Support for values and pop

[MoserFamily]

I agree that many people tend to look down on the values, and I can't seem to understand why. We've stayed at both the value and the moderate levels, and I personally don't see the point in staying at a moderate. Sure, the rooms may be bigger and there's an extra sink, but we can make do with one sink, just like we do at home. The moderates I've stayed at have a sit down restaurant, but if I want to sit down at a restaurant, I want to do that at one of the parks where it's worth it, or at the Boardwalk or Downtown Disney. When I'm at the resort, I want something quick and easy so I can get back to my room or get off to the parks. I also don't want to feel bad stopping for a quick bite to eat covered in the sweat and grime of a day at the Magic Kingdom. The moderates have "quiet" pools, but when we want to go to a pool for any length of time, we go to a water park. For the other times we want to swim, the big pools at the values are more fun. As for noise, we've never had a problem with noise at any of the resorts we've stayed in.

I would love to be able to afford to stay in a deluxe, so hopefully that will be in our future. But until we can afford the Animal Kingdom Lodge, we'll be staying at the fun and playful values.

 

[disneynewbee]

We've stayed at most of the resorts on property and I still find myself going back to the values. We stayed at BC for a week in the summer and before Christmas we stayed at ASMu and we had a blast there. Most recently, last weekend, we stayed at POR. We've stayed at POP atleast 10 times. It's not the kids that choose the resort... It's me!!! We could stay at any of them, but when I get in the car to leave my house for WDW, it's all about the fun I will have (I bring them along as entertainment ). To me, the values are all about fun and having fun was Walt's dream for Disney World. The look and feel of them is fun and if you feel like skipping to your room, then skip! That will make your teenage kids look at you funny though! Even the food courts and pools at values are fun. DS17 said ASMu was his favorite resort!! He loved all the different sections and we walked around and took his picture at every single light post and street sign in the Broadway section as well as many others in the different section!! I think he's like me because he just wants to have fun too!

If you are going to WDW and don't want to be in a fun environment, don't stay at a value, but if you want your stay to be all about having fun and experiencing everything Disney, a value is perfect. Oh, and if you see someone skipping to her room and her teenagers are hiding, that's probably me!

I just wanted to say your post made me smile. You sound just like me and dh skipping back to our hotel or dancing and being goofy while my 14yo rolls her eyes and secretly smiles because she really does love when mom and dad are goofs even if she won't admit it. Sometimes we have stroller races from the bus stop to the elevators when it's super late and noone else is around. I've been to many of the deluxes to eat or for extra stuff like the Wonderland tea party and while they are beautiful I just couldn't have this kind of fun there. I want to be a kid at disney and I feel like I can do that at the values. Every time I read a new post I think of something else I love about the values.

 

[JenAusty]

I love the Value resorts. Yeah I think they are intended of families with a smaller budget. Right now I am on a set budget- being a student in college but my DF and I are getting married in June 7 2008 and we are disneymooning and staying at Pop Century. Last time we went we stayed in AllStar Movies. I love the ALMovies one the best just because it really captures and focuses on the best thing about disney- the disney movies. I picked this one because it was everything disney characters.

This time we picked pop century to 1. try something new, 2. heard great reviews on the food court.

Although they are great for budgets- I agree that even if I could afford something better- I really enjoy saving money accomidations because I get to spend more time shopping and eating at restaurants. Honestly, I feel the value resorts are extremely nice for the price. I've been to costier ones that were worse. Disney really stands up to the expectations and quality. I haven't been to the ASSports, or ASmusic.. but one of my best friends always chooses the ASMusic.. and she can definitely afford to stay at more costly resorts- but she loves the pools, and she loves saving money that way.

I also have a goal of staying at most of the resorts at least once. I really want to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge.. my cousin stayed there and loved it.. and when we went there to eat.. it was beautifull but it was because of the animals and the safari theme that made me love it.

 

[ilovecountry]

I went for the very first time over the summer & my friends and I did it since we were freshly done w/ college. So at that time it was a money issue but we just made plans to go this summer again & we can all afford a moderate or delux this time around but decided to go back to pop. We loved the decorations & layout of everything..I don't care how dorky it sounds, we were amazed by it lol. Also we only use our rooms for sleeping, that's it. We go back to our rooms about 1-2 am & get up by 7 am to leave for the parks. I think out of the 8 days we were at POP, we went to the pool maybe once. Everyone kept telling us to try the delux this time but we don't see the point, why pay a fortune for something that I'm using for less then 6 hours? I'd rather blow the extra cash on awesome goodies from that park that cost a little extra $, other attraction tickets, etc. Even in other vacation spots, I always choose value since I only use it for night night time, why spend the big bucks if you're not gonna actually be at the hotel?

