values
* Small rooms.
* Double or King sized beds only.
* Large groups can sometimes be rowdy.
* No pool slide or hot tub.
* external corridors.
* Pizza delivery only.

Advantage of Moderate over Values
* Nicer feature pools with slides and hot tubs.
* Bigger rooms.
* Sit-down restaurants (all but POFQ).
* Real bars in main area plus pool bar, not just pool bar (except POP).
* Nicer food court, it's not just one big room.
* No giant icons.

Disadvantages of Moderates
* Double or King sized beds only.
* Can be spread out and most need an internal bus system.
* External corridors.
* Pizza delivery only.

Advantage of Deluxe over Moderates and Values
* Bigger rooms yet. Many can sleep 5 people.
* Queen or King sized beds.
* Large variety of sit-down restaurants.
* Nicer feature pools, many with zero entry.
* Internal corridors.
* All have sliding glass doors and most have balconies or patios.
* Most have special proximity to parks: monorail/boat to MK, walk/boat to
Epcot/MGM.
* Room service.
* Valet parking.

Disadvantage of Deluxes
* Epcot deluxes do not have snack shops for a quick meal, except the Beach Club Marketplace.
* Price.
* Busses are often shared, especially the Epcot resorts. The ride can take a long time.
* Self parking can be difficult, especially at the monorail hotels.

Have fun at Disney wherever you choose to stay!

 

[Princess Stitch]

I have never been blessed enough to stay at a resort like the Poly. We always stay at values when we go. I can tell you this : we went last September and stayed at the Pop. You don't share bus transportation there but even if you did, the parks are so empty that time of year that it's never a problem to get on a bus.

The values are fun because of all the theming While the adults might enjoy the poly more, I think the children would have a great time at the values.

 

[minnie61650]

Transportation:

I personally think that All Star Music has very good transportation:

Disney Transportation times acorrding to Passporter.com


All Star trans---Poly trans.----------GF trans---- Contemporary
MK 20 min---- 10 min (mono)-------3 min mono------20 min(mono)
Epcot 10 min- 20 min(walk and mono)-22min(walk+mono--15 min
MGM 10 min----15 min---------------10min-----------20min
AK 10 min------15min---------------15 min---------------20 min
DTD 15 min----25 min-----------------20 min -------------35 min



All Star trans----AK trans---WL trans--------YC/BC trans
MK 20 min------ 20 min-----8 min(boat) min---20 min
Epcot 10 min-- 15 min-----10 min------10 min--20(walk+mono) min
MGM 10 min----10 min-----15 min------15 min---15(boat)min
AK 10 min-------5min-------15 min----15 min---20 min
DTD 15 min-----15min------25 min-----15 min---15 min

It only takes 10 minutes to get to Epcot, MGM and AK from All Stars.
MK is 20 min away. That's the same amount of time it takes on the monorail from the Contemporary

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All Star Music is my favorite Disney owned hotel.

I can well afford to stay at any of Disney's resorts but these are the reasons I stay at All Star Music:
Here are some reasons I choose to stay at All Star Music:


1. I can book a preferred room location.
The way All Star Music is laid out it "seems" smaller than most of the other Disney resorts. Since I stay in preferred room I know I am going to be close to the food court, bus stop, & main pool.

2. I enjoy the theming at the All Stars. All Star Music is also is the quietest of the values. Generally less people stay there and there are more seniors and couples and less young children because children enjoy the themes of the other values more.

3. The bus service at the All Star Music is very good. Since I use an EVC good bus transportation is essential.

4. The entry at the values and Mods are much more Handicap friendly.
I am able to get in and out of my All Star room unassisted. This way my husband can go and play a round of golf and know I can leave my room to relax by the pool if I choose.

All star room

The Deluxe rooms have a narrow hall with the bath on one side and closet on the other. I cannot open the door from the inside unassisted.

Poly room

--------------------------------------------------

All Star Music is my favorite resort. It tends to be the quietest of all the values.


All Star Music is undergoing a refurbishment of all of the rooms and is slated to be completed by June 2007.

The Calypso and Jazz buildings are completed and the last I heard they are working on the Broadway Buildings.

Here is a website with photos of the newly refurbished rooms at All Star Music.