 

[I Love Pluto]

Just my opinion -but - I have never felt belittled or put down in any way on these boards because I like Pop and the All Stars.

Stay where you are comfortable. Be happy. Enjoy Disney!

 

[tnmomof4]

We have loved staying at Pop, All Star Music and Movies for all the reasons everyone else has mentioned. My four boys love these resorts and wouldn't want to stay anywhere else even if we could.

We also started staying at All Star Music last year because of the Family Suites. There are 6 of us, and the suites are really nice with lots of room, and we still get the fun environment. I can't imagine the cost of rooms at moderates or deluxes that would accomodate 6 people.

 

[marianas00]

POP is fun! It is the only value I have stayed at and I truly enjoyed the atmosphere. Walking in the long entranceway and check-in counter created a feeling of excitement as soon as we arrived. The lighting, icons, background music were truly spectacular. It was great to see the icons of our favorite characters each morning even before getting to the parks. Our family has stayed at 4 star hotels around the world and POP suits us just fine. Oh, and the blue raspberry slushies are my favorite drink anywhere.
I am very excited to stay at POP with my brother on his very first trip to WDW. We will be there in just 12 short dAys!

 

[MouseFan Down Under]

Now I'm confused!

I have booked for ASMu for 9 days in September, but after reading all your posts am thinking of switching to POP.

It has been 10 years since I have been to the World - so POP wasn't around last time.

Your thoughts and advice would be very much appreciated.

It will just be me (34) and my mum - I am taking her for her 60th Birthday - which at this stage is still a surprise!

Thanks

 

[budcollector]

on my 1st solo trip to Disney i stayed at Pop, i'm going to be going on my 4th solo trip in May and i'll be staying at Pop again. i guess its the atmosphere, and no bus sharing that keeps me going back.

 

[sajetto]

Well, we are DVC members and haven't stayed in a value since then, but POP is where we ALWAYS stayed before we bought in. We weren't crazy about the theme or decor, but......

We LOVED the food court. The ham and havarti flatbread sandwhich was awesome!

The bartender there was pretty good

The rooms were inexpensive

The grounds and rooms were very clean

We actually liked the hussle and bussle of the check in area and gift shop

 

[mathgeek]

I stay in either value or deluxe when we visit.
The values are usually for saving money, but I really love having the full food court at the values. We really miss the food courts when we stay deluxe.

Well, we are DVC members and haven't stayed in a value since then, but POP is where we ALWAYS stayed before we bought in. We weren't crazy about the theme or decor, but......

We LOVED the food court. The ham and havarti flatbread sandwhich was awesome!

The bartender there was pretty good

The rooms were inexpensive

The grounds and rooms were very clean

We actually liked the hussle and bussle of the check in area and gift shop

Even when I've stayed deluxe I'll go back to one of the values just to eat b/c I love the variety offered at the food courts!

I've stayed at Sports and Movies both on solo trips and with DH and wouldn't have done it any other way. Love the theming and all the activity at the values. But like PP, now that we own DVC we probably won't stay value anymore (unless we decide to go on an extra trip and don't have points!). I'll miss it though from time to time!

 

[DaParkers]

I, like many others, go to WDW for the parks mostly. I sleep, shower, and do your basic at home things in the room. While I love staying on property, I am not in the room "awake" long enough to justify spending the extra money for a mod or deluxe. Plus, where else can you take a picture like this?

 

[TwingleMum]

We have stayed at many of the resorts on property from deluxe concierge to value and we love them all. Each resort is like a minnie (get it?) vacation. The themeing seems more fun and out there in a value resort and it just tickles your funny bone. The deluxes are more subtle. My kids loved ASMO. The huge Toy Story icons were so cool and made for fabulous pictures. This year we are trying the family suite at ASMU I can't wait . The food courts are very limited or nonexisitent in a deluxe and with small kids this is a minus. Kids don't want frois gras, they want simple kid friendly meals which the value food courts have in abundance. Its nice to be able to run and pick up something quick if you need it. I also can stay where I want but I wouldn't hestitate to stay at a value resort. It allows me to add more days (always a great thing) and more souvineers (yeah!!). Plus your at DISNEY the best reason of all

 

[attackwithnorth]

My favorite resort has always been the Polynesian, but I have never for a second thought less of someone who prefers to stay in a value or moderate resort. My second favorite resort is POR. Its a matter of preference and the great thing about Disney is that you can find beautiful and unique resorts at any price level. I have never stayed at POP or the AS resorts, but from the pictures I have seen, they look like alot of fun and I would love to check them out.

 

[bethmomoftwins]

This trip (coming up in two weeks) will be our first time at a value resort. We are staying at POP, so when we get back, I will post a full report.

We have previously stayed at the GF for the last 3 trips. That kinda started by accident. We had booked the CBR for Nov 2001. When 9/11 happened no one was travelling. Disney called us a few days before we went down to tell us they were closing CBR and sending the guests elsewhere. They switched us to the AKL (at the same price we orig paid for the CBR). After a few days there I called and asked them to switch us someplace else. Our twin boys were just two at the time and with the double stroller and the loooooong bus ride to MK, we just wanted to be someplace closer to MK since that's where we spent most of our time. The switched us to the GF, again at the same price as the CBR! I told my DH as we walked in the door to the lobby...you know we ruined for life now, right?

So the GF became our home base so to speak. We loved the hotel (it's so pretty), we loved the restaurants there, we loved that we could comfortably fit our family of 5 in one room, and we loved that it was one stop on the monorail to the MK. That monorail part was the most important. But we didn't spend much time in the hotel at all- mostly in the parks- so it seems a real waste to spend that kind of $. Especially now that the "baby" is older (he's turning 3 on this trip). And since we are hitting all the parks on this trip, we would have to take the bus anyway from GF.

Well, this upcoming trip I am paying for our family of 5 by myself (I started a little photography business which really took off) and we wanted to go for a longer time (we're going for a full week). So we decided to give the POP a try. I'll let you know. My only concern is that we should have gotten the 2nd room and split our family into two connecting rooms. My DH is a big guy and I'm worried about the double bed. It's not going to be pretty. And now it's all sold out, so we are stuck with one room. We'll manage. But I am looking forward to trying the POP, it looks so fun and very Disney. And face it, after winning the castle suite last trip, nothing is going to measure up!!

 

[PiperGirlInWondrland]

While we could afford to stay in a Deluxe, we choose to stay in a value because we LOVE them. Especially POP. The food court is great, my kids love the pools and we feel they are much more relaxing and fun. With 5 children, we always need two rooms, and I just can't see spending all that extra money for two rooms at a deluxe when we can spend that $$ on the kids while we are there. The $$$ we save on the rooms pays for a lot of castle makeovers at BBB!

 

[juligrl]

All we need is a nice clean place to sleep on Disney property which is why we stay at the values. At this poin, I can't justify paying a ton of money for a room I only sleep in. I have a commando type Disney husband so we do literally only sleep in the room!

If it means I get to go back to Disney more often or stay for longer, I'll gladly stay in a value.

We love the larger than life themeing at the values! They're so much fun and that's what a Disney vacation is all about for us - fun!

The values feel like they're alive! There's always so many things going on around them and people having fun. I love that buzz.

 

[CEDmom]

I'm glad people enjoy the values and that Disney has them available. They definitely fill in niche. That being said there is nothing anyone can say that would ever make me want to stay there. Personally I think the huge icons are tacky and the rooms are too small.

For us nothing can compare to staying at one of the Epcot resorts. Having all those activities, amenities and restaurants plus 2 parks just a short walk from your room is simply amazing and worth every penny. We spend a lot of time enjoying non-park things so it's perfect for us.

 

[DisneyFan83]

We have stayed at POFQ every trip except last summer we stayed at Pop... we loved it even better! Don't get me wrong, POFQ is great, but we just thought Pop was more fun, better food, better store, better transportation, and we loved the Disney feel of the resort. We're going back there again next trip!

 

[maple girl]

While I love being pampered as I would at a mod or deluxe resort, I LOVE saving money more!!!

All I do at the resort is shower and sleep. I will not pay for a mod or a deluxe when my wants (fun atmosphere, food court, shop, pools, etc) and needs are more than met by a value. I have been to Pop in the past, have a vacation planned for March 08 at Pop, and will stay at the Pop in the future.