Look at the Jazz Inn section with new posted:

http://allearsnet.com/acc/g_asmu.htm




---------------------------------------------------------


DH and I enjoy the landscaping and peacefulness of All Star Music.
We enjoy relaxing by the pool (there are plenty of chairs and lounges), and the beautiful lighting at the resort by night.

I have never had the unfortunate experience of running into the any of the large
groups of teens who sometimes stay at the values on school trips.
As long as you can avoid those large groups I do not think Noise will be an issue.

*HINT if you close your bathroom door at night you might not even hear the turbo toilets.
I close my bathroom door and I don't hear them.
------------------------------------


I love The All Star Resorts.

I am 56 years old and travel several times a yearfor pleasure. I often stay at 3and 4 star and sometimes a 5 star hotels and motels.
So the deluxe and mod resorts are just another hotel/motel to me.
Staying at an All Star is like being in the heart of the Magic and that is where I want to be.

All Star Music is my favorite. It is quieter because more couples stay there. I love staying at the Calypso building. It is closer to the pool, food court and bus stop.

Here is a site with a map of All Star Sports and All Star Music.
http://www.wdwinfo.com/resortmaps/allstarmap.htm
Scroll down. All Star Music is at the bottom of the page.
The Calypso buildings at All Star Music are #1 and #10 are nearest to the food court and bus stop.

The Calypso pool at ASMu has Donald Duck.

The buses are wonderful.

Bus rides are quite short from the ALL Stars according to PassPorter.com

All Star Buses-CBR buses---POPbuses--PO buses--- Contemporary
MK 20 min---- 20 min-----25 min------10 min---20 min(mono)
Epcot 10 min-- 15 min-----20 min------10 min---15 min
MGM 10 min----12 min-----15 min------15 min---20min
AK 10 min------20min-------15 min----15 min---20 min
DTD 15 min----20 min------20 min-----15 min---35 min

It only takes 10 minutes to get to Epcot, MGM and AK from All Stars.
MK is 20 min away. That's the same amount of time it takes on the monorail from the Contemporary.

A WORD ABOUT BUS SHARING

To me Bus Sharing at the All Stars is really a non issue.

In the mornings during Park opening hours each All Star usually has a dedicated bus.
During mid day it is usually just our stop and maybe one more on the way to the parks. On the way back sometimes it is all 3 but often Sports and Music share and Movies has it's own bus back. Each of the All Stars usually has it's own dedicated bus back from the MK.
That is a big plus. It seems like the Music bus stop usually has the shortest of the three All Star bus lines.

I guess some people who stay at POP see all 3 All Star names on the return sign of our bus stop when they head to the POP bus stop and think All Stars also has 3 stops on the way to the park.
(Even when we stop at another AS resort to load up it has not taken more than 5 minutes and we are on our way!)

The pools at The All Stars are very kid friendly.

When staying at the All Stars you can use any of the All Star pools.That means 3 main pools ,3 quiet pools and 3 kiddie pools to chose from.

The All Star Movie Fantasia pool has Mickey.

The Calypso pool at ASMU has Donald Duck.

And the Surfs up pool at All Star Sports has giant surf boards.

Here are a few pool photos.

All Star Sports pool.

All Star Music Donald pool.

All Star Movies Mickey Pool.

I have visited WDW more than a dozen times with the 1st time in Oct. 1971. It was brand new. I've stayed at FW, Disney Inn, a few the of Hotels on hotel Blvd., CBR and the towers at the Contemporary. I got to see the MK from my balcony at the Contemporary and I'm happy I got to experience it once. I just prefer the All Star Resorts.
The theming is pure Disney.

My last 6 visits have been at The All Stars and during the fall of 2005 when we took dd,dsil, and our grandson age 3(at the time) for 8 nights we stayed at the All Stars Music. I thought about AKL and even though we can well afford AKL I just wanted Alex to experience the Disney Magic at the All Stars on his first visit.
Where else can one find Donald Duck or Mickey Mouse at the pool?

Have fun at Disney!

 

[LoveMyLAP-BAND]

The monorail resorts (and WL) are invaluable as to the location, especially with a grandma and a little one. Those afternoon breaks are a blessing.

If you do decide to go with a moderate, I would choose Port Orleans French Quarter because the resort itself is small. You would not have to walk far from your room to the bus stop, pool, etc.

If you decide to go with a value, I would go with Pop Century. It doesn't share a bus and the theming is great. You may want to consider a "preferred room" option at POP so you can be closer to everything.

Have a great time!

 

[beccasmom]

The moderates/values have food courts that are nice to have - especially when in a large party of folks who all have different tastes/budgets, etc. We find that food courts are especially great for kids who are picky eaters.

The monorail hotels are great for getting to the MK and over to Hoop-de-Doo at WL if you have that planned (watercraft). The rooms are generally large, as are the bathrooms. Getting to the other theme parks and DTD is less convenient, although if you have a car, it would be much easier.

Transportation at the moderates/values can be great, awful or somewhere in between and we find that it is generally not great during busy seasons especially. During the afternoons when you may want to take a break at your hotel to nap or sit by the pool, the wait can be longer than you might like. The monorail wait is seldom as long, in my experience. But, again, a car makes that not as much of an issue.

 

[cgmac12]

Thanks guys for all your insight and opinions. Keep them coming- this is such a hard decision!

Crystal

 

[Buzz2001]

Check out my CSR website for pics and info on CSR.

 

[rie'smom]

CSR doesn't share busses and is a super nice resort. Being a mod it does have double beds. My hubby and I shared a double and it was fine.
It also has lush tropical landscaping. If you downgrade, you'll hae lots more money to spend on having fun. At WDW especially, a room is a place to sleep.
I did a quick comparison and just used the dates Sept. 11-Sept 19 :

POP(values) = 99.00
POFQ(mod) = 165.00
Poly(deluxe)= 365.00
I don't know if you've considered the Swan or Dolphin but they are deluxe hotels.
The Swan=199.00 and has queen beds
The Dolphin=199.00 and has doubles.
They are walking distance to Epcot and the Boardwalk is right next door.

 

[lillygator]

are you trying to save $$? we've stayed deluxe., mod an value and really it's just a matter of pref....the values are a great deal, so are the mods...even WL or AKL are a great deal compared to the prices of GF, Poly and CR.

 

[Piglets Mommy]

We love the Poly! It would be great for your larger group, esp. if you are doing the dining plan, just for the convenience of transportation. It is much easier in a momorail resort to come back for a break mid-day, or hop over to another resort for a meal. That being said, we are trying WL for the first time this Dec. with my in-laws, It's quite a bit of savings, and while not on the monorail, has boat access to MK, FW and contemporary. Plus, the kids are really excited about the bunk beds. We considered doing a moderate, but felt the savings didn't = the lost convenience factor. Good luck in your planning. I'm sure you'll have a great time no matter where you stay!

 

[Willow16]

After we booked Pop Century, I kept looking at the moderates to see about upgrading but I just couldn't justify the difference in price for a room that we were just going to sleep in. The transportation was great and we did a lot of park hopping. We would go back to the room in the late afternoon and then head out again for dinner.

 

[Flagondry]

OK, two things stick out in your post. You are worried about double beds and you have a grandmother and 1 child as part of the group. So, you have to determine what is most important. How high on you list are queen beds? How do others in your party feel about double beds? Next, how often will your group break during the day? Does grandma have mobility issues? Do you, and the others, mind the idea of leaving the park, going to the car and driving back to your resort? Will you be park hopping?

Based on what you have listed so far I would suggest WL, AKL or a value. IMO the main difference between the value and the mod's are the themes and coffee pots. Not worth the the jump if those things don't matter to you. We could afford to stay anywhere, but chose a value for reasons you listed. It just seems like too much money for a room. I can the value in upgrading for a honeymoon, if you have small kids or if this trip is the one you get a year and you are going for a mix of park and resort. We spend all day in the park, it doesn't appeal to me to spend more money on a room I won't be in much.

 

[jeepgirl30]

I'm a small person, 5' with my shoes. I stayed with DD6 at ASMO in Sept. We had an awesome trip but I would not recommend value resorts to your group. I felt like I could not close the door when I was in the bathroom, not enough space!

The themeing is great but the rooms just are not comfortable to me size wise. I've stayed at Coronado and while many say their is not much size difference I never felt cramped in the room at Coronado. It is one of my favorites!

I did stay at GF once and would not spend the money again, just me.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[klj27]

I would seriously consider WL if I were you. Good luck